Cycling route from CPT to JHB

[scons]

We are wanting to ride from CPT to JHB this December and need to accomplish this in about 12 - 14 days. Does anyone have a route that we could follow which would keep us off the N1 as far as possible but would still get us there in the required time? We don't want to take too many detours but also don't want to cycle on the N1 if we can help it. Worried about going through the Karoo

Anyone done this before and can suggest a safe route? Any advice and tips would be welcome. We're doing it on a tandem (roadbike not MTB route)

Thanks

Scons

scons2009-04-17 04:03:03

[Kranswurm]

There is a crowd that rides from Jhb to Ct for the Argus via Kimberly,Victoria West,3 Sisters etc.

Just do it in reverse

[Moab]

Great posting!! I think this is going to be interesting! Great idea dude!

[Shebeen]

avoid the N1?

 

That's totally possible, I'm guessing we're talking MTB here.

[porky]

There is a crowd that rides from Jhb to Ct for the Argus via Kimberly' date='Victoria West,3 Sisters etc.

Just do it in reverse

[/quote']

 

Yah, I knew a guy who did it once, rode down, did the argus, hung up his bike and never rode again.

 

Said it was insane.

 

To be honest, I think you will need more than 12 days of riding time (I am assuming 2 days rest?) work on 1450kms to Jhb, thats about 120kms per day, factor in some heavy wind and bad roads................unless you ride the TDF in your spare time thats a tough call, I recon you need to be looking at 17/18 days which is what the standard organised ride took.   

[idrive]

It is illegal to ride a bicycle on a highway

[Icycling]

idrive - why the post - are you suggesting the N1 is a highway - for the most part it is just a National road so legal. On the Cape Town side it is legal to ride on the N1 from the Paarden island / North gate Cycle Lab intersection to the City. From North Gate to the other side of the Tunnel it is illegal from the other side of the tunnel all the way to Bleom it is Legal. Possibly in Bleom their is an area where it is illegal!

[4eyes]

Go via Upington. ie go north from CT to Upt and then via Kby to JHB. Roads a LOT quieter. We ride down from Upington to CT almost every year at Christmas.

I know you said no MTB, but reconsider that. The gravel roads really make it much safer.

[Tankman]

[

 

To be honest, I think you will need more than 12 days of riding time (I am assuming 2 days rest?) work on 1450kms to Jhb, thats about 120kms per day, factor in some heavy wind and bad roads................unless you ride the TDF in your spare time thats a tough call, I recon you need to be looking at 17/18 days which is what the standard organised ride took.   

 

Yea, not to mention that you are going up hill the whole way!

Good luck though, sounds like a great challenge 

[29pgc10]

Go via Upington. ie go north from CT to Upt and then via Kby to JHB. Roads a LOT quieter. We ride down from Upington to CT almost every year at Christmas.

I know you said no MTB' date=' but reconsider that. The gravel roads really make it much safer.[/quote']

 

kinda defeats the point... CT - Upington - Kimberley - JHB, they want the SHORTEST route.

But agreed to reconsider the gravel roads.

One of my traffic beaters Langebaan-JHB routes is as follow:

LGB-Valdrif-Elands Bay-Graafwater- gravel to BP on N7- Klaver-Vanrhynsdorp-Nieuwoudtville-Loeriesfontein-gravel to Brandvlei-gavel to Van Wyksvlei-gravel to Copperton-Prieska-Douglas-Kimberley-Boshof-40km gravel to Hertzogville-Hoopstadt-Bothaville-Parys-JHB

 

replacing the section from Nieuwoutville till Prieska with:

Nieuwoudtville-Calvinia-Williston-Carnavron-gravel to Prieska will reduce total distance on gravel to 180km but extend the distance from above by 30km.

 

going to Kimberley from Carnavron through Vosburg,Britstown,Hopetown will reduce the gravel to 110km for the entire trip but extend the distance by 10km

 

Going through Upingron is 100km longer than the shortest here, but all tar. unfortunatelly some 100km form Kuruman towards JHB is very nerow and lots of trucks. I dont like driving there, will not recoment to cycle there.

 

Go gravel. It gives you endles possibilities. m

 

29pgc102009-04-18 12:25:28

[porky]

Go via Upington. ie go north from CT to Upt and then via Kby to JHB. Roads a LOT quieter. We ride down from Upington to CT almost every year at Christmas.

I know you said no MTB' date=' but reconsider that. The gravel roads really make it much safer.[/quote']

 

That would increase the distance by 100s of kilometers on tar.

 

On tar Bloem to JHB is not a problem on secondary roads, but through the karoo I cant see much choice but on the main arterial - to deviate would just cost you too much time and distance.

 

Still say, its going to be a tough call to make it in 12 days of riding, irrespective of how you travel.

 

[cat-i]

 

 

i cycled from joburg to capetown way back when in 2000.

 

i did organise to be dropped off at the n1/12 split, was new to gauteng and had no idea how to cycle to there.

from there, kimberley, 3 sisters, beaufort west, oudsthoorn, robertson, worcester an over du toitskloof.

 

on a cromoly mountainbike with panniers an slicks, solo. tar, took me 12 days, and then had 3 rest days before doing the burger sanlam.

 

 

1 'rest' day where i only cycled from de rust to oudtshoorn (30 kays for the day.)

very heavy headwinds between kimberley and 3 sisters. panniers no good at all with a headwind.  managed to cover about 100 kays a day there, missed the target towns twice and had to 'squat' next to a school bulding one day, and in a has-been campsite the other day. that was november, would be awesome to have that wind from the back !

also coming down huisriver pass from capetown side might be far easier than going up it (with panniers) from calitzdorp side. cycling from oudtshoorn, the plan was to stop in ladismith (about 100 kays) but arrived there over lunchtime, way too early. so i carried on to barrydale, another 75 kays with more headwind and lots of hills. that was the hardest day. might be far easier to do that in reverse.

 

going down du toitskloof was awesome. panniers are adding quite a lot of resistance, so max speed quite low. going up du toitskloof might not be as much fun.

 

never felt unsafe, being on my own. people are very curious and i was often invited to sleep in total strangers houses.

 

good luck, keep us updated about route plans, and the actual trip!

 

 

 

 

 

cat-i2009-04-19 14:43:26

[Shebeen]

didn't some tourer/charity oke ride jhb=>cape town in something silly like 3 days for argus this year?

 

speaking of which, this is currently live www.wideride.co.za - grabouw headmaster raising funds for one of his schoolkids.

[cyclingfan]

Check out my post on Argus cycling tour.  These guys did it from Jhb to Cpt.