Tuesday 16th

Yesterday was an absolute nightmare. Left Franschoek. So far so good. Over the pass. Still okay. Then while I am descending the other side the rain arrived. A lot. A hell of a lot. I made it to the T junction where it stopped briefly. I decided to continue. I very carefully laid my sunglasses next to me, thinking... don't forget them. 

I then departed. Okay for about 40 minutes. No rain. But then, it started. Pouring again. I started to cry. Whilst reaching for my glasses to take them off 😳😲😳😲 the fuck. I had left them next to the road. I immediately started heading back there at full gass. I was sure they would be gone. All sorts of thoughts. Why am I doing this trip. Why am I unemployed. Why do I keep making mistakes. The list is endless. I continued at full gass whilst crying. It was one of the worst moments I have had out here. Eventually after what seemed like hours I got to the exact spot I put them down. Holy 💩💩💩. They are still there. I was happy yet still extremely disappointed I had left them. My decision was to go to my spot in the forest and put up camp for the night. It was only 2pm but the rain was not going to stop and I was in a terrible head space. 

As I already knew my tent leaks. So luckily while I was sitting in it freezing I was also bailing water out of it. Quite a sight. I am happy yesterday is done.

Today was slightly better. A good ride in wet clothes. As I sit here the only item left to completely dry are my 🧦. Everything else dried on the ride. 

My bike has picked up an issue from riding in the rain. The BB is crunchy which means it is toast. So tomorrow it is back to Ceres to get that fixed. Today was hard. Mentally very very tough. Many questions and very few answers. I need to learn how to deal with this better. I get very frustrated and angry and I miss the reason for my trip. I am working on it. 

Apart from all that I am good. It was supposed to be up to Greyton and then beyond. But with the weather I decided on a drier route. So be it. Once my bike is sorted I will see what my next move is.

Sorry for the negative post but I am a bit down at the moment. Things will improve. This I am sure. Just a few bad days!

The world is what we make it. No one else does the work. Sometimes good, sometimes not so much. It is important to know that when times are tough you just keep moving forward. Going back or sideways is a waste. Today was better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be better than today. It simply has to be. 

I am very sad my bike is not working properly. I love it like a child. But tomorrow it will be fixed and the screaming will stop. (quite literally)

On these trips I take photos and try to capture what I see. They do no justice. Right now I am in my tent. Op die berg. Been here many times. It's a bush camp. The views are magnificent. This is why I do these trips. I am very very grateful that life allows me to. 

I hope you are all well. Happy. Life is good.

Chat soon.

G.

Been A While

My time in Cape Town was good. Spent with good people and friends with whom I cannot live without. Thank you very much to the Small's and Claire. You are more than friends and I am lucky to have you in my life. Lots of rides with Tom. I hope your bike is working soon.

I decided a short time ago that another tour would happen. Nieu-bethesda would be my destination this time. A small, quaint little town. I have been there previously which made my decision to want to go there again an easy one. Job searching did not go well and I wanted to get cycling again. 

This will be an amazing journey. 

I left CT around 8am. The traffic was quiet and the air was cool. Rain was predicted but it seems I was lucky enough to get here before I got drenched. It was a superb ride today. Easy going. The nerves as usual were all there along with the anxiety I have on the first few days. One would think I am used to it by now but not the case.

I have reached my destination for the night. My brother has kindly let me have a night at his farm. The Farmstead Franschoek. If you need accommodation near Franschoek this is the spot. It is first class. 

I hope everyone who has been part of my journey and has helped me along the way knows how grateful I am. It is all of us traveling together. I always feel as though I have forgotten to thank someone for their effort. So if you are reading this please know I am grateful even if we have just crossed paths. 

I don't know how much energy I will be putting into my blog. I am on Instagram now and trying to get a following for my cycling. Let's see how it all goes.

Anyway day one done. Happy. Tired. Anxious. Grateful. Blessed. 

Chat soon friends. 

G💙

More Uphill 😅

Riding

Always Friday

Yesterday's ride was absolutely grueling. Leave Montagu. So far 👍🏻. Through Ashton 👍🏻. By the way, they have built a 🌁 there that must have cost 💰💸💳. Next 🦵🏻 to Robertson 🆘️🅾️. Had a quick 🍪. Very nice. Then I depart Robertson. Back 🛣 to Villiersdorp. The 🥇 20kms windy. Then holy 💩🙈🙊. It was like dying in slow motion. If you weren't pedaling you were being 🌬 (and not the good one) backwards at a 💯 miles an ⌛. The language was appalling 🤬🤬. One of the reasons I ride alone. I think the worst wind I have ever, forever ever, yip ridden in. No matter what I did, 💸💶, 🤬🤬, 😭😭 or even promise to become religious, it just kept getting worse. I was truly broken. 

