Wednesday 31 December 2014

Review Northern Farms

Northern Farms is one of my favourite cycling places.  It is hard to believe that it is right next to Diepsloot.   This is in my opinion the best place for a beginner to cycle as the green route and blue route have no technical bits.






The venue:



Children: 10

Facilities: 8

Accessibility: 7

Cost: 7




The trail itself:


Security on trail: 8

Traffic Safety: 9

Fun: 10

Technicality:10

Scenery: 9

Obstructions: 8

Maintenance:  9

Hill climbing: 8

Variation: 10


The Venue:


Children: 10

There is a kiddies play area at the entrance and the pink route is for children.


Facilities: 9

There is a little takeaway with cooldrinks. It is not always open, I am not sure about the hours. There is also a bicycle wash and you can buy basic spares. The toilets have showers.


Accessibility: 7

The sign on the main road has gone missing with road construction. Turn off the road as you see Diepsloot. As it is a working farm it is only open on public holidays and weekends. The lost bit of road is under construction so it is not a pleasant drive to Northern Farms currently.


Cost: 7

It is R40 per person, R10 more than most trails. Bare in mind that the funds go to a very good cause. Northern Farms has a development program for young moutain bikers from Diepsloot.


The trail itself:


Security on trail: 8

I always feel safe at Northern's but bare in mind that it is right next to a very poor community. Don't cycle alone.


Traffic Safety: 9

There are some farm vehicles.


Fun: 10

For a fun challenge the red route is great. You go on a circuit route that keeps veering off to single track trails. The black route is probably a lot of fun to the more experienced MTB cyclist.


Technicality:10

There is a variation of technical challenges. Steep slopes, bridges, winding through a forest. The red route is supposed to be technical without being bone breaking. There is one of the single tracks which starts with a very steep slope downhill which I would not advise the beginner to take. I am too scared to do it. There is also a big rock on the one track that I walked over.


Scenery: 9

Northern farms is very beautiful but there are spots that are not as pretty due to power lines.


Obstructions: 8

Because of the size of Northern Farms you are not obstructed much by other cyclists but you often have to stop for a herd of cattle.


Maintenance: 9

Maintenance is really good at Northern Farms. On the red route some markers have how ever gone missing. We followed the route that had the wheel tracks on them. At one section there is a silly little ditch not much of an obstacle. Big warnings are up and you are advised to go left for red route and straight for black route. Around the corner there is a massive rock. This rock should really only be for black route.


Hill climbing: 8

There are two hills that are long and difficult but they did not defeat me.


Variation: 10

This trails go over bridges, past beautiful dams, through farm lands. There is a lot of variety in scenery and trail choices.
















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