Franschhoek Pass and Winelands
3 passes in 216 km, topping out at 1099 m
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Why this ride
Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. 216 km round from Kraaifontein - plan on about 3 h 56 of riding. The stops in between: Atlantis, Cape Town and Constantia. The climbs: Bergvliet, Stellenbosch and Scenic stretch near Stellenbosch. Much of it runs through woodland.
Roadbook
- Fuel stop near Kraaifontein
fuel
Kraaifontein lies on Cape Town's northern edge, where the suburbs give way to wheat fields, vineyards and the first ranges of the Boland. Its name means crow's fountain, a reminder of a time when this was a farm with a spring rather than a busy suburb on the N1. For riders, it is the threshold between the city and the Winelands.
From here, a short ride takes you into some of the most celebrated countryside in South Africa. Durbanville's wine valley is just to the west, with cellars on rolling hills. To the east, the R304 and other roads lead towards Stellenbosch and Paarl, with the great granite dome of Paarl Mountain standing over the vineyards. Beyond lies Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenot refugees in the late seventeenth century, and the Franschhoek Pass, which climbs in sweeping bends over the mountains with views back over the valley.
Roads around Kraaifontein are generally good, but traffic is heavy in the urban belt and minibus taxis stop unpredictably. Keep alert at intersections and traffic lights, keep valuables out of sight and avoid stopping in isolated places after dark, as you would anywhere in a big city. The wind deserves respect too: the south-easter, known locally as the Cape Doctor, can blow ferociously in summer, especially on exposed stretches and passes.
Fuel stations are plentiful along the main roads, usually attended, and it is customary to tip the attendant. Malls and coffee shops abound. In the Winelands, farm stalls sell biltong, fresh bread and fruit, and many wine estates have restaurants. From Kraaifontein the scenery only improves, so fill the tank, grab a coffee and head for the mountains.
- Atlantis
swim
Atlantis is not a postcard town, and nobody here pretends it is. It was built from scratch in the 1970s on the sandy plains north of Cape Town, part of the apartheid government's plan to move coloured families out of the city and to create an industrial centre far from the suburbs. The result was a planned town of factories, schools and housing estates, some forty-five kilometres from the city, which still struggles with unemployment and crime. It is worth understanding that history as you ride through.
What the area offers is landscape. Around the town lie the Atlantis dunes, a great sea of white sand that has been used for sandboarding, quad biking and, of course, filming. The flat sandveld here is covered in tough, low scrub, part of the fynbos and strandveld vegetation of the West Coast, and in late winter and spring, roughly August and September, the plains burst into colour as wild flowers bloom after the rain.
Just north of Atlantis lies Mamre, an old Moravian mission village founded in the early nineteenth century, with whitewashed thatched cottages, a church and a mill, one of the most charming places on this coast. To the west lies the coast itself, with Silwerstroomstrand and other beaches where the Atlantic is cold, clear and sometimes rough, fed by the Benguela Current from the Antarctic. The Koeberg nuclear power station, the only one in Africa, stands on the coast to the south.
The rides from here are straight and open rather than curvy. The R27, the West Coast road, runs north toward Langebaan and the West Coast National Park with long straight stretches, while the R307 heads inland toward Darling and Malmesbury, through wheat fields and vineyards. Wind is the main challenge, especially in summer when the southeaster blows hard and the sand can drift onto the road. For the Clarence Drive and Bainskloof rides, the route leads back south and east, past Cape Town toward the mountains.
Atlantis has fuel, supermarkets and fast food, and it is a sensible place to fill up before heading north or into the hills. Stick to the main roads and busy places, keep your bike in sight, and avoid wandering into residential areas. For a calmer stop, ride to Mamre or the coast, where a picnic with a view of the ocean is a better reward.
- Cape Town
food
Cape Town sits at the foot of Table Mountain, a flat-topped sandstone wall about a kilometre high, and on a day when the tablecloth of cloud spills over the edge it is one of the great sights of the world. The city lies between the mountain and the Atlantic, with a harbour that was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for ships on the route to the East. It grew into a port of many cultures, and the mix of Dutch, Malay, African and British influences is still visible in its food, language and architecture.