Anyway. In Villiersdorp. Spar! Few goodies for my effort. Few baddies too 🍔🍟🍦🍐🍏. I wasn't too sure about this day but after the conditions I had it was to be off to my spot near the dam. There I managed to pull myself together and have a great 🛌. I was just happy not to be in a headwind anymore. 

Today was 🆙️. Clean 🧼🧽 and over Franschoek pass. It was an enjoyable ride. Nothing much to do! Into town for a coffee. At the 🏕 for twee nights. Chilling out. Hopefully get to 👀 my brother and his family on Sunday. 

Otherwise not much to report. This trip is ending soon. It has been a blast. Can't believe how far I have gone and how much I have 👀. Met some fantastic people. Looking forward to seeing my mates in CT. Missed them.

Hope you are all well. Strong. Happy. 

Until then. 

🗜™️

Wednesday 17.

Another cold night. 🥶 not quite as bad as the night before but full winter 🛌bag. The 🛌 itself was one of the best in a long ⌚. Packed and ready to go it was off. A slight uphill to the boss ladies office. Pay the 🧾💳 and gazoom. Through the main 🚧. It's a ⬅️ turn. Joe obviously! Not long into my ride but what do I 👀👓... another 🚵🏼‍♀️. We chat. She lives in the area 🤔. She owns a company that does bike races. Business is 🤫. We depart ways. More joe. It is a splendid ride. Not too 🌡. Not too 🌬. Great riding conditions. As I am passing another farm I see another rider. Mmmmm. This one not sure. It is a 👳🏽‍♂️ fella. On an ⚡⚡🚲. With no ⛑. Flip flops. No 💧💧. I ask him if he is okay. He says this way to Montagu?? I said nope you are going the wrong way. He looks confused. I said follow me let's go. He turns around and we ride a bit. We are doing almost 0 kilometers per ⌛. I tell him I need to push on and 👋🏻 goodbye. I take an impressive lead 😉. After about 30 or so minutes guess who is back 😳🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️. He must have ramped up his electric ⚡⚡. I don't even see him pedaling up the hills. Just pushing a button. F this I said. We get to the top of a pass. Let's test your skills now mr durbanite. I take the hell off. If he beats me now I am walking the rest of this trip.

Here is a lesson 👨🏻‍🦱👨🏻‍🦳 I don't like being beaten. My skills are tested. ➡️↘️⬇️↗️➡️↘️↘️➡️↘️↘️⬇️➡️↗️➡️↘️⬇️↗️➡️ you get the idea. Needless to say I didn't see him again. I am not being a 🐈 here. The guy was lost. I offered him 💧. He declined. Then he was going at 🐌 pace. Then he is overtaking me. WTEFF. Anyway I hope he made it back safe.

Down the pass. It is a lot of fun. I get to the 🍵 junction. ➡️ turn. Next T junction. Right turn. A little over a kilometer and I am in town. 🍔🍟 for lunch and off to my usual 🛌 spot.

Clean and fresh I am resting up. Been quite a fun day. Looking forward to tomorrow. Beers soon compadres. Chin qui. 

Over and out for today.

🗜™️

⚠️

🌬

☣

☢

Catch 🆙️ℹ🆖️

Sleep was worthless. Got about a pennies worth. Not sure what is going on. Not to mention it was absolutely 🥶🥶🧊🧊 when I got 🆙️ I think an arctic wind. 

The 🚿 was long and hot. I was basically defrosting! Clean, dressed and ready for this 🌝 it was go ⌚. 🔙 the way I rode yesterday. It was easier today, downhill! Then ➡️ onto the tar. Luckily for Ⓜ️e my ol friend headwind was joining for the day. 🤨🤐. The first 5 or so kilometers were a gradual uphill. With.... a headwind 🕺🏻🕺🏻. Seems at the 🔝 things changed. Slight tailwind and much much better speeds. About 30 to go. It was nice riding. Probably a lot more moaning in my head than needed, but now I think about it, it was pretty good.

