Travelling to Port Elizabeth? Would you like to contact me regarding a hiking or cycling half day tour? I am a qualified and licenced tour guide for the Eastern Cape and would love to show you some of the Port Elizabeth activities.
portelizabethtours
TOUR 'D ADDO
Arranged by the Hardcore T.I.T.S. (time in the saddle) Cycling Group.
Kevin and Cindy Campbell together with so many helpers have put together this amazing "tour".
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| START AT BWB WITH ROB ERMES |
My previous experience in MTB riding has been doing a couple of rides in the PE area. However this year I rode the Herald 30k (which I have done on a number of occasions); Then I entered the Patensie 30k and went out there with Kevin. I am not sure if it was then or at some other occasion that Kevin spoke to me about the Tour; But I signed up with Addo.
I also completed, with much difficulty and from the back, the G2C event. So now I reckon that I am ready for Addo! My training takes the form of a number of Kings Beach to Recife rides of about 20k.
I have my bike serviced at about the same cost as I would have to pay for a new pair of running shoes. But when I next ride I am delighted at how easily the gears change.
Kevin starts a Whats Up group for the tour and now the chirps start. At the end of any day there would have been over 50 messages going back and forth. Kevin sends us instructions of what to pack and what NOT to pack. I find a tog bag and, long before the start, have most of my stuff packed and ready to go. I am sooooo stocked for this event.
The previous Sunday Kevin, Shelby and John fetch me and we drive out to the venue where we will be staying. Kevin shows us the route the cyclists and the back up vehicles will be taking. John and I meet regularly during the week for our morning group runs from Grey. And when he tells me that he is going to be a back up driver I am delighted as we then arrange that he will back me up as a cyclist when I get tired.
Finally the morning arrives; Kevin, Rob and John fetch me at 7.30 and we drive to Bluewaterbay lifesaving club. There is a 5k fun run on the go as well as a mile time trial. I see Graham Channon (Achilles) running to achieve a colours time. Most of the cyclists are on time. Paul arrives a bit late as he had to repair a broken spoke so we set off a bit later than anticipated.
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| PUNCTURES REPAIRED EN ROUTE. KEVIN, PAUL AND GRANT ARE STUCK INTO MICHELLE'S BACK WHEEL. |
As we ride out along the Bluewaterbay pathway there are concrete Bollards which are there to prevent motor vehicles mounting the walkway. Unfortunately someone clips one and has a fall. We cycle along this pathway on the sea side of BWB past the St Georges strand play area and suburb to where the bridge crosses the N2 at Motherwell. Here we cycle alongside the main road as if going to Addo until the rail line where we turn right and cycle next to the rail line all the way to Coega. Accidents and Punctures slow us down a bit. John; Gary; Cindy; Marge and Rozanne wait for us opposite the Ngqura port area and two cyclists have to load up their bikes due to a buckled wheel. They will meet us at Addo later this evening.
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| A GREAT DEAL OF THE CYCLE IS ALONGSIDE THE RAIL LINE |
From there we leave the vehicles with a left turn to the Coega rail station and under the bridge. We keep the rail line to our side for most of the first 30ks. At times we have a wonderful vista of the Sundays river farming area and can see where the river runs to our right. I am coping quite well knowing that I will be seeing John at the Barclay bridge. As we cycle I realise that Lee is holding the tail end up. To the extent that both he and Kevin give me a bit of a boost with a hand on my back on some of the hills. I am not sure how they manage that -- Maintaining their own balance and speed while pushing a slower rider uphill? When we arrive at the point where we have to portage the bikes across the rail line to the Badlands Farm entrance I am surprised as we have only ridden 30km and not the 50 that I was anticipating. We cycle across the bridge and find John and the rest of the back up vehicles waiting for us with some body fuel: bananas, Potatoes, water and juice.
