Biking Archives - Page 51 of 99

Day 9 Biking Africa Barrydale to Montagu

Posted on March 2, 2016

The Karoo Moon Motel with the adjacent Diesel and Creme restaurant didn’t open up till 8am so it made for a late start especially with their service times. The “healthy breakfast” was a trendy jug filled with fruit, granola and yogurt. Not enough for me so had the two eggs as well.

I filled up with water at the local petrol station where a group of youngsters on an African Adventure truck were tucking into ice creams for breakfast. The first part of cycling alongside the vineyards was OK and the R62 even was much wider with yellow lines with a light tail wind.

However, The Tradouw Pass soon loomed into view with it’s 1000 feet of climb, the couple who shared the Karoo Moon with me roared past on their shiny, but noisy, rented motorbikes to disappear leaving me pedalling. 1 hour 56min later I topped out (Looking at Strava now I see the record is just under 33mins! putting me at position 2233 of 2235 riders).

The Akkerboom Farm Stall just past the top was a huge disappointment the worse one yet so after a coke I pedalled on. On this side of the mountain there was a huge headwind 🙁 which was awful. I spotted some workers in a field picking apricots which they kindly gave me a handful, bit hard but delicious and a good diversion.

I crawled on with many smaller hills but overall the tendency was down 6 km out of Montagu I saw a sign for The Guano Caves, the most interesting bit being the restaurant symbol! I stopped and had a couple of coke floats amidst the building works.

I eventually made it to the upmarket 7 Church Street Guesthouse with its voluble Mancunian owner describing the route to Stellenbosch whilst showing me around my resplendent quarters in the amazing luxuriant garden. After drinking 3 pints of water I wandered around this very pleasant town, amazingly free of razor wire 🙂 I eventually had a pleasant 3 course dinner in Ye Old Tavern for 190 Rand! I had to dash back to get my wallet as I had gone out without it!

Strava says I did 40.2mi Distance and 2,684 feet of climbing all at temperatures in the mid 30’s No wonder I felt wrecked 🙁

A few pics here I’m now pretty sure all these photo links will break when the Do no Evil crowd discontinue Picasa. I’m trying to get Smugshot up and running.

Day 8 Biking Africa Ladismith to Barrydale

Posted on February 29, 2016

Alex the wonderful host of Ladismith Manor cooked me an excellent breakfast at 6.30 so I could put in some miles before the midday heat. It was deliciously cool as I bombed down the many downhills 🙂 After an hour I discovered The Hubb farm market and had a coffee and apple pie 🙂 The owner said it was downhill into Barrydale but kindly omitted to say about the uphills to come!

32 km later I came across the second stop of the day. The world famous Ronnie’s Sex Shop which has absolutely nothing to do with sex at all! (Apparently while he was away someone scrawled sex into the name) But boy does he pull in the customers! A very friendly bar man told me it was about to get very hilly 🙁 as well as the fact that places to stay in Namibia are well over 100km apart 🙁 and that at Easter places will be full 🙁 A cheery fellow 🙂 especially telling me how beautiful the West Coast is in spring.

By the time I left it was the full heat of the day with 15 miles to go and what turned out to be a steady 800 foot climb 🙁 Along the way a car towing an empty trail nearly had me, as the trailer was wobbling all over the place. Time to get a mirror I think as the R62 is very narrow.

Eventually the long promised descent into Barrydale came with the front brakes making a very high pitched screaming noise.

I stopped at Diesel & Cream to rehydrate and have the worlds slowest veggie burger but gorgeous smoothies. I’m staying at the equally quirky Karoo Moon Motel next door.

So another 49 miles and 2,504 feet of climbing done in extreme heat. The Strava is here and pics here

Day 7 Biking Africa Oudtshoorn to Ladismith

Posted on February 28, 2016

I now know my biking limit is 65.8mi Distance & 5,396ft of ascent with the temperature in the mid 30’s with my heavyweight bike and kit 🙁 I arrived wrecked and dehydrated 🙁

The day started with a very mediocre breakfast at The Queens Hotel principally I suspect because they had 30+ folks from the Titan party there.

I started pedalling at 7.30 and luckily found a shop that would top up my local SIM having used up all my 3GB in the past week 🙁 Mainly I suspect because the Air seems to love tethering to the phone.

It was a gorgeous day clear sky little wind so I made good progress, although a bit worried that I was totally surrounded my mountains 🙁 also the cars were coming by at 100mph 🙁 After just under 2 hours I spotted a cafe 🙂 So just had to stop! There were 6 local MTB’s there one of which was semi-pro. This country is certainly better suited for MTB’s rather than roadwork. I had a delicious Lemon Meringue pie and smoothie 🙂

At Calitzdorp, at the foot of the pass I stopped for a drink but started to get harassed by a beggar so left early – big mistake – there were no other cafes/shops/anything at all until Ladismith. The climbs are long and arduous especially in the heat, traffic & lugging all that kit. I certainly could have used some of Sally’s gels 🙂

After nearly getting pushed of the road by a succession of milk tankers I left the N62 onto The Hoeko Road, big, big mistake it was very hilly a lot further and worse very hilly on gravel roads 🙁 I ended up scrounging water of one of the houses 🙁 Interestingly the lady said that Sunday is the worst day for milk tankers.

I eventually made it to the Ladismith Manor. A great little place run by an ex Glaswegian. I managed to find a cafe open for yet more fish & chips.

The Strava stats are here and pics here

Day 6 Africa biking from George to Oudtshoorn

Posted on February 27, 2016February 27, 2016

Once again South Africa was excellent with The Acorn Guest House cooking a delicious breakfast that we all ate at the poolside under a clear blue sky. All traces of yesterdays rain storm disappeared giving clear views of the mountain range about to be crossed.

The dirt track Montagu Pass looked OK so I ventured up it leaving the tarmac behind. Whilst taking my panorama a runner stopped to chat and mentioned that several people had been robbed on the trail but that it was all clear now as he had just ran down it. He thought the track was way better than the tarmac as it was the end of the month, a weekend and so everyone would be drunk as it was pay day. 🙁

It turned into a fantastic uphill climb going up to 745 metres (2,444ft) so a worthy climb with all the kit on the bike. I only had to push it for a short section 🙁 The views were tremendous on such a clear day and only 3 cars came past me. Excellent!

It was a very bumpy free wheel down and one of my bottles escaped 🙁 The tea break at Over the Mountain Tea House was good. I crossed the N9 and kept on the dirt road all the way into Oudtshoorn arriving very parched, having lost the water and it being so hot in the mid 30’s, so I quickly drank 2 litres of water 🙂

The Queens Hotel is very faded grandeur but the shower is another jet washer and the WiFi is great. I met up with 10 or so folks on a grand tour from a UK company so I joined them for dinner.

Strava says today was 40.5 miles and 3,633 feet of climbing average speed was way down at 8.4mph – thats dirt roads for you!

All the pics are here