Cape Town Cycle Tour Rides on 14 March 2027

RT

Ask Rio Times

Latin American culture, food and life.

Ask

Open the full Ask Rio Times →

RTAsk Rio TimesWhat to do, where to go in Rio de Janeiro›

SOUTH AFRICA · EVENTS

The Cape Town Cycle Tour is a 109 km ride around the Cape Peninsula, set for Sunday 14 March 2027. Entries have not opened yet, but the event page already lists a fee for riders from abroad.

For a US reader, the Cape Town Cycle Tour is a chance to ride Chapman’s Peak and the whole Cape Peninsula in one day. The organisers call it the largest timed cycling event in the world, with about 30,000 riders each year.

What the Cape Town Cycle Tour Is

The Cape Town Cycle Tour began in 1978 as a protest ride for safer cycling paths in Cape Town. It was first called The Big Ride In, and Bill Mylrea and John Stegmann organised it.

The first Cape Town Cycle Tour start line had just over 500 cyclists. The organisers now say about 30,000 riders join each year.

The 2026 race was the 48th edition, so the 2027 ride should be the 49th by the organisers’ own count. We have not seen the organisers use that number for 2027 yet.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust runs the ride and passes the money on to charity. It funds the Pedal Power Association, a South African cycling club, and the Rotary Club of Claremont, a local service club.

The organisers say the event has given more than R130 million (about US$7.8 million) to charities. That figure comes from the event’s own history page.

The 109 Km Route and Its Climbs

Cape Town Cycle Tour riders start at the Grand Parade, the big public square in front of City Hall. The organisers warn that the start area is quite exposed and suggest a lightweight gilet.

The route runs past the Castle of Good Hope and the University of Cape Town, then through Newlands Forest. It continues to Simon’s Town and the entrance to the Cape Point Nature Reserve at the tip of the peninsula.

On the way back riders pass Fish Hoek, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay and Camps Bay. The finish is in Sea Point, a seaside suburb west of the city centre.

The event page names four climbs. These are Edinburgh Drive, the long drag at Smitswinkel, Chapman’s Peak and Suikerbossie.

Chapman’s Peak has a short steep part called Little Chappies and a longer, flatter main climb. Suikerbossie is about 1.5 km long, and the organisers call it the hardest section of the route.

Riders who miss a cut-off point must take a sweep bus to the finish at Green Point. Start times and cut-off times for 2027 are not published yet.

Entry, Fees and Dates

The organisers’ 2027 pages say “Entries open soon” for the Cape Town Cycle Tour and give no opening date. Entry runs through the organisers’ online system, and the official event website is the place to check.

The event page lists a fee for each group, and all prices include VAT, South Africa’s sales tax. General entry is R995 (about US$60), and members of the Pedal Power Association pay R745 (about US$45).

An international entry costs R1,815 (about US$109), or R1,565 (about US$94) for association members. An African entry costs R1,225 (about US$73), or R975 (about US$58) for members.

That page mixes text from the 2026 and 2027 races, so treat these fees as a guide until entries open. The 2027 corporate entry fee in the standard category is R1,335 (about US$80).

A rider who cannot start can pass the place to someone else. The substitution fee is R200 (about US$12), payable by credit card only, and the new rider needs a signed consent letter.

Substitution dates on the page belong to the 2026 race, so the 2027 window is not known. The organisers also list a 42 km ride, but we have not checked its 2027 details.

Race Pack, Expo and Bike Transport

Riders collect their race pack at the DHL Stadium, a football ground in Green Point, together with the Lifecycle Expo. In 2026 collection ran on three days, from Thursday 5 to Saturday 7 March.

The 2027 collection days are not published yet. Bring your ID and your entry confirmation, because nobody can ride without the race pack.

Entry to the expo was free for riders in 2026 and cost R50 (about US$3) for other visitors. Children under 12 got in free.

On race morning you can leave a tog bag of spare clothes at the start, and it goes to the DHL Stadium race village. There is a bike park at the Green Point Cricket Fields, and bikes are not allowed in the Finish Village.

The organisers list several official long-haul bike transport firms. They name Night Trans, Joggie’s Bicycle Transport, Echelon Bike Transporters, VIP Bicycle Logistics and others, but the page gives no prices.

These firms move bikes inside South Africa, for example from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Check with your airline about flying your own bike, because the organisers do not cover that.

What It Means for You

The US State Department says US citizens need no visa for stays of 90 days or less in South Africa. It also asks for two consecutive blank pages in the passport on every arrival.

South Africa has also launched an optional online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors. Our explainer on the South Africa travel authorisation for Americans covers the fee and who should apply.

The State Department’s advice for South Africa is “Exercise increased caution” because of crime and civil unrest. Riders must finish within seven hours of their own start to get a result and certificate, so plan your pace.

South Africa keeps one clock all year, two hours ahead of Universal Time. Cape Town is seven hours ahead of New York until US clocks move forward early on 14 March, then six hours ahead.

Prices will be in rand, so bring a card that works abroad and check your bank’s foreign-transaction fee. A rand amount in this guide is converted at about R16.7 to the US dollar.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour falls one week before another big Cape weekend. The Cape Town Jazz Festival starts on Friday 19 March, five days after the ride.

Runners can build a longer trip around the Two Oceans Marathon in April. The Comrades Marathon follows in Durban on 13 June 2027.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The organisers have not given a date for the opening of Cape Town Cycle Tour entries. They also have not said whether the fees on the event page are final for 2027.

Start times, cut-off times, expo days and the 2027 substitution window are not published. The route text may change, so check the event page again after entries open.

It is not known how many places the Cape Town Cycle Tour will offer or whether entries will sell out. This guide will be rewritten when the organisers publish the entry details.

More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Cape Town Cycle Tour in 2027?

The organisers give Sunday 14 March 2027 for the 109 km ride. Start times are not published yet.

How much does the Cape Town Cycle Tour cost for foreign riders?

The event page lists an international entry at R1,815 (about US$109). Entries open soon, so check that fee when the organisers publish 2027 entry details.

Where does the Cape Town Cycle Tour start and finish?

It starts at the Grand Parade in central Cape Town. It finishes in Sea Point after passing the Cape Point reserve entrance, Chapman’s Peak and Camps Bay.

Sources: Cape Town Cycle Tour (organiser): home page, 2027 date and entry link, accessed 31 October 2026; Cape Town Cycle Tour: 109 km event page (route, climbs, fees, start and finish), accessed 31 October 2026; Cape Town Cycle Tour: corporate entries (2027 status and fee), accessed 31 October 2026; Cape Town Cycle Tour: number collection and expo (2026 arrangements), accessed 31 October 2026; Cape Town Cycle Tour: bike transport partners, accessed 31 October 2026; Cape Town Cycle Tour: about us (history, rider numbers, charities), accessed 31 October 2026; US Department of State, South Africa country information (entry requirements, travel advisory), accessed 31 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief