Jackb

Hi All I was too late to arrange a driver this yr, do any of you know if its safe to leave ones car at the start on that field next to the monument? or should I skip this option? I can get a shuttle from the finish back to the start. Thanks

I did the 200 miler for the first time in over 18hrs. It was a beast of a route. The night sky was magical with the moon rising in the background, riding at night alone is unreal. We were mostly spaced out and lights could be seen far into the distance. The race was really well organized with plenty of food at all the water points. It was a tough race dealing with the cold at night (my feet are still frozen🥶). The roads dried up well and they were mostly smooth. Im glad to have been part of it. Wow what an experience. Well done to everyone who took part finished or even gave it their best shot the wind didnt make it easy but overall it was worth every km.

Lots of Beer makes you forget about the cold!

Thanks appreciated your reply.

Hi Smartie any idea on the 200mile route? Is this worth doing?

Spoke to a friend of mine who lives in Swellendam and he says they haven't had the heavy rain that we've recently had here in CT. It was drizzling today.

I did this race in 22 on a GB for the first time. Let's say it wasn't comfortable. It felt like i needed a wrist replacement. Last yr was canceled and by most reports the route was in better condition. The real problems you have on a ridgit bike is having to deal with corrugations going downhill and on the corners in the forest sections. If your GB can take a wider tire like a 45-50mm, I'd say you'd be better off and for some that have a head shock then even better. But if the roads are in good condition then a GB is a no brainer.

I'm considering entering this for the first time on a gravel bike. I've done a alot of training so far and mad as it may seem keen on the 200miler. Has any one done it or know of someone who has? I'd like to know what they packed for the race, ie. gear, food and what challenges they had. Thanks

Thanks for the help. I've forwarded this onto him. He's riding a Cannondale gb with a lefty fork so he should be capable of dirt roads.

Hi can anyone recommend a safe route from Stellenbosch to Langebaan. Met a Swiss chap cycling along the Garden Route doing a tour from Jhb to CT. He wants to visit part of the Westcoast before heading down the R27. Thanks

Another thing if you signed up with Strava Premium you have access to heatmaps and these give you an indication of how routes are used and if there is a gate, or private land.

Hi all Check out bicyclesouth.co.za/bikepacking-routes/ (lots of routes that can be tweaked) There are lots of dirt roads where minimal tar is needed to get down to Cape Agulhas. Myself and 3 others did a trip from Grabouw to Hartenbos and we covered the southern part of this coast as much as possible.

Stephan and I did this trip in, I think it was late Sept/Oct 2021. I can't remember the exact month but one of those 2 and we experienced rain on day 1 and alot more on day 2, day 3 was hot as hell, but the experience of doing it was something else. Yes the road isn't perfect but you find a line and keep going. The corrugations will only make you stronger. The section after Zooridge Guest Farm towards Op die Berg were possibly the worst known to man and hopefully they have graded that road since then. We were a party of 8. If you want restaurant food you maze well go by car. It takes the experience out of it. That's my view. A lekker fire brings gees and memories are shared. I've cycled trough Europe, around Southern Ireland and nothing beats bikepacking in our country. I would love it if I could make a living from it. We have such a awesome county to explore. Some great sites are www.bicyclesouth.co.za (have contributed planned routes by folks) or www.bikepacking.com Cheers

Thanks, ja time they changed like the rest of the world.

Thanks. A tour official emailed and said only credit cards. I had to contact a friend to help me out as I don't have a credit card. It's rather pathetic that they haven't introduced an eft option. Nevertheless I've entered and hopefully will do my 21st tour.