tubed

Good base layer essential - maybe even wool. Thereafter as many layers as you need to keep warm, with a 100% waterproof and windproof on top of all of that. Some considerations: front pockets are great - you can get stuff out of them back pockets and those located where your backpack straps or waistband are - these are useless as the straps sit close to them sealskinz socks and gloves - the absolute warmest you can find buffs and balaclavas - the thermal ones to test - put your hand in a freezer for 5 mins, then try and put the gloves on quickly and take them off quickly and put them on again, then try and thread anything like a lace or a strap through a buckle or if you really want to be silly try and use your cellphone - you should then have a good idea of your capability and kit needs.

Looking forward to chatting about the Osseberg, seems we might have the first real challenge to the riders – if the foul weather won’t play ball for us sitting at home waiting for some adversity – then maybe this notorious stretch described as Mordor will. I remember mentioning to the race director last year that 30 odd riders a year is not going to keep a path through there – I can almost hear the cursing of the riders now if I sit still. Lets not mention those going through there at night…..

nice office you have - envious Scott is def flying under the radar - this race sure is not over

http://stormchasing.co.za/forums/cold-fronts-and-winter-weather/9198-cold-fronts-a-possible-snow-18-26-jun-2013?limit=10&start=10#9223 the weather gurus aren't getting overly excited about these two fronts - maybe some cold air and a bit of rain - but SW Cape mainly

Day 15: Again it is difficult for me to really add much to Glenn’s great updates which are now coming through regularly. Read them here (there are 2 new ones): http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ I have attached a pic of the latest riding standings, at the top are the Dreyers who still just won’t let up and at the bottom is Roy. Roy lost his riding partner Rob, I understand they are both over 70 years old – I don’t think I need to explain the admiration for that. But just to add to it Roy has since been riding alone and spent a night up on the Aasvoelberg, it is hard to imagine just how cold that must have been and what he went through being out there alone, but it is something that needs to be touched on. Riding alone: There has been a lot written about riding in groups and the camaraderie and the support that this brings and it is all true, but to complete this race you MUST be prepared to ride alone. All too often we see guys having a pact to ride together to the finish, the problem is that if one bails and the other is still fit and strong – then often the fit one bails too and to me that is such a waste. So the mind-set and the preparation has to be that you must be prepared to ride and finish alone if needs be. Riding alone is a mental issue – it is being comfortable with just your thoughts as company and being secure in the knowledge that you have everything you need to get you through to where you are going or the period you are going through. In the case of Roy above, that would have been the night on the side of a mountain in the dark and the wait for the dawn, in other cases it may be long lonely stretches of road before you get to the next farm and where you can have a conversation with someone. I think it was Gerda who a couple of years ago rode most of the trail as the last person – I seem to recall that with support from home and the race office she did a large portion of the race alone, so too last year Stephen Kellerman who used the race for all his own reasons and pretty much rode from day one to the end on his own. What this speaks to is being accomplished in what is needed to ride this race – ie navigation and being mechanically capable, but by far most important being comfortable with your own company and in fact finding strength in your own presence. ( As mentioned before, you can pretty much rule out it being unsafe – there is nobody who seeks to do you harm – but you will need to avoid those who’s excessive kindness and concern keeps you from leaving their company!) So if you are unable to put that device down for more than 5 mins, to check if you are in touch, unable to log off from the world for any length of time, then this race is either for you in helping you realise that your own company is not such a bad thing. Or it is totally not for you and it will be your worst nightmare when you have to ride alone. What I can assure you is that you can ride alone – the choice is yours. On that note, take a look at the attached route, 2300km, I guarantee you a lot of therapy along that haul.

Near Cradock last year in the early morn, the guy spits on his tyre to see where the puncture is is and before he can locate the bubbles the spit has frozen on the tyre - long before that the bottles freeze and the gear cables in the housing. That's cold country where you are.

The FC relies largely on honour - so phones and gps are seen everywhere - Phones are used to stay in contact and let people know if you are in trouble, people do track the routs with GPS, but you may not use it for navigation - its old school, but if you sign up you sign up for the spirit of it too.

