On the Bike

For the third episode of the series, we have a new host - Brendan Fairclough. Joined by his brother Christian, Brendan flew to South Africa to ride with long-time friend and former racer Andrew Neethling, checking out the surroundings of his hometown, Somerset West. Located just 30 minutes from Cape Town, Somerset West offers some incredible riding. With the addition of good food and delectable wine, the elusive title of perfect bike destination begins to seem quite applicable to Somerset West. Another point in its favour is the ideal placement of The Hanger Bike Co, Andrew and Jonty Neethling's bike shop. With fantastic bikes, service, coffee and just a pedal stroke from some truly awesome trails, this iconic institution marks the perfect place to start this instalment of Trail e-Xplorer

SPOT 1

Next to the Hanger, is the Helderberg bike park and trail centre. Here, we have 23kms of singletrack to enjoy with 1165m of descending and 36 different trails to play with. These trails have been designed and prepared by the team of Jan Van Schalkwyk and Andrew Neethling, and offers some seriously good fun. Jan originally started building and preparing the trails as a side passion, which has since turned into a full-time gig. When Andrew was in his racing era, he was asked to assist with building, maintenance and managing the trails, a project which he still remains very active in today. For this visit, we didn't have shuttles to whisk us to the top, sitting pretty at almost 550m above sea level. This is never an issue when you have an E-Bike though, allowing you to shuttle yourself to the top of whatever trail you have set your sights on. The Helderberg is connected with three other trail networks, and for you to be able to enjoy these, you need a day pass. Andrew gave us the insider’s perspective for our time in the area, introducing us to his favourite people, trails and eateries, also making sure we always finished the day with some well-deserved beers.

SPOT 2

Next up, heading to the popular Jonkershoek, which is most likely the oldest trail network in SA. Jonkershoek is a part of the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, and is just a five-minute drive from Stellenbosch - the neighbouring town to Somerset West. This area is popular among CX racers for training during the European winter, and Jonkershoek has hosted the Cape Epic and several XC and Downhill nationals in the past. With 97km's of trails and 4557m of descending, there's loads to explore. Here, trails span from intermediate to expert, meaning there's definitely something for everyone. Andrew guided us to the top via the Irish Climb, followed by some sweet descending in the Armageddon and Iron Monkey trails.

SPOT 3

Banghoek Conservancy is also in proximity to Stellenbosch and offers some truly amazing trails. There's 74km's of trails, 2537m of total descent and 38 lines to choose from. With the E-Bike, you have the power to explore the whole mountain before feeling too empty on your own watts. We were super stoked to visit Banghoek as we've heard it's common to encounter wild animals in the area, and we were not disappointed. While cruising on one of the many flowy trails around here we bumped into a herd of Eland. What a wild experience!

OFF THE BIKE

Eating is always a big part of traveling and this trip was not an exception. Andrew took us to some of his favourite go-to places. For breakfast, brunch, lunch or whatever you call it there's Ya-Ya. Conveniently located in the middle of Stellenbosch, it's a perfect stop before heading out on the trails. We had some serious meals as preparation for the day. Is there a better start to the day than with truffle toast? Don’t think so. In-between the amazing shredding, we had some proper meals to re-charge our batteries. For lunch Andrew took us to Boschendal Farm and their restaurant where we could chill in the garden and refresh. For dinner, we spent the evening at The Fat Butcher in Stellenbosch. If you're into steaks, this is the place to visit. We got the full experience of their steak concept, the restaurant has a fantastic atmosphere.

For the coffee lovers, you’re in good hands. There’s good coffee to be found around every corner over here. The Hanger has their own little coffee spot in-store, the Merkava Coffee Roastery, so you’re covered before and after your ride. This is also the case for riding around Jonkershoek, where you have the Balance Coffee Roastery by the entrance of the park. Caffeine addiction - sorted.

South Africa and the Stellenbosch region is also known for its incredible wine, so it wouldn't make sense to leave without visiting a vineyard or two for some wine tasting. Andrew showed us Ernie Els Winery, which is framed by panoramic views of Cape Town and Table Mountain to the west, and Stellenbosch and the Helderberg mountains to the east. Here, we enjoyed some fine local wines, and even managed to teach Christian how to hit a golf ball.

How to get to the here?

There are direct flights from several European Cities to Cape Town with other options available via Johannesburg. Although it’s an overnight flight, South Africa shares the same time zone as Central Europe, so for those of us flying from there, you’ll have no jet lag to worry about. You could arrive and be on the trails that same afternoon!

Where to sleep?

There are a wide range of bed and breakfasts available, or even boutique hotels if you prefer some of that star treatment. For those on a real adventure trip, there are also a few bike touring accommodation options to be found that are rapidly growing in popularity.