Jonkershoek Mud soldiers

Sunday morning we felt a bit bleak as the rain did not blow over during the night.  We had to once again brave the cold and wet weather to get our legs spinning.  We decided to ride in from town and then do a few single tracks in Jonkershoek.  After kitting up and getting Strava running we hit the road.

The pedal to Jonkershoek was cold but not much rain.  Once we got to the gate it started bucketing down.  I could see the cold was getting the better of Arné but she just showed how tough she can be and pushed on to the top.  Once there we took a break and took some photos of the epic clouds rolling over the mountains and small waterfalls running down the side of it.

We then moved on to "Never ending story" and I decided to ride behind Arné.  I was so impressed to see how well she rides in such muddy and slippery conditions making light work of the tight switchbacks and flowing the bike over the roots and rocks with ease.  I was so happy to see her having so much fun and really mastering her hardtail.

 As we got to the bottom we moved onto the new "old" bottom section of  "Never ending story".  Not like I remembered it but it was ok.  Not my style of single track but it is good to have more single track.  Then we continued into an old river trail....worst mistake of the day.  It was a river!

Getting out on the other side with a frown and a mouth full of dirt we had one more little climb to get the the lower Firehut trail.  As we got to the top the excitement of hitting a nice loamy trail got to me.  It was muddy and slippery and loose and my 2.1" Maxxis Crossmark made it more fun than what I could imagine.  Going through corners letting the back end hang out and hitting roots making the bike slip all over the track.  This run was slow, but damn wild! Had so much fun, my heart rate went through the roof!  Arné also looks like she had a fun run down, I could see that since she had a smile...with mud on her teeth.

With one long sprint back home we started turning those cranks.  Thinking of a hot shower and the Andorra World Cup race waiting for us there.

Thank you Arné for braving the weather with me and pinning it like a true champ! <3

Muddy friends on bikes

Checking the weather prediction on a Friday only to find that it will be raining for almost every hour of the weekend feels a bit like a killjoy.  Having to choose between sitting indoors all weekend or HTFU was not very hard.  We chose the latter.

On Saturday at about noon we met up with our good friends Reto and Madeleine for a ride at Meerendal in the Durbanville hills area.  Upon arrival the weather looked okay and we kitted up.  Just as we were ready to ride it started raining.

From the word go the trails were muddy, and as we continued up the hill it did not get any better.  We got to "Stairway to heaven", a smoothly paved "single track" with some tight switchbacks that was pretty easy to conquer.  After that a bit of a climb they call "Thirsty mountain climb", which our little hardtails somewhat enjoyed.

Once at the top we were met with some seriously strong winds. Reto and Madeleine decided to descend first as they were on the suspension bikes and would for most practical purposes be faster than us on the hardtails.  Reto had a bit of an off as one berm just gave way and he ended up bending his deraileur hanger and also damaging his deraileur.  Arné and Madeleine had a smooth run down and on my run I really struggled to go fast, a combination of horrid weather, some seriously sketchy building technique and frozen up fingers does not help you when trying to go fast.

We kept pushing on to do the last bit of single track down and as we got back to the Bistro it started bucketing down.  The girls ran inside and left me spraying down the bikes to get most of the mud off.  Within a few minutes I was completely soaked!  We then had a cup of hot chocolate and chatted about our experience.

Thanks Reto and Madeleine for the fun ride!

Race report: SA Champs at Hayterdale, Port Elizabeth

On our way there we passed a small town called Hankey, I think I should go retire there.

The last weekend of my almost eight week long holiday saw us heading to Port Elizabeth for the South African Downhill Champs. We weren't planning on attending this event, but Hanco's arm got twisted when one of our young rider's dad invited us to accompany them. We were soon looking forward to the weekend: a scenic road trip, a few days away and some awesome mountain biking.

Sunrise in Plett

The roadtrip to PE was extremely long but the scenic views made up for it. Driving through Knysna and Plett with the forests  beside the road put us in the mood for trail riding and we are planning another roadtrip in that direction with that aim soon.

The Game fence jump.

I was unsure of the nature of the Hayterdale DH track and decided to leave my Nukeproof at home  and rather take my hardtail to enjoy the rest of the famous Hayterdale trails instead. I also entered a small 26km race that was being held on the Sunday morning before the DH race where I placed first for the ladies.We are spoilt with Jonkershoek as our backyard and Hayterdale just cannot compare. It was awesome to experience new trails, but I was longing for the fast flowing descends we have so much of in Jonkers. After a few kilometres, I got used to the terrain and started enjoying the trails more. I would not call them beginner friendly as some of them seem to have not seen maintenance in a while, but they are definitely challenging and enjoyable. It was a nice break from the perfectly manicured trails that is very common in the Cape (read Northern Suburbs).  It is also an amazing experience to see wildlife almost right next to you while riding!

This little guy was enjoying the grass more then the Downhill action.

Arné at the start of the Little Zuurberg trek.

And off she goes.

While I spent the weekend riding trails and snapping pics of the downhill riders, Hanco and Jason were shredding the downhill track. Both boys really enjoyed the track and felt that it suited them quite well. The only complaint was due to the insane amount of thorns everywhere!

Jason pinning the Canyon gap, me having a bite after my crash there.

Game fence jump into step down! This track is so fun!

The XCO champs was held at the same venue on the Saturday and I took time out to watch the race a bit and to support some of our WP riders like Chris and Gina Nixon. I gained new respect for them after seeing the XC course and the obstacles they had to maneuver on their hardtails. After riding a section of the same course on the Sunday, I experienced why this course is seen as one of the best in South Africa. It is a really exciting track with interesting obstacles around every corner.

My seeding run over the Game fence jump and adding some style over the step down in my race run.

The WP riders did not disappoint on the Sunday and we were proud to see so many of them on the podium. I was also very happy to see Hanco getting first place in the Sports category.

Arné a very happy lady after her win and me on the podium.

Highlights of the weekend included the amazing hospitality of Jason and his dad, our awesome accommodation, being able to enjoy my most favorite breakfast - Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise, seeing all the friendly faces from the WP crowd and getting to see Nyalas almost at arm's reach. Well done to the organizers and everyone who took part in the races! See you at the next one!

It was a long drive back and it didn't take them long to doze off.

Our beautiful country.

Thanks again to Jason and his dad (and mom!) for their hospitality and for granting us this amazing opportunity!  Jason had to race in the under 16 category since he had no competition in his age group. Despite this, he was only 9 seconds slower than the National Champ and also beat two other 16 year old riders in that class who are 3 years older than him! Congrats you little pinner!

Jason and his Dad, aka "The Mechanic"

Watch out for young Jason flying through the air at 2:21 in this video:


SA MTB Champs 2013 from Greg Ritz on Vimeo.

What a weekend: Jonkershoek

It is winter in South Africa and living in the Boland area, this means that our days are filled with wind, ice cold temperatures and the odd rain shower or continuous drizzle. When we looked at the weather forecast for last weekend, Saturday was no exception. Very out of character for us, we decided to stick the finger to the rain and still get on our bikes for an adventure in Jonkershoek.

We made our way up to the deck, probably one of the most extreme climbs in the reserve as the last few hundred meters are unrideable (for us mere mortals - I'm sure there are some guys with legs of steel who can power up there). Luckily, even in severely overcast weather, the view up there makes it all worth it. In typical Hanco and Arné fashion we enjoyed a cup of tea an cookies up top before starting our massive descend down again.

This descend was by far the longest continuing downhill ride that I have ever done and it was also extremely rough at sections. I cooked my brakes about halfway through and was happy to take a breather before dipping into the last downhill (the old downhill track dipping into flow trail). I have never really enjoyed the old downhill particularly because of some seriously off camber turns that put me a bit at unease. However with my super coach Hanco behind me, even that became rideable. After such a long descend I was feeling quite over it and gatvol by the time that I reached Flow trail or Slangpad that I just let go of my brakes so that it could end quicker!

Somewhere in our ride it had started to rain and we were  reconsidering our earlier bravery and plans for a mega ride. As a compromise, we decided to still do a few more trails (the new canaries and downhill) before going hunting for coffee.  I followed the same philosophy as earlier, just trying to get the descends over as quickly as possible.

We felt like wet chickens as we pedalled to the gate, trying not to get the car and everything we touched full of mud! We ended the day with a delicious braai in the rain and looked forward to the prospect of another trailride the next day!

Photo on the right by Madeleine and Reto

Sunday's weather was the complete opposite to Saturday and this is evident in our photos. Clear skies with little wind and a beautiful sun peeking through! We met up with Madeleine, Reto and Theresa at Jonkershoek. After enjoying the old DH track the previous day, I wanted to give that another go and we headed up in that direction. Madeleine, Reto and Theresa opted for another trail and we regrouped at the gate after our respective descends.

Thank you Reto and Madeleine for the awesome photos!

A group decision was made to head up to the groenhuisie next to do all the Firehut trails. Hanco and I spent some time practicing a few spots while the rest of the group headed down. I am really grateful that Hanco spends so much time with me on the trails building my confidence. It really helps to make my riding more enjoyable!

Photo bottom middle by Reto and Madeleine

At the bottom, we decided to call it a day and made a joint decision to head to Ride In for coffee and something sweet. A weekend well spent on the bikes! Next up: Downhill Nationals at Port Elizabeth next weekend!

Neverending Firehuts - Midweek adventure

Sunny days are scarce this time of the year, so when Madeleine suggested coming over to Jonkershoek for a mid week spin in the mountains, I immediately checked the weather and accepted the invitation!

I spent some time on Strava the night before, working out a route that contained enough singletrack to keep us happy. Believe it or not, I even managed to find a few pieces that I have not ridden before!

We started our ride with a cup of delicious coffee from our favorite café, Ride In, after which we pedalled to Jonkershoek and started the great ascend to the Edge of Glory - the upper most part of Never Ending story. We followed this trail all the way to where it linked into the circle route. If you do this without stopping (unlike us) it could be one massive descend of more than 10 minutes! I was really excited to try out the lowest part of the Never Ending trail. Unlike a certain blasé team mate of mine, I didn't have the privilege of riding this trail before it got destroyed in the fire a few years ago. This is actually a good thing as I have nothing to compare it with. At the moment it is obvious that the trail has just been hacked open and Bennet is still working on it, so it was fairly flat and not very exciting, BUT a lot more interesting than riding jeep track!

From there we linked into the Valley trail, which is a small flat xc-like trail. I have done that route once a few years ago and my memory of it was that it was very rocky and pedally and not fun at all. Despite these memories, we decided to try it and lo and behold, we actually enjoyed it. It is amazing how your skill level improves your enjoyment of the trails.

After a short jeep track climb and a stop at the river, we headed up to the "Specialized Epic" trail that would put us on our way to the Groen Huisie. It was the first time that I have used this trail  for climbing and it wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be: a smooth easy gradual climb.

Running out of time, we were torn between doing all the Firehut trails, or just the bottom two. Having come this far, we however decided that it would be wrong not to attempt all three. This was Madeleine's first time up to the Groen Huisie, and we took the contour path quite easy. Heraclitus said that you cannot step into the same river twice, and I think that quote can be made applicable to mtb trails as well. Especially this top contour path. Every time I ride there the path looks different, more rocks, less rocks, more water, less water, more branches, less branches, you get the idea. This makes it a fun trail to ride as there's always the element of the unexpected.


Just as we started descending on the top Firehut trail, we encountered a snake! My reaction and fear was unfortunately not justified by the size of the snake and just as I started taking out my camera (to Instagram a photo of the snake - obviously), it sailed away. Madeleine went after it with a stick, but it seems that it was more scared of us and we could not find it again. I do not think I have ever gone as fast on that top part as yesterday as I did not want to risk encountering it again!

Madeleine's skills on the switchbacks inspired me to take more risks and trust my riding more and I ended up really enjoying the Firehut trails - even on my hardtail! With arms aching and a hungry tummy, our adventure had come to an end.

What an awesome day spent on the bikes!

Windy winter's ride

A while back I had a chat with a friend of mine about a social ride with him and his wife.  We chose a date and hoped for the best. The weather is always a gamble this time of the year and today was nothing different.

We were blessed with clear skies and even some sunshine, but it was very, very windy!
Arné and I decided to ride from town to Jonkershoek and meet up with them at the gate at 10:30.  Philip and his wife, Alicia, came through from Somerset West by car, probably a better idea than our idea of pedaling in.

We didn't really decide on a route and just followed our noses that led us to Never Ending Story. This was Alicia's first time on this trail and she enjoyed it a lot. I took some time out to ride with Arné and help her on some tricky bits. It was very satisfying seeing her conquer yet another obstacle that kept her from enjoying the trail to its fullest.

Next we made our way to the lowest Canary trail. To our surprise there were some trees that had fallen down and we had to bundu bash twice to stay on track. It was also very muddy at spots, almost too muddy to ride through. But we persevered and made it to the gate after which we decided to reward ourselves with coffee.

Alicia joined Arné and I as we pedaled from the gate to our favorite after ride coffee stop - the Ride In restaurant. We weren't planning on eating anything but once we spotted the delicious muffins, we were convinced otherwise. As always the coffee was delicious and the muffins even more so. Philip and Alicia also enjoyed nice big bagels stuffed with scrambled eggs. It looked delicious from the other side of the table.

After saying our goodbyes Arné and I got ready for the last pedal home making sure to add  some small pieces of singletrack into our route.

Despite the icy wind, it was a day well spent! Thanks Philip and Alicia for braving the weather with us!

WP Downhill Round 4 - Contermanskloof

For the last race of the WP Downhill series I opted to pull out the big bike.  I have not been riding it for more than two months since the last race at Jonkershoek, where I  rode the Enduro class while Arné was having a blast on the Makulu.

Photo by Ewald Sadie

With all the event planning going on I do not get much time to ride but for some reason everything went pretty well with this race.  The only hickups were a broken down ambulance that I had to tow away and a broken trailer that got fixed on the spot.

