OneGiantRide

www.letsmakeitsnappy.blogspot.com

2011-06-26T10:09:00.001+02:00

Glenn's new blog address is www.letsmakeitsnappy.blogspot.com. Have just got a text from him saying he's dropping into Baviaanskloof now (at 9h50am). Posted by Claire in Waterval Boven

Taking time out

2010-09-26T08:03:00.007+02:00

I spent the last few days with a group of like-minded riders touring a section of a new route along the eastern escarpment. They all started at the beginning up in Haenertsberg (near Tzaneen) but I only joined up with them in Kaapsehoop and rode the last 2 days through to Bulembu in Swaziland. I'd scouted this section of the route for them as it's close to where I live. The riding was varied, with sections through open grasslands, through forests and along wetlands. (We even had some tar right at the end to get to the Josefsdal border post.) There were 2 back-up vehicles for medical support, to carry our baggage and meet us along the way for lunch and refreshments. The trip was the first recce of a proposed new route and there will most likely be tweaks to the route for the future, all in the name of improving the riding. (For more info on the route and the rest of the trip, check out Fiona's site here )

The main thing about this trip was that it was a tour and not a race. Of all the stats that were being recorded like distance, altitude, ascent and descent, time was shifted to the back of the queue - taking time out seems to have made the biggest difference - the lack of a clock ticking meant no pressure to get to the end as soon as possible. There was also no marked route to follow and getting there took a combination of map reading and following GPS tracks. The riders often stuck together to figure out the navigation. Snack breaks or picnic lunches were savoured, not rushed through in order to keep racing along. We also tended to be more observant of our surroundings and the terrain we were riding through, stopping to take photos of the incredible views or when animals, birds or interesting trees were spotted along the way. At the end of the day everyone shared the day's experiences over dinner and the comeraderie built up as the tour went on. By the time we got to Swaziland, it seemed no-one wanted to go home and everyone was already talking about when the next time would be.

Touring is the patient approach to riding, where the journey is more important than the destination. It may require a slightly different mindset or a more relaxed attitude but it's something everyone should try because it's a whole new way to have fun on your bike.

Misty Valley Lodge

2010-08-01T18:05:00.005+02:00

Today I had the pleasure of checking out a new riding venue in my local area. Misty Valley Lodge sits at just over 2000m altitude and offers great riding potential. At the moment, their beginner loop is not quite complete yet but already it offers some fun singletrack with a few technical sections and wooden bridges along the way. There's plenty of game to see out on the plains too which adds to the experience. This place is all about sweeping views and high altitude riding and there are plans to develop it into a real mountain biking destination - something to which it's well suited. (More trails are in the works and they also offer guided weekend MTB packages and other activities for the whole family - www.mistyvalleylodge.co.za)

A hidden gem near Wellington

2010-07-21T10:02:00.005+02:00

The day after the race dinner, a group of us went out to sample some singletrack near Wellington. The Bains Mountain Bike Trails start on Welvanpas Farm just outside Wellington. We rode the White Route which climbed up through the vineyards before turning into a brilliant singletrack roller coaster, carving its way through the forests and fynbos. I lost count of the number of wooden bridges and stream crossings, probably because I was too distracted by the views of the towering mountains all around us. At times it was tight and twisty, then open and flowing, with ups, downs and switchbacks, the trail had everything that makes a mountain biker smile! (and it was almost all rideable on a singlespeed ;))

These trails exist largely due to the efforts of 2 local riders, Brett Rightford (the winemaker at Diemersfontein) and Pieter Van Wyk. Over the last 3 years, they've arranged the access and put together a trail network across a few different farms and in the process have created an amazing MTB destination. Pieter spends a lot of time out on the trail with a shovel and the amount of work put in is impressive. There are currently 3 routes: White - 18km, Yellow - 17km, Blue - 10km. Riders need permits which are available at the trailhead coffee shop and wine tasting on Welvanpas Farm can also be arranged as an extra. The area plays host to the Gravel Travel MTB event held annually. (Their soon to be launched website will have more details: www.graveltravel.co.za but in the meantime there's more info here)

The Race Dinner

2010-07-21T09:38:00.004+02:00

Last weekend was the final race dinner at Diemersfontien in Wellington. It was a gathering for all riders who could make it and a reunion for riders from previous years. The evening was filled with tales from the trail, shared over good food and wine.

Sharing the experiences I had during the race with the other riders and listening to their stories, I felt privileged to be amongst such a unique and varied group of people. All the riders agreed that it was taking a while to return to normal life after the race, sometimes it’s the crazy appetite that won’t quit or your sleeping patterns that are still out of sync – whatever the after effects, being able to chat to other people experiencing the same thing definitely helps and deepens the overall experience.

I was also pleasantly surprised to be awarded the ‘Stone Saddle’ – a floating trophy presented every year to one rider. In my case it was for completing it on a singlespeed and being the ‘Gentleman of the Trail.’ The trophy itself is really classic, a mounted piece of rock, shaped like a bike saddle, which was found by Johan Rissik near Prince Albert.

The Freedom Challenge is an experience that can be life changing because it's not just a bike race from A to B but a journey that mimics the journey of life itself. It requires a strong sense of adventure, trust in your own instincts and resourcefulness but also a good deal of humility and a dependence on the kindness and generosity of others to complete it. Those that take up the challenge are all so much richer for the experience.

Each time I look at my Finisher’s Blanket or wrap it around myself on a cold winter’s night, the memories and stories come flooding back and I’m back on the trail again. It will probably always be like this and I’m not complaining……

Travelling heavy

2010-07-10T15:49:00.002+02:00

A chance meeting on the road between Nelspruit and Barberton the other day - a group of 4 friends from the Basque region of Spain, on day 1 of their two month long cycling holiday through SA, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. They were slowly making their way to Piggs Peak in Swaziland and I stopped for a chat and to feed them some oranges, bananas and to top up their water bottles. Aitor, Koldo, Ane and Anartz are all teachers, speak basic English and are on their summer break, pedalling through southern Africa. They plan to camp out a lot and will meet other friends along the way in Maputo. I was keen to join them untill I felt the weight of their bikes! Loaded down with racks and panniers for all their gear and even with these heavy loads (20kg) they are aiming to ride about 50-70km per day. I really admire their sense of adventure and eagerness to explore. We swopped email adresses so will hopefully be able to stay in touch - all the best for your adventure guys, I know you'll have a really great time!

