On the 14th of October gravel racers will gather in Prince Albert, at the northern foot of the Swartberg Pass for the grand finale of the inaugural Western Cape Gravel Cup. The second edition of the Prince George Monumental 100 Miler will take them up and over the Swartberg Pass, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, [...]
The call of the bugle heralded one of the success stories of the burgeoning gravel scene in 2022; the Old Hermon Gravel Ride attracted more than 800 riders to the heart of the Swartland for a choice of three distances, ticking the box for gravel and mountain bike riders of all abilities and making the [...]
22-year-old Wayne van der Walt gambled on his gear choice, racing a gravel bike at the 2023 36ONE MTB Challenge. Despite warnings against it and being the only rider in the elite group to be on a drop-bar bike he prevailed. Perhaps in fact because of his bike choice. Though doing so required a significant [...]
The R355 is South Africa’s most famous gravel road. Or most infamous rather. Famed for shredding the tyres of pilgrims on their way to Africa Burn, or those of motorcycle adventurers seeking isolation in the heart of the Tankwa Karoo. For cyclists it holds a special attraction. It is the longest uninterrupted gravel road in [...]
A vast network of gravel roads criss-crosses the Bergrivier Tourism Region and Swartland surrounds. From the economic hub of Piketberg cyclists can explore the mountain bike mecca of Piket-Bo-Berg or grind along district road and jeep tracks to towns like Aurora, Goedverwacht and Redelinghuys. Accommodation option abound too, as do cyclist friendly restaurants, farm stalls [...]
Is there a more Eastern Cape phrase than “Hell’s Teeth”? It also happens to accurately describe the inaugural Maloti 100. It was without a doubt the toughest day I’ve ever spent on a bike. But it was still incredible and I’ll definitely be back in 2020. Truly Unique What makes the Maloti 100 so special [...]
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” – Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows. Certainly. And who am I to argue with Grahame’s legendary Ratty? But I will present, as a close second, bicycles. To subvert one of the [...]
It is not just the end of the event name which sees a change for the 2019 edition of the Chas Everitt Around The Pot - Overberg 100Miler - Presented by SEESA. The final five kilometres of the route has been updated too. The changes will bring the arduous but rewarding ride to a more [...]
Over the Easter long weekend Seamus Allardice joined former pro cyclist Jaco Pelser on a bikepacking adventure through the Western Cape. Their four day trip took in nearly 400km of riding, four iconic towns and over 200km of spectacular gravel road. The pair were joined on the final day by fellow cycling adventure seeker Mynardt [...]
Entries to the third edition of the Chas Everitt Around the Pot, Overberg 100-Miler, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday 20 July 2019 are now open. Alongside the flagship 100-mile, or 160 kilometres, event riders less inclined towards a long day in the saddle can choose to enter the 60-miler (97 kilometres) or [...]
