Taking on the Freedom Challenge

So you thought the Cape Epic was some achievement......wait until you try the ‘Freedom Challenge’! A few weeks ago Pierre le Roux and Louis Wessels took on the formidable Freedom Challenge that starts in Pietermaritzburg and ends off in Wellington. You have 26 days to complete the ride and our intrepid cyclists finished in a very respectable 23 days. You are provided with a map, notes and no GPS allowed. You then face whatever the route and weather throws at you, remembering that you are not allowed to be seconded. So you have to carry all the basics with you - you only get a shower, bed, food and some replenishment supplies at the designated overnight accommodation.

Well, on all accounts the route is majestic and you cycle (or in some cases carry your bike) some of the most incredible single track, farm roads and mountain passes that South Africa has to offer. Throw in a little snow, sleet, rain, hail and lots of wind and you can see why this must be one of the toughest rides in the world. It is a solo event but of course you can hook up with a partner and ride together. By the way the winner completed the ride this year in 13 days! Scary.

Any takers for 2010?

Road Kill

One minute I was slowly grinding my way up the hill near State House on Robert Mugabe after a training ride and WHAM I find myself in the middle of the road lying on my side with a piercing pain shooting up my right elbow! The realisation that I have been hit by a car sinks in - and even more urgent is the need to get out of the road before I get hit again by the oncoming early morning traffic. Fortunately the driver stops and assists me, full of apologies having not seen me and offering to take me to the hospital. I have a passing thought of going home, but luckily the driver dissuades me and we end up at the hospital where it is confirmed I have broken an elbow, as well as my right hip. Into surgery and the old elbow is pinned and wired, and the hip receives 3 screws. Luckily I do not need a hip replacement!

So now it is the long and patient road to recovery. 6 - 8 weeks of no weight on the hip, and then rehab to strengthen the leg and elbow. All things going fine I might be back on my bike by the end of the year. What a bummer!

Probably one consolation is that I am still alive. The words: 'it could have been worse!' have been quoted a lot. I have always been careful when cycling on the roads of Windhoek, and yet this has happened to me. We just have to remain ever vigilant and ride under the assumption that every motorist out there has little regard for us cyclists.

The next few months my blog is going to have to tell other folks' stories.

Remember: be careful!

Reflections on MTBiking in Windhoek

Yesterday, while spinning along a flat piece I had a moment to reflect on the past 22 years, and what it has meant to me with regard to MTBiking here in Windhoek. Crazy thought! No suspension, side-pull brakes, 18 gears, flat pedals, no slime or tubeless tyres, first generation helmets, long pumps BUT here comes the best - freedom to cycle anywhere around the city without any fear of being 'bike-jacked' at all! In fact the best area was the north-western side of the city where the many walking paths made by the residents of Katutura was the best single-track you could imagine. Most of our riding took place on the western side of the by-pass, and apart from the notorious 'Beast' there was very little riding on the eastern commonage.

How things have changed. The western side of the city has almost become a no-go zone unless cycling in a bigger group and the eastern areas have revealed some wonderful tracks. Not entirely safe as in the past, but at least more manageable. And how the equipment has changed. Full adjustable suspension, disc brakes, clip-in pedals, aerodynamic helmets, tubeless tyres (that cost double my first car in 1972), gas cannisters, camel-baks, and all kinds of gadgets to go with the clothing! Unreal.

But, at the end of the day one thing remains the same - it still takes the legs and enthusiasm to get out there and enjoy nature on a bike, free from all the hassles around you, in heat or freezing cold.

Some things don't change. Thank goodness.

Lifestyling on a MTBike

Common understanding has it that innovations are developed by some geek in a garage or a highly funded R&D team from a big corporate that has an understanding of what the consumer wants. Not so in the case of mountain biking! The mountain bike (MTB) as we know it today is an innovation that derived from the user or consumer. In the 1980’s a small group of cyclists in northern California wanted to take their bikes off-road. The traditional drop-handlebar road bike was not suitable, nor was ‘Dad’s’ bike with its raised bars. So these cyclists decided to put together the lighter frame of a road bike and its gearing system with the more upright position of raised bars and the brake system of a motorbike to form what was known for years as a ‘klunker’. This innovation was ignored by the traditional bike manufacturers for many years, and it was only about five years later that they took up this innovation in what now represents about 65-70% of the bike market in America!

Similarly, it took teenagers to discover the real value of text messaging and social networking to explode the mobile telephone technology, and Wikipedia to reveal the potential of collaboration on the internet.

MTBiking has a history deeply embedded in both collaboration and innovation that is driven by the user. Yes there has been an impact by commercialization and the formal acceptance of MTBiking as a recognized international sport form, but its true strength lies in those cyclists that love the lifestyle that it embraces. Thousands of kilometers of track have been opened worldwide by MTBiking enthusiasts for common usage and enjoyment. We here in Namibia are no different, and it is the work of a small group of cyclists that have opened trails in Windhoek, Swakopmund. Omaruru and elsewhere that allow off-road enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy MTBiking to its fullest extent.

As we enjoy our outdoor interests let us not forget those people, and give them our full support and cooperation in securing access for our mutual benefit.