Travelling light

2010-07-07T16:16:00.009+02:00

Many people have asked me about the gear I used for the race (apart from the 32x17) and how I managed to keep the overall weight down to 6 or 7kg. Well I learnt a lot from the the previous year when I rode with Mike on the tandem and afterwards spent a good deal of time scouring the internet to see what the latest, greatest and lightest gear available was. Having limited access to these products in SA meant shopping online through various online outdoor retailers and that in itself was quite a positive experience. (These guys clearly understand the meaning of 'good service')

I was aiming for a total pack weight of not more than 8kg - having to stand up a lot on the singlespeed meant keeping the weight on my back light to counter fatigue. I also wanted to put some weight on the front to balance things out. Light = fast, so it made sense to just try and minimize weight wherever possible. Biggest decision was what size backpack to use, too big and I'd end up taking unneccessary luxuries, too small and I wouldn't have enough space for even the essentials - in the end I settled for a trail running/mtb pack from British company Inov-8. Their Race Pro 18l pack weighs only 470gr and has a unique wrap-around bladder system which keeps the liquid weight low and proved to be very stable and comfortable.(www.inov-8.com) On the front I used a converted travel pouch of about 1.5l capacity - after a few mods and sprucing it up with a Giant logo, this was attached to the shoulder straps and waistbelt of the pack and carried my maps, narratives, toilet paper, snacks, more snacks, pump,lube, sunscreen, camera and sometimes the phone or tracker plus some more snacks. Smaller things like spare batteries, headlamp battery pack, multitool, some meds etc went in the waistbelt pockets but were not accessed often. The convenience of having all essential items up front in the chest pouch meant I only took the backpack off if I needed to stash or get to extra clothing layers or replenish food supplies from the main bag. In the end the backpack weighed in at just over 6kg (with water) and the chest pouch at its heaviest was never more than 1.5kg. I would use the same system again, with a few tweaks to the way the chest pouch mounts in order to better stabilise it.

I didn't need to use a map board but I did use a small pouch mounted behind the stem on the top tube - this usually held whichever device was being charged by the hub but sometimes also the tracker and even some snacks on occasion. The charging unit mounted directly onto the stem and was the size of roughly 2 matchboxes. I had a Petzl Myo XP headlamp permanently mounted to my helmet - the remote battery pack would either be stashed in a waitbelt pocket or plugged in and carried in my jacket pocket.

Clothing was divided into day clothes and night clothes. My night clothes were a pair of Capestorm furnace leggings, a Capestorm Puffadder fleece, a pair of lightweight polyester Solz overtrousers together with the clean second base layer that I would be wearing the next day on the bike. For my feet I had a pair of thin Coolmax socks and a pair of mid-calf length Sealskinz socks, if I needed to go outside I would put on my riding shoes. The day clothes were: legs - a pair of Sealskinz long socks (to just under the knee), my Hoss Ponderosa 3/4 length baggies and full length Endura leg warmers if it was very cold. On top - a sleeveless First Ascent base layer, long sleeve base layer (alternated between a First Ascent and Endura merino wool base layer) and a long sleeve Giant winter-weight riding top. If it was very cold, I would then wear the Polaris Vortex jacket to cut the wind and keep me warm and if it was even colder or wet, my Golite Virga shell jacket and pants. One of the main reasons I could travel so light was thanks to the compact shell layer - 100% waterproof, breathable and under 500gr for pants and jacket combined and I was able to stow both in the outside mesh pocket of the bag where they were easily accessible without going into the main bag. These items were probably a quarter of the bulk/weight compared to other riders I saw. In the event of more extreme weather, I could have put my night clothes on as well but thankfully never had to resort to this. A big saving too was not carrying extra riding shorts - the baggies have a thinly padded liner which I washed out whenenever possible, when it wasn't possible to do laundry, I used a pair of thin, seamless lycra briefs inside the shorts which worked well. (The worst was not being able to do laundry for 3 consecutive days because I was riding big days and there were no drying facilities at the support stations - not recommended! I also went to bed in my dirty clothes at Bucklands because I was only going to sleep for 2 hours, I stank and the sticky layers felt pretty horrible the next morning but once I warmed up, I forgot about it.)

On my head I wore either a windproof skullcap plus Buff around the neck or a Capestorm balaclava or a combination of all three. (I carried 2 Buffs and on warmer days used these instead of the skull cap and balaclava) There were a few days where I never took the balaclava off because it was too cold! Gloves were my biggest concern, so I had 4 layers to play with - a thin wicking polyester glove, thin latex-free washing up gloves, windproof winter riding gloves (rated about +5C) and Sealskinz winter mtb gloves. I used all 4 coming out of Rhodes, Brosterlea and Elandsberg but most of the time I rode with 2 layers and later sometimes without gloves when it was sunny. Despite the 4 layers, my fingers froze coming out of Rhodes, so there's still scope for warmer gloves or maybe mittens.... My feet were always warm though.

Night clothes and spare base layer took up a bit more than a third of the pack volume and was kept in ziplock bags. Then there was my first aid kit, (pretty comprehensive and maybe a bit bulky in hindsight but glad I had it), toothbrush, small electric shaver and the chargers for tracker and phone (which I decided to take with in case the hub and charger didn't work out) as well as a bag of bike spares (rim tape, bottle of sealant, bomb, cable ties, duct tape, a spare tube, chain links and later a whole spare chain) The top third of the pack was usually taken up by a large ziplock bag of food supplies for a long day - sandwiches from support stations, mini cheddar biscuits, more energy bars, chocolates, nougat etc and small ziplock bags with energy drink powder, recovery shakes etc. This was in addition to the food in my front pouch - I always made sure I had more than enough food in case I had to sleep rough or got held up by the weather unexpectedly.

