Cape Town Cycle Tour

Overview

The Cape Town Cycle Tour is one of those routes that riders talk about for years afterward. Measuring 73.9 km, it is a loop that begins and ends in the same place, sending you out from the city and bringing you back home along a single flowing circuit. Over that distance you climb a total of 883 m, a figure that tells you this is no flat cruise but a genuine day of work rewarded by some of the most dramatic scenery any road cyclist can hope to string together.

What makes it iconic is the shape of the day itself. A loop that returns to its start has a rhythm all its own: you set off with fresh legs, earn your height gradually, and roll back into the finish with the terrain you conquered still visible behind you. Set against the mountains and sea of the Western Cape, that arc turns a bike ride into something closer to a pilgrimage.

The Route

The route is a closed circuit, starting and finishing in Cape Town, which keeps the logistics simple and the storytelling clean. Because it is a loop rather than a point-to-point, there is no shuttle to arrange and no one-way transport to plan; you leave from where you will return.

Across the 73.9 km the road never lets you settle into monotony. The 883 m of accumulated climbing is spread through the loop in a series of rises and descents rather than delivered in a single wall, so the effort ebbs and flows. You gain height, tip over a crest, drop toward the next section, and build again. That undulating character is central to how the route feels: constantly changing, constantly asking something new of your legs.

Key Climbs

Two named passes give the loop its backbone. Kloof Nek is the climb that lifts you up off the city side, a gateway between the urban streets and the more open, mountain-shouldered roads beyond. Cresting it is the moment the ride opens out and the bigger landscape reveals itself.

Later comes Ou Kaapse Weg, the "Old Cape Road," the second marquee ascent of the day. This is the climb that most riders remember, a sustained pull that contributes a meaningful share of the 883 m total and demands patience and a steady cadence. Getting over Ou Kaapse Weg is the psychological hinge of the loop; once it is behind you, the route begins its long return toward the finish. Between and around these two passes lies the connective climbing that rounds out the elevation total, but it is Kloof Nek and Ou Kaapse Weg that define the effort.

Terrain & Surface

The entire loop runs on asphalt, which shapes the experience as much as the climbs do. A consistent paved surface means this is a road-bike route through and through: smooth rolling, predictable grip, and no gravel or broken sections to break your rhythm. On the descents that follow each climb, the tarmac lets you carry speed with confidence, and on the ascents you can focus purely on your effort rather than picking a line. The 883 m of climbing is challenging, but the quality of the surface keeps that challenge honest and pure.

When to Ride

Because the loop is entirely on asphalt and asks for 883 m of climbing across 73.9 km, it rewards a day with settled, dry conditions and clear air. Dry tarmac makes the descents off Kloof Nek and Ou Kaapse Weg both faster and safer, while good visibility lets you take in the surroundings that make the route special. Aim for a window when the weather is calm and the roads are dry, and give yourself an early enough start to enjoy the passes without rushing.

Logistics

The loop format does most of the logistical work for you. With the start and finish in the same place in Cape Town, you can park, prepare, and return to the same point at the end. Carry enough to be self-sufficient for a 73.9 km ride with meaningful climbing, since the effort of 883 m of ascent will draw on your reserves. A road bike suited to the all-asphalt surface is the right tool, and gearing that lets you spin comfortably up Ou Kaapse Weg will make the hardest stretch far more manageable.

Summary

The Cape Town Cycle Tour distills what makes a great ride: a 73.9 km loop, 883 m of honest climbing, smooth asphalt underfoot, and two standout passes in Kloof Nek and Ou Kaapse Weg. Starting and finishing in the same place, it delivers a complete, self-contained adventure through the Western Cape that earns its iconic reputation with every metre gained.