BIKE TRACKS
Many Bikers enjoy adventure and a sense of freedom. The tracks below have been contributed by bikers for bikers. You will note that they are in .gpx format. Please feel free to download them and use them.
| Inanda Dam This is an easy day ride from Durban. The loop around the dam is very pretty but dont expect to go fast as most of the area is tribal land and you will have to negotiate between cows, donkeys and goats, and the possibility of a reveler from the night be fore’s tippling in the road. Also take note that cow-pats are slippery! I have done the route three times (twice alone) and have never felt in any danger, but I would suggest that lady riders take a companion. The approaches to the dam are from Hillcrest or Kloof in the South-West, or through KwaMashu Township in the South-East. You will have to negotiate a swarm of mini-busses in KwaMashu but I had no problems at all. The loop itself is all a good tar road except for the South West quarter which is good gravel road. The last time I was there they had "stoned" the surface and my bike's back wheel danced about a bit. Download |
Peter Charter |
| Nagle Dam and Wartburg A nice out-and-back ride from Durban or Pietermaritzburg. Access is via the old Durban-Johannesburg road at Cato Ridge through the valley of a thousand hills. There are two ways and both are fairly similar. Virtually the whole way down to the dam is tribal land so watch for livestock. I have never encountered anything but friendliness from the locals but I would suggest that lady bikers have a companion. There are a few good gravel roads down and around the dam that are worth riding and the dam itself has a few picnic spots at which to break out the coffee and do the "this is the life" thing. The road up out of the valley to Wartburg is pretty and varied. The first bit is tribal land, and after that there are cane fields and timber forests. If you don't do the gravel down at the dam then you can do the whole trip on tar. Wartburg is a seriously cute town. Over 70% of the population are German speaking and the town feels like a little bit of Germany, with beautiful Lutheran churches and old German schools. A trip to the Wartburger Hotel to sample the local brews and sausages is a must. Don't make the mistake of ordering SAB "imported" beer - you will get a justifiably grumpy look from the brew master/barman. Download |
Peter Charter |
| The Comrades Marathon Route Albert Einstein wrote:- "It is good for those struggling alongside of one to see how one's own struggling appears in retrospect" Peter Charter wrote:- "It is good for those riding effortlessly to see how those who run's struggling appears in retrospect" Those guys are crazy, and this is a good ride to do to prove it. More than anything it is a nice piece of road and full of nice places to stop and fill the tank, tummy and liver. The bit from Hillcrest to Cato Ridge is the most popular with the local bikers as it has nice twisty bits and a good surface. Take it a bit easy in the Drummond area as there are a few places where water flows over the road surface, even when dry, and many bikes have gone down. Download |
Peter Charter |
| R102 to Oribi Gorge A trip to Oribi Gorge is a must for all bikers. It can be done easily as a full-day outing from Durban, but even better is to stop over at one of the many places in the area. KZN has two big winds - the dry North Easter, and the wet South Wester. A trip from Durbs to the Oribi Gorge area will most likely mean that you meet one of them either down or back. If, like me, you don't like riding with a stiff wind in your face, then it is a good idea to avoid the exposed and truck-laden N2 and take the old road. In fact take it anyway - it is prettier and slower, and who is in a hurry? One of my favourite bits of road is the R102 between Pennington and Hibberdene. Here the R102 is inland of the freeway and twists through sugar-cane fields and patches of indigenous forest. The wind can be blowing a howling gale and you wont feel more than a breeze. A word of caution. There are bits of tribal land and I have heard of stones being thrown at bikers. In four or five visits I have had no problems other than a few locals who think it is funny to impersonate Andre Joubert doing a rugby tackle by throwing themselves in your way as you ride past. Take it easy in these areas. On the way down the Umgababa tribal area is another place to take it a little easy. The Gorge area is incredibly spectacular. If you suffer from vertigo then walk out very slowly onto the balcony at Leopard Rock, as the view can take your breath away. The road up onto the Oribi Plains in the east is tar, as is the road through the middle of the gorge back to the Oribi Gorge Camp on the South side. The road out to the West and Camp Eland is good gravel, but it can be snotty after rain. The middle road through the gorge is amazing. It is mostly under a canopy of trees, mosses and ferns. Even though the road is tar, and I met a few cars on the way, I still felt like I was Dr. Livingstone. Download |
Peter Charter |
| The Sani Pass The Sani Pass is another of those "gotta do" rides if you have a trail-bike. If the weather is dry then it is easy - even for old-toppie newbies like me, but if it has been raining then the bit at the bottom can be very slick and slippery. Open the track in Google Earth and see what you face ! Download |
Peter Charter |
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