With a bike through Cape Town – the Vito is used by Up Cycles

The colonial era meets modernity in Cape Town
Surrounded by sandy beaches and Table Mountain, the pulsating metropolis of Cape Town is located on the southern tip of the African continent. Here in the beating heart of South Africa, modern hotels, shopping centers and bars blend with old colorful colonial houses. Tourists from all over the world stroll along the beach promenade. The fact that Cape Town is also diverse in terms of mobility is ensured by a young South African named Jared. In 2012 it was no longer forbidden to explore the coast of Cape Town by bike or on roller skates and Jared was ready. He founded his bicycle rental firm Up Cycles – directly on the Cape Town promenade, at Seapoint Pavilion.

Through Cape Town on two wheels
The service has proved very popular with both city dwellers and tourists and now there are four stations where bicycles can be rented and handed in. But Jared cannot run his rental business using bikes alone. That is why he has the Vito. Jared appreciates the spaciousness and reliability of the van from Mercedes-Benz, which he uses to transport bicycles from station to station. These stations from Up Cycles are located along the Cape Town beach promenade and give tourists the opportunity to enjoy their beach experience or their sightseeing tour on two wheels. Even locals looking for exercise and fresh air or those who just want to get from A to B quicker gladly use the service.

Sailors called the city “Cape of Storms”
The longest route between the Up Cycles’ stations runs from Camps Bay along the coast to the city center. The twelve kilometer cycle path route is lined with large parks, public art and historical sites. For example, you can see the wreck of the RMS Athens, which fell victim to treacherous rocks and strong waves in 1865 and gave the region the name “Cape of Storms” among sailors.

An idea migrates from Bangkok to Cape Town
But back to Jared – how did you get the idea of starting a bicycle rental firm? “I’ve always liked riding bicycles,” says the charismatic South African. “When I toured Bangkok on a rented bike, I said to myself, we need something like this in Cape Town.” The problem: Cape Town is not suitable for cyclists in many places. “The roads are quite dangerous and there are hardly any protected bike paths,” explains Jared. “Our route is probably the safest one in the city.” He also calls for the city to improve infrastructure for the bicycles, because Jared wants more people in Cape Town to discover the advantages of riding a bike.