The Accidental Single Speeder - Race to Cradock Part 3

Even before the race had commenced I hadn't got off to a good start. Arriving in Rhodes I realised I didn't have a pump or a tyre plug kit. Fortunately the race director had his properly equipped bike on hand and was happy to lend me his pump and plug kit. The fact that I didn't have either of these basic items is testament to my typical lack of preparation.

Just as a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step a bike race of 580km begins with a single pedal stroke. With that initial stroke the race was on.

I wasted no time in spinning up the bike. Soon I was at terminal cadence and rolling down the road at 30km/h. Well, maybe 30km/h. I had no way of knowing—my Cateye cycling computer was hanging out with my pump and plug kit at home. Like I said, lack of preparation is my thing. Viewed from behind I must have looked like a circus clown with laughably high cadence. Peter Roux rolled up next to me and said something along the lines of me having to pedal like crazy for a modest return of speed. The pair of us - Peter tapping out an easy rhythm and me spinning clown like - reached the first climb and got stuck in.

The lowest sustainable speed on the bike was around 12 km/h. Below that I'd be walking at 5 km/h. By comparison, you can ride a geared bike at 5 km/h. The speed differential between 12 km/h and 5 km/h is massive. That being the case I stood and kept the bike moving forward as long as I could. At some point the burn in my legs became unbearable and I was forced to walk. The "gears" on a single speed are Sit, Stand, Walk. The moment you transition from sit to stand there's typically no going back. You ride it out as long as you can and then it's time to walk. I walked sections and was surprised that I had managed to get to the top of the climb ahead of the rest.

Passing the Bokspruit turnoff I had a moment of doubt. Did Chris (Race Director) tell us to take this alternate route in race briefing last night of did I dream it? While I was 100% certain we'd been told to come this way to avoid the flood water pouring over the low level bridge that crossed the Bokspruit river I couldn't help looking back to make sure Peter was coming the same way. Once over the top I was overhauled quickly by Peter and I watched him, not without a measure of envy, glide effortlessly over the occasional rough patches and flow around the corners at speed and disappear from sight.

Once across the steel bridges that span the Bell and Kwaai rivers at Moshesh's Ford we turned south toward Elliot. For the next 30 km the road would rise and fall gently before spiking up toward the Bottelnek turnoff. Peter and I rode together with me attacking the climbs before walking the steep bits. This method got me slightly ahead of Peter at the start of the climbs and he would then reel me in with us topping out at the same time.

Grinding my way up the Bottlenek pass I was able to get to Chesneywold ahead of Peter. A plate of jungle oats and a cup of tea and I was out the door just a few seconds behind Peter who chose to skip Chesneywold. We rode together to Kapokkraal.

Portaging is the one time when the playing field is level. In fact, it may well be advantage single speed as the bike is lighter and easier to carry. Peter paused near the Kapokkraal farmhouse while I got on with the portage over the saddle and down to the jeep track near the abandoned and ruined Spitzkop farmhouse. Once on the track I made my way to the first support station of Slaapkrans. I had made good progress arriving there slightly under an hour slower than my previous time.

It was time to top up with water and food as the next section was tough and would be tackled in the heat of the day. If I made good progress it was going to take me 3.5 hours to scale the two mountains that lay between me and the Bonthoek farmhouse a mere 22 km away.