I managed to get 5 practice runs in, the most I have managed at any of the events I organized this year.  It felt good to be riding the big bike again.  I had a bit of a "oopsy-a-daisy" moment on my first practice run spraining 2 fingers on my left hand.  Despite this I carried on and the fun of riding my bike and this awesome track, prepared by the farm owner and master trail builder Robert Starke.

Photo by Ewald Sadie

Constraining myself to not hit any big gaps in the slightly windy conditions made me feel a bit like a wimp, having hit them all before and knowing I can makes one feel quite bummed out.  As race organizer I have to stay safe so no chance of even trying to go big.

Practice was over and we started doing race runs about 10 minutes behind schedule due to riders being late for the shuttle.  I was 10th to start and with not much time I made sure my helmet was on, goggles clean and gears ready.
Hitting the top part of the main line is always my favorite piece of track.  Those high line switch backs and rocky shoots are just awesome, little pedaling and fast going.  Once you drop out of it you have a bit of a flat pedal section, this is where my legs said....no my friend, you are gonna sit down and free to the revised track.

Photo by Ewald Sadie

Once you dip into the revised track you have 4 corners which I found some pretty nice inside lines on.  After that you have a straight fast section into a tube eating tyre crunching knarly rock garden with almost no smooth line in. Dinged a few new spots on my rims and tried my best to keep my flow.  I made it through with good luck on my side.  Having some fun on the step up to small gap was also so nice.

After the 2 roadgaps I found some speed again on some rad inside lines on the switchback section.  Had some good fun on the ski jump to flat huck and on to the last rocky shoot.  I know my lines down there pretty well and I knew I am pretty fast there.  Last bit of pedaling and over the table top.  I had a good run, fairly slow but I don't care.  I had a huge smile on my face.  Really enjoyed it.  I came in third place for the Sports class.

Photo by Ewald Sadie

Once again a great race was over and everyone had a good ride.  No injuries and all round smiles.  We finished the day off with prize giving.

Thanks to Arné for all her help running registration and helping me manage the race.  Without her I would not have been able to do it.  Thanks to Riaan and the Nixon family for all their help and support.

Photographers on bikes

Photo by Gustav Brandt

An old riding friend of mine was back in the country for a visit and we arranged to go ride some trails and snap some photos.  Gustav Brandt has been staying in Stellenbosch for the last 5 odd years before moving back to the Middle East.  In his time of staying in Stellenbosch he has not ridden the Jonkershoek trails yet. He has only competed in a Provincial DHI race there.

Photo by Gustav Brandt

With him being a professional photographer, focusing his time and passion in landscape photography, he joined us at 10:00 in the morning at the Jonkershoek gate with his camera on his back, as any good photographer should..  He was on his trusty old steed, a 2010 GT Ruckus DJ bike, with only a rear brake and running a 1x9 drive train.  In typical Gustav fashion with his skater shoes, flat pedals and a hoody... this time with shorts instead of the usual jeans!

Gustav checking some lines onto "the rock"

Gustav testing the grip

We signed in and decided to take him to Slangpad for a first taste of Jonkershoek.  With Slangpad being a fairly easy yet fun trail with fun berms and flowy lines.  After this we went for the big long climb to the New upper Canary trails to take him to "the rock", a fairly sized rock that was made to be a wall ride in trail.  With Gustav's background in street riding on his BMX and MTB he quickly checked the lines and was back at riding walls with a bit of a twist.

Gustav on his first try

While Arné and I watched Goose go higher and higher we could see that he was really getting the the hang of riding his bike again.  With a big smile on his dial he went back and did it again and again.  I managed to grab his camera and snapped some pics of him.

Goose mastering "the rock"

After the short photoshoot we headed to the top and had one blinding run down.  I almost forgot how much fun the Canaries are.

We headed over to the Never ending story and on our way there I could see it did not take much to get Goose riding like old times again.  He was popping wheelies all over the place pedaling on one wheel for most of the time.  A skill I admire and wish I had.

On our way there we stopped so he could capture some images that he uses for landscapes.  All I can say is that this guy has got some serious skills.

Photo by Gustav brandt

The two trail guides. Photo by Gustav Brandt

We got to Never ending story and we decided Arné should go first.  Goose managed to capture some nice images of her on the trail.

Photo by Gustav Brandt

After that it was my turn and he did the same with me.

Photo by Gustav Brandt

We got to the bottom and all of us enjoyed it.  Arné and I had so much fun on the big bikes after riding the hardtails for a while.  Goose just had a ball since it was his first time riding it.  Yeah, it is long, and a bit of a pedal, but still great fun on a bike!

To end off the day we went over the bottom of the DH track and then continued to ride the lower Firehut trail.

Gustav did his first 20km trail ride in Jonkershoek and he loved it.  We will be back for sure to show him some more trails.  Thanks Gustav for a fun day out on the bikes and all the great photos you supplied.

You can follow Gustav on Facebook and his Blog