⬅️ onto the N1. About 9 to do here. 🚳⚠️⚰. Luckily I made it. I get to the garage and stop for a coke and some 🍳🥓🥓🍞🍟 yum. While I am there 6️⃣ 🚛 massive lorries pull up and park on the N1. But why 🤔🤷‍♂️. Hold on I am getting there. They are carrying blades. No not 🪒 but wind turbine blades. And what 👀 like the base towers. Really an impressive sight. Apparently about 70 meters long 😳😥. Off to Sutherland to a new wind farm. I inform them no need as I have been eating copious amounts of bread and I have plenty of 💨💨 I laugh, the driver laughs, the pedestrian walking past laughs. A rare occasion in 🇿🇦, a white, a black and a coloured laughing at the same terrible joke. I kick the dog!

We go our separate ways. I was on this road about 5 days ago, going the other way. I know what to expect. Through the bustling metropolis of Touws Rivier. 🚽 The joe arrives. I am 30kms from my destination 🥳🤠😎🕺🏽. I take it fairly easy. The wind is an ever so slight tailwind 😳🤨. I check to make sure I am going the right way 🤠✅☑✔. It is just magnificent. Beautiful surroundings. I feel grateful for my journey. 🙏🏻

I come to the intersection where I came from a few days ago. 2 farmer chaps have 👀 me and pulled over for a chat. After about 10 minutes we bid our farewells and get going in our respective directions. 

No sooner than I have gotten comfortable the sign to my destination. 🦎 rock. I am so happy to be here. I spot 2 massive gemsbok just through the 🚧. As soon as they see me they head up into the veldt. I greet the owner. She signs me in and I am on my way to my campsite. Only me here. It is just beautiful. 

🚿🧼🧽🚽🧻 I am sitting enjoying a glass of water and a few biscuits. I am happy. 

My return journey is in full swing. I will be back soonish. My mind is still abuzz with life. I need sponsors. So far none of you have come up with anything 😅🤣🤪.

See y'all soon. 🍻🍺🍷🍷 you are buying. My 🚲 has just been incredible. I think it wants a faster rider 😞😭. Hard to believe what has happened so far since I left. Closing in on 4000 kilometers. There will definitely be a story to be told at the end of this trip. It has been an experience I have loved. Lonely at times. Very lonely but this is life. I would not change a single thing. 

Thanks for reading. It's not over yet. 

💙

🗜™️

Catch 🆙️ 🆗️🆗️

It was a 🥶 🌚. The days may be waruum but the nights are winter sleeping bag cold. 🆙️ and go. It was a bush sleep so no 🚿. Oh dear 👃🏻🚫. Off to my favorite shop for 🍳🍳🥓🥓🥓🍞🍞🐷🐷. Yummy! I am satisfied now. 🤤. 

I go to the spar on my way out. Few items. Not much needed. Then onto the 🛣. About 18kms before it's a ⬅️. It's a grand day. Well it was at this point. Road turns into joe. Nothing to see here. Keep going. Round a corner and a slight ➡️. 🥴😵😳😱😖🤬. Yip you guessed it. Life turns to misery. I do what I can. It is extremely frustrating as I have probably mentioned a million times when you have a strong headwind. It just depletes your energy. Well energy depleted. Good on you.  I just try and keep myself together. It is really hard going. Because of this fact I don't 👂🏻 🚘🚙 come up from behind me. They don't get too close but I nearly jumped out of my 🧦 when they passed. I could then 👀 they were racing each other once they had passed. Damn crazy!

The road gets no easier. It feels like I am just 🧗🏻‍♂️ all day. 😓😅. Eventually I 👀 the sign I have been looking for. Yip... I saw the sign and it opened up my 👁👁 I saw the signnnnn. It was a 🍵 junction. I knew there was a ⬅️ here and then shortly a ➡️. It's down a pass. Fast. Losing altitude is not good at all. It just means I have to find it further down my journey. Just after the ➡️ it comes back 👀 for Ⓜ️💊. Yay 😶🤭🤐. 🚵🏻‍♂️🚵🏻‍♂️ seems all I have done today. After about 3️⃣2️⃣5️⃣6️⃣⌛ the road I have been aiming for. MATROOSBERG 🕺🏻.

It's really not far down and a little up. Sign in. Pay the lady. Off to campsite. 🏕🕺🏻. Great success. Very nice.

🧦🧥🧤🦺👘🩳🩲 all washed. Dinner time. 🍞😅🤣. It's a good night from me and good night from me!

