On Thursday morning, early, we start our tour to Durban which includes riding the Amashova (day 4). Our club has done many Durban tours in the past, but we haven't done one for the last few years. This thread will be a blog about our journey from Germiston to Durban, with photos and comments from as many of the tour group as possible - some of them are hubbers (but they like to keep a low profile) - pending internet connection at our overnight spots (and my willingness to sift through photos and type up a story). One of the reasons for the tour is to raise funds for the NSPCA (our chosen charity for the 947 Cycle Challenge this year). We have setup a Back-a-buddy campaign as well as an SMS number (947-67 to 38018, @ R25/sms) for any donations. Like most others, raising funds is hard as everyone has their own preferences of where to donate (if at all). If you have already donated, we say "thanks". If not - chose from one of the two methods above and help us help the animals. The route Comprising a group of 27 (24 riders and 3 providing permanent backup), we have a mix of abilities ranging from Vets to beginners, old and young, experience and inexperienced. Very few members have cycled more than 200Km in one go, so day 1 will be a big challenge (224km) for many members. Personally, the longest ride I've done is 191Km so nailing the DC will be something I've been looking forward to ever since we started planning this tour. So far, the forecast for Thursday is looking promising... a tail wind (forecast is at Standerton - at the dam), which is 170Km into our ride. Let's see what the post-ride feedback it like. The biggest concern, I would think is this heatwave we're currently experiencing, so I'm guessing a lot of fluids will be consumed by all. Day 2 appears to be a good recovery ride, if you can call 157Km a recovery, while day 3 will be a favourite among most as we make our way through the KZN midlands before we reach PMB on Saturay afternoon. Day 4 is on the Amashova, starting in TL (for 3 of our tandems) and BB (buddy batch) for the rest. We'll be riding in club kit on Sunday, so look out for the "minions" on the road on Sunday... Three sleeps and counting...
