tubed

Hi more talks about talks....... eish any chance there is a link to the proposed EMP? well done to you guys for persevering with this

I don't want to moan about Tokai and would rather make some some constructive comments - if possible. My feelings about Tokai are more sad, frustrated and disappointed - it should be so much better. From the outset I will commend the trail builders - without this crew, it would really be a travesty of note. I consider the R45 per outing expensive, the offering has declined and the price increases have no correlation to inflation, don't reflect an increased service or from what I can see, they don't bear any relation to an increase in costs. I regard Tokai and Silvermine as one area - for most people you cris-cross them both in an outing, so paying only once makes sense. Effectively then, in the South Peninsula we have one area of singletrack and trails - for which Sanparks require a permit. If I understand it now, they require you to have a permit to ride on the lower Table Mountain as well - they just haven't begun enforcing it. About a year or more ago the management of the area changed and we hoped for a new approach from Sanparks, but all I see is the same. My interaction with the staff has generally been poor - they come across as predominantly enforcers - there is no customer service mindset or welcoming attitude - cyclists are just tolerated, its an 'us versus them' mentality. The attitude of the staff reflects that of management - they are on a good thing now, they have no need to increase or even maintain the service and they can increase the costs without any regard to the client - they have a captured and growing market. This thread does however reflect the growing trend of people refusing to use the facility and going elsewhere for far better value. Pedal Power have also it seems given up trying to engage Sanparks - they pick the easier battles. So until Sanparks are forced to consider their customers, they will continue to milk Tokai/ Silvermine for all its worth - a legislated monopoly with customers having no real alternative.

It is a very very dangerous thing you are doing.........from here there is no turning back, the bug will bite, it will crawl under your skin and then that obvious sense of adventure you and every one of us have will be awakened. You wont ever be the same again. Enjoy the trail and the freedom it brings you.

Shane - wow! A real credit to the industry - hope you are well rewarded with plenty of support for the shop.

thanks for the feedback and the action - much appreciated (got to say I tried very hard, but unsuccessfully, to promote the Freedom Challenge 2013 thread onto the front page, sent numerous mails and requests to mods, now I know where to go!)

One more thing - this should really be featured on the homepage under News and Features, it deserves its place in the showcase and not merely as a topic

Agreed!, great photos and by all accounts great racing. Just looking at the pics it looks to me world away from a funride - which is what it is supposed to be - a showcase of our top local talent. I like the look of the whole 'package', well done and well presented - I hope it attracts more interest. Hats off to the guys sticking their neck out and organising this.

Hi all I know we are well passed the event, but it takes a bit of time for some of the guys to get back to normal life (me included), then the blogs, videos and photos start appearing, they are well worth the look at. If anything is going to give you the gees of the event it will be some of these, especially as most of the footage is done by the guys themselves and you cant create the rawness of it (this is true reality tv!) have a look here: 1. http://afreedomexperience.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html - written in Afrikaans (lekker), Marnitz is a true competitor, he was always going to do it his way. If anybody want to be part of his journey next year, throw a few bob at his effort, he could be a winner 2. Erics blog www.thunderboytjie.wordpress.com , the videos and soundtrack are great, also see https://www.facebook.com/EricFreedomChallenge?fref=ts 3. http://www.freedomchallenge.org.za/ - some more blogs here enjoy

a well written article http://www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com/land-and-people/3411-the-pain-is-soon-forgotten

This is what happens when you cant ride the FC this year because you have to 'work'. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.589057211145843.1073741838.216509148400653&type=1 Ugene Nel 'working' and exploring without boundaries. Following the FC you are guaranteed to find a new level of invincibility and you will become quite comfortable with just a backpack, some maps and a bike, then you realise just how fantastic a place we live in.

This is well worth a read and a look at the photos: www.thunderboytjie.wordpress.com

Some of Eric's pics coming through.

Eina so that's what it is Deanbean was wondering, those things are made by the devil himself, a patch of them and there is no easy exit

Final lot

Some more

These three guys from Hout Bay rode together, they rode sensibly and finished in about 19 days, they didn't ride at night and they had a blast. I mention this because although the FC can be beyond difficult, it is by no means impossible for any reasonable cyclist. You don't have to ride through the night or put yourself in difficulty, it is really not beyond a consistent daily rider - trust me. Just look at the photos and see how much fun these guys had. (photos shamelessly taken from Barry Futter's open FB page) (PS: Thanks for all the kind words)

