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.

Mud and more Sunday 20th Dec

Lion got new tyres on his mountain bike and wanted test out the new grip. We ventured put to the MTB track that is next to the ORT airport, lovely day with the rising sun not too hot as there was a bit of cloud to keep things cool.

The single track was awesome - as usual Ratty led the way - there was a nice bridge made of crates to get over the worst of the mud (luckerly for Lion the horse flies were still sleeping). Loads of mud and water, at one stage the single track was a little stream for the rain water to run off from the previous night . The forest section was enchanting - the winding track made you loose your sense of direction. Lion fell off a few times - not because of the new tyres but a co-ordination problem. Pictured below is Lion tackling the big grass and Ratty with splash up on his back.

Alien infestation in Benoni?

I must admit Richard has been a good host, for his privacy I have not written about the horseflies last year,
but certain events have left me with no choice this may yet become a matter of global importance.
One for the men in black if we have any.

Confused? Yes, so am I.

Perhaps the best place to start is at the beginning lets go back one year then shall we?

The Rat and the Lion were still new to mountain biking, Ratty’s little brain is equipped with a GPS and as such finding paths is normally left to him, Finding s water is also a little sideline ratty gets into, so inevitably at some point we end up in a swamp.

It is rainy season and Ratty heads for high ground, The Lion instead is wading knee deep in stagnant water with his bike on his shoulders (just like a real man would)
The lion must have been a prime target, Perfect DNA for a host.I believe a mutant species of horseflies (possibly alien) Took to feasting on the lion, - he suffered terribly and was bitten at least 50 times

For a while we steered clear of the swamp…

But Sunday 13 of Dec, the lion seemed a little different on his ride, he kept trying to meet up with other alpha males, he kept heading for water and he kept falling of his bike. I think his body was being controlled from within. Ratty proverbially speaking smelt a rat when the lion headed on towards the swamp. This confused ratty a little because it was after all rainy season.

Perhaps the company of a newly found alpha male who had tagged onto the ride made the Lion want to show off, we headed straight to the stream. Fortunately ratty was first to wade across, unfortunately he cut himself in the crossing.

BLOOD

Ratty turned to the Lion for courage and was most horrified to witness, a chilling sight, live horseflies seemed to be erupting from the Lions skin!

Savage and eager to start a new lifecycle they attacked us, Lion and the more alpha male suffered terribly.
Ratty who was fortunately on the other side of the stream took to his bike and fled suffering only a few bites, no eggs were laid.
Someone though needs to start watching Richard, I believe the mutant flies possessed with a higher order intelligence carefully selected a host (why else would ratty have escaped, not once, but twice)

The lion’s insistence on attracting other alpha males seemed programmed,  I believe it an uncontrolled action to lure good DNA into the swamp. I believe the proximity of the stream close to Denel aviation and all it’s military secrets is not coincidence, I believe more eggs were laid and the number of hosts has multiplied.

Now where are those men in Black?

WHERE HAS THE STOMACH GONE RATTY?

ATTACKED BY A SWARM OF FEMALES!!

Beast of the East 29th Nov 09

The Beast of the East mountain bike race held at Dunplain Equestrian Estate in the East Rand - the Lion needed to lick his wounds after the 94.7 race and rediscover that Mountain Biking is far better than riding on the road (Ratty declined to share this expeience with Lion).

This was by far the best race of the year - the course had a bit of variety from drop offs, jeep track, water and water crossings. I did the race with work colleague Martin Felix and my neighbour Gerry Capatos. It was really an awesome experience, I felt strong the whole race and did my best time or km per hour this year.
Below are picutes of Gerry and Martin at the start.

Momemtum 94.7 road race 15th Nov

What a long, hot and tiring race - Lion was reduced to a kitten in this race. The mountain bike and the hot tar for 96.5km, was not a good combination (never mind the fact that hills were on steriods that day). Next year will have to be on a road bike :( and I must refrain from partying in the early hours of the morning in Cape Town a few days before.
Positives - it was awesome experience 26000 people started the race (so I never rode alone) and there was a real vide between everyone. Below is a picture of me and a good mate Bradley who came to support around the half way mark.

 

First 100km up

Sunday the 1st of November Lion accomplished an amazing feat. He teamed up with a couple of road bikers (sorry for being unfaithful Ratty) and punished the tar for 100km. It was tough going trying to keep up with the lighter road bikes (and the fitter people on them) but it was acheived.

Come on 94.7 road race - the Lion is not afraid anymore.

Northern Farms 18 Oct 09

Great short ride at the Dirt Festival at the Northern Farms. We completed the 20km route as we has to rush home as one of the Lion cubs was in hospital. The track was very lucky not to have the 2 heavy weights punish even further..

2 fat bastards before the race

Saturday Ride - 3 October 09

What an awesome ride today, I picked up ratty at 06:00 and we ventured off into the Benoni outback. First stop at the sandpan for a few 'careful' rides on the off road bike track (ground is very loose after the first summer rains).

Off through the open veld heading towards Bapsfontein - we met up with a group of 5 mountain bikers who were going on a long distance ride. We did about 15km with them and they showed us new a new route into the plots. It was nice chatting with the guys and I did not have to look at look at the Rat for a change. We peeled off with one of the riders when we realised that these boys mean business and were doing a long haul.

Ratty and Lion rode through the agricultural plots and on piece of single track, my front wheel hit a large grass clump, back tyre slid out and I went flying face first into the grass. Ratty who was (too) close behind me went crashing into my bike and we both ended on the ground. Below is a photo of the aftermath (there were a group of farm labourers who witnessed this an couldn't believe their eyes - eish). Petit Boere market next - we rode in past the stalls and stopped for a quick coffee followed by a home made lemon shooter to restore our dignity.

Homeward bound in lovely overcast weather.

Sunday 20 Sept Ride

Ratty and Lion got off to a cold windy start, the Rat had tried his best to weasel out of the ride, but sanity pervailed (a real man does not say no to the fresh open plains that beckon). Off to the sandpan at a brisk pace 25km/h (ok that is brisk for us).

At the Sandpan (old mine with lots of ramps and small hills that motorcross maniacs have converted to a small track) Lion almost came a croper had Ratty not warned him that there was a massive hole after the ramp he was about to ride over - phew.

Off to the pan which had dried up somewhat, crossing over the dried mud that was once covered in water a few months ago. Below are photos of the two of us and the seagulls that we disturbed.

The next few kms were hard and relatively fast, Ratty reminiced that we first walked to one small hile next to the polar field - the legs are getting stronger.

A few kms from the end - yes you guesed it Ratty had another puncture. Two at the same time to be factual (but the front one sealed itself) so only the back one which had a new tube in from a puncture during the week was damaged. THE SCORE IS 11 NIL TO LION.