A First ride to remember

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vellies

Pack Dog
Joined
Nov 11, 2009
Messages
439
Reaction score
0
Location
port elizabeth
Bike
Suzuki Djebel 250XC
When my mates asked me to lead them on a lekker long ride for the weekend my quad buddies did not realise that I already turned "traitor". Yep it does not sit well with them the fact that I've been organising them for 10 years and now I went and bought something with just 2 wheels. I was the only one on a bike when I led 5 quads out from Kirkwood on Friday afternoon at 17h20. It was dust all the way from Kirkwood past Slagboom which brought at least the first one behind me to appreciate my 2 wheels as he had the least dust in his face. I understood why I had no takers when I invited some PE Dogs to join me :) Well we were close to the Zuurberg Inn when we rode into a drizzle. My first thoughts were that the dust could settle but my ride soon became a tester with visibility decreasing dramatically with drizzle on my glasses and mist limiting sight to about 10 to 15 meters. My boots getting drenched with every unavoidable puddle I hit now and again getting a skrik when soil that appeared solid turns out to be snot. I was very glad when we got over the mountain at Ann's Villa and I could see a puff of dust when a dust devil rushed past me. The first guy behind me now turned joker laughing about how I was slipping and skidding and being quick to put feet out when that wheels changed there line. Needless to say I had to hear plenty about how comfortable quads are in the wet.

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With stability returned to the road surface I could pick up the pace. Rabbits were  all over the road with one unfortunately  ending up under the wheels of  700 Grizzly. After checking for vital signs it was taken along for the ride as the farm we were to visit had a tame Rooikat  that always appreciates a snack.

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Concentration required eyes were peeled and we arrived at the farm safely.

Saturday morning we went for a scenic ride on the farm with me now joined by a farm  boy on a KDX. For reasons of safety he was riding without a helmet

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The highlight to me was having my 11 year old along on his Big Boy 125 making this our first real trip together on our 2 wheelers.

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Checking my son constantly in the side mirror I fealt my chest getting bigger and bigger with pride about how well he is doing. Taking it slowly through serios $%# he impressed me in spite of a bit of panic through a heavy loose rocky section. I think he is riding better than his dad. Unfortunately he got a puncture on the way back  to the lapa and we had to load his bike onto the back of the bakkie him doing only 50kms for the morning. Luckily I bought some of Wolweseuns's fancy DRC tyrespoons and we could fix the puncture over a beer for me and a coke for him. There after we went for a ride in the dry river bed

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Afterwards we went back to the lapa and joined the rest of the quaders for a game drive and were fortunate enough to see two herds of kudu each totalling about 30 kudu. These animals knew the hunting season was over and were very rustig checking us out while we were checking them out making biltong in our minds.

Back home the adults took a shower, took a beer, took another beer and watched what the kids were up to....

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I am back home tonight after doing only 300kms. My bum makes me wonder if I did something wrong or do I just have to get used to the narrow seat of a bike instead of the "cushion" of a quad. The venue was great and I would really like to invite some Wild Dogs to do a ride there with me at some stage.
 
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