Thank You: All that remains from my side is to say a huge thanks to everyone who read, contributed to (especially Shebeen), liked and posted messages of appreciation. I had no idea there were so many people who were interested in the race, I had two objectives in trying to regularly contribute: 1. To promote the race and trail to an interested audience, but who might not see the race via its traditional channels (see below), this is a very unique South African event which as the slogan says embodies ’the essence of mountain biking’ and as such it occupies a unique place in our offering of trails – long may it last. 2. To restore my faith in the power and reach of social media as a useful tool – I think the fact that nearly 22 000 views in three weeks was achieved says something about how a forum can be a very useful and powerful tool. I sincerely hope that some more people have been inspired to take on either the Race to Rhodes, the various Rides to Rhodes or the Freedom Challenge: Race Across South Africa – I can almost guarantee you a life changing experience if you do. For those that want to tour parts of the trail – come on now: Just Do It! Finally, I will try and link, post the various trip reports, blogs and facebook pages as the racers settle back home and begin their writing – there are sure to be some good stories, pictures and videos. Thanks again Charl www.freedomchallenge.org.za www.facebook.com/freedomchallenge http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com

All riders home: mission accomplished Race Office All told a very successful Race Across South Africa concluded yesterday with the two Extreme Triathletes finishing and Chris and Julia Fisher ending this part of their honeymoon. Smiles all around at Diemersfontein yesterday as the race office can relax a bit and the last riders head home. A bit about the race office – it comprises the race director and founder Dave Waddilove, Meryl Glaser the ‘CEO’ and Glenn Harrison (from Rhodes onwards) and Ben de Lange (to about Rhodes). One of the distinguishing features of stage races in South Africa seems to be the personalities behind the races, for Sani2C its about the personal touch from Farmer Glen and his team, the guys from Dryland have made a name for their traditional South African hospitality along their routes. For the Freedom Challenge, the race office is also very unique, it is your contact with the outside world and a ‘form’ of support, why I say that is I heard the comment recently that Dave should be known as Dave Waddi, cause there’s no ‘love’ in that man, not with that route and not with his ‘support’ during the race. My comment was a sharp response: 'love’ you get from home and the ‘support’ to finish you get from Dave. If Dave were to show any softness during the race I would peg the finishers at about 30% each year, you don’t get through this race on soft feely support, you get support from a guy who realises that he has year after year put people in positions where they are very very far outside their comfort zones, where they are at times in potentially life threatening situations if they don’t think clearly and trust their preparation. If he were soft and accommodating people would start looking for support they don’t need and support they are not going to get. When I was trying my best to encourage a friend from quitting this year, he had already begun arranging to be picked up, my clear message to him was that right then he had everything he needed to get him home, that the advice and love from the outside world when he got a signal was all well and good – but just him, his bike and his backpack was all he needed. So before anyone doubts the intentions of the race office – just think that their primary objective as far as you are concerned is to make sure that you get to the finish, because that alone is your objective, especially when you are no longer rationalising things properly. Meryl on the other hand will make sure you have everything you need and that your family and the rest of the world know where you are – it is no coincidence that when you arrive frozen, tired and near hypothermic at some very remote farm, that the soup is hot and someone is home and ready to welcome you, Meryl knows where you are and what you need. Ben de Lange – he is also the eyes and ears of the riders in the early part of the race when you are settling in to your routine and figuring things out, especially when the navigation is tricky, Ben will be able to tell David exactly where you are. He is also the tireless link to the Freedom Challenge Scholarship Fund and won’t miss out on an opportunity to raise funds for this worthy cause. Glenn Harrison – Glenn is first and foremost a very accomplished rider, as you will have seen he writes well too, he provides insight into the race which few can, he also has begun providing spares to riders over the last couple of years as riders strip his race machine and kit down the route – in an attempt to stop this he seems to be riding with an increasingly minimalist approach – that didn’t stop Guy from relieving him of his shoes this year – where will it stop?

Stettyns: the approximately 50km that was the final stage for Eric and Gaeren took them about 12 hours, they are now blanket wearers - they have both paid their dues to finish, hopefully the pics tell the story, see more here: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/

