Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Nice report Geoff. Sorry to hear about Johann and Magda selling Eendekuil. Julie and I had seen the place advertised when they bought it, and had spent some time thinking about getting involved ourselves. Anyway, for those that don't know, when you ride into Kapteinskloof towards Banhoek, the enormous mountain and sheer cliff on the left is our farm. When we are established there, you will be able to pop in on top of the mountain for a drink - the road from Aurora is 15km of mountain dirt. From Banhoek you would turn left around the mountain, hit the Aurora/Redelinghuys road and turn left again, then turn left up the mountain road at the 'Sun Mountain' and 'Mountain Mist' signs. Website Administrator [http://honeybadger.net Honey Badger IT Services]

Geoff, thanks for a great ride! Just the right skills level to keep us awake and interested, but not terrified; beautiful scenery; nice distance.

My first ride with the club - thanks to Geoff it was great in all respects. Hopefully for me the first of many more rides with the club. I enjoyed the scenery - at least what I noticed. Next time and with better skills levels I will observe more - so the ride served exactly its intention: to get riders like me the next step up the ladder. I could handle the "intermediate" challenges even though I am more of a "beginner" (this was only my second group ride after riding part way on last weekend's ride Donford Stellenbosch Spirit of Adventure to Arniston - the off road section). I did not have a problem with the overall speed on this ride - liked it, no concern that we were going too fast. The quick tips on sand riding at the river crossing was extremely valuable: if the front wheel starts to "wikkel" get on the throttle. This worked - but only as far as catching up with some of the more "experienced/intermediate" riders facing their own sand demons. Then slowing down in an attempt to let the gap grow again - whilst trying to go fast enough so as not to get another "wikkel" in the front! Next time I will leave an even larger gap... That is the reason I fell over on the Donford ride - was going too slowly, not a large enough gap, therefore not enough momentum to get through the obstacle. Fortunately in that case I was so slow going up a slippery gravel/small rocks hill that it was literally a case of just falling over when I came to a standstill after losing grip and slilding into the washaway on the one side. So there was my big "Aha!" moment from this ride - steep up the learning curve. Over the total distance of the ride the sand bit was expected and it was a fraction of the day. There were many other facets, like the passes, long sweeps, short corners, rolling hills and more. I also enjoyed the company and had a good discussion over lunch on what to expect at Country Trax Introduction to Off Road Riding on 7 Nov at Nelson's Creek. Can't wait for that because there is still a lot to learn for a "beginner" level rider like me. But the most important is riding the skills - bum in seat time to ride by the seat of the pants? Another bonus is that now at least I also have forum picture to put next to my name. I will upload the picture taken at the river (waiting for the "lost & found" just before the sand) - ok if you insist another picture - one of my first BMW Adventure - ok, I admit its my first big bike... Before the weekend I joked with a friend that we were going to have a typical "biker rally type get togehter" perhaps with a wet T-shirt competition thrown in. Little did I realise then that the only wet T-shirt was going to be mine after the sand challenge - and it was not just the sweating from a warm day... I was really knackered Sunday evening - the wind at the end of the ride and going home towards Cape Town also took its toll - but I ws totally buzzed. When's the next ride?

Waiting for the Lost & Found: At the river before the sandy bit

My first BMW bike: On its (her?) first club ride

Here are some more advanced tips for your sand riding: # You cannot just keep on that throttle indefinately - eventually you are going too fast and a fall at high speed can hurt... # To slow down or stop in sand, '''just pull in the clutch and coast to a halt'''. The skill is to accelerate through tricky bits, then settle back down to a sensible speed, and keep your speed sensible. # The slow riding and cones that you will learn at [http://www.countrytrax.co.za/ CountryTrax] are '''essential sand-riding skills''' - it is all about balance and throttle control. # When falling in sand, or turning (which is essentially a failed fall), just look up, lean on the outside peg, and blip the throttle. HTH Website Administrator [http://honeybadger.net Honey Badger IT Services]

Geoff thanks for the intremediate ride on Sunday, it really was the right mix of sand, scenery, and friendly riders. I benefited from the prep talk before the sandy section. More tips on the sand and technical riding PLEASE on the next trip. Thanks again for a great day

And to add to Charle's excellent advice. Always make sure you're not travelling too close to the person in front of you.

What a fun day, and thanx to all who made it possible. This was my second stint on gravel, the first being the beginners ride, and it turned out to be the perfect follow up. The sand part was a bit worrying beforehand, but after the brief and tips from Geoff, the nerves were calmed a bit. The 1,5km sand piece turned into 7,5km and i had some moments along the way, but all in all in was'nt too bad. The start more Waiting Beautiful !!!! Geoff litterally biting his tong. (because of the lost sheep): And probably trying not to use those "long" four letter words Noelene has spoken about. After this there was no time to take more pics, but i still remember a couple of breathtaking mental shots. "One cannot cross a chasm in two small leaps."

Eendekuil Hotel weekend - 7/11/2009. After our visit with Geoff on 25/10/2009 I have decided to attend the dance that was advertised on 7/11/2009. Because of the bad weather myself, Auntie Pops and two of our biker friends (Klankie and Ethol Venter) left Parow with Hop Johanna (2.4 diesel Venture) on our way to Eendekuil. The north westerly wind was pounding and our passengers were asked to shift from one side to the other side of the vehicle as we took corners to keep the bus on the road. As we arrived the friendly new owners, Barry and Francesca Venter welcomed us and showed us to our rooms. To our amazement the rooms were 5 star with state of the art bathrooms. Brand new bedding, towels and mattresses. Each of us had a light meal and then the big "kuier" started in the tranquility of the outside bar area which was by the way protected against the pounding wind. With our superior pool skills it took us an hour to clean the table, and after a few games it was time for supper. "Lekker Boerekos" - it was divine! Thereafter the dance started with lucky draw prizes. Music varied from "sakkie sakkie" to "leeuloop". After a great night's rest, breakfast was served in the morning tranquility of the "Platteland". We left at 10h00 to Bo-Piketberg through the Versfeld Pass with spectacular views and scenery. We arrived home at 14h00 with recharged batteries. So, club members, if you want to take a weekend break, Eendekuil Hotel is the place to be. 5-Star accommodation and service at 1-star prices. Also recommended by "Klankie and Ethol Venter". Greetings "cokemarais".