Cape Town Cycle Tour 2026

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I can strongly recommend taking a year off from racing it and just enjoying it for what it is, a social day out on your bike in one of the most beautiful places in the world. It honestly changed my entire perspective of the Tour.
I had also reached that stage when I was just worn out from chasing Sub 3's and getting stressed out about sitting in a big bunch with youngsters with dubious skill levels from spending too much time on Zwift and too little time rubbing bars in a bunch.
So I took a year off racing it and joined my stepfather on his very first tour at 61yrs old and seeing him enjoy it and interact with everyone on the road and at the water tables changed my entire perspective on what this ride is actually all about.

Try it, thank me later 😉

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Mamil said:

Normally I'm going on an on about how I'm aiming for my virgin sub 3 --- not n the cards this year so I'm hoping for bad weather

 

My first one was that swim fest a few years back ....

 

Had 3 good years since .... TOUCH WOOD 😵

[ChrisF]

45 minutes ago, Mamil said:

I'm also seriously considering this approach - dropping back to 4G or something similar and noodling around enjoying the vibe - last few years I've raced back to the M3 to join my S.O. on the short route but she's away this year so that's not going to happen. I'll decide on the morning

 

2024 I dropped back to start with a charity group, about 8.00 start ...

 

Nice vibe ... but traffic was busy ... early starters falling back ... fast late starters passing ... 

 

The 7.00 starts are nicer ... those in front stay ahead.  Nicer "feel" to the group.

 

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I'm riding with the missus and although she's on an ebike, her fitness isn't where it should be at this time of the year, so I'm under no pressure. It'll be a chilled ride with coffee and pastries in Noordhoek, whatever the weather, very much like last years event.

Once I got my 21 tours under the belt, I decided that all future CTCT's would be done purely to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful Cape on closed roads. That in itself is a rare privilege which we pay good money for.

 

 

Only my 5th.  Hope to reach 10.

 

Part of me wants to get that 3:51 ... for me that would be a dream come true. 

Hiehie ... yea okay ... for many this is a relaxed ride ....

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I just think it's died down here, the whatsapp groups are very much alive with chatter about the big day 👍

 

Very true.

 

The Potch-train hardly posts on this thread, but the WA group is very active.

[Skubarra]

I still love this event, also being part of a road club the build-up & buzz around the tour is my cycling motivation for the 1st 2 months of the year.  

But as I'm getting older & more risk averse with age the massive groups at the sharp end of the field are getting to me.

Would have loved better organised age cat racing groups, feels very much like an afterthought for the organisers. Still I think the age cats are still marginally safer than the fast groups just behind it.

(Also a bit crazy to think bikehub is probably more than a decade older than WA 🤣, make sense that a lot of the Cycle Tour questions & conversations happens on cycling WA groups first)

[Musashi]

I've "raced" it many times but three years ago did it for the first time on a tandem with my then 72 year old father-in-law.  We decided beforehand we're not going to race but not going to faf around either.  Enjoy the views, chat a bit and pull a few people from the top of Suikerbossie home.  It was great fun, so much so we did it again two years ago.  Then last year my son was old enough to take his place on the tandem and this year will be his second Argus.  We have a nice 07:03 start so the riders are quite sensible but not aggressively serious.  It really is nice to look up and enjoy the experience.

[Wannabe]

@Musashi, we are in the same starting group.

[John Gomes]

Have everybody received their seeding?  I am still waiting for mine

[webs]

2 minutes ago, John Gomes said:

Have everybody received their seeding?  I am still waiting for mine

Haven't received anything yet, but can see my start group on Racetec.

[Jase619]

21 hours ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I just think it's died down here, the whatsapp groups are very much alive with chatter about the big day 👍

I also think we lose sight of the population on Bikehub vs the general cycling population. I hazard to guess that the community on here is a tiny percentage of the actual cycling community. While that doesn't make it less important, it does mean that we can't take the lack of chatter on here as an indication of the health of anything. 

But, the point is fair, the chatter on here is much less than with my first one 10 years ago

[NC_lurker]

17 hours ago, The Ouzo said:

there is something different about dropping back and riding slower than you'd normally ride, especially when you're fitter than those around you.

You get to enjoy more and if you're so inclined, help other along the way.

I did it a couple years back when it rained and it ranks as one of my most enjoyable CTCTs

This ☝️

After taking a few years off, last year I agreed to ride with my GF and see if we could get her under 4hrs (no pushing allowed!) in her 2nd time taking part. Can't remember where we started but it was waaay back, just before 8am. Cruising around the peninsula trying to hold a steady pace, while enjoying the event for what it really is, resulted in the most enjoyable CTCT for at least my last 10 rides. Helped of course by perfect weather and us hitting our goal time!

I'd definitely recommend taking a break from chasing a time in the chaos groups, dropping back and experiencing the event as an opportunity for people of all shapes & sizes to appreciate CT in all it's splendour. 

Edited February 26 by NC_lurker
Clarity

[Dexter-morgan]

18 hours ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I can strongly recommend taking a year off from racing it and just enjoying it for what it is, a social day out on your bike in one of the most beautiful places in the world. It honestly changed my entire perspective of the Tour.
I had also reached that stage when I was just worn out from chasing Sub 3's and getting stressed out about sitting in a big bunch with youngsters with dubious skill levels from spending too much time on Zwift and too little time rubbing bars in a bunch.
So I took a year off racing it and joined my stepfather on his very first tour at 61yrs old and seeing him enjoy it and interact with everyone on the road and at the water tables changed my entire perspective on what this ride is actually all about.

Try it, thank me later 😉

This is going to be my approach this year, sitting with Whooping cough so training hasn't been what it is supposed to be, sending down the Frankenbike and doing a chilled ride, will probably do around 5 hrs or so, not a specific time in mind.

 

[Heina13]

I am basically doing the opposite this year. Did Argus on a tandem the last three years with my wife. Favourite event of the year every year. Spending some qaulity time with the misses. She unfortunately broken her arm during a ride late December and hasn't recovered enough to ride yet. Bit nervous as I haven't really raced the race before. Starting in 2B after a fairly good Winelands. Hopefully getting close to 3:10. Next year we will be back on the Drommedaris.

[dexterdent]

I can't wait and like every year it will be awesome/horrible depending on weather/mechanicals and I'll still love it and be back the year after.

I'm still in the "do it as fast as you and your wallet can allow" phase, but have done enough playing around with the stats to know that your time on the day is mostly a function of the weather and your seeding, so I don't let mildly arbitrary time targets take away from my enjoyment (or sense of progression). For me, I get more value from trying to finish as well as possible in my group.

[HdB]

I'm quite a bit less fit than last year due to life happening, some very ill dogs have meant my motivation to train since mid-Dec has been meh!

So my choices are to start per my seeding and watch the group disappear before we even get to Hospital Bend then wait for a group to come by that I can stick with, or just start a few groups later.
My current thinking is that starting per my seeding will mean I should be pretty much on my own at Hospital Bend, so far less chance of getting caught up in a crash.

I wonder how many shoe-cleaning-spray booths there will be at the expo this year... 🤦‍♂️