Robben Island, visible from the waterfront, was where Nelson Mandela spent eighteen of his twenty-seven years in prison, and ferries run from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The city centre has the Company's Garden, the Castle of Good Hope, the colourful Bo-Kaap quarter and the lively bars of Long Street. The winds can be fierce, especially the southeaster known as the Cape Doctor, which blows in summer and can make riding hard work.
For riders the city is a base and a beginning. Route 62, the long scenic alternative to the coastal N2 highway, starts inland and heads through wine country and the Karoo, with a few passes along the way. For a taste of coastal riding, Chapman's Peak Drive on the Atlantic side cuts along cliffs above the sea, and the Cape Peninsula leads to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. Traffic can be heavy at rush hour, and in the city centre you should watch for minibus taxis, which stop without warning.
Fuel, repair shops and hotels are everywhere. Keep your valuables out of sight, and park in guarded areas where possible, since car and motorcycle crime exists in some neighbourhoods. The best months are from October to April, when the weather is warm and dry. Winter brings storms and cold rain from the Atlantic, but also bright clear days after the front has passed. Eat fish and chips on the harbour, and see the sunset from Signal Hill.
- Bergvliet
pass
Bergvliet itself is a quiet grid of suburban houses and jacaranda trees in Cape Town's southern suburbs, but look up and you see why the ride starts here. Directly above it, the Ou Kaapse Weg climbs the flank of the Steenberg mountains in a series of long, fast bends, crosses the saddle at Silvermine and drops down the far side towards Noordhoek and the Atlantic. It is the old wagon route across the peninsula, and on a clear morning it is one of the best ten minutes of riding in the city.
Right next door is Constantia, the oldest wine-growing area in South Africa. Simon van der Stel, the Dutch governor, founded his estate here in 1685, and a century later the sweet wine of Constantia was famous across Europe; Napoleon had it shipped to him in exile on St Helena. The old Cape Dutch homesteads, white-gabled and thatched, still sit among the vines at the foot of the mountain.
The slopes above are covered with fynbos, the extraordinary shrubland of the Cape, with proteas, ericas and restios, and the Silvermine section of Table Mountain National Park has walks to viewpoints and a reservoir. Fires sweep these mountains in hot, windy summers, and you may see blackened slopes regenerating with fresh green growth.
Ride the Ou Kaapse Weg with respect. It is fast and well surfaced, but the south-easter can blow hard across the top, baboons sometimes sit on the verge, and traffic police take an interest in speed here. In winter, rain and mist can roll in quickly.
Retreat and Constantia have fuel and every kind of supply, and Constantia's wine farms have restaurants with views over the vineyards, ideal for a long lunch on the way back from Franschhoek, provided someone else does the tasting.
- Near Constantia
finish
The wooded eastern flank of Table Mountain rises right above this point, a few kilometres from Constantia, where the southern suburbs meet the forests and the mountain. This is Cape Town's green side: oak avenues, pine and gum plantations, old estates and the cool, shaded slopes that catch the clouds when the southeaster blows. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden lies along the same slope, and on its terraces you can walk among proteas, ericas and other plants of the Cape Floral Kingdom with the mountain towering overhead.
The roads here wind through the trees. Rhodes Drive runs along the mountain from Constantia Nek past Kirstenbosch toward Newlands, a narrow, curving road shaded by old trees, with glimpses of the mountain through the branches. It is slow, often busy and shared with cyclists, but beautiful, especially in the early morning light. The forests of Cecilia and Newlands have walking trails up toward the mountain, and the air smells of pine, damp earth and fynbos.
The rides from here head east into the winelands and beyond. The Franschhoek Pass ride takes you through Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, the valley settled by French Huguenot refugees in the late seventeenth century, whose names still appear on many of the wine farms. The pass climbs out of the valley on a road said to follow an old elephant trail, with tight bends and spectacular views back down over the vineyards. Clarence Drive is the coastal road from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond, clinging to the mountains above False Bay, where whales can be seen in winter and spring.
The weather shapes everything. In summer the southeaster blows hard and the tablecloth of cloud spills over the mountain, while winter fronts bring heavy rain and cold. The best riding months are often spring and autumn, when the air is clear and the light is golden. Bush fires are a real danger in the hot, dry months, and roads may be closed when they flare up.
