Rooiberg Eco Ride 2010

Rooiberg Eco Ride 2010, wow what an experience (learning experience that is). The excitement and anticipation of the last few months finally came to fruition, as Greg and  me embarked on a memorable '3' day stage ride. Unfortunately the weather did not come to the party as it had rained for days and carried on raining most of the time we were there, needless to say the roads were extremly muddy and snotty. Below is the camp that we stayed at - room with 4 beds, shower and communual kitchen etc.

Plenty of rain, we had driven some of the route to the start and saw the condition of the road and hence below is a photo of the 'wet' Day 1 (maybe that is why Day 2 was so tough).

Day 2 - we did not really know what we were getting into, this was the toughest day in my brief mountain biking life. The route was really really tough, loads of hills (more like mountains) and difficult technical single track, loose rock and of course mud. 

This was before the pain started.

 

First serious hill 5km into the ride - aptly named Fat Bastard

I am supposed to ride this?

 

The Donga 3km of riding/walking on an enclosed walled ravine, plenty of water, what an experience.

Welcomed tea stop

Yes we rode/walked from one side of the valley to the other.

Self portrait after whilst resting up another steep walk up a hill.

Brunch in the bush, phew I needed the rest.

I finally caught up with racing snake Greg (by taking a few alternative short cuts), this was taken whilst walking up one of the infamous steep hills with loose stones so there was not much grip.

Till next year - where we will be better prepared and hopefully tame the beast this time.   

Sunday 18th April

Stan the man could not be woken out of his slumber this morning - wisdom comes with age they say. Needless to say Greg and myself set off from home at 06:15 to meet at the gym by 06:30.

Rich - "how far should we go?",
Greg - "don't mind how long is your pink ticket for?"

Rich - "no time limit, but I know you have a plan to catch to Nigeria"

Greg - "not fussed, if I had my way I would do the normal (50km) route twice" 

Eeeeeek Rich thought to himself - where was Stan his anchor man when he needed him?

Greg - rode hard (plane to catch....) and Rich spent the all the time trying to catch up.  Out through Marister/Petit towards Serengeti and through the mud, past the mielies to Barnhoppers model airplane flying club (past Bapsfontein road). Short rest, rearranged clothing, hydropack etc - there were no takers from the model aircraft owners for my kind offer "you can ride my bike, if I can fly your plane". On leaving the flying club, we saw a group of mongoose (if you look really close you may spot them in the photo below). 

Shortly after leaving the flying club, going through a dip I dislodged the side wall on my back tyre and had to bomb it quick, before carrying on. Rode through a really muddy part at one stage and had to really give it horns or else you would be stuck (spent the next hour or so to recover from this burst of energy). Back home via our normal pasage past Serengeti golf estate (Rich still walking over the bridge). Rich did his normal over the handle bars dismount when going through the small dip after the 'model speed boat' dam (eish I am getting good at falling). 

Back home in almost one piece 68kms of hard but great riding - come on Rooiberg I am not so scared anymore.... 

 

Back in the saddle - weekend rides 10 & 11 April

How awesome was it to be back in the saddle this weekend after 3 weeks off with the foot injury. Greg and me did 2 nice +50km rides (Greg and Stan have also been man down with the flu the last 2 weeks).  With Rooiberg Eco challenge in less then 2 weeks we really had to put in some time in the saddle. 

The weather was on ourside - the Saturday was bright and sunny and the Sunday was cold but dry. Couple of obsticles on the Saturday ride - overflowing sewage manhole that created a stinking stream that had to be portaged - Greg was first and showed me what not to do (wetting one foot), he kindly took my bike over cesspit (in the process wetting his other foot). We continued our ride with the dry footed Richard passing a few undeserved jokes towards the ripe smelling Greg. Below are photos of the traffic jam that we had to work around a few kms later near Serengeti.

The traffic on the Sunday ride was more about how many mountain bikers we saw on the route that we thought was ours, at least 20 other bikers were leaving their tracks on portions of devine route. I was really doing well with not falling on the Sunday ride, going through all the 'technical' bits wth ease until 5kms from home I had my first fall - cutting my tyre side wall in the process. 4 bombs later, there was no other way but to walk to the nearest garage about 1.5kms away. Greg being the nice guy that he is, let me ride his bike while he pushed mine (so that my foot injury did not take any further strain). That at least deserves another photo of the super hero Greg in this blog post (in his new SuperSport kit - courtesy of Melt and Pierre).

 

After the fixing the tyre at the garage, we continued our ride home and believe it or not someone moved hole that took me out a few weeks ago (by the Homestead dam wall). A nice over the handle bars dismount and a landing that must of measured on the Richter scale took pay to my temporary confidence in MTB technical skills :).

Sunday 7th March

Greg and me were fortunate to be joined by Gerry on our ride this morning, we had a good hard ride and for once Greg let me beat him on the hills.

We have entered the Rooiberg Eco Challenge in April which is a 3 day ride throught the Game reserves in Rooiberg, wich I am really looking forward too.

Weekend ride Sat 27 Feb

Fantastic muddy ride this morning, started early - meeting at the gym at 06:00 and ventured out towards Serengeti. First muddy single track next to Atlas drive in, plenty of water and our chains and derailers became clogged with grass so we had to stop and clean them. I had my first fall of the day shortly after this - going through a dip, I didn't lift my front wheel and went flying over the handle bars knocking the wind out my chest in the process - schools fees. Riding to Serengeti, I must mention that I was for the first time slightly quicker then Greg (he must have been saving himself for the last few hills home). 

