First Maiden Ride

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Andrew_Smith

Pack Dog
Joined
Jun 14, 2021
Messages
227
Reaction score
126
Location
Durbanville
Bike
BMW G650 X-challenge
Destination: Disakloof Betty's Bay
Route: 174km


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To give some context, our church was holding a men's camp and we decided to make a trip of it with the bikes. Neither I nor [member=27968]ravingDIODE[/member] tackled such distance and Raving's gear was itching to be tested!

We were both excited for the trip - I could not wait to test out the 'new' bike and see how she handles, let alone carrying luggage as well. I was a bit nervous since I would rate myself as a beginner rider with only 500 odd kilometres on the bike, which was previously my G450X. Raving on the other hand has more experience along with a motorcycle license, growing up with bikes in his younger days.

Packing was also new for me, to optimise the space you have. Raving blessed me with two bags for my birthday which was perfect timing before our adventure. The plan was to try and pack light - I only used the Nomad bag and my trusty Cape Epic backpack. The zips on the Nomad bag impressed me a lot because I fully stacked it with my gear: clothes, toiletries, cutlery, towel and sleeping bag. Maybe it does not sound like a lot on paper but I was aroused by the packing space of the little bag. On top of it, I fitted my pillow in a black bag to keep out dust for the gravel riding we were planning to do. More valuables, chargers, drinks, snacks and loose ends I kept in my backpack.

We covered the distance fairly good and the roads weren't too busy. In the beginning, I was greeted with my reserve light, so we filled up at Engen Kraaifontein before stopping at the top of Franschhoek Pass for a quick photo and to take in the beautiful view. My last time was on pedal-power back in 2019. Next up we passed Theewaterskloofdam followed by Van Der Stel Pass. This is where I soon realised I am not yet so confident on gravel roads, more specifically tight hairpin turns...

I should probably also note that I recently got riding boots before the trip, so was also getting used to standing while riding but everything was going smooth until one turn caught both of us off guard completely. Raving recovered good but I on the other hand froze and locked my eyes forward instead of looking out of the turn going straight into the soft rim. My front wheel sunk into the sand and I knew I wasn't able to keep the bike upright and moved my left leg out of the way and dropped it. Luckily no damages on me or the bike and but only a bruised ego, looking completely like a noob. To make things worse, I tried to get out of the sand in 2nd gear the whole time, resulting in the bike stalling three times before finally getting out. Raving was showing 1st gear with his hand but I kept replying I am already in first.

We made our way to Ou Meul Bakery & Farmstall Botriver for a quick refuel before stopping in Onrus for lunch at my grandmother. The wind was completely insane at Ou Meul, it looked like a dust storm and locals said this wind was abnormal. It was interesting to ride in those conditions but a good learning experience.

Arriving in Onrus, I only had one thing on my mind - FOOD! My grandmother made us her legendary frikadeller and potato salad. There was even pudding, waffles with ice cream and honey. Not in the mood for the wind, we headed onwards to Betty's Bay for our final stop. It is amazing how fast one cover distance on two wheels, even with a headwind tackling us from in front.

Reflecting on the weekend's riding, I can see I am not bike fit yet. My whole body was quite sore and my wrists are untrained, especially on the throttle side of things. My bum was also bruised due to the flat seat. It isn't a super big deal to me since I was a road cyclist for 3-years, so I am used to hard seats. All things aside, the bike handled well and will gladly take her on the next adventure. We are already planning a ride for this coming Thursday - tackling Riebeeck Kasteel and Wellington in search of some dirt roads.


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