2013 Freedom Challenge Updates

[Shebeen]

It's also bloody freezing that part of the world, forget sutherland molteno holds the sa record. Walking out of the warm farmhouse door at 4am is like stepping into a blast freezer. I hated it. Serious HTFU cowboys don't cry conditions. If you've put the right layers on,15 mins of riding can warm you up!

[deanbean]

Walked out one morning on a farm in Molteno area after showering. My hair froze. It's cold there. Buffelsfontein farm has coldest temp of -19.5 deg.

[racman]

I see a few FC riders adding images to FBI during the race, but I thought cellphones were not allowed or have the rules been updated?

Edited June 23, 2013 by racman

[tubed]

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

[tubed]

I see a few FC riders adding images to FBI during the race, but I thought cellphones were not allowed or have te rules been updated?

 

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.

[tubed]

Walked out one morning on a farm in Molteno area after showering. My hair froze. It's cold there. Buffelsfontein farm has coldest temp of -19.5 deg.

 

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.

[Warren911]

as always thanks for the updates!!

The more I read the more I respect the participants of the FC!

I salute you guys!!! :clap: :thumbup:

Tough conditions out there...stay safe and keep inspiring us!!

[mazambaan]

Bliksem but that cold!! Tough people these. I've ridden bicycles and dirt bikes a fair bit in the 'berg, E Cape and Lesotho and the worst thing about the cold is how it stuffs your thinking up if you stop. While riding and exerting yourself it is possible to stay toasty but stop, take off helmet and gloves and start fiddling and soon you are shivering, then shaking, then quaking and you can't think straight. Worse if you've been sweating. Quite scary.

 

The Dreyers are very impressive.

[tubed]

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.

[Warren911]

Admiration is putting it mildly!!! The true HTFU members!!

 

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

[V12man]

Interesting that most of A bunch and a couple of guys from B all started and finished at the same time yesterday - that's a big bunch of people (10) looking for beds... and food at the same time.

Edited June 24, 2013 by V12man

[johannrissik]

From twitter:

Mike Woolnough ‏@Ztangi3h

"Done Epic, can do Freedom Challenge" is like "Done Argus, can do Epic". A few similarities - like you ride a bike. Well, sometimes on FC

 

Pretty much says it.

[Shebeen]

I'm in prince albert at the moment, had a visit from the village headman last night - AKA johan the local bike mechanic. work got me to the karoo at a nice time, but i'm a bit too early to see any racers. went up the pass yesterday and it looks much better from the car in daylight than 4am from a bike!

 

I'm currently parking off at coffee shop in the shade with t-shirt and shorts, this is HEAVENLY weather for this time of year. and that's one thing that could really spur on the dreyers...they could end up klapping the record and keeping it for a while as they have definitely had the best conditions in the history of the event so far.

 

i am very sorry to see andrew GI king have to pull out. I was in contact with him to bounce ideas around for his strategy, and an eye on the weather. He is not the type of guy to throw in the towel just like that, he's done the comrades in jeans and walked kilimanjaro barefoot. last year he portaged the entire dusi, during the race with a k2. all for charity. he had some bad issues with his bike - broke a few spokes on day 1 (i reckon that's maybe from the air transit) and lost neg pressure in the fork. he only got this fork sorted in rhodes once he got hold of a shock pump, but by then the wrist was stukkend. andrew is the brains behind D4 productions, famous for the well worth watching mtb/adventure shows such as the berg and bush.

 

otherwise the race is not really over. scott has been riding damn well under the radar. and whilst he's now 'with the dreyer's it's going to be hard to take a day off them. BUT anything can happen. there's still a long way to go and he would be well aware of this.

[johannrissik]

Interesting that most of A bunch and a couple of guys from B all started and finished at the same time yesterday - that's a big bunch of people (10) looking for beds... and food at the same time.

 

They leave a swath of starving farmers in their wake......

[bassasdaindia]

awesome thanks for the reports

[Slowbee]

Weather is turning nasty in CT at the moment.

 

I reckon things are going to get chilly for the blokes coming through Prince Albert over the next few days.