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| THE TRAIN DRIVER BLOWS HIS HOOTER AS HE PASSES US. WE PROBABLY SAW THREE OR FOUR TRAINS ON THE MOVE OVER THE TWO DAYS. |
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| CROSSING THE BARCLAY BRIDGE ON DAY ONE |
I swap with John and he cycles the rest of the way. we cross the rail line with a left turn and cycle to the main Addo road. Turn right on the tar road towards the Addo village where we turn left on a dirt road in the direction of Kirkwood. Continue along this road and cross the river again. Then the cyclists make a circular detour up a hill and back again while Marge and I wait for them to return. From there it is about 3k to the Avoca Resort where we are staying for the night. I am in a bungalow with Rob Ermes, Ian Walland, Paul Redman and Selwyn Gill.
After a wash and a good deal of cycling conversation we make our way down to the Lapa Area where Gary has off loaded some of the huge pile of wood that he brought. The fire is burning and it is a perfect evening.
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| THE LAPA AREA AT AVOCA OVERLOOKS THE SUNDAYS RIVER. |
Kevin starts with a fines meeting. John pours some evil looking stuff that tastes like toothpaste or cough mixture. I think that almost everyone received at least one fine (which consisted of drinking some of this vile stuff). Some poor unfortunates had to down a couple of shots.
Then the braai - ing began. There was enough salad to feed double the number of people and more than sufficient wors, chicken and steaks. Coals were transferred from the main fire to the braais and within a short while people were sitting down to a meal. Everything was delicious.
This evening and during the two days I met so many people. Lesley; Craig and Sharon; Grant and Michelle; Lee; Rob X 2; Joy; Nicky; Max; Oliver; Gareth; Melanie; Pieter X 2; Selwyn; Marge; Ian X 2; Gary; Rozanne; Darren; Steven; Tess; Kim; Kevin X 2; Neil; Michelle; Suzie are just some of the names that I can remember. Throughout the tour people would ask me: "How is it going?" as they realised that I am not a "cyclist".
I am not able to stay up late as my eyes are heavy and my limbs tired. I am in bed one of the first of the group and asleep within minutes. And unfortunately for my bunkmates I am also up first for a wash, coffee and bit of reading.
We slept with our bikes in the hut. So there we were --- Five men, with all the luggage and beverages and five bikes in this small hut. Nobody complained and we coped quite well.
At 8am we met at the main house for a breakfast and then set off on day two at about 9.30. Today's route took us back to the Addo to Kirkwood tar road and then up the hill of yesterday. At the top we continued on and did a circular route which took us back to the Polo Club where the Herald MTB event takes place. We cycled along some really muddy roads where the vehicles had to make a U turn as they would have become stuck in the mud. Back on the tar road and ahead of where I was, a nasty accident took place. Selwyn and David and one other bike collided where the old rail line and the water created a dangerously slippery surface. Selwyn hurt his arm but was determined to continue.
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| PIC TAKEN BY PIETER ON MONDAY OF THE PLACE WHERE SELWYN AND DAVID COLLIDED ON A SLIPPERY ROAD WHERE THE RAIL TRACK CUTS ACROSS. |
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| THE VEHICLES ALMOST GOT STUCK. |
Major disappointment. No back up vehicles at the bridge. So now I was stuck with continuing past my comfort zone. We cycle across the Sundays River again and on to the Badlands farm. Someone discovers that the big gate is not locked so some of us do not have to carry bikes across the rail line.
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| ROZANNE WAS A BACK UP DRIVER FOR THE TWO DAYS. SHE ALSO WAS THE UNOFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER. |
25 WET KAYS DOWN WITH 40 TO GO. I WAS RAGGED NON STOP FOR THE WHITE JACKET WHICH WAS BROWN FROM MUD AT THE BACK. AND FOR THE INEFFECTUAL MUDGUARD THAT I HAVE STUCK ON THE BACK OF MY SEAT.
From here I have to steel myself to continue. I am really fortunate as Lee and Joy stay at the back with me. They are continuous encouragement and support. Kevin comes back and we are a small group who finally catch up to a group ahead of us. Meanwhile some of the stronger riders have gone ahead and continue to BWB. It is not wise to stay stationary in the cold rain.
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| A WET AND MUDDY SLOG BACK HOME |
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| THE FINISH AT BLUEWATERBAY. WET AND COLD. STARTED 9.30 THIS MORNING AND IT IS NOW PAST 3PM. DISTANCE OF 65KM. |
I manage to make church this evening and to not fall asleep at any stage. But do fall asleep the minute I hit the pillow a bit later.
