Start of new things...

So almost three months after Sani 2 Sea I have got my new frame and am in the process of spraying all the old parts from my existing bike that would need to go onto the new frame (seat post, crank and handle bars). Hopefully my next blog post will be about my new bike - I am so excited and can't wait.  In the mean time I have been limping around on my old frame - trying to be extra careful that the compromised frame (frame is 2 inches shorter at the seat post clamp) does not snap completely. 

Compulsory portage over a river crossing at the Witklip MTB race

A couple of Saturdays ago Wayne and I did a new race at Bronkorspruit call the Witklip MTB race. It was a cold winter's morning reaching -4 degrees outside the car on the way there. It was also the first time I could use my new car (I got a brand new Hyundai Tuscon) to go to a race. This car is a SUV so it is higher off the ground then a normal sedan car and therefore great to ride on dirt roads and park in grassy fields for MTB races. The race was awesome - bedsides the fact that we had to wait 1/2 an hour to collect our race numbers in the cold before the start of the race. Also because of the delay at the start we had to start at the back of the race and had a couple of hundred cyclists ahead of us. There was loads of single track so we had to be very patient in the race and we slowly passed a lot of the riders but we knew we could never do a good time and just resigned ourselves to enjoy the new route. Wayne and I rode together and the route was great - I anticipated just district roads next to the mealie fields but in fact it was about 70% single track (a lot if it was purpose cut). We finished the 50km route with ease and saw Yvonne (one of the girls on the Benoni Rough Riders group) at the finish - she was the first lady home and also won the QOM spot prize also which was an incredible feat. 

Wayne and I at the finish 

New car which makes getting to races much easier 

August we are fortunate enough to have two public holidays - which means more time to spend on the bike. On the 3rd of August (holiday because of municipal elections) a bunch of 12 of us headed out to Big Red Barn near Irene.  This was a great 90km ride with a great group of people with a compulsory coffee at the half way mark, here are the Strava stats for this ride. 

Yesterday we did our first Apricot Tree 94.7 road race training ride. It was a pleasant ride with some awesome people however it reminded my of why I don't road bike anymore. The cars and trucks on the roads are too hectic and I am not too comfortable especially as I had a tangle with a car earlier this week. A lady went through a stop street and rode straight towards me (it was dark and I had my light on). I tried my best to get out the way but her side mirror clipped my handle bars. She was a bit shaken and confused saying she just rode towards the light - even though I was (oncoming) on the other side of the road. Close call but fortunately everything was fine on my side.  

The other reason I don't road bike - punctures (Sean fixing Becky's tyre)

My new frame and the start of a new era in my riding :-)

Training for Momentum 94.7

It has been an eventful few weeks since my last blog post. The weather has been a bit mucky and there has been loads of rain. I have managed to keep riding and did a 78km road bike ride with Clint and gang and then a lekker 68km ride with Adam on the MTB the following weekend. Adam and Marco are doing the Berg to Bush MTB stage race this weekend, it really sounds like fun and one to put on the race calendar one day. I had a special day last Sunday when I rode with my 11 year old son for the first time at Modderfontein Trails bike park. He managed 15km and really enjoyed himself on the pristine tracks at 'Modders'.

 

Yesterday I did a Saturday afternoon (55km) MTB ride with Greg and Justin, when we were about 20km from home the heavens opened and it rained really hard. I was drenched to the bone but it was actually quite refreshing riding in the rain and also the mud was washed off my bike making it one less chore to do when I got home.

 

My next race is the Momentum 94.7 road race on the 18th of November so this is the time of the year, when I spend some time on the tar instead of ripping up the dirt.  I did a magic road ride today, it started off as a short spin up Atlas road to loosen the legs from the previous days ride but when I hit Atlas road I caught up with a small bunch of riders and my ride dramatically changed. Being the riding slut I am, I asked where they going and if I could join them. Great bunch of people and we went for a long ride - I finished on 96km with over 800m of ascent - yes we went searching for hills towards Midrand and then Modderfontein.  Here are my Garmin readings showing my ride stats and the route that we did - Sunday 28-10-12 road ride.

 

Yours truly slogging away on the road bike...