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Al die reports maak my nog meer spyt ek kon dit nie maak nie. Shot vir die deel alan :thumleft:
Amageza - "its not a race!"
- Thread starter alanB
- Start date
alanB
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Sunday: Second Stage of the Amageza (cont'd)
It was with a fantastic feeling of accomplishment that I parked my bike amongst all the others. Although there was still the liaison back to Sutherland to complete, the "hard stuff" was over :thumleft:
The stage finish was in a very pleasant 4x4 farm/campground with beautiful trees that were shedding their leaves for the approaching winter.
We were invited to grab a boerrie roll. So I traipsed off to the boma, where the nice smell of braaing was coming from.
While I was helping myself to a roll, Darksider asked if I was bleeding???? I was puzzled and glanced down at the front of my jacket, which had a huge red stain around my right hand pocket.
Any Hollywood war film make-up artist would have been very happy with the effect.
It turned out to be a small can of pepper spray that I had forgotten in my jacket, which had burst/leaked for some reason (I have no idea why because I never hit anything, nor fell).
I usually ride alone at home, so I keep it in my jacket just in case. I had forgotten that it was there when I packed the jacket in Jo'burg.
This caused a fair amount of comment (which still persists :biggrin
.
I decided to give my jacket a rinse at a nearby tap so I wouldn't continue looking like a war film extra and also to prevent it staining.
This caused even more issues later on which I was to find out in no uncertain way!
I rinsed off the jacket trying to limit the flow of water to that area only, which seemed to work and soon the stain faded quite significantly. And then put it back on again because it was quite chilly.
I wandered around basking in the satisfied glow of accomplishment, chatting to people and taking photo's.
But after a while the glow started intensifying - especially across my back! It seemed that the pepper had soaked into the lining at the back of the jacket and that now was attacking my back - in earnest!
I took my jacket off in a hurry! After a while it settled down to just a red hot burning sensation, which wasn't that bad - given the cold weather - or at least that's what I tried to tell myself!
What a stupid thing to have happen! (Although these sort of things tend to happen to me more than most :-\ ??? :biggrin: )
After a while, guys started leaving on the liaison back to Sutherland.
Despite my hot back, I was having fun just mooching around enjoying the atmosphere. But eventually it was time to get going again.
I put on the thermal liner of the jacket, both because it was cold, and to form a barrier against the pepper. It has a Goretex liner so I thought that would be fine.
I was wrong! :biggrin: But apart from an initial fiery few moments when it seeped through later in the ride it wasn't that bad - good therapy for tired muscles in fact!
As I was leaving, I realised I didn't have a clue where I was in the road book, Which sounds funny because obviously I was at the check point listed. But maybe because I hadnt followed the route to that point, the next few turns it showed didn't seem to make sense to me, given the direction I had seen everyone else go when they left.
I stopped and asked another rider walking by for a hint.
I was scrolling around through the road book to try and orientate myself when the bloody thing tore again! Thank goodness I had stopped using it when I did, because it seemed that it was basically useless from then on anyway!
So I had to get out a screw driver, take off the cover and massage the torn bit through and try and get it to scroll properly.
Once I got going, the first turn after that I turned the wrong way : This was exactly the sort of thing I thought would happen from the start of the ride and why I was concentrating so hard on the roadbook the first day.
But after stuffing around a bit, I got back into the groove and set off after the others :biggrin:
Despite all the stupidity that suddenly seemed to be going on it was a nice ride back :thumleft:
The roadbook tore and jammed again when I tried to scroll it further, but I just left it, because I could see the entrance to Sutherland at the bottom of the window.
At about 11:30, I rode back into the school gate and handed over my GPS - I had finished :ricky: :ricky:
What a really, really great experience!
It was great experience both because of the challenge and the superb riding terrain, but also because of the people involved, all the organisers, marshalls and the competitors I had the privilege to meet! :thumleft:
Thanks again to all who had the vision and the determination to make this event happen! I certainly appreciate it.
My only comment on the format of the event is that I think less emphasis should maybe be placed on emulating the Dakar Rally and more should be put on finding out what the Amageza Rally should be. I think it has the potential to something truly unique in the world. The mix of big bikes vs small, amateurs vs pros etc should be maintained if at all possible IMO. If it became nothing more than a long distance enduro for hardcore pro's, that would be a pity - but thats my opinion, and I'm not in charge.
Congratulations to all that took part and finished.
My deep sympathies to those that had problems and who were forced out for what ever reason - it could have happened to any of us!
I'm already wandering about next year...... :bueller:
It was with a fantastic feeling of accomplishment that I parked my bike amongst all the others. Although there was still the liaison back to Sutherland to complete, the "hard stuff" was over :thumleft:
The stage finish was in a very pleasant 4x4 farm/campground with beautiful trees that were shedding their leaves for the approaching winter.
We were invited to grab a boerrie roll. So I traipsed off to the boma, where the nice smell of braaing was coming from.
While I was helping myself to a roll, Darksider asked if I was bleeding???? I was puzzled and glanced down at the front of my jacket, which had a huge red stain around my right hand pocket.
