Kariega Classic 2019
28 December 2019
You know it’s going to be a good day when you start the car and “I got a feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas is on the radio, and the sun is rising dramatically from behind the clouds.
And what a good day it was.
Despite only getting about 4 hours’ sleep, I was excited when I hit the road a little after 5am, destination: Southwell.
The Kariega Class MTB and Trail event was on, and I was going to take part in the 29km MTB.
The drive from Grahamstown was beautiful (I time-lapsed it but unfortunately the camera focused on some arb point), and I arrived with plenty of time to spare.
Registration was quick and easy, and then it was a case of hurry up and wait for the briefing at 07:00, and start at 07:30.
The parking lot filled quickly, and I eyed all of the beautiful mountain bikes. From the latest and greatest Cannondale Lefty’s, to a classic Schwinn with V-Brakes.
The excitement was mounting.
The briefing was short and sweet, and the gold class (50km route) riders were off. There was meant to be a 15 minute gap, but the organizer could see we were getting anxious and let us go early. Wheeee!
I wore a GoPro on a chest mount, and my mindset was more “race mode” than “take it easy and take lots of photos” like the Hobbiton MTB event was.
The group spaced out nicely, and the initial portion was on a gravel road with plenty of room for us to vie for position.
I was feeling good.
The feel wasn’t quite like that of a running event, but there was still a good vibe.
The route varied between gravel road, single track, jeep tracks, and rolling hills and paths across farmland.
A few steep climbs saw at last two people fall, with many others stopping abruptly to dismount. You’d think that being a mountain biker, people would have better situational awareness. Nope. Many pushed their bikes to the top of the hills, and then stopped slap bang in the middle of the path, and turned their bikes perpendicular to the path. Huh?!
I managed to navigate my way through those huffing and puffing up the hills, and I was rewarded with a beautiful flowing downhill section.
Some of the climbs were a little more technical, with large rocks. I am very glad I am not a guy as on some sections the back of the bike kicked up violently, sending the seat rocketing upwards…
I impressed myself by tackling every section on the bike. From the rocky climbs, to very sandy sections, to some rough downhill sections. At one point I came whizzing down the hill and saw I would have to cross over about a 1 meter-wide section of loose rocks. Normally I would slow right down, for fear of falling. But this time, I didn’t slow down… I didn’t have a choice- all the bumps had caused my rear brake to fade, so slowing wasn’t an option!
As I approached I visualized what could go wrong. I shifted my weight back, relaxed, and whoosh, flew over the rocks without a problem.
Over the last few weeks I feel my riding has come a long way. I am a lot more comfortable on the bike, I feel stronger, and I find myself taking on challenges I normally would have walked, or done really slowly. It is really good to see how I am progressing.
The wind was picking up, but clouds had rolled in so at least it was cool. Some sections through open fields were painful as the cows had churned up the ground so it was very rough, and I longed for a rear shock. But, I managed to keep at it, and finished in 2h12, which I am VERY happy with.
Overall, a fun, well-organized event with clearly-marked trails.
Next year I will enter the gold class!
Topic: My African Dream (Read 227928 times)
