2012 UPDATES: MTB Fun ride date 30 June 2012

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Hopefully you kept some energy in the tank as the last little section is very steep.  The track is good but you have to have good technique and strong legs to get up the last couple of meters!  Once on top the views are fantastic, enjoy the flattish bit of single track before you drop down the other side.

As you hit the downhill you really need to ride within your limits.  This sections screams to be ridden fast, but it has some tricky sections.  At first it is loads of fun with little jumps and easy bends but the lower section was more technical and you either had to go over obstacles or slow down and pick your line. 

We have finished the link between the roads of the last climb and descent on the 45km route.  The views are stunning - the pain will be well worth it!  Here are some photos to wet your appetite and get your legs going.

The last steep section!

Same section from the top

The track-building group

Halfway

The end of the track

The beginning of the downhill

The highest point of all the routes, an achievement the 45km riders will remember!!

We have test ridden most of the 45km and 30km routes and all the tracks are riding nicely.  The heather is giving a lovely pink hue to the fields and the recent fire gives a completely new feel to the first 45km downhill.  This area rides much better in winter as there is very little mud you have to negotiate and the gravel and sand firms up to increase traction and the fun factor.  

If it does rain there are ample changing facilities, as well as warm water showers and huge outdoor and indoor fires!  The lunch will again be farm style hamburgers and boerewors rolls, and depending on the weather soup as well.  There is a bar on the premises and we'll showing some mountain videos to keep youngsters and others entertained while you wait for prisegiving.

The 30km is an awesome ride - and I would recommend it as a ride if you are deciding between the 23 and 30.  It has better views and a much better fynbos experience, with some fun single track sections.  It has 3 major climbs, with the toughest in the beginning, and the easier at the end, and so your legs should be fine!  The route does share some sections with the 45km, so please keep left so that some of the faster guys will be able to pass on the right hand side track.

The 23km has been changed slightly to take out the trickier sandy bits and the one muddy hill that we had last year.  Although you are riding about 300m more, it should be a better route. 

Videos:    215 Downhill              Ben Lomond singletrack             The weir crossing (45km route)

Scroll down for some of last year's photos.

The Festival of the Geese is happening during the weekend (June 28 to 30th) at the Sports Centre just past the end of town (turn in at the Spar Centre and then immediately left to the Library and municipal buildings).  A  highlight is the fynbos exibition, a worldclass showcase of the amazing plant variety in the Overstrand/berg area.  Apart from the usual happenings for adults, there will be a sheep dog show, fireman displays, archery and so on for the children.  If you would like any more info please contact us.

A recommended mountain activity is Howard Krut's horse outrides. The outrides can be for a couple of hours or you can a 2 to 9 day trail ride in the surrounding area.  

Or join Jason Stonehewer for a guided stroll along one of our beaches

60km - For the race snakes as well as those who don't enjoy too much technical riding.

This route is the same as last year.  Mostly scenic gravel road, has a fairly technical climb and descent in the beginning and at the end.

45km - For those who are fit and very proficient on their bikes, and who love a true mountain challenge.  This route is not a step up from the 30km - it takes more out of you than the 60km!

This route is very tough, the climbs are not easy and you do not get much rest on the descents.  You climb more than last year, and the last descent is fast and technical.  This is a true mountain ride, you will only do a few km on a road that links the two mountain sections, the rest is either up or down.  This is our favourite ride, and if you do it as a funride and enjoy the views and tracks, it can be an unforgettable experience.

30km - We added another 7km to the 23km.  Instead of turning right off the main gravel road, you continue along up the hill to join a new jeep track as well as single track  till you cross the river a few km's further on.  You then return along a jeep track that is fairly easy to ride as well as having a little fynbos climb before you rejoin the 23km.  If you still had something left in your legs last year after doing the 23km, this could be the ride to do.

23km - Same as last year.  It has some hills, I thought there were only two climbs but was informed by some that there were 200!  It is a very nice fynbos ride, nothing too technical but you will get a reasonable workout.

10km - A little bit longer than last year, but with the same aim as last year.  Aimed at children getting into mountain biking and those not as fit as they would like to be.  There is a fynbos loop in the middle of the ride that can be avoided if you find that your child is struggling a little.  This4km loop includes a steep single track climb and jeep and fire tracks that are quite bumpy.  Again if you feel that this might be too much then there is a turnaround at the 3km mark, which means you would have done about 6kms.

Kiddies dash - if there are some children on pushbikes or trikes then we do an impromptu ride around the venue.  We had a few children do it last year and the cupcakes were a hit!

The rides are for your enjoyment - we do not have a cut-off, although you might miss out on lunch or the chocolate crunchies if you take all day.  You will also miss the prize giving if you dawdle too long.  We give away a load of fantastic local prizes - including shark dives and whale trips and accommodation at awesome local spots, so it is definately worthwhile to have a little burn in your legs to get home on time!

Scroll down for some of last year's photos.

Instead we are planning to improve our premier event - the 41km.  Most riders took longer to complete the 41km than the 60km!  It has a bit of everything for the mountain biker who likes to ride mountains.  Almost all the riding is done on singletrack and tweespoor (the Overberg equivalent of single track) with some of the best views in the Western Cape.  This year we hope to climb even higher to see even more, but if the cloud does hamper visibility the downhill section will keep you smiling for ages - if you like that kind of riding!.

For the next few months up untill race day we will keep you posted and hopefully add some photos, so be a regular visitor to the site.  Have a look at the gallery to see photos from last year as well as what some of the Gansbaai mountainbikers have been up to.

The venue will be the Old Barn, de Uijlenes.  The barn turned out to be a superb venue, providing loads of accommodation as well as having a large hall to gather and enjoy the local vibe.  We will again have fun videos as well as good food and drinks, including Frikkie's pancakes and coffee and Micaela's chocolate crunchies.  

Remember that this is a working farm, so there is loads to see and do for the whole family.  Please visit their website by clicking on their logo above to see more accommodation options as well as what to do on the farm.  

The distances that are planned are the childrens' ride, 10km, 23km, 41km, and the 60km.  The children's ride can be anything from 500m to 1km!  Most children at the 2011 event used pushbikes!

If you would like to get a feel for the race please visit last years page as well as the gallery.

Hope to see you there!

The 7km will be slightly longer but will still have a turn around point for young children who would like to do some riding but who won't manage any climbing.  The 23 and 60km will stay the same, but we are looking to change the 41km to make it slightly more accessible to the not so extreme riders.  We are planning to make the  second climb less hectic, and the last climb will be longer with a very steep last 100m or so, but the downhill will make it worth it!

We still feel that the 41km is the premier fynbos route in the Western Cape!!, and if we get to improve it - it will be even better!!