At Village Cycles we live by our motto: Life is about Balance. Here we balance every aspect of cycling. We are not just a cycling shop. Whether you could come and have just a GOOD cup of coffee, or need your bike serviced. Maybe you need help to build your dream racing machine or need advice on setup? Whether you are a Roadie or a Mountain biker, you will find a place here with us. That’s what makes us unlike your average cycle shop.
Village Cycles was established in 2019 to service the needs of the growing and popular sport of cycling. Whether you are a baggy wearing, hairy legged, trail-seeking mud maniac, or a smooth shaven, lycra wearing, racing snake or just a beach cruiser, you have just hit the jackpot. We are here for you! We cater for everyone.
For mountain bikers the Whale Coast offers more variety than chocolates in Forest Gump’s box!
The Hemel and Aarde MTB trail starts 100m from our front door. Get your permit from us at the shop. Head up into MTB and singletrack heaven in the Valley and finish with a good cup of coffee. The trail building team (AKA Oom Schalk) are constantly building new trails for you to test your skills and every week there are more challenging and exciting routes. There are many trails criss-crossing the valley and you are able to loose yourself for hours on end. Currently on the route we have over 64km of trail crossing several farms and we have more than 500 annual members – obviously it is the place to ride!!
Currently 4 routes – Black, Red, Blue and green exist each with its own grading and distance. Check out www.hermanusadventures.co.za for more info.
Other options for those who would like more variety can head up to towns and places like to Grabouw/Elgin, Tesselaarsdal, Gabrielskloof and Kleinmond. No wonder Hermanus was the host for well-known events like the ABSA Cape Epic and Wines 2 Whales . And was voted best stop over when the famous Cape Epic passed along these shores.
As if that was not enough, point your nose in the direction of Stanford and visit Salmonsdam where the mountains will greet you with open arms sending you on lung-busting routes passing small settlements like Baardskeerdersbos and Elim and so you can continue all the way to the southern-most point of Africa, Cape Agulas.
If you want to drive over the mountain – or more like the top of the mountain there are plenty of trails found in the Grabouw area, with stunning routes running from places like Lebanon, Thandi, Paul Cluver Estate and Oak Valley Estate. These routes are all marked and you just pay your entrance fee at the gate and you are off. The smile-factor on these routes is off the charts!
Now the roadies are in for a treat. Not many places in South Africa offer you a nice open winding road with a broad shoulder to cycle in taking you all along the coast towards Gordon’s Bay. The scenes are breathtaking and include wide, open beaches, fynbos, golfing estates and views over Walker Bay and False Bay that will send you searching for your camera. Hill training can be done heading up the pass towards Houwhoek Inn, have a cup of coffee, catch your breath and head on back. Rotary Way just outside Hermanus will also test your lung capacity. What more could one ask?
The beach cruisers will have a treat cruising our very own blue flag beach at Grotto all the way to Voelklip and then on towards the Old Harbour where you can sit and watch time go by. Once that is done, you can extend your cruising to the new harbour all along the magnificent houses on Westcliff. Another cruising favourite is to head on down to Onrus and follow the coastline all the way to Vermont.
As you can see, there is ample for everyone. Please remember to wear your helmets. Contact us anytime, we’ll happily point you in the right direction or inform you of organized group rides. For those who forgot their bicycles, fear not, we offer rental options for all shapes and sizes. Thus there are no more excuses – Welcome to our cycling paradise and come and share it with us!