One the bike, I had a spare tyre strapped on under the seat and a more complete tool kit inside a 500ml bottle in the other bottle cage. The toolkit contained 3x bombs plus applicator, tyre levers, chain break, multitool, patch kit with some large gator patches for sidewall cuts, tubeless plug kit, spoke spanner, spare valve cores and a short length of chain. I never weighed all this but it felt a bit lighter than a full water bottle.

So to sum up, I basically only carried one set of riding clothing with two sets of base layers which I alternated. When it was possible to wash and dry laundry, I would wash everything but if not, I would just wash base layers. The clothing I had was chosen carefully, either to save weight or perform a certain function and I was dependant on doing laundry quite often. In the cold I had to keep moving in order to stay warm but often when walking and pushing the bike up hills I'd get quite hot. If conditions had been much worse with continuous rain or snow, I probably would have gotten a bit cold (especially my hands) but apart from the first stretch to just beyond Rhodes, the cold was still managable. Carrying more weight wasn't really an option though, even with this relatively light load, my back and shoulders were sore after a long day's riding. This was only really in the first half though, later on my body had adapted and amazingly, I hardly noticed the backpack anymore!

Behind the scenes

2010-07-07T14:00:00.010+02:00

I've mentioned the kind individuals who helped me out on the trail but there were others behind the scenes who helped to get me to the start line and were supporting me all the way. Taking a perfectly good Giant XTC1 29er and converting it into a functioning singlespeed proved quite challenging in the little time available (I only got confirmation of the entry 3 weeks before the start...) Wanting to try out the dynamo hub and charger further complicated matters as it meant having to build up a new wheelset in time. The problem of sourcing a reliable singlespeed hub was solved when Grant Walliser of International Trade stepped in with a very generous offer to supply components and clothing from amongst the brands he imports. As the Hope agent for SA, he supplied a Hope Pro II Singlespeed hub, an absolutely reliable, truly 'fit and forget' piece of equipment. The freewheel buzzed away happily and it never gave any trouble throughout the trip. I also used a set of Hope Mini hydraulic brakes and was impressed by their fade-free performance on some of the longer, rougher downhill sections (some of these descents went on for 15km). On the clothing side, in addition to all the base layers and other warm gear, my primary outer layers were a Polaris Vortex jacket and a pair of Hoss Ponderosa 3/4 length baggies. The Vortex jacket has a windproof front and sleeves and packs up nice and small for something that warm. I think I was the only rider in baggies (there should be a category for 'Fastest Ride in Baggy Shorts')but I chose them for comfort and extra warmth - having my knees covered kept me warm without needing seperate knee warmers. They were pretty tough too, surviving many fence crossings, gate scalings and thrashes through the bush looking none the worse for wear. Thanks Grant, your kit worked really well and I'll be using it and recommending it in the future.

To build the wheels, I approached Johan Bornman from Yellow Saddle Cycling. While waiting for the actual parts to arrive, he got busy sourcing the correct spoke lengths and suitable rims and then got stuck into the building as soon as was possible. Thanks Johan, those wheels took an absolute pounding out there but they survived without a single broken spoke and are still running true - a job well done.

My mate Rob, from Resonate Audio in Cape Town, gave me a stack of music to load onto my phone for the trip. I hadn't ridden with music before but figured that it might be useful to pass the time on the longer stretches. In the end I used it on selected stretches. It proved a real bonus because when I hit the shuffle button and put my head down, the upbeat tunes kept my legs turning and my mind engaged, making the time and the miles pass quicker. Thanks Rob, those tunes did the trick.

Keeping a blog going was one of the bigger challenges during the ride. After a long day you just want to eat, shower and sleep! Having to take pictures during the day and summarise the day's events every night, sometimes meant sacrificing 30-60min of precious sleep. Not always having signal at night sometimes meant only getting the blog out the following day. I have to thank a friend of mine from Waterval Boven, Claire Taylor, for posting the blog for me every day. I would email it to her from my phone and she would post it up for all the followers. Later when I got the phone set up to post directly to the blog, she would edit and check it or rotate a picture if need be. Thanks Claire, with you in charge, I knew the message would get out and the followers would get their daily fix.

There are others as well who helped before, during or after the ride in some or other way (thanks Dean and Gill for fetching me in Cape Town and for everything else) I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though this event is an individual pursuit, it would not be possible without the help of others and their involvment makes it all the more memorable for me - so thank you all!

Fun and Games

2010-07-05T13:50:00.005+02:00

Sitting here nibbling on yet another snack and wondering how long until dinner, my body is still stuck somewhere in race mode. The body clock also has'nt quite reset itself to normal sleep patterns and a daily routine but on the whole I'm feeling fine and easing my way into normal life again. My thoughts return constantly to the trail and I'm finally able to reflect back on this year's race and the crazy adventure it turned out to be!

I had fun. Yes, even though the day's were long, the nights were cold, the headwinds blew and the sand was sometimes thick, when I think back, I remember plenty of moments when I was smiling, actually racing, covering ground efficiently and trying to chase down the front runners and sometimes even getting it right. Going out on a singlespeed meant I was always going to be in a one-horse race, just me against the clock but when I realised that by putting in a few more hours a day, I could keep up with the other guys, it became a game to see if and for how long I could hang on. And that was the whole fun bit, focusing on the game being played kept my thoughts positive in spite of the bad weather, late nights, punctures, headwinds - those were just the daily curveballs you had to deal with which kept it interesting and kept us honest. Making up ground on them was hugely motivating and losing ground just as disappointing.

