oo7
Race Dog
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,482
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- Location
- Los Angeles, USA
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
The above title which I selected for a thread in the “Planning a ride” section could perhaps not have been more ironic given the events of the two day trip last weekend Faantjie and I had been planning.
Before I embark on a quick version of the eventful (but awesome) weekend we had, I should perhaps qualify a statement that I made elsewhere on this forum a while ago in a thread reporting the collection of my beloved GSA from its first owner in Vryheid:
It should actually read:
Fixed.
In addition to this knobblie/non knobblie (dual purpose) tyre debate for people who sometimes ride offroad and mostly sit on tar (i.e. like myself), I am probably gaining more clarity on my question whether I need hard panniers or soft luggage.
What the trip did however confirm is that anyone would be silly, no that’s probably more like “plain stupid with no brain”, arguing against tubeless tyres.
However, for me the most important lesson learned (I think??) is to ensure that the frieken ABS is switched off on any surface that is not tar.
Or is it?
Anyway, Faantjie and I got together somewhere last week and decided the time has come for another “quick” ride. I have been on the so called Ceres Karoo road (between Ceres and Calvinia) once before in a cage and have also heard the urban legend that this is the longest stretch of road in South Africa between two towns (or something to that effect).
So we settled on a route and decided that we will travel the Saturday from Cape Town over Du Toitskloof Pass to Ceres, then leave Ceres on to the road to Wuppertal, and then swing a right to cross the Katbakkies and Peerboomskloof passes, turn north onto the Ceres Karoo road to arrive at Die Mond camp site next to the Doorn River. O Sunday we would continue north on the Ceres karoo road and then swing a left through a road I spotted on T4A, the Old Post Road, which connect the R355with the Biedou valley onto the road from Wuppertal and then either go back through Wuppertal via Eselsbank or return to Clanwiliam via the Pakhuispas, back in time on Sunday afternoon for some tea with Mrs oo7.
Or at least that was the plan.
Here are the steeds on top of Du Toitskloof Pass (Pass 1 for the day) – note the smoke from the recent Paarl fires. Faantjie sported some or other slick type of tyre and I had fitted my new front Heidenau the day before, replacing the TKC 80.
One of my friends is a wine farmer in the Slanghoek valley – which to me rank with any wine area in terms of aesthetic pleasure. Here we are on the road from Rawsonville leading to this valley.
We both had been busy late the previous night and both only had about half an hour to pack the Sat morning, so of course we forgot a lot of stuff and had to stock up on some supplies in Ceres. The tannie at Die Mond kindly asked to bring 2 x 2l coke’s along when I phoned up during the week to enquire about the camping arrangements. I had to chuckle by myself: What kind of in the sticks place does one live in if its an issue to get 2 liter cokes?
Stocking up on some supplies I Ceres just before we settled for the by now compulsory traditional wimpy double cheese burger. Sorry Mav – no pic this time.
Leaving Ceres with two filled up fuel bowsers, two litres of coke, and a lot of stuff still forgotten, we stopped for a snap on top of the Gydo pass, just outside Prince Alfred’s Hamlet for this view:
.
After the Gydo Pass, we took a short cut right before Witzenberg. Along this road was some amazing rock formations:
Not sure what Faantjie was doing here, but maybe he should take this “on/off road thing” perhaps not so literally?
At last! The first bit of dirt:
However, I immediately felt uncomfortable. Almost a feeling similar to an instance where you know something is not right but you cant place your finger on it. Until you suddenly realize tat you have by mistake pressed the button for the heated grips (in mid summer) and only then realize the source of the uncomfortableness. Only this time I thought that I have lost the ‘magic’ and that all my dirt riding skills painfully earned up to know is out the window, as I just had that feeling that the bike is all over the show. I was uncomfortable on straights, shuddered when I had to cross a middleman between two tracks and was completely out of sorts in corners.
And then it struck me that it must be the lack of knobblies on the front tyre, as I had just fitted the day before a new Heidenau, which is probably more on than off road orientated. So far I have never been on a dirt road on any bike NOT with knobblies, and suddenly I was really uncomfortable! The loose gravel also did not assist in the situation with me being suddenly VERY uncomfortable on gravel.
Here we are about to start with the Katbakkies pas.
