Get Stuck Into The Highveld’s Mid-Year Cycling Scene!
Sarah Maré talks all things travel and cycling races in the Highveld and KZN for May and June! Get involved!
By Sarah Maré
It’s that time again! The cold begins to creep in and the racing season moves up north to the dry(ish) landscapes of Gauteng, North West, and KZN. My husband and I moved to Cape Town two years ago, and the adjustment to winter has been… well, let’s face it I am literally typing this from JHB!
The gravel and mountain bike season decided to jam pack some of their biggest events into 2 months. This required a little bit of planning on our side, and with the fuel price increase at the moment travel costs came down to how many flights versus driving up. For me, I love to travel. Driving on the highways of South Africa can be peaceful, and beautiful. The landscapes change so much and it’s a great reminder that this country really does have it all… mountains, sea, dessert, rock, forest, sand, and cities. It doesn’t take much to get me to travel back to JHB, with my family and many friends still here – any opportunity to visit is taken. The only negotiation… how many bikes I can bring!
After chatting to the team, we decided the drive was worth it. Why? Because I’d be bringing 3 bikes, my indoor trainer, all my winter gear, and nutrition to last for 2 months of training and racing. PHEW. The added extra’s onto 6 flights was exhausting enough to opt in for the drive. The benefit too was that I didn’t have to break my bikes down into the bike bag countless times. Less flying time – less things that could go wrong in my mind. Count me in!
Since moving to Noordhoek, our Holdfast Platform Pro 3 Bike Carrier is working full time. I leave the carrier on the back of the car because when the weather is right, I want to explore as much of the Western Cape as possible. Also, if the ride starts at 5:15am and I’m not ready in time, it makes for a great _put the bike on and drive to the start_ situation. The truth is, it’s REALLY dark out there in the winter months! The foot operated tilting feature on the carrier means I can also do last minute grocery shopping without needing to battle with the back seats.
With easy access to the boot, I packed up our “future family” car in 20min. Indoor trainer and all. The drive from Noordhoek to Colesburg was a breeze. I left in the early hours of the morning and didn’t have any stress about the bikes when I stopped with the lockable clamps. A quick overnight stay and a fresh 1 degree in the morning, I finally made my way to JoBurg. The Trailseeker mountain bike event hosted at Cradle Moon was the first event on the list. I have never been more grateful for a bike carrier after being coated in mud from the event! I even put my bike on the outer spacer so when I got home I could hose it down whilst still being on the car.
Myself and the Platform Pro’s next adventure takes us to the MTB skills camp in Potch. The trails would have dried by then, but every winter layer I have in coming with me! Looking forward to some beautiful sunrises and coffee from the best coffee shop in town – Padlangs!
Sarah Maré talks all things travel and cycling races in the Highveld and KZN for May and June! Get involved!
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