JHB to CT - Road Bikes

[FondTF2]

Hi hubbers.

We are toying with the idea of doing a road ride from JHB ( Vanderbijl) to Cape Town either late this year to tie in with DC or early next year to possibly tie in with the Cape Cycle tour.

Would like to know if anyone has done anything similar and what route they took and other valuable advice.

We are wanting to avoid the N1 at all costs (thus the end in Worcester) and the intended route is as per below with approximate daily KM's:

Day 1 – Stonehaven to Welkom: 226 KM

Day 2 – Welkom to Kimberly: 237 KM

Day 3 – Kimberly to Britstown: 253 KM

Day 4 – Britstown – Loxton: 187 KM

Day 5 – Loxton - Sutherland: 207 KM

Day 6 – Sutherland - Worcester: 242KM

[Zeffer]

Following with interest.

Bikepack or road?

[Skubarra]

Just to note the road between Loxton and Sutherland is not tarred (unless it happened very recently)

Also the N12, I am sure its better than the N1 but my gut feel also not ideal for cycling given trucks and relatively high traffic, might help if you have a support vehicle driving behind you. Maybe someone on here has attempted it.

To add - you dont have to end in Worcester, Bainskloof, Franschoek or Nuwekloof can get you over the mountains

Edited February 5 by Skubarra

[FondTF2]

18 minutes ago, Zeffer said:

Following with interest.

Bikepack or road?

Road.

Would look to stay in BB's / Guest Houses each night with a back up vehicle.

We did similar in 2021 (JHB to DBN) for Amashova

[FondTF2]

1 minute ago, Skubarra said:

Just to note the road between Loxton and Sutherland is not tarred (unless it happened very recently)

Also the N12, I am sure its better than the N1 but my gut feel also not ideal for cycling given trucks and relatively high traffic, might help if you have a support vehicle driving behind you. Maybe someone on here has attempted it.

Thanks. Thats why we call on the Hub knowledge.

We will have a back up vehicle.

Other option (incl's N1) is Britstown to Beaufort West. Then onto Matjiesfontein and CT?

 

[Skubarra]

5 minutes ago, FondTF2 said:

Thanks. Thats why we call on the Hub knowledge.

We will have a back up vehicle.

Other option (incl's N1) is Britstown to Beaufort West. Then onto Matjiesfontein and CT?

 

Personally I would avoid the N1, its just stupid busy. Would not be fun even with a back-up vehicle behind you.

Problem with area north of the N1 is that you run out of tar roads unless you go far north over Williston/Calvinia and then come down the west coast.

If its tar only I would suggest take the N9 south of Colesberg and go through the upper eastern cape and klein karoo (willowmore, oudshoorn) - should be more guest house options that side as well. and  a bit more scenic as well.

[ChrisF]

15 minutes ago, FondTF2 said:

Road.

Would look to stay in BB's / Guest Houses each night with a back up vehicle.

We did similar in 2021 (JHB to DBN) for Amashova

 

Are gravel bikes an option ?

 

This may open up a host of opportunities ....

 

With only tar you are stuck on the main, and busy, roads.

 

 

 

@Prince Albert Cycles may well have some valuable routes options for you.

[UnclePolli]

Option Y: R59 right down till you hit R64 then to Kimberley (not sure about road condition now, but used to be OK and relatively quite - almost no shoulder).  - Kimberly N12 all the way to Victoria west.  (trucks not to bad on that stretch).  Then you have options to continue to N1, 3 sisters, and onward via N1, that stretch till lainsburg is nerve recking. BUT big yellow lane and if not on a weekend sometimes quite.

Option Q:  Divert from Victoriawest to Loxton -via fraserburg to sutherland (this is gravel).

Option Z:  Divert from N12 at Briststown to vosburg and carnavon (tarred last i heard used to be gravel) and head via calvinia and N7.  (from Calvinia you will have some mining trucks, yes they are now trucking the stuff from the kalahari to saldanha and some container trucks if its grape harvest season - not as heavy traffic as N1)  at Clanwillian you sho left to lambertsbay and head back via the extended west coast road all the way to capetown via elandsbay, veldrift.

Option R:  R59 right down till you hit R64 then to bloem, petrusbug, koffiefontein, luckhoff, petrusville, philipstown, deaar. britstown. (i used to do this 3 times a year with the car, not sure about road conditions now days, but its a quite roads - limited to no shoulder)

 

Edited February 5 by UnclePolli