Any Hollywood war film make-up artist would have been very happy with the effect.
It turned out to be a small can of pepper spray that I had forgotten in my jacket, which had burst/leaked for some reason (I have no idea why because I never hit anything, nor fell).
I usually ride alone at home, so I keep it in my jacket just in case. I had forgotten that it was there when I packed the jacket in Jo'burg.
This caused a fair amount of comment (which still persists :biggrin
.I decided to give my jacket a rinse at a nearby tap so I wouldn't continue looking like a war film extra and also to prevent it staining.
This caused even more issues later on which I was to find out in no uncertain way!
I rinsed off the jacket trying to limit the flow of water to that area only, which seemed to work and soon the stain faded quite significantly. And then put it back on again because it was quite chilly.
I wandered around basking in the satisfied glow of accomplishment, chatting to people and taking photo's.
But after a while the glow started intensifying - especially across my back! It seemed that the pepper had soaked into the lining at the back of the jacket and that now was attacking my back - in earnest!
I took my jacket off in a hurry! After a while it settled down to just a red hot burning sensation, which wasn't that bad - given the cold weather - or at least that's what I tried to tell myself!
What a stupid thing to have happen!
(Although these sort of things tend to happen to me more than most :-\ ??? :biggrin: )After a while, guys started leaving on the liaison back to Sutherland.
Despite my hot back, I was having fun just mooching around enjoying the atmosphere. But eventually it was time to get going again.
I put on the thermal liner of the jacket, both because it was cold, and to form a barrier against the pepper. It has a Goretex liner so I thought that would be fine.
I was wrong! :biggrin: But apart from an initial fiery few moments when it seeped through later in the ride it wasn't that bad - good therapy for tired muscles in fact!
As I was leaving, I realised I didn't have a clue where I was in the road book, Which sounds funny because obviously I was at the check point listed. But maybe because I hadnt followed the route to that point, the next few turns it showed didn't seem to make sense to me, given the direction I had seen everyone else go when they left.
I stopped and asked another rider walking by for a hint.
I was scrolling around through the road book to try and orientate myself when the bloody thing tore again! Thank goodness I had stopped using it when I did, because it seemed that it was basically useless from then on anyway!
So I had to get out a screw driver, take off the cover and massage the torn bit through and try and get it to scroll properly.
Once I got going, the first turn after that I turned the wrong way :
This was exactly the sort of thing I thought would happen from the start of the ride and why I was concentrating so hard on the roadbook the first day. But after stuffing around a bit, I got back into the groove and set off after the others :biggrin:
Despite all the stupidity that suddenly seemed to be going on it was a nice ride back :thumleft:
The roadbook tore and jammed again when I tried to scroll it further, but I just left it, because I could see the entrance to Sutherland at the bottom of the window.
At about 11:30, I rode back into the school gate and handed over my GPS - I had finished :ricky: :ricky:
What a really, really great experience!
It was great experience both because of the challenge and the superb riding terrain, but also because of the people involved, all the organisers, marshalls and the competitors I had the privilege to meet! :thumleft:
Thanks again to all who had the vision and the determination to make this event happen! I certainly appreciate it.
My only comment on the format of the event is that I think less emphasis should maybe be placed on emulating the Dakar Rally and more should be put on finding out what the Amageza Rally should be. I think it has the potential to something truly unique in the world. The mix of big bikes vs small, amateurs vs pros etc should be maintained if at all possible IMO. If it became nothing more than a long distance enduro for hardcore pro's, that would be a pity - but thats my opinion, and I'm not in charge
.Congratulations to all that took part and finished.
My deep sympathies to those that had problems and who were forced out for what ever reason - it could have happened to any of us!
I'm already wandering about next year...... :bueller:
BiG DoM
Desert Dog
Hey a BIG :thumleft: for you and HUSKY!
PS: What was the longest section? Was the long range tank necessary? In retrospect could one have made do with a fuel bladder?
PS: What was the longest section? Was the long range tank necessary? In retrospect could one have made do with a fuel bladder?
Great White
Race Dog
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Hey, Dom I was running on the standard 12L tank and did not need to use any of the fuel I had in my 5L back up tank.BiG DoM said:
My reserve light came on at 190km, which left enough fuel to get to the end of the stage.
BiG DoM said:
Maybe the Husky is more frugal, but I certainly relied on my 8l fuel bladder on almost all the stages.
Day 1: 80km special + 120km liaison to fuel in Laingsburg at about 200km: needed it all and refilled tank+bladder
Day 1: from fuel back to Sutherland was about 220km - needed to refill from bladder about 40km out of Sutherland.
Day 2: initial liaison+special was about 140km: needed to refill after special to get back to Sutherland on 2nd liaison leg of about 40km.
In all, tank+bladder gave me about 300km of normal riding, but significantly less over the specials (though I can't quantify it exactly).
