FOMO: the fear of missing out.
With a previous date being postponed due to bad weather and the weather forecast not playing in our favour, I checked YR more than Eskom’s app last week. Between loadshedding and very in-accurate weather forecast these days, it feels like soon we will be running around in our swim shorts at 10 degrees making soup on a gas stove. Who can keep up with the changes, one thing that doesn’t change however is the feeling of helmet time, and a bit of dirt road. Probably the only time we get to where stress leaves you for a moment and you get to hear your breathing slow down a little bit.
With a slight drizzle we decided that we would go ahead with the day’s event. We pitched up at the garage, and one by one the machines rolled in. With an awesome bunch of people we headed out for what would be another amazing day on the bike.
Coming over Sir Lowry’s Pass, our first stop was Elgin Railway Market for a nice warm cup of coffee. I have become quite fond of this coffee stop. The coffee is warm, and the ambience is cozy on a cold morning. The structural design of this old spot is beautiful, and the hustle of the little stores get the vibe going early on a Saturday morning.
After we all downed our warm drinks, we headed out together onto the Highlands gravel road from Grabouw to just outside of Kleinmond. This time of year, the leaves are changing color and what was a dry orchard or just a field is now a painted canvas of all different shades of orange, green and brown. Beautifully colored landscapes we snaked through it all stopping to take in the beauty at the viewpoint on Highlands.
Sometimes we take it for granted that not all of us are used to gravel or dirt riding, and then people like Daleen remind us of what it feels like to do the GS dance for the first time. What excitement it is when you see the joy on someone’s face when they have survived their first dirt experience and that on a day after the earth had been well watered. The helmet comes off and it is just ear to ear smiling happening there with a slight shake happening in the gloves. So worth it, indeed it is!
We missioned on and twisted and turned through the Karwyderskraal road, entering Botrivier on tar.
We had a very good time at Shuntin’ Shed, their food is great… if you are hungry then they will sort you out. Shuntin’ Shed is a small restaurant that has been built on the station platform in Botrivier. The restaurant décor is very interesting and makes for a homey experience.
If you were planning to just do a hard ride for the day, then I am not sure that you joined the right party on this day. It was definitely a friend’s day out as the chats and laughs were maybe a little bit more than the km’s. In my mind the best of both worlds.
After paying the bill we headed out towards Van der Stels Pass. They are doing some work on the road, so a few surprises here and there, but always a nice scenic road to ride if you want to get your tyres a bit dirty.
We quickly headed out after that over Franschhoek pass and said our goodbyes at the lookout point. Some of us made our last stop for a ‘cup of tea’ at Francshoek Station Pub. So maybe we got stuck here again, just maybe a little. But we ticked off our last station for the day.
Sometimes you don’t need to go away for a weekend to feel rested, you just need a day out with some friends, on bikes, in nature to feel refreshed again.
One thing is for sure, doesn’t matter how old you are, what you do for a living, when we put our helmets on, we all become like kids on the playground again!
Alphabet run 