Route 42

 

So my WBB says that there’s this race coming up – Route 42, that’s a really nice one and that it’s Lisa Friendly. Only thing is .. it’s 35km.  What?  I’ve only done 23km at Northerns and now you want me to ride 35km. Hmm.  Well because my brother says I can do it I decide to enter. And even my roadie sister decides to give it a go.  It’s out on the East Rand and that’s pretty flat, so may be he’s right. 

We leave early early with passports and re-entry visas secured, plus padkos – it’s a long long way – it’s somewhere near Nigel and I don’t usually venture much out of my 5km radius.

We find Grems and Clinton at Registration and have a quick chat and a pre-ride bike inspection. We’ve even managed to convince Francis – a confirmed roadie to do this one with us as well.  So while Clinton is pomping out tyres (again) we push Gerhard to get to the front as he’s racing, while we’re just riding. Clinton’s decided not to race, just to be our responsible adult.

In the start pens we find Mark and Heather and we chat a bit. Heather decides she’s going to ride with us.  3 … 2 … 1 … and we’re off.  Not even 100m my chain comes off. Thank goodness for Clinton. He stops to help me and gets me going again. 

Somewhere, somehow I lost my lil sister, Heather and Clinton but for most of the ride I can see Francis just ahead of me.  The route is actually really nice and I had a good time.  It was fast and flat. There was one steepish downhill that was quite rocky (and had huge blocks of concrete) that I walked down. This was naturally followed by an equally steep and rocky uphill and I walked it too.

One thing I was really chuffed with was that I rode through the muddy patch – I didn’t have to stop and um or ah about it. I just rode through it. Impressed? Fortunately for me there was someone just a bit in front and I could follow their line. Another lesson learned and applied. I’m on my way to becoming a Mountainbike Diva.

About 2km from the end there was a water table which I was sooo grateful for .. they were handing out marshmallow easter eggs. Oh boy. Did I need that chocolate boost.  Never mind about the water – just give me chocolate.

Eventually I crossed the finish line and I was pretty happy.  I got to meet LeeAnn and Neil Cantrell – nice peeps.  Still no sign of my sister though.  Eventually three Cows come home – and they’re filthy. They’re now named Muddy (Heather) cos of her fall in the mud and Granny (Delene) cos she was so slow.  But all’s well because Clinton was there looking after them, chirping and chatting away.  Francis has been renamed to Teflon Cow as somehow he rode through all the muddy sections and didn’t get a splat on him. 

And so ends another fabulous day out in the mud.