- Joined
- Feb 6, 2006
- Messages
- 10,626
- Reaction score
- 4,316
- Location
- Cape Town, deep in the lentils
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
We met, we rode and sweated mightily.
I’d not met Andre and Leon before, but as is usual with WD rides there is a familiarity through the forum that makes long introductions unnecessary.
I was sure I’d met Andre before but he assured me not. Though he did say he felt like a stalker as he’s read my ride reports.
Before long we were on the way to Stanford, I was a fine day for it. crappy photo.
I’m never too sure about the level of the riders until we get into the tougher stuff. Andre has the tried and tested Honda 650 and Leon a 640, just as great in the offroad. Both of them clearly had been on sand before but were a bit “ring rusty”, with a few vistis to the bushes on the sides.
Tire pressure changing.
The sand, even though it was still early was very soft and getting onto the last bit of the trail was not easy. Leon made it onto the dune
but Andre had stalled and toppled over just short of them. Those 650’s are not the easiest things to start once they’ve been over. He got a great head start on us in the sweating stakes by kicking himself breathless.
Once he finally got going, he made a classic dune error. Dunes have a blind side that is on the leeward side and often cannot be seen until too late. I had the backside view of him launching himself into the skies of Wortlegat. I raced around fearing the worst, it was a really big crash and the way he was lying I thought maybe his shoulder was out. Of course I got a photo as soon as I could.
These builder types are made of tough stuff and but for sore thighs and a broken mirror mount, he was fine.
There is a firebreak that is really great with a bit of a wall to climb at the end. I have video of me going up but never got a picture so stopped for a photo shoot. The middle piece of it is near vertical but photo’s never show it.
The views of the best part of the trail.
On the way back I took a tumble, as one does.
Towards the end, I hit a ball of barbed wire.
It was absolutely jammed in there. There is not much that will stall a 990 but this was frozen tight. We had to deflate the tire, take the chain guard and the rear wheel off before we could unwrap it
Fixing that was massively sweaty work. There was no breeze and it was baking. I was drenched . Once fixed I led the way down a path I hadn’t been on for ages, it was badly overgrown and not easy.
It was a relief to be heading for Hermanus and a cold beer and a bit of a chin wag.
A good day out, made some new friends, some good exercise and I'm here till after new year and plan to go again soon.
I’d not met Andre and Leon before, but as is usual with WD rides there is a familiarity through the forum that makes long introductions unnecessary.
I was sure I’d met Andre before but he assured me not. Though he did say he felt like a stalker as he’s read my ride reports.
Before long we were on the way to Stanford, I was a fine day for it. crappy photo.
I’m never too sure about the level of the riders until we get into the tougher stuff. Andre has the tried and tested Honda 650 and Leon a 640, just as great in the offroad. Both of them clearly had been on sand before but were a bit “ring rusty”, with a few vistis to the bushes on the sides.
Tire pressure changing.
The sand, even though it was still early was very soft and getting onto the last bit of the trail was not easy. Leon made it onto the dune
but Andre had stalled and toppled over just short of them. Those 650’s are not the easiest things to start once they’ve been over. He got a great head start on us in the sweating stakes by kicking himself breathless.
Once he finally got going, he made a classic dune error. Dunes have a blind side that is on the leeward side and often cannot be seen until too late. I had the backside view of him launching himself into the skies of Wortlegat. I raced around fearing the worst, it was a really big crash and the way he was lying I thought maybe his shoulder was out. Of course I got a photo as soon as I could.
These builder types are made of tough stuff and but for sore thighs and a broken mirror mount, he was fine.
There is a firebreak that is really great with a bit of a wall to climb at the end. I have video of me going up but never got a picture so stopped for a photo shoot. The middle piece of it is near vertical but photo’s never show it.
The views of the best part of the trail.
On the way back I took a tumble, as one does.
Towards the end, I hit a ball of barbed wire.
It was absolutely jammed in there. There is not much that will stall a 990 but this was frozen tight. We had to deflate the tire, take the chain guard and the rear wheel off before we could unwrap it
Fixing that was massively sweaty work. There was no breeze and it was baking. I was drenched . Once fixed I led the way down a path I hadn’t been on for ages, it was badly overgrown and not easy.
It was a relief to be heading for Hermanus and a cold beer and a bit of a chin wag.
A good day out, made some new friends, some good exercise and I'm here till after new year and plan to go again soon.
