Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography
Toekomst to Bucklands is a dozen pedal strokes shy of 100 kilometres. The intermediate target was Kleinpoort 30 kilometres short of Bucklands.
Kleinpoort is a settlement that exists for no obvious reason. It's most prominent feature is the Kleinpoort Padstal that serves as a halfway stop for travellers driving the R75 between Uitenhage and Jansenville. Arrive during the day and you can get something to eat and drink. If a good fry up is your thing the Kleinpoort Special breakfast will tick that box. For later in the day the menu offers an array of toasted sandwiches and burgers including the Blondie Burger. Weird but memorable name.
Last year I arrived there mid afternoon during a heatwave. The owner is used to exhausted riders staggering through his door. I plonked down in the cool interior and ordered the usual fare - toasted sandwich, coffee and tea. Then I looked in the fridge and saw they had Wafer Wizz ice cream—a small block of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between 2 biscuit wafers. It was the perfect solution to cool down. I asked the owner If I could grab a handful and then tally up the wrappers once I'd had enough to satisfy my need. He was amicable to that idea. The same arrangement was made for Coke as Bruce had arrived and between us we were getting through a good number of those as well. I think 5 or maybe 6 Wafer Wizz wrappers was the final tally... for me.
We left Toekomst with 45 minutes of daylight left. By the time we got to Kleinpoort Padstal it would be closed. There would be no Wafer Wizz binging this time.
The route is flatish for the first 30km which sounds fine except that flat terrain in that part of the world is generally paired with wind. That's great if it's a tailwind but is it ever? It wasn't. The wind that had started earlier had intensified. We had a cross wind for the first stretch so it didn't impede our progress. The moment we turned the fun drained out. This race was a numbers game, distance and time were paramount. The numbers looked bleak. 48km to Kleinpoort at 15km/h. It was 6:25pm. ETA Kleinpoort 9:45pm. But we were still on the flat bit. There was considerable climbing to be done to get to Koffielaagte and then a long climb before dropping through the poort after which it was a climb all the way to Kleinpoort. I consulted my till slip timetable. 9:10pm. That wasn't going to happen. We'd be lucky to get there before 10pm. Bucklands by midnight didn't look promising.
It was dark by the time we started the slog up toward Koffielaagte. The wind, a faceless foe, hammered away one slow kilometre after slow kilometre. At one point I stopped, ostensibly to lube my butt and chain but it was actually just to have a few moments respite from the wind and the ache in my legs. I watched Rogers winking tail light climb up the mountain until it was out of sight before I got back on the bike.
The house at Koffielaagte loomed. I knew there was a good climb ahead followed by a lengthy descent. I caught up to Roger and passed him on the climb. Once over the the top the wind abated. The bike rolled effortlessly down the mountain. With the headwind gone the only sound was the pop of rubber tyres over gravel.
We regrouped at a gate and continued on toward Kleinpoort without a headwind. Roger needed to replenish his water bottles. He said he would see if he could get water at the house that operates as an interim overnight stop. I told him there is normally water at the Padstal in the Jojo water tank on the side of the building. He would try the house and I'd check the Padstal and we'd let each other know which one had water. With that he rode off ahead.
As I entered the settlement there was a huge Jojo tank right next to the road. I tried the tap and there was water. Had Roger ridden past this without noticing? I went to the Padstal and as expected there was water available. Roger had messaged me to say he'd found a tap at the house so I crossed the tar road and headed off toward Bucklands another 30km ahead. It was 09:50pm. Maybe we could get there on time.
There wasn't a breath of wind and the road surface was good. We were making good time. I checked my watch. No only was midnight doable, it seemed that we'd be there before my till slip prediction of 11:38pm. Mood buoyed I pressed harder on the pedals.
It was 11:10pm when we pulled up at the cottage in Bucklands. I hoped Pieter and especially Henry where still up and dot-watching.
No comments:
Post a Comment