Day 14: The big news today has to be the withdrawal of Andrew King who was lying in second place, Andrew had fallen/ hurt his wrist earlier and the pic attached – that doesn’t look good and it wouldn’t get better with the type of riding and hauling he would need to – a wise choice and I hope he heals up really soon. Elsewhere the Dreyer juggernaut continues at a record breaking pace with no signs of letting up, except for Martin catching bit of the Lions game at the farm Stuttgart after lunch (see pic and note the dog on his lap – the dog theme continues). It may well be that others have broken themselves in an effort to try and match their pace which has had the effect of them probably being able to take a full rest day somewhere and they could still coast home. But the biggest challenge here remains the trail and making it to Paarl and Martin will know that – so from here on all I can see is them perhaps being a bit more cautious – but it doesn’t seem so at this stage. As suspected Robbie Mac has fallen off the pace, seeming to choose caution over the portages and preferring not to ride at night, the main thing he is in his own words “having fun”. Marnitz the veteran on the other hand likes nothing better than pointing his nose into the wind and heading out into the night – there are few left on the trail who are as comfortable with the route as he is and I still hope he can continue his charge – not least of which cause it will be vocal on twitter and we get to live it out loud. The others still in it from a race perspective are Christo van den Heever, Scott James and Charles Mansfield and then there are a host of very sensible guys making their way to Paarl doing just fine. Other notable happenings should be the mechanicals which start raising their heads at this stage – again they are fortunate not to have mud, but by now things like brake pads, spokes, shocks and freewheels start needing attention. The good thing is that the saying goes ‘n boer maak n plan’ and there are lots of those around and they have wonderful sheds where you can go and be resourceful. If you have carbon fibre and aluminium well those are fancy materials not found on farms, but if you have steel – well then just weld it. This is what Dino and the Alaskan Wolf did last year – see pic – Dino was an inspiration to all of us – take a close look at that bike that made it to Paarl last year and then you know the measure of the man who rode it. In the next day or so I will mention the issue of riding alone, but again please read Glenn’s blog here about Ollie riding with others, I can vouch for this – I have yet to meet a person on the trail, either riding or hosting or in any other capacity that I wouldn't want to spend more time with – so it makes me really chuffed when I see the number of people trying to tour parts of the trail and organising themselves. http://glennharrison...-to-rhodes.html

Day 13: I see the Race Office has begun blogging, Glenn has recovered from his Race2Rhodes and his blog can be found here http://glennharrison...rt-21-june.html As I mentioned previously, he writes well and I can’t see myself adding much to his race update. There are also no notable subsequent moves tonight. So what I will try and do is rather add some commentary and possible insight into what might be going on. “The post Rhodes push through” It is almost as if after a week or more of hard riding quite a few guys are catching their breath, licking their wounds and assessing their strategy going forward. There have been a few more withdrawals post Rhodes and this is not surprising or unusual. The reason for this is that after the elation of reaching Rhodes, there are a couple of long days with tricky portages - the sheer length on these days combined with a possible headwind means that you are starting and finishing in the dark. (see pic of schedule which allows you to work out your theoretical strategy, you will see that days 8,9,10 involve 3 long days with two being over 130km). Why I mention this, is that these days see guys equipment and bodies taking real strain, and then all it takes is a bloc headwind and some equipment failure to really see the morale plummet and guys think of either resting for a day or quitting, often a rest and some introspection lead to a subsequent quit. To give you an idea of what happens on days like these is that you generally get in at between 6-7pm or later, its dark and very cold, you arrive, introduce yourself to your hosts put your bike down and take your pack off – you have mixture of a sense of relief and a need to attend to yourself – the competing things are immediate food, finding if you have cell reception of any sort, where the sleeping is, where the showers are – is the water hot? and where your 2l ice cream box is – basically all these things are some sort of attachment to normality or home. If there is cell reception you send a basic “I’m in, buggered, relieved, eat now, chat later, love you”. You then find your box, tear it open and see if there is anything special in it, you discard those things you are now sick of into the larger discard box, perhaps you go through that box in a flash, looking for something discarded or from an abandoned racer that you might treasure. Then it is a quick eat or drink of a pre meal – usually soup or coke or something quick. You find your bed and unpack, dirty clothes left in a heap for later handing to your poor host to wash and try and dry before 5am tomorrow while you head off for a shower. You feel a 100% human after a shower and then you attend to any injury you may have and get as warm as possible and see if dinner is nearly ready. While you wait for dinner you might try and attend to your bike if there is anything niggling – but is usually too cold to go outside so you try and ignore it. Maybe have a catch up chat with the others guys out of the showers and re-live bits of the epic day, having a look at the maps and narratives for the following day. Then you eat and drink and try and recover, chat to your hosts for as long as you can and the snoring starts at about 8:30 – 9:30 pm when you have organised your stuff for the next day so you can get going with minimal stress the next morning. You may also text/ call home if possible, some try and blog before they fall asleep, but that relies on seldom found data signals. The next morning it is a very quick, dress (your half-dry but a bit cleaner clothes), eat the breakfast on offer, pack (now takes about 30 seconds) and say goodbye and head out into the dark. What all of the above means is that there is not a lot of time for a massage, a trip to the riders lounge or down the bike service area - everything is functional and purposeful, aimed at getting further down the trail the next day. NOT all days are like this, but these three probably are and that’s why they are the tough ones when your rhythm, routine, resolve and determination need to trump introspection, negativity and trying to rationalise why its ok not to stick to the plan. What is sure is that getting out the door the next day is the first step, then riding until the sun comes up and hits your back (you mostly travel west), hearing your phone beep in your bag as it hits a signal area and all those messages of support come flooding in and the first spectacular stop of the day when you realise you are already 20km into the day and you are riding with mates or simply that you are experiencing Freedom – then it doesn’t all seem too bad. The last two pics are of a typical farm sign and a rare bokkie marker, the other is of the type of terrain - its not an area of the country where you look for bright colours and floral splendour to lift your spirit.

