WOW 2015 is almost done...

As the year winds down this is the best time to ride mountain bike in Gauteng. December is coffee month and filled with great social 'coffee rides'. I have had some great rides since the 94.7 madness. Sometimes it is just great to ride and feel the freedom of the great outdoors instead of chasing training targets or Strava segments. The tracks are not too muddy or overgrown yet because of the late rains leading to flowing and stress free rides.  Below are a few photos from some of the rides, hopefully there will be another blog post before the year end :-)

A few minute stop to appreciate the incredible sunrise

Group ride out to Irene market for muffins and coffee

Irene bunch 

December is coffee month with a Hava Java Platkop

4th of July 2015 - Irene Market ride

I arranged a ride out to Irene Market and back and was presently surprised by the turnout for the ride with a total of 23 people rocking up for this memorable experience. It was really great to see some friends I had not seen/ridden with for sometime like Roy, Mandi, Clint, Kathy, Ashley, Ross, Bevan etc... There were the usual Rough Rider suspects like Becky, Sean, Greg, Michael and Ian that joined us, my mate Pierre from Northcliffe and then some of Ash's mates that are training for Trans Baviaans.  It was a great bunch of people and it was a fantastic ride out to Irene Market - we changed the route slightly from the last time we rode and found a new 'technical' hill just before we hit the market. There were a few falls in the group during the whole ride and fortunately nothing too serious. 

Irene Market is special, there is a nice vibe, great coffee and the best home made muffins that one could ever taste. We went back home a different way (which is always my preferred option) and unfortunately the group split up with the racing snakes not waiting for the second group. This ride is one of my favourite rides and I finished on 102km - click here for the Strava stats of the ride. 

Group photo after coffee and muffin's at Irene Market 

Longest ride take 2

Ok so my last post was about my longest mountain bike ride - well yesterday I went one up and went on a 121km ride to Irene market and beyond. Strava activity link

Fantastic group consisting of some of our regular morning 'Rough Riders' - Greg, Wayne, Paul, Mark, Becky, Sean, Anton, Juan and a mate from my work, Graeme joining us as well (Hansie and Aiden joined us for the beginning of the ride - at least until my KOM was lost on the Jess segment - thanks Hansie....).  

Awesome route to Irene with a great stop at the Irene market where we ordered cappuccinos and demolished the best muffins in the world - well worth the slog to get there. The route back was around the Cornwall Estate, along outskirts of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve and then along the power lines until the train tracks. Then the real slog started with a 10km lung burner along the railway lines until the welcome stop at the legendary Broodblik for a refreshing coke. 

Becky, Graeme and I in front of the incredible muffin man...

Group photo at the Irene Market

Graeme, Mark and Anton in front of the Broodblik