For fuel, food and supplies, Constantia's shopping centres are close, and there are cafes at Kirstenbosch and in the nearby suburbs. Leave yourself time for a walk in the garden or the forest; it is one of the most peaceful places in the city, and a fine way to begin or end a long ride into the mountains.
- Stellenbosch
pass
Stellenbosch is the second-oldest European settlement in South Africa, founded in 1679 by the governor Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself and his wife's family, and it has the look of a town that has been carefully looked after. Oak trees line the streets, white Cape Dutch houses with curved gables stand behind them, and the mountains rise on every side, purple at dusk. It is also a university town, home to the Afrikaans-speaking Stellenbosch University, which gives the centre a young, lively atmosphere.
The wine country surrounds it, and the roads out are among the loveliest in the Western Cape. Head east on the R310 up the Helshoogte Pass toward Franschhoek, a village founded by French Huguenot refugees in the late seventeenth century, and the road climbs through vineyards and pine plantations, with views over the valley as it twists around bends. Other options include the Jonkershoek valley, a quiet dead-end valley full of fynbos, and the long loop over Sir Lowry's Pass to the coast. Traffic can be heavy on weekends and in the harvest season, and the Cape's winter, from June to August, is cold and wet, so spring and autumn are best.
The nearby mountains are part of the Cape Floral Region, a World Heritage site that covers a tiny fraction of Africa and contains an astonishing share of its plant species. Fynbos, the heathland of proteas, ericas and restios, grows on the poor sandy soils and is bright with flowers in the late winter and spring. Baboons live on the slopes, and you may meet them on the passes, where they are wise to steal food from open bike luggage. Wine is the other great crop. The Cape's Mediterranean climate suits grapes, with Pinotage, a South African cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, as the signature red, and Chenin Blanc as the pride of the whites. Many estates offer tastings, though a motorcyclist should obviously treat them with great caution.
Practical matters are easy, and the town has fuel stations, repair shops and every kind of lodging. Drive carefully through the town centre, where students, cyclists and delivery vans share narrow streets, and park in guarded areas. Paarl, farther north-east, and Kraaifontein, close to Cape Town, are the bigger towns nearby. Take sun protection in summer, because the valley can be hot, and lunch at a vineyard restaurant is a wonderful way to spend a long afternoon.
- Scenic stretch near Stellenbosch
pass
You top out here; the road stops climbing.
- Back to Franschhoek Pass
finish
By the time the ride finishes, the high ground of Franschhoek Pass is far behind and you are back among the flat, busy suburbs north of Cape Town, in the Kraaifontein and Durbanville region. Tygerberg hill, the low, rounded rise that gave Bellville its backdrop, sits close by. The mountains of the winelands are a faint blue line on the eastern horizon, and Table Mountain stands out to the south-west on a clear day.
The pass itself is the memory worth carrying. The R45 climbs out of the village of Franschhoek in a series of tight bends and then runs along the shoulder of the Franschhoek mountains before dropping toward Villiersdorp and the Theewaterskloof dam. The old road follows a route first used by elephants and later by farmers and traders, and the views over the valley and back toward the vine-covered slopes are some of the best in the Cape. Franschhoek itself, whose name means French corner, was settled by Huguenot refugees in 1688, and the town is now one of the country's food capitals, with a surprising number of serious restaurants for a place of its size.
Between the pass and the finish, the character of the ride changes entirely. The R304 and the N1 carry fast traffic, there are taxis and trucks to watch, and the sun glares off the tarmac. The advice is simple: leave a generous gap, keep your visor clean, and save the sporting riding for the mountains. Late afternoon can be congested as commuters head home, so a stop for a cold drink before the final run is not a bad idea.
Kraaifontein and Brackenfell have plenty of fuel and shopping centres, and Durbanville has cafes and wine farms if you prefer something more civilised. The Durbanville hills are a good place to watch the sun go down over a field of vines, with the sea fog sometimes pouring in over the ridge from Table Bay in the evening.
If you are doing the whole route, it is a good day: mountains, vineyards, history, and a city at the end.