CTCT (Argus) nr 35 English (Sien Afrikaans onder)

8 March 2026 is time for the CTCT (Argus) cycle tour again. This will be my 35th one! I went to Green Point on Friday 7 March to collect my number. I went by again on Saturday to visit the CANSA stall, which I missed on Friday. There I bought a new CANSA top and Leillani also give me sunblock and so other goodies. 

 

On Friday 27 February I fell with my mountain bike and hurt my left hand. I am currently wearing a “brace” and, although nothing is broken, my hand is quite sensitive. So I decided that I will have to take it “easy” on Sunday and adjust my target to under 5 hours instead of 4 hours! I also decided that it would be better to, like normal people, drive to the start by car rather than riding to the start on my bike in like I have done for the past few years. 

 

I left home at 05:45 and parked in Canterbury Street just above the Castle. Movement through to the start area went smoothly and then it was the big wait until 07:12, my start time. The weather looked very favorable and there was no wind. The weather forecast predicted a storm force South East for Simon's Town, so we will just have to see what it looks like when we get there!

 

At the start I remain "calm" and tackle Eastern Boulevard very calmly.

At Hospital Bend the South East showed some teeth, but not too badly. I cycle down the hill carefully. I don't want to add problems with my sore hand or get involved in someone else's "accident"! Where in the past I have "flown" down the hill past Constantia, I now kept left and let the others "fly" past me. At Jubilee Square in Simon's Town I am 11 minutes behind 2025's time and at the Cape Point turn-off, 15 minutes. It looks like I will get in under 5:00. 

The ride through Scarborough and Sun Valley goes well. I lose more time on the descents than on the ascents. This is because the pace is calmer when we go uphill. I also pass a number of people on the hills, just so they can “fly” past me on the way down again! 

We tackle the “big climb”, Chapman’s Peak. It’s actually two climbs. Chappies 1 is 1.48 km, with 61 meters of ascent and an average gradient of 4.09% and a maximum of 8.96%. Chappies 2 is 1.85 km long, with 94 meters of ascent and an average gradient of 5.09% and a maximum of 15.1%! These two takes me 19 minutes to master. Quite a decent pace. Down the other side and through Hout Bay goes smoothly.

Now only Suikerbossie remains. It takes 12 minutes to master the 1.61 km with 122 meters of ascent. From here to the finish line it is mostly downhill!

It takes me 31 minutes to cover the last 16.5 km. At the end of the proceedings I am very happy with my 4:21, my slowest CTCT (Argus). Now at least I have a goal that I can try to beat in 2027 and I should be able to do it!

CTCT (Argus) nr 35 Afrikaans

  

Sondag 8 Maart 2026 is weer tyd vir die CTCT (Argus) fietstoer. Dit sal my 35 ste een wees! Ek is Vrydag 7 Maart deur Groenpunt toe om my nommer te gaan haal. Ek maak Saterdag weer ‘n draai daar om by CANSA se stalletjie te besoek. Daar koop ek ‘n nuwe CANSA top en Leilanni gee ook vir my sonblok ensomeer. 

 

Ek het Vrydag 27 Februarie met my berg iets geval en my linkerhand seer gemaak. Ek dra tans ‘n “stut” en, alhoewel daar niks gebreek is nie, is my hand redelik gevoellig. Ek besluit dus dat ek Sondag dit “rustig” sal moet neem pas my mikpunt aan na onder 5 uur in stede van 4 uur! Ek besluit ook dat dit beter sal wees om, soos normale mense, met die motor na die wegspring te ry eder as ok met my fiets in te ry soos wat ek die afgelope paar jaar gedoen het. 

 

Ek kom 05:45 by die huis weg en parkeer in Canterburystraat net bokant die Kasteel. Beweging deur na wegspring area verloop glad en dan vir die groot wag tot 07:12, my wegspring tyd. Die weer lyk baie gunstig en daar is geen wind nie. Die weer voorspelling het ‘n storm sterkte Suid Ooster vir Simonstad voorspel, so ons sal maar moet sien hoe lyk dit daar!