After the initial hard days and cold weather had taken their toll on me, I started to stabilise and recover and when the weather started improving, it made sense to try and push hard to get back on track and maybe even have a few days in reserve for if the weather changed suddenly again. Thus began the other little game of 'chasing the sun' With the sun setting in the west, you're usually always riding into the sun in the afternoons on your way to the Cape. The portage sections act as obstacles along the route that slow you down and you'll always be quicker through them in daylight, so I would race to get over these portages before sunset and then ride on for a few hours into the night. On so many of the days, my focus from the time I woke up was on the last portage section I needed to clear before sunset that day and along the way, I'd be checking time and assessing how long I could afford to stop for snacks or lunch, all based on how many hours were still needed to get to and over the portages. I chased the sun to get off the ridge at Tinana Mission, again to get over Bonthoek before dark, raced across the plains through Hofmeyr to try and get through Elandsberg with enough light, again to clear the Struishoek portage near Pearston and later to get through the sandy jeep tracks of Anysberg and the tricky powerline track at Coeniesrivier in the light. Each time I came up short, wishing for even just 30min more light to make it easier. Sometimes it was because my top speed on the singlespeed was just too slow, other times because the hills had been too steep and I'd had to walk more than anticipated. Often the wind or riding surface had played a role - I still got through them all in the end but sometimes sacrificed precious sleep time in the process. On the final day up the Stettynskloof portage, I made it out the kloof with about 20min of light to spare - this was a seemingly small detail but this had been my goal since 3:30am that morning and I'd been chasing hard to get there so it felt really good to crest the ridge and find the road in daylight for a change, a small victory which made the last 30km to the finish seem easier.

I had a fairly good idea of the route after last year's tandem ride but there were some new sections this year which I attempted in the dark for the first time. Navigating in the dark makes things much harder and also slower, so if there was a new section that I needed to get through in the dark (in order to make it to a set goal for the day) I would attempt it before dawn, so that if I got it wrong, at least I could wait for daylight to solve the puzzle, rather than get it wrong at night and have to sleep rough (and cold). I got through the new Mjikelweni section near Tinana Mission like this and did the same on the Stormberg section near Molteno (although I probably wasted about 30min here following the wrong jeep track) as well as the Trappieskraal section after Kasra but it backfired horribly on the Perdeberg section after Bucklands and cost me at least 5 hours and effectively a whole stage that day! This was quite a psychological blow at the time because making up the lost time was not easy on that part of the course where the stages get longer and harder. The only way to really keep moving then was to focus on interim goals for the day - "get to Dam se Drif by 11:00am" or "get to Willowmore by 18:00" - getting there on time or ahead of schedule would be a boost and all of a sudden I was thinking positive thoughts again and the chase was back on.

Many people have asked me what the physical/mental split is for a race like this. Obviously the physical component is massive and there's no way your body will cope if you haven't done any training. It's hard to peg the mental component though because it's equally massive, you go through so many psychological highs and lows every day and being able to control and stabilise them is often harder than just turning the pedals. I found that on the days when fatigue didn't overwhelm me and I could generally remain in a positive frame of mind, even the really big days felt manageable and the time in the saddle passed quickly. On other days when I was very tired, I often struggled to complete the shorter distances and they seemed to drag on forever. I would almost say that the mental part is bigger than the physical but you can't neglect either of them if you want to finish in one piece.

Sometimes during the longer, monotonous sections, it was hard to keep focused, especially after a long day with a tired body. Then there were other games I resorted to to keep me alert - trying to guess what was on a road sign from behind, bleating at sheep or mooing at cows and seeing how they reacted (the Eastern Cape merinos are an unsociable lot, Angora goats in the Camdeboo are quite inquisitive, the cattle around the Darlington Dam are quite friendly and the Alpacas near Montagu are obviously Spanish so they didn't understand me at all!). I also listened to music playing on my phone sometimes, it really worked well when I needed to keep going at a higher intensity but sometimes I preferred to ride in the quiet of the night or the pre-dawn stillness (especially after having ridden in strong, noisy wind all day). Other times, I'd come across a humourous sign and be giggling about it still hours later. Strange as this behaviour may seem, it was all part of the fun and games and helped keep the mind positive and the wheels turning.

Winding Down

2010-07-04T07:29:00.000+02:00

I've been looking forward to getting back home to Waterval Boven, to relax, recover and reflect on the happenings of the last few weeks. But instead of winding down quietly, this weekend has been a celebration with friends. Birthday gifts, braais, watching WC soccer, dogs, bikes, trails and good times! I've been overwhelmed by all the congratulations and questions, the interest in the race, my bike, my gear, its been amazing! Unlike last year after the tandem ride, when I couldn't get back on a bike for 4 months because of injuries, this time I've been psyched to get riding again and being able to do that with all my riding mates, on my local trails, has been great, the perfect way to unwind.

Many thankyou's

2010-07-02T17:54:00.004+02:00

Driving back from Cape Town yesterday, through the vastness of the Karoo, I began to appreciate the scale of the ride. At the start, your focus is very much set on the first few days and in effect that's the best way to tackle such a big event - break it up into little chunks and slowly nibble away at each piece until pretty soon you're there. Each little chunk comes with it's own surprises and challenges and learning to deal with them is a big part of this race. But even though it sometimes feels like you're all alone out there, there are many friends and willing helpers along the way. A few of them bear mentioning: Jim at Ntsikeni - I was dead on my feet when I arrived here just after sunset on day 2 and feeling the pressure of being a bit behind schedule but Jim, a veteran of many Cape Epics, calmly advised me to stop, rest and regroup and that there was plenty of time to start charging later. Thanks Jim, you were right, the rest worked and the easier day afterwards gave me more valuble recovery time, just the platform I needed to start pushing harder. My hardest stage was definately the stretch through the Moordenaars Karoo from Willowmore to Prince Albert. 14 hours of toil and sweat later, it was a welcome sight to see Johan Rissik at the side of the road with coffee, rusks and encouragement. The remaining 2 hours flew by and while I caught up on some sleep in Prince Albert, Johan got busy tweaking the chain tensioning setup and effectively sorted out the niggling chain problem for me. Thanks Johan for your expertise and for taking the trouble to help me out. Mike Woolnough, my tandem partner from last year's race, was always just an sms away and kept me informed of the weather and what the other racing snakes were up to - thanks Mike for your help and encouragement, especially through some of the longer pushes. And then there was my bike... I came to depend on it every day to carry me over great distances and it tirelessly did just that without so much as a creak, crack or moan. A trusty companion, an impressive machine, it really opened my eyes to the benefits of the 29er platform - thanks to the guys at Dragons Sports for the Giant XTC1 29er, a bike I would happily use again and would recommend to anyone looking for a solid 29er machine. Last but not least, thanks to all the followers of the blog and tweets and to all those sending me SMS's of support and encouragement - knowing you guys and girls were watching meant I was never alone and I drew comfort and motivation from this. If this is starting to sound like a goodbye, don't worry, there's still much to tell and over the next few days I'll also report back on what kit I used, what worked or didn't and also some backgound info and responses to the questions I've received.

