#backyardride

[jacquesmarais]

#BackyardRide #1 for #2020... . . Bru... Let's just say #MountainBiking is a pretty cruel sport. If you're spending more time on your #board than on your #bike - way more, in my case - you're going to seriously suffer when you tackle the #Tulbagh #BoneTrail, a tough old bugger of a crank into those high-and-righteous #witzenberg ridges. . . Start off from the #trailhead at @manleywinelodge just outside historic Tulbagh, keeping right on the tarmac for a couple hundred metres before klapping a sharp left over a stile and onto a trippy 3km #singletrack stretch skedaddling along the Klein Bergrivier. This morphs onto a gravel road climb through apple and plum orchards until you reach the split between the Green and Black Routes at 6km. . . Put on your Big Boy Pants right about now, as you're about to say hello to Granny as you wind a steep switchback trail to the Bone Trail summit (7.5km). You rejoin the Green Route at 9am, having rejoiced in the joys of gravity, but the next ascent lies in wait. Much up-and-down follows as the trail roller-coasters about in wild abandon, until you bottom out at approximately 15km. . . The fun is by no means done as you dip past Schalkenbosch (18km) on a speedy gravel section. Keep it pedal to the metal as you bomb back into the sleepy main street, with at least a dozen quirky eateries vying for your cash dollar. It may have been the 33 Degree Celsius heat, but damn, that 23km ride sure felt like 60kays!? . . #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #mtb #IsuzuSA #TheresWorkToDo #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Tulbagh Wine and Tourism) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LxMbepXb8/?igshid=4y37aalqcrg2

[jacquesmarais]

#BackyardRide #1 for #2020... . . Bru... Let's just say #MountainBiking is a pretty cruel sport. If you're spending more time on your #board than on your #bike - way more, in my case - you're going to seriously suffer when you tackle the #Tulbagh #BoneTrail, a tough old bugger of a crank into those high-and-righteous #witzenberg ridges. . . Start off from the #trailhead at @manleywinelodge just outside historic Tulbagh, keeping right on the tarmac for a couple hundred metres before klapping a sharp left over a stile and onto a trippy 3km #singletrack stretch skedaddling along the Klein Bergrivier. This morphs onto a gravel road climb through apple and plum orchards until you reach the split between the Green and Black Routes at 6km. . . Put on your Big Boy Pants right about now, as you're about to say hello to Granny as you wind a steep switchback trail to the Bone Trail summit (7.5km). You rejoin the Green Route at 9am, having rejoiced in the joys of gravity, but the next ascent lies in wait. Much up-and-down follows as the trail roller-coasters about in wild abandon, until you bottom out at approximately 15km. . . The fun is by no means done as you dip past Schalkenbosch (18km) on a speedy gravel section. Keep it pedal to the metal as you bomb back into the sleepy main street, with at least a dozen quirky eateries vying for your cash dollar. It may have been the 33 Degree Celsius heat, but damn, that 23km ride sure felt like 60kays!? . . #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #mtb #IsuzuSA #TheresWorkToDo #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Tulbagh Wine and Tourism) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LxMbepXb8/?igshid=6t0ccvv9g8yo

[jacquesmarais]

#BACKYARDRIDE Hooking #harkerville Harkerville Trail offers 4x routes suited to all levels of riders: YELLOW (Easy - 14km) / BLUE (Easy - 12km) / GREEN (Intermediate - 15km) / RED (Technical - 24km). The colour-coded routes, ranging from easy jeep-track to fast-flowing #singletrack meander through shady plantations, costal fynbos and indigenous forest. Crank from #GardenofEden on along Grooteilandpad into for­est and then onto Markpad where you turn right along jeep track, then left onto Beukespad before cruising on the Olifantpad. It's an absolute dream of a ride as you slope away towards the coast, taking care along the stream crossings. A sharp climb takes you into the Gumbelt, but the trail soon flattens out as you burst into fynbos country with stunning views across the rugged Indian Ocean coastline 🌊🌊🌊🚲 🚲 🚲 Grab a swim at the bridge crossing (14km), then rejoin the Green route (15.5km) and Waterpad before you eventually hit the final free-ride section of the Red route, a zigzag descent amid tall tree ferns (23km). If you're not superfit, this forest ride will be a breeze on one of the new @giantlivrsa #ebike, so no excuses 👌😏🎄🎄🎄🗺️ #gardenroute #tonycookadventures #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #RideLife #livforward #mountainbiking #mtb #oZoneAfrica #AndBreathe (at Sanparks Harkeville) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4McjVqpwJu/?igshid=1g5hay0dd9v2g

[jacquesmarais]

