Lowveld - Biking over the festive season

Remember to check your bike’s oil and fluid levels before hitting the road. If your luck is anything like mine, make sure to pack the rain suit as well. Whether you plan on going on a tar or gravel route, be sure to have your brightly coloured reflective jacket on for high visibility. If you are going on an off-road route, also have a puncture-repair kit and/or spare tube handy, if your wheels are the tube types.

If you are an experienced rider, you know what to do. To refresh your memory and riding skills, head out to Sabie either from Mbombela or via White River. If you get there early, have breakfast at the famous Woodsman. Or why not make a change and try out fine fare at Sabie Brewery or The Wild Fig Tree restaurant? Ask for their venison menu. Then get back the tingle of excitement in your toes as you swoop through the smooth curves of the Long Tom Pass.

If you are new to the area and the Long Tom Pass, ask one of your fellow experienced riders to show you the lines to take through the curves. Don’t be shy to ask advice on riding some of the best twists and turns in Mpumalanga. Challenge yourself and make use of all that expensive rubber you have on your bike. If you are out early, you might just be lucky enough to feel like you are riding on the top of the world.

(Picture: Low Cloud in Longtom)

If your heart rate has not been raised by then, stop at Misty Mountain Lodge and take a wild ride on the downhill toboggan. Contact the lodge regarding fees and bookings. You can then brave the roads from Lydenburg to Dullstroom and sample the fine dining on offer at the establishments there. Spend the afternoon browsing the craft shops for a few Christmas gifts. The whiskey shop also comes to mind.

For the more adventurous, Kaapmuiden, Barberton, Kaapsehoop, Swaziland border (Bulembu road), Badplaas and Chrissiesmeer offer a wide range of dirt roads to choose from. Take into account that the logging season is in progress and most of the forestry roads are also used by logging trucks and machinery.

(Picture: Badplaas)

Another factor to consider is the recent rainfall. The roads are used extensively by the forestry loggers and they could prove challenging to beginners or novice dirt riders alike.

Making a full day's ride and getting dirty is the goal. You have to spend at least a day or two cleaning the mean machine that carried you safely. Be sure to oil the chain if your bike is chain driven. Mud and water can take their toll on that shiny new chain and sprockets you had fitted and not used regularly.

Get an early start to make use of the best light for your pictures and utilise the cooler morning air. Pack snacks in you top-box or camelback backpack to have a picnic along the route. Don’t forget the water.

A recent exploring route ended after a full day of riding in Badplaas. The route followed the service road between the railroad track and Kruger National Park fence from the Numbi Gate to Matsulu. This sometimes two-track dirt road can be challenging with washed away low water bridge and slippery water crossings. Do not ride the route alone. From Matsulu you can make your way to the tar roads to Kaapmuiden Louw’s Creek (R38) and return to Barberton.

Otherwise take the dirt road turn-off to Louieville and treat yourself to a few interesting twists and turns on the Shiyalongubo Dam road. This road links up with the Barberton Geotrail and also features rides through indigenous forests with rich bird life and small game - ideal for a picnic stop and a water break.

You might know all the routes described, but remember your visiting friends from Gauteng and elsewhere are not as fortunate to enjoy the great outdoors the Lowveld has to offer. Get out there and explore the blue-sky country.

Article by: Nicolene Olckers

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