Day 16: Kasra to Diemersfontein

2010-07-01T12:06:00.003+02:00

145km/17hours. The final day, starting from Kasra at 3:30am, the initial jeep track portage in the dark went slowly when my left shoe started falling apart. Duct tape and cable ties kept it together but I had to stop often to fiddle with it. Once on the bike, I had to plug a stubborn puncture but as the sun came up, I got into a better rythym and raced across to Trouthaven. Once there, I had a quick meal and refuel and got going towards the dam wall to start the final Stettynkloof portage. The kloof is about 8km long and spectacularly beautiful and I was lucky to have good weather too. I started down the path at midday and got to the halfway mark in about 2 hours, but then slowed a bit when my shoe started falling apart again. The new firebreak at the back of the valley was a welcome sight as it meant an easier passage along the second half of the kloof, although the final climb out is still as steep as ever! Topping out of the kloof at 17h30, I had some daylight to spare, but got a puncture within the first 50m and after another plug fix, the light was almost gone. The last stretch includes some steep cement tracks that I had to push up and a long uphill on tar to get up the Du Toit's Kloof Pass. I had a snack break on the way up and then also got a bit lost dropping down through the forests thanks to the vague route narrative! But at 20h20, I finally rolled across the finish line at Diemersfontein, tired after another long day in the saddle but elated and happy to finally be there. A small group welcomed me in, and after some food in front of a roaring fireplace, David presented me with the finisher's blanket and congratulated me on the new singlespeed record: 15days 14hours 20min.

Day 15: Anysberg to Kasra

2010-06-30T00:01:00.002+02:00

153km/14hours. Left Anysberg quite late and immediately the wind was a factor and it blew the rest of the day. In the morning it was a gusting crosswind which made it hard to ride straight. Dropping down to Montagu, the terrain became more dramatic with higher mountain ranges and more greenery. Was quite wierd riding back into civilisation with cars, trucks and tar roads again. Had lunch at Montagu Hotel and caught up on blogging (no reliable signal in the last 300km) The short, usually easy next stretch to McGregor saw the strongest winds of the day gusting straight at me, often meaning getting off and walking. An extra 90min here meant having to do the Coeniesrivier portage in the dark, which proved tricky and took up valuble sleep time. Sleeping at Kasra tonight with plans to go early enough to still make it through Stettynskloof to the finish at Diemersfontein by tomorrow evening. Good night all.

Day 14: Prince Albert to Anysberg

2010-06-29T14:15:00.003+02:00

215km/22h After arriving in Prince Albert at 2pm, I ate, washed and got into bed at 4pm. Waking at 8pm, I ate supper, prepped all my kit and eventually left at 9:30pm. Heading up Swartberg Pass in full moonlight was a peaceful experience. The hills are steep, too steep to ride, so it was mostly a long walk for me. At about 2:30am, I saw some headlights approaching, the car stopped and out jumped RASA legend Tim James with coffee and biscuits! He was staying at a cottage in Gamkaskloof with his family for a few days. Later, he and his son Murray joined me on the hike up The Ladder, the rough donkey track out the back of Gamkaskloof. We said goodbye at the top and I headed off to Rouxpos. Thanks for the company guys. Following good dirt roads for a change, there were some fast downhills (77km/h max)on the way to Rouxpos. Ronel and Gerhard spoilt me rotten with great food and waffles for pudding. They make dried fruit rolls on the farm so my lunch pack had some in, together with some delicious homemade fudge. Next stop Anysberg, but first a short detour through Wagendrift, where the big 29er wheels floated nicely over all the soft sand. Anysberg was a bit tougher, rocky, sandy jeep tracks and gusty crosswinds swirling around between the mountains made the riding hard work. I got to the reserve office just after dark, tracked down Meisie, she had made food and gave me directions to my cottage. With a plan to still keep going to Montagu, I had supper and almost fell asleep at the table! Realising that after 200+km I needed to sleep, I decided to stay over so had a bath and got prepped to leave the next morning.

Day 13: Willowmore to Prince Albert.

2010-06-27T16:27:00.004+02:00

168km/16.5hours. My toughest stage so far, no doubt about it! This stage is relatively flat and normally takes riders 7-10 hours to complete. I've been dreading it since the start because on a singlespeed its murder. The surface is all dirt road but the quality is shocking! Thick sand and long stretches of bone jarring corrugations keep trying to rip bike and body apart and they came close to succeeding. By the end, I had to tighten up both bottle cages which had rattled loose! On arrival in Willowmore yesterday, I felt really good and thought about pushing on but opted to get a bit of dinner and sleep first before deciding, since it would've meant back to back stages of 160km+. In hindsight I shouldn't have waited that long because when I did get going at 10pm, I was feeling sleepy. Thereafter followed 16 hours of riding, walking, rattling, chain skipping and cat-napping, with a bit of early morning rain thrown in for good measure, all of which got me to Prince Albert for lunch (instead of for breakfast as originally planned) I stopped in at Visgat farm and had tasty vetkoek for breakfast. Along the way I was met by the legendary Johan Rissik, a fellow singlespeeder and Prince Albert local, who gave me some coffee and rusks to perk me up for the final stretch into town. He's now trying to solve my chain skipping issues while I get some much needed sleep. The tranquil ambiance at Dennehof Guest Lodge should ensure I sleep well. Really glad that today's stage is over.

