Although rain was predicted for the weekend, I woke up the morning to clear skies, and it had not rained the Saturday. Immediately I was in the mood to ride the canal road with the belief that it would not be muddy.
So I set off early to be in time for a breakfast and to meet up with the rest.
On my way I was thinking about a play on the line in the movie ?Flatliners?, where Kiefer Sutherland says: ?Today is a good day to die?. In my case I was thinking: ?Today is a good day to ride!?
Got to the meeting point and got 2 sms? that Shark and THEdude will not be joining us (dude, what have you been doing that you only got home a few hours earlier?). Met up with Grootseun, who was on his way with the BMW clan. TheCuteness arrived and Welshman, but we had to wait a while longer for the 4th member.
At last we were on our way. The first part was no problem, but I noticed that the road was nevertheless much more soggy than on previous rides. It appeared that there were some heavy rainfalls in this part over the past few days!
?Today will be a good day to fall?.
We hit the first mud at the railtrack ? the area that has been baptised by Journeyman previously. And TheCuteness promptly set his bike down:
After some laughs we carried on to the tar and again onto the mudroad. I promptly, unceremoniously laid my bike down, twice within about 20 metres. Here, thanks for Welshman is in order as he helped me up again and once also stopped me from falling, ala BBBS!
Mudguard packed up with mud was again locking up the front wheel ? well, it had to go:
And the mud was not letting up:
No! follow the track down the middle, I want an action photo!
With the front mudguard gone the ta was doing well in the mud and I soon found myself not being able to see anyone in the mirror. So I stopped and waited, and waited.
Eventually Welshman arrived with the news that it was going slowly somewhere. Once the Ze Germans arrived I told them that there is no way that it is going to get better ? the last time this part of the road was smooth riding. So, decision time?and it was decided to take an escape route down to the tar from where we?ll go to good gravel road up to the klip.
At the intersection of the escape route I noticed Welshman?s guards for his handguards ? always be inspired!
So easy riding down to the tar road ? got sandblasted (again!) as a result of riding without the front mudguard. Down the tar road and up the gravel road up to the klip:
As always, a nice play puddle for the young ones:
Eventually we reached the klip and after showing everybody the intimidating Koos se Klim, Welshman and I took the track to the usual ascent. I showed Welshman where we start from and he just got up and away! But Ze Germans somehow lost the track and ended up riding around the klip!
Eventually I found them camping. TheCuteness was ready for his climb and so I led the way. Although, (or maybe because of) I?ve gone up there a couple of times, I actually took the wrong line, and found myself on my side, this time aiming to fall on a patch of green instead of the klip (once again, nothing spectacular) with Welshman having to lend a hand - again!
And here comes TheCuteness:
?Scotty, we need more power!? ?Ay, Captain!?
Well done TheCuteness (having a look at the face enshrined by the helmet, I?m having nightmares about his nick!)
But, wait there was still the descent ? unfortunately no proper zoom on the camera to get a shot of the eyes:
Good one guys, and to the one with the flat goolies after refraining to stand up during the descent from the klip! Here?s to the next ride!
So I set off early to be in time for a breakfast and to meet up with the rest.
On my way I was thinking about a play on the line in the movie ?Flatliners?, where Kiefer Sutherland says: ?Today is a good day to die?. In my case I was thinking: ?Today is a good day to ride!?
Got to the meeting point and got 2 sms? that Shark and THEdude will not be joining us (dude, what have you been doing that you only got home a few hours earlier?). Met up with Grootseun, who was on his way with the BMW clan. TheCuteness arrived and Welshman, but we had to wait a while longer for the 4th member.
At last we were on our way. The first part was no problem, but I noticed that the road was nevertheless much more soggy than on previous rides. It appeared that there were some heavy rainfalls in this part over the past few days!
?Today will be a good day to fall?.
We hit the first mud at the railtrack ? the area that has been baptised by Journeyman previously. And TheCuteness promptly set his bike down:
After some laughs we carried on to the tar and again onto the mudroad. I promptly, unceremoniously laid my bike down, twice within about 20 metres. Here, thanks for Welshman is in order as he helped me up again and once also stopped me from falling, ala BBBS!
Mudguard packed up with mud was again locking up the front wheel ? well, it had to go:
And the mud was not letting up:
No! follow the track down the middle, I want an action photo!
With the front mudguard gone the ta was doing well in the mud and I soon found myself not being able to see anyone in the mirror. So I stopped and waited, and waited.
Eventually Welshman arrived with the news that it was going slowly somewhere. Once the Ze Germans arrived I told them that there is no way that it is going to get better ? the last time this part of the road was smooth riding. So, decision time?and it was decided to take an escape route down to the tar from where we?ll go to good gravel road up to the klip.
At the intersection of the escape route I noticed Welshman?s guards for his handguards ? always be inspired!
So easy riding down to the tar road ? got sandblasted (again!) as a result of riding without the front mudguard. Down the tar road and up the gravel road up to the klip:
As always, a nice play puddle for the young ones:
Eventually we reached the klip and after showing everybody the intimidating Koos se Klim, Welshman and I took the track to the usual ascent. I showed Welshman where we start from and he just got up and away! But Ze Germans somehow lost the track and ended up riding around the klip!
Eventually I found them camping. TheCuteness was ready for his climb and so I led the way. Although, (or maybe because of) I?ve gone up there a couple of times, I actually took the wrong line, and found myself on my side, this time aiming to fall on a patch of green instead of the klip (once again, nothing spectacular) with Welshman having to lend a hand - again!
And here comes TheCuteness:
?Scotty, we need more power!? ?Ay, Captain!?
Well done TheCuteness (having a look at the face enshrined by the helmet, I?m having nightmares about his nick!)
But, wait there was still the descent ? unfortunately no proper zoom on the camera to get a shot of the eyes:
Good one guys, and to the one with the flat goolies after refraining to stand up during the descent from the klip! Here?s to the next ride!