Hey Slowbee, My intention was to try and promote the event unofficially. As your are a moderator, is there any way/ influence that we can perhaps bump this up to the features section. We are up to about 7600 views, so I do think it might justify it. But maybe those are paying members, I am not sure. thanks

Oops - you would think I could read and not just write.... PS: many thanks for the kind words, hard act to follow and I still have your pics in my mind of your ride with Tim - not many can claim to have done that

Guys if Johann is offering to help with some logistics you are halfway there - don't let that offer go lightly. He will look after you when you enter and leave his Principality. Take my word. As an example we did a relatively cheep cheep trip a couple of weeks back - Sorry Johann I would have asked permission if I was your side of the Gamka - but for this side we needed Fox's blessing. http://thunderboytjie.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/tour-de-towerkop-2013/ Just do it guys!

The race office has updated the current positions, its a bit confusing as they start separately, so the best way to look at it is the rate of travel which is how this has been sorted. This now does represent a pretty good idea of the race and how they have fared. I would still add to this list Marnitz Nienaber who is still in it. Interesting to note is that at current pace the Dreyers are set to beat Martins record last year - that is simply inconceivable, but I am getting used to the thought of what Jeannie might be capable of. As has been said before this is the perfect storm or the lack thereof in terms of weather - so they will be pushing for as long and as hard as they can while it lasts. Also to note that all of these riders are quite close together on the trail - in previous years some of the faster guys have gone out in front and that has really caused all sorts of confusion as to who is really in the lead. Robbie MacKintosh may fall off this list if he doesn't stop enjoying the race as much as he currently is - apparently he succumbed to the lure of Chesneywold Farm late this afternoon and hasn't been seen or heard of since - Minki's kitchen and Christo's (pictured) bar won that battle. Marnitz a far more wily competitor would have known of this trap and passed by with a courteous greeting. (I am not afraid to admit in my first ride I was too scared to stop there for fear of not making Slaapkranz over the portage on my own.) As you can see from the pic Christo harbours no ill feeling. (An Andrew King pic)

Thanks Ilana, I had the pleasure of spending time with Andrew last year as he followed us for about 4/5 days on his GS, I think few people know what an accomplished photographer he is, I still hope to chat about that in the coming days. My family and friends had the race brought alive last year by his world class camera work - I am hoping to do a bit of that with words this year, but they say a picture tells a thousand words and in Andrew's case that is the truth.

Spot on - one of the most abiding memories of the Trail is the feeling of absolute freedom and peace - never once did one feel your personal security was under threat and the hospitality of the people you meet also leaves a lasting impression. I would say the fact that you are on a bicycle is also a large contributor to the way in which people perceive you.

