Riding Villersdorp to Worcester road

[SSCC]

Anyone ridden this road? Wondering about road surface, traffic etc.

[Mr Legs]

I did it by car about a week ago. The pass just above Villiersdorp is narrow and twisty with no shoulder. Then there is another 10+km without a shoulder before it widens with a proper yellow line.

 

I doubt if I would do it on a road bike, on a MTB perhaps, then I can go off road if I deem the risk too high.

[nonky]

We are riding that road as part of our coast-to-coast cross-country 2015 tour.  That's the only stretch of our coast-to-coast trip where there is no alternative route, as far as I can determine from google and paper maps.

I have driven it a few times but you never really get a proper perspective from a moving car.

[Boerklong]

I did it by car about a week ago. The pass just above Villiersdorp is narrow and twisty with no shoulder. Then there is another 10+km without a shoulder before it widens with a proper yellow line.

 

I doubt if I would do it on a road bike, on a MTB perhaps, then I can go off road if I deem the risk too high.

This. I will be worried someone might knock me over on some of those turns or on the blind uphills

[fandacious]

I've cycled from somerset west to kwaggaskloof dam before. Its a great ride. We had about 3 cars in total passing us

[nonky]

I've cycled from somerset west to kwaggaskloof dam before. Its a great ride. We had about 3 cars in total passing us

 

Please provide some more info - it would be very helpful.   thanks. 

[Velouria]

Anyone ridden this road? Wondering about road surface, traffic etc.

Our Big Day Out goes along that road. It is a little narrow (the worst part is on the Theewaterskloof dam side), and there are a few big trucks, but it's just a short section. The descent down the pass is pretty cool. The road surface is good.

 

This is the road - no cars in sight!

[nonky]

Our Big Day Out goes along that road. It is a little narrow (the worst part is on the Theewaterskloof dam side), and there are a few big trucks, but it's just a short section. The descent down the pass is pretty cool. The road surface is good.

 

This is the road - no cars in sight!

thanks for this

[BenReaper]

Are you going to be on road bikes or mtb's?On road bikes it might be a little unsafe IMHO with the narrow road.If you are on mtb's there is an alternative gravel back road that you can ride,it will be about 5km longer than the tar road,but much safer.I did this ride from Worcester to Villiersdorp and back about a month ago.

[BenReaper]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/15/11b8392363dc5a15638cbdc50e239d85.jpgThis is a screenshot of the map from my ride on Strava.You can use this for reference and look at the road on google maps or wherever.

[nonky]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12/15/11b8392363dc5a15638cbdc50e239d85.jpgThis is a screenshot of the map from my ride on Strava.You can use this for reference and look at the road on google maps or wherever.

 

 

thanks for this - we are riding from Hermanus to St Helena Bay after xmas and route planning is hard using google.  I purchased a map from mapstudio but it doesn't give sufficient dirt road info.

Which maps did you use to plot your route?

[Dicky DQ]

thanks for this - we are riding from Hermanus to St Helena Bay after xmas and route planning is hard using google.  I purchased a map from mapstudio but it doesn't give sufficient dirt road info.

Which maps did you use to plot your route?

Use Strava to create a route map and then save it.

[Dicky DQ]

Ridden this a few times, no issues, OK watch out for glass etc neat the landfill as you come into Worcester otherwise all good,

[Shebeen]

thanks for this - we are riding from Hermanus to St Helena Bay after xmas and route planning is hard using google. I purchased a map from mapstudio but it doesn't give sufficient dirt road info.

Which maps did you use to plot your route?

not much dirt roads available till you're past Wellington/berg Valley really. All the obvious routes of old are now tar.

 

Google earth is the most convenient way to do this, the Slingsby overberg map stops at about villiersdorp. Otherwise dept of land mapping in Mowbray will sell you the 1:50 000 maps for about R15 each. This is the belts and braces approach

[Dicky DQ]

What is the rest of your planned route? Hopefully through wellington to Malmesbury or Riebeek Kasteel then through Hopefield to Vredenburg.

 

Edit, so I see you not planning on too much tar. But you are going to be doing a lot of tar iether way.

[BenReaper]

thanks for this - we are riding from Hermanus to St Helena Bay after xmas and route planning is hard using google. I purchased a map from mapstudio but it doesn't give sufficient dirt road info.

Which maps did you use to plot your route?

I am familier with the roads around Worcester as I have been living here for a long time,therefore I dont use a route planner.

I am planning on riding from Worcester to Gansbay on the 1st.My planned route,also trying to add as much gravel as possible,will be From Wircester to Villiersdorp with the road on the map I uploaded.

From Villiersdorp to Caledon will take the R43 till the Boontjieskraal turnoff (this is a gravel road 'shortcut') and then unfortunately a short 5km stint on the N2 into Caledon.

From Caledon there is a mstly gravel road that runs right into Sandbaai before Hermanus called the 'Hemel-en-Aarde' road.

Be warned though,regardless of witch road you plan on using the terrain between Hermanus an Worcester is anything but flat,so bring youre climbing legs with.[emoji4]