Do all rides deserve a ride report? Even if it just a bunch of friends taking an easy ride around the countryside on well-ridden roads to burn of some excess fuel and the trials and tribulations of the week?
I think so, and happy to start this thread as I have a sneaky feeling that that incorrigible Scotsman called Smithey, who’s ride it was, may be just slightly under the weather this morning after a night of fun in the big city last night.
I know I may be starting to sound like stuck record in writing that each ride I do was nicer and more enjoyable than the one before, but this was another. It was no big-deal of a ride – just a hastily chucked together track of bits from previous rides – mainly for Smithey, who has never ridden out in “the Wild West”.
Planning a ride on the forum is a bit like fishing. You chuck your bait in the water but you never know what’s going to bite, but yesterday’s bait caught the nicest bunch of fish I have ever had the pleasure of riding, or swimming, with. I think the group were all out for an easy and casual morning in the saddle; all seemed to be of about the same riding standard and speed.
What was really nice for me as the route planner was that we had a few GPSs loaded with the track and although I was at the back in the largely-redundant role of sweeper for most of the ride, there was never any risk of a pack-split or a wrong turn.
Okay – the ride. Although unintentional our rendezvous place and time coincided with that of the Ladies Training Day organized by Adventurer et al. It was great to see all the gorgeous-ones togged and biked up, and I must admit it was hard to call the group to order and tear the men away for our ride.
Although I was expecting a group of just three, seven riders pitched. In the team shot we have, left to right, Smithey (KLR650), Luke (I hope that’s the right forum-name? TransAlp 700 Edit: ROEK - Sorry ), BeemerMike (1200gs), JustBiking (KTM 990), Me (kneeling, KLE500) Zerc (1150GS) and Frog (1200Gs) – Not in the pic is ActionAnt who joined us at Wickers on his unscratched F800gs.
Headed off to Tarlton on tar, and then onto gravel for a long, straight and quite fast bit up to the R500. Unfortunately Beemer Mike picked up a problem in the seal of the front fork and the fork oil was peeing onto his front brake. He was scared that he would be left with fork-all fork-oil so he forked-off on tar home – hope you got home safe Mike. Let us know.
Rest stayed on gravel, past the game farms to the R24 and then an up-down to Breeds for coffee and view – always worth it.
From there a bit of gravel and tar to Wickers in Magalies for the end of the rugby and a late breakfast. Any stories that get posted about me spading/proposing to the waitress are untrue and it was just friendliness.
From there we tried in vain to find some trout but hit closed gates and bad attitude from the local trout vendors, but the trip included a good stop at Kenjara lodge for a drinkie.
Final trip was a detour of the last four bikes to find the ladies. I did not have a track or waypoint so got a bit lost on the way and startled a few Wildebeasties before finding them. As they were still busy training, and we did not want to crash the party, we watched from a distance before heading down for a chat when they had finished.
It was getting late so all headed homewards in the fading light.
A great day. Thanks for great riding and great company folks.
A few pics and route to follow.
The "Planning a ride" thread and route taken was publishd at :-
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=19752.0
I think so, and happy to start this thread as I have a sneaky feeling that that incorrigible Scotsman called Smithey, who’s ride it was, may be just slightly under the weather this morning after a night of fun in the big city last night.
I know I may be starting to sound like stuck record in writing that each ride I do was nicer and more enjoyable than the one before, but this was another. It was no big-deal of a ride – just a hastily chucked together track of bits from previous rides – mainly for Smithey, who has never ridden out in “the Wild West”.
Planning a ride on the forum is a bit like fishing. You chuck your bait in the water but you never know what’s going to bite, but yesterday’s bait caught the nicest bunch of fish I have ever had the pleasure of riding, or swimming, with. I think the group were all out for an easy and casual morning in the saddle; all seemed to be of about the same riding standard and speed.
What was really nice for me as the route planner was that we had a few GPSs loaded with the track and although I was at the back in the largely-redundant role of sweeper for most of the ride, there was never any risk of a pack-split or a wrong turn.
Okay – the ride. Although unintentional our rendezvous place and time coincided with that of the Ladies Training Day organized by Adventurer et al. It was great to see all the gorgeous-ones togged and biked up, and I must admit it was hard to call the group to order and tear the men away for our ride.
Although I was expecting a group of just three, seven riders pitched. In the team shot we have, left to right, Smithey (KLR650), Luke (I hope that’s the right forum-name? TransAlp 700 Edit: ROEK - Sorry ), BeemerMike (1200gs), JustBiking (KTM 990), Me (kneeling, KLE500) Zerc (1150GS) and Frog (1200Gs) – Not in the pic is ActionAnt who joined us at Wickers on his unscratched F800gs.
Headed off to Tarlton on tar, and then onto gravel for a long, straight and quite fast bit up to the R500. Unfortunately Beemer Mike picked up a problem in the seal of the front fork and the fork oil was peeing onto his front brake. He was scared that he would be left with fork-all fork-oil so he forked-off on tar home – hope you got home safe Mike. Let us know.
Rest stayed on gravel, past the game farms to the R24 and then an up-down to Breeds for coffee and view – always worth it.
From there a bit of gravel and tar to Wickers in Magalies for the end of the rugby and a late breakfast. Any stories that get posted about me spading/proposing to the waitress are untrue and it was just friendliness.
From there we tried in vain to find some trout but hit closed gates and bad attitude from the local trout vendors, but the trip included a good stop at Kenjara lodge for a drinkie.
Final trip was a detour of the last four bikes to find the ladies. I did not have a track or waypoint so got a bit lost on the way and startled a few Wildebeasties before finding them. As they were still busy training, and we did not want to crash the party, we watched from a distance before heading down for a chat when they had finished.
It was getting late so all headed homewards in the fading light.
A great day. Thanks for great riding and great company folks.
A few pics and route to follow.
The "Planning a ride" thread and route taken was publishd at :-
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=19752.0
eepwall:
