Colyn
Race Dog
Long distance riding is where I get my adventures on my bike. However, I live on a small farm and have the added thrill of traveling one kilometer on dirt every time I go out with my bike and then again one kilometer when I return.
This one kilometer dirt track is not a joke, that I can assure you and over the years I have had a few scary moments on it. This is also the the place where I took my one and only dive from a bike ... the GT hit a rock and flipped me over the bars.
Here is a collection of shots, taken by my friend Marcelle, of me negotiating the Rhenosterkop Trail.
Leaving the safety of my paved driveway behind ... taking the first bend into Marula straight.
It is on this straight that I took quite a hard dive a while back.
The end of Marula straight and approaching the long downhill section towards
the lowlevel bridge.
Passing through The Poles, up to here it is usually not too difficult if you
maintain a decent speed and don't go crazy.
Into the ditch ... this is difficult on the LT because the bike is heavy
and wants to run away. Lots of loose gravel, sand and ruts here makes
it hard to break if you should need to. A few months ago I noticed a huge
Mamba on the bridge as I came down here and nearly dropped the bike in
the process of coming to a stand still against the incline. There was no
way that I was going to challenge a 4m Mamba on that bridge.
I call this Hell's Height for many reasons. My neighbours are in the construction
business and their big trucks churns this little hill up and digs nasty holes
in the process. The LT is a bitch to take up here but a full blasted terror
to take down here.
Dodging holes, rocks and ruts up the hill makes you wonder about your sanity. The
LT is surely not the ideal bike for this type of terrain.
Out of Hell's height and on the short straight towards The Sandpit. The Sandpit is
a ninety degree turn that is full of thick sand and once again not the best terrain
for a heavy tourer.
Out of The Sandpit and into what I call Tin Pan Alley. This section is usually
brutally churned up by the trucks and I cannot relax for a second. I have to
aim well because the LT easily scrapes the undercarriage here on almost every ditch.
Out of Tin Pan Alley and up towards Mango Groove. Here I have some time to take
a few breaths before I negotiate the ruts in Mango Groove.
Mango Groove ... not to rough but you need to take care to miss the rocks that
surfaces here and sometimes the trucks open the rocks up quite high and that
will be rough on the belly of the LT.
Exiting Mango Groove.
Approaching The Junction. Biggest problem here is ruts otherwise it is quite easy.
The end of the trail.
Well that is one kilometer of dirt behind me and I hope that you have enjoyed reading it.
This one kilometer dirt track is not a joke, that I can assure you and over the years I have had a few scary moments on it. This is also the the place where I took my one and only dive from a bike ... the GT hit a rock and flipped me over the bars.
Here is a collection of shots, taken by my friend Marcelle, of me negotiating the Rhenosterkop Trail.
Leaving the safety of my paved driveway behind ... taking the first bend into Marula straight.
It is on this straight that I took quite a hard dive a while back.
The end of Marula straight and approaching the long downhill section towards
the lowlevel bridge.
Passing through The Poles, up to here it is usually not too difficult if you
maintain a decent speed and don't go crazy.
Into the ditch ... this is difficult on the LT because the bike is heavy
and wants to run away. Lots of loose gravel, sand and ruts here makes
it hard to break if you should need to. A few months ago I noticed a huge
Mamba on the bridge as I came down here and nearly dropped the bike in
the process of coming to a stand still against the incline. There was no
way that I was going to challenge a 4m Mamba on that bridge.
I call this Hell's Height for many reasons. My neighbours are in the construction
business and their big trucks churns this little hill up and digs nasty holes
in the process. The LT is a bitch to take up here but a full blasted terror
to take down here.
Dodging holes, rocks and ruts up the hill makes you wonder about your sanity. The
LT is surely not the ideal bike for this type of terrain.
Out of Hell's height and on the short straight towards The Sandpit. The Sandpit is
a ninety degree turn that is full of thick sand and once again not the best terrain
for a heavy tourer.
Out of The Sandpit and into what I call Tin Pan Alley. This section is usually
brutally churned up by the trucks and I cannot relax for a second. I have to
aim well because the LT easily scrapes the undercarriage here on almost every ditch.
Out of Tin Pan Alley and up towards Mango Groove. Here I have some time to take
a few breaths before I negotiate the ruts in Mango Groove.
Mango Groove ... not to rough but you need to take care to miss the rocks that
surfaces here and sometimes the trucks open the rocks up quite high and that
will be rough on the belly of the LT.
Exiting Mango Groove.
Approaching The Junction. Biggest problem here is ruts otherwise it is quite easy.
The end of the trail.
Well that is one kilometer of dirt behind me and I hope that you have enjoyed reading it.
