Getting to the Moo mall on another beautiful evening, I found six riders, no regulars and a few newbies waiting. After the normal pep talk we set off into the gathering dusk. Still feeling a strange aversion to Cruiser, I opted for Dirt Rider’s climb instead. Even though it was the easy one of the two, no one managed it; it is quite rocky and gnarly nowadays.

Going down Mieliemuur, the first flat had to be taken care of while one of the newbies remarked that the ride was a liberating experience; he felt like a kid again. Two speed zones followed before getting stuck in the overgrowth in Blairwitch Forest. Going up to the Rietvlei sub-station got the heart rate going and going down a rut got the better of me…

Nicely proceeding Southwards, some comments about not expecting to go to the airport during the ride prompted me to take the shorter loop and turn back. Bat tunnel ended in some suspect mud; hope not too many had to put a foot down. Approaching Roeter’s Route, Heidi, one of our newbies, had an encounter with some razor wire drawing some human Stans. She said that it was not too serious; hope she heals quickly.

At the bottom of Roeter’s we once more got stuck in the overgrown track. The second flat of the night happened as we went underneath the bridge over Sesmyl spruit. And the third getting stuck as we took the easy loop to Mieliemuur. We arrived back at the Moo mall on the strike of ten, having done some thirty-three kilometers of smileage.

Oupa Gert.