🗜™️

Catch 🆙️ 🆗️

It was a ©️®️🅰️🅿️ sleep. I had put my ⛺ very poorly on a rock. Basically no matter what I did I was rolling into the side of the abode. I learnt my lesson. 🌝rise the next morning was just 🏆. You could 👀 pools of 💧 from the previous days ⛈🌧 it really was beautiful. No ⌚ to sit and watch. It was off. Not a hard stretch. Well it shouldn't have been. I get to the Cederberg roadg ➡️. I know this joe well. Nothing to speak of. It's fast and furious. I get to the last hill. Done this 1️⃣ a few times. New record today 🤷‍♂️. I get cracking. Good stuff. After about ⏸⏺ minutes I find myself 🚶🏻‍♂️ pushing the 🚲. Absolutely blown up. There is ⭕% of energy left. It is survival mode. If takes me close on double what it should have. I just had nothing to give.

At oasis! Food. 🥪🥪🍟🍟 ➕🍺🍺. I drink lots of 🧊💧 for the rest of the 🌞. Sleep was sufficient and ready for 🌞day.

I want to get going 🚵🏻‍♂️ early, so I am packed and settling the 🧾 sharpish. No plan 😳😲😅😅. I am going to take the long way round 🔙 2️⃣ op die berg. Short way 60kms. Long way 160kms 🦧😅🤣. To the same place? ✅☑✔🧐🙈. And off. Love the start. 30kms to uitkykpas. The descent is magnificently fast. Brakes smoking. Tyres screeching, some 🐈 on a 🏍 comes flying past ⚰⚱ the music is playing china 🎶🎵. 

I get to the bottom safely. No sign of street hawk. He must be home already!! Short flattish. Small very rideable climb. Another fast long descent. I am McDonald'sing this day. Another fun section into Citrusdal. 

😳😲😥😞 that town 👀 and 👃🏻 like a rubbish dump now. I am sorely disappointed. At the cafe for a supply or two. From here it is a 1000 meter climb to the top of the next pass. Not that steep. Well it has short sections, but what has 🎣 my 👁 is the ☁️🌧☁️🌧 moving in. I get cracking. Probably 30 minutes in I look to see what is what. The rain, not purple has arrived in the town. I push harder. Luckily it seems to be trying to wash the town clean 😳😅🤣. I keep an 👁 on it while I move. 🤞🏻🤞🏻.

Somehow I make the 🔝 without getting more than a few 💧💧💧 on me. Great success 🕺🏼. The descent on the other side is almost my last ride. I notice a 🚘 coming behind me. I move to the ➡️ so we should both be safe. As this happens another 🚘 coming up the ⛰ comes round the corner. Well. How on 🌍 this guy did not hit me is an absolute wonder. Entirely my fault. Understood. I thought I was doing the right thing. No 🚙🚘🚗🚐 for hours then one from both directions at the same ⌚. Que the music 🎼🎵🎶⚰⚱. No one stopped. I was sort of in the bush. It took a few minutes to compose myself.  😅🤣.

Back on it. I keep going. It is getting late. I look around for places to 🛌. Stopping here and there to see if it is safe. No luck. I end up at my spot on the other side of op die berg. The 🌝 has gone and I setup in the dark. Bedtime!!

🗜™️

☁️

🌧🌧

⛈

W A D

I need to find better places to 🏕. I really like Simonskloof but 2️⃣ yes ✌🏻 days in a row the bloody 🐓🐓🐓 I think I 👂🏻 about 3 of them start yakking away at 🕒am in the morning. THAT IS 3 AM IN THE MORNING❗ and they don't shut the f up until about 7. 🤨😬😫🥱😡🧯🧯🧯 bloody rodents. Time they filled a serving dish 🍗🍗🍗🍷 deelicious.

So anyway. I was up at 3am. In and out of 😴💤 until I decided to get 🆙️ at about 🕕. I went to 🚿, cold water only. Not too bad. Fresh as a 🥀. Packed I am ready to 🛫. It's a 200 meter climb over about 5 kilometers. Not too bad if your 🦵🏻🦵🏻 are warm. I get to the top. Downhill for 6 kilos. Into the shop. A quick coke and a small niknaks will do for now. From here it is 🆙️ lunch bar. Another pass. The one I descended yesterday on my race lap. It's not too bad. Few 🚛🚚 pass me coming the other way, obviously in a race of their own. Over the pass. Halfway down the other side it's a ➡️ turn. On to the joe. Doing nicely. Pass a spectacular campsite in the middle of nowhere. Got their name for my next trip. 🍵 junction. It's a left turn. Not too far down this road and I arrive at Touws Rivier. It's a town not a river. When I say town I mean 🚽. I 🛑 in at the... yip. Not a bad shop. The till driver 🛃 is an absolute 🧠 dead moron. Needless to say she pissed me off. I depart. 

