Road · South Africa
Cycling in Western Cape
Road cycling in Western Cape offers two routes starting from Cape Town and Grabouw with moderate climbing and mostly paved surfaces.
Western Cape features two road cycling routes starting from Cape Town and Grabouw. The routes cover distances from 97 to 108 km and include climbing from 720 m to 953 m, providing a moderate challenge. One route is a loop while the other is point-to-point.
The rides primarily follow main roads with some cycle paths and quiet streets, with surfaces mostly paved. The steepest section recorded is 8.2% over 500 m, with cycling gradients generally manageable. The best months to ride span from September to May, aligning with mild temperatures ranging from 17°C to 27°C on average.
What the riding is like
The terrain is moderately hilly with climbing between 720 m and 953 m per route, and around 19% of the distance involves ascending. Routes vary from 97 to 108 km in length, mostly on main roads (73%) and limited cycle paths (1.7 km total). Surfaces are 97% paved, with minimal unpaved sections. The steepest gradient recorded is 8.2% over 500 m. The main climbs include the Cape Town Peninsula Ride at 953 m elevation.
Cycling infrastructure
Cycle paths total 1.7 km, main roads without cycle lanes cover 165.5 km, and roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or more total 62.6 km across the routes.
Best time to ride
The best months to ride are from September to May, with daily high temperatures ranging from 17°C to 27°C, and recorded routes in March.
Riding in Western Cape in numbers
- 2
- 206 km
- 108 km
- 953 m
Where to start in Western Cape
Rides in Western Cape
When to ride Western Cape
Best months: Sep to May.
27°18°J3
27°18°F3
25°17°M5
23°15°A5
20°13°M7
18°11°J11
17°10°J10
17°10°A11
18°11°S8
22°13°O6
23°15°N5
25°17°D5
BestFineHard goingRain days per month under each bar · typical wind 23 km/h from the SE