Extreme Rides Kosi Bay

Sue,

Ek en Mariè sal graag saamgaan. Ek het reeds per e-pos met jou gesels so moenie my DUBBEL tel nie.

Plaas detail asseblief.

According to Sue everything is planned and block bookings have been made.
More info regarding this trip will be posted by the weekend.
Add your name / send Sue an email (as on the website) and she will contact you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS TRIP

Riders to have breakfast before departure.

It is recommended that snacks and juices are taken along for a quick refreshment/smoke break along the way. We must have short stops as it is going to be a long day and we need to get to Kosi Bay before dark.

The Kozi bay area is known for stray farm animals on the roads. It is advised that you take additional safety precautions when travelling in this area. A maximum speed of 100km/h or less is advised. Note that the ride organiser will change the route according to his discretion based on travel time and road conditions.

NB: Make sure that your MEDICAL AID will cover transportation by HELICOPTER in case of a serious accident. Have this information and your NEXT OF KIN information with you at all times


SUMMARY OF THIS TRIP

Route Map



Route Detail

Day	Time	From	To	Distance	Total
1	6:15 for 7:00 Sharp	BP Garage	Kosi Bay	636 km	636 km
2		Kosi Bay	Blood River	385 km	1021 km
3		Blood River	Pretoria	531 km	1552 km

DAY 1 - FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2010

Route Map



Route Detail

Leg	From	To	Total	Route	Comments
52	Pretoria	Delmas	52	R50	Tar Road
40	Delmas	Leandra	92	R50
61	Leandra	Bethal	153	N17
57	Bethal	Ermelo	210	N17	Brunch / Fuel
103	Ermelo	Piet Retief	313	N2
125	Piet Retief	Pongola	438	N2	Refuel
198	Pongola	Kosi Bay	636

Accommodation
Place: Kosi Moon Bed & Breakfast
Information:

]

ITEM	DETAIL
Establishment	Kosi Moon
Type	Bed & Breakfast
Booking	A block booking has been made. Use the Club name as reference to book your accommodation.
Payment	Arrange your own payment
Contact Details	(Ray) 083 294 5617 (Viv) 073 208 5101 (Tel) 035 592 9665
Costs	The entrance fee for the Blood River Site is R25 each Double: Dinner B&B R340pppn Single: Dinner B&B = R420pppn Double: B&B = R260pppn Single: B&B = R340pppn Self catering: Double = R200pppn Self catering: Single = R280pppn

DAY 2 - SATURDAY 19 JUNE 2010

Route Map



Route Detail

Leg	From	To	Total	Route	Comments
145	Kosi Bay	Jozini	145
112	Jozini	Louwsburg	257	R69
70	Louwsburg	Vryheid	327	R69
70	Vryheid	Bloed Rivier	385	R33	20km dirt

Accommodation

]

ITEM	DETAIL
Establishment	Blood River Heritage Site
Type	Lodge
Booking	A block booking has been made. Use the Club name as reference to book your accommodation.
Payment	Arrange your own payment
Contact Details	Dawie and Elbe Viljoen 072 988 3544 034 632 1695 0823007356@vodamail.co.za
Costs	B&B = R250pppn Camping Site = R65 per site. Bring own bedding. Mattresses will be arranged Bronze Wagons = R65 per site Bring own bedding. Mattresses will be arranged Dinner: Potjie = R80-R100pp

Voortrekker Evening

Dinner: Potjie +-R80/100pp, which includes a camp fire (weather permitting), dessert, coffee and tea, or coal stove fire in the “Trekker- kombuis” we will use enamel plates etc. This includes showing a historic video.
The “Smouswa” A curio shop selling relevant souvenirs, post cards, books and videos etc.
Dawie and Elbe are prepared to organize the Bronze wagons for those who would like to experience sleeping in a wagon. (Just remember its cold)

DAY 3 - SUNDAY 19 JUNE 2010

Route Map
(to be imported)

Route Detail

Leg	From	To	Total	Route	Comments
45	Blood River	Dundee	45	R33	20km dirt
57	Dundee	Newcastle	102	R621
54	Newcastle	Volksrust	156	N11
41	Volksrust	Amersfoort	197	R35
120	Amersfoort	Morgenzon	317	R35
35	Morgenzon	Bethal	352	R35
61	Bethal	Leandra	413	N17
48	Leandra	Delmas	461	R50
70	Delmas	Pretoria	531	R50

GROUP RIDING

You are referred to the Club Group Riding guidelines, available on the club website.
The following is a summary:
• Ride your own ride. Watch the road, not the bike in front of you.
• Everyone fills up with petrol at the same time, every time. No exceptions. You may think you know better, but you don’t.
• No-one gets left behind. No-one gets behind the Sweep.
• No overtaking on left-hand side.
• No-one leaves a designated departure point before the appointed time.
• Do not travel too close to the bike or even car ahead of you. You will not be able to swerve out for an obstacle in time. The reaction time required will be seriously shortened.
• THE PRIME DIRECTIVE: DO NOT HIT THE BIKE IN FRONT OF YOU.
• IT IS NOT A RACE!!!!

The Ride Leader will determine whether the Large Group or Small Group control will be used.

SMALL GROUP
• Keep the headlight behind you visible at least once every two minutes. You are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the rider behind you. You will be asked where they are and if they’re missing you can be expected to find them if lost.
• Never make a turn without making SURE the rider behind you sees you turning.

LARGE GROUP
• The rider behind the leader waits at every change of direction (turn-off, crossing etc.) to show the others where to turn.