Unofficially lying in third after the Dreyer machine, this is from Andrew King. Andrew king sneaks 3rd place in race to Rhodes 65hrs 55mins pipping SS Glenn Harrison by 5 mins: "3 days of some massive ups and downs but so chuffed to have made it to Rhodes. 500kms with 17000 meters of ascent on 6 hours of sleep in 66-hours. Managed to destroy 4 spokes on day one with a wattle branch and shocks lost pressure resulting in a very sore and swollen wrist. The legs are strong and all mechanicals are sorted though and thanks for the wonderful ongoing moral and logistical support I am gathering myself to push on. Cultivating a beautiful sock tan as well. Thanks for all the support." (The very last thing I would want to do is start any sort of comparison, but sometimes perspective is useful, last night the Cape Pioneer Trek route was announced 549km, 11657m ascent, 7 days. So this just indicates the magnitude of Andrew's achievement, the fact that he rode from CT to Pmb to start and after that did the Comrades just adds to the awe.)

Day 11: the highs and lows I have been writing this daily update for 11 days now and I am still full of enthusiasm, but sometimes it is best left up to the guys in the fray to say it themselves, so please have a quick read of the two blog entries below, they describe the highs and lows of this event. I don’t know Alexander Venter at all, about three days ago I posted a pic of him with his bike held aloft on top of Lehanas, read the raw emotion of his blog now – I have done the drive from that farm to Bloem after bailing, its horrible and it wont get better for some time, sorry Alexander. http://alexanderventer.blogspot.com/2013/06/day-9-on-my-way-back-to-pta.html The next blog post is of the irrepressible Marnitz Nienaber, who lost his brother to what was supposed to be a very special ride for him, a celebration of a race he is so passionate about and which he wanted to share with his brother, that dream is also shattered, but Marnitz will finish alone despite everything being thrown at him. http://afreedomexper...oewige-dag.html Finally there is the joker group from Gauteng (see Photo), this is JackBlack and Co, they have been together since PMB all the way to Rhodes and some are carrying on others going home as planned. Whatever the case the smiles of the brothers in arms tell a story of a special time together – these guys will never forget the ride, hope some are back for more next year. (PS: if you haven’t read Glenn’s blog as posted earlier by cat-I, then read that too http://glennharrison...n-and-ride.html )

Ja, you guys are a tough bunch for sure - the cold and the wind are a painful combination. I remember drafting once into Hofmeyer on a nice long downhill - but I suspect it was more the lure pies than anything else.

Hi Deanbean Re the groups, there is no real mix and match in the groups – unless guys specifically request to ride together, but the nature of the race means it is probably better to ride with someone else, unless you are supremely confident of your own ability – ie there is strength in numbers, from a support perspective – both moral and physical. On the downside if you have a group of 6 and each one pees at different times and a couple of times a day, the total pee stops get ridiculous – excuse the crude example but it really is like that and you end up losing about 30 mins riding time each day with this. Then add to that the navigation and map reading – if every one of the six weigh in with their opinion and you then have to reach consensus if is the “left cattle track or the one to the right through the bushes and into the river” then you can add at least another 45mins to your day. Add that all up and you get another hour or so on the trail instead of riding. So I think the ideal Group is 2/3 guys who know exactly each other’s strengths and weaknesses ( and hopeful pee all at the same time….). I think the Dreyers will prove that their bond is their strength in their incredible ride so far. You are correct that beyond Molteno it does get easier and you have to be asleep to mess up the navigation, but it does happen. There is basically no drafting on the route - the speed is never high enough....

damnn! twitter seems to be reporting that John Loos and Paul Erasmus are out! there go our pace setters, seem to have been battling illness - more updates sure to follow

