THE JIKELEZA ROUTE

The loop was based on the same course used for the ELMC&CC enduro earlier in the year.

A few manageable hill climbs (not to hectic) some open stuff for the guys that want to hit terminal speed,

Slow & tight stuff through the forests which proved to be quite a challenge for the taller guys like myself. The start went well with exception to most of the guys over shooting the first technical corner or choosing to ignore the red markers and rather follow a lost soul up the gravel road?

Within the first few Km’s the pecking order had been sorted out. The slower riders had made small mistakes and had given up there position to the faster/smoother guys.

On entering the tighter sections in the forest the constant  TAP TAP THUD! tap tap THUD! on my helmet reminded me (keep your head down! Don't look up! Don’t look up!)  There was as much forest above as there was on the sides. The tapping and the thuds finally stopped and it was time to look up...There it was! The NUT CRACKER! It had crept up on me again!!!!

With a huge sigh I unleashed the DEMON!  Pulling up as hard as i could with a hand full of throttle I lifted the front wheel up and over the tree stump, now standing up in a perfect position i waited for the impact of my rear tyre hitting the tree. You must understand, this all happens in slow motion as I run through the check list in my head, Good grip on the bars "yes” Body position "cool" Butt and other sensitive areas clear of seat! "Yip!”

Then it happened!  NOTHING!!! Finally, I thought, the new suspension setup the Husky factory sent me actually works! How could I ever have doubted these guys?

Full of confidence I rolled it on through the next river section and up the hill climb, as i turned into the next corner i could see and smell it!  SMOKE! This has got to be one of those green machines (KDX 200's).Finally I thought, I have caught up to the next rider.

With a hand full of throttle I went through the formality of changing gears as I went down the long straight, SOMETHING WAS WRONG! It felt like my bike was still spinning?

I tried to gear up again but was already in top gear! NOW WHAT!! I thought. Surly it can't be that slippery! By now my bike was whipping from left to right almost out of control!

Was this my time to meet the maker??????

Everrrrrr so gently i applied the front brakes, constantly fighting to keep the bikes rear end from overtaking me, this was it I thought. I was about to go pear shaped and would most defiantly see my own butt from an aerial view. Gritted teeth and rigid body I braced myself for the inevitable…….

What?? Still no impact??? By this time my legs had been knocked so far apart by my 120kg tree cutting, rock braking beast that I found myself sitting on the bike with both left and right butt cheek firmly clamped on either side of the seat/ironing board. Still hurtling down the hill with a left turn coming up fast I decided to try something else! I lowered both size 13 boots onto the damp ground and dug in!!!

This instantly reminded me of my old bicycle days with out brakes, having to constantly come up with new stories of how my school shoes got so stuffed up. Suddenly a smile and sense of calm came over me, gee whizz! I had a lekker childhood I thought. Then reality hit again! Oh SHIT! Is this my life flashing in front of me?????? With a little wobble I finally came to a halt! “Still standing and the seat clamped by my butt”   shoooo, I made it!

I turned around to see if I had any witnesses, can you believe it!  Here comes a Gas Gas again! Tang Tang Tang , a bit of a nod from this guy and wrrrrrrrrrrrrr off he went! Cool I thought. he must have missed it!

Surly, if he had seen what happened he would have fallen off with laughter. Oh well I was still very impressed with my suspension and the fact that I managed to hold on through this ordeal I looked down, flat back tyre!!! (There was no sky in my rounds) Now what??? I thought.

This was my first flat tyre in 19 years !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I decided to finish the loop! Taking all the short cuts i had learned from when the last enduro was re-routed at this venue. Still managing to come in among the front runners. ha haa “I cheated!”

YES YES YES! The one lap wonder strikes again!!!!!!

Fortunately for me i had the opportunity to ride this loop the day before; I was assisting by checking markers and replacing red tape that had been removed.

Some doff oke herding cattle on a bike was riding the loop and pulling off all the markers! ?????? Can you believe it?? LIFE IZ LYK A BOX OF COKOLITTS !  You Bloody IDIOT!

Yes! I know!  Forgive your enemies!   “Nothing annoys them more”

Besides the occasional Warthog running across the track, this was a very safe ride.

However, one of the faster sections took its toll!

Unfortunately we had one injury for the day "Broken/crushed Ankle and wrist"!

He was attended to on site by one of the Stutterheim riders "Thanks Colin" and successfully recovered in one of the old die hard’s "SWB Land Rover" Thanks Bruce.

We all hope the surgery went well and you make a speedy recoveryBill !  “GET WELL SOON!”

P.s.To answer some of your questions:

NO ! Nobody tried to pull an ox-wagon through the enduro loop, the drag lines are from my boot heels!

And NO!    Please don’t go and plant cabbages in the furrows dug.

Regards

Michael van Zeeland.

Thought for the day. (To the guy/cow herder that pulled off the markers)

Let the ticks from all your cattle infest your nether regions for the remainder of 2007.