Overall rating: 8.5
The venue:
Children: 5
Facilities: 8
Accessibility: 10
Cost: 9
The trail itself:
Security on trail: 7
Traffic Safety: 9
Fun: 9
Technicality: 9
Scenery: 8
Obstructions: 9
Technicality: 9
Scenery: 8
Obstructions: 9
Maintenance: 10
Hill climbing:10
Variation: 8
Children: 5
Thaba trails has a beginners route, the yellow route. We cycled on part of it at the end of the trail. It was extremely muddy, and at parts, difficult for us to navigate. Perhaps in the dryer season it is more child friendly, but at this stage I wouldn't take a child for a cycle there unless the child is an experienced cyclist.
Facilities: 8
The facilities are good the toilets have showers. Although rustic in appearance (the toilets are in crates) everything was clean. There is a shop that sells all types of spares. Although there is no restaurant, there are restaurants close by.
Accessibility: 10
This trail is in Alberton and very easy for it's locals to access.
Cost: 9
Entry is only R30 and for what the trail has to offer it is good value for money.
The trail itself:
Security on trail: 7
As we went for a midday cycle, we were the only people cycling. We didn't see another human being the entire time we were cycling. This trail would be very easy to access though, and in light of there being a few bike jackings recently, I would suggest caution. Do not cycle alone.
Traffic Safety: 10
I am not sure if there are other vehicles on the trail ever. We did not encounter any.
Fun: 9
We cycled the 17km green route, which was described to me as intermediate. For the first 10 km there was a great deal of hill climbing but nothing challenging and I was starting to wonder if the route should not have been described as beginner. The fun began after 10km and I realised the route deserved it's intermediate rating. I liked that this route starts in a forest. There are many hellish climbs but there are fun fast down hills. There are dips and challenging rocky descents. The wild life added to the fun. At one stage it looked like a wildebeest wanted to storm us and this made me cycle faster even though I was exhausted.
Technicality: 9
Thaba trails has a 30km blue route which is described as very tough. We cycled the 14km green route which was described to us as intermediate. There was a variation in technical challenges with hill climbing being the focus. What I liked on the green route was that parts were difficult but I could still do them. There are some very steep climbs which I did not make but I know I could if I went back. The only obstacle, we both struggled with, was a steep climb which had a passage through rocks we both could not get up and through Michael went into a tree and I was stopped by a stubborn rock. There is a drop over large rocks which the YouTube clip above does not do justice to. (I was being like a fisherman after the cycle spreading my arms wide and telling my friends the rocks were really this big.) I was very proud of myself, making it down there. At the end you join up with the yellow route (beginners). Parts are quite challenging because it is a very water logged area with lots of mud. This part is obviously very easy in the dry season. There are a variation of technical challenges with an emphasis on hill climbing.
Scenery: 8
The trail is very beautiful. Unfortunately there are housing developments that slightly mar the beauty of this lovely reserve. We saw wildebeest, springbok and zebra.
Obstructions: 9
There were no other people on the trail, so we had no obstructions. I am not sure what this trail is like at peak times. As there is wild life you do need to respect their territory and keep a safe distance. We were a bit nervous of a very angry looking wildebeest. It was probably a good thing though, because for a while I cycled much faster.
Maintenance: 10
Maintenance on the trail was good. The end part of the trail is rather swampy and they have been struggling with drainage. A lot of effort has been put in to avoid cyclists getting too stuck.
Hill climbing:10
Thaba trails has a LOT of hill climbing. Granny gear was used a great deal! What I liked about the green trail was that unlike the hill climbing at Mount Grace and the red route at Hero, the climbs though tough on Thaba's green route are within my capabilities. I do like a challenge but it is also good to have tough hill climbing that is not completely out of a beginner's ability. The blue route will be beyond my abilities.
Variation: 8
Although the emphasis of this trail is hill climbing, the variation is good from cycling a windy trail through forested areas, cycling up extremely steep short climbs and some steep drops. The scenery also varies from forest to open fields to rocky hills to swampy grasslands. On the green route there were no challenging bridges and there was only one berm on a uphill. Obviously this berm is for the fit as I was going so slow, I had no need for it.
We cycled the 17km green route, which was described to me as intermediate. For the first 10 km there was a great deal of hill climbing but nothing challenging and I was starting to wonder if the route should not have been described as beginner. The fun began after 10km and I realised the route deserved it's intermediate rating. I liked that this route starts in a forest. There are many hellish climbs but there are fun fast down hills. There are dips and challenging rocky descents. The wild life added to the fun. At one stage it looked like a wildebeest wanted to storm us and this made me cycle faster even though I was exhausted.
Technicality: 9
Thaba trails has a 30km blue route which is described as very tough. We cycled the 14km green route which was described to us as intermediate. There was a variation in technical challenges with hill climbing being the focus. What I liked on the green route was that parts were difficult but I could still do them. There are some very steep climbs which I did not make but I know I could if I went back. The only obstacle, we both struggled with, was a steep climb which had a passage through rocks we both could not get up and through Michael went into a tree and I was stopped by a stubborn rock. There is a drop over large rocks which the YouTube clip above does not do justice to. (I was being like a fisherman after the cycle spreading my arms wide and telling my friends the rocks were really this big.) I was very proud of myself, making it down there. At the end you join up with the yellow route (beginners). Parts are quite challenging because it is a very water logged area with lots of mud. This part is obviously very easy in the dry season. There are a variation of technical challenges with an emphasis on hill climbing.
Scenery: 8
The trail is very beautiful. Unfortunately there are housing developments that slightly mar the beauty of this lovely reserve. We saw wildebeest, springbok and zebra.
Obstructions: 9
There were no other people on the trail, so we had no obstructions. I am not sure what this trail is like at peak times. As there is wild life you do need to respect their territory and keep a safe distance. We were a bit nervous of a very angry looking wildebeest. It was probably a good thing though, because for a while I cycled much faster.
Maintenance: 10
Maintenance on the trail was good. The end part of the trail is rather swampy and they have been struggling with drainage. A lot of effort has been put in to avoid cyclists getting too stuck.
Hill climbing:10
Thaba trails has a LOT of hill climbing. Granny gear was used a great deal! What I liked about the green trail was that unlike the hill climbing at Mount Grace and the red route at Hero, the climbs though tough on Thaba's green route are within my capabilities. I do like a challenge but it is also good to have tough hill climbing that is not completely out of a beginner's ability. The blue route will be beyond my abilities.
Variation: 8
Although the emphasis of this trail is hill climbing, the variation is good from cycling a windy trail through forested areas, cycling up extremely steep short climbs and some steep drops. The scenery also varies from forest to open fields to rocky hills to swampy grasslands. On the green route there were no challenging bridges and there was only one berm on a uphill. Obviously this berm is for the fit as I was going so slow, I had no need for it.
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