'You guys are crazy', the guy said as he left with the celebrity at the bottom of Cornwall downhill rush.
'but i'll be back'
That's what they all say, the newbies.
They all think cycling gnarly downhills in the dark is slightly crazy.
What is it, then, that makes them keep coming back for more?
The string of lights ahead and behind you when you get onto cruizer, your first singletrack for the night?
QT making up songs while we wait for oupa gerrit to fix a light on vetseun?
The technical challenges of unexpected short steep climbs or rocky ascends?
We know it's not the smell that transformed paul's bike into a scott stinky :)
maybe it's the thrill of rushing down cornwall
or the expressions on newbie's faces after their first downhill rush :D
seeing the river in flood while you ride on what's gonna become the new R21.
seeing, but not being part of, the traffic in the city way below.
knowing that in the other houses, people are sitting in front of their tvs with their tv dinners.
Bundu-bashing through the veld, then climbing up routter's route with 11 likeminded people. initailly 14, which included our celebrity for the evening, samantha oosthuisen - we were obviosly too hardcore for her :)
Personally, i think it's chasing lights down eric's trail that make people come back. staying on the bike always helps :)
Or maybe it's arriving at the top of quadbuster hill to champagne and cupcakes (thank you QT!!!!)
Or chasing down look ma no brakes, or python. yes, it must be python that makes people want to ride D&D again and again!
The roadies or epic-trainees come back week after week for tour de tar, or that tar-climb on cornwall. oupa gerrit might graciously allow you to ride in his slip if you don't want to chase the bunch and if you can keep up with him.
The mountain bikers come back for the final singletrack and kakiebos on cruizer.
Or maybe the the endorphin-overload, or the hot chocolate or beer afterwards.
Or maybe because while they're riding, they're alive.
Whatever their reasons: here's to many more!!
thx oupa gerrit who lead us, mummy man who swept, and clint and qt who kept us all together (and organised the cupcakes)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Reliving the Cape of Storms tandem Argus
I found Kyle Damon's report about him and Matt's tandem Argus adventure today.
Having piloted a blind tandem in the Cape's best south-easter last year, with a stoker out-weighing me by about 30 kgs, I could fully appreciate Kyle's description of the (lack of) control over the bike - even without adding the wind factor and having to dodge falling cyclists down Chappies.
We didn't have the luxury of a support car - in fact, when we broke down on a training ride a month before the Argus, not even the official vehicles would stop to offer help - we were on a tandem and there was a guy with me, so I should be OK, mos.
Our ride might have been easier, though - at least we had all the gears (and we used all of them), both of us were sort of used to cycling, and we weren't constantly tempted with luxury rides and public excuses.
It's a fun description of a memorable day - go read it.
WELL DONE MATT AND KYLE!!!!
Having piloted a blind tandem in the Cape's best south-easter last year, with a stoker out-weighing me by about 30 kgs, I could fully appreciate Kyle's description of the (lack of) control over the bike - even without adding the wind factor and having to dodge falling cyclists down Chappies.
We didn't have the luxury of a support car - in fact, when we broke down on a training ride a month before the Argus, not even the official vehicles would stop to offer help - we were on a tandem and there was a guy with me, so I should be OK, mos.
Our ride might have been easier, though - at least we had all the gears (and we used all of them), both of us were sort of used to cycling, and we weren't constantly tempted with luxury rides and public excuses.
It's a fun description of a memorable day - go read it.
WELL DONE MATT AND KYLE!!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
negotiating traffic
My beloved spruit was still a swamp on the daily commute this morning. The standing water on the singletrack at the top of Delta Park was about a quarter wheel deep. And if you venture off the path to prevent smelly water from splashing up on your backpack, the swampy grass sucks the wheels in yet a little bit deeper. I drag the bike over carpets to park it next to my desk at the office, so I can't arrive at the office looking and smelling like after last weekend's muddy cross-country provincials ... so have to negotiate the mud and water ever so slowly.
It was no fun - can't go fast on the downhills, can't climb fast(ish) over obstacles 'cos there's sticky mud everywhere, and probably damaging the bike and the environment by making tracks next to the path when the path just gets too unridable.
So I thought I'll ride home on tar.
