Sensible to ride on R44 from Gordons Bay to Bettys Bay?

[ChrisF]

I am actually seriously considering a relocation to Stanford so those roads will hopefully become my stomping ground although a little to the east.Rooiels I love...but the friggen fires..

 

drove past there last Wednesday .... many homes still not rebuilt after last years fires ...

 

and still more and more homes being built closer and closer to the mountains, and closer to the fires.

 

 

the drive back via Clarence drive was STUNNING !!!  road was nice and quiet ...

Edited November 11, 2019 by ChrisF

[Christie]

The first a motorbike coming from the opposite direction and not making the turn, ended up in "our" lane. He just missed a the back end of a bakkie travelling same direction as me, then clipped the wall right in front of me. I had stopped dead and he just made it back out past me, happily carrying along on his way. The second was a "box" in an Audi R8 travelling same direction and definitely not travelling the posted 70km/h speed limit. It also clipped the wall about 50m ahead, leaving bits of plastic and carbon fiber in the road.

Ive also had bikes and sports cars screaming past - looked reckless, but no scary incidents like yours.

[I FLY]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

We will try next time we are in Cape Town.

 

We will have to drive and park in Gordons Bay so we can get an early start.

[DJR]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

We will try next time we are in Cape Town.

 

We will have to drive and park in Gordons Bay so we can get an early start.

Park at the beach front close to the harbour. Lots of parking, safe, and close to a good few places to have a coffee and a bite afterwards.

[ChrisF]

Park at the beach front close to the harbour. Lots of parking, safe, and close to a good few places to have a coffee and a bite afterwards.

 

also the option for a coffee at Rooi Els .... first turn after the bridge in Rooi Els turn to the right, you will see the biker-stop ...

[M Hickley]

Best time is over weekends, the earlier the better. Never even had a close call. I'll avoid it during the week as people rush to cpt and Somerset to be on time for work and later in the day the building contractors rush in the other direction. Had a close call there.

Edited November 14, 2019 by M Hickley

[dev null]

To be honest I feel that Clarens Drive to Rooi-Els is much more safer that the R44. Cyclists have died on the R44, don't yet know of any on the road between Gordon's Bay to Rooi-Els. The road from Rooi-Els to Betties has had an incident where a car driver had an epileptic seizure and rode into 2 tourists on cycles, killing one. That road has a wide shoulder and cars travel much faster on that piece of road.

[Butterbean]

To be honest I feel that Clarens Drive to Rooi-Els is much more safer that the R44. Cyclists have died on the R44, don't yet know of any on the road between Gordon's Bay to Rooi-Els. The road from Rooi-Els to Betties has had an incident where a car driver had an epileptic seizure and rode into 2 tourists on cycles, killing one. That road has a wide shoulder and cars travel much faster on that piece of road.

I'm not sure I understand, claren drive is the R44 between GB and rooi els.

[Dicky DQ]

I'm not sure I understand, claren drive is the R44 between GB and rooi els.

Yes but it also goes all the way through Stb to Malmesbury and beyond and there are way more dangerous places on the R44 (even with a huge shoulder) than the Clarens Drive section.

[Velouria]

I've ridden on that road at least 159 times at all times of the day. Because there is no shoulder, I find it to be safer than most of the routes I ride.

 

As a cyclist, on a narrow road, you become part of the traffic, and motorists take the appropriate action. It also restores my faith in motorists - we can all get along if we each do our bit.

 

Part of my strategy when riding on that road is to thank the motorists that give me room as they go past. I'm not really waving at them - I'm showing the guy behind me that I am appreciative of the space the guy in front of me gave me, and 9 times out of 10, the guy behind me gives me space too.

 

The really dangerous part is riding on Broadway Boulevard from Strand to Gordon's Bay. In their wisdom, the City of Cape Town painted bike lanes that are narrower than my handlebars and the effect is that motorists expect cyclists to ride in these debris-strewn strips of tar right next to the gravel shoulder.

[Patchelicious]

Hey hey hey..... all you "drive to Strand and cycle from there" people, remember to turn your Garmins off before you get back in the car. Having to spend the morning flagging rides 

 

#DontBeAFoolUseTheCroppingTool 

[BMCfan]

Hey hey hey..... all you "drive to Strand and cycle from there" people, remember to turn your Garmins off before you get back in the car. Having to spend the morning flagging rides 

 

#DontBeAFoolUseTheCroppingTool 

Dont be misluk, come visit and take back your KOMs on the bike

[Patchelicious]

Dont be misluk, come visit and take back your KOMs on the bike

I'm too fat now. I need the flag function to stay relevant. 

[Eddie Stafford]

After getting some infro from Velouria (Hubber) yesterday I did the ride from Somerset West to Bettys Bay and back for the first time this morning. Except for the first 15 km from Somerset to Gordons Bay the rest of the ride was absolutely stunning, the fact that there was no wind and it was sunny probably help.

 

I left at 6:20 and on the way out from Gordons Bay only 5 cars pass me, there were more traffic on the way back but nothing to worry about. The road surface is also perfect.

 

I think this will be my default ride in the future.

 

[JAVSA02]

After getting some infro from Velouria (Hubber) yesterday I did the ride from Somerset West to Bettys Bay and back for the first time this morning. Except for the first 15 km from Somerset to Gordons Bay the rest of the ride was absolutely stunning, the fact that there was no wind and it was sunny probably help.

 

I left at 6:20 and on the way out from Gordons Bay only 5 cars pass me, there were more traffic on the way back but nothing to worry about. The road surface is also perfect.

 

I think this will be my default ride in the future.

Super route. Passed you on my way back, although I only did a 32km to the top of the first hill after Steenbras. Today only saw 4 cyclists, yesterday was busy with a few groups out riding.

[I FLY]

I spent 10 days in Somerset West over the holidays but did not get to do this ride. I am glad that my original post gave someone else an awesome day out.

 

It was our first extended period in our holiday apartment and as I have a preference for off road riding  we checked a few of the local bike parks instead of tar riding.

 

By co-incidence we decided to ride up to the Tokai Mast on the day after Nic  Dlamini's incident. This ride was as hard as I had imagined it would be. As a certified non - climber I felt a great deal of satisfaction when I arrived at the mast ( 20 minutes after my wife)