 

Sommer met die ingang is ek “rustig” en pak Oostelike Boulevard heel rustig aan. Bo by Hospitaal draai druk die Suid Ooster, maar darem nie te erg nie. Ek ry maar versigtig die bult af. Ek wil nie nou met my seer hand probleme optel of in iemand anders se “ongeluk” betrokke raak nie! Waar ek in die verlede die bult af verby Constantia “laat waai” het, hou ek links en laat die ander by my verby “vlieg”. Teen Jubilee Square in Simonstad is ek 11 minute agter 2025 se tyd en by Kaappunt se afdraai, 15 minute. Dit lyk darem of ek onder 5:00 sal in kom.

 

Die rit deur Scarborough en Sun Valley verloop goed. Ek verloor meer tyd op afdraendes as op opdraendes. Dit is omdat die pas rustiger is wanneer ons bult op gaan. Ek gaan dus ook heelwat mense verby op die bultte, net sodat hulle bult af weer by my verby kan “vlieg”! Ons pak die “groot klim”, Chapman’s Peak aan. Dit is eintlik twee klimme. Chappies 1 is 1.48 km, met 61 meter styging en ‘n gemiddelde gradient van 4.09% en maksimum van 8.96. Chappies 2 is 1.85 km lank, 94 meter se klim met ‘n gemiddelde gradiënt van 5.09% en maksimum van 15.1! Die lot neem my 19 minute. ‘n Heel skaflike pas. Anderkant en deur Houtbaai verloop vlot.

 

Nou is net Suikerbossie nog oor. Dit neem 12 minute om die 1.61 km met 122 meter se klim onder die knie te kry. Van hier na die einde is dit meesal bult af!

Dit neem my 31 minute om die laaste 16.5 km af te lê. Op die einde van die dag is ek heel tevrede met my 4:21, my stadigste CTCT (Argus). Nou is daar darem ‘n mikpunt wat ek in 2027 kan probeer klop en reg behoort te kry!

 

 

Kaleo Toer 27/0-01/03

Ek het ‘n Kaleo Toer beplan vir die naweek van 27/02-01/03. Die idee was om Vrydagmiddag die ou Tankwa Trek Prolog (24 km) aan die Suid Ooste kant van Kaleo te ry. Saterdag die Witzenberg roete van ongeveer 90 km en dan Sondag met die ou Gydopas af deur Prins Alfred Hamlet en dan om die Merino Monster. Dit is so 80 km. Al my “maats” wat ek saam genooi het, het ongelukkig voor die tyd onttrek, maar ek het besluit om, op my eie, voort te gaan.

 

Ek val Vrydag 12:15 in die pad en kom net na 14:30 daar aan. Pak af, trek fietsry klere aan en val 14:53 in die pad. Die ou Prolog is ‘n lekker uitdagende roete en ek het dit al ‘n paar keer op my eie en saam met van my maats gery. Dit het ‘n paar lekker klimme en met heelwat “single tracks”, rowwe “jeep tracks” en so ‘n bietjie distrikspad. Dit lyk nie of die roete eintlik meer goed onderhou word nie. Die onlangs reën het ‘n paar lelike spoelslote nagelaat en daar was ook ‘n paar bruggies wat weg gespoel het.

Ek het werklik baie lekker gery en dit vreeslik geniet. Dit was tot by kilometer 18.6! By ‘n baie onbenullige kliprantjie, met ‘n kleinerigge gat in die middel, neem ek die verkeerde lyn! My voorwiel steek in die gat vas ek ek vlieg oor die handvaststels. In  Engles noem hulle dit ‘n klassieke OTB (over the bars). Gelukkig was daar nie skerp klippe nie en ek val tussen die bossies en op die sand. Ek probeer natuurlik die val keer en maak daarmee my linkerhand redelik seer. My linker bobeen swel ook vining op. Niks is stukkend nie, behalwe dat my “ego” ‘n redelike “duik” in het. Ek klim op en ry verder. Ek kan voel dat my linkerhand redelik “gevoellig” is, maar darem nie so dat ek nie die handvatsel kan vas hou nie. Ek ry die laaste 7 km sonder enige ernstige probleme. Hand is ‘n bietjie seer, maar leefbaar! Terwyl ek ry maak ek vrede met die feit dat my naweek se fietsry nou iets van die verlede is. Ek het reeds betaal en sal dus maar die res van die naweek “chill”!

