Fortunately I had enough forethought to check the weather yesterday. It was forecast to hit 39 today.
So I scrapped my plan of going for a hike, and asked Edgy if I could borrow his XRrrrrrr. He very kindly said I could take it for the day.
When my alarm went off at 05:30 it was already hot. I laced up and went for a run. Yesterday I went cycling and discovered all sorts of fun tracks and paths, so today I explored a little more on foot. I surprised myself by doing 9km. It was hot and tough and the furthest I have run since the marathon.
By 08:30 it was 32 degrees.
I picked up the XR at 10:00. Andre managed to get it ever so slightly lower. I felt a little better having ridden it briefly the other day. I still flailed around like a fish out of water when I didn’t plan which foot to put down first when I stopped to chuck go-go juice in.
And then I was off. Sweet winding tarmac to Bathurst. It was like being blasted by a hairdryer, but it was good to be on a bike. The closer I got to Bathurst, the hotter it got.
I had to stand every few km to get my sweaty jeans to dry. Yuck!
I pulled in to The Pink Lady Milkshake Parlor, strategically parking so that I could dismount with minimal flailing.
I was going to have a coffee but the sound of a fresh strawberry milkshake was just too appealing!
So I took 30 minutes to relax and read and sip my pink drink.
Then it was back on to the beast and into the hairdryer.
I was going to take a different route back but it all looked like gravel and I don’t know the area, so I stuck to the tar.
Nothing like a R200 milkshake

So, XR impressions. I find it a little smoother than the DR, and the seat is much more comfortable! I just need to make sure to plan my stops carefully and I should be fine.