Cape Town December Road rides

[Jay_B]

To all the Cape Townians I will be arriving in CT next Sunday and will be wanting to do a lot of training. I will be staying with my parents in Pinelands but am happy to drive to wherever.

 

During the week I normally do about a 50km ride and then a 3 hour plus ride on the weekends.

 

So can anybody give some routes, both short and long that will be safe for training on. I have looked at riding up to Rhodes memorial but that is only a 16km round trip from my home.

 

Is it safe to ride up ou kaapse weg?

 

Would also be nice to perhaps join a group ride on the weekends, wouldn't mind doing some of the Cape Cycle Tour route as well.

[dre]

Are you on a roadie or mtb?

 

Edit: Assume you're on a mtb as you said Rhodes mem route. 

[Jay_B]

Im on a roadie... as far as I remember the road is tarred up to the memorial (restaurant area) from newlands side?

[mikkelz]

Yes, it is tarred all the way up to the restaurant at Rhodes Memorial.

 

I'd personally avoid riding over Ou Kaapse Weg. The shoulder is pretty narrow and cars and trucks drive like crazy over there.

 

It's more scenic to stick to the Atlantic Seaboard. Moullie Point, Sea Point, Camps Bay, Hout Bay, etc. and over Champan's Peak.

[Hackster]

I'd recommend that you ride early in the morning, just after sunrise. It's cooler and the roads are quieter.

 

Route 1. Drive to camps bay. Then ride to Hout Bay, over Chappies, turn around and come back again. Nice for climbing!

 

Route 2. As above but don't u-turn after chappies, ride past Noordhoek, then to Fish Hoek, along the coast and home via constantia and southern suburbs.

 

Route 3. As above but don't u-turn after chappies, ride past Noordhoek, left to Ou Kaapse Weg, and home via constantia and southern suburbs.

 

Edit: Just realised that route 2 and 3 don't take you back to where you parked your car in Camps Bay. The reason I recommend you drive and start from Camps Bay is because riding from Pinedlands through Salt river by yourself etc early in the morning can be tricky from a 'getting-mugged-and-losing-your-bike-perspective'.

 

I don't have a problem with Ou Kaapse Weg, but wouldn't ride any other time than real early. Preferably on the weekend.

[Jay_B]

I'd recommend that you ride early in the morning, just after sunrise. It's cooler and the roads are quieter.

 

Route 1. Drive to camps bay. Then ride to Hout Bay, over Chappies, turn around and come back again. Nice for climbing!

 

Route 2. As above but don't u-turn after chappies, ride past Noordhoek, then to Fish Hoek, along the coast and home via constantia and southern suburbs.

 

Route 3. As above but don't u-turn after chappies, ride past Noordhoek, left to Ou Kaapse Weg, and home via constantia and southern suburbs.

 

Edit: Just realised that route 2 and 3 don't take you back to where you parked your car in Camps Bay. The reason I recommend you drive and start from Camps Bay is because riding from Pinedlands through Salt river by yourself etc early in the morning can be tricky from a 'getting-mugged-and-losing-your-bike-perspective'.

 

I don't have a problem with Ou Kaapse Weg, but wouldn't ride any other time than real early. Preferably on the weekend.

Thanks a lot that is a route I would really like to do.

I could get dropped off in camps bay area so would not need to find a way back to my car.

 

Just how busy are the roads through camps bay area early in the morning considering it will be holiday season by the time I get there on the weekend?

[Blackbeard]

Thanks a lot that is a route I would really like to do.

I could get dropped off in camps bay area so would not need to find a way back to my car.

 

Just how busy are the roads through camps bay area early in the morning considering it will be holiday season by the time I get there on the weekend?

Sun worshippers generally get up late.

[Jay_B]

Sun worshippers generally get up late.

 

Think I am more worried about the nocturnal party goers that return home when the sun comes up...

[Blackbeard]

Think I am more worried about the nocturnal party goers that return home when the sun comes up...

That is a different creature entirely and very unpredictable. The roads through Camps Bay will not be "busy" with them, but it only takes one unfortunately.

 

I have yet to see a drunk driver on that road after sun up but there was an incident at the entrance to Llandudno a short while ago. The fools tend to ride off the mountain while its still dark.