Safest Routes as A Melkbosstrand Local 🙏❓

[Remi_Fourie]

Hi all... Just asking out for some advice to those who live in Cape Town and have the experience of riding here locally. 🌸

I was wandering if anybody has some experienced advice to share... I am based in Melkbosstrand and want to know some good 60-70km routes that are safe to train on with a road bike. Thank you ! 

Would Appreciate the suggestions and recommendations :)) 

[Mamil]

Im not a local but the cycle path to milnerton will give you that distance. 

The r27 is out of the question. 

But if i were a resident i would get gravel bike because a short ride puts you on the gravel and farm roads to the north. 

[JM Rides Bikes]

Check in with Melkbos cycles. Also yes the cycle path that goes through to Milnerton is great!

But don't cycle all the way to the n1 as there is a hotspot for bikejacking and brick throwing there. 

Edited January 12 by JM Rides Bikes
Clarity

[John Gomes]

Cycle path to Milnerton will give you just over 40 km (to the end of Paarden Eiland 50km).

Also cycle up to the N7, then go left and turn at the Philadelphia bridge.  There and back around 37 km.  You can combine the above routes to get to 60 - 70 km.

Also up to N7, left to Philadelphia bridge, then right past Philadelphia to the old Malmesbury road.  There you can go left to Kalbaskraal or even  Malmesbury and then back (> 70km) or left via Schoons drift loop (about 45km)

 

[Mamil]

Cycle path in the south easter counts double on the way to town - half on the way back

[Spinnaroonie]

2 hours ago, Mamil said:

Cycle path in the south easter counts double on the way to town - half on the way back

The lies I tell myself to make up for the lack of elevation gain...

Speaking of which, all the abovementioned info is sound advice. If you're also looking for decent elevation gain, you will need to head towards Durbanville via Plattekloof Rd or Bosmansdam Rd. 

Edited January 12 by Spinnaroonie

[Robbie Stewart]

3 hours ago, Mamil said:

Cycle path in the south easter counts double on the way to town - half on the way back

Riding into that south easter on a day when it is properly howling feels like an ascent straight up Platteklip Gorge.

[Mamil]

2 hours ago, John Gomes said:

Cycle path to Milnerton will give you just over 40 km (to the end of Paarden Eiland 50km).

Also cycle up to the N7, then go left and turn at the Philadelphia bridge.  There and back around 37 km.  You can combine the above routes to get to 60 - 70 km.

Also up to N7, left to Philadelphia bridge, then right past Philadelphia to the old Malmesbury road.  There you can go left to Kalbaskraal or even  Malmesbury and then back (> 70km) or left via Schoons drift loop (about 45km)

 

Just a note that cycling on N7 isn't legal - we all do it, myself included if I'm roadying that way - not legal but certainly as safe as other roads, maybe more so.

To go on a bit about the gravel - if you have a gravel bike then you can take the Botterberg pad left at the far side of the N7 and from there the whole of the network to the north opens up - so that's Old Malmesbury Road as mentioned , 12km along there's a gravel connector through to the R302 - from there to Eenzaamheid ...

I'll proselytize anyone into this kind of riding.

[Robbie Stewart]

I'm firmly of the opinion that cycling North on the R27 from Table Bay Mall is just looking for trouble. Any route apart from that one is better. 

Edited January 12 by Robbie Stewart
Directional clarification

[Andreas_187]

13 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I'm firmly of the opinion that cycling North on the R27 from Table Bay Mall is just looking for trouble. Any route apart from that one is better. 

Yes, definitely a no go zone. Vehicles travelling at high speed wil pull into the yellow lane to allow other motorist past

[Robbie Stewart]

1 hour ago, Andreas_187 said:

Yes, definitely a no go zone. Vehicles travelling at high speed wil pull into the yellow lane to allow other motorist past

I live just up the road from the Table Bay mall, and I can't begin to explain how often I hear emergency sirens screaming up that road. Today I've heard them twice so far. I don't even really like driving that road.

[CapSizer]

28 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I live just up the road from the Table Bay mall, and I can't begin to explain how often I hear emergency sirens screaming up that road. Today I've heard them twice so far. I don't even really like driving that road.

I've never been able to understand why the traffic authorities think that a 120 km/h limit there is logical.  80 or maybe 90 would make more sense.  Not that drivers care much about the limit, but still.

[ChaseTheAce]

On 1/12/2026 at 12:37 PM, Mamil said:

Just a note that cycling on N7 isn't legal - we all do it, myself included if I'm roadying that way - not legal but certainly as safe as other roads, maybe more so.

To go on a bit about the gravel - if you have a gravel bike then you can take the Botterberg pad left at the far side of the N7 and from there the whole of the network to the north opens up - so that's Old Malmesbury Road as mentioned , 12km along there's a gravel connector through to the R302 - from there to Eenzaamheid ...

I'll proselytize anyone into this kind of riding.

When I ride around Melkbos, I make use of the Mamre Road / Old Mamre Road, then turn right onto R304 and onwards to Philadelphia. I do this to avoid illegal N7 activities on the bike.

The Mamre Road is a bit of a bumpy one, though, but I think of it as more of an adventure along that section

[Mamil]

9 minutes ago, ChaseTheAce said:

When I ride around Melkbos, I make use of the Mamre Road / Old Mamre Road, then turn right onto R304 and onwards to Philadelphia. I do this to avoid illegal N7 activities on the bike.

The Mamre Road is a bit of a bumpy one, though, but I think of it as more of an adventure along that section

I've done that in reverse a few times riding back towards town - sometimes after gravel ride out to Darling - not my favourite section at all but as you say, at least legal