Road · South Africa
May Have Overcooked the Warm Up Ride
A hilly 71 km road cycling loop from Cape Town, Western Cape through Foreshore, Bo-Kaap (Schotschekloof) and Kronendal Retirement Village, with 844 m of climbing over May Have Overcooked. Most of it (36.7 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane, 3.4 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more.
At a glance
- Best for
- Short, climbing-heavy rides for confident riders at ease in traffic
- Distance
- 70.6 km
- Elevation gain
- 844 m
- Riding time
- 3–4 hours
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Bike
- Road bike
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Traffic
- Mostly main roads
- Food & water
- Regular
- Best months
- Sep to May
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start and finish
- Cape Town
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 844 m
- 71 km
Route description
- Cape Town
- Foreshore
- May Have Overcooked
- Bo-Kaap (Schotschekloof)
- Kronendal Retirement Village
- Sea Glade
- White Sands
- Clifton
- Three Anchor Bay
- Cape Town
Starting in Cape Town near the Waterfront, the ride heads through central districts including Foreshore, City Centre, Gardens, Tamboerskloof and Bo-Kaap before reaching The Glen at km 15.5. This first half features the main climb from km 5.7 for 4.9 km gaining 299 m with up to 16.4% gradient and topping out at 337 m.
Beyond The Glen, the route continues through Bakoven and Rontree climbing gently between km 21.5 and 33.5 with several short, moderate ascents of around 3% average gradient. The ride then follows the coast from Hout Bay through Llandudno and Clifton before returning along the shoreline through Bantry Bay, Fresnaye, Sea Point and Green Point. The surface is 90% paved with 54% on main roads and 19% on paths. There are 36.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane and 3.4 km on roads with 80+ km/h limits.
Cyclists can find cafés and shops near the start, in Cape Town and at intervals on the route including at 6, 19, 29 and 41 km. There is a longest stretch of 7.8 km without café, shop or water from km 33.4 to 41.2. Water points and toilets are scattered along the route, with bike shops near km 6.6 and 44.8 and several petrol stations nearby.
Why ride this route?
- Climbs May Have Overcooked (4.9 km at 6.1 %).
- Tops out at 337 m, 10.6 km in.
- A 5.3 km descent dropping 155 m.
Highlights
- Main climb: 5.7-10.6 km, 299 m gain
- Coastal riding past Hout Bay and Llandudno
- Victoria Road for 21.4 km
- Chapman's Peak Drive for 8.7 km
Along the route
Places passed
Climbs
| Climb | Starts at | On this ride | Full ascent | Top on this ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May Have Overcooked | 5.7 km | 4.9 km · 299 m · 6.1 % · steepest 500 m 13.5 % | 4.9 km · 299 m · 6.1 % | 337 m |
| Unnamed climb | 21.5 km | 4.4 km · 137 m · 3.1 % · max 5.4 % | — | 154 m |
| Unnamed climb | 30.3 km | 2.7 km · 85 m · 3.2 % · max 5.4 % | — | 96 m |
| Unnamed climb | 33.3 km | 2.4 km · 68 m · 2.9 % · max 4.5 % | — | 165 m |
| Unnamed climb | 45.5 km | 2.4 km · 120 m · 4.9 % · max 7.1 % | — | 154 m |
May Have Overcooked · full ascent, starts at 5.7 km
< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%
Traffic, surface and gradient
This is not a cycle-track route: 52% is on main roads without a cycle lane, 3.4 km of it where the limit is 80 km/h or more. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.
- Roads
- 54% main road · 19% path · 17% quiet street · 5% minor road · 5% other roads and tracks
- Main roads
- 36.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
- Fast roads
- 3.4 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
- Main roads used
- Victoria Road (21 km), Chapman's Peak Drive (9 km), Beach Road (4 km)
- Surface
- Predominantly paved: 90% is mapped as paved, 4% as unpaved or gravel and 5% has no surface data.
- Gradient
- 27% climbing · 27% descending · 47% flat
- Steep sections
- 4.7 km over 5% · 1.3 km over 8% · 1.2 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 14.3% at 10.3 km
- Longest descent
- 5.3 km from 38.1 km, dropping 155 m
Food, water and services
No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 554 cafés and restaurants, 70 shops, 10 water points, 16 petrol stations, 89 public toilets and 14 bike shops.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 0.1 kmCookie Co. · café · 70 m off route
- 6 kmSpar · supermarket · 30 m off route
- 6.3 kmAstron Energy · petrol station · 50 m off route
- 11 kmToilets · 50 m off route
- 19.1 kmBootlegger Coffee Company · café · on the route
- 29.2 kmToilets · 70 m off route
- 29.6 kmBP · petrol station · on the route
- 33.4 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 41.3 kmSeattle Coffee Company · café · on the route
- 43.5 kmToilets · 60 m off route
- 44.9 kmEngen · petrol station · on the route
- 52.5 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 59.5 kmDrinking fountain · drinking water · 40 m off route
- 61.7 kmUp Cycles · bike rental · 40 m off route
- 63.3 kmDrinking water · 30 m off route
- 66 kmPick n Pay · supermarket · 150 m off route
- 66.3 kmToilets · 50 m off route
- 67.1 kmDrinking water · 160 m off route
Need to bail out?
- 2 km — Cape Town (station), 140 m off route
- 63.9 km — The "Blue Train" (station), on the route
Worth a stop
- 4.3 km — Iziko Slave Lodge (monument)
- 11 km — Signal Hill Frame (viewpoint)
- 29.3 km — Original T-Bag Design (attraction)
- 36.3 km — Chapman's Peak View Point (viewpoint)
- 65.2 km — Tigresse Catamaran Cruises (attraction)
Start and access
At the start and finish
- Bikes and repair
- Giant (50 m)
- Food and coffee
- Starbucks (10 m), The Handle Bar (30 m), Col’Cacchio (10 m)
- Shops
- Food Lovers Market (110 m)
Know before you go
- Longest stretch without café, shop or water: 7.8 km from km 33.4
- 36.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane
- 3.4 km on roads with 80+ km/h speed limit
- About 4% gravel or unpaved sections