One of the songs at the Sunday evening service reflects how I felt on this tour:
I see Your face in every sunrise
The colours of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful
I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful
I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful
When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful
KEVIN'S REPORT ON FACEBOOK
TOUR UPDATE:
The first T.I.T.S. Tour has come and gone, And what a weekend
DAY 1
Started yesterday morning at 9:45 as we waited for Mr PR to make an entrance due to a broken spoke only found the morning of tour. SO........we start our ride, and in the first 2km, we have 3 crashes in different locations, First one1) Be careful of the Bollards Mel, and WHALLAAH!! 2) 2 females decided get tangled and fall. 3) One lady falls for a gent in front of her. All females... Nope I said nothing
So 5km into ride we have our first puncture, after 6km we have our second puncture, on the same bike.
From then on was some awesome fresh air riding until we came to railway crossing, where the workers enjoyed seeing the riders in tight clothing.
so we stopped at Barkley Bridge where we met the Back up vehicles and had some food for fuel. For another 15km wetravellled until Oliver our Tour guide from Addo chaperoned us thru Add town, taking us on some damp and muddy roads before another lady ripped her tyre, and then asking for a P......uncture kit. From a pretty rough terrain course to the Addo wetlands was breezy until we climbed what looks like the only hill in Addo.
After which we raced downhill to Avoca River Cabins, met by the smiling and friendly staff. The evening fines were pretty hefty and I think fines chairman will be stepping down next tour as chairman due to alcohol abuse. However, the evening flowed with music, laughter and great conversation, and some awesome braaivleis. The braai master definately made sure the wood was adequate to braai on for the next 3 days. A GREAT EVENING had by all.
Day 2
A fantastic breakfast to fuel us for the days ride was well received by all of us riders. What seemed like a light mist in the morning was clearly mistaken by a lot of us. Rain started!!! As we left we climbed that same hill of the previous day, and the moans and groans were more evident due to a late night of fun. Some hitched a ride with a local up the hill saving themselves for the long wet road ahead.
Besides the back up vehicles getting stuck the ride was starting to get a little pacy, until two of our Bushman riders decided to stop and put their face into the tar when they came across 2 tracks.....(Train Tracks). Fortunately there was no major casualties and SG showed much courage getting back on the bike.
The ride was very wet and muddy as the rain came down, but it was fun to ride together with everyone covered in what I hope was mud.
Only one more hic up as another lady broke her derailer, and had to be collected by a back up vehicle.
48 riders in Total, and everyone made it back safe and sound to a very wet Bluewater bay. Thanks to fellow T.I.T.S. members Mr & Mrs Tomo who awaited our arrival with some well deserved and needed coffee.
TOUR was great, and we shall definitely be putting another one together. I hope to see you all there!?!
PS: I will be posting the thank you's to all that contributed to an outstanding weekend in the next couple of days.
Be sure to watch this space for pictures coming soon
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| A WARM FIRE MAKES A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION AREA |
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| BEING PART OF THE GROUP |
"Well done to those on Two Wheels over the weekend Daren: Roughly 140kilometers - 50 Intrepid mountain bike riders taking part in this inaugural tour organised by Kevin Campbell of the Hardcore (pause) Time in the Saddle riding group. A big shout out to everyone involved. Challenging conditions and lots of very muddy bikes and bodies by the time we got back to Bluewater Bay yesterday. But certainly a great sense of accomplishment."
Daren Mann: Well played Neil. What was it 140k's over two days?
Neil: Yes 70 / 70 -- Got the T Shirt -- Check.
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| NEIL BISSIKER WITH PIETER. |
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| READY TO RIDE |
JOHN DOES SOME WEIGHT LIFTING
JOHN -- THAT IS NOT A SHOT -- IT IS WHITE STUFF FOR THE CHAIN.
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| YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN THERE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE WITH SUCH A WONDERFUL GROUP |
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| WHAT A PRIVLEDGE TO BE PART OF THE GROUP RIDE ON THE ADDO TOUR |
