{"id":14251,"date":"2021-08-02T04:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T03:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2021\/08\/02\/ride-routes-western-capes-famed-four-passes-r8299\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T19:02:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T19:02:58","slug":"ride-routes-western-capes-famed-four-passes-r8299","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/ride-routes-western-capes-famed-four-passes-r8299\/","title":{"rendered":"Ride Routes: Western Cape’s famed Four Passes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIf you have been around the Western Cape road riding scene for a while the chances are\u00a0you have heard about the Four Passes route. Or perhaps you\u00a0have already ridden it and experienced one of the Cape\u2019s best road bike loops. If not, hopefully this article will give you some good insight into what is one of my favourite routes.\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tThis route feature is made possible by Toyota. We were lucky enough to take their Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR out for the trip, more on the car later.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Route<\/strong><\/span>
\n\tAs the name suggests, the route is made up of four passes, namely, Sir Lowry\u2019s Pass, Viljoenspas, Franschhoek Pass, and Helshoogte Pass.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhere to start? There are a few options. Most riders start in Somerset West to get an early attack in on Sir Lowry\u2019s Pass. I like to start at Specialized Stellenbosch<\/a>\u00a0since\u00a0they have great coffee and snacks for after the ride. Plus those rollers between Stellenbosch and Somerset West aren\u2019t much fun after 120km.\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tSir Lowry\u2019s Pass<\/span><\/strong>
\n\tSir Lowry\u2019s Pass is by far the trickiest of the four climbs\u00a0because it is not the most cycling-friendly road. Thankfully though it is the first pass so you can up and over pretty early in the morning before the traffic starts. A pre-sunrise climb on quiet roads gives you a chance to appreciate the beauty and difficulty of the climb. I find it the hardest of the four passes, mainly because it is so steep and the road is pretty much straight. At least with Franschhoek Pass, you get some switchbacks and corners to break up the mental fatigue of the climb.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe viewpoint at the top of Sir Lowry\u2019s gives you a great perspective of where you have ridden from, it\u2019s definitely worth a stop and a quick photo.\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tThe first decent food stop is the petrol station on your left as you turn into Grabouw, they have been known to have a DJ outside with pumping tunes over the weekend so you might enjoy some vibes there before heading off again.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s worth noting that the village on the left just before Grabouw can feel a bit sketchy, thankfully you are heading downhill and are at a proper speed so just keep your eye out for animals crossing the road. Riding the route the other way around (i.e Helshoogte and Franschhoek Pass first) can feel a lot more unsafe as you are climbing pretty slowly up the hill.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\"2-_OLM2315.jpg\"I\u2019ve been looking forward to driving the new Toyota on the block for a good while, there is something about the Toyota brand that just gets me excited.<\/em><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter Grabouw there is only one more feed stop before you hit Franschhoek. At the base of Viljoenspas after the climb and descent, there is a spaza shop on the lefthand side of the road. Pretty safe to stop at and enjoy a coke.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt can get cold on this route so pack some warm gear if the weather looks suspect. When we climbed out of Grabouw on this ride the Wahoo was reading a temperature of 1 whole degree.\n<\/p>\n

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