A nice read from Eric tonight as he reflects on his trip across the Klein Karoo and Breede River Valley and his last day tomorrow. Klein Karoo. The calm before the storm. Most of the riders leave Prince Albert in the very early hours of the morning but having never seen the famous Swartberg pass I opted to leave closer to sunrise so I could see this amazing feat of engineering. It's a long long climb up, with its impressive zig zags and tight turns before finally reaching the turn off west into the Gamkaskloof valley. It was around then that I started realizing the day was anything but simply riding up the pass and dropping into die hell. The road into the valley is neverending, with long climbs and descents before arriving at the very steep switchbacks to drop onto the valley floor. I got stuck on the switchbacks behind a grader that was churning a nice hard packed surface into mud and slush but thankfully the driver saw me in his mirror after a while and stopped, I clambered over the giant earth moving contraption one wheel at a time ( there was no simply going around it, not like road width is in abundance out there) before trying to get as far ahead of him down the zig zags as quickly as possible without having rocks landing on me from above. Not the best timed move in the history of overtaking! A quick ride on the green mossy valley road before arriving at the overnight stop, a rickety old Sprite caravan with a distinct Deliverance feel to it in the campsite, but what it lacked in comforts the hosts more than made up for with food and friendliness. I befriended the campers in the campsite next door that evening and enjoyed their fine company and roaring fire before hitting dreamland. The body has started its own weird ritual now, 7:30 pm it starts yawning, 8 pm it self destructs into a sleepy slumber. 1am wake up drenched in sweat no matter how cold you are (I remember this happening once in a while during peak training for big runs but its a daily occurrence out here) and anything from 3 to 5am is wake up time. The haul the next day out of the Gamkaskloof started with a gentle 10kms along the valley floor, over the Gamka river and enjoying the views of the canyon heading north to the dam just catching the early morning light. A few climbs up and down and then it was time to tackle one of the Freedom's legends, die leer - or the ladder. It's a rocky path that basically leads straight up the mountain to get out of the valley which is effectively a cul-de-sac. Bike on back and hiking up and up and up before eventually reaching the signpost, foolishly pulling the wool over your eyes that you're at the top. The track then continues its rocky way through a good few more valleys before eventually dropping down to the top of the Bosch Luis Kloof pass. This was back in familiar territory having been here a few months back so I took a few minutes to indulge in a long awaited cup of coffee. Nearby the Seweweekspoort peak, dotted with snow, would make brief appearances from under its cloudy blanket before disappearing again. From here it was a wonderful afternoons riding alongside the Klein Swartberg mountains and into the farm Rouxpos, a magic setting in a beautiful valley tucked up right against the mountains. Another good meal and the legendary Rouxpos waffles preceded a good nights sleep. Another early start and a few hours riding before sunrise to get into the Anysberg where I had hoped to spend the night. Arriving early afternoon it was discovered that there was no bed available (the famous Cape Nature incompetence on its finest form again) but it was early enough and I knew most of the route ahead so quickly sorted my things and headed off again. It was a long days riding but arriving in Montagu by nightfall was a huge boost as I had made up a day and I enjoyed settling into the night at the fine establishment of the Montagu Country Hotel. Dinner in the nice posh restaurant in my orange croc slippers before succumbing to dreamland again. 3 more sleeps. The ride out of Montagu is spent dodging big trucks and cars on the R62 before swinging a left just beyond Ashton to take in some vineyards and the district roads to Mcgregor. It was great riding, the chilly morning air keeping everything nice and crisp with another beautiful sunrise behind me. One unexpected skill I've learnt on this ride is angry-dog-management. You can just see it coming as you approach labourers cottages, one minute everything is nice and peaceful the next you're hauling like there's no tomorrow with a farmyard special gnashing at your pedals. Out comes the water bottle, preferably the one with sticky concentrate juice, and fire away! Those dogs blessed with half a brain cell usually back off after the first shot but some of the more ignorant persistent ones just keep coming back for more, in the face, an eye full of it, up the nose, you name it they get it. All's fair in love and war out there. Arriving in Mcgregor midmorning meant there was time for a quick cup of tea and sandwich before starting up to the mountains. Following the main road through Montagu it climbs up gradually towards the mountains before becoming a dead end at the Greyton Mcgregor hiking trail. Somewhere along this road before the hikers cottages we swing west and go over the mountains and through the farms and veld, basically running parallel for a while to the hiking trail but one valley north, before picking up a farm road running to the farm Kasra which was to be my overnight stop. I had been forewarned about the wonderful hospitality at the Oestervanger, the guest cottage at Kasra, and it was as super as expected. Dinner was one of the best to date and I even savoured a few sips of Robertson red wine (they're patriotic about their wines out this way!) before again succumbing to the night time ritual. With all this wonderful food I do believe I may be one of the few riders arriving home having put on weight! This morning was admittedly a lazy start to the day, the sound of rain falling wasn't helping to get me going any faster but I set off at first light into soft rain that cleared as the morning grew light. Up and over the mountains again following the electric power lines, through fields and meadows, talking to the cows (its been almost two weeks on my own so I'll take whatever conversation I can get) before dropping down to the Brandvlei dam and up the valley to Trouthaven where I am spending tonight. This is a bitter sweet moment as I sit writing this tucked up in this valley with its steep walls on either side. It's difficult to imagine that there is one mountain range separating me from finally putting this journey to rest, but its in these last mountains that lies the sting in the tail of the Freedom Challenge. Stettynskloof. It's a name I've been dreaming of for 23 days and its a place I've been fearing for 2 years. It's a monster with a reputation as hard as they come, and its the Goliath standing tall out there right now. It's going to be one of those one step at a time episodes but I'm looking forward to getting in there and knuckling down to the fight tomorrow. The battle of Stettyns will be brutal without doubt but come hell or high water I'm getting over those mountains and to the finish tomorrow. I've made a good long haul out of this so far but I stand in absolute awe and respect at the people that rode this thing as if they just ride across the country every other week. The likes of the champions Martin and Jeannie that wrap it up in 12 days, Glenn flying over the Black Fountain mountains on his single speed to blitz it to Rhodes in a little over two days is unfathomable, and especially the Freight Train Five that made it look so easy - Guy, Ant, Shaun, Ted, and Martin - you guys are brilliant, very big respect indeed. Well, little else to do now but lie in wait for tomorrow. Sort bike. Sort pack. Sort mind. Then we tackle those last steps and bring this home.

