Safest road routes to cycle in Cape Town?.

[varkie]

To all fellow cape town riders.

 

I live out in stellenbosch where i love to ride. but my fiance lives in claremont. I am scared to death of riding in cape town and surrounds but i have to start doing decent milage over weekends when i am there since SHE (yes thats right) entered me for ironman south africa 2014. Getting married in december and will live in CPT fulltime from Jan 2014.

 

Can anyone advise a lekker road or route that is reletively safe with a decent shoulder. I know campsbay over to suikerbossie is an option and then over ou kaapse weg to simonstown.

 

Im also keen to join a group that has a good pace.

(my argus time 3h,10min).

 

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

P.S sorry if this is in the wrong topic

[Cippo]

Anything can happen anywhere, anytime. Put fear out of your mind and put awareness of your surroundings into your head. From Claremont best is to head up to Kirstenbosch and onto Constantia Neck to Hout Bay. From there you can head to Camps Bay or to Chappies. From Chappies you can head over Ou Kaapse and back to Tokai back over the neck to Claremont again. Good climbing route. From Claremont you can also go down Liesbeeck towards Salt River onto town and then Camps Bay over Suikerbossie.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Cippo

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

Cippo got it spot on, my favourite rides on the road as well. Just be careful coming up the nek from Hout Bay's side, a bit tight with no/very little shoulder.

[GoLefty!!]

Road with a shoulder.......???!!!! LOL

In cape Town....LOL

 

wrong city bruver

 

In Cape town, your strength lies in numbers and ride with okes who are bigger than you

[varkie]

Thanx Cippo and oufie. that helps already!. Golefty thats going to be difficult since i am 1.98 meters tall...... haha. see my problem?.

[Shabou08]

Head around Cape Point, It's never that busy and the scenery is out of this world!!

[Lucky Luke.]

Head around Cape Point, It's never that busy and the scenery is out of this world!!

 

+1 and optionally get a wild card and ride IN cape point - quieter roads and better views you will not find.

 

Get the wild card though, because san parks are not messing around with the entry fees. And don't let them charge you for an mtb pass if you are riding a road bike.

[Red Zone]

Anything can happen anywhere, anytime. Put fear out of your mind and put awareness of your surroundings into your head. From Claremont best is to head up to Kirstenbosch and onto Constantia Neck to Hout Bay. From there you can head to Camps Bay or to Chappies. From Chappies you can head over Ou Kaapse and back to Tokai back over the neck to Claremont again. Good climbing route. From Claremont you can also go down Liesbeeck towards Salt River onto town and then Camps Bay over Suikerbossie.

My wife has banned me from riding up the Nek from Hout Bay any time later than 8am, after that its just not safe, particularly with the trucks and taxi's driving like idiots. She is right, that road is just not safe.

 

My recomendation is to head up to newlands avenue, through wynberg and onto Spaanschemat River Road, then over Ok Kaapse or down to Main Road along to Simonstown, around the point (and as per Lucky Luke in the reserve) then head back over Ou Kaapse, Spaanschemat and Wynberg.

 

Otherwise head north go around the City via the IRT route in Saltriver, cruse the Atlantic Seaboard, over Chappies, then head back over Ou Kaapse or you can find lots of nice climbing routes from 20 km to 60 km in the South Pen.

 

Worse roads in my opinion, Constantia Nek from HB side, Main Road Fishhoek, Kommetjie Road near Massie and Main Road St James and Muizenberg. Ovoid these in busy times if possible

[LeTurbo]

Just ride from Stellenbosch. Easy relaxed 100km round trip - you just need to find a road that runs parallel to Voortrekker when you're in that area, then a little dodge through Thornton and Pinelands and bingo! You're in Claremont. Otherwise through Durbanville and onto the BRT.

[Shabou08]

+1 and optionally get a wild card and ride IN cape point - quieter roads and better views you will not find.

 

Get the wild card though, because san parks are not messing around with the entry fees. And don't let them charge you for an mtb pass if you are riding a road bike.

How much does a wild card work out to?

Is it really worth getting?

[droo]

Just ride from Stellenbosch. Easy relaxed 100km round trip - you just need to find a road that runs parallel to Voortrekker when you're in that area, then a little dodge through Thornton and Pinelands and bingo! You're in Claremont. Otherwise through Durbanville and onto the BRT.

 

Frans Conradie out to Durban rd, about 5km along Voortrekker to La Belle and onto Bottelary from there. 112km round trip from Claremont, and an awesome ride with wide shoulders most of the way. (Well, more than usual anyway...)

[Lucky Luke.]

How much does a wild card work out to?

Is it really worth getting?

 

You either need one or can save money when doing virtually anything in any of the SAN Parks administrated areas - walking dogs (Silvermine), riding mtb (Tokai), enter Cape Point - by bike or car, etc. Quite a long list.

[varkie]

I have a better plan now about how ill do my rides thanx to you guys. Ill head out via constantia nek houtbay as early as possible and do a nice loop and head back via ou kaapse weg. should be a nice ride!.

 

Thanx!

[marko35s]

You either need one or can save money when doing virtually anything in any of the SAN Parks administrated areas - walking dogs (Silvermine), riding mtb (Tokai), enter Cape Point - by bike or car, etc. Quite a long list.

Pretty sure you still need the activity permit as well for the first two.

[MRT1]

I have been negotiating on behalf of the PPA in regard to this with Sanparks.

 

1. As cycling is an activity you are required to have an activity card to cycle in Cape Point .

 

2. If you already have a Wild card you still have cycling access until January.

 

3. By January you will have had 1 years notice that activity cards will be required.

 

4. The MTB tokai activity card is the same card and the same card works for all TMNP.

 

5. If you are cycling into the reserve you do not need a Wild card.

 

 

Regards

 

Gary

[Red Zone]

I have been negotiating on behalf of the PPA in regard to this with Sanparks.

 

1. As cycling is an activity you are required to have an activity card to cycle in Cape Point .

 

2. If you already have a Wild card you still have cycling access until January.

 

3. By January you will have had 1 years notice that activity cards will be required.

 

4. The MTB tokai activity card is the same card and the same card works for all TMNP.

 

5. If you are cycling into the reserve you do not need a Wild card.

 

 

 

Regards

 

Gary

This really gets to me, to ride a road bike on a bit of tar at Cape Point we need an activity card, what the hell for? you don't need a hiking, swimming, or running activity card so why an activity card to ride a road bike. Just another way for Sanparks to rip us off further.

 

Do Sanparks also know that Ou Kaapse Weg runs through the national park, as does Spaanscemat River Road, perhaps they should erect some boom gates to catch the cyclists when entering and leaving the park, what a joke.