Dads & Lads: Namaqualand & Karoo 2019 (Complete / Volledig)

[Archangel]

As we were descending into the Tankwa, we could see a massive dust storm in the flats. The side winds shook us up properly and the going was as easy as earlier in the day, but the riding was still fun, until around 12h30 when this happened...

After plugging the tire twice, we realised that this wasn't going to work, so we stopped to change to the spare tire I'd been dragging along.

After just fitting the spare, we saw that the reason it was removed by it's previous owner was a gaping hole in the side. 

Out come the plugs again  :lol8:  We plugged the hole and behold, it stayed plugged. For now, at least.  eepwall:

Jo was all too quick to comment, as our next voyage only lasted about 5km before he too had yet another flat!

By now, we were quickly approaching 15h and the short day turned into a long day without much riding. Sid & Spiekman joked that they can't let us go on our own, as we wouldn't make it to the next turn, so they joined us up to the Tankwa Padstal for a very quick coke, chips and pee break.

 

[Archangel]

Would like to know where this Helsekloof pass is. Traveling to a farm close to the treinspoorpad in September

https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2%B009'17.7%22S+19%C2%B000'10.2%22E/@-31.154927,19.0006333,688m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d-31.1549272!4d19.002822

 

[Chrisl]

Ek kan nie glo die hoeveelheid pap wiele wat julle gehad het?!!!
Nogal weird almal agter?

 

[Archangel]

From there we said cheers to Spiekman and Sid who headed towards Ouberg while we continued to make our way towards Ceres.

This time, the plug in the TKC lasted a good 10km.  :imaposer:

The 2nd time around, we weren't so lucky as they plugs kept on being pulled or pushed out. We tried to cable tie them into position, which lasted about 5km.

The solution?

Jip, duct tape. Btw, we're in good company here...

So any guesses how long the duct tape lasted???

 

[Matewis]

Would like to know where this Helsekloof pass is. Traveling to a farm close to the treinspoorpad in September

https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2%B009'17.7%22S+19%C2%B000'10.2%22E/@-31.154927,19.0006333,688m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d-31.1549272!4d19.002822

Thanx a mil!! Route planning for September just started with a nice twist!

 

[Archangel]

Ek kan nie glo die hoeveelheid pap wiele wat julle gehad het?!!!
Nogal weird almal agter?

Ja hel Oom Chris, niemand kon dit glo nie. Dis my leeftyd se kwota opgebruik in een trip. Ek kan nou met 'n fiets tire ry tot in Cairo en ek behoort OK te wees.

Mind you, Sondag het ek 'n pap wiel gekry met die kar!  :xxbah: Darm is ek nou 'n pro met plugs insit.  :ricky:

 

[Archangel]

Would like to know where this Helsekloof pass is. Traveling to a farm close to the treinspoorpad in September

https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2%B009'17.7%22S+19%C2%B000'10.2%22E/@-31.154927,19.0006333,688m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d-31.1549272!4d19.002822

Thanx a mil!! Route planning for September just started with a nice twist!

Kan ek saam kom? Ek wil nogsteeds daai paadjie gaan ry. :drif:

Actually, scrap that. You're probably more keen on riding than changing tires...  :imaposer:

 

[Archangel]

Meanwhile, Sid & Spiekman made some good ground, staying just ahead of the fast approaching storm.

And made it safely to Sutherland, bone dry and without any punctures...  :eek7:

 

[Matewis]

Would like to know where this Helsekloof pass is. Traveling to a farm close to the treinspoorpad in September

https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2%B009'17.7%22S+19%C2%B000'10.2%22E/@-31.154927,19.0006333,688m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d-31.1549272!4d19.002822

Thanx a mil!! Route planning for September just started with a nice twist!

Kan ek saam kom? Ek wil nogsteeds daai paadjie gaan ry. :drif:

Actually, scrap that. You're probably more keen on riding than changing tires...  :imaposer:

Hahaha meer as welkom. Ry die  langnwk in Sept na plaas net bietjie verder af op treinspoorpad

 

[chopperpilot]

Lekka RR gents!

And a privilege...Dads and Lads!

Pity about the punctures, back to KTM maybe Arch?

Any punctures on the Yammie?

