I live in London 11 months of the year and get to spend a month in South Africa over Christmas! I've started riding about 8 years ago now and have only been able to take my bike home with me once before and after being home last year I decided that it is the last time that I will be sitting at the farmstall and watch how everybody else rides their bikes.
1. Local around our farm on the Garden Route
1. Local around our farm on the Garden Route
I had the privilege to ride with 'locals' around the farm; technically I was the local being born and bred in the area whilst they were just on holiday; although I was also on holiday!
At home I was able to ride in places I've only seen from
a far or driving past in a car. Some of the rides were a trip down memory lane
riding where I grew up with the sea right next to me. I was also lucky to meet
people to ride with which broke down my pre-conceived ideas of South Africans
back home being snobbish and unfriendly. How wrong was I?
One thing is for sure; these people can ride their MTB's fast on tar. We were averaging a speed higher than what I do on my road bike on the road when I'm fit on one those days into a head wind! I promised that I'll do a turn on the front when the wind was from behind. :-)
They were everything but that. Friendly, accommodating and very helpful. Thank you Rozanne, Albert, Grahame, Tim, Jean-Luc, Fanie & Marius!
One thing is for sure; these people can ride their MTB's fast on tar. We were averaging a speed higher than what I do on my road bike on the road when I'm fit on one those days into a head wind! I promised that I'll do a turn on the front when the wind was from behind. :-)
They were everything but that. Friendly, accommodating and very helpful. Thank you Rozanne, Albert, Grahame, Tim, Jean-Luc, Fanie & Marius!
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| Canopy trees towards the N2 |
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| Coastal road near Gourtizmond with Rozanne! |
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| Riding with the 'locals' aka holiday makers in the area! :-) TC the local, Jean-Luc, Rozanne, Graham & Fanie |
Riding in Hermanus was with my best friends. This was my 3 day break away from the farmstall.
It was like old times; like Tango Cycling Wales weekends, but just in Hermanus. Everything revolved around a good ride, eating and kuiering! Awesome! Thank you Steph, Gerhard, Christiaan, Kerryn, Si & Pokkeljie for the memories!
The trails and scenery was out of this world and the trails form part of the well-known Wine 2 Whales race. My favourite part was
riding up The Gorge and following the wheel of Steph like old times down some flowy twisty singletrack.
Read more about 'Heavenly' Hemel & Aarde Vallei
Day 1
Day 2
I indulged a little bit too much in all the good South Africa food and it felt like my breakfast sat in my throat whilst riding, but I'm so glad that I rode as the scenery was just so beautiful!
It was like old times; like Tango Cycling Wales weekends, but just in Hermanus. Everything revolved around a good ride, eating and kuiering! Awesome! Thank you Steph, Gerhard, Christiaan, Kerryn, Si & Pokkeljie for the memories!
Read more about 'Heavenly' Hemel & Aarde Vallei
Day 1
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| The Tango Twins were lost & found again before this picture! |
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| Tango Train |
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| Happy place |
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| All together now! |
I indulged a little bit too much in all the good South Africa food and it felt like my breakfast sat in my throat whilst riding, but I'm so glad that I rode as the scenery was just so beautiful!
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| Early morning sunrise! |
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| Steph & Si! :-) |
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| The morning after the night before! |
One of my highlights was when our dog a good sized, Bull
Mastiff, Mincke invited herself to join me for some singletrack hunting on the
farm. She replaced me as laat lammetjie ('late lamb') or in English youngest child in the
house so has never been my favourite, she stole my heart and I would like to get a
trail dog now! She was so funny though, not used to all the exercise she went for a
swim in the dam and refused to run after that again.
Explore more about The Farm!
Explore more about The Farm!
The day before I returned was spent with Christiaan &
Elisca on trails that form part of one of the Cape Epic stages. It was the
hottest day on my whole holiday, the temperature was close to the 40's. The
trail was 95% singletrack, constantly going up & down and traversing round
the mountain.
Because of the heat in South Africa there isn't much time for respite, you ride to finish your ride before the heat of the day. That means you shut up & pedal so that your ride is done by 10:00! The trail provides you with views over the whole of the Bainskloof Valley before you head over to the furthest part which spans views over to the Swartland! It has a good combination of easy rideable fast flowing singletrack and a few pieces of nice rock garden type singletrack.
I still need to get a bit braver with the regular narrow little bridges that they sneak in regularly when you least expect it.
Read more about Wonderful Welvanpas!
I found riding in South Africa much better than what I expected.
TC's Observations
1. The pace as these people can klap/cane it on the district roads with!
2. The heat is something out of this world and mostly not in a good way for us who are used to ride in mild to VERY cold conditions
3. Rides take place early morning and you still have the whole day to do other things
4. The trails are well built not as technical as what I'm used to in comparison to Wales
5. The trails are dusty and I'm sure for us from the UK that is one thing that isn't a problem!
Because of the heat in South Africa there isn't much time for respite, you ride to finish your ride before the heat of the day. That means you shut up & pedal so that your ride is done by 10:00! The trail provides you with views over the whole of the Bainskloof Valley before you head over to the furthest part which spans views over to the Swartland! It has a good combination of easy rideable fast flowing singletrack and a few pieces of nice rock garden type singletrack.
I still need to get a bit braver with the regular narrow little bridges that they sneak in regularly when you least expect it.
Read more about Wonderful Welvanpas!
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| Bainskloof |
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| Trying out IamSUPERBAR, a healthy dried fruit and nuts bar made by Elisca's friend |
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| View towards the Swartland! |
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| Singletrack for miles! |
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| Singletrack satisfaction! |
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| Elisca properly said something inappropriate to make us both laugh like this! |
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| The Dollas in action |
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| Welvanpas |
TC's Observations
1. The pace as these people can klap/cane it on the district roads with!
2. The heat is something out of this world and mostly not in a good way for us who are used to ride in mild to VERY cold conditions
3. Rides take place early morning and you still have the whole day to do other things
4. The trails are well built not as technical as what I'm used to in comparison to Wales
5. The trails are dusty and I'm sure for us from the UK that is one thing that isn't a problem!
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| The Dust-O-Meter! |
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