Author Topic: Gravel routes (Read 1278 times)

louispies264 · « **on:** January 13, 2019, 08:35:12 pm »

Hii could you guys maybe help i am new to adventure riding what good gravel routes around pta thanks a lot

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Inus660 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:04:49 am »

Hallo Louis, het jy enige terugvoer gekry?

Spectaitor · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:11:56 am »

There is a thread, deep within WD that invited people to share their routes. I cannot remember what it is called but I think it lived in the "planning a ride" subthread.
Happy hunting

Dwerg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:28:26 am »

There is plenty of gravel to explore out to the east of Pretoria. We used to have a very active riding group that side but it has subsided over the years.

The best is to get on the railway service roads and just pick a direction and go and explore them. There is also plenty of nice gravel out towards Redstar/Delmas and on to nice little places like Val Hotel. You also then have Rhino Park on the R25, most of which is very doable on an adventure bike.

My Sunday quick loop usually picked up the service routes south of Bernies Brewery and east of the R21. You could ride them round Bapsfontein and all the way past Cullinan and beyond.

I've marked out a rough estimation on the pic below(don't have tracks unfortunately, I always tend to wing it). The easiest way to direct someone to the service road access is to take the Boschkop road to where it T's into the R25 where the train tracks cross. Jump on the service road in either direction and go and explore

Dwerg · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:28:58 am »

Quote from: Spectaitor on July 22, 2021, 09:11:56 am

There is a thread, deep within WD that invited people to share their routes. I cannot remember what it is called but I think it lived in the "planning a ride" subthread.
Happy hunting

It's called "Share your routes" I think

Dwerg · « **Reply #5 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:43:51 am »

Another fun and easy option is "Loskop Stofpad". You should find it if you search here or on Google. It's gravel from just north of Bronkhorstspruit to Loskop and you can carry on to Tonteldoos/Dullstroom via Stofberg

iamgigglz · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2021, 09:55:41 am »

Welcome!

Routes board
Share Your Routes thread

And my personal contribution (click for maps):
South
East
North

The North one has the most. The other two are very...thin.

ClimbingTurtle · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2021, 10:58:24 am »

Quote from: iamgigglz on July 22, 2021, 09:55:41 am

Welcome!

Routes board
Share Your Routes thread

And my personal contribution (click for maps):
South
East
North

The North one has the most. The other two are very...thin.

Thank you for the effort - but I have 2 questions please?

First - The road from Thabazimbi NE, below Marakele - whats it like? Sandy? I am planing my next trip to a farm just SE of Rankins pass, and I am probably doing a lot of the roads you took that way up, but I am alone on my 650 X-Challenge - my wife gets concerned.....

Second - please share the back-story on the waypoint "Cop that Shot Dave" - its got to be worth hearing.....

Inus660 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2021, 11:09:32 am »

@Dwerg Thanks a lot, this is exactly the type of info I was looking for!

Rooies · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2021, 11:13:33 am »

Quote from: ClimbingTurtle on July 22, 2021, 10:58:24 am

Quote from: iamgigglz on July 22, 2021, 09:55:41 am
Welcome!

Routes board
Share Your Routes thread

And my personal contribution (click for maps):
South
East
North

The North one has the most. The other two are very...thin.

Thank you for the effort - but I have 2 questions please?

First - The road from Thabazimbi NE, below Marakele - whats it like? Sandy? I am planing my next trip to a farm just SE of Rankins pass, and I am probably doing a lot of the roads you took that way up, but I am alone on my 650 X-Challenge - my wife gets concerned.....

Second - please share the back-story on the waypoint "Cop that Shot Dave" - its got to be worth hearing.....

Not sure if this exactly the route, but remembered @Partyranger 's very recent comment on his Botswana Fence Ride report: http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=260391.msg4685509#msg4685509

"I continued up to Rankins pass, the route that runs past the southern side of Marekele Nat Park. The pass section close to Thaba is horrific. This was the worst piece of road I've seen in a long time and if possible should be avoided at all cost. (you cant really avoid it unfortunately

)
However once on top it becomes a nice track and I saw some good game as well, during the day I saw Elephants, Sable, Roan, Blesbok, Blue wildebeest, Impala & Kudu."

iamgigglz · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2021, 11:24:05 am »

Quote from: ClimbingTurtle on July 22, 2021, 10:58:24 am

First - The road from Thabazimbi NE, below Marakele - whats it like? Sandy? I am planing my next trip to a farm just SE of Rankins pass, and I am probably doing a lot of the roads you took that way up, but I am alone on my 650 X-Challenge - my wife gets concerned.....

