Wayne pudding Mol

give me free bikes and I'll ride across the dead sea

Quite a bit over 2000km since January 10th I think and in some of the hottest places in the country Some nice cool weather for Copperhead today

Knysna - had a weird blowout on the way back close to home - unable to reseat my Panaracer so had to call in the cavalry - when I got home I still couldn’t sort even with compressor and the tyre has a weird stretch mark

An overnight out and back ride covering the length of the Seven Passes around Knysna and back home Spending the night in Knysna at a hotel I definitely could not usually afford

This really irks me - provide a poor expensive and unreliable service and then try and tax me for wanting light and a hot cup of coffee I am totally off grid, have been for about 6 years and recently did some upgrades as I plan to build another dwelling at some stage I questioned the fact that I get an availabilty bill and subsequently found out that there is no way around it unless you have no access to municipal power Holiday towns have been charging electricity availibilty for years as they don''t get much electricity revenue from these vacant homes I had to have a massive fight with the George municipality when they tried to take my "availability" rate to the highest tier which is non permanent resident The saddest part of this is that I produce so much excess electricity I could pump back into the grid but they won't waiver my availability fee of R327 - They could take my excess and make ten fold back I'm sure But that's the short sightedness rife in SA - some municipalities are better than others

this is an expander bolt for a 1 inch steerer - for various reasons including my own stupidity, this one is now to long I need one at least 20mm shorter Any bright ideas out there are welcome

ps a guy I wheelsucked in last years Argus had his op mid jan so you'll be back soon

I'm not a doctor but I also don't recommend running, ever, that's why the bicycle was invented after all. Some guy woke up one day and said F@ck this running BS, I need to roll

80k - if I had it ....

info and advice saved to my new Biketrip folder

Ps hot shower and real bed available in Hoekwil- might even throw in a laundry service

This is a priority trip for me - need to find a way to make it inclusive for the family somehow

A sunrise photo Dale would be proud of

Well today broke me - my idea of touring had nice little stops in towns to refresh and eat and chill before rolling on to the next place - instead my route has been a brutal point to point journey of attrition The searing heat has at times made me feel ill and carrying adequate water has been a challenge. Only insane people choose to tour in this weather (Copperhead) After the joy of yesterday’s ride I had high hopes for today’s journey to Swellendam - rolling hills I was promised. I like rolling hills, I live in rolling hills First I got lost so there went an hour of cool weather so my real journey after 10km of circles started at 6. The first 30km took me 4 hours - there is just no way to explain how the extra weight kills you and if you’re planning a trip practice first with your kit. Don’t be an idiot like me and not factor the weight into your trip and gearing choices I stopped I took photos, I rested under trees and I even got a cup of coffee and a sandwich from two octogenarians doing bird research - what characters The views were spectacular and I will do this exact route again in cooler weather and with no baggage - it would be a tough but awesome 90km ride under those circumstances But these are not those - 40 degree heat and hills so high I got altitude sickness with sharp descents and just about no flat recovery sections broke me today Physically I feel great, my legs are good, my bum enjoyed the Brooks cambium but I cannot take anymore heat I was going to battle on but the whole point for me was fun and this isn’t anymore I’m only 3 hours from home on the N2 so I’m calling in the cavalry while she is still close enough Unfortunately she was right You’d look at the stats and think he’s soft - ok you’d be right but here they are from my perspective 380km in 4 days with around 6500 elevation That took me 30 hours including stops which is 12.5km every hour - pedestrian That’s more hours in 4 days than most months for almost half the mileage I failed to do what I set out but I have learned a bucketload of what not to dos and seen skies so perfect they made me look like a photographer with my 4 year old iPhone The final few will follow when I annoying switch to desktop version on my phone to upload 1 by 1

Yes in this day and age one cannot have a sense of humour if it offends even one person - I had to think hard before posting this handsome chap and couldn’t leave a comment to go with it

