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Where has your bike taken you today?


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1 hour ago, Pikey said:

What a view and so green. Man what I am I doing back here in Gauteng  . Pictures like this seriously have me questioning my recent life choices. This may just be my new home screen for motivation. Love these kind of photos , love this thread!

 

Agreed, I'm so jealous of the guys living in the Cape!

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1 hour ago, Jbr said:

Man this one feels good, no puncture, no extra layers to stay warm !

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Didier? Or are you a doppelgänger of the brilliant graduate of mine from France?

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5 minutes ago, justinafrika said:

Didier? Or are you a doppelgänger of the brilliant graduate of mine from France?

Second option ???? Not sure how I must take it though, I don’t think there has been a single baby named Didier since 1970 ????

Edited by Jbr
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:eek::clap:  Mostdef an old soul in a clever young guy’s body at any rate.  

Really enjoy all the images of your intercontinental road adventures btw.  Just saying.

9 minutes ago, Jbr said:

...baby named Didier since 1970...

 

Edited by justinafrika
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22 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Some pics of yesterday's ride .....

 

From Schoemans Hoek, 15km outside Oudtshoorn, over Swartberg pass to Prince Albert .... and back

 

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Uhm .... that 22km to the pass has just over 740m climbing to wake up the legs ....

 

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Okay, almost 1 200m climbing done, time to give the brakes a work out .... :clap:

 

A lekka brunch at Lazy Lizzard ... and a chat with another e-biker.  Recovering from cancer this gent got himself an e-bike and just completed a 5-day circular route.  Starting in Prince Albert he turned at Beaufort West, back via De Ruts, over Swartberg pass back to Prince Albert.  

 

On the way back to the pass the temperature rose ever so slightly .... in the shade with the slight breeze it was still "cool".  But out in the sun and shielded from the breeze I would over heat ..... keeping the e-assist LOW to make sure I have juice to get back meant I was WORKING up that mountain !!!

 

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NOT a nice sight when you are over heating and working your way to the top ....

 

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And then you get to look back, and instantly it is all worth it .... :clap:

 

O-crap .... that last 100m elevation to the top had me suffering properly ..... GLAD for those winter sessions on the infernal IDT ....

 

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Aaaahhhh .... 1 100m downhill ..... (with just enough battery left to help with the odd uphill)

 

 

My retirement plans ( which have been delayed until Dec 2022) are to buy a van and shuttle between JHB and Cape Town stopping at all the interesting places to ride a bike. The pass is definitely on the to-do list. 

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Today was always going to be a short ride ..... decided to take the wife to Prince Albert for a brekkie, then drive to De Rust, park there, and ride Meiringspoort while she has a coffee.

 

The wind had other ideas .... it was PUMPING !!  Some of those driffies I had to watch the traffic, get into the road and allow space for when the gusts decides to move you over the edge.  Between the koppies it was straight INTO the wind ....

 

Change of plans ... no leisurely ride, with photo stops .... nope .... USE the boost button and get on with it !!  Riding out, into the wind, I was working very hard to keep the speed up, a proper work out.  Once I turned back I decided to make the best of the slight downhill and tail wind .... most of the distance in excess of the power assist limit, so working even harder ....  Long distances at 42km/h, topping out at 48,4km/h, with MTB gearing and no real downhills.  Just a different mindset when you know the pain is just for another 20, 15, 10 minutes, and you just dig deeper ....

 

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The road was reasonably quiet.  And the traffic that was there, were super nice.  Passing vehicles left ample space.  At the one iffy spot, the 4x4 driver hung back until safe to pass. :thumbup:  Seems it is possible for riders and drivers to co-exist in harmony .... either that, or I got heat stroke from peddling too hard

 

MP-27.jpg.317a3a2540ebf972f5ef546837d12392.jpg

Edited by ChrisF
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10 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Today was always going to be a short ride ..... decided to take the wife to Prince Albert for a brekkie, then drive to De Rust, park there, and ride Meiringspoort while she has a coffee.

 

The wind had other ideas .... it was PUMPING !!  Some of those driffies I had to watch the traffic, get into the road and allow space for when the gusts decides to move you over the edge.  Between the koppies it was straight INTO the wind ....

 

Change of plans ... no leisurely ride, with photo stops .... nope .... USE the boost button and get on with it !!  Riding out, into the wind, I was working very hard to keep the speed up, a proper work out.  Once I turned back I decided to make the best of the slight downhill and tail wind .... most of the distance in excess of the power assist limit, so working even harder ....  Long distances at 42km/h, topping out at 48,4km/h, with MTB gearing and no real downhills.  Just a different mindset when you know the pain is just for another 20, 15, 10 minutes, and you just dig deeper ....

 

MP-11.jpg.c2886158054256ad24cc8c28ef545929.jpg

 

MP-15.jpg.b90c77aee623fc4e01c941f743fe3530.jpg

 

MP-23.jpg.02c55649df860b46c9b1a75fe4a85558.jpg

 

MP-24.jpg.5679d2bdc483da74aa39bcf9d01f38f6.jpg

 

The road was reasonably quiet.  And the traffic that was there, were super nice.  Passing vehicles left ample space.  At the one iffy spot, the 4x4 driver hung back until safe to pass. :thumbup:  Seems it is possible for riders and drivers to co-exist in harmony .... either that, or I got heat stroke from peddling too hard

 

MP-27.jpg.317a3a2540ebf972f5ef546837d12392.jpg

great road that. I was also impressed by the neatness of the lay-by's especially the one where the waterfall walk starts. Toilets were spotless

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25 minutes ago, MTBeer said:

great road that. I was also impressed by the neatness of the lay-by's especially the one where the waterfall walk starts. Toilets were spotless

 

For those thinking of riding here ....

 

EARLY September is golden :clap:

 

August it was snowing ... and a tad on the "cool" side for cycling.

 

7 September I started in 3 degrees .... by mid day it was mid teens.

 

Today I started at 10:00, at about 16 degrees.  It was 20 degrees by the time I finished .... now, mid afternoon, touching 30 degrees.  Prediction of 34 degrees for Friday.

 

PS - third year in row where we find this change from August snow to warmer temperatures by mid September.

 

 

I would not want to be outside on a bike in this area during summer .... :cursing:

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1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

.............and ride Meiringspoort ..........

 

Some Afrikaans writer, I forget who, said that Meiringspoort is the only thing from his childhood that turned out bigger and more impressive when he visited it again as an adult. Everything else looked smaller and more insignificant............but not Meiringspoort. He was right!

(On an aside, I once flew through the Poort in a small plane. The madman pilot used it as a gateway to get through the mountains when the cloud cover was too high to get over. The most amazing roller coaster ride, but I'll never do it now that I understand the risk a bit better. Back then I wasn't even scared, just thought it was fun.)  

 

 

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