Single-speed cycling from Jo’burg to CT

Once an adventurer has completed a two-and-a-half month long expedition, walking from Cape Town to Beit Bridge, what does he do? Soak in a spa, devour copious volumes of food and watch lots of television? No, none of the above. Instead, he climbs on to a bicycle to ride home. That’s what solo adventurer, Ray Chaplin, will be doing this Sunday as he takes to the road – on a single-speed bicycle – for the 1400-kilometre journey. He’s riding not only to get home, but to raise awareness for cyclist safety on South Africa’s roads.

Chaplin has been a committed bicycle commuter for well over three years. “I  returned from a work contract in Dubai and made the decision to see how long I could last without owning a car,” he says. In this time he has influenced both friends and strangers, encouraging them to commute by bicycle.

His time on two wheels has not been without incident. “I have been knocked off my bicycle several times; and I’ve had many more near misses,” Chaplin explains. That’s why this ride from Jo’burg to Cape Town is more than just a human-powered means of transport home. “Unlike many other others, I have lived to tell the tale,” he says. “I’m taking a stand for the rights of cyclists!”

Chaplin’s ride benefits the Sign-Up Cyclist Safety Initiative, a not-for-profit campaign that aims to improve the safety of all cyclists – commuters, sporting and recreational – by installing cyclist-awareness road signs on routes used by riders.

Keeping to basics, Chaplin will be riding a single-speed bicycle. His Dutch-style Johnny Loco cruiser sports mud guards, chopper handlebars and back-pedal brakes. “To me, cycling is about travelling in a way you enjoy. You don’t have to ride a 30-grand bike to get from A to B; as long as it has two-wheels, you can take to the road.”

Chaplin will depart from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Sunday, 28 March 2010 at 09h00. He will be accompanied by professional and recreational riders, escorted by safety vehicles, as he heads towards the N1. Chaplin will be in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, 31 March 2010 and home in Cape Town two weeks later. Cyclists are invited to join him on his final day’s ride from Paarl to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, on Sunday, 11 April 2010. Times and venues will be posted on www.raychaplin.com. His progress can be tracked online through his website and Facebook.