Day 12: Cambria to Willowmore

2010-06-26T20:38:00.002+02:00

165km/14.5hours. Left early again, wasn't sure how long it would take to get over the big climbs in the Baviaanskloof with the singlespeed. It took long, had to walk them, no power to pedal over. Kloof was cold, dark and eerie and wet feet from river crossings made it worse. After sunrise things warmed up and body started waking up. Got to Dam se Drif for brunch (unfortunately no 'death by chocolate' this time) and put a new chain on too. Put some music on and tackled the last 90km to Willowmore. Legs felt better and ended up having a great ride, even managing to pedal up the whole of Nuwe Kloof pass, my small victory for the day. A candlelit dinner of lamb stew went down well. Rumours of another front on the way, so tomorrow may be a surprise!

Day 11: Bucklands to Cambria

2010-06-26T08:14:00.003+02:00

80km/15hours. A frustrating day that started out with a pre-dawn attempt at the Perdeberg portage which didn't work out and left me thrashing through the bush trying to find the right way down the mountain in the dark. My navigational blunder cost me at least 5 hours and the chance of getting to Dam se Drif tonight. So I ended up doing a single stage and got to do some riding with the group of Gawie, Scott and Ray. Today's stage took us through some dramatic mountain ranges and from one highpoint, we could see the ocean down south, close to Jeffrey's Bay. Descending the rough Osseberg jeep track was quite a chore without any suspension but the views made up for it. Once down in the valley, the track crosses the same river 11 times as it winds its way along the valley floor to Cambria. Tomorrow we head west through the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. There's no tricky navigation so I'll start early and try to make up some lost ground.

Day 10: Van der Venterskraal to Bucklands

2010-06-25T08:23:00.002+02:00

154km/13.5 hours. Lost my tracker, wasted time looking for it, so only left around 8 and eventually found it lying on the road 500m from the house! First stretch to Toekomst a singlespeed nightmare, had to push the bike a lot. Rocky, sandy, thorny tracks were hard work. Stubborn puncture eventually sealed after plugging it. Lunch at Toekomst was tasty. Got a bit confused getting around Darlington Dam and weather turned unexpectedly warm in the afternoon. Stopped at Draaifontein farm to refill water and eventually got to Bucklands around 21h30. Saw lots of small game, nearly got taken out by a buck jumping into the road. Had to cross many fences and locked gates, sometimes tricky on your own! (Dropping into the Baviaanskloof at Cambria tomorrow, not sure when next signal available so sit tight for next 2 days reports).

Day 9: Elandsberg to Van der Venterskraal

2010-06-24T21:50:00.005+02:00

208km/17hours. Another early start, this time 03h45; and another cold morning, dropping to -6. Thank you Margeret from Elandsberg for the great food and for getting up early to let me out. My legs felt heavy from the previous day and only really started firing again after a brief stop at Stuttgart for another breakfast just before 09h00. Francois and Amanda took good care of me and sent me on my way to tackle the first portage, the Schurfteberg. Although long, this went well and the downhill carving its way off the back was superb. Then the race was on to get over the day's other portage, the Struishoek mountain. My lunch stop at De Doorns was a hit and run affair, refilling liquids and grabbing food to eat on the bike, all in 5min. Pushing hard up the back of Struishoek, I arrived at the top to see the old farm buildings bathed in an amazing golden light and not a breath of wind. Took some pics, had a snack and headed over the mountain and down the rocky descent gully. The moon was bright by the time I reached the farmhouse at the bottom. I stopped in at the farmhouse to ask for water and was invited in for tea and Wimbledon! David and Verity are such nice people, they farm cattle and Angora goats at the foot of the Struishoek. They offered me a place to stay but I had to decline and push on. The last 3 hours riding took me past Pearston and along some very corrugated dirt roads to the farm Van der Venterskraal where I arrived exhausted at about 22h30. Just had a bath and eating now but when my head hits that pillow, I'll be out.

Day 8: Brosterlea to Elandsberg.

2010-06-23T08:20:00.006+02:00

190km/17hours. After an early night at Brosterlea, I left at 3:30am and even though the temp was -3, it felt a lot warmer than previous days. First up was the Stormberg portage, which I hit just before sunrise - got it a bit wrong which cost me some time and added some extra distance, not a great start! The riding afterwards was mostly on district and good farm roads and went well. At one stage, just before Romansfontein, these wierd snowflakes started falling, almost like light, hollow balls... Arrived at Romansfontein farm around 11am and had porridge and tea. Stefanie, the host, packed me some lunch and the boys showed me the back route through the farm, taking care of the gates as they went.(thanks guys) Made another nav error going over Aasvoelberg which cost me about 20 min, that's what you get for trying a shortcut! Got down the back of Aasvoelberg in one piece although it was hard work for the arms and shoulders because of the rigid fork.(The bike handled the very rough descent extremely well but I was most impressed by the Hope Mini brakes, ample power and no fade from such small, light brakes.) Then the race was on to get to the town of Hofmeyr to sample one of the famous pies from the Karoobos Stall but even though I got there before 5, they had closed early for the SA vs France soccer match. So it was on to the final obstacle for the day, the Elandsberg portage. I didn't quite make it to the start before dark but that was fine, the worst part was the loose, rocky jeep track off the other side, it just wouldn't end! Not one of my favourite parts of the route but it's done. In a few minutes, Margeret from Elandsberg farm will bring supper and then a hot bath and sleep. The weather here seems to be changing, so may wait until morning before deciding on the next day's riding plan.

Day 7: Moordenaarspoort to Brosterlea

2010-06-21T17:30:00.001+02:00

88km/9 hours. Had to take it easier today. Totally overslept and only got going after 7 but felt tired with heavy legs. Had a long stop at Vaalbank to recharge a bit and enjoyed sitting in the sun, playing with the dogs and feeding my face with Sandra's baked goodies. Headed out into some new sections with navigation required but all straightforward in the daylight and then pedalled on into a stiff headwind to Brosterlea farm, where I arrived at 4:30pm. On the way I came across a tortoise trying to cross the road, so helped him out. Also spooked a rooibok coming down the hill quite fast at Leeuwkraal - he jumped out and ran in front of me for the next 500m, I was doing 40km/h and he left me behind. Resting up at Brosterlea now and going on early tomorrow, the wood stove is roaring and its warm inside.