It was scary.
On the pavement around the office block and on to the Jan Smuts traffic light. Wait for the light to turn red, then pick up the bike and walk through the cars who filled the road so that no-one else can get through.
At a 4 way stop street I want to turn right. It just never seems to be my turn. Totally invisible, i wait for all traffic to clear.
No pavement, so I share the tar with cars trying to see how close to me they can drive. scary. note to self: go look on a map if there isn't something parallel to this road.
A traffic circle. How on earth would I ever get over this one? Cars turning left just not seeing me wanting to go straight over. It's never a bicycle's turn. Eventually i take a chance - scary, this could easily have landed me in hospital. Not worth it. note to self: go find something on a map thats even remotely parallel to this road.
Cool, a pavement! Hop onto it and pass all the cars that are stuck in traffic. Yaay!
Pavement ends, but cars are stationery. Big fun over the speed-bumps. The hardtail is much better at this than the trance :) Wow this was worth it.
k, so now into Jan Smuts again, and immediately exit left into Conrad. A pavement, so this is safe and easy.
Now up that 2 km hill in Conrad. Dodging cars coming in and out of parking lots. I'm totally invisible.
A pavement, but it's littered with building rubble with no space to ride there. Get onto the tar again, sharing road with cars who don't see me.
A traffic light is green, but cars coming from behind don't see me, so they turn left and I stop until light turns red, then move over to the middle of the lane, and wait there while trying to recover some oxygen and get the heart rate down to a readable level.
Aaaah finally, some pavements! I survived! Next traffic light is green. The driver of the car sees me and waits for me to cross before she turns left. I manage a wave and a thank-you grin while struggling for oxygen. My, this joberg doesn't have enough oxygen.
On top of the hill, on top of the world. Another green light, another driver who notices me and allows me to cross over before he turns right from the other side.
Pavements, and then back onto my backroads again safe!
some notes:
- Conrad would have made excellent hill-training, if it wasn't for all the car dodging in the bottom half. It's possibly better hill-training with all the car-dodging, having to multitask, in stead of just concentrating on getting to the top of the mountain.
- Cars do not realise that you're traffic too
- In a collision between a bike and a car, the bike will always loose.
- Some drivers do realise that bicycles are traffic too :)
- It's easier to get off and walk over traffic lights and traffic circles, than to wait for another driver to give you a gap
- speed bumps are big fun, especially when the cars are stationery (and thereford not able to cut you off)
- take the hardtail, there is some fun to be had on tar :)
Tar wasn't all that bad - but here's to hoping the spruit will be ridable someday soon.
was i ever a roadie? and how did i ever survive being this invisible?
It was no fun - can't go fast on the downhills, can't climb fast(ish) over obstacles 'cos there's sticky mud everywhere, and probably damaging the bike and the environment by making tracks next to the path when the path just gets too unridable.
So I thought I'll ride home on tar.
It was scary.
On the pavement around the office block and on to the Jan Smuts traffic light. Wait for the light to turn red, then pick up the bike and walk through the cars who filled the road so that no-one else can get through.
At a 4 way stop street I want to turn right. It just never seems to be my turn. Totally invisible, i wait for all traffic to clear.
No pavement, so I share the tar with cars trying to see how close to me they can drive. scary. note to self: go look on a map if there isn't something parallel to this road.
A traffic circle. How on earth would I ever get over this one? Cars turning left just not seeing me wanting to go straight over. It's never a bicycle's turn. Eventually i take a chance - scary, this could easily have landed me in hospital. Not worth it. note to self: go find something on a map thats even remotely parallel to this road.
Cool, a pavement! Hop onto it and pass all the cars that are stuck in traffic. Yaay!
Pavement ends, but cars are stationery. Big fun over the speed-bumps. The hardtail is much better at this than the trance :) Wow this was worth it.
k, so now into Jan Smuts again, and immediately exit left into Conrad. A pavement, so this is safe and easy.
Now up that 2 km hill in Conrad. Dodging cars coming in and out of parking lots. I'm totally invisible.
A pavement, but it's littered with building rubble with no space to ride there. Get onto the tar again, sharing road with cars who don't see me.