In my first year a blizzard forced me to go around and not over Lehanas Pass, this year the guys hardly saw a drop of rain and don't know the meaning of the word mud - at some stage the Leer was in doubt - you play the hand you are dealt in that year - no asterisk needed Stettyns has changed too - early years it was a bushwhack, year before last it was stubble and open, last year someone had been through it with a weedeater of sorts in parts (I kid you not) and another had placed tags on bushes, the cairns are there too - but nowadays the Osseberg and Grootrivier has become a challenge. As for the rock and scree section in Stettyns, I think why waste your time, just stick high and right and I looked at Graham Birds gps tracks in 2011 (cant find them now) and he did that just that, no problem as the hakea is no longer there,( if there is one person I would have nav for me it would probably be him)

goosebump stuff that right there as an aside we are up to nearly 20 000 views on this thread - thanks to all who have contributed and continue to do so with such enthusiasm

The Breede River Valley: In the Freedom Challenge, the Breede River Valley is familiar to most of the riders, probably because many of the riders either come from the Cape and have ridden in or around it and secondly because it is well used by the Cape Epic. Now before you think I am even going to venture down the road of which event is better etc, there is no point in doing that, suffice to say most people who ride the Freedom Challenge would probably also ride the Epic if given a chance and many do – it’s just about riding a bike after all and nobody argues about that. But the Freedom Challenge and the Epic have another thing in common, they both use the Breede River Valley to get to where the race needs to end, in the case of the Epic, it is often to get to the Boland or the Overberg as the case may be, in the case of the Freedom Challenge it is to get to Paarl. So they both use the beautiful rather gentle foothills surrounding the valley to traverse it and they both use the Trappieskraal portage to avoid the tar roads. In the Epic, the Trappieskraal climb is a good sorting out of the field, it is a loose long climb under the power pylons which few manage to ride and many curse for the traffic jams of slower riders, it is generally characterised by mayhem and disdain for the race director. For the Freedom Challenge riders it is a gentle push up and over the hill, it’s a chance to smell the fynbos, pose for some photos and take in the majestic Cape mountains looming, it is also the calm before Stettyns Kloof the next day. Stettyns deserves its own post, just because it is nothing like you will find anywhere else on a bicycle race that I know of. So while the Breede River Valley is gentle fynbos, wine farms and super cuisine - Stettyns is a place for a barbarian mind set and need to face up and meet your final challenge.

Day 25: There are few left to finish, so lets bring them home. Robbie Mac should be the sole finisher today - unless Gaeren keeps his foot on the gas, jeepers I had to recheck the tracker this morning after nearly spilling my coffee, I think he rode two big doubles (ie skipping support stations) in the last two days and seems on a charge to get home. He left Montague at 2h40 this morning! At this rate he wont even wake the folk at McGregor for breakfast, but is likely to find Eric still in bed waiting for his morning tea at Kasra. This is not unique, as last year we did the double (ie passed Kasra) into Trouthaven arriving there after battling a NW gale up the Breede river valley to get to Trouthaven to start the kloof the next morning. During the day we saw Gawie take off on his single speed and that's the last we saw of him as he got to Trouthaven and went into that Stettyns Kloof as dark was falling and the storm hit - few people would be that brave. Another nutter worth reading about here is the Nutty Professors last push to get home (http://www.mikewoolnough.blogspot.com/2012/07/day-15-and-beyond-final-push.html) So go Gaeren!

Karoo riding contd: If you enter the Prince Albert district, and announce yourself prior to that with credentials and intentions, the DWK will probably ride out into the veld to meet you. On the back of the Mercedes is the crate with proper Koffie and Boere Biskuit (rusks). As I said: just do it, get out there. *DWK: dik wiel kommando aka Johann Rissik - in red top, (he is escorting the last group out of the district this morning via the Swartberg Pass on his bike as we speak) Your hospitality - Karoo style, is assured. (PS: spot the dog too)