Rain damage - the pallisade fense over the bridge by Serengeti has been washed away, must have been quite a flood.

Fall number 2 happended shortly after the bridge - bike just skidded in the mud as I was talking to Greg: 

The jeep track was floaded in places - Greg trying to brave the wet....

At last Greg had a fall - score is Rich 55, Greg 3:

After a brief stop at the Petit farmers market for a muffin and coffee (and plenty of laughs at how dirty we were) we ambled home, 50+ km ride that was really awesome. Stan we missed you bud.

Benoni mine dumps 13 Feb

We have finally ventured out into the mine dumps in Benoni. What an awesome ride - there was a bit of everything - single track, rocky parts, sand and small climbs. Fortunately Greg has spent many hours here on his dirt bike and knew his way around. Great to try new routes, below are photos of Stan, Greg and me at the 'dumps'.

And yes on the way home we lost Stan, he was riding ahead (as I was too slow) and we didn't see which way he went. After much panic and phone call to his better half he carried on as he made it back home.

Fast One

The Fast One MTB race at the Vaal became the slow painful one, as I fell off a wooden bridge and hit my head on the bottem of the stream. Rushed to hospital for Xrays and a CAT scan, couldn't find anything (no comments about the brain), thank God for my bike helmet (which is now trashed).

I was fortunate to have Greg and Pierre at the race to help get my bike and stuff to the hospital etc - thanks guys. Head is sore and neck is tender, officially the Lion is allergic to bridges.....

Greg and Pierre before the race.

Rain rain rain - Tues 26th Jan

As if we did not have enough rain this month, there was a down pour last night and some of the roads we encountered on the morning ride were flooded.

 

Sunday Ride 17th Jan 2010

We had an awesome ride today, Stand, Greg and me were fortunate to be joined by a friend of Stan's - Ed and his son Jarred (pictured below).

The route that we took was along Homestead Dam towards Atlasville and the out towards the plots. At the bottem of Brentwood stables Greg opted to to go through the wet grass track towards Great North road and shouted out the challenge, Jarred and Richard accepted the challenge but the older wiser men Stan and Ed stuck to the tar.

Greg's enthusiasm was soon dampened when he hit a hole covered in water and took a tumble, shaving off some skin off his shin - real man does not cry.  Greg was 1-0 up in the fall department, Richard soon overtook with 2 tumbles in the mud near the model power boat dam.

We then went out passed Senringeti golf estate (carefully navigating the small bridge over the river) and then into the open veld. Seen below are the boys having a halftime energy snack and chat.

A few more tackles with mud and portage crossing over small stream (a real man rode through it) and then our route was blocked by a huge trench that was dug during the week for a gas pipe. A bit of portage to get around this obsticle. Stan the man shown below (after ramping the trench).

Don't wait for us boys!!!!!

We ventured home via the Sandpan and the small climb to Linmed hospital (very tempted to check in) and then back to our starting point at the Wimpy in Lakefield - 50km ride that will be remembered for a long time. Thanks boys.

Back home to clean the bike - good as new, the legs give away that there was a bit of mud....

Saturday 16th Jan

Ratty and Lion went for a early ride - short but hard. Awesome to see the sunrise.

Sunday 10th Jan

At last the rain has laid up and we were greeted with a beautiful sunny day.

We did the same route as last Sunday - still quite muddy but well worth it. Cellphone was now placed in a zip locked bag in case Lion went swimming once again (Ratty did not bring the snorkel with that he had previously flashed around).

Greg has now got a can of pepper spray on his bike in case the criminals attack us - or we need to ward off those swarms of horse flies :)

Wet Wet Wet

No not the rock band but the ride today.

Whilst Ratty was slaving away at work Richard and Greg went out to play in the mud (and water). After a few days of rain, the conditions were almost too difficult to ride in. We did another +55km ride and had lots of tumbles in the mud. Our bikes were really caked in mud but we came to a small bridge that crossed last week that was now completely flooded (as pictured below) and managed to wash off our bikes.

Awesome experience..last of the long weekday rides as I am back to work soon :(

Richard goes Snorkelling

Sunday swim

Lion went for a great MTB ride this morning with Ratty, Greg and Joan 50km+. Lots of rain the night before so there was plenty of mud. Greg had 2 falls and I took the mickey out of him....but then I took a tumble off the bridge staight into the stream (totally submerged) - who has the last laugh?

First ride of 2010

What a better way then to spend the first day of 2010 with a nice ride on the dirt. Lion was fortunate enough to ride past an old school mate Greg Heunis a couple of weeks ago and have had a few memorable rides with him since then.

Today we did a 50+ km ride past Senengeti golf estate and then back via the Sandpan. A bit of mud in places but we went on new routes that we learnt from seasoned bikers that we rode with last week - Willie and Frikke and avoided getting the feet wet.

Ratty was pushing some zzzzz after New Year's eve and couldn't make the morning ride, but he will be nagged to join us for Sunday.

Here is a picture of Greg riding on the single track near the Sandpan.

Family ride Suikerbosrand 31-12-09

Lion's family are venturing out on their bikes nowdays, here are some photo's of the Lioness and the cubs at Suikerbosrand. It was a hot day and after a ride for 45min we had a picnic under a tree.  Ratty made a cool seat so the yougest can ride with dad.