 

Die res van die naweek was heel aangenaam, behalwe vir die feit dat ek Vrydagaand baie min geslaap het as gevolg van pyn. Saterdagaand was die hand nog gevoellig, maar toe slaap ek soos ‘n babatjie!

 

Saterdagoggend ry ek na die plek waar ek geval het en kan weereens nie glo dat ek so agterlosig was nie. Ek het vroeër die dag by baie moeiliker gedeeltes, sonder enige probleme, afgery. Wys weer, konsetreer 110% wanneer jy oor ongelyke terrain ry!

k is voor einde Mei terug om dan weer die hele avontuur aan te pas. Mag dalk die Sondag korter maak.

 

Seweweekspoort Dag 3

 

Danie en Willie is vroeg op en ry voor 07:30. Die res van ons maak gereed vir die Bosch Luys Kloof rit en ons kom net na 08:00 weg.

By die groot pad weer links in Seweweekspoort se rigting. Verby die afdraai poort toe en bult op na Bosch Luys Kloof toe. Die pad in die kloof af is besonder mooi. Dit kronkel teen die bult af. Die eerste 2 km is heelwat styler as die laaste gedeelte. Net nadat die pad begin afplat, sien ek twee koedoe bulle en hou stil om hulle dop te hou. Hulle begin die kloof uit stap en ek sien net elke nou en dan 'n beweging tussen die bosse totdat hulle heelbo is en dan sien ek die wonderlike silhoeët wanneer hulle op die horison stop en ek kan net die horings teen die agtergrond van die lug sien. Wanneer die ander by my aansluit, is hulle weg. 

Ons ry rustig af tot by die "lodge". Hulle is nie oop vir dag besoekers nie, maar ons kan water by hulle kry op ons pad terug. Ons vat die pad af Gamkaskloof dam toe. Dit is 12 km tot by die dam. Dit is 'n mooi pad met geen ernstige bulte nie. Ons ry so 'n entjie verby die waterfiskaal se huis. Daar stop ons en eet verversings en wonder oor die watervlak en die water wat ons hoor uitloop. 

Oppad terug stop ons by Mnr Fox, die waterfiskaal, se huis. Mike herinner hom daaraan dat hy en Pieter Reinders die grond in 2004 wou koop toe dit vir R450,000 in die mark was. Hulle het R400,000 aangebied en was bereid om Mnr Fox, wat met volstruise geboer het en op die grond gewoon het, aan te laat bly. Die eienaar aanvaar toe Gerhard Rademeier se volle aanbod met die versoek dat Fox 30 dae het om van sy volstruise ontslae te raak en pad te gee. Hy maak toe so, maar aangesien die waterfiskaal kort te vore weg is en sy huis leeg gestaan het, trek hy daar in. Hy word later aangestel as die nuwe waterfiskaal en is nog steeds daar!

Na ons gesprek met hom, ry ons terug "lodge" toe. Hier word ons water bottels met ys en koue water gevul en dan pak ons die terug tog teen Bosch Luys Kloospas, aan. Dit is net minder as 8 km waarvan die laaste 2 km die stylste is. Dit neem my 1:45 om die 8 km teen 'n gemiddelde spoed van 4.5 kpu af te lê. Die temperatuur draai by 46.2 grade celsius! Bo "konsolideer" ons weer en pak dan die pad af na die Seweweekpoort aansluiting aan, maar ons moet eers deur die Bosch Luys Kloof hek gaan. Gelukkig is die kode op 'n kennisgewing by die hek. Oppad stop ek by 'n poel water om my "buff" nat te maak sodat my kop kan afkoel. 