I have a 10 km stretch to do on the N1 🛣. This really made me unhappy. Anyway halfway down the road I pull over as it looks ⛈🌧. I wait 20 minutes and continue. It's a ➡️ turn off the 🛣. I am pleased I survived. The evidence is clear it was a 🏆 choice. Water everywhere. They needed this so good times. At the end of this road another 🍵 junction. A motorist has pulled over. More of a van driver. I think quick. WTF. Is he going to 🔪🔪 me and steal my 🚲. Or throw me in with the bike and 🔪🔪 me later 🥺😭😭. Actually dadah he is a watermelon supplier. He has cut me one up into pieces and is waiting for me 🦧🐒😳😳😲 I 💩 you not. Wow but does it go down a treat. 

Weird that... I woke up 10 minutes later in the back of his 🚚 😅🤣🤣 just kidding. 

I thank him for the offering. It really was good. Especially in today's heat. It's a right turn and onto the joe. I know where I want to be tonight. But at that point I was nearly done. The ☁️ were building up. Massive massive electrical storm. ⚡🌩⛈🌧. I am just into the Tankwa and I need to send it  full power if I am going to miss this thing. It was absolutely draining but I managed. 🥵🥵 40kms of the Tankwa, up a pass and 5kms down that road. 

I look out over the Tankwa. I have 🛌😴 here before so hopefully all well. I am tired, but today has been a day I have absolutely loved riding. It had everything I needed to know I can ride a 🚲. 

It's bedtime. I am pooped. 

Sleep tight all. Check out the pictures. I promise they do it no justice. It was amazing to watch.

Chat soon.

🗜™️

☮

Race Is On

The reason for my ✌🏻 day stop here is simple. Worked it out yet? Oh dear. Let me explain. Last ⌚ I was here I was informed about a route around the dam, over another pass and then back here 🗺. All in about 38kms. Now I am on something called strava. It's an app that records your performance and 🚲 accomplishments. Some rodney sole had the winning ⌚. So my trip here was to 👀 if I could beat him. 

This morning I absolutely gunned it. I was fresh. Well fed. Full power. Bike in top condition. Rider in some condition. Down towards the dam. I have no suspension so it was probably a bit more careful than I would have liked. Then round the side. Still feeling good I gave it the gass. Then arrives a fairly respectable hill. Yusses but I thought by the time go to the top I had died of corona. I couldn't breathe. I could hardly keep pedaling. Luckily it was down a pass for long enough to catch my breath and regroup. Right on to the joe again. Giving it all the beans I had I gassed it to the Simonskloof turnoff. Another short climb, through the gate and back.

Well I have no 📶 here so I don't know what happened yet. I think 🤔 I did a 1.38 and he did a 1.43. So not sure. Need to update when I get 📶 again and 👀 what is what and who is who. 

I am resting now 🛌 as I have not ridden that tempo for ages and I feel shot. So once I have seen the results I will either tell you or not. Quite simple really 😅😅.

Okay off for a 🚿. Chat soon my friends. I look forward to 🍻🍻 soon. Probably under 2 weeks I will be back. This ⌚ more effort in to finding a 👨🏻‍🔧👨🏻‍💻 or maybe not. Let's see. 

Until then ☮

🗜™️

Oh Dear!

So my plan tomorrow was to move one up to Matroosberg. I have been informed by a camper who has just arrived that it is full. Apparently walentines weekend or something 😳😅💔 ka boom. So will just have to 👀 what happens tomorrow. 

Yesterday I 👈🏻 Montagu. Can't stay there for long. It's a town and not much fun. I had this placed booked down for ✌🏻 days anyway. Will get to that❕❗ So out of town. Not much crappening. It's a fairly 🆗️ road. A little busier than maybe I like. Once  about 2️⃣0️⃣ or so kilometers it gets much 🤫. Perfect. As I am settling in it arrives. ⛰. Burgerspas. Not lunch.. an actual pass called that. Absolutely no cuisine shops around. Please dear 🛐 tell me why it is called that 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️😅. With the 🌡 rising anyway who has got ⌚ to eat 🤷‍♂️. I pedal like a madman. I have done this pass 🅱️4️⃣. The summit is reached and a sigh of relief is exhaled. Quick 🛑 in at the shop for a coke and the rest of the journey is completed. It is a joe road with a few slight ↗️ and ↘️. Not much to see really. 

Once at the entrance 🚧 you can 👀 why I have returned. Absolute ☮ and serenity. I pay my dues at the reception and set up 🏕🏖. The rest of the day just blends in and I relax to the max. It's a very good 🌚🛌. 

Fetch 👉🏻 🙄