THANK YOU

Our annual awards evening, which was a "Hat" theme, was held at Black Angus on Saturday, 6 December.  The following awards were presented:

Most Improved Male Cyclist - Marcello Agliotti

Most Improved Female Cylist - Fran Dicks

Mega Mileage - The Dicks Family, for their Namibia trip

Achiever of the Year - Theuns van der Bank

(No photo available)
Female Cyclist of the Year - Liesbet Kristafor

Male Cyclist of the Year - Gerard Genis

Broken Chain Award - Jill Dodgen

Chairman's Award - Paul North

Thank you to all our members for making our club the success it is!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
A huge Thank You to all those that assisted and / or cycled on the day.  It's official, we had 1 585 cyclists, making the Tiletoria West Coast Express the largest funride on the Spring Season calendar, and in fact, out strips most summer fun rides as well.  Well done to all.  We look forward to handing over the proceeds to our beneficiaries, and will keep you updated on this.

The Mother's & Others group meet every Tuesday and Thursday on the Bloubergstrand beachfront, at the white wall.

Distances and routes vary, but there is always time for a cup of coffee afterwards.

Carolyn, Fran and Glyn

Enjoying a well-deserved cup of coffee

Outriders Mother's and Others

Mountain bike tour of Southern Namibia

Fran, James and I did a two week  tour of southern Namibia in July to try and escape the Cape winter.  We piled the two mountain bikes on the roof of the car, the tent and camping goodies in the trailer and headed off to try and see Namibia from a different perspective.  We kept all the cycling gear in the nose cone so that it was very easily accessible (and to isolate the smell of some cycling gear which got pretty high after two weeks!!) so that we could start and stop riding as we felt like riding.  Generally Fran or I rode  backup whilst the other two rode.  We had some fantastic days of riding (mainly on the secondary gravel roads) where we confirmed and dispelled the following facts about Namibian roads. The challenge is to decide which is myth and which is fact.

• at the top of a hill there is not a downhill... just another 20km to the top of the next hill... where there is another hill ....
• roads that look flat are not... they go uphill
• ALL roads in Namibia go uphill...without going downhill
• you get very excited to see a "bend ahead sign " on the road.
• the Namib desert is made of sand... very soft energy draining sand
• the fact that there is a road does not mean that vehicles drive on it... some days we only saw one vehicle in five hours of riding.
• most people who pass you in their well kitted out 4x4's look at you kind of skeef... like what the hell are doing on a bicycle in this wilderness and without a GPS and a fridge filled with beer.
• it does rain in Namibia in winter
• the keep left signs on blind rises are there for a reason
• the scenery and riding is fantastic
• there are still people that do not know that man has invented the wheel and walk down the Fish River Canyon
• you can mountain bike down off the edge of the Fish River Canyon
• the coffee shop at Diaz Point in Luderitz gives you free coffee if you arrive on a bicycle
• there is more road kill than cars on the secondary roads
• if you have a flat on the bike it becomes a reason for every passing car to stop and offer help ( the real reason I think was to see what crazy fools look like)
• hard tails are very suitable for the highly corrugated roads

Apart from the last point they are all true.  It was a great two weeks and the best thing of all was that the bikes do not even get dirty as the roads are dry and the dust very fine.

Leaving the farm Gunsbewys in the Tiras Mountain Conservacy

A 95km leg to Aus, with a cool beer and lunch waiting

The last 20km slog into Aus...a never ending hill that was ridden in Granny Gear!!

Looking for the "Bend" in the road

Cycling out of the Orange River Valley

North of the Orange, on the Rosh Pinnah Road

Hitting the road, again

The road to the Fish River Canyon

Descending into the Gifberg

Fish River Canyon

Mission Accomplished!

Swopped the bicycles for hiking boots

Our Delicious Celebratory Cake

Jenny and Chris, tucking into the spread

Jana , Jimmy, John, Gary and Gary enjoying the coffee

Deloris and John deciding what to have for breakfast, while the Outriders take over the venue

Arthur, Clive and Pieter munching away

Derek, Sally (the clever one who didn't ride in the rain) and Jana

BullDog Gary, Gary Kunehardt and John

7 Birthday Candles

John, Colin and Denise sharing a funny

On Wednesday, 22 March 2009, the club got together for a ride out to Philadelphia from Table View.  The route took us over Tikkiedraai, onto Adderley Road and left to Philadelphia where we stopped at the Pepper Tree for some tasty scones and coffee.   Pepper Tree will never be the same again.

Pieter, Grant, Richard, Quinton, Mike (on the left side of the table), Gary with his back to us on the right of the table.

Rodney, Mark S, Jenny, Other Mark, Deloris and Chris

John, Steve, Mervyn, Hazel, Wally (chopped off in the orange) and Kobus with his back to us

The Bicycling Ladies - Amy and Kirstin fuelling up

We are really fortunate to live in the Cape.  Where else do you find beautiful roads like this to cycle on?

The bunch heading out

Amy, Pieter and Gert

Jimmy hanging onto the car

Gary, Deloris and Chris at Skilpadvlei

The bunch - all smiles

HELD ON Sunday 8 February 2009

Ex Chairpersons Mike De Kock and Gaby Agliotti with current Chairman Rodney Beck enjoying the post ride marquee

This must be the reason that some people have mirrors on their handlebars.  Peter Bowden after the ride

Gary Amory and Paul North enjoying the post ride drinks

The Outriders went on a training ride up Ou Kaapse Weg in preparation for the Argus Cycle Tour 2009

OUTRIDERS MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP