Adventure alert: 4 awesome routes with motorbikes to match

Cape Bike Travel recommended road trips: gravel, tar, mountain passes + amazing scenery

Get a bike for a day (or weekend) and cruise. That's what weekends are made for right? Even chauffeur-driven rides are available at Cape Bike Travel. Nice add on is that there's a complimentary jacket and gloves for your ride for CapeTownMagazine.com readers.

Seeing the countryside on a bike, says Cape Bike Travel owner Jörg Vogel, makes “you feel a bit more vulnerable, but also gives you have a different connection to everything on the road. If you stop at a traffic light you can talk to the guy selling the Big Issue, and smell the perfume of the people walking in front of you.”

On the roads of a town or country, you engage with the scenery, nature and elements more. The Western Cape we have no shortage of gorgeous, here are four routes recommended by Jörg, and the bikes to do them on.


Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides

THE CLASSIC

The route: From Cape Town on the N2 to Cape Point and back.
The bike: Triumph Bonneville T120. It’s a classic that looks old, but has all the modern technology.
The trip: “This road trip around the Cape is a very short and relaxed trip, and is just as much about being seen as seeing things. A modern, classic motorbike is pretty much the same thing – it’s about being relaxed, but taking in the sights along the way,” says Jörg. Riders can easily do it by themselves.
What to see on the way: Olympia, in Kalk Bay, for coffee, the penguins, Cape of Good Hope, Noordhoek Farm Village, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay Bay market (if you go on a weekend), and in whale season, Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town. 
How long: The trip is 180km, but you can plan a 7-8 hour day.

Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides
 

THE OVERBERG SCRAMBLE 

The route: Cape Town to Franschhoek via N1, then over the Franschhoek pass. Turn onto a gravel road to go to Van Der Stel Pass, which goes to Botrivier. Take the gravel road to Hermanus. From there, take the coastal road back to Kleinmond, and another gravel road to Grabouw, and from there go over Sir Lowry’s Pass on the N2 back to Cape Town.
The bike: You have the choice of a Triumph Street Scrambler or 1200 Scrambler. Both are incredibly capable on-road and off-road and are huge fun to ride in all conditions.
The trip: “What’s great about this trip is the variety it offers,” says Jörg. “Franschhoek is the perfect place to stop for coffee and breakfast – there are so many options in the town. The pass is an amazing tar road to ride with all the turns, then from there pretty much the same terrain but on gravel. Then you’ll be riding through canola and wheat fields, and then there’s the very pretty trip along the coast via Hermanus. It’s a bit of everything in terms of driving and scenery.”
How long: The drive is around 350kms, and you can plan 5-8 hours for it.

Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides

THE ADVENTURE ROUTE

The route: From Cape Town, go to Wellington over Bainskloof Pass and Mitchells Pass to Ceres. From there via Gydo Pass to Op Die Berg village and turn right to the Cederberg. Go into Cederberg until you come to Eselsbank and Wuppertal, then onto Clanwilliam. From there you can either make it a quick trip along N7 back to Cape Town, or turn off at Wittewater to Velddrif, and from there take the R27 back to Cape Town. If you want to make it a multi-day route, you could go to the Tankwa Karoo from Wuppertal.
The bike: The Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro is probably the most capable and rideable adventure bike on the market at the moment and gives you the option of carrying lots of luggage if you want to make it a multi-day trip.
The trip: This is a trip into the hinterland of the Western Cape and one of the most exciting mountain ranges around: the Cederberg. The way there is a lovely, easy tarred drive with beautiful views of farmland along the way. Once you hit the Cederberg, there’ll be plenty of gravel roads and windy routes cutting through incredible rock formations. Stop in one of the villages along the way for coffees, breakfast and lunch – there are also roadstalls you can access.
How long: It’s about 600kms. Start early because you’ll be out for about 10-11 hours.

Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides

THE ANY-BIKE-ANY-DAY LOOP

The route: From Cape Town, take the N1 and turn off before the Huguenot Tunnel to take Du Toitskloof Pass. Head to Rawsonville and turn left into and through the Slanghoek Valley. Keep on to left to Mitchell’s Pass, until you reach Tulbagh. Then through the mountain on the R46, and onto the R44 to Wellington. Then take N1 back to Cape Town.
The bike: Choose any bike you feel like from the selection of Harleys, BMWs or Triumphs. 
The trip: It’s a bit of a mix, says Jörg. You’ve got three nice mountain passes, as well as a long, relaxed whip through the wine farms in Slanghoek. Just before the historic earthquake village of Tulbagh there’s the Bike Shed, or also at Die Heuwel.
How long: It’s about 240kms, but there’s enough to see along the way to be a full day trip.

Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides

HOW MUCH IT ALL COSTS

The lowest daily rate is R1 600, which includes insurance. You’ll get the motorbike with a full tank and must return it that way.  You’ll need a valid drivers licence and to hire a jacket and gloves, if you don’t have your own (you’ll get them for free if you’re a Capetownmagazine.com reader).

There are also Harley Davidson chauffeured tours and other offerings at Cape Bike Travel. 

 
 Images: Wes Reyneke  instagram.com/wesrides

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You might want things to do on a multi-day trip. Have a look at our Western Cape bucket-list.

Or if you need some ideas for unusual accommodation, look here. If you’re keen on visiting some game parks, here are some more recommendations.

Celebrate the beauty of the Western Cape's golden Canola Fields through The Festival of Yellow.

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