I remember that ride generally being pretty easy going - I had a very newbie friend with me on a 650GS twin who got a bit wobbly in short stretches of sand but it wasn't anything crazy. This was about 5 years ago though so things may have changed, especially looking at Rooies response.

Quote from: ClimbingTurtle on July 22, 2021, 10:58:24 am

Second - please share the back-story on the waypoint "Cop that Shot Dave" - its got to be worth hearing.....

I'll try and find the thread a bit later when I have time but basically he did a little exploring, ended up on a farmer's driveway that looked a lot like a public dirt road and found a trigger-happy rent-a-cop...or at least that's how I remember it. It was also a number of years ago.

mark250gp · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2021, 11:33:50 am »

Quote from: Inus660 on July 22, 2021, 09:04:49 am

Hallo Louis, het jy enige terugvoer gekry?

@Numsch is doing a gravel ride on Sat, see if you can hook up with him. He's old and slow so you'll manage fine.

ClimbingTurtle · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2021, 12:31:39 pm »

CHeers @Rooies & @iamgigglz - just waiting for Cyril to let me go wander - we have access to a farm on the Rankins Pass/Bela Bela dirt road that runs in the valley south east of Rankins - last time I threatened to go, we had to take the 4x4 with a trailer load of stuff, so I wasnt allowed to ride.....

Grunder · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2021, 12:56:02 pm »

Quote from: louispies264 on January 13, 2019, 08:35:12 pm

Hii could you guys maybe help i am new to adventure riding what good gravel routes around pta thanks a lot

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Louis het 1 post gemaak 2 jaar terug en hy is in die steek gelaat.

nou gons dit hier

ClimbingTurtle · « **Reply #14 on:** July 22, 2021, 12:59:55 pm »

Quote from: Grunder on July 22, 2021, 12:56:02 pm

Quote from: louispies264 on January 13, 2019, 08:35:12 pm
Hii could you guys maybe help i am new to adventure riding what good gravel routes around pta thanks a lot

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

Louis het 1 post gemaak 2 jaar terug en hy is in die steek gelaat.

nou gons dit hier

Yes indeed - maar te minste weet ek nou hoe lyk die pad by Marakele verby......

Inus660 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 22, 2021, 01:16:35 pm »

Quote from: mark250gp on July 22, 2021, 11:33:50 am

Quote from: Inus660 on July 22, 2021, 09:04:49 am
Hallo Louis, het jy enige terugvoer gekry?

@Numsch is doing a gravel ride on Sat, see if you can hook up with him. He's old and slow so you'll manage fine.

Tnx @mark250gp

Dwerg · « **Reply #16 on:** July 22, 2021, 01:17:50 pm »

Quote from: Grunder on July 22, 2021, 12:56:02 pm

Quote from: louispies264 on January 13, 2019, 08:35:12 pm
Hii could you guys maybe help i am new to adventure riding what good gravel routes around pta thanks a lot

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

Louis het 1 post gemaak 2 jaar terug en hy is in die steek gelaat.

nou gons dit hier

Ek sien hy het darem intussen hier kom lees ook so dalk vergewe hy ons

Inus660 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2021, 01:18:16 pm »

@Grunder , ja, soms vat dit die nuwe ouens om die ou posts te gaan opgrawe

louispies264 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 22, 2021, 01:19:34 pm »

Thank you all for the feedback even if it is a little late

but I figured it out just decided to ride and see what I found and it has worked great but I will definitely be looking for routes i have not ridden thank you guys very much

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louispies264 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 22, 2021, 01:25:33 pm »

Quote from: mark250gp on July 22, 2021, 11:33:50 am

Quote from: Inus660 on July 22, 2021, 09:04:49 am
Hallo Louis, het jy enige terugvoer gekry?

@Numsch is doing a gravel ride on Sat, see if you can hook up with him. He's old and slow so you'll manage fine.

Thank i am going to Nelspruit this weekend so i won't be able to join but I appreciate the invite maybe another time

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