Day 11: race update Looking at the race it appears that the race is on between the Dreyers and Andrew King, I notice that Martin seems to know where Andrew is and how far time wise he is behind them. Twitter is a great source for collating info, but I am pretty sure they both have their 'race offices' back home telling them what is going on and suggesting different sorts of strategies. Right now the Dreyers are heading for a big push over Lehanas Pass and on to Rhodes before midnight for a proper stop and refuel. Andrew behind them seems to have made up some ground and is probably going to breathing down their necks as soon as they stop, but he will probably be slowed a bit if he has to do Lehanas at night. As far as conditions go it remains clear and dry - but the wind is howling. One of the strategies in the past has been to ride at night or in the early hours of the morning when the wind is a little less woes - in these guys case they will just have to ignore the wind and hope it is blowing for everyone else. Elsewhere it seems like Robbie Mac and Marnitz have hooked up, if so that could be very good for Robbie as it may be just the guide he needs. I spoke to the race director and he was spending some time chatting to Robbie who he said despite all his road pedigree and racing background really gets the essence of the race/ trail and is treating the event with due consideration. Christo van Heerden is still a bit of a dark horse, keeping with the pace and playing it low key, I am sure there are some others - but I will see if I can do a proper position report later today. Those interested in Andrew King's kit here are some pics. The bike is an 11kg carbon Focus, the main addition being the bespoke Graeme Murray saddle and his backpack is a feather weight option from Salomon weighing in at a mere 4.5 kg (minus drink and food). The integrated front pouch seems like a sensible option allowing racers to get to maps and snacks without having to take the pack off. Generally that is a very minimal kit for guy going all the way to Paarl.

Day 10: The good weather continues and the guys are making the most of it – with only some headwinds and the odd tummy bug causing some grief to those determined to stay in the race. The front guys are pushing well into the Eastern Cape and race from behind seems at this stage to be led by the Dreyer Honeymooners (see pic below), followed closely by Andrew King, with Robbie Mac and a couple of others lurking. Its been said before it is still very early days and it would seem that more than making a big move now the guys seem prepared to avoid any major issues, to stay in the hunt and see how things unfold. Speaking of tummy bugs it does seem like a regular issue and I suspect that because diet is such a personal thing, that’s where it all goes a bit pear shaped. Often in the first week soup is the staple food when you arrive at the support station with a fuller meal to follow. These are not Woolies soups with a twist of coriander of a splash of cream – nope they are basically full on meals in liquid form and some guys tummies just say no thanks and once it starts it might take a day or two to come right. So by all means eat the soup – but go carefully if its not your thing. Similar to the soups above may be the issue of water –there are no regular water tables with screaming school kids and aunties with warm towels, so it’s a case of either carrying all your water for the day on you (which is heavy), or filling up where you get a chance from a communal source. I don’t see a problem with crystal clear water from some of the fast flowing streams – although other people looked at me as if to say nobody drinks from streams anymore – again I think it depends on your constitution. Where is all of this going – well if you see a spaza shop that is like a Woolies to you, it has chips and coke and I don’t mean the naff small tins, no its nothing less than 1.5l (see Pic) for the price of a 500ml at home and chips, so the pic below is of the trading store at Queens Mercy (see Pic), it is normally reached at about 10am and it is the perfect spot to sit in the sun and consider how good it is not to be in the office, but to be out riding with your mates in our beautiful country. On the racing front there have been a number of withdrawals, but in the spirit of the event we probably don’t want to give names – just surprising as some of them were going so well. Having fallen into that category once I know that going home to face the fans its not a nice feeling. Even more so if you now follow the race from home thinking what if? The other issue which has raised its head is a sometimes contentious one of outside assistance and the penalty to be incurred for this – basically the race director decides and the competitors agree, its not complicated or simple – that’s just his call and guys get on with their own race. What I can tell you is that Chris Willemse would find it hard to deliver parts to stricken competitors in the time that the race director and racers manage to get parts from home to someone on the course. Take for instance the call I got today to get light battery to a racer, the call came in this morning, he decided tonight he needed it and he should have it on Thursday when he passes through/ near Molteno. That’s simply using Speed Services counter to counter option – that’s a plug for the Post Office, because it really does work. (Reminder that the race is unfolding on twitter @freedom_trail, although there is a lot of chatter you need to distinguish from the race office updates)

In case you were wondering how you get a tandem over a fence. Also bear in mind that the gazillion other fences have no sty to use, you climb and jump or fall, including the 3m high game fences. Finally just when you thought you heard it all - a tandem has indeed completed the race Mike Woolnough and the very same Glenn Harrison.

Sure, here is the partially dismantled now infamous 'blou trein', Marnitz is kicking back waiting for a new steed and is ready to "race", seatpost and pedals gone and ready to be swapped.