Day 6: Rhodes to Moordenaarspoort

2010-06-21T14:35:00.001+02:00

160km/17 hours. Long day today but the weather was good so decided to go for it. Started an hour before dawn and watched the temp drop to -10, then -14, which froze all liquids so couldn't drink, bit of a problem. Made quick stops at Chesneywold and Slaapkrantz and eventually got caught in the dark coming down Bonthoek portage which was wet, muddy and slippery. A long, slow haul out of Rossouw really started getting to me but eventually arrived at about 22h30. Bike was flawless today, new chain made all the difference. Need sleep.

Day 5: Tinana Mission to Rhodes

2010-06-19T22:47:00.000+02:00

22h03 pm: 85km/11 hours. I left Tinana just before first light and got to see the sunrise from the mountain tops above Mjikelweni Village. The route down was on great singletrack, perfect way to start the day! Took a tumble over the bars when my front wheel went into an unseen hole, no harm done and gave the local kids something to chuckle at. Going into the tricky Vuvu valley a bit later, I found a very tired looking Blackie Swart who had spent a very cold night out, getting lost in the valley. Offered to show him the route and we went on together towards Vuvu. He opted to stay in Vuvu to recover. I had some tea and a snack before heading off to tackle Lehana's Pass. An icy headwind made the approach and exit a bit testy but things went well and I passed by the Tenahead Lodge in just under 3 hours from the start. From there the road down into Rhodes first drops, then climbs (a 25min walk for me) before dropping down Naudesnek Pass. The surface still had some ice and snow on, so I went very carefully and the windchill left me with frozen fingers but I got down to Rhodes in one piece, arriving just before dark. Found some familiar faces here amongst some of the Ride2Rhodes finshers as well as Marius and Audrey who started with me on Tuesday but have both since withdrawn. I also found new chains from Tandem Mike - thanks Mike - so hopefully the chain issues are over. Felt good today but need to watch my left knee, it started complaining a bit, later in the day, probably be fine after a good rest. An early start tomorrow and heading for Slaapkranz. PS - answers to some questions on the blog: my pack weighs 6kg fully loaded with another 1kg in the front chest pouch. Travelling light, yes and getting a bit cold in the early mornings before sunrise but mostly hands that suffer, should have taken warmer gloves. Bike weighs 11.5kg loaded up and yes it was a pleasure to carry up Lehana's although the big 29er wheels were like sails in the wind.

Day 4: Masakala to Tinana Mission

2010-06-18T21:36:00.000+02:00

20:35pm: 95km/11 hours. Lot's of singletrack and slightly warmer weather made for a great day out on the bike. I got away a bit late (07h20) and very nearly detoured into Matatiele to find a new chain but managed to shorten and retension it which worked ok, although it misbehaved a few more times during the day. Got to Malekholonjane at 13h30 but only made a quick pitstop, grabbing some vetkoek and refilling drinks. Out the door 10 min later thanks to the pit crew of Ntlantla, Duma and Nomsa. The vetkoek worked like rocket fuel (need to get that recipe!) and kept me going for the rest of the day. The new approach to Black Fountain definately added more time so it meant a race to get through the singletrack along the ridge before dark to get a peek at the descent off the ridge to Tinana Mission. Just made it and then had some moonlight to help me down. Arriving after dark, I found the house of Gogo Zibi and her daughter Lucian (who was a few quarts into her Friday night) and they've been taking good care of me. They tell me I'm not the first one to make use of this emergency stop and are very proud hosts. Working my way through a huge plate of spinach and pap and the kettle's boiling for more tea. Happiness...

8:11 am: A frosty good morning

2010-06-18T21:34:00.000+02:00

8:11 am: After yesterday's late chain issues, decided to leave later in case I needed to detour into Matatiele in search of a bike shop or at least some other options. So far though the bike has been behaving. So it's off to Malekholonyane (near Ongeluksnek border post) and then on to an emergency stop at Tinana Mission. Pretty chilly still, currently minus 1 and frost everywhere but sun is shining and things should start warming up soon.

Day 3: Ntsikeni to Masakala.

2010-06-17T21:07:00.000+02:00

87km/9 hours. Much better day today, felt good and was able to ride a lot more than previous days. Great hosts at Ntsikeni, Jim, Gloria and Dula the story teller - they really helped me to recharge after yesterday! Got away a bit late at 8:15 and started with an 8km walk out of Ntsikeni thanks to long grass and deeply rutted paths, pretty cold too with temps around minus 2 and lots of frozen puddles. Once on the roads, I found some nice rythym on the bike and skipped coffee at Glen Edward farm, aiming for Masakala (near Matatiele) before dark. Some good technical singletrack on the way, although I really missed having front shocks on the rough stuff, my arms took a pounding! Coming into Masakala, I had a few issues with the chain jumping off repeatedly, so tightened up the tensioner but didn't really help... Chain was very dirty though, with sticky gunk, so I took it off and cleaned it properly and re-lubed everything too. Hope this isn't an issue again tomorrow. Got to Masakala just after 5pm and found Rob here - he's waiting for a lift back home after pulling out of Ride2Rhodes. Passed through a mix of tribal and farming areas today with many farmers burning firebreaks now, quite weird riding past the heat of the veld burning while you're looking up at the snow covered peaks of the Drakensberg ahead... Just waiting for washing to dry and then bed.

Day 2: Allendale to Ntsikeni

2010-06-16T17:59:00.000+02:00

100km/15 hours. A long hard day that's almost done, I'm sending this from the top of a hill where there's signal, still a few km's to the lodge, which I can see in the distance, where signal is bad. I started out at 3am with the intention of getting past Ntsikeni and staying at Banchory farm, an emergency stop over on the way to Masakala but things started going wrong early on. When I left Allendale it was minus 7 deg and I was struggling to control the bike down the first technical singletrack, so lost some time there. Then the navigation caught me out before Donnybrook and again before Centocow. By midday I was already a few hours behind schedule. I've also been battling with nausea most of the day, so my pace slowed to a crawl. The last climb up to Ntsikeni has been a killer and I'm dead tired from all the walking again today. The wise thing to do is to stay and rest up for tomorrow. Signing off now, fingers starting to freeze!

