Cycling from JHB to CT

[Wannabe]

There is an annual fund raising ride from Sun City to Cpt (one year they did it from Messina I think), scheduled with them doing a short section on the Saturday (something like Worcester to Waterfront) and the Argus then the last stage.

 

There is some peeps flying up from Cape Town, year after year, to do this ride.

[Long Wheel Base]

  On 2/26/2020 at 7:13 AM, Fat Boab said:

Approx 1600km, route depending, so do the math on what you can handle day after day. Add in possible rest days. And voila!

 

I'm aiming for 18 days with 2 rest days included.

 

 

 

After that you change your profile name to Thin Boab.

[Frail. "Will forever remain "Frail"]

  On 2/26/2020 at 6:36 AM, Mokgaga said:

so how many days or weeks does it take to cycle from Jhb to CT?

7, SEVEN Days with some time to smell the roses.

[Wannabe]

  On 2/26/2020 at 10:29 AM, F.R.A.I.L. -K said:

7, SEVEN Days with some time to smell the roses.

 

Just tell them that some of those days are between 250-300km riding days.

[Pieter-za]

  On 2/25/2020 at 12:31 PM, baldy said:

Are there anyone interested in joining me/advising me?

You can look up Jakkie van der Collf on FB for tips etc as well.

 

This is what he did last year:   https://rekordmoot.co.za/148152/148152/

[MORNE]

  On 2/26/2020 at 7:56 AM, dave303e said:

Because straight routes from JHB to CT is k****

 

Hence my suggestion -

Think about it if you plan it cleverly you can include Golden Gate National Park. View the Amphitheatre of the Drakensberg. Enjoy the rolling hills of the KZN midlands and a Tipsy Tiger or Pickled Pig at Notties Brewery. Arriving in PMB you can take a day to sample Cascades mtb routes. Then you jump onto the Freedom challenge route which should need no introduction...

The Race to Rhodes section is epic with an incredible climb back up the escarpment after tackling the mighty Umko valley and Hela Hela. Then you get to witness the best of the Eastern Cape.  A trip through Mordor and the stunning Baviaans kloof before heading through to the Western Cape and the epic sections like Stettynskloof.

 

Can you think of anything more boring than bombing along parallel to the N1 all the way to Cape town. Because everyone who drives that route really sees it as an epic route with spectacular scenery. 

 

I have cycled to Durban from GP, it is boring, so if you going to do a long ride, make sure you include the epic bits so that it is at least a memorable route

west coast all the way baby. I used to only drive n14-n7 between GP and WC...nobody realises how much better that route is compared to the n1. Yes...300km odd longer....but a perfect highay, no tolls, no trucks, quiet roads....and awesome towns in between. Also plenty of epic routes through the middel. You need never even touch the n1. 'Spectacular scenery' is relative. The karoo and west coast up north is plenty beautiful.

 

Also...

Aint nobody got time to worry about getting their ass murdered cycling on their own on the way to CT through the Transkei...

 

EDIT:  if the goal is to include the eastern most bits of the western cape or even some of the eastern cape....i'll still cut kzn out. but thats just me lol. 

[Sbloomer]

I'd love to do this kind of trip by bike

https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/travel/2020-01-19-yes-you-can-drive-from-joburg-to-cape-town-using-only-dirt-roads/

Or add a couple of hundred kays to the munga 

[MORNE]

you could also go via uppington...enter the Richterveld via n10 into namibia...ride your bike trough the national park, camping atthe various sites within the park...and exit it at Sendelings drift into SA via the river ferry. Ride to alexander bay/port Nollith etc. There are dirt highways down the west coast t for 100s of kilometers between towns. you can sleep over (camp) in all the SANPARKS national parks down on west coast if you plan ahead. The sites at the namaqua nationalpark is literally on the beach..epic beautiful. one of my best trips ever and I have been to every corner of SA.

[Fat Boab]

  On 2/26/2020 at 11:29 AM, morneS555 said:

west coast all the way baby. I used to only drive n14-n7 between GP and WC...nobody realises how much better that route is compared to the n1. Yes...300km odd longer....but a perfect highay, no tolls, no trucks, quiet roads....and awesome towns in between. Also plenty of epic routes through the middel. You need never even touch the n1. 'Spectacular scenery' is relative. The karoo and west coast up north is plenty beautiful.

 

 

Have to admit to still giving this route some thought...particularly as I I live within 10 km of the N14, it might make navigation a little easier! ????

[eddy]

  On 2/26/2020 at 11:29 AM, morneS555 said:

west coast all the way baby. I used to only drive n14-n7 between GP and WC...nobody realises how much better that route is compared to the n1. Yes...300km odd longer....but a perfect highay, no tolls, no trucks, quiet 

 

From Upington, do you cut down to Calvinia or stay on the N14 to Springbok ?

[arendoog]

  On 2/25/2020 at 12:31 PM, baldy said:

Hello All

 

On my bucket list is cycling from Jhb to Ct before I get to old.I am 61.I am retired thus time is not an issue.

 

I dont wana race just do a fairly easy ride,I have been cycling for the last 20 years but have no experience in long distance touring.Mayby 100km per day ? Combine camping and B&B ?

 

Are there anyone interested in joining me/advising me?

 

Tks

I know somebody that did that last year December .Swen Kleine  .Rode from centurion to Sedgefield in a week .There is an article in news24  in the last week .he did the whole thing solo and met up with his support along the way .Good read 

[arendoog]

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/dads-passion-for-cycling-takes-him-from-pretoria-to-the-southern-cape-just-for-the-ride-20200222

[MORNE]

  On 2/26/2020 at 12:43 PM, eddy said:

From Upington, do you cut down to Calvinia or stay on the N14 to Springbok ?

i always did JHB -> Vryburg -> Kuruman -> Uppington (sleep here if you want, lots to do and some nice lodges next to the orange river ). -> kakamas (beautiful town...also super close to Augrabies national park) -> Springbok (bigger than you think lol). from springbok you head down the n7 to Garies (usually my last fuel stop and just follow the n7 to cape town. 

 

if your car can do 800-900km on a tank you only need to stop 3 times....at the HUGE Ultra city in Kathu, Uppington and then Springbok....but there are plenty garages in the bigger-small towns too.

 

the last time I drove it (when we moved down to cape town a few years ago)... there were places on this route where you could literally stop next to the hiway and sit in the middle of the road and enjoy the silence. compared to the n1...it is almost stress free. You find the od truck due to the farms and mines on the route...but they are basically non existent compared to the n1.