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.

The Cycle tour needs to allow people that don't have a credit card to enter via eft or other means instead of "Only a credit card option." Surely there are other methods of paying for an entry?

Hi all, The best way to do it is to have a basic idea of how many days you want to ride, take the time off. Book your accommodation unless you want to rough camp or camp at a campsite instead. Get on your bike and go. The wonderful thing about touring/bike packing is you have so much time to explore. If you get lost ask someone for help you will more than likely encounter someone on your way. You don't have to leave at the crack of dawn. Its summer the days are longer. But do yourself a favour and get going there's so much talk here and no riding???? I've just returned from doing the Cederberg Circuit and although the weather was shite we got out there and enjoyed it. 8 of us went and we had an awesome time. I did cross cape in May/June and went the accommodation route instead of carrying a tent and there were 3 of us and we had an unbelievable experience which I'd love to repeat again. Use Cape cycles routes and make up your own trips. We have so many roads out there. There are endless routes to use with so many towns close to each other. Anything is possible. If you concerned about riding from your gate ask a friend to drop you off or even leave your car with someone and give them a small fee or even just asked you may get a surprise and pay nothing!

Hi Gouws, You could do the Cederberg circuit, starting in Clanwilliam and include Pakhuis Pass and Wuppertal. Then loop back towards Matjiesfontein. From here you could head towards Op die berg via Middleberg Pass onto Citrusdal and loop back to Clanwilliam or at Matjiesfontein head back via Kromrivier on the Trykkieskraal road it joins the Cederberg main road just before Sandrift. At the Kromrivier sign post you turn left and keep cycling towards Uitkyk Pass. At Algeria take the Clanwilliam road. This route is +/- 182km from Clanwilliam via Pakhuis Pass to Wuppertal, Matjiesfontein and back to Clanwilliam via Algeria. There are quite a few places you can stay and sights to view the Cederberg is a very special place. If you more adventurous then you guys could carry onto Op Die Berg via Middleberg Pass, Citrusdal and back to Clanwilliam this is (+/-) 300km, again there a many places to stay. Garmin Connect have a really cool way of creating a detailed course that you can load onto your Garmin if you have one or if you can use (Ride with GPS). In fact there are routes of others who have done similar such trips that you can tweak to accommodate your plans. I did the Cross Cape in May/June and that was the one of the best experiences I've done on a bike. I'm doing the Cederberg circuit in Oct and will share my experiences. I'm hoping for good roads. Its one of my favorite places on earth but the roads can get rough. The western cape has so much to offer. Hope you find something enjoyable.

Hi all I can highly recommend Slingsby maps. He's made 2 for the cedarberg the Northern and Southern. Outdoor warehouse sell them and they waterproof. They give great detail of the cedarberg. However they don't cover the section of Op die Berg. From this town it's sign posted to Citrusdal anyway.

Hi Jaco, Myself and 2 friends recently did Cross Cape from Plett to Franshhoek over 9 days. As with gear and stuff needed there is ample ways of doing it. I've done self supported tours in Ireland and Europe but there's no better place than our own country and there's so much to see here. As folk above have mentioned there's plenty of help and advice. I really can recommend this form of travel and you will always learn which way works best the more trips you do. I had most of the gear needed but there are a few companies in SA that make bags for all types of touring/bike backing. I bought a 2nd cx bike off the hub and fitted 40mm tires. I had a rear rack with Altura panniers and purchased a 4l Apidura frame bag (expensive but worth it when it rains). This allowed me to have enough space for 2 x 710mm water bottles with a 3rd mounted on my seat post. Having a rear rack allowed me to carry essential tools for the 3 of us. Basically as Copperhead says take what is necessary. The bigger the bag the more you will end up carrying. Try pack as light as you can. Dry bags are very useful and don't cost the earth, when its pouring down you'll be grateful that your stuff is dry. I'm more than happy to share our route if you interested. I follow a few sites on Instagram below are a few places of interest, Everydaycyclesupplyco Cycle Africa Bike Bags Natch goods and Nodo packs Bicyclesouth.co.za (This is a really informative site) Privateer.co.za Cheers

Thanks for the write up Rae nice to have a breakdown of the route. I'm definitely going to give this a bash. It must have been such an experience. Out of interest I've been wanting to find out what do you or others pack in those bike bags that one needs for bike trips like these? They seem so slim and confined. Cheers

I've always wiped sunlight liquid over the bead of the tire and used the "crow bar" type of tire levers. Works most of the time.

Try Specialized. They make comfortable gear. Riding long distances you really want a comfortable bib. Lycra shorts tend to move while you ride. I bought a pair of Specialized swat bibs a few years back. They have lasted me about 4yrs. I still wear them from time to time. I wished I had spent more time on researching a good pair than throwing my cash at so many cheap sales. Take the time to get a decent pair you won't regret it. The chamios is what usually determines the price. I've learnt this over the years. I know with our current restrictions you probably won't be able to try on a pair just yet. Hope you have success in finding the right pair.

Thanks for all input. Shipment arrives at end of the month. Cheers

Thanks Fabian46 They haven't come back to me yet, although I have made other calls one of them being Omnico and they say they expecting a batch at the end of this month. Will wait untill then. Cheers