Has anybody ridden the road from gordons bay to kleinmont?

[swoosh1973]

i would like to know the stats,

how many people on bikes that are clipped or hit on roads with no shoulder compared to roads with a large shoulder. I think that we will all be suprized.

 

Yep this sure would be an interesting stat. Pedal Power keep stats for bike accidents. I think I will e-mail them to see if they record such info. What would be useful to know also is exactly how a rider was clipped? For example ..If they riding in a bunch on a road with a wide shoulder and said bunch were riding multiple riders abreast etc.

[Guest coenie]

I have ridden this road a few times and on a Sunday the Bikers are mad going around there...but generally I have never had a problem.

 

It is around 35 km to Betties bay from Gordens so add on another 5-7 km to Kleinmont

[andydude]

Worked out the following approximate distances the other day while driving through to Vermont:

 

Gordon's Bay (BP garage) to Rooi-Els 23km;

Rooi-Els to Betty's Bay 11km;

Betty's Bay to Kleinmond 14km;

Kleinmond to T junction (just after Arabella) 12km;

Turn right on T to Vermont house 15km.

 

And yes, just after Gordon's Bay you can turn left on the hill up to Steenbras Dam. See the profile from Mapmyride!!

[Velouria]

Guys guys guys......

Lets rephrase the question.

 

Is it safe riding any road with no shoulder where you the rider is forced to share the same space with cars?

 

OR

 

Is its safe riding a road with no shoulder where the rider shares the same space with cars where the road also contains many twists and turns?

 

OR

 

Is it safe riding a road with no shoulder where you the rider has to share the same space on a road with many twists and turns of which road also offers stunning scenery to distract the concentration of motorists spending time admiring the beutifull scenery?

 

OR

Is it safe riding a road with no shoulder where you the rider has to share the same space as cars on a road that tempts motorcyclists and people in "fast" cars with fur on the dash board to "push the corners" because it is so twisty?

 

This Gordans bay to Rooi Els is exactly what is described above. Maybe some of you have riden this road 3 times a week for years with no incident yet..... but that does not make it a safe road.Remember it is the festive season and tis road is allot bussier than usual.

 

FOOL YOURSELF AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

 

Who's fooling who? Sounds like you have already made up your mind.

 

If anything - I find that motorists tend to give me a wider berth on this road than on other roads. Perhaps because it is so narrow and twisty. I does get quite tight with SUVs and boats and busses, but I have never had a problem

 

A good South Easter on that road is far more dangerous than the motorists.

[jawn]

Hope they enjoy those gusts pumping out there at the moment!!!

[Tankman]

I have actually seen more bikers skid, overshoot and fall into the mountain on that road than anything else.

 

Swoosh 2 Swoosh, you can not have any tan lines hey? Being that pessimistic you must be staying at home riding your indoor trainer all the time?

 

Drivers tend to drive slower on that route due to the scenery and the road is really not that narrow. If you think the road is narrow, it is because you are viewing it from the car, once you are on the bike you realize there is more than enough space for everyone.

[Ceres]

Got to agree with Veloria and Tankman the time I road it the cars give you alot of space and dont tend to speed. From Rooi Els to Kleinmond is nice wide yellow line.

[swoosh1973]

I live in Somerset West. There are hundreds of km of good decent roads with some realy tough rides that are not busy (Bains pass, R44 with rolling hills etc) where visibility and road traffic is excellent with broad shoulders (except for Bains and Franschoek pass). But Bains is almost dead on a Sturday and Sunday

 

Yep I might not be a top rider but I have done allot of road riding training for events such as the double century, Iron man, Argus etc.

 

Yes I have ridden this Gordons bay Kleinmond road..once.

The point is why ride a road like that when there are hundreds of much safer roads that are also tougher to ride as well? Are you riding to train or riding to enjoy the scenery because this is not exactly a tough ride compared to whats available here in the Cape.

[Ceres]

Done Bains few times as well. Way to bumpy for a road bike though.

[Tankman]

I live in Somerset West. There are hundreds of km of good decent roads with some realy tough rides that are not busy (Bains pass, R44 with rolling hills etc) where visibility and road traffic is excellent with broad shoulders (except for Bains and Franschoek pass). But Bains is almost dead on a Sturday and Sunday

 

Yep I might not be a top rider but I have done allot of road riding training for events such as the double century, Iron man, Argus etc.

 

Yes I have ridden this Gordons bay Kleinmond road..once.

The point is why ride a road like that when there are hundreds of much safer roads that are also tougher to ride as well? Are you riding to train or riding to enjoy the scenery because this is not exactly a tough ride compared to whats available here in the Cape.

 

I also live in Somerset and I have ridden that road a million times.

Please name one route in that area that is more scenic and more enjoyable than that one? I ride to enjoy myself while training

Though... you obviously havent climbed out to the Streenbras water works 2 or 3 times in succession? There are never cars on that piece of road, only runners and cyclists.

[Velouria]

I also live in Somerset and I have ridden that road a million times.

Please name one route in that area that is more scenic and more enjoyable than that one? I ride to enjoy myself while training

Though... you obviously havent climbed out to the Streenbras water works 2 or 3 times in succession? There are never cars on that piece of road, only runners and cyclists.

Rumour has it that the only reason Phil Ligget bought his house in Gordons Bay was because of that road. He rates it as one of the most scenic rides in the world.

 

Sure, we have the Winelands, Du Toit's Kloof pass, Bain's Kloof pass, Durbanville/Malmesbury etc. with fantastic roads to ride on, but they are rather boring when compared to the stretch from Gordons Bay to RooiEls...

[swoosh1973]

I also live in Somerset and I have ridden that road a million times.

Please name one route in that area that is more scenic and more enjoyable than that one? I ride to enjoy myself while training

Though... you obviously havent climbed out to the Streenbras water works 2 or 3 times in succession? There are never cars on that piece of road, only runners and cyclists.

I must confess, I have done this steenbrass waterworks a few times.. However Phil Ligget will change his opinion of the most scenic ride if he should dare take up MTB. The most scenic ride IMO is from Somerset West is the following:

Somerset West to top of Sir Lowries pass(N2) (yes I know N2 worse than Gordons bay road) then in to Hottentots holland to base of Hanskop. Then ride to top of Hanskop and enjoy looking down on Steenbrass dam, then ride the singletracks to the Grabow Country club and PAY for the privalidge, then ride single track to Gantow pass and descend down the old wagon track riding alongside the railway track back home.. Its only about 70km but you will know you have ridden THE MOST SCENIC RIDE YOU CAN EVER RIDE IN THE CAPE....maybe I should not even be mentioning it on this forum. Luckily this is not likely to be a popular topic and few people have the legs to take on Hanskop .

[wozman]

I rode it on the 29th, the weather was not the best with some rain in parts but it was a great ride, from my experience that day, it can be a bit hair raising with some cars not giving a sh#t but it is also a wonderfull scenic ride and i would like to do it on a warmer day. I agree with the comment above stating which road now days are safe?

Stats would be great to see, how, when, were, who's fault etc etc.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys

[Tankman]

This is what it looks like in good weather!

 

Almost forgot about these, took them a couple of years ago