To Noordhoek: Day one: Riding Chapmans Peak Drive with Amanda Kruger

December 21, 2015

"This would be a good day for a rest day" Patrick says as it's raining outside. We've been in Capetown for a week with beautiful weather. Today we are joining Amanda K. for a 3 day ride around the peninsula to Cape of Good hope and back. Amanda is a South African who has been cycling around SA for 2 years and she'll be our guide.

But we are no fair weather cyclists. Even in the rain, we head out to meet up with Amanda at the train station. We are close with to 20kms on a bike path. Capetown has a great integrated public transportation system that doesn't just revolve around cars. The buses have their own lanes and a bike path follows the bus line all the way into the city center.

We meet Amanda at the MacDonald's in the train station...and yes, we all have an Egg McMuffin for the start of the ride. It's very nice to have a local escort through the city center. Amanda weaves us through the city on bike lanes and bike paths and onto Chapman's Peak road. We are in no hurry. The rain is intermittent, the sky dramatic, the traffic very cautious to cyclists and we reach Noordhoek in time for a late lunch at "The Toad" and then setting up camp at the Chapman's Peak campground that is set amongst a farm. A very nice day of cycling.

Riding the biketrail from Tableview into Capetown.

Riding into Capetown. Nelson Mandela on one of the high-rises downtown.

Cycling along the promenade in Seapoint with Amanda

Along Chapmans Peak Drive, looking back at Capetown.

We picked a rainy morning to ride to the Cape peninsula. The ominous clouds make it pretty though.

We reached the top of Chapmans Peak road.

A beautiful downhill along sheer cliffs takes us down to Noordhoek.

Perfect timing for a local pale ale at the Toad Pub in Noordhoek.

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 10,774 km (6,691 miles)

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