RIDE LEADER CHECKLIST - SIEGAR
• S Have you appointed a Sweep in the case the Large Group Control method was selected?
• I Has every non - club member signed the Indemnity Form?
• E Does every person have their emergency detail available where it can easily found?
• G Has the leader decided and communicated whether the Large or Small Group Control method will be used?
• A Has every person completed the attendance form?
• R Have you discussed the route's most important challenges / turning points / Filling points with the group

This looks like a trip not to be missed especially the Voortrekker section.

Although I will not be participating please allow a friendly comment (borne from experience) on the following and I quote:"
"• Keep the headlight behind you visible at least once every two minutes. You are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the rider behind you. You will be asked where they are and if they’re missing you can be expected to find them if lost.
• Never make a turn with making SURE the rider behind you sees you turning."
I know these are incorporated on the website but it has proven to be contra productive and as per my experience for the following reasons:
1. This forces the group to ride the speed of the slowest bike and creates frustration especially at the front riders.
2. This rule has no sense if an able sweeper is on duty. What is the sense in having a sweeper then? This rule was applicable before the Sweeper was instituted.
3. It is extremely dangerous to ride in your mirrors. One is expected to keep eyes to the front.
4. A rider can never reasonably be held responsible for the rider behind him. And then to expect to go and look for that rider is nonsense. That rider and the Sweep may be having a leak or smoke somewhere behind.
4. Nr 2 waits at the turn untill the sweep waives him the OK. Why do every rider have to wait for the follower too?


We have done the Kosi route about 3 months ago. Please be very vigilant on the sections between Piet Retief and Pongola. Locals like to take aim at us with rather hefty stones.
Similar at the section between Jozini and Kosi. Plenty and gigantic potholes. OK if one go slow. But at that time one is rather tired and irritated. Beware also of the stone throwers. Their aim is good!

Better to bundle together and show similar aggression when you see someone lifting a hand... like showing a hand as if you have a gun. That quite frightens them off.

Enjoy!!

While I agree with most of what TJ says above and do not use the 'wait for rider behind at turn' in the 'Group riding' in the trip information sheets I use, I differ with TJ in one respect.

When riding, if I have not seen the light of the rider behind me for some time, I usually slow down slightly until I see the light again. The reason for this is that if something should have happened to a rider behind me I should then become aware of it sooner than wondering where people are when waiting at the next stop.

This part of group riding became very evident in the case of Wahl's accident.

We do need to revisit these rules.

There is a difference between a large and a small group. In a small group (of say four riders) it is better to look in the mirror and see that the rider behind you is still OK.

In a larger group you have to have a sweep and the second rider needs to stop at every turn in order to ensure that everybody is on track.

In my opinion it is for the Ride Leader to decide whether the group is small or large and therefore the method that will be used to care for the riders in his / her group.

People join a club so that there is a responsible person that will look out for you in case something goes wrong. In the same way we as riders need to look out for our fellow riders.

Agree with JohanGT, it also depends on the group dynamics. Do the people ride together often or not? If you ride with a new group you have to be more vigilant, and stick to the rules as explained at the briefing. If the group consists of riders that ride together often, one can relax a little because you can predict the other rider’s actions.

Bespreek en wag net vir e-posse om te betaal!

Johann

Ek en my seun sal ook saamgaan
Hoekom vertrek ons eers 07:30?
As ons dit 'n uur vroeer maak, het ons
Meer tyd om by Kosi te spandeer die middag.

The Morgenzon Bethal leg might be fun........Last time I was on that road it was more dirt and potholes than tar (circa 2005). Don't know if it has been repaired since? Has anybody been on it lately?

We travelled that road a couple weeks ago and and I think the conditions worsened since you last travelled that route. Some of the trucks even rode on the wrong side of the road to avoid the potholes.

Kiteman wrote:The Morgenzon Bethal leg might be fun........Last time I was on that road it was more dirt and potholes than tar (circa 2005). Don't know if it has been repaired since? Has anybody been on it lately?

Yes, our group that did the Easter weekend (Salt Rock) ride did this route, we did not find it too bad so it may have been repaired since you last travelled it.

Change of time: Will depart from the BP Centurion garage at 7.00am sharp for Kosi Bay. Petrol, coffee/muffin etc will all be done between 6.15am - 6.45am. Briefing and questions at 6.45am

Suggestion: Those who would like to see Blood River and not do the Kosi point can meet up with us on Saturday afternoon.

Just as an aside - what is the dirt road like from the main road to the Blood River Monument - dont think the "S" will be able to handle it

LeRoy Olivier wrote:Just as an aside - what is the dirt road like from the main road to the Blood River Monument - dont think the "S" will be able to handle it

Yes, it will be able to handle it. The road is firm and flat. Maybe I should post a photo of the road.

The last time we were was back in 1998 - and then it was very bad - 20km's - LT????

LeRoy Olivier wrote:The last time we were was back in 1998 - and then it was very bad - 20km's - LT????

Well, how about staying in the Royal Hotal in Dundee and Abe and I will fetch you both and take you back to Blood River for the night

Why so concerned about our road conditions?

We have nothing to cry about. Just look around you...
and more specifically at

http://www.maree.co.za/

(It is a pps file that wouldn't be accepted by Photobucket. Click on "A typical Russian highway")

Eina!! Maybe the 450 will enoy these roads? Definately not for my delicate machine!

Tend to agree with the above sentiment - reason why i ride LT - like the tar roads - whats left of it. Would have liked to do this one - but after Europe the bank manager might frown on it.

Our group for Kosi Bay is
Johann and Marie Meyer - 1 bike
Cappie and Son - 1 bike
Abe and Sue - 2 bikes

The group is growing, we have Martin Jacobs and his wife joining us in Kosi Bay from the Cape Agulhas point.

Total: 8 bikers and 5 bikes.

Would reckon the winter woollies must be packed right at the top - and that is about all you would want to take with you.

Enjoy the ride and ride safe. Hope you all have extra winter woollies packed!