This story is called “bare to the bone”. Why? Because that’s what my rear-end feels like. I just cycled from Malags to Witsand or like the locals say “Die Witsand”. Now, to you bikers this definitely doesn’t sound spectacular at all but let me explain. I am a born and bread light weight surfer boy. I’ve NEVER played a game of rugby in my life nor participated in any other sport except a bit of running. I’ve been surfing since I was 6 years old.
While going through the process of mentally supporting a good friend through the Cape Epic 2007, I realized that there must be more to cycling and I am going to give it a try. Cash flow being tight, I decided to spare costs and borrow an unused bike from my younger brother. That led me to the store room in my parent’s house. An hour before leaving for the long weekend to Malgas alongside the Breede River, I found it: an old NISHIKI bike. I dusted it off and pumped the tires. To my novice eye I thought I had a winner. On Saturday the 29th of April 2007, I cycled from the house we stayed near Malgas to the pontoon. I hopped on the pontoon and crossed the river. After the first hill I realized that the surfer baggie shorts, I had on might not be enough bum-protection against the sinkplaat gravel road. After the second hill I came to a few more revelations. The Nishiki was made before the shock was even invented, the bike had no clipon’s, I had a slow puncture with no pump and to top it all I had a cellphone, but no reception. To say the least I arrived in Witsand 2.5 hours later with a half flattened tyre and a BUM????? – “bare to the bone”