The first time I ever went for a mountain bike ride was some eight years ago, and I HATED it. It was probably due to the fact that I was so unfit, and someone decided when I was born that I would get skinny legs. Great, chicks dig it.

NOT!

I’m not worried though because I still win.

Anyway, I started to really love mountain biking(My first true love…weep weep) and was soon waking up at ridiculous times to go to events out in Paarl to punish my body in the summer heat. I then found myself getting more into the sport and pretty soon I was taking trips up to Oudsthoorn and Knysna to ride in events such as the Karoo to Coast and To Hell and Back classics.Yes…it’s true…I am a machine.

And still…the more I rode…the skinnier my arms became, and my legs stayed the same. So cycling has actually cost me. But do I care? I can’t say I do really, because there is no feeling like carving up a single track, millimetres away from clipping your pedals on rocks and crashing. That feel of pain as you see sweat pouring off your face and hitting your bike, misting up your sunglasses and the crazy tans you get from spending 6 hours on a bike in the African sun.

Spending time with other people on the verge of physical breakdown is actually good for you and I quite enjoy it! When you are out on a ride, miles from anywhere, and you start running out of water, you freak out a bit. Trust me. I rode the Karoo to Coast mountain bike race a few years back with my brother, and for some reason we forgot to pack food. One hundred kilometres of pure debauchery and we had no food!

I still remember getting to one of the last water stops on the route, and the people there had two biscuits left, which myself and my brother ate. Food has never tasted so good in our lives! That was the worst ride of my life, as the hungrier I became, the more I thought of the good food that would be at the finish of the ride. But it’s good to push yourself to limits like that, because it just feels so damn good coming out of situations like that and chilling afterwards around the braai with a cold brewski. It’s TOO good.

Anyway, Tokai is one of the more famous Cape Town mountain biking routes, and lately it is looking a little bare because they are removing all the pine trees, but it’s still a good ride. You start down at the parking area by the Arboretum(No idea what that actually means) and you basically just cycle up and up and up and up…eventually hitting a tar road where you can climb some more. Once at the top, you will be up with the radio mast there, giving you one of the most beautiful views of the city. Alternatively, there is another route that takes you up to Silvermine, and from there you do the Silvermine route which is some good riding.

Having a quick look in my cycling logbook, the Tokai Silvermine route that takes you to the mast, would take me 1hr40min, which included the ride back down from the top and this ride is approximately 20 kilometres according to my Sigma Sport cycling computer. The ride to Silvermine, which included the Silvermine loop of about 10km, would usually take me on average about 2 hours and is 30 kilometres long. It’s definitely a better route as there are more flat sections, instead of just doing a solid climb up to the mast.

It’s essential when mountain biking to ride with a partner/s for safety reasons. Also make sue you pack all the equipment to do any minor repairs on the trail, take a cellphone and some warmer clothes in case the weather changes. And always ride to within your skill level, because crashing in the mountain is not fun! And obviously wear a helmet. I will show you a good one in the next post.

To get to Tokai, click HERE for a good map. When you are going past Steenberg golf estate, you will pass a picnic area on your right hand side. You need to stop at the hut there to buy a permit to ride in the area, which is R10 a day(When last I checked). You can also find out there how to buy your Wild Card, which you buy and then get a years entrance to the mountain and you can visit it as often as you like to cycle. I have a Wild Card, which is definitely the way to go if you cycle regularly. Also, on the map, instead of taking a right at the Manor House to get to the market, you will take a left, and from there you will find yourself in the parking lot.

Have fun out there, I might just spot you on the trails.

Oh and did I mention the views? I don’t think I did! One of my reasons for taking my exercise outdoors, instead of sitting in a gym, is because of the natural beauty of Cape Town. Once you have hit the Tokai trails, the gym might seem…well…a little dull. Enjoy the followong photos, it’s what you can expect on a 30km ride in the Tokai and Silvermine area. There is no better way to have fun, enjoy nature and get fit and healthy.

It’ just another way we constantly live the dream in Cape Town.

I took this on a morning ride at about 6:30am

Looking over Hout Bay from the road leading up to the mast

Looking over the Noordhoek beach from the Silvermine trail

A dam with the mast in the background, taken form the Silvermine trail

Sean Lloyd

Editor