A traffic light is green, but cars coming from behind don't see me, so they turn left and I stop until light turns red, then move over to the middle of the lane, and wait there while trying to recover some oxygen and get the heart rate down to a readable level.
Aaaah finally, some pavements! I survived! Next traffic light is green. The driver of the car sees me and waits for me to cross before she turns left. I manage a wave and a thank-you grin while struggling for oxygen. My, this joberg doesn't have enough oxygen.
On top of the hill, on top of the world. Another green light, another driver who notices me and allows me to cross over before he turns right from the other side.
Pavements, and then back onto my backroads again safe!
some notes:
- Conrad would have made excellent hill-training, if it wasn't for all the car dodging in the bottom half. It's possibly better hill-training with all the car-dodging, having to multitask, in stead of just concentrating on getting to the top of the mountain.
- Cars do not realise that you're traffic too
- In a collision between a bike and a car, the bike will always loose.
- Some drivers do realise that bicycles are traffic too :)
- It's easier to get off and walk over traffic lights and traffic circles, than to wait for another driver to give you a gap
- speed bumps are big fun, especially when the cars are stationery (and thereford not able to cut you off)
- take the hardtail, there is some fun to be had on tar :)
Tar wasn't all that bad - but here's to hoping the spruit will be ridable someday soon.
was i ever a roadie? and how did i ever survive being this invisible?
Friday, January 22, 2010
Delta Marsh
The week started with a lazy coffee-ride with my friend Karen. As we approached the parking at the botanical gardens after a loop to zoo lake, we were thinking about cycling a loop through Delta Park. But when we reached her car a few minutes later, it was already pouring. She offered to take me home, but I declined - i'd be ok in rain, it's hail that i'm scared of.
It's about 10 kays back to my house - I managed to outcycle the storm and i was dry (bar the mud from all the puddles everywhere) until I had to turn up in Delta Park. When the first drops fell, i heard them clank on my helmet. A few tiny hailstones, and then clank clank *clank*. I had to find shelter, and quickly. I wasn't going to make it to the playpark, so opted for a tiny little tree - the only one i could find - while watching the singletrack turning into a river.
A line from the pina-colada song kept ringing in my ears:
"Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
I'm not much into health food, I'm more into champagne."
getting caught in the rain ... maybe ... but i'm not into hailstorms!
When the storm calmed down, i continued up Delta park. It was deserted. When I came down it about 2 hours ago, there were cars and kids and dogs all over .... not a soul, just a white layer of hail and raging singletrack-rivers. I had the park all to myself. It was about 4 in the afternoon, almost dark but lots of daylight left.
The park was exceptionally muddy, but the wet grass was like a wash&go - by the time I reached the tar on the other side of the park, my bike had no sign of mud.
Getting caught in the rain? maybe .... hailstorms? exhilirating!
on a bike to cape town
(picture from the hatman's site)
There are different ways of getting to Cape Town on a bicycle.
You can load your rigid with panniers, buy an air ticket back, and take 2 weeks to solo-tour from Joburg to Cape Town, visiting friends and family along the way.
Or you can ride from Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town on the freedom challenge, cycling in snow storms over mountains to experience the best of South Africa's singletrack and the best of its hospitality.
If you like the idea of having a backup vehicle to transport your luxuries for you, or just want to experience a little more then just South Africa, you can maybe join Tour d'Afrique on their ride from Cairo.
If you have enough time you can, like Riaan Manser, start out from Cape Town and circumnavigate the continent before returning a few years later.
Or you can cycle from Durban to Cape Town on a unicycle.
One unicyclist and one blogger left Durban on 28 December - 3 weeks later, and they're in the Eastern Cape somewhere.
They're raising awareness of the horribleness of landmines. The tour was almost off due to lack of funds, but Rotary Umhlanga donated R5000 towards fuel, food and blogging expenses. They'll need more - their banking details is on their website - go have a look at the pics and if you've got change lying around, here's one way of spending it.
1 100 kms to go - good luck guys!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Alaskan version of Freedom Challenge
Up till a few days ago I thought Freedom Challenge was the most extreme physical anything any person can put himself through - possibly (only maybe) with the exception of climbing Mt Everest.
