Friday, April 8, 2016

Lesotho Adventure: Epilogue

1. If you're new to motorbiking, I can't think of a better place to go ride (once you know how the gears and brakes work, obviously). The roads are in good condition and with not a lot of traffic (except close to the border posts.)  



2. The Drakensberg and Maluti are very green in March / April. If you can fit it in, plan to go in autumn.


3.It was great having a 'backup' bakkie with. Not only because Eisbein and Rogue documented the whole tour for us through their camera lens, but also because of all the luxuries that we could pack, and the different perspectives of the same experiences at the end of each day.


And it's nice to have pictures of both bikes and from a different perspective than what we've seen from the bike - thank you Eisbein and Rogue!



4. When I did the ADA DP1 course 2 weeks before this trip, I was a bit baffled about the huge number of 'adventure bikers' out there with their 'dual purpose' bikes. I got that they wanted to have some adventure, see the world ... but why would you get a 1200cc bike and then want to go do singletrack and technical things with it? 

And then I remembered ... a long time ago I cycled (old-school, mountain bike 'peddle' cycle with panniers) around Ireland, and then across Scotland. I put slicks on, because that was more efficient. And it was a hardtail, because that's what people rode those days. (In South Africa, at least)
And then I got to the Great Glen Way, which was some of the best singletrack I've seen at the time ... and arguably still some of the best I've seen. And knobblies and no luggage (and some suspension) would have been better, and if I ever go back, I'll leave the luggage at an Inn for the day and go play - but at the time, I rode it with slicks and the panniers - because that's what I had.


That must have been what 'dual purpose' riders are after: The ability to cover the distance around Ireland, but when it gets to really pretty stuff, the ability to ride that as well. I think I now 'get' adventure riders a bit better :)

5. The TW's tank is really small. And it really is not fast. But is it fun!

When I got the bike, it was going to be the bike that I learn on, a 'meanwhile' bike while I decide if I actually do like this adventure thing, and what type of bike I really would want once I can ride. 
But I think this bike has a good few tours still left for me to do ... 


Until the next adventure...


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