If you love the idea of Cycling the Garden Route in South Africa but are worried about the distance, the terrain, and the speed you’ll be expected to ride, then keep reading…! Here you’ll find original STRAVA STATS from a ‘real’ garden route cycling holiday that took place earlier this year in the run-up to the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
Cycling South Africa’s Garden Route is a lifelong dream for many international cyclists, and rightly so. It is a spectacular 750km stretch from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, and it highlights some of the most beautiful areas of the Western Cape – which are often overlooked by travellers driving the garden route or taking a small group escorted tour.
While the full Garden Route Cycling Tour is a demanding trip, it is suitable for all ages, and with the average age group for this South African Cycling Holiday being 40 – 70 years old, there are no limits. If you feel comfortable cycling on open roads and covering around 100km per day in the saddle, you will easily manage the trip, and there’s always a support vehicle behind for you to jump on if you need a rest.
The support vehicle stays with the group the whole time, so you can take a break if you are feeling too hot or too tired and re-join the group whenever you feel ready. It’s not a stressful tour – so don’t let the distance put you off!
Here’s what you can expect during your Garden Route Cycling Holiday. Please note these are guide stats, and so they are slightly faster than the group average:
Day 1: Port Elizabeth to Jeffrey’s Bay
Distance: 111.47km
Moving Time: 4:51:48
Elevation: 1,260m
Average Speed: 22.9km/h
Day 2: Jeffrey’s Bay to Nature’s Valley
Distance: 113.56km
Moving Time: 4:31:46
Elevation: 1,204m
Average Speed: 25.1km/h
Day 3: Nature’s Valley to Brenton-on-Sea
Distance: 77.99km
Moving Time: 3:20:28
Elevation: 973m
Average Speed: 23.3km/h
Day 4: Brenton-on-Sea to Oudtshoorn (1-hour bus transfer)
Distance: 82.63km
Moving Time: 3:24:46
Elevation: 1,613m
Average Speed: 24.2km/h
Day 5: Oudtshoorn to Swellendam
Distance: 124.90km
Moving Time: 4:51:46
Elevation: 1,722m
Average Speed: 25.7km/h
Day 6: Swellendam to Hermanus (1-hour bus transfer)
Distance: 98.25km
Moving Time: 4:20:15
Elevation: 1,393m
Average Speed: 22.7km/h
Day 7: Hermanus – Gordons Bay (transfer to Cape Town)
Distance: 83.36km
Moving Time: 3:07:03
Elevation: 752m
Average Speed: 24.1km/h
Some bus transfers are included to avoid narrow roads and roadworks, and to limit the number of kilometres travelled each day, but apart from that, it will just be you, two wheels, beautiful scenery, and a bunch of likeminded individuals. Cycling the Garden Route is every bit as spectacular as you imagine it to be – so why not head on down to South Africa this winter and find out what all the fuss is about!
Cycle the Garden Route December 2019 – Fixed Departure
Garden Route Training Camp February 2020 – Including Guaranteed Entry Cape Town Cycle Tour 2020
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