Gordon's Bay is a small harbor town at the northeastern corner of False Bay, with the Hottentots Holland mountains rising abruptly behind it and the Atlantic-facing bulk of the Cape Peninsula far away across the water. It is the start of Clarence Drive, the coastal road that clings to the cliffs along the eastern shore of False Bay, and for many riders it is the gate to one of the best short rides in the Western Cape. The town itself is a laid-back place with a marina, a few restaurants and a beach that fills up in summer.
The road ahead is the reason to come. Clarence Drive, the R44, climbs out of town along the mountainside with the sea far below and a sheer drop on one side, then sweeps past the bays of Kogel Bay and Rooi-Els, where the mountain falls into the water. The bends are generally open and the surface is good, so it rewards a smooth rhythm rather than speed, and the views across False Bay to Cape Point are wide and dramatic. In spring and early summer, fynbos covers the slopes in a patchwork of pink, yellow and green, and from about August to November southern right whales are often visible close to the shore.
The weather is a factor. The Cape's famous south-easterly wind, the Cape Doctor, can blow hard in summer and make the road demanding on a motorcycle, especially in the exposed sections, and rockfalls after winter storms occasionally close sections for repair. Early morning is calm and the light is lovely, but weekends bring cyclists, tourists and a good deal of traffic, so go early or on a weekday.
Practical things are easy. The town has fuel stations, small supermarkets, bakeries and seafood restaurants, and the nearby town of Somerset West has everything else. Stock up here, because the villages along the coast are small and the next fuel is at Betty's Bay or Hermanus. The harbor is a good place for breakfast, and the coffee shops open early for the cyclists.
If you have the time, the climb up Sir Lowry's Pass, just to the north, offers another view of the bay and a route toward the apple valleys of Grabouw.