Easy Riders

Hop on a bike and explore the Cape Point Route (or part thereof) with the wind in your hair, mountains on one side and sea on the other.

You can get a great workout as you discover Cape Town from two wheels – plus it’s exhilarating.

The Cape of Good Hope National Park is the perfect place to explore: it’s relatively flat with excellent tarred roads and numerous bays to ‘park off’ and admire the view. What better place to spend the entire day in one of the wonders of the world, free of crazy traffic, and with some of the purest air. You could enjoy a picnic lunch watching bontebok graze and Cape sunbirds flit over proteas or better yet visit the Two Oceans restaurant which does some fantastic pasta dishes for carbo-loading. Cycling is permitted on all the routes but please don’t leave the path or feed the baboons. Cape Point Route offers guided tours in the park as well as other cycling trips on the Cape Point Route.

Muizenberg is the gateway to the Cape Point Route on the False Bay side and a perfect place to start your Cape Point Route cycle journey. You simply follow the coastline of the M4 down through St James and Kalk Bay (a fabulous bohemian and fishing town if you need an early rest). You head south through Fish Hoek and it is worth taking the detour past the beach, if only for a quick dip on this beautiful beach. The road bears left towards the naval and very nautical Simon’s Town which is jampacked with history and restaurants and is a worthwhile overnight stop.

From the gate at Cape Point the road route takes you past the hamlets of Scarborough and Misty Cliffs and around Slangkop Point through Kommetjie with the wild waters of the Atlantic on your left. There is a small climb to Ocean View on your right and take note of Masiphumelele on your left, which is a worthwhile excursion to experience Xhosa culture and discover township life by bike.
A fascinating stop is the BEN bicycle workshop which has mechanics that fix and repair bicycles. The BEN (Bicycle Empowerment Network) programme imports second hand bicycles from Europe and sells them at affordable rates to people in the communities as well as offering township bike tours.

As you come along the Kommetjie road, you will take a left turn onto the M6 that will take you past Longbeach Mall and towards Chapman’s Peak. You pass through Noordhoek, a peaceful cycle in a rural setting. When you hit a small but steep climb at the entrance to Noordhoek Farm Village, you’ll know your Chappies ascent has begun! It might be a good idea to stock up on refreshments at Noordhoek Farm Village before you tackle this magnificent road. Every bead of sweat is worth it as you crest the viewpoint at the top and descend into HoutBay for a well earned rest.

Please contact the Cape Point Route for more details on bike tours, bike guides or bike routes. Accommodation, restaurant and other activity information available on www.capepointroute.co.za or Call: 021 782 9356.