Cape Town danger areas

[mikkelz]

😪

Edited February 28, 2024 by mikkelz

[W3_Fabrizio]

Hi guys,

I don't really know if this is the right thread to be asking this question, so apologies if I'm in the wrong zone.

I'll be riding to the Nova Eroica South Africa this April, and my intended route is from Franschhoek to Montagu. I've prepared this on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1454702272?ref=wtd&share_token=aILAvZ9AQbrBJXKMZqiG0pHOicVb3IDcWpSBcPwlMIM4ak8gdP

Now, I've never been or ridden in South Africa, and I was keen on hearing from locals if there are any specific things I should be aware of, or turns I shouldn't be making, or anything like that. I live in London, UK, and though life has taken me in dodgy areas in the past I'm very well aware that as somebody who's never been somewhere I could very well be riding into trouble without realising it.

So, if you have any feedback please let me know! Also, if you're planning on heading over there too and you're leaving from Franschhoek, do let me know..

Fabrizio

[ridearoundtheblock]

3 hours ago, W3_Fabrizio said:

Hi guys,

I don't really know if this is the right thread to be asking this question, so apologies if I'm in the wrong zone.

I'll be riding to the Nova Eroica South Africa this April, and my intended route is from Franschhoek to Montagu. I've prepared this on Komoot: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1454702272?ref=wtd&share_token=aILAvZ9AQbrBJXKMZqiG0pHOicVb3IDcWpSBcPwlMIM4ak8gdP

Now, I've never been or ridden in South Africa, and I was keen on hearing from locals if there are any specific things I should be aware of, or turns I shouldn't be making, or anything like that. I live in London, UK, and though life has taken me in dodgy areas in the past I'm very well aware that as somebody who's never been somewhere I could very well be riding into trouble without realising it.

So, if you have any feedback please let me know! Also, if you're planning on heading over there too and you're leaving from Franschhoek, do let me know..

Fabrizio

@W3_Fabrizio the route that you have planned looks great and runs through an area that is very safe in general. I have three suggestions:

1. When you ride through Robertson keep on the main road all the way to the roundabout (as shown in the map below). Don't cut through the neighbourhood on your right.

2. The red alternative route shown below follows back roads with less traffic.

3. There's a short section of the route before Ashton that runs over private land. The red alternative below will do the trick.

I hope you have a great time riding in South Africa!

[W3_Fabrizio]

@ridearoundtheblock first and foremost, thank you so much for your kind help and for taking the time, it means a lot. I've made the changes you suggest, here's the amended plan: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1454702272?ref=wtd&share_token=aILAvZ9AQbrBJXKMZqiG0pHOicVb3IDcWpSBcPwlMIM4ak8gdP

 

Looking forward to riding in South Africa!

[matthew de haast]

A few bricks in the road in Camps Bay this morning. Very difficult to see them in the dark. Some riders from @Pure Savage went down. One in hospital with shoulder injury.

[DJR]

On 3/11/2024 at 7:42 AM, W3_Fabrizio said:

..........Looking forward to riding in South Africa!

Eroica SA is a very special ride. Tough, long, rough, hot, but with beautiful surroundings and VERY friendly people......exactly what it should be like. (I have not done the Nova, but I did most of the classics.) 

[lechatnoir]

54 minutes ago, DJR said:

Eroica SA is a very special ride. Tough, long, rough, hot, but with beautiful surroundings and VERY friendly people......exactly what it should be like. (I have not done the Nova, but I did most of the classics.) 

roads and people are the same, but fewer punctures guaranteed! But Ouberg Pass is just as steep!

[Jbr]

Will be epic, looking forward to ouberg !

[splat]

12 hours ago, matthew de haast said:

A few bricks in the road in Camps Bay this morning. Very difficult to see them in the dark. Some riders from @Pure Savage went down. One in hospital with shoulder injury.

From the little bit of information that I have heard, the bricks were not random.
Luckily the Savage Crew was quite big, as there were lots of 'bystanders' who appeared out of the shadows as soon as he hit the deck.
Strangely, the Camps Bay police station is less than a stone's throw from this location.

Also, the victim is no stranger to high jackings and incidents with cars.
Heal up fast @Pure Savage !

[Thomo]

13 hours ago, matthew de haast said:

A few bricks in the road in Camps Bay this morning. Very difficult to see them in the dark. Some riders from @Pure Savage went down. One in hospital with shoulder injury.

One of the few areas that was still considered safe. 🤬

"Bystanders" were mentioned ... is this the element that was removed from "tent city".?

 

[porqui]

Anybody know anything about a mountain biker that was mugged for his bike near the Silvermine Dam over the weekend??? Just up from the dam on the Silvermine peaks loop just below the start of the first switchbacks on the jeep track.

[marko35s]

14 minutes ago, porqui said:

Anybody know anything about a mountain biker that was mugged for his bike near the Silvermine Dam over the weekend??? Just up from the dam on the Silvermine peaks loop just below the start of the first switchbacks on the jeep track.

 

[firewolf]

Anybody know anything about a cyclist down Firgtove Rd CT yesterday? Fatal.

[MongooseMan]

Had a guy try to tackle me at the corner of Koeberg and Plattekloof (near Makro) this morning. I was riding with 3 friends and as we approached the turn into Plattekloof this guy stepped off the island and started running at me. His execution was laughably poor, in that he went for the front guy, telegraphed his intentions way too early, had no visible weapons, and couldn’t change direction quickly.

i managed to swerve around him and sprint away, and he seemed to have already burned all his matches, as he completely ignored my 3 mates behind me.

stopped, swore at him a few times, carried on with life, all a bit surreal really…

[Andreas_187]

5 hours ago, MongooseMan said:

Had a guy try to tackle me at the corner of Koeberg and Plattekloof (near Makro) this morning. I was riding with 3 friends and as we approached the turn into Plattekloof this guy stepped off the island and started running at me. His execution was laughably poor, in that he went for the front guy, telegraphed his intentions way too early, had no visible weapons, and couldn’t change direction quickly.

i managed to swerve around him and sprint away, and he seemed to have already burned all his matches, as he completely ignored my 3 mates behind me.

stopped, swore at him a few times, carried on with life, all a bit surreal really…

I had exactly the same thing happen to me yesterday at exactly the same spot. This guy started running towards me. Luckily I was on my MTB and had my Giro 'tackies' on so jumped off and told him to come so I could **** him up.... he turned around and I carried on

[Robbie Stewart]

Well there goes that route. I used it every now and then to navigate through the boerewors curtain from the west coast side of town since cycling past Dunoon became a no-go.