The dot sits well inland of Clarence Drive itself, on the northeastern side of Cape Town where the city thins out toward the winelands, and the ride is on its way home. Kraaifontein, a big working suburb, sits just beside it, while Stellenbosch and Paarl lie a short run to the east. The coast road that gives the ride its name, the R44 between Gordon's Bay and Rooi-Els, is hours behind you by now.
Clarence Drive deserves a few lines anyway, because it is the reason the day exists. It was carved into the foot of the Hottentots-Holland mountains, with the road clinging to the cliffs above False Bay, and it has a reputation among South African riders as the best coastal tarmac near Cape Town. The corners come in a long, rhythmic series, the sea sparkles on your left, and in winter and spring the southern right whales sometimes show up in the bay, close enough to watch from the lay-bys.
By contrast, the final stretch is purposeful. The N1 and the R300 carry fast, heavy traffic, with trucks, minibus taxis and commuters weaving between lanes, and a rider should keep a calm distance and check the mirrors often. Sunday evenings are especially busy. If you have energy left, the Durbanville and Stellenbosch roads are worth a detour, with vineyards laid out on rounded hills and the Hottentots-Holland and Simonsberg ranges standing blue behind them.
Fuel is easy everywhere, with large stations and shopping centres in Kraaifontein, Brackenfell and Bellville. A cold drink and something to eat at a roadside cafe is a good idea after the day's heat, because the Cape sun is strong and dehydration creeps up quietly.
The Winelands also hold an older story. Dutch settlers arrived in the seventeenth century, and the French Huguenots followed a few decades later, planting the vines and building the gabled homesteads that still dot the valleys. A ride through the hills as the light fades, with mountains turning pink behind the vineyards, makes a very satisfying last half hour.