This rattled me

Wouldn’t it be lovely to see my bikehub messages on my phone and to upload pics easily and maybe even more than 1 at a time

After 2 seriously tough legs of my first tour I was ready to quit Today I woke up sore everywhere and was bleak but once on my bike I felt great - the body is a serious piece of machinery, apparently even mine Today was an 80km trip from just outside Van Wyksdorp to Riversdale The first 12km to the dorp was a steady climb in the cool sunrise with Kudu and Zebra watching over me as well as other biltongy types After yesterday’s furnace i placed my water bottles in the freezer setting myself up perfectly to ride off at 430 without them By the time I realised the error I was an hours climb away - I had a 1 litre flask and a small bottle of water from dinner - today I at least know there was a padstal 50km away so I put down the “hammer” figuring it’s better to be fast thirsty and cool than slow hot and still thirsty. That 50km took me 3.30 with 1000 elevation - on my usual 50km loop at home I’m an hour faster on a slow day and this gravel today was superb. The bag is a drag Arriving at Muiskraal after maybe the nicest 50km gravel ride in memory I was all set for a hearty warm boere brekkie - see photos for result The guy manning the place and quite possibly the owner might be the only miserable f@Cker I have ever encountered in the Karoo I beat a hasty retreat and thus began my ascent and crossing of the Garcia pass which is part of the road that connects Calitzdorp with Riversdale Not one to do my homework I was wary of tar after 230km of gravel Fueled by disappointment and desire to get proper food I climbed like a mountain goat - let’s call it a fat one with a gammy leg Climbing that and the pure joy of a perfect road just added luster to an already top tier ride - if only a magic pill could have turned my rig into my Colnago master Joyful delight followed because I then pretty much rolled 15km into Riversdale on occasion hitting 60 which is 56km faster than some of yesterday’s pace The stark contrast as you crest this pass is amazing - out of the desert and into green pastures and trees Here’s comes an easier summary - just look at the pics - posting on a phone is ballache of monstrous proportions and I can tell you a thing or two about that right now

Today from Volmoed to the Rooiberg lodge - I regularly ride 50 to 70km and a 100 is big but not a hassle - add touring bags and the brutality of the Karoo sun and all of a sudden 103km is huge Woke up feeling pretty good but the first 5km of today’s 75 was on tar, false flat and a downhill. When I couldn’t get up to 20km on the flats I knew it was going to be ballbraking (more on that later) I was on my bike at 5am heading to Vanwyksdorp where I’m staying at the Rooiberg lodge, proper oasis. If I rode this on a normal day it would have been 4 hours maybe a tad less For nearly 7 hours I turned the pedals with all my might but the laden beast could barely muster a trundle - for 6 of those hours not a car, not a human just some baboons, ostrich and various buck. The plan was to stop every 10 drink, snack and take in scenery. I tried but in my last 40 there was no shade to be found Sipping coke number 4 and waiting for both burgers I feel satisfied but that was not fun - challenging, rewarding, harshly beautiful, but not fun

Don’t forget Ti is shiny bling bling

Brutal day out from Hoekwil to Volmoed near oudtshoorn and about 90 gravel 13 quiet tar. But with 1740 elevation and 33 degree heat I’m am properly toasted despite 3 rounds of cream Coming over the lush cool Outeniqua mountains it’s quite a shock to be in the dry and harsh Klein Karoo within 2km What I learnt - I will downsize my chainring next tour but will have to suck it up for the next 5 days - the packs make a huge difference If water is available down what you have and refill when you’re in a semi desert When Benky says it’s an easy ninety, double check the route Apply more sunscreen Don’t set up your bags and then not bother to test ride Coke is a wonder drug and I don’t mean the powdered form White bakkies go faster in the Karoo As you were

There’s all sorts of science saying this and that - here’s my tuppence having had steel, carbon and Ti - the Ti is far better but perhaps the bike has better geo - the other bikes were a cannondale with a short travel lefty and a carbon niner