Monday, 27 April - dirt road ride - true level 1

Anyone who want to join me, Dorothy and Wahl on Monday, 27 April (public holiday) is welcome. This is a true level 1 ride - total is about 170km of which about 130km is good dirt road.

Departure will be at 7am from the Total Centurion Gate at the John Voster offramp in Centurion. We will stop for breakfast at QUE SERA.

Here some picstures from todays ride:
Some buck - with a young foal




What appears to be a site for wrecked military/police vehicles






...and then just before the end of the dirt - to wash the dust from your wheels - a small water crossing.


If you want to join us, add your name to the list.

1. Dave
2. Dorothy
3. Wahl

1. Dave
2. Dorothy
3. Wahl
4. Drix (tentative)

Those are some great roads !!!

You guys will have a ball, ride safe and ENJOY !!!

Wish I could have joined......

Wow, thanks for the invite!
Enjoy!
Won't be able to make it...

Sharkie wrote:......Wish I could have joined......

and if we supply a back-up vehicle?

Bad Jamie You are BAD.....rsrsrsrsrs

MadnohB wrote:

Sharkie wrote:......Wish I could have joined......

and if we supply a back-up vehicle?

I will direct from the vechicle................... the road won't be THAT difficult, and the bad parts will get better.................... I promise..............

Sharkie wrote:..... the road won't be THAT difficult, and the bad parts will get better.................... I promise..............

...and I will vouch for that.

Dave, what direction will we be going and what time at Que Sera/home, roughly?

I don't care, I just follow and enjoy, but have a buddy that is interested and he needs to know to see if it is feasible for him, timing wise.

Start behind Smuts koppie in IreneM should be at brekkie by 9.

Cool! Drix and Leon (first real gravel ride with Funduro, but has been a roadie forever) will be there then. Couple of caches in Smuts koppie area...

Serious, a nice cache at Star Crater (S 25° 55.847 E 028° 12.869 - not really about the cache, more the crater - that you can see in a few minutes, no lengthy stop required), if we go close by - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?pf=&guid=5c780cb0-7153-4d12-a280-2ceb8fcc1078&decrypt=y&log=y&numlogs=

Just a thought, we follow wherever.

1. Dave
2. Dorothy
3. Wahl
4. Drix (tentative)
5. Mario
6. Richard

Looks interesting - but I question the origin of the hole !

Sinkhole yes (a known dolomite area) jagged edges
Meteor impact site? No sign of surrounding area upward movement... 'Ah hae me doots, laddie!"

Hey, if you guys are are Que Sera roundabout 9am on Monday, I might see you there......

1. Dave
2. Dorothy
3. Wahl
4. Drix
5. Leon
6. Mario
7. Richard

Richard H wrote:Looks interesting - but I question the origin of the hole !

Sinkhole yes (a known dolomite area) jagged edges
Meteor impact site? No sign of surrounding area upward movement... 'Ah hae me doots, laddie!"

Read the desciption slowly, and then follow all the logs... I even once had a message from a crater impact specialist from Portugal taking me on!!

Just had a look at the geocache waypoint and this is just after where we would get off the tar first time.

Our turn off the tar would be to the left and this waypoint is about 2.2km as the crow flies about two o' clock position to what we will be travelling.

Rejuvenated DaveS wrote:Just had a look at the geocache waypoint and this is just after where we would get off the tar first time.

Our turn off the tar would be to the left and this waypoint is about 2.2km as the crow flies about two o' clock position to what we will be travelling.

If I understand where you are talking about (and I think I know) the stretch from the tar to the cache is fun, but not level 1 - there are level 2-3 stretches (rocky) for short bits. There are also a few drops and climbs around the crater that is quite fun, but again, not level 1 stuff (not too difficult either though). So... I think it is worth the view, but it will definitely mess up your level 1 promises and possibly take longer than you think if you go in and out and not really just pass there.

I think lets leave the geocache for another day - would like to go to the crater at some time to have a look, but DotP will not be a happy camper if I take her onto something more difficult at this stage - I promised her it is a level 1.

The first part past the cement factory is a bit stony and then a vehicle track that may border on level 2, but thereafter is straight level 1.

She has done the first section on her 200 Skygo before but not on the 1200GS and I want her to get comfortable on level 1/2 with the 1200GS.

Apart from the club mud ride to Rooiberg in January she has not done much dirt on the 1200GS - only the Skygo.

Cool, see ya there!

Did not take many pictures. Here some that were taken.

Getting ready to leave


Dorothy


Leon


Richard


Wahl (ps - Sharkie its that GS)


Drix


Mario

Thank's Dave it was a very nice morning

Tx Dave, a real lekker ride! A true level 1, with some level 2 here and there. Leon really enjoyed his first gravel/GS ride and this was the perfect route for him and anyone else who needed to get some confidence after previous scary experiences.

Now, as for Jamie, he got such a fright when our first kilometer started as level 2, that a mysterious puncture was developed. But Wahl vouches for it, so I'll believe it...

I think the real reason is that he knew that his K1300S will get more attention at Que Sera, so he flew back home and met us for breakfast again. Even changed gear from GS to roadie!

But he did get all the attention, I don't think the other clubs/riders even noticed we were there...

The usual pre-ride chatter...




Mario...




Dave...




Leon on his spotless Funduro, that bike looks newer than all the other 'experienced' bikes together!




Richard...




Dorothy - she was flying today, looked like a champ!




The open roads of the east...




And now the most important photo, especially for Sharkie - WAHL standing like an experienced gravel vet, the way he rode today!!




Dot in full flight... I like the obscure road sign!




Ditto...




Leon and Wahl...




Que Sera...




Leon and Mario having the second cuppa...




A great breakfast, followed by some more nice roads and an early finish.




Fun was had by all, good one! Met Johan (JCM) quickly at Que Sera, didn't have time to chat much...

Jissie dit was lekker - I want more of this and will slowly move to level 2 and 3 (me thinks!). Thanks Dave for reeeeally making it level 1 - now can I have more gravel roads and less tar?!?!?!

Just a question for the 'Xperts: If I go through water and the water goes over my helmet and my tank bag and my tank and my jacket is wet, would that be that I went through it too quickly?

DotP wrote:
Just a question for the 'Xperts: If I go through water and the water goes over my helmet and my tank bag and my tank and my jacket is wet, would that be that I went through it too quickly?

Either that or it was raining!! (...and I am not an expert)