Sunday, February 9, 2020

2020 vision on my MTB (avoiding the monkey)


Awesome riding for 2020 so far, it has been a great year with some incredible rides shared with the Benoni Rough Rider clan. Almost 900km riding in the month of Jan and some new routes and experiences. We ventured out to SuikerBosRand nature reserve(SBR) and did a bit of off-road - the track was slightly over grown since the last time, so it was interesting to forge new paths and a  bit of riding the rapids today after a few days of heavy rain. 

This year sees the introduction of the monkey (derived from the saying - monkey on my back). This is a floating trophy that is handed around the Rough Rider group and displayed by the last person that has fallen off their bike. I was the first to carry it but it has been passed around a few times since.   Below are a few pictures from 2020:

Rough Riders monkey carried by the last person to fall
Selfie at the top of the hill after bush whacking at SBR
SBR outride was awesome - chunky trying to keep up
Birthday ride
A bit of Riverfields track before work
Yes I can ride and take phots at the same time...
Team Metskill
Group ride...
More coffee...
Handing over the Monkey to Franz 
Displaying the monkey when it was on my back
Morning rides before work
Always enriching to see a sunrise in the morning. 
The Last Outpost -new coffee stop in Bapsfontein

Train tracks on the way to SBR
Beck lost in the long grass
Becky and Michael

Riding the rapids




Closing out 2019

Great year of riding for 2019. Marred with a few over the handle bar falls (mostly riding into 3 holes when following Juan's wheel 😮). But I managed to ride over 9200km for the year and had a blast with my Rough Rider Mates. 

I completed my 10th 94,7 road race on my MTB - with no visit to ICU this year. And my greatest achievement was to complete the Festive 500 on Strava with riding 520km between Christmas and New Year. What an amazing year riding with my Benoni Rough Rider friends and making a few new ones along the way. Below are a few pictures from the rides in November and December:
2019 94,7 before the start - my 10 race completed 
Blaauwpan morning rides
Mount Grace riding with a dutchman 
SBR off road 
SBR outride

Attacked by a vicious pothole
Bike pimped for the Christmas ride 
Rough Rider Christmas ride

Beck, Amy, Wayne and I on a great outride adventure (Festive 500)
Always time for coffee on our  mooring rides
Mark, Wayne and I looking for new routes for my Festive 500 
Rough Riders 
More coffee with the gang

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Weekend jol at Belfast

So I was fortunate enough to have a weekend away at my mates place at The Lochs, just outside Belfast. It was an awesome weekend with a couple of good mates that I have know since high school.  On the Sunday morning (nursing a slight hangover), Craig and I ventured out on our mountain bikes. It was so great riding different routes and exploring through the pine forests. Craig an avid biker knew his way around and took me on a great route that was short enough that we could get back in time for brunch with the rest of the clan. Riding outdoors here is incredible and the scenery allows you to appreciate the beauty of South Africa, forgetting all the troubles that are facing in our country. Thanks Craig and Mieke for your hospitality and the great memories old and new.

We going that way....



Nothing flat, either up or down

Found a paved rode through the forest
Customary selfie with Craig and I
Puffing up a drag and I could still have the skills to take a selfie :-) 

Winter rides and sunrises

So winter is officially over as the leg warmers and balaclava have been packed away. We rode through winter once again, although the Rough Riders numbers were somewhat reduced on the really chilly mornings. This time of the year you get to experience some incredible sun rises in the morning and I have managed to capture some of these on my phone:
SentraRand out ride
Korsman Pan

Modderfontien -3 degrees at the start of the ride
Paul, Franz and Sean
Paul makes an appearance at the end of winter
On the way to SentraRand
Out ride to Kitty Hawk- finished on 116km