Day 9: Yesterday could be described as the big shake up and shake out – usually the weather does this in the race and perhaps it did. As Shebeen pointed out it is unprecedented that the whole field has had such good weather since the first guys started – to put it into perspective the word MUD has not been mentioned once in 9 days. MUD is the cyclists biggest nightmare and this race dishes up every variety with some special types too. The MUD found in the brooding Stormberg region after the snow has melted is the worst; it clings, coagulates, clots and sticks until there is so much you have to carry your bike as you weep. Three or four days of incessant mud have broken many competitors in the past. Back to the race – the fantastic weather has probably seen some guys push further than they should have and with that, the hinges (knees) which are not used to riding for more than 12 hours a day, the ankles and the dreaded itb all say hello very painfully – but still they push on because the weather is good and there ends the race painfully. Having said all of the above – those that are riding sensibly are having an absolute blast, to see guys crossing the Umkomaas in perfect conditions, cresting Lehanas Pass in shorts and shirtsleeves, posing for photos is great. Spare a thought for the Nienaber tandem, they started out in minus 11 near Glen Edward and Werner had retired by the end of the day –“knees blown”, that leaves Marnitz at Masakala with a tandem and no stoker, so he has called for a sensible bike and will continue alone when his bike arrives and he has served some sort of penalty for changing a bike. We will hear a LOT more of him as he makes his way to Paarl. Get better soon Werner. There have been several other abandonments down the course – Rhodes is a popular place to bail as riders get there with a major sense of relief, they are back in some sort of civilisation which they are normally accustomed to and they find the offer of a lift home too attractive for what remains ahead. The other abandonments come in the days after Rhodes, there are about 4 very tough days through the aforementioned Stormberg, where it is freezing every night and morning and surprise surprise there are lots and lots of very high mountains and long valleys. These are the portage stages and back to back they can cause havoc – get the navigation wrong here and you are in a mountainous area after dark, so you probably are going to have to sleep out. Psychologically riders need to be strong through this area as the Eastern Cape does open out a bit going forward, but they need to passage through this region. It is also characterised by some of the nicest hosts on the farms, they are miles apart in distance – but close in community, if you let Christo regale you at Chesneywold , your journey through this region is guaranteed to be sweet – he gets on the phone to his fellow farmers and the word is passed down the trail that you are a decent bloke – your hospitality is assured. An amusing aside – the story is told of a few years ago two successful brothers who brought their Johannesburg corporate mind-set into the race bore the brunt of these farmer hosts when they demanded fruit salad for breakfast – well the only fruit you get in these isolated freezer farms at this time of the year will be in a Liqui Fruit box – they were upset when their request was declined and apparently they registered their dissatisfaction. Nothing works better than the bush telegraph in this region and they were singled out as being precious and treated as a precious person is in this region. It didn’t end there, the race director having sensed something was up – he is also connected – swiftly had a chat, imposed a small fine(very insignificant financially for them – but so embarrassing) and suggested they reread the rules which state that ‘you should consider your entry as a privilege and your race fee as a donation to the development of the trail and then act accordingly. The incident ended there – there is no appeal process or suspension pending an enquiry or all the other things we have to deal with in corporate life. Back to the race – Glenn Missed the record into Rhodes, but still did a phenomenal ride, pic of his single speed included. Hopefully Glenn starts blogging soon and he writes as well as he rides. Robbie Mac is still in it although a bit off race pace, but he has adopted a sensible strategy in my books. There are a number of others making their way to Rhodes more or less on race pace – but looking a little less convincing right now – I sense a sort out coming. Then there are the Dreyers and Andrew King, the Dreyers are going very fast from the start and we have seen Martin can maintain that – this could be a lot of fun to watch if they win as a couple in a new record time. Andrew King is hot on their heels; he bears permanent number 2, being the second person to complete the inaugural ride with Dave Waddilove back in 2004. Andrew has put down his cameras this year and is looking determined – barring any unforeseen issues, he will be in it at the end as a potential winner. Photos are: Andrew King crossing the Umkomaas, Eric Tollner heading up Lehanas (top left corner is summit) and on top of Lehanas, and Glenn Harrison’s steel Cotic SS.