#BACKYARDRIDE Go #AroundThePot 🚲 🚲 🚲 Welcome to the 'Republic of Green and Gold'. There are any number of breathtaking destinations along #southafrica's highways and byways, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a more visually pleasing natural space than #swellendam and the surrounding #overberg REGION over the bars of your #mountainbike 😁. Add celestial winter light and more than a thousand cyclists to the scenic equation of any @around_the_pot ride, and you're set for a visual feast of note This annual @chaseverittsoutherncape event draws riders from all around the world, and presents the perfect route on which to saddle up a @GiantBicycle #gravelbike or #MTB. There are no easy kms along this #100miler though, but you're guaranteed spectacular views as you take on those gritty inland rollers traversing the wheat and canola patchwork fields of the scenic #overberg region 🌾 🌾 🌾 #petrichoradventures #chaseveritt #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #RideLife #livforward #mountainbiking (at Swellendam, South Africa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3T8QsRpFk3/?igshid=bnzwtgd76clf

[jacquesmarais]

  #BackYardRide: Hit Play at #Jakkalsvlei!   Discover a great new #mtb playground in the back-country biosphere near the small village of #Herbertsdale. Go big on your bike at @jakkalsvleiwine, a family-owned private cellar and estate producing award winning wines. If you have a #gravelbike you will be in heaven, with dozens of remote gravel roads meandering into the hinterland. And the good news is that you have 4km of purpose built #single-track on #Jakkalsvlei to look forward to.   The annual #Jakkalsvlei @aramexsouthafrica MTB Challenge is a superbly executed event with 3 #MTB distances and 2x #Trailrun options. The 60km ride is challenging and the shorter events can be enjoyed by the whole family. Afterward, relax on the lush lawns and enjoy great wine, delectable pizzas and burgers.   #ExplorersGardenRoute #JakkalsvleiWines #GiantLivRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LIVGIANT #LivRide #RideLife #livforward #mountainbike (at Jakkalsvlei) https://www.instagram.com/p/B22TwEepXrW/?igshid=1x13oc4pqq5vh

[jacquesmarais]

#BackYardRide:   Go get some #Kouga Kiffness!! 🤟💙💚   What can be better than ranging wild and free along the #Kouga Region trails? Everything goes, from superb stretches of coastal #trail between #StFrancis and #OysterBay, to the endless delights of a whole gamut of routes within the vast swathe of #GamtoosRiver, #VanStadensRiver and the #ElandsRiver areas. Prime #mtb stoke comes courtesy of @jbaybikepark and #3RiversTrails where most of the routes are purpose-built with enough #singletrack track to bliss you out for hours on end. #Crossways is a key part of this trail system, and caters to both the rookie riders and hardcore XC racing snakes. Local @grantputtergill has put together a killer new 6km #BlackMambaRoute on which you will be bombing via averitable paradise - you have to go and check this #mountainbike route out 🙌🏻👌🤟   And after your ride, definitely stop off at #CrosswaysCountryKitchen for awesome country cuisine and an ice cold #craftbeer 😏🍲 🍻   Now Go Ride!                                 #Crossways #GiantLiveRSA #GiantBikes #RideGiant #LivGiant #3rivers #easterncape #KougaTourism #stfrancisbay #OysterBay #oZone #AndBreathe   (at Cape St Francis Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gQkvrHqsV/?igshid=qj3parmupzdn

[jacquesmarais]

#BackYardRide #1 Go Get Yourself Some #VitaminG(VB)! How about some #TrailTuesday love? Starting from this week, I'm going to post at least one #InstaTrail #mtb Review every week in conjunction with a number of #trail owners and #outdoor destinations. The idea is to find the #Top100 backyard trails in #SA, so your comments and feedback will be most welcome 🙏😊 We start off with a huge #High5 to the fabulous#singletrack traversing the incredible @gvbconservancy, near #heidelberg. This area is also known as the #ExplorersGardenRoute, which means less crowds and more kickass riding space, which is why I regularly head to @strawberryhillfarm on my @giantlivrsa #Anthem to plug into their 140km-plus purpose-built #mountainbike trail network 🙌 Not many spaces in #southafrica can compete when it comes to land access, personal #safety and absolute #riding pleasure, not to mention the #acrossthebars views! If you’re not sure where to ride, get in touch with @aileenoutside, a superb local #mountainbike guide, or just hit the well-marked trails for a #solo #adventure of note.   Easy access to a range of great accommodation establishments – such as #StrawberryHillFarm and #GrootvadersboschFarm – means you can #bikepack, play #XC on shorter cross-country jaunts, or get stuck into a serious mountain #enduro session. Follow the #links in this post for more information on the brilliant #GVBconservancy and the #Hessequa Region. Now Go Ride! 🚲 🚲 🚲 👌   #GVBConservancy #giantlivrsa #GiantBikes #RideGiant #livgiant #giantbicycles #garminsa #beatyesterday (at Grootvadersbosch Conservancy) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0g2s3pJApT/?igshid=1cdnuvh5roem7