Gauteng Something New. Randfontien Fochville Carltonville Ride ->31 Aug

[Jules]

Windy windy day!!


Up nice and early this morning to meet up at the Sasol on N14.
Arrived at 6:55am to find Gunda already rearing to go!

Blazes and Martin arrived about 5 minutes later. A quick coffee and a chat and we were ready to go. Left the meeting point at 7:20am

The morning started out cold but got warmer as the day progressed the Wind on the other hand got a lot worse!

It was a fantastic day out Li and I did 320km for the day and I'm sure the other did a fair bit more coming from further away.

I didn't take to many pictures as we were far to busy ridding.

2 "events" for the day were Gunda bashing his side stand switch on a rock and needing to do some roadside repairs and Li having a nasty rear puncture in the middle of nowhere. The size of the rusty piece of metal we took out her tire was scary  Luckily I'm always prepared so we were able to change tubes and be on our way without much delay. The route was very open and we did a fair bit of exploring and found some stunning railway service roads in the area. By lunchtime we were closer to Carltonville than Fochville so we had lunch there.

After lunch Gunda headed home to catch some Sport and we did a little more "exploring" there are some amazing little routes out that way that will need loads of exploring. We will be back there soon!


Thanks to the fellow WD's for joining it was a blast!

GundaChino Time!

The Road Ahead

Were we came from

Story Time  :biggrin:

Group Photie

Train

The Track



Jules

 

[BlueBull2007]

Cool route. Did you see any sinkholes on the way?

 

[GundaGunda]

Mornin Folks ! - And thanks to Jules for planning an interesting ride, and to Blazes, Martin and Li for making it memorable.

Man, those railway roads are good.

I had this wierd idea while soaking my old and tired body in the bath last night that the WDs have almost enough material to document all the railway service roads in the country. I wonder if it is possible to travel the whole country on them?

Loved those concrete storm water culverts that cross the road at regular intervals - the way you go over the lip at .01G, the 3G as you go through the dip, and the .01G as you go over the lip at the far end. In fact I think my "G" meter went down to 0.00 a few times as the KLE took to the air - something you don't see very often. This may explain the fatal damage to my sidestand switch, although I think one of rocks was the culprit.  My bash-plate has quite a few dings that weren't there before.

But, even with the new dings, I am sure I heard the KLE say "that was fun. Lets do it again okay?" as I parked it for the night. 

Okay bike. You are on.

After I peeled off from the pack in Carletonville I told the nagging bag in the GPS to take me home to watch the MotoGP. She routed me via Tarlton, and so I headed into Kenjarra Pub in The Cradle, getting there just in time to see Casey Stoner take an impressive horizontal detour on his Ducatti via the kitty litter. Enjoyed it, except the curvy Canadian no longer works there 

Got a shot of the troublesome peice of iron - nail? dunno !

 

 

[GundaGunda]

Cool route. Did you see any sinkholes on the way?

I was keeping an eye open, but saw none. The main pack may have seen some on the home leg - suspect they went through the Bank and Venterspost compartments which have quite a few.

Had a look at Google Earth to see if I could see any - couldn't . 

 

[blazes]

Thank's for a great ride and even better company all. Martin and i had loads of fun and nothing to get the andrenalin going once you have comitted to that concrete lip at top of the Railway service roads : Just gas  it and hope the rest holds together.

I think we need to do a Friday afternoon. Saturday whole day and Sunday ride on some Railway service roads and sleep where we stop for the night. Awesome roads. 

 

[shark_za]

Is there anything to see out there apart from mielie fields and mine dumps?

 

[Jules]

Is there anything to see out there apart from mielie fields and mine dumps?

Yip, fields with no mine dumps and other fields with no mielie's.

Yea not the most breathtaking scenery but the roads made up for it thats for sure!

Blazes I like the idea of a 3 day railroad trip!  :thumleft:

Jules

 

[Misty]

Must agree looks like some nice roads out there - good to see you guys had a good ride, apart from the minor incidents 

 

[NAZM]

Jules, I think I passed you on one of the roads. We were riding a 650  X Country and 800 GS BMW. I agree, those roads are fun! (120km/h on gravel is always entertaining!) There is a nice dam close to where I passed you, you should check it out.

 

[GundaGunda]

Jules, I think I passed you on one of the roads. We were riding a 650  X Country and 800 GS BMW. I agree, those roads are fun! (120km/h on gravel is always entertaining!) There is a nice dam close to where I passed you, you should check it out.

Yup, I saw you. I suspect it was when I had "come down from the mountain" to join Li just before we looped and met the others - just south of Lenasia.

Many years ago I used to scuba and there was a quarry we used to dive in next to Lenasia - 10M of crystal clear water. The same one? Pulled out a body once - Lenasia resident got motherless, fell in and drowned. Gave us a fright to see him in there. 

 

[NAZM]

Yip same one! Looks like you guys had a lekker ride! Next time you in that area give us a heads up.

 

[GundaGunda]

Must agree looks like some nice roads out there - good to see you guys had a good ride, apart from the minor incidents 

As a wise man, I think it may have been Jules, once said "if the mango does not hit the fan then it is not an adventure"- now a bust stand switch and a puncture are hardly in the mango and fan league, but they do remind you that things don't always go without incident, and in the company of cheerfull buddies they are certainly easier than when alone and without tools.

 

[GundaGunda]

Ping Groenie.

Supect this switch may be past it. ?  Gave it a good smack.

 

[Groenie]

Yes, loose the switch. Just make a point to check the side syand evrytime.....

Btw. lekker ride.

 

[Frog]

Thanks for the report. Had other things planned for the day but hopefully can join next time round.

 

[Smithey]

Nice report guys, thanks for sharing. Good to see the wind didnt mess you guys around too much.

 

[GundaGunda]

Good to see the wind didnt mess you guys around too much.

It did, but the highveld wind is a woosie compared with the buffetting you get from a good KZN N-Easter or a Cape Town S-Easter.

Suspect the air density has something to do with it.

Approaching Tarlton the wind was from behind. I slowed down to the point where me and the wind were doing the same speed - 55KPH.

When the wind was from the side or front it was not fun.

At one point I had my chin on the tank on a slight uphill on tar with the wind from the front, and I was struggling to keep the KLE at 110. I totally mised the pack at an intersection and went blundering on and Blazes had to come fetch me.

Felt a bit of a jerk.

 

[Jules]

Good to see the wind didnt mess you guys around too much.

Felt a bit of a jerk.

But then the Jerk got upset and left  so you joined us for the rest of the ride huh!



;D ;D

 

[GundaGunda]

Good to see the wind didnt mess you guys around too much.

Felt a bit of a jerk.

But then the Jerk got upset and left  so you joined us for the rest of the ride huh!
;D ;D

;D ;D ;D  Naah. I came back to join 'cos I saw blazes haring toward me doing a helicopter impersonation signalling me to do a U-Turn 

 

[Jules]

LOL. was funny to see you come tearing past us with your head down.
We guessed that if Blazes hadn't chased you down you would have just kept ridding till you ran out of road or fuel.


Jules