Sidecar adventures in Cape Town with Brody the dog
By Sue Wallace
We only met 10 minutes ago, but already I am smitten.
Have dog, will travel.
It is definitely love at first sight and my heart is all a flutter as Brody the dog rests his head on my shoulder and gently nuzzles my ear.
Our “date” starts at Cape Town’s stunning Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, hemmed by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and lofty Table Mountain National Park on the other.
Dress code is a black retro leather jacket, goggles and helmet and I add red lipstick, while Brody wears a bright bandana, hair coiffed.
We are off and my four-footed pal is undeniably the star of the show.
Kids wave, men smile and women swoon, as this loveable canine biker-dog and I ride pillion on our “bikie” chauffeured vintage sidecar tour.
Known as “Bossman Brody”, the lucky rescue dog from the Domestic Animal Rescue Group in Hout Bay, is the much-patted darling and mascot of Cape Sidecar Adventures.
A vintage sidecar tour in Cape Town with Brody the dog.
Former accountant Tim Clarke started his business in Cape Town 20 years ago, after he shipped in a vintage military sidecar – ex-Chinese People’s Liberation Army – named Amanda from Shanghai.
Now he has more than 50 sidecars, 64 bikers he can call on to drive, and has had more than 50,000 happy guests.
“We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and found guests love the nostalgia and the complete immersive experience – with vintage leather jackets, hairy bikers, exotic locations and most importantly, the smiles and waves they get from the public as the bikes go rumbling down the road,” says Tim.
Camps Bay 12 Apostles Hotel under mist-covered peaks.Credit: Getty Images
“There is no age restriction, so it’s a great way for the family to share this bucket-list experience.”
Brody joined the company as a one-month-old pup and spent his early days in the sidecar depot and workshop.
“But after a few months he discovered the thrill of biking and took to it like a duck to water. He’s got a great, very relaxed, affectionate demeanour and is great company on the ride – he is always first out the door, ready for action,” Tim says.
“He is also a great therapy dog particularly with nervous passengers or people with disabilities.”
Brody, the official CEO – Canine Executive Officer – has just turned 10.
Tim says even though they have been riding around Cape Town since 2004, crowds still stop and look.
“We are a big attraction or distraction on the roads of Cape Town. Brody is constantly being booked for rides and he just adds that extra feel-good element to a sidecar experience,” Tim says.
Camps Bay, Cape Town.Credit: iStock
The fleet includes some Russian Ural bikes used by the Russian military in the late 1940s and 1950s but mostly Chinese Chang Jiang 750s which were decommissioned in the early 1970s when the military started using more modern bikes.
“Mechanics play a big part in keeping these vintage ladies on the road, from daily maintenance checks to gearbox overhauls,” Tim says.
It’s a crisp sunny day as we hug the twists and turns of the Atlantic Seaboard on the south-western tip of South Africa.
We stop at the pretty fishing harbour of Hout Bay for coffee and admire the views and calm sapphire blue seas.
Then it’s on to Chapmans Peak Drive known by the locals as Chappies, which is one of the world’s most scenic marine drives, showcasing the rocky coastline.
I peer over sheer cliffs to the sea and sandy beaches below then up at the towering mountains on the other side.
The nine-kilometre route, with 114 curves, skirts Chapman’s Peak and is dotted with lookouts to soak up the views.
My biker driver, Mick, loves taking guests for a spin in the old motor sidecars, showing off Cape Town and surrounds.
I say goodbye to Brody who, with a wag of his tail and a lick or two, jumps up on the sidecar ready for another adventure.
The writer was a guest of Adventure World and South Africa Tourism.
THE DETAILS
TOUR
Cape Sidecar Adventures offers a range of chauffeured tours in vintage sidecars around Cape Town, Cape Peninsula, Cape Winelands and tailored rides, from two hours to all-day. Passengers don retro leather jackets, goggles, helmet and a complimentary bandana.
See adventureworld.com sidecars.co.za
FLY
Qantas offers direct flights from Australia to South Africa to Johannesburg. From Johannesburg take a domestic flight to Cape Town. South African Airlines has flights from Perth to Johannesburg. See qantas.com flysaa.com
STAY
Spectacular views star at the 70-room boutique Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, a 70-room luxe boutique hotel, the only one on the coastal road that links Cape Town and Camps Bay with Llundudno Beach and Hout Bay. See 12apostleshotel.com
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