Saturday's Epic Bike Ride

I may or may not have got around to mentioning that I finally got myself a bicycle for my birthday. I have been wanting to for years, but wasn't convinced that I liked cycling enough, or that I could afford it. I used to run with the boys while they cycled and would have to push them along half the time. Well over the past while as they have grown up and since they upgraded to larger bikes I can no longer keep up with them and they don't need pushing any more. also I started riding Quinn's bigger bike a bit and really enjoyed it. So I started browsing the second hand market a bit more actively and right around the time of my birthday a good quality hardly used 2-year-old 24-speed Silverback Reno bike became available for R1800 - including a trip computer, helmet and bottle holder. A damn good deal. So I decided it was time and got it for myself for my birthday. I have been riding it, more and more since and am really having fun on it (until and except when it 'bit me' recently of course! I am still bruised from that!)

Anyway, on Saturday morning I decided I needed some time and head-space to myself as well as a bit of exercise. So after sorting the boys out I got on my bicycle and started riding, and just kept going.

I went from Rondebosch down Prince George's Drive to Muizenberg, then on to Kalk Bay. Then onwards to Fish Hoek, then through to Sun Valley. At that point I was far from home and I decided what the hell, I might as well bite the bullet and go all out. So I tackled Ou Kappse Weg! I have seen people cycling along there often when I have driven that route and always thought 'I could never do that!'. But I DID. On a mountain bike nogal. It was a long slog but actually not as bad, steep or long as I had expected it would be. Especially considerig it was not somethign I had prepared for and didn't even have any supplies with me!

I descended the other side of Ou Kaapse Weg in a hectic head-on gail which stopped me from being able to get much above 45km/h (DAMN I was hoping to get a new top speed - currently it is 63.8km/h). I then went along Spaanschemat River road through Tokai back to Constantia where I pretty much collapsed.  Having had no food and hardly anything to drink either for that entire distance (and only had coffee for breakfast) I was finished at that point! I think that what is referred to as 'bonking'. You just literally run out of energy and feel heavy and like you can;t go on. I had to stop to buy something to eat and drink. After a 10 minute rest where I ate a HUGE apple and energy bar and had a drink, I felt much better again and was able to drag myself back onto the bike. I carried on back to Rondebosch through Wynberg & Kenilworth & Claremont.

In the end I did a whopping 65km!