 

[Archangel]

Nou ja, met gehoes en geproes het ons die teerpad gehaal, net betyds om ons reenpakkies aan te trek want die druppels het reeds begin val. 8)

And with the beginning of the tar, so came the rain and wind. Add a sunset and it quickly turns into miserable riding conditions with terrible visibility (dirty orange light covers don't help) and a slowly deflating knobbly tire on a slippery, wet tar road.  :-\

We fueled up a Ceres, re-inflated all necessary tires and took on the next stretch. We made it all the way to Malmesbury with that duct tape and we were extremely lucky, as the tire actually just-just made it there.

At Malmesbury, we re-plugged and re-taped the tire, ready for the last 40km stretch home to Melkbosstrand.

All the road construction, bad light, bad tires, rain, wind, cold and fatigue made even this most boring stretch of road that I'd done 100's of times, very challenging.

We rolled into Melkbosstrand at around 20h30 with the wives eagerly awaiting our return, so that they could offload the kids and take a break, because we've been on "holiday" for a week and it's now our turn, so that they can rest for a change...  :help:

Boots vol water, tires vol gate and hart vol dankbaarheid smile ek met 'n mond vol tanne.  :ricky:

It was a true adventure to remember.  :thumleft:

And with that, I have concluded my part of the RR. I'll get Sid & Spiekman to add their last day.

Dankie vir almal wat saam gery (of gelees) het.

En Paps en Snoonpa - weereens dankie vir die bikes en contribution tot die adventure biking leefstyl. En meeste van als, dankie vir die tyd wat julle saam ons deurbring. Ek sit met trane in my oë soos ek hierdie tik. Nie baie is so bevoorreg soos ons nie en woorde kan nie beskryf wat hierdie "adventures" vir die seuns beteken nie. Veral in vandag se tyd waar Pa's nie "present" is nie en die grootste adventures gewoonlik na die naaste shopping malls of theme parks is, beteken hierdie vir ons meer as waarvoor ons ooit kan dankie sê. So destined to fall short, kyk ek en Charles (no pressure, Brent) ook op na julle en probeer maar ons bes om vir volgende generasie 'n voorbeeld te wees, daar te wees, op adventures te gaan en mense groot te maak wat meer  raaksien as dit wat op hulle mobile screens plaasvind en om 'n valuable contribution tot humanity te maak.

 

[Dwerg]

Nice report thanks for sharing  :thumleft:

That crash pic is classic

 

[Matewis]

Nou ja, met gehoes en geproes het ons die teerpad gehaal, net betyds om ons reenpakkies aan te trek want die druppels het reeds begin val. 8)

And with the beginning of the tar, so came the rain and wind. Add a sunset and it quickly turns into miserable riding conditions with terrible visibility (dirty orange light covers don't help) and a slowly deflating knobbly tire on a slippery, wet tar road.  :-\

We fueled up a Ceres, re-inflated all necessary tires and took on the next stretch. We made it all the way to Malmesbury with that duct tape and we were extremely lucky, as the tire actually just-just made it there.

At Malmesbury, we re-plugged and re-taped the tire, ready for the last 40km stretch home to Melkbosstrand.

All the road construction, bad light, bad tires, rain, wind, cold and fatigue made even this most boring stretch of road that I'd done 100's of times, very challenging.

We rolled into Melkbosstrand at around 20h30 with the wives eagerly awaiting our return, so that they could offload the kids and take a break, because we've been on "holiday" for a week and it's now our turn, so that they can rest for a change...  :help:

Boots vol water, tires vol gate and hart vol dankbaarheid smile ek met 'n mond vol tanne.  :ricky:

It was a true adventure to remember.  :thumleft:

And with that, I have concluded my part of the RR. I'll get Sid & Spiekman to add their last day.

Dankie vir almal wat saam gery (of gelees) het.

En Paps en Snoonpa - weereens dankie vir die bikes en contribution tot die adventure biking leefstyl. En meeste van als, dankie vir die tyd wat julle saam ons deurbring. Ek sit met trane in my oë soos ek hierdie tik. Nie baie is so bevoorreg soos ons nie en woorde kan nie beskryf wat hierdie "adventures" vir die seuns beteken nie. Veral in vandag se tyd waar Pa's nie "present" is nie en die grootste adventures gewoonlik na die naaste shopping malls of theme parks is, beteken hierdie vir ons meer as waarvoor ons ooit kan dankie sê. So destined to fall short, kyk ek en Charles (no pressure, Brent) ook op na julle en probeer maar ons bes om vir volgende generasie 'n voorbeeld te wees, daar te wees, op adventures te gaan en mense groot te maak wat meer  raaksien as dit wat op hulle mobile screens plaasvind en om 'n valuable contribution tot humanity te maak.

