vellies
Pack Dog
Was about two weeks ago that Bluesteel diagnosed some symptoms of the dreaded PMS (parked motorcycle syndrome) in me. Treatment recommended : gravel and grog. He pointed out that one normally quickly blaze through Graaff- Reinett and it was time to go and see what this town is about when on a bike.
The “prescription” written and @ 09h00 we met at the Sasol at the foot of Walker Drive. We were suppose to be three but the two of us were not deterred when his bike did not roll up.
We wanted to make a quick getaway and hit the freeway to Greenbushes and then on to Rocklands and Uitenhage. Once through Uitenhage it felt like we are getting out of town. Twas about 30kms from town that we made our first roadside stop. Who would leave this on the edge of the road?
It was just a quick stop and we were on our way eager to get to the gravel. At Glenconnor we turned of the tarmac and swung the front wheels in the direction of Paardepoort. With regularly changing scenery and road surface Bluesteel soon remarked what a diverse road it is.
We passed the Wolwefontein and Waterford turnoffs and made our way to Jansenville. A good gravel road in general but don’t loose your concentration and you are sure to get a skrik or a surprise. Some 6km before the jansenville tar road Bluesteel hit a rocky ridge across the road and with a front wheel that was on low pressure for a lekker gravel ride, the speed was a bit high and he pinched a tube. We were just not in the mood to start sweating and we slowly rode into Jansenville with his totally flat front tyre. While he made for the service centre I took a “welcome to our town” pic.
The town of Jansenville could not produce a 21 inch tube and Bluesteel was forced to use my spare….as he left home without his. Please note that a smooth talking tyre fixer is no guarantee that he will not pinch a new tube when “repairing” your flat. Yes exactly that happened. The “technician” pinched the brand new tube and sommer a kak shot as well. We left them to fix the now two pinched tubes while we went to grab something to eat.
It was somewhere after 2 when we left Jansenville this time along the gravel road towards Kendrew. Yet another interesting road offering real plaas paadjies with muddy and sandy patches. The road is so unused that you regularly find yourself doubting if it is the correct route and had it not been for the gps that re-assured us we probably would have turned around. Suddenly a low level bridge and it was time for a pic.
After taking the pic I got on my bike only to fall off it while barely moving. What I did not anticipate is the layer of sludge in about 3 inches of water, on this bridge which clearly don’t see much traffic. I just started moving and the bike slid out from under me. I tried to put a foot down but the foot also went north and in a split second I was lying on my side with my right side getting lekker wet. I could just laugh. Was happy though that I did not hit this bridge with more speed cos that would have sent me skidding off the bridge had something gone wrong.
Bluesteel still grinning over my silly drop we carried on. Gates, gates and gates! Such a nuisance and what felt like 12 was actually only 5 or 6 gates that had to be opened. We were some 50 meters from joining a main gravel road to Kendrew when suddenly it happened. A farmer locked a gate on a proclamated road after we’ve already done 35 kms which we would have to backtrack if we cannot make a plan. Since this is suppose to be family reading I cannot repeat Bluesteel’s choice words that he uttered with much “endearment” for the farmer.
About 400 meters off there were some buildings and Bluesteel walked off while muttering some more “words of love”. Bout 20 minutes later he returned and thank Heavens he got a ket form a labourer. It was only when he continued his “kak & kerm” about the chafing that I realised that he had some Forest Gump braces around his knees not showing under his riding pants. While he was away I took some nature pics.
Enough time wasted and we now turned the throttles with a bit more aggression. The road opened up and we could see how we were getting closer to the Valley of Desolation with frikkin long, frikkin straight sections off road. It was just what we needed cos we wanted to get to Graaff-Reinett in time to see the sun set with a beer in hand. And it is just what we did soon after we parked our bikes outside Jay Jay’s
To be continued…
The “prescription” written and @ 09h00 we met at the Sasol at the foot of Walker Drive. We were suppose to be three but the two of us were not deterred when his bike did not roll up.
We wanted to make a quick getaway and hit the freeway to Greenbushes and then on to Rocklands and Uitenhage. Once through Uitenhage it felt like we are getting out of town. Twas about 30kms from town that we made our first roadside stop. Who would leave this on the edge of the road?
It was just a quick stop and we were on our way eager to get to the gravel. At Glenconnor we turned of the tarmac and swung the front wheels in the direction of Paardepoort. With regularly changing scenery and road surface Bluesteel soon remarked what a diverse road it is.
We passed the Wolwefontein and Waterford turnoffs and made our way to Jansenville. A good gravel road in general but don’t loose your concentration and you are sure to get a skrik or a surprise. Some 6km before the jansenville tar road Bluesteel hit a rocky ridge across the road and with a front wheel that was on low pressure for a lekker gravel ride, the speed was a bit high and he pinched a tube. We were just not in the mood to start sweating and we slowly rode into Jansenville with his totally flat front tyre. While he made for the service centre I took a “welcome to our town” pic.
The town of Jansenville could not produce a 21 inch tube and Bluesteel was forced to use my spare….as he left home without his. Please note that a smooth talking tyre fixer is no guarantee that he will not pinch a new tube when “repairing” your flat. Yes exactly that happened. The “technician” pinched the brand new tube and sommer a kak shot as well. We left them to fix the now two pinched tubes while we went to grab something to eat.
It was somewhere after 2 when we left Jansenville this time along the gravel road towards Kendrew. Yet another interesting road offering real plaas paadjies with muddy and sandy patches. The road is so unused that you regularly find yourself doubting if it is the correct route and had it not been for the gps that re-assured us we probably would have turned around. Suddenly a low level bridge and it was time for a pic.
After taking the pic I got on my bike only to fall off it while barely moving. What I did not anticipate is the layer of sludge in about 3 inches of water, on this bridge which clearly don’t see much traffic. I just started moving and the bike slid out from under me. I tried to put a foot down but the foot also went north and in a split second I was lying on my side with my right side getting lekker wet. I could just laugh. Was happy though that I did not hit this bridge with more speed cos that would have sent me skidding off the bridge had something gone wrong.
Bluesteel still grinning over my silly drop we carried on. Gates, gates and gates! Such a nuisance and what felt like 12 was actually only 5 or 6 gates that had to be opened. We were some 50 meters from joining a main gravel road to Kendrew when suddenly it happened. A farmer locked a gate on a proclamated road after we’ve already done 35 kms which we would have to backtrack if we cannot make a plan. Since this is suppose to be family reading I cannot repeat Bluesteel’s choice words that he uttered with much “endearment” for the farmer.
About 400 meters off there were some buildings and Bluesteel walked off while muttering some more “words of love”. Bout 20 minutes later he returned and thank Heavens he got a ket form a labourer. It was only when he continued his “kak & kerm” about the chafing that I realised that he had some Forest Gump braces around his knees not showing under his riding pants. While he was away I took some nature pics.
Enough time wasted and we now turned the throttles with a bit more aggression. The road opened up and we could see how we were getting closer to the Valley of Desolation with frikkin long, frikkin straight sections off road. It was just what we needed cos we wanted to get to Graaff-Reinett in time to see the sun set with a beer in hand. And it is just what we did soon after we parked our bikes outside Jay Jay’s
To be continued…
