Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

Bicycling staff and contributors share their favourite sweet or savoury pastry delights.

Whisper it quietly, but pastry has become a thing in cycling. All over the country, more and more cyclists are partnering their flat whites with a croissant or bun or jammy doughnut of some kind. Not sold on the pastry revolution yet? Read on, and you could find yourself munching down a carb-bomb on your next ride. Oli Munnik Gear Editor

WHAT: Chocolate Croissant WHERE: The Pantry, Simon’s Town, Cape Town WHY: They’re always freshly baked, and packed with so much chocolate you feel like you’re in cocoa heaven. It’s a sugar rush and pick-up second to none.

Dave Buchanan Subeditor

WHAT: Chelsea bun WHERE: Westees Bakery, Walmer, Port Elizabeth WHY: It’s gooey, it’s delicious, and it’s bigger than my head. Like the best rides, the best Chelsea buns are complex – lots of ingredients to keep you interested, with a surprise around every curve. And if you can finish one without losing consciousness, it makes you smile.

Mike Finch Editor in Chief

WHAT: Raisin Danish WHERE: The Foodbarn Deli, Noordhoek, Cape Town WHY: The Deli at Noordhoek Village is filled with pastries so enticing, one is rarely enough. The king of this pastry smorgasbord is the raisin Danish – a delicacy so fine, it makes this destination an essential coffee stop.

Andrew Hill Pro Racer and Recommended Race

contributor WHAT: Chelsea bun WHERE: Camperdown Spar coffee shop, 60km north-west of Durban WHY: Because they’re usually very fresh; and it’s normally at that point in a ride that anything tasty seems a godsend.

Aaron Borrill Digital Editor

WHAT: Chocolate brownie WHERE: Bootlegger, Bakoven, Cape Town WHY: For a mid-ride snack, nothing beats the sugar rush from a brownie. It’s decadent and wholesome, and packed with enough sugar to stop a bonk dead in its tracks. With the guys I ride with, this is always a good thing.

André Valentine Editorial Assistant

WHAT: Apple doughnut WHERE: Victoria Bakery, Grassy Park, Cape Town WHY: On the outside, it’s a smooth-yet- fluffy pastry, lightly coated in syrup and topped with a patch of white icing. If that’s not enticing enough, after one bite you hit the raisins and caramelised apple at the centre. The perfect reward after a long time in the saddle – especially since you’ll want more than one.

Kevin Benkenstein Former Pro, and Market Developer for Specialized

WHAT: Pain au chocolat WHERE: Vovo Telo, Parkhurst, Johannesburg WHY: It’s simple, really… the chocolate.

Alana Munnik Senior Designer

WHAT: Mushroom and mozzarella baked croissant WHERE: Olympia Café, Kalk Bay, Cape Town WHY: The melted cheese. Nothing ensures comfort and decadence more than oozing melted cheese.

Jonathan Ancer Deputy Editor

WHAT: Almond croissant WHERE: Olympia Café, Kalk Bay, Cape Town WHY: For a post-ride treat, it’s the holy grail of pastries, deliciously decadent. For a mid-ride coffee stop, it’s such a ride-booster, it should be on SAIDS’ list of banned substances.