Lekker saam gelees. Jy slaan die spyker solid op die kop met die stukkie. My pa ook nourie dag vir eerste agterop die bike sommer uitgevat vir 'n brekkie. Sy kommentaar was dat dit die lekkerste trip nog ooit was en hy verstaan hoekom ek tyd op my fiets wil spandeer. Well done en doen so voort!!

 

[Chrisl]

die Oom in Carnavon)

Ek let op die Oom word nie bedank nie?!! eepwall:
Julle manne is bevoorreg om saam met jul pa's te kan ry en ek hoop jul kan nog so doen vir baie jare. Dis die voordeel as n pa vroeg begin!! :deal: >

 

[Archangel]

die Oom in Carnavon

Ek let op die Oom word nie bedank nie?!! eepwall:
Julle manne is bevoorreg om saam met jul pa's te kan ry en ek hoop jul kan nog so doen vir baie jare. Dis die voordeel as n pa vroeg begin!! :deal: >

Die oom het ons geleer om dankbaar te wees vir ander mense wat vrygewig is, want almal is duidelik nie so nie... 

 

[JC]

thanks for the awesome ride report, motivates me to try the same with the laaitie

 

[Archangel]

Pity about the punctures, back to KTM maybe Arch?

As ek wil onterf word, sal daai 'n goeie stap wees.  :laughing4:

Any punctures on the Yammie?

Niks punctures op die Yammie nie. Daai man weet duidelik hoe om skerk klippe mis te ry. My bank bestuurder was nie so goed soos syne nie...  :deal:

 

[GravelPitt]

Gabs well said man! A massive privilege it really was! Not a single second of it was taken for granted.

After the split at Tankwa padstal we still had some ground to cover to Sutherland, with the storm hot on our heels we made good ground (fortunately driving away from the storm and not into it like Jo and Arch).
A massive temperature drop welcomed us into Sutherland but fortunately the The White House Hotel had a warm fire going when we got there.

 

[Archangel]

Oh, iets wat ek gemis het!

Toe ons op Kammieskroon stop, bel Honda Centurion vir Spiekman om te hoor of hy nog happy is met sy BRV. Hy was toevalig op daai oomblik in die toilet, so ek het maar opgetel. Daar vertel hulle my van 'n nuwe special op CRVs en hoor of ek wil inruil. Natuurlik het ek gevra of hulle sommer twee kan aflewer en ek wou ook weet of hulle stock het van die nuwe 450L motorfiets. Die dame laat weet my dat iemand van die motorfiets afdeling my binnekort sal terug skakel.

Die res van die trip bel Honda vir Spiekman omtrent elke 20 min om details te confirm van hulle transaksie.  :imaposer:

So Spiekman, hoe loop jou nuwe floot?  :angel11:

 

[GravelPitt]

The second last day started off a little slow for me with a high fever and feeling proper crap. Knowing we had a long day waiting (571km to Orania) we knew we had to get going. The sleet rain of the previous night made the tar a little slippery but the gravel was a dream due to the lack of dust.

The gravel road to Fraserburg was a beaut and proved to be the perfect medicine for the sickness, whatever it was.

Just other side Fraserburg Sid stopped and showed me where Racheltjie de Beer (Arch) spent much of his first night. Sid decided to write Gabriel's name in pee on the spot, you know, just to make it official.

We then hit it to Loxton for a “roosterbrootjie met kaas and jam” at Die Rooi Granaat. From there it was all the way to Orania where we checked into the Hotel at “Die Oewer”. Amazing place to stay right on the river, super cozy with great food at the restaurant. Note if you are not proper Afrikaans you might need a HAT to decipher some of the Items on the menu.

I would like to point out that this was by far the coldest we have gotten all trip, despite staying in Sutherland on the winter solstice during sleet rain, Orania was way way colder.