Register
Wilderness Trail | Gravity Trail | Country Trail | Bike Park
https://www.tygerbergmtb.co.za/
https://www.trailforks.com/region/tygerberg-mtbc-trail-network/
4/5
The Tygerberg Mountain Bike Trail, located in Durbanville, Western Cape, is one of the best mountain bike trails to experience in SA.
Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced riders.
Wow! So much choice. Having been mountain biking since the early 1990s, when mountain biking was grouped with skateboarding as a very fringe activity, our ultimate dream was to have kilometres and kilometres of mountain bike-specific singletrack to ride every day. And that is precisely what you get at the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Trail.
Durbanville mountain bikers are probably unaware of how lucky they are. Especially those who have started riding in the past five years. It’s a privilege to ride from home and have access to over 150km of marked trails, mostly purpose-built singletrack across private land belonging to 30 landowners. Add to that, the tracks cater to every level of rider, from novice to accomplished Enduro/DH riders.
The Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club manages the network. They have over 7000 members and are probably the most prominent mountain bike club globally. The club is managed by a committee of volunteers responsible for building and maintaining the trails within the network. Membership fees and sponsors fund the club. Because the club makes a profit, it re-invests in various social initiatives to support the local community. It also helps fund the Western Cape XCO and Enduro Series.
With over 7000 members, the club has secured a Discount Partners reward system with local businesses, offering discounts to members for cycling and non-cycling.
Have you experienced the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Trail?
Please tell us what you think by leaving a review of your ride.
The signage is generally very good. Not all of the signage is the same though as some landowners only permit smaller directional arrows. The official Tygerberg MTB Trails signage is very distinct, with a wooden ‘horseshoe’ denoting the start of each trail, with its name at the top.
“The trails team uses the IMBA grading system as a guideline and signage is allocated accordingly. You can also find the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club trails on Trailforks https://www.trailforks.com/region/tygerberg-mtbc-trail-network/ where they are rated mostly Green and Blue, with a few Black.
Bloemendal and Hillcrest – Total distance: 27.5km; Total elevation gain: 878m; Total elevation loss: 1176m
Contermanskloof – Total distance: 36km; Total elevation gain: 720m; Total elevation loss: 1124m
Fair Cape – Total distance: 13.4km; Total elevation gain: 286m; Total elevation loss: 248m
Hoogekraal and Welvergenoegd – Total distance: 23.9km; Total elevation gain: 681m; Total elevation loss: 768m
Klipheuwel – Total distance: 13.3km; Total elevation gain: 215m; Total elevation loss: 215m
Majik Forest – Total distance: 11.6km; Total elevation gain: 310m; Total elevation loss: 307m
Meerendal – Total distance: 20.1km; Total elevation gain: 405m; Total elevation loss: 440m
Corridors – There are corridors to link the various trails. These are only for members and require an access code.
There is more very detailed trail information here: https://www.tygerbergmtb.co.za/trails/#traildistances
Well, you’re basically in a highly productive wine-producing region and most of the wine farms in the Durbanville region have superb restaurants. Cape Town is a 20-minute drive away so all the usual Cape Town activities are within a short hop by car.
It’s unlikely you will ever tire of riding this incredibly varied mountain bike trails network. There is heaps of gradient to ensure you are challenged on the many climbs, but the descents are so well thought out and provide ample reward for the ‘gravity tax’ paid. The scenery is simply superb, with the Stellenbosch/Franschhoek mountains to the east and Table Mountain and Cape Town to the southwest.
The full trails network is only open to paid-up members that display the current year membership board. Day visitors are able to buy a temporary trails access permit for R60 at each of the trail heads. To find out about the various membership packages, click here. https://www.tygerbergmtb.co.za/shop/
Trail Ratings
Durbanville mountain bikers, especially those that have started riding in the past five years, are probably not aware just how lucky they are. To be able to ride from home and have access to over 150km of trails, mostly purpose-build singletrack, across private land belonging to 30 landowners, is truly a massive privilege. Add to that the fact that the trails range in catering for every level of rider, from novice to accomplished Enduro/DH riders.
If you've ridden these trails recently, why not tell us about it? Follow the link to our review section, complete our rating criteria and give us some feedback on your experience. You'll go into a regular draw to win cool mountain biking prizes from our partner brands.
