This ride is still in the making so please stay tuned for details.
I will be heading out for a ride on Sunday the 3rd of April. It will be an early start again, so we will meet at 7am. I am not sure where we will meet, but seeing as we are heading in a sort of right hand side diretion, left of west, we should probably meet in Merrivale at the Sasol garage next to the Spar.
I am still plotting and planning the route, but i do know that its going to have some tricky bits to test your wits and your sense of humour. The route is pretty much set, I just need to recce one area as I think that there is possibly a fence in the way and will need a way around, or speak to the farm/land owner and get permission to ride past.
As on the last ride I did the other day, newbie riders are welcome to test their skills and put themselves through their paces. I am sure we can help drag you out the mud :lol8: And if you decide that you dont want to ride the tricky bits, then there is a scenic route to take.
I will post the GPS track for you to load into your Garmin once it is finalized and closer to the day.
See the attached GPS tracks for the days ride. I suggest that you look at the tracks on mapsource to give you a good idea of where we are going. And then load whichever route you fancy riding into your GPS.
Green route riders please note:
You will be riding with the red route guys in the begining but will split off to the right and rejoin further down the track. then at the bottom of the hill you will go left and the red route will go right. Not long after this final split, about a KM or so you will head down a track to the river. This track is a bit tricky if you are new to this sort of thing, so take your time and think about what you are doing. You are not in a race so go slowly. There are small rocks and various bumps to negotiate as you descend the hill, but you will get to the bottom just fine if you take it easy. And whatever you do, stay off the rear brake! I might be making it sound worse that it actually is, but i have made it a little tricky on purpose to get you out of your comfort zone and test your limits, and maybe set them a little higher for next time. And if you are riding the green route, you must have a GPS with the track loaded, or be with someone who has a GPS. I will be doing the red and black routes so you will be your own navigator for some of the way.
The plan for the day is to meet at the Merrivale Sasol garage at 7:00am. We will have the usual quick coffee and a chat, then have wheels rolling by 7:30 the latest. Please make sure that you bring your tool kits and punture repair goodies as well. Oh yes, and plenty of water!! I am hoping that it will be a cool/cloudy day but it can be baking hot out in that part of the world so be prepared. I am hoping to be at Ivala for lunch at around 12:30 or so.
And lastly, but most importantly!!!!!!!!!
If you are out there somewhere fixing your puncture, or having a break. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LITTER BEHIND. I have seen guys just chuck their empty air bomb canisters on the floor and sweet/snack wrappers as well. It is a privelige to be riding out there and we have been given permission by the land owners to ride through their farms, so show a little respect please and take ALL of your junk with you. Its bloody rude not to, and it spoils it for the rest of us.
So Far we have a few participants...
BigMac and about 8 mates
SwampDonkey
Jimmie
Ian The Tooth
JonW
Fred
Ben
I will be heading out for a ride on Sunday the 3rd of April. It will be an early start again, so we will meet at 7am. I am not sure where we will meet, but seeing as we are heading in a sort of right hand side diretion, left of west, we should probably meet in Merrivale at the Sasol garage next to the Spar.
I am still plotting and planning the route, but i do know that its going to have some tricky bits to test your wits and your sense of humour. The route is pretty much set, I just need to recce one area as I think that there is possibly a fence in the way and will need a way around, or speak to the farm/land owner and get permission to ride past.
As on the last ride I did the other day, newbie riders are welcome to test their skills and put themselves through their paces. I am sure we can help drag you out the mud :lol8: And if you decide that you dont want to ride the tricky bits, then there is a scenic route to take.
See the attached GPS tracks for the days ride. I suggest that you look at the tracks on mapsource to give you a good idea of where we are going. And then load whichever route you fancy riding into your GPS.
Green route riders please note:
You will be riding with the red route guys in the begining but will split off to the right and rejoin further down the track. then at the bottom of the hill you will go left and the red route will go right. Not long after this final split, about a KM or so you will head down a track to the river. This track is a bit tricky if you are new to this sort of thing, so take your time and think about what you are doing. You are not in a race so go slowly. There are small rocks and various bumps to negotiate as you descend the hill, but you will get to the bottom just fine if you take it easy. And whatever you do, stay off the rear brake! I might be making it sound worse that it actually is, but i have made it a little tricky on purpose to get you out of your comfort zone and test your limits, and maybe set them a little higher for next time. And if you are riding the green route, you must have a GPS with the track loaded, or be with someone who has a GPS. I will be doing the red and black routes so you will be your own navigator for some of the way.
The plan for the day is to meet at the Merrivale Sasol garage at 7:00am. We will have the usual quick coffee and a chat, then have wheels rolling by 7:30 the latest. Please make sure that you bring your tool kits and punture repair goodies as well. Oh yes, and plenty of water!! I am hoping that it will be a cool/cloudy day but it can be baking hot out in that part of the world so be prepared. I am hoping to be at Ivala for lunch at around 12:30 or so.
And lastly, but most importantly!!!!!!!!!
If you are out there somewhere fixing your puncture, or having a break. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR LITTER BEHIND. I have seen guys just chuck their empty air bomb canisters on the floor and sweet/snack wrappers as well. It is a privelige to be riding out there and we have been given permission by the land owners to ride through their farms, so show a little respect please and take ALL of your junk with you. Its bloody rude not to, and it spoils it for the rest of us.
So Far we have a few participants...
BigMac and about 8 mates
SwampDonkey
Jimmie
Ian The Tooth
