Geoff Jones

I now know my biking limit is 65.8mi Distance & 5,396ft of ascent with the temperature  in the mid 30’s with my heavyweight bike and kit 🙁 I arrived wrecked and dehydrated 🙁

The day started with a very mediocre breakfast at The Queens Hotel principally I suspect because they had 30+ folks from the Titan party there.

I started pedalling at 7.30 and luckily found a shop that would top up my local SIM having used up all my 3GB in the past week 🙁 Mainly I suspect because the Air seems to love tethering to the phone.

It was a gorgeous day clear sky little wind so I made good progress, although a bit worried that I was totally surrounded my mountains 🙁 also the cars were coming by at 100mph 🙁 After just under 2 hours I spotted a cafe 🙂 So just had to stop! There were 6 local MTB’s there one of which was semi-pro. This country is certainly better suited for MTB’s rather than roadwork. I had a delicious Lemon Meringue pie and smoothie 🙂

At Calitzdorp, at the foot of the pass I stopped for a drink but started to get harassed by a beggar so left early – big mistake – there were no other cafes/shops/anything at all until Ladismith. The climbs are long and arduous especially in the heat, traffic & lugging all that kit. I certainly could have used some of Sally’s gels 🙂

After nearly getting pushed of the road by a succession of milk tankers I left the N62 onto The Hoeko Road, big, big mistake it was very hilly a lot further and worse very hilly on gravel roads 🙁  I ended up scrounging water of one of the houses 🙁 Interestingly the lady said that Sunday is the worst day for milk tankers.

I eventually made it to the Ladismith Manor. A great little place run by an ex Glaswegian. I managed to find a cafe open for yet more fish & chips.

The Strava stats are here and pics here

What a day! Amazing day of bike climbing, wind, traffic and discovery.

The folks at my yummy Al fresco breakfast in Amber Guest Lodge all said it was a very pretty coastal route, they all omitted to mention the climbing and the Kaaimans Pass 🙁 which is probably just as well. Also no one seemed to like George (the town that is).

I set off and made a quick visit at Ultimate Cycles to thank Frank for adjusting my brakes and to scrounge a bit of inner tube to make a better clamp for the iPhone bracket. Then once past the lagoon it was straight up a climb 🙁 and then another and another. Unlike yesterday this section has no cafes or shops until you reach slow town Sedgefield where i had a coffee & scone for £1.15 (Returning to the UK is going to a real shock!) and I can begin to see why there are so many African swallows 🙂

Since it rates itself as a ‘slow town’ I decided to wander down the back streets eventually alighting on an amazing gate made from bike parts (The Africans love gates & fences( outside the Cycleworx shop. The owner Eugene invited me and my bike in for a coffee. He had his web designer there too. One hour later I had my route to Stellenbosch planned and someone to help me sort out my SmugMug pictures 🙂 plus if any  SWNC members want somewhere to do winter mountain biking in the sun I now knew a man…

By the time I reached Wilderness the wind was blowing a real hoolie with the sand from the beach and passing trucks blasting in my eyes 🙁 and the mountains to where I was heading covered in thick black cloud 🙁 Yet another climb started with a rather auspicious sign half way up proclaiming it was The Kaiimans River Pass, the sign said I was at 67m above sea level and I could clearly see the next direction was heading straight down. However, the sign also said it peaked at 185 metres 🙁 🙁  Not nice with huge trucks snaking around the bends and the wind trying to push the bike across the road 🙁

Eventually I made it to the top and a much needed Coke at a petrol station. The clouds were now seriously dark. I shortly reached George, industrial as folks had said, but I prefer ‘real cities’ to tourist centres. However I couldn’t resist popping in to the Outeninqua Railway museum when I saw the sign! Stunning and well worth 50p of anyones money 🙂 To see the huge locos made in the UK and shipped over in 1896, amazing. Plus just how tiny the trucks were that I used to see as a kid at stations. Whilst inside the heavens opened! good job I wasn’t doing an audio recording.

After 30 mins I was on my way to the Acorn Guest House which is truly amazing at £30 per night for staying in one of the oldest houses in town, exquisite furnishing, persian rugs, modern paintings and even a decanter replete with sherry in my room! and she even let me put the bike in the room! Followed by a great pizza etc around the corner in a Mexican bar/restaurant.

An excellent if tiring day tomorrow a lot more climbing to Oudtsshoorn.

Here is the days 42.6 miles & 3,163 feet of climbing on Strava and Pics