Net verby die aansluiting is daar konstruksie werk aan die pad en ek en Johan stop om weer ons water bottels vol te maak. Die ander drie ry aan. Nou is daar nog die 2 km bult oor en dan 'n paar ops en afs tot by die huis. Ek kry dit nie reg om die afstand wat ek na die ander verloor het toe ek my waterbottel vol gemaak het, uit te wis nie en kom so 5 minute later by ons huisie aan. 

Nog 'n goeie dag se oefening en 'n besonder mooi rit agter die blad! 

Data: afstand 65.24 km; tyd 6:12; meters geklim 1,258.

Seweweekspoort Tour Day 2

 

The plan for Day 2 was to either do a 121 km loop, which included 58 km of the Freedom Challenge or a 66 km loop. Alan agreed to join me on the 121 km loop. 

We got going just after 08:00. Right at the main road, travelling west towards Anysberg. We quickly got to the top of a 3 km downhill where I clocked 63.5 kph. This was followed by some undulations until we reached the Rouxpos turn off after 17 km. 

Here we nearly had a problem as some of the guys went ahead and missed the turnoff! We were fortunate in that we managed to call them back. The next 5 km was a gradual climb and we did spread out a bit. I waited at the top so that we could "regroup". Alan, Mike and Johan joined me. Hannes lost his cellphone and turned around to look for it. Danie and Wille joined him in the search, which was unsuccessful. It fell out of his frame bag after he took some photos. There also were some brake marks from a bakkie close to where he lost it and the conclusion was that these guys picked it up and drove away with it. Hannes did quite a search, including asking some people, but had no success. Due to all this, they did no do the short loop, but home from there.

The four of us continued down past Rouxpos heading towards the Droëfontein turnoff. Mike and Johan raced ahead and once again missed the turnoff and this time we had no luck in calling them back! Fortunately the road swings to the right and goes uphill. We saw them stopping high above us, while we waited at the turnoff. After awhile they realised that we were not coming after them, so they turned around to come and join us. Johan was going to do the shorter loop, but at the spur of the moment, decided to join us. Mike indicated that he was joining me and Alan when we "regather" at the top of the hill before Rouxpos. 

Once we were all together again, we started negotiating the Freedom Challenge route past Droëfontein along the mountain to join the Anysberg road 19 km later. Intially there was a farm track leading up to the Droëfontein Guest House, about 3 km down the road. Our track goes around the righthand side of the dwelling, but we did pop in to fill up our water bottles. 

Once that was done, we joined our track again. It was obvious that this track is no longer used too often as there were no tyre marks. The track was quite clear for the first 2 km and then we hit the riverbed and it turned out to be soft sand, which was mostly unridable. We had to push our bicycles along for most of the next 2 km. In winter, when the Freedom Challenge comes through here, the sand is cold and mostly ridable, but in summer that is not possible! We also crossed some bigger, dry streams with big rocks and some sections with reeds. 

Once through all this, we again picked up a nice, ridable jeep track, meandering along the side of the mountain going up and down. The scenery was quite beautifull.

After 52 km we got to the gate that took us onto the Anysberg road. At this point our average speed was 11.3 kph. We turn right and head in the Anysberg direction. Up a steep hill and down the otherside. Here we were confronted by a stationery bakkie in the middle of the road with the driver's door opened. This was a downhill and I was doing about 50 kph. The gap looked big enough and I decided to go for it, shouting"idiot" as I passed him. Mike also made it and by the time Alan came past, the door was closed! 

At 58 km we reached the Anysberg gate. This was unlocked and we proceeded down to some empty chalets, where we managed to get water. After filling our bottles and eating what we brought for lunch, we were back on the road again. Still 63 km to go and by now have been on the road for 5:22! At this rate we are not going to get home before 18:00! The road is undulated and it is difficult to maintain a good average speed. 