The steepest part is tarred. From here some funny sand patches can be seen:
To be continued shortly
Before I embark on a quick version of the eventful (but awesome) weekend we had, I should perhaps qualify a statement that I made elsewhere on this forum a while ago in a thread reporting the collection of my beloved GSA from its first owner in Vryheid:
doubleoseven said:
It should actually read:
doubleoseven said:
Fixed.
In addition to this knobblie/non knobblie (dual purpose) tyre debate for people who sometimes ride offroad and mostly sit on tar (i.e. like myself), I am probably gaining more clarity on my question whether I need hard panniers or soft luggage.
What the trip did however confirm is that anyone would be silly, no that’s probably more like “plain stupid with no brain”, arguing against tubeless tyres.
However, for me the most important lesson learned (I think??) is to ensure that the frieken ABS is switched off on any surface that is not tar.
Or is it?
Anyway, Faantjie and I got together somewhere last week and decided the time has come for another “quick” ride. I have been on the so called Ceres Karoo road (between Ceres and Calvinia) once before in a cage and have also heard the urban legend that this is the longest stretch of road in South Africa between two towns (or something to that effect).
So we settled on a route and decided that we will travel the Saturday from Cape Town over Du Toitskloof Pass to Ceres, then leave Ceres on to the road to Wuppertal, and then swing a right to cross the Katbakkies and Peerboomskloof passes, turn north onto the Ceres Karoo road to arrive at Die Mond camp site next to the Doorn River. O Sunday we would continue north on the Ceres karoo road and then swing a left through a road I spotted on T4A, the Old Post Road, which connect the R355with the Biedou valley onto the road from Wuppertal and then either go back through Wuppertal via Eselsbank or return to Clanwiliam via the Pakhuispas, back in time on Sunday afternoon for some tea with Mrs oo7.
Or at least that was the plan.
Here are the steeds on top of Du Toitskloof Pass (Pass 1 for the day) – note the smoke from the recent Paarl fires. Faantjie sported some or other slick type of tyre and I had fitted my new front Heidenau the day before, replacing the TKC 80.
One of my friends is a wine farmer in the Slanghoek valley – which to me rank with any wine area in terms of aesthetic pleasure. Here we are on the road from Rawsonville leading to this valley.
We both had been busy late the previous night and both only had about half an hour to pack the Sat morning, so of course we forgot a lot of stuff and had to stock up on some supplies in Ceres. The tannie at Die Mond kindly asked to bring 2 x 2l coke’s along when I phoned up during the week to enquire about the camping arrangements. I had to chuckle by myself: What kind of in the sticks place does one live in if its an issue to get 2 liter cokes?
Stocking up on some supplies I Ceres just before we settled for the by now compulsory traditional wimpy double cheese burger. Sorry Mav – no pic this time.
Leaving Ceres with two filled up fuel bowsers, two litres of coke, and a lot of stuff still forgotten, we stopped for a snap on top of the Gydo pass, just outside Prince Alfred’s Hamlet for this view:
After the Gydo Pass, we took a short cut right before Witzenberg. Along this road was some amazing rock formations:
Not sure what Faantjie was doing here, but maybe he should take this “on/off road thing” perhaps not so literally?
At last! The first bit of dirt:
However, I immediately felt uncomfortable. Almost a feeling similar to an instance where you know something is not right but you cant place your finger on it. Until you suddenly realize tat you have by mistake pressed the button for the heated grips (in mid summer) and only then realize the source of the uncomfortableness. Only this time I thought that I have lost the ‘magic’ and that all my dirt riding skills painfully earned up to know is out the window, as I just had that feeling that the bike is all over the show. I was uncomfortable on straights, shuddered when I had to cross a middleman between two tracks and was completely out of sorts in corners.
And then it struck me that it must be the lack of knobblies on the front tyre, as I had just fitted the day before a new Heidenau, which is probably more on than off road orientated. So far I have never been on a dirt road on any bike NOT with knobblies, and suddenly I was really uncomfortable! The loose gravel also did not assist in the situation with me being suddenly VERY uncomfortable on gravel.
Here we are about to start with the Katbakkies pas.
The steepest part is tarred. From here some funny sand patches can be seen:
To be continued shortly
