O
ne of the best rides
in Cape Town is un-
doubtedly the sce-
nic road through the
Cape Winelands and
up into the Cedarberg
mountains. It is one of my person-
al favourites. Now let me assure you
that this choice was not made lightly.
There is a smorgasbord of excellent
day and overnight rides in all corners
of the Western Cape province of South
Africa and to be honest, riders here
are often spoilt for choice. I know that
I am lucky to call Cape Town home.
This particular spin is the per-
fect distance to be enjoyed over a
weekend. Many wannabe adventure
riders do not have the luxury of es-
caping their 9-5 lives for months on
end, so the perfect weekend ride can
offer thrill seekers the opportunity
to quench their adventurous spirit.
This route allows for many enjoyable
miles in the saddle, riding on both dirt
and tar. You will see mountains, wine
farms, bird life and if you like, get to
eat the best spare ribs you have ever
tasted. With a little luck and some
skillful riding, your spare tire will re-
main untouched.
Leaving the Cape Town (known by
locals as the ‘Mother City’) is not easy.
With its towering Table mountain
shrinking in your rear view mirrors
you will need to endure a short ride
on the freeway, more often than not
accompanied by heavy traffic. The N1
is the road that, if followed for long
enough, will take you all the way to
Johannesburg. Don’t fret though, you
won’t have to dodge trucks and buses
for very long. After about twenty to
thirty minutes, the route veers off to
the left onto a much more rural road.
The sign board will direct you to a
small farming town called Welling-
ton. As you near the town make sure
to turn into the CBD you will mean-
der past the old church building. It is
TRAVERSE
43
there that you must remember to turn
left into the main street. Many bikers
bypass this town and travel via the vil-
lage of Tulbagh, but then you end up
missing the best part of the ride. Make
sure you check your map or GPS and
don’t end up going around the pass
rather than cutting up and over it. The
middle of the town can be pretty busy
on a late afternoon, but this stretch is
only a couple of kilometres long. The
streets are lined by old Cape Dutch
style buildings, it is certainly worth
passing through. The bustle is over
before you know it and then the real
fun starts.
Just moments after leaving the cha-
os of the town centre behind you, the
road is transformed into a spaghetti
bowl of twists and turns. This is the
beginning of the first pass, so hold on
tight. A height restriction board warns
heavy trucks of the dangerous route
ahead. Lapping at both road shoulders
are forests of tall trees interspersed
with fynbos. Fynbos is a rough shrub
that is common around the Western
Cape. Literally translated, it means
fine bush, but there is not much fine
about this shrub. Its branches twist
and curl the way a grape vine does. If
you are lucky, you will see the bushes
in full bloom. They flower with spec-
tacular beautiful blooms in many
colours that are often said to be alien
like. Bright pink and orange flow-
ers look out of place growing on the
rough, rugged, rocky slopes. It will be
hard to ride by without stopping to try
capture that perfect close-up photo.
Bain’s Kloof pass is one of the West-
ern Cape’s masterpieces. It was de-
signed and constructed by the revered
Scotsman, Andrew Geddes Bain.
Opened in 1854, this 18 kilometre en-
gineering marvel provided access to
the hinterland beyond the mountains
and was known as the ‘Gateway to the
North’. Long before riders leaned into
the twists and curves of the road with