A number of kilometers down the road we find a farmhouse and stop to fill up our water bottles. We get nice cold water and am on our way again. More undulations, through a beatiful "poort" and after 82 km we get to a T-junction. Left to Lainsburg and right to Calitsdorp and this is a tar road. Left is called Witnek and right is Rooinekke. This is a "pass" and once again the road is undulated. A further 8 km down this road, the tar becomes gravel. At about 96 km we find a dwelling where we can fill our water bottles again. The undulations do not stop, but at least we can average 14 kph. 

I am heading up the rear as Alan is much stronger and I cannot keep up with the e-bikes. I see the guys stopping in front of me next to a large sign on the side of the road. It reads"Porcupine Cold Beers"! Alan phones them. They are closed but will open for us. Alan state that we will not have any beers as we still have 17 km to go! We take an "imprompto" decision to stop here and call our friends to come and fetch us. It is now 16:40 and the remaining 14 km includes another 500 meters of climbing. This would take us at least another 2 hours. That would mean we will only get home at 19:00! We cycle down to Porcupine and is welcomed with ice cold beers! Danie and Hannes arrive within 15 minutes and after some more beers, the bikes are loaded and we head home. 

What a day. Distance 107 km; time 8:41; meters climbed 1,561.

Seweweekspoort Dag 1

28 November tot 2 Desember is tyd vir die Seweweekspoort toer. Ons was 8 maar een moes onttrek agv siekte. Drie van Stanford en vier van die Kaap. Die Stanford manne is Johan Schoeman, Hannes de Villiers en Alan Simpson. Ons basis is Sandrivier aan die noorde kant van Seweweekspoort. Ek en Mike Smit ry saam en ontmoet "toevallig" vir die Stanford manne by Diesel en Creme in Barrydale. Ons kom net voor 17:00 by Sandrivier aan en Danie en Willie arriveer so 'n half uur later. Die gasvrou heet ons welkom met 'n skinkbord pas gebakte vetkoekke. Daar is ook twee vas gebakte brode, wat ons vooraf bestel het. Ek en Mike is verantwoordelik vir aandete van pasta met maalvleis en slaai. Ons spreek af om môre oggend 08:00 te begin ry. 

Ons kom 07:50 aan die gang. Na 'n aanvanklike klimmetjie links met die grootpad af is dit basies afdraend tot by Amalienstein. 'n Afstand van ongeveer 28 km. Dit is 'n besonder mooi pad deur die poort. Die padoppervlakte is baie goed en die rots formasies is asemrowend. Ons stop vir fotos en om ietsie om te eet en dan die laaste stukkie tot by die R62. Reguit oor en deur Amalienstein en uit aan die ooste kant met 'n lekker grond paadjie. By 'n kruising draai ons regs en terug so 'n entjie met die R62 na Frikkie se Gat. Hier kry ons gemmerbier en koffie. Na so 'n kwartier val ons weer in die pad.

Terug soos ons gekom het, maar reguit oor die kruising terug Amalienstein toe. Ons stop by 'n winkel sodat Mike vir hom 'n tandeborsel kan koop. Dan terug soos ons gekom het, oor die R62 en dan weer met Seweweekspoort terug Sandrivier toe. Waar dit netnou alles af was, is dit nou alles op! Die volgende 25 km klim ons voortdurend tussen 4 en 9%. Dit het natuurlik ook 'n invloed op ons gemiddelde spoed. So halfpad deur die kloof stop ons weer vir verfrissings en dan is dit weer skouer aan die wiel vir die laaste 19 km. 

Ons bereik die einde van die kloof met nog 9 km oor huistoe, maar dit is weereens net bult op en nou styg die gradiënt ook. Ek handhaaf 'n goeie pas oor hierdie laaste paar bulte, wat net nie wil ophou nie! Na 5:10 en 71 km met 1,033 meters se klim, kom ons by ons bestemming aan.  'n Goeie dag se oefening!