BiG DoM
Desert Dog
Hey my HP2 is undoubtedly heavier on fuel on than my Husky - no question. Do not have the figures but must be. Guess if I had done it on my EishP with Markus tank would have been fine. I really do not want to put a big tank on the Husky (much in the same way as I do not want it on the HP2 - I mean faark I had an Adventure Hummer I do not want another :mwink Would love to try and do the Ama Husky Husky next year :ricky: Think it would be a good tool for the job.
Would love to try and do the Ama Husky Husky next year :ricky: Think it would be a good tool for the job.alanB
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In hindsite I didnt actually need the large tank.
But its easy to be blase after the fact.
If I got lost - which I really thought I would do, then the extra fuel may have been crucial (long distances between towns, and the specials were way off any beaten track, if you got lost down there who knows how much riding around you have to do to get back to a known point).
I seem to have got used to the new tank and didn't have any issues with handling. Even though the technical stuff was first thing and I had the tank relatively full in both cases.
On the last day I was throwing the bike around as much as i used to do with the old tank, and that was with the tank three quarters full!
The bike didn't seem to use a lot of fuel because I finished with plenty to spare on both days - although I did top up in Lainsberg as a precaution.
Also as Neil (BlueBull) mentioned we didnt have excessive mud or sand stretches which both tend to chew fuel.
In any event - next years event is going to include long stretches crossing national borders, I'm sure fuel range will be a major factor.
But its easy to be blase after the fact.
If I got lost - which I really thought I would do, then the extra fuel may have been crucial (long distances between towns, and the specials were way off any beaten track, if you got lost down there who knows how much riding around you have to do to get back to a known point).
I seem to have got used to the new tank and didn't have any issues with handling. Even though the technical stuff was first thing and I had the tank relatively full in both cases.
On the last day I was throwing the bike around as much as i used to do with the old tank, and that was with the tank three quarters full!
The bike didn't seem to use a lot of fuel because I finished with plenty to spare on both days - although I did top up in Lainsberg as a precaution.
Also as Neil (BlueBull) mentioned we didnt have excessive mud or sand stretches which both tend to chew fuel.
In any event - next years event is going to include long stretches crossing national borders, I'm sure fuel range will be a major factor.
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
It's great to read the various stories during the Amageza.
This event seems to bring out a lot of talent in a lot of people.
When something really touches you, the writing becomes exeptional.
I take my hat off to all of you non pro riders :thumleft:
This event seems to bring out a lot of talent in a lot of people.
When something really touches you, the writing becomes exeptional.
I take my hat off to all of you non pro riders :thumleft:
DirtyHarry said:
Very well said Dirty Harry . AlanB has blossommed into quite the writer , and it is because as you say the Amageza really touched him ( as it did the rest of us) . :thumleft: :thumleft:
DirtyHarry
Race Dog
You probably deserve the biggest credit of all the riders.Rynet said:
It will be an honour for me to lift up your bike when we ride Parklands again :biggrin:
alanB
Grey Hound
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Thanks for the kind words guys.
Nobody has ever accused me of blossoming before
Nobody has ever accused me of blossoming before
DirtyHarry said:
Thank you Harry , and I will be sure to have the vodka spray bottle handy as a treat :biggrin: :imaposer:, but really all the riders did very well ,and at much faster speeds than me. And the camaraderie between the riders was awesome . And the amazonic effort put in by the organisors and the marshalls and the photographers and Firecoast and the admin ladies, all in all there was just such a wonderful spirit at Amageza 2012 . :thumleft: :thumleft:
alanB said:Thanks for the kind words guys.
Nobody has ever accused me of blossoming before
Not only that .......you now have a stalker :imaposer: :imaposer:
I must confess I have now read your entire report from the first juicy word to the last for the fith or sixth time
. You say it as it is and share your thoughts with us and help us to re-live the magic again. :ricky: :ricky:
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And after years of development, planning and expenditure, I finally managed to win the aircooled class. :mwink:
I am a winner.
I am a winner.
BiG DoM
Desert Dog
2StrokeDan said:
I think you mean the air head class (in the non BMW sense) :biggrin: Actually on second thoughts the 'hot air class' :
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Dom, it is Sutherland in April, no hot air there :mwink:
BiG DoM
Desert Dog
2StrokeDan said:
I believe wherever you go there is hot air 8)
Rolling Stone
Race Dog
nice RR Alan
I am sure we will be doing this again.
O yes and congrats to Rynet. Could not get near her after the race (that was not a race) with all the oaks swarming around her.
Trying to get some biking tips I am sure. :mwink:
I am sure we will be doing this again.
O yes and congrats to Rynet. Could not get near her after the race (that was not a race) with all the oaks swarming around her.
Trying to get some biking tips I am sure. :mwink:
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BiG DoM said:
But you were dead cold in absence...... :'(
Rolling Stone said:
Thanks and Haha no they came to tell me that I should not have done it on a tractor with a 19 inch front wheel . Good thing no one told me this before the race (that was not a race :laughing4: ) as then I would never have done it , but fortunately ignorance is bliss . :imaposer:
And yes I am also sorry I did not get to chat to more people , there was just so little time and so many people . But next year would be great to chat to more people. :thumleft:
