DJR Posted January 9, 2020 Posted January 9, 2020 ..........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)The 360 degrees views that you get on your way up, Hout Bay, False Bay, Table Mountain from behind, Noordhoek, Chapmans Peak, Cape Point, Hangklip (where the above ride is) must be one of the greatest anywhere! That is, if you can see the view through your bleeding eyeballs! On your way down, there is no view because you better concentrate and look at where you are going! By the way, when you stand at the mast, you are only a few metres below the highest point of Table Mountain (Maclears Beacon on the front table). If you climbed up that past, you would have been higher. Cool useless facts!
I FLY Posted January 9, 2020 Author Posted January 9, 2020 The 360 degrees views that you get on your way up, Hout Bay, False Bay, Table Mountain from behind, Noordhoek, Chapmans Peak, Cape Point, Hangklip (where the above ride is) must be one of the greatest anywhere! That is, if you can see the view through your bleeding eyeballs! On your way down, there is no view because you better concentrate and look at where you are going! By the way, when you stand at the mast, you are only a few metres below the highest point of Table Mountain (Maclears Beacon on the front table). If you climbed up that past, you would have been higher. Cool useless facts!As a fellow useless facts collector I did check out on Google whether I had reached the highest point in Cape Town.Fortunately it was a clear day and I did stop a few times to "admire" the view and get some feeling back into my legs.The down run was not as bad as I thought it was going to be -XTR brakes and 180 mm rotor on the frontI was more nervous of riding between a few baboons who were sitting on either side of the track. I did not realise the females are so big.
Eddie Stafford Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 Is it allowed to cycle on the road just after Gordons Bay that goes up to the Steenbras Dam? Looks like a honest climb.
PhilipV Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 Is it allowed to cycle on the road just after Gordons Bay that goes up to the Steenbras Dam? Looks like a honest climb.It is. Eddie Stafford 1
dev null Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 (edited) Is it allowed to cycle on the road just after Gordons Bay that goes up to the Steenbras Dam? Looks like a honest climb. One of our Hubbers did an Everest on that climb a few years ago, and I do it occasionally. Proper climb that, especially the first part to the hairpin. And it gets real hot on that climb, so do it very early in the day else your head will explode. Edited January 16, 2020 by Moridin
ChrisF Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 Is it allowed to cycle on the road just after Gordons Bay that goes up to the Steenbras Dam? Looks like a honest climb. Jip, normal road up to the gate. Then again, with that cliff it aint hardly "normal" !! Certainly the one road that always sends a tingle down my spine !! Driven up there in a car a few times, but never get used to that shear drop. but what a view !!!!!!!!!
Eddie Stafford Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 can you ride past the gate? I am not sure where the gate is, but I rode up there this morning for 3 km, but the wind forced me to turn around about 500 m from the big building on the way up, which I presume is a pump or electricity station.
dev null Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 (edited) can you ride past the gate? No, you can't ride past the gate at the top. You can try, but you might find security guards chasing you and then having to walk back down with a broken arm. Edited January 16, 2020 by Moridin JAVSA02 1
JAVSA02 Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 Beyond that gate is the Steenbras Dam, a short drive away. Used to be a popular picnic spot, lovely gardens and short walks. Fond family memories of visiting the dam, especially when it overflowed, more regularly in the 70's. Even had a tea room many years ago if I remember correctly. But, under management of the COCT who have done risk assessments for public access, and deem it wiser to just bar the public rather than risk the snowflakes injuring themselves and suing them. It would be a nice extension to the climb discussed in the last few posts up to the filtration plant, especially if we could follow the road all the way to the gate at the back of Sir Lowries Pass, which used to be a second access point. Used to be a tar road all the way.
dev null Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 Beyond that gate is the Steenbras Dam, a short drive away. Used to be a popular picnic spot, lovely gardens and short walks. Fond family memories of visiting the dam, especially when it overflowed, more regularly in the 70's. Even had a tea room many years ago if I remember correctly. But, under management of the COCT who have done risk assessments for public access, and deem it wiser to just bar the public rather than risk the snowflakes injuring themselves and suing them. It would be a nice extension to the climb discussed in the last few posts up to the filtration plant, especially if we could follow the road all the way to the gate at the back of Sir Lowries Pass, which used to be a second access point. Used to be a tar road all the way. Damn snowflakes. They take all the fun out of life.
LoveMyRide Posted January 17, 2020 Posted January 17, 2020 Most of this thread has commented on the fact that this is a safe route. Myself included. This happened earlier today (17/01) between Strand and GB. Not the first in this area. https://www.facebook.com/wimpie.vandermerwe.52/posts/842029846245815?comment_id=842083892907077¬if_id=1579235017875303¬if_t=feed_comment
Slowbee Posted January 17, 2020 Posted January 17, 2020 Just to be clear - this is the main road and NOT the R44 from gordons bay towards Rooi Els. DJR 1
JAVSA02 Posted January 17, 2020 Posted January 17, 2020 (edited) Just to be clear - this is the main road and NOT the R44 from gordons bay towards Rooi Els.Correct, and I did say between Strand and Gordons Bay, and it still is the R44 though. It is also ridden by the vast majority of people riding between GB and Rooi-Els, so warrants aheads-up. Edited January 17, 2020 by JAVSA02 Slowbee and DJR 2
Slowbee Posted January 17, 2020 Posted January 17, 2020 Correct, and I did say between Strand and Gordons Bay, and it still is the R44 though. It is also ridden by the vast majority of people riding between GB and Rooi-Els, so warrants aheads-up.Ja, especially that time of the morning.
I FLY Posted January 17, 2020 Author Posted January 17, 2020 Most of this thread has commented on the fact that this is a safe route. Myself included. This happened earlier today (17/01) between Strand and GB. Not the first in this area. https://www.facebook.com/wimpie.vandermerwe.52/posts/842029846245815?comment_id=842083892907077¬if_id=1579235017875303¬if_t=feed_commentI cannot see what the incident was? My wife and I regularly ride through the Strand to the Steenbras Dam climb.
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