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Offroad with Sakkie and Calle
Video clip
https://youtu.be/MZOoOnWpsws
By Robin Brown
THE past weekend offered two glorious days of offroading along with two of the best companions one could wish for.
Saturday was spent with Sakkie on a 480km ride into the Tankwa Karoo heading out past Bizaan se Gat and ending up at the Tankwa Padstal where we enjoyed the usual cameraderie, met several other Wilddogs and enjoyed Susan's hamburgers.
Sunday was spent with Calle again on a 480km ride heading out from Wellington via Riebeckasteel and on to Gouda, Mooreesburg, and then into the sand across the Berg River to Aurora and Klein Tafelsig before lunching at Laaiplek after riding the Transnet service road from Elands Bay to Laaiplek.
And then home in a gale force South Easter.
I met Sakkie at the Engen One Stop on the N1 at 7am (unfortunately the Wimpy is under renovation and closed) and we headed over Bains Kloof Pass in a strong wind to Ceres for a quick refill before riding Theronsberg pass and on to the R355.
And as luck has it the wind died as we headed on the Sutherland road on the way to Bizaan se Gat.
The offroad conditions are excellent, the drifts have a slight bit of water and the karoo is eeringly still when one stops for a photo break.
In fact it is so quiet that one can practically hear the blood pumping through ones veins.
And then gate after gate we opened rode through and closed before reaching an isolated house surrounded by yellow flowers.
An hour later we pulled into the Tankwa Padstal, greeted Hein, Wally and Susan and slaked our thirst and filled our stomachs with Susan's hamburgers.
And then a large contingent of Wilddogs arrived on their way to Oasis.
As we both had to get home Sakkie and I left at about 2pm for the ride home via Klondyk farm and the back roads to Ceres and finally over Bains Kloof pass.
Altogether another unforgettable day out in the karoo.
West Coast ride
Then on Sunday I met Calle in Wellington for a planned ride to Agulhas but the black SE wind put paid to that idea and we changed plans and headed for the west coast.
From Wellington our route took us up along the slopes of Groenberg exiting at Hermon and then heading cross country to Gouda before riding a short piece of tar and on to the Mooreesburg road.
In Mooreesburg we took on a full tank of fuel and headed across country towards Koringberg.
A few kilometres before Koringberg we took a sharp left rode down and across the Berg River and on to the first sandy roads of the day.
Back on the tar with Pikeberg mountain to our north we headed to Aurora and pulled into the one and only open cafe so that Calle could call up the owners of Klein Tafelsig an excellent campsite he wanted me to see.
While at the cafe a 4x4 driver introduced himself, claimed to also ride bike and asked where we were headed.
We told he quickly exclaimed that at least one of us would fall in the sand on the road.
Fortunately we proved him wrong.
Now sand riding is not my best forte but it was quite doable as long as one kept up the concentration levels.
The road both in and out to Klein Tafelsig can certainly test most people who are not totally used to sand riding.
Eventually we again hit a short section of Tar before Elands Bay and then rode the Transnet service road to Laaiplek.
I was totally amazed as I have always ridden the road with plenty of sand.
Yesterday it had been practically swept clean. Calle will have to go back after summer when the wind has again blown the sand from the dunes onto the road.
We reached Laaiplek at about noon and had a great lunch at the Laaiplek hotel.
Unfortunately the ride home in a gale force South Easter was no fun but nevertheless we both had another great days outing.
Now for my lucky numbers. It seems surprising but on both days home to home I rode 482km each day.
Maybe I should take out a lottery ticket using the numbers.
Thanks to both Calle and Sakkie the weekend offered some of the best riding in the Western Cape with two of the finest companions one could ever ride with
Video clip
https://youtu.be/MZOoOnWpsws
By Robin Brown
THE past weekend offered two glorious days of offroading along with two of the best companions one could wish for.
Saturday was spent with Sakkie on a 480km ride into the Tankwa Karoo heading out past Bizaan se Gat and ending up at the Tankwa Padstal where we enjoyed the usual cameraderie, met several other Wilddogs and enjoyed Susan's hamburgers.
Sunday was spent with Calle again on a 480km ride heading out from Wellington via Riebeckasteel and on to Gouda, Mooreesburg, and then into the sand across the Berg River to Aurora and Klein Tafelsig before lunching at Laaiplek after riding the Transnet service road from Elands Bay to Laaiplek.
And then home in a gale force South Easter.
I met Sakkie at the Engen One Stop on the N1 at 7am (unfortunately the Wimpy is under renovation and closed) and we headed over Bains Kloof Pass in a strong wind to Ceres for a quick refill before riding Theronsberg pass and on to the R355.
And as luck has it the wind died as we headed on the Sutherland road on the way to Bizaan se Gat.
The offroad conditions are excellent, the drifts have a slight bit of water and the karoo is eeringly still when one stops for a photo break.
In fact it is so quiet that one can practically hear the blood pumping through ones veins.
And then gate after gate we opened rode through and closed before reaching an isolated house surrounded by yellow flowers.
An hour later we pulled into the Tankwa Padstal, greeted Hein, Wally and Susan and slaked our thirst and filled our stomachs with Susan's hamburgers.
And then a large contingent of Wilddogs arrived on their way to Oasis.
As we both had to get home Sakkie and I left at about 2pm for the ride home via Klondyk farm and the back roads to Ceres and finally over Bains Kloof pass.
Altogether another unforgettable day out in the karoo.
West Coast ride
Then on Sunday I met Calle in Wellington for a planned ride to Agulhas but the black SE wind put paid to that idea and we changed plans and headed for the west coast.
From Wellington our route took us up along the slopes of Groenberg exiting at Hermon and then heading cross country to Gouda before riding a short piece of tar and on to the Mooreesburg road.
In Mooreesburg we took on a full tank of fuel and headed across country towards Koringberg.
A few kilometres before Koringberg we took a sharp left rode down and across the Berg River and on to the first sandy roads of the day.
Back on the tar with Pikeberg mountain to our north we headed to Aurora and pulled into the one and only open cafe so that Calle could call up the owners of Klein Tafelsig an excellent campsite he wanted me to see.
While at the cafe a 4x4 driver introduced himself, claimed to also ride bike and asked where we were headed.
We told he quickly exclaimed that at least one of us would fall in the sand on the road.
Fortunately we proved him wrong.
Now sand riding is not my best forte but it was quite doable as long as one kept up the concentration levels.
The road both in and out to Klein Tafelsig can certainly test most people who are not totally used to sand riding.
Eventually we again hit a short section of Tar before Elands Bay and then rode the Transnet service road to Laaiplek.
I was totally amazed as I have always ridden the road with plenty of sand.
Yesterday it had been practically swept clean. Calle will have to go back after summer when the wind has again blown the sand from the dunes onto the road.
We reached Laaiplek at about noon and had a great lunch at the Laaiplek hotel.
Unfortunately the ride home in a gale force South Easter was no fun but nevertheless we both had another great days outing.
Now for my lucky numbers. It seems surprising but on both days home to home I rode 482km each day.
Maybe I should take out a lottery ticket using the numbers.
Thanks to both Calle and Sakkie the weekend offered some of the best riding in the Western Cape with two of the finest companions one could ever ride with
