September Winner - Gavin Collins, Cape Town
My Ride
I’ve ridden just about every great trip in the Western Cape and even as far as Swakopmund in Namibia and as I’ve been over each ride and road in my mind over the last few days and almost as many nights, I cannot seem to get past the fact that the road trip is more about the bike than the route.
Each rider gets something different out of his weekend breakfast run or Sunday cruise. I can understand the concept of the route being important as I found out about it published in the Getaway Magazine and all. But for me there are so many unbelievable rides in the Western Cape especially on the coast roads its really difficult to choose one as there may be around 50 000 other entries all writing about the same route and then I would be at a disadvantage having never written as award winning letter or such ever!! And the award here is not just a best selling novel or an author of the year certificate, we are talking about a Buell Ulysses here – a once in a lifetime opportunity to own it or win it. But more importantly ride it in fact. There should be 2nd and 3rd place awards too maybe a 30 min blast for 2nd place and 15 min blast for 3rd place (here’s hoping).
The competition is almost cruel once you start thinking about it and all sorts of details start invading your thoughts like how long the story should be and how much detail the trip should entail and should I hire a professional writer to do this for me and do I have a chance with my high school writing skills.
So to keep your attention and hopefully get you to read my story to the end, I’ll make you a deal. Firstly I will wear my Buell cap everyday, if I get further, I will wear my Buell Jacket to every formal function I attend and if I win the Ulysses, I will have Buell tattooed across my back. And if it helps, I’ll have all other makes tattooed on my arse. I was going to suggest that I will work for you as a delivery boy for free for 5 years but my wife reminded me how painful it will be removing her stiletto clad foot from my arse, so we stick to the tattoos for now. Apparently you have this in writing. Now that all the legalities are out of the way let me tell you about my ride.
There are many different aspects to a road route, some are great for speed, some for corners and bends and some for scenery. It all depends on the individual. I personally have had 13 different bikes over the past 15 years and as I said I have ridden many routes all of which are fond memories. I have developed a riding style that dictates my routes. So if you are like me the adventurous type rider with a need for adrenalin read on.
A few years ago I developed a habit of needing a ride whenever I walked past my bike and I needed to ride hard to quench the adrenalin thirst as sometimes I would walk past my bike in the middle of a weekday and time was limited. I developed a sort of motard riding style. I also live in a farming area where most roads are not up to standard so I need a bike that can be taken through the paces that’s why I’ve wanted the Ulysses ever since I first saw and read all the specs.
My adrenalin ride is something I do at least once a week as it satisfies my need to feel free and able. It starts in the Southern Suburbs and I make my way towards the Muizenberg coastline usually around 9am. A slow ride along the coast towards Fish Hoek to think and free my spirit. Now I do not enjoy riding with 15 others so its usually just me and occasionally a mate. First stop any breakfast as long as it’s quick. Kentucky rounder in Fish Hoek is good. Eaten in rider’s position as quickly as possible as there is the constant anticipation of the ride ahead. From here it’s everyman for himself. Some days I will plug an I pod in and listen to the doors as I make my way towards Redhill Simonstown. This is my play area. It is not for cruises and definitely not for Tupperware. This is high adrenalin adventure route. As we approach the first traffic light, straight to Simonstown right to the old scratch patch and some navy training facility, we go right. Cruisers and others please go straight. We head up to the top of that road and just before the apex there is a small tarred road to the left this goes past the marine training facility along the road there are some small gravel roads which are worth turning off to have a look but I prefer to blast this road as towards the end there is an incline and a left handler that is a feel gooder. Continuing along the route you come to an abandoned gunners site it consists of a few dilapidated block houses and underground cabins. Nice spot to stop for a smoke and look over the entire bay from where the old navy guns used to be mounted. The road is known as the snake path the area around the gun houses is great for a bit of calculated fun ect. No need to behave and no need to keep both wheels on the ground. I down my ritual Red Bull and then toss a coin if I’m with a mate as to who leads from here. You can go either one of two routes if you in a playfull mood and feel up to it. Hit a left and go down Redhill approx. 4km to the bottom, turn around and then ride up again at double speed. Going down is not as much fun as coming up so we usually go down through the bush paths (carefully). Once at the block house again go right to the top of Redhill, halfway up there is a turnoff to the right into the conservation area the road becomes gravel and there are two main water supply reservoirs in this area do stay on the paths, this is a really nice place to explore the wilderness. Once back on the main road head down in the direction of Cape Point the last 2 bends are the best in the Cape. First a long right hander and then a long left-hander. If it has been raining watch the first right hander as the mountain stream runs over the road there.
I used to live on the farm at the bottom of Redhill and when I was 6 years old I rode this same route on my BMX. Now 30 years later I still can’t get enough of that bend. From the bottom there are a few options but only after you turn around, ride back to the top and do it again. Oh halfway down there is an entrance to the Redhill informal settlement. If you want to meet someone really cool go in, put your legs up on the bars and ride like hell because the township dogs will eat you alive. They are really hungry and fully intend ripping your legs off. Watch the slippery mountain stream if you drop here you are dog food, past hell dogs about 800m down right hand road, you’ll find a cabin overlooking the most amazing piece of real estate in the Cape. This is Uprising’s house a very cool rusta guy you can learn a lot from. Take your own coffee though as Frisco sucks and maybe some sweets for the kids. Craig Jones you can go straight down the side through the bush the rest should raise their legs and ride back through the dogs of hell! All the farms in this area are great to explore and to meet interesting people but the roads aren’t always good so an adventure bike is a must.
You can now continue on straight to Cape Point or go right to Kommetjie and Noordhoek. My favourite is right before you go do stop on your right, there is a farmstall, nice spot, ask owner, Genna Jane, if you may use her farm road to travel up the mountain to the reservoir at the top of her farm a great off road experience. If she says no ask her beautiful daughter, if no luck, continue on to Noordhoek. Lunch at Noordhoek farm village and then over Chapman’s Peak to Hout Bay and then through Camps Bay or over top of Hout Bay to Constantia Neck but the road from Hout Bay through Llundudno to Sea Point is a all time favourite of all Cape Town bikers and you already have 50 000 stories describing it.
There are short routes and long trips to places that you have to see in South Africa and our neighboring countries like the Desert Run that I did this year from Cape Town to Swakopmund and back. For a Getaway this is probably the best long trip preferably a week before all the quads do it but nonetheless a must do trip but it’s also a once a year trip that better authors than me with more writing skills have written about. So this is my short but weekly ride. A ride that makes owning a bike worth it. I do this ride on my BMW 650 GS at least once a week now when I bought the GS 650, (all I could afford) I thought that with 60nm of torque, 193kg and 50bhp, I would be happy so why am I being tormented by this competition 24 hours a day, for the last week? Because I want to do this ride with 193kg, 100bhp and 110 nm torque.
These mountains were formed millions of years ago knowing that the Ulysses was coming.
