My maiden voyage :)

[Mr Winter]

Is that the AL129 or AL126?

[breaker]

He's in love...

 

Nice.

 

And then like a fool in love... the next day I decide I'm a big boy now, time for some big boy stuff - Hermanus Cycle Trails.

Head off to Euodia Cycles to get some last need essentials and a temp permit. The guy there, Riaan is a very helpful chap. Out of the 4 routes I reckon I was good enough to do the 2nd easiest one,blue route = 15km, he reckons nah do the blue one half way then switch to the next one up, I look fit enough he says, yeah right I think.

 

Anyway armed with complete excitement and ignorance , I head off - the first bit is nice and technical though the trees, but once out, oh my hat, noob realization 1 of many kicks in - don't cycle in mid morning heat. Continue on and finding a nice rhythm, doing my best to follow the boards that, at this point in time, still has all 4 route markings on it.

 

However that was all about to change, quickly. All of a sudden I find myself on a mother of an incline. It was at this point in time where I couldn't decide what I hated worse, incline or soft sand - I knew I hated both at the same time.

 

Then noob realization 2 of many kicks in: the next board marking the route only has the black arrow on - somewhere I missed a turn and found myself on the hardest of the 4 tracks . Eventually I couldn't any more and was forced to get off and push.

 

But what goes up must come down, did my best not to be a cowboy on the way down and learnt a lot, quickly about how to use my brakes or at least what worked for me.

 

Eventually rejoined the trail of all 4 routes, and relief ensued. Thereafter I felt I could conquer anything,(noob mistake x of many), and decide like Riaan suggested to take the red route. This route took me through some wine farms and steady inclines, but nothing as hectic as before. Ended up at the entrance to Hamilton and Russel, but no time for wine tasting now took some quick pics and was on my way.

 

From there on it was plain sailing, mostly downhill, then hit the technical section through the trees again and ended at the cycle shop with an epic smile on my face. Sporty Pal reckons it was about 2 hours for a 20km ride, altitude difference of about 200m.

 

I will definitely be doing it again, however I don't think I have the balls to be doing it alone again, that was some kamakazi stuff on my part.

 

Here are some pics of my adventure:

 

[breaker]

Is that the AL129 or AL126?

 

AL129

[breaker]

Its your duty to go check out these trails:

 

http://www.hermanusa...o.za/trails.htm

 

Hehe ahead of you there, thats what I did

[Mr Winter]

AL129

 

Nice I have the AL126, its the first bike i've ever owned and i've had many happy km's on the bike hoping to upgrade to a AL129 or AL529 later on in the year.