Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist

A journal of my Freedom Challenge mountain bike adventures, 2007, 2009(tandem)2011, 2012(solo) and 2014. Race to Rhodes and the 2300km Race Across South Africa. The race starts in Pietermaritzburg and ends in Wellington close to Cape Town, with a 26 day cut-off. The Ride to Rhodes(2008-unblogged and 2010) is a shortened version that starts in Pietermaritzburg and ends 6 days later in Rhodes.

Monday, 4 December 2023

My Bike - A strand of spider silk, once taut, now rises and falls with each breath the room takes. Tethered to my bike's shifter, it beckons

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A strand of spider silk, once taut, now rises and falls with each breath the room takes Tethered to my bike's shifter, it beckons I...

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Friday, 31 March 2023

Return to Vero’s

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Over the last 16 years I have ridden over thirty thousand kilometres down the Freedom Trail. In that time each section has had a chance to d...

Saturday, 17 December 2022

Survival Mode

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Above, the overarching cloudless canopy of blue was partly obscured by the foliage of the syringa tree that grew next to where I lay. The le...

Sunday, 24 April 2022

Is it about the bike?

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Yesterday I saw an article in VeloNews about how Lael Wilcox had set a new Fastest Known Time for the Arizona Trail. A record that is now mi...

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Sunday, 17 April 2022

The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 8

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Schurfteberg It's amazing what a good nights rest can do for one's outlook. After the unscheduled but sorely needed sleep in Hofme...

Tuesday, 12 April 2022

The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 7

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The conversation between myself and Chris the race director went back and forth a few times. I insisted that I was done with the race and wa...

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Sunday, 10 April 2022

The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 6

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Photo: Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography The weather was cool and the skies overcast. Perfect riding weather. Arriving at Romansfontein ...

Friday, 8 April 2022

The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 5

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Leaving the comfort of a support station at 23h30 isn't everyone's idea of fun. The sensible thing would have been to have a shower ...

Wednesday, 6 April 2022

The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 4

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Holspruit river crossing by day Stepping out of the kitchen I bumped into Ingrid who had just arrived. A few minutes later we were joined by...

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About Me

Mike: Johannesburg, South Africa; Just an ordinary guy who started riding in 2005 at the age of 45. I started with the ambition of completing the local 94.7 Cycle Challenge (94.7km). This is an annual road cycle race in and around Johanesburg. Some where along the way it become a race and not merely a completion excercise. I clocked a 2h54 in my first attempt only 6 months from my first trundle down the road and back. I was hooked and then discovered the magic of MTB. While my efforts on the road were credible, MTBing humbled me. Having said that, over the last 24 months I have competed in 9 multi-day events. I'm a very middle of the field rider, but I enjoy every minute of it.

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