The heroes and heroines drag their bicycles over mountains for endless kilometers. Unsupported. They face gale-force winds, snow, mud, hail, killer-proteas, mechanical failures, map-reading-disabilities, map-maker-disabilities, injuries, sleeping in stables or outside - all so that they can earn the title of blanket-wearer.
I thought this was the most extreme event ever.
Then I stumbled accross the Alaskan version of the Freedom Challenge
(map from their website)
Advertised as the world's longest Winter Ultra Race Across Frozen Alaska, this is 1 100 miles of unsupported cycling across ... welll ... ice. In winter.
Like with Freedom Challenge, there are support stations where riders can get food and shelter. Outside of these, you're on your own.
Like Freedom challenge, there is a 'lighter' version of 'only' 350 miles. Equally unsupported. Equally cold.
Like freedom challenge, there is a higher_grade version if the cycling alone is not hard enough for you: you can do the whole distance on foot!
The event for 2010 is sold out.
So who's got some leave for early 2011??
The heroes and heroines drag their bicycles over mountains for endless kilometers. Unsupported. They face gale-force winds, snow, mud, hail, killer-proteas, mechanical failures, map-reading-disabilities, map-maker-disabilities, injuries, sleeping in stables or outside - all so that they can earn the title of blanket-wearer.
I thought this was the most extreme event ever.
Then I stumbled accross the Alaskan version of the Freedom Challenge
(map from their website)
Advertised as the world's longest Winter Ultra Race Across Frozen Alaska, this is 1 100 miles of unsupported cycling across ... welll ... ice. In winter.
Like with Freedom Challenge, there are support stations where riders can get food and shelter. Outside of these, you're on your own.
Like Freedom challenge, there is a 'lighter' version of 'only' 350 miles. Equally unsupported. Equally cold.
Like freedom challenge, there is a higher_grade version if the cycling alone is not hard enough for you: you can do the whole distance on foot!
The event for 2010 is sold out.
So who's got some leave for early 2011??
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Extreme Dinner 2010
Off-bike adventures with the slightly-crazy Mummy
Entrance fee on the Mnweni side is R25, and then it's R35 per day. Times 2 people, made the total amount R260. Agrippa couldn't use credit cards, and by the time we counted all our change, we had exactly 20c to spare. So we packed the chocolates and glasses and wine and bottled peppers and cheese and chocolates and off we went. Weather turned nasty, and we opted to stay in a cave that we found at the bottom of Rockeries, in stead of going up the pass.
There were lots of lovely green plants growing all around the cave. Wondered if i would be able to make one grow in a pot at home - such a healthy green colour.
Here's the Mummy ironing his clothes before the dinner party. These dinners are quite formal affairs, can't be seen with wrinkled clothes.
... and here he is in the jacuzzi, getting ready for the party. Can't be dirty either.
The best view that any jacuzzi possibly can have
Here he is baking pancakes .... pancakes just won't be the same if they're not baked in the Jamie Oliver pan.
.. and some after-dinner chess and wine - and some chocolates - the perfect end to a perfect evening.
Someone told the Mummy that milk is good for that morning-after-ness.
A lovely weekend :)
Entrance fee on the Mnweni side is R25, and then it's R35 per day. Times 2 people, made the total amount R260. Agrippa couldn't use credit cards, and by the time we counted all our change, we had exactly 20c to spare. So we packed the chocolates and glasses and wine and bottled peppers and cheese and chocolates and off we went. Weather turned nasty, and we opted to stay in a cave that we found at the bottom of Rockeries, in stead of going up the pass.
There were lots of lovely green plants growing all around the cave. Wondered if i would be able to make one grow in a pot at home - such a healthy green colour.
Here's the Mummy ironing his clothes before the dinner party. These dinners are quite formal affairs, can't be seen with wrinkled clothes.
... and here he is in the jacuzzi, getting ready for the party. Can't be dirty either.
The best view that any jacuzzi possibly can have
Here he is baking pancakes .... pancakes just won't be the same if they're not baked in the Jamie Oliver pan.
.. and some after-dinner chess and wine - and some chocolates - the perfect end to a perfect evening.
Someone told the Mummy that milk is good for that morning-after-ness.
A lovely weekend :)
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