Day 1: Pmb to Allendale

2010-06-16T07:30:00.001+02:00

109km/10h30min. A tougher day than expected! Initially the weather was perfect and we rode as a group but the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. We split up on the first climb and I only saw the other guys again at Allendale when they arrived at 7pm. Marius was not with them because he decided to pull out at Minerva - he had been battling with illness before the start so it was probably a wise move. Two big climbs today, the first up to the soup stop at Minerva Reserve was rideable with one gear but the long haul up Hella Hella was a lot steeper and I had to walk. The bike was brilliant though - I could ride all the technical stuff with confidence and even the treacherous drop down the cement track into the Umkomaas Valley was no problem. I only got into Allendale support station after 4pm which meant the choice to stay or go was made easier - with only an hour of good light left and lots of tricky navigation through the forests around Donnybrook, I opted to stay - blame it on the crackling fire and good food. Depending on tomorrow's weather, I'll leave a bit earlier and try to catch up a bit of time but now it's time for bed.

We're rolling

2010-06-15T08:09:00.001+02:00

A cool morning in Pmb and away we go. Hit the dirt at Bisley Nature Reserve and had to dodge dump trucks working on the road, really dusty and spoilt our fun a bit. Road clear now and heading to Byrne village for tea. Weather perfect, no rain as predicted just overcast and cool. Riding with Aussies Tim and Bec, they're also on Giants so we're a little team.

Ready to roll

2010-06-14T21:05:00.001+02:00

So dinner, registration and race briefing are done, our trackers are charging and all that's left to do is get some sleep before the alarm goes off at 4:30am in the morning. We're staying at Aintree Lodge in Pietermaritzburg which means a 10 min warm up ride into town to start at the City Hall when the clock strikes 6. Our start group is small - Tim James and Bec Caskey from Australia, Marius and Audrey Gerber, Alex Harris and myself - only 6 riders and all of us going to Cape Town. Apart from Alex, everyone seems intent on taking it easy tomorrow with the goal being to reach Allendale Farm before dark and stop there.

There's supposed to be some rain on the way tomorrow which is not all bad because it means that the temperatures dropping through the Umkomaas Valley will be more bearable - the climb out is called Hella Hella for a reason, the first day is usually the one day when it can get really hot.

More about the bike...

2010-06-12T22:01:00.000+02:00

So after a day spent fiddling with cables and duct tape, trying to make sense of user manuals and pedalling up hills to see what gear ratio to use, the bike is finally dressed up in race mode and ready to go (well almost, it still needs one more bottle and cage)

A couple of tweaks include ditching the lock-on grips in favour of thicker bar tape for a bit of cushioning, putting all the tools and spares into a bottle and storing it low down in a bottle cage instead of a saddle bag, strapping the spare tyre under the saddle and sticking with the original 32x17 gear ratio.

And then there's the electrical system - the front hub houses a dynamo which powers the light directly, without the need for a battery pack. It also powers an onboard charging unit mounted on the stem, which will be used to charge the tracking device and a phone. The devices being charged are stored in the small pouch mounted up front on the top tube. I'll also be using a headlamp mounted to the helmet to light the way when walking or carrying the bike over some of the portages because the front wheel needs to be turning to provide power and light. The components are all off the shelf items popular among long distance touring cyclists so hopefully they'll be reliable out on the trail too.

Now it's just a case of packing my bag with all the clothing, maps and other paraphenalia needed and then I'll be on my way down to Pietermaritzburg for the race registration and briefing on Monday night. The race started officially today (Saturday) with the first of seven batches leaving this morning at 6am. Most people made it into the first support station at Mackenzie Club just before dark with some riders electing to push on even further.

All about the bike

2010-06-11T18:34:00.000+02:00

So the bike is finally assembled and running in singlespeed mode. Weighing in at a svelte 10.3kg, it feels FAST! Final race weight will be a bit more after it gets dressed up in race kit with the spares, lights, bottles etc still needing to be attached - as much as I'd like to, I can't leave any of these vital bits behind. For the tech heads out there, here is a brief breakdown of the bike build:

Frame is an XL Giant XTC1 29er with the standard 100 stem and 700mm wide flat bar. It's a good fit for me (190cm tall) and feels really comfortable. Running a rigid On-One fork does not affect the handling of the bike at all and it feels stable and predictable when cornering. Thanks to the light weight, getting up to speed is easy and it definately carries it's speed well too. Gearing is currently 32x17 (but may still change...) and setting up the chain tensioning with an On-One Doofer was a simple operation. Cranks are 180mm Truvativ Stylo singlespeed. The 2.1 Bontrager XDX tyres feel cushy and the grip so far feels good. Rims are Velocity Blunt and the wheels were built by Johan Bornman of Yellow Saddle.

The high pitched whine of the Hope singleglespeed hub when freewheeling is one of the best things about the bike - sure to become a reassuring sound out on the trail. Hope also takes care of the stopping duties with a set of Mini brakes. Thanks a lot to Grant from International Trade, the Hope agents in SA, for the Hope bits - I was initially concerned about what hub to use as it's such a critical part of any singlespeed setup but I have absolute faith in the Hope hub and am really glad to be using it. I'm also using a Murray Orthoped saddle, a locally made product, which comes highly recommended by several long distance riders and initial impressions have been very good. Once the bike is dressed up with all the race kit, I'll post some more pics and specs.

5 days and counting...

2010-06-09T22:08:00.000+02:00

5 days to the start of my Freedom Challenge adventure... Thanks to Giant, this year I'm on a rigid, singlespeed 29er, well to be more accurate, I've taken a perfectly funtioning XTC1 29er and turned it into a bit of a retro freakshow, all in an attempt to better the current singlespeed record of 21 days. With the bar having been set quite high by a certain Mr. Andre Britz, who established the category and the record in 2007 on a rigid bike, I'll be doing the same and shunning the comforts of suspension and gears. While some may question the wisdom of this, one thing that's apparent with this kind of simple setup is the lack of clutter and hence a really lightweight bike! After tomorrow's final building tweaks, I'll be able to weigh it and post some pictures too - watch this space...