Black Rhino Range Expansion Project

Something exciting has happened!
Yesterday I got notified by Chain Reaction Cycles that our panniers won't arrive here before the 2nd Dec because of a mix up from their suppliers. :( We've been waiting since October and this was disappointing news. We leave in exactly a weeks time and now we don't have the most important equipment for the trip.
I went to Andy's Mart to see if they had any second hand ones. The owner said he has 2 sets of panniers that will be in the shop by tomorrow so I can go look at them!. yay, he said they're in good condition so I'm sure we'll buy them. Now we only need to find one more set. I'm sure luck will be on our side :)

And...

Daniel approached Pam Sherriffs, WWF Communications manager, and told her that we would like to ride for some kind of cause. She has managed to sponsor us 3 Black Rhino Range Expansion Project T-shirts. They are made from bamboo fibre by Earth Warrior. They are made from a sustainable source and are biodegradable - and are very comfortable!
http://www.earthwarrior.org/

With our t-shirts we will hopefully raise awareness for the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The aim of the Project is to increase the numbers of black rhino by increasing the land available for their conservation. This will provide them with new territory where they can breed up quickly.
http://www.wwf.org.za/what_we_do/species/black_rhino/


We thank Pam for this and we are proud to be apart of the awareness for this Project.

This is all very exciting for us the closer it is getting to the time!

More fotos

To see more of our fotos just click on this link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/114387421758215239964/FirstTimeRiders?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfBmND6jajL8gE#

First Long Distance Trial Ride

From Durban to Pietermaritzburg - 94km

We woke up early on Saturday morning and rode quickly to the train station in Pietermaritzburg - hoping not to miss the train. By the time we got there it was 5:30am and thanks to an old man who's son was on the train, we knew it had just passed Nottingham Road. All we had to do was wait.
The train arrived at about 6:15, and with a bit of persuasion we mannaged to get the train officials to let us on with our bikes! We had a whole compartment to ourselves and our bikes sat comfortably opposite us on the seats.




The train ride was beautiful! The scenery absolutely magnificent. By the time we got to Durban it was just after 9am but the ride felt like only a few minutes.



On Route


We spent a hot day in Durbs, first relaxing when we got to Nomads Backpackers, then taking a walk in the streets of the city. Sadly Daniel couldn't join us for the trip because he was in Hilcrest and his bicycle in Howick. My aunt, Ingi, helped us out and sponsored our accommodation at Nomads.
Later we met up with some of Keegan's friends and had a good evening.

My conscience woke me at 5am. We'd slept through both our alarms! We jumped out of bed and got dressed. A few minutes later we were on the road back to PMB.


The Halfway Point!

 We got lost somewhere in Pinetown and ended up in a township. I forgot to bring a map with us, so foning my mum was what we had to do... She didn't know the route either. It was a matter of which way felt right! After missioning up a steep hill, at the top, a man in a video shop showed us a short cut over another steep hill. This hill was not-cyclable. We trudged up carrying our bikes and made it to the top. By the time we got to Hilcrest if felt like we'd been riding for days. We didn't eat breakfast when we left, and by this stage it was already lunch time. We found a little pub called The Ugly Duck to fill our hungry tummies. After that meal I could feel my energy replenish!

The ride was tuff, but we made it. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was cloudy and cool all day. Only when we got to Camperdown did it start to drizzle. Trudy, Keegans mum, came to fetch us half way up the hill by Polly Shortts.
I've now looked up the Comerades Route and will deffinately take a map with us the next time.
It was a long day, and was well worth it!

Equipment List

Things for our Bikes:

reflectors
pannier racks
panniers
chain lube
tools for our bikes etc.
bike pump
spare tubes
tire fix kit
front carrier/basket
chain lock

Things we’re going to take with us:

3 man tent
sleeping bags
gas stove
pot & pan
head lamps
plates
cutlary
can opener
water bladders
water bottles
i pods/mp3′s
AAA batteries
Map of SA
Note book
pens, pencils
helmet
gloves
sun cream
lip ice
first aid kit

What's Happening??

So we’re slowly but surely starting to get things together. . We’ve ordered panniers online, so the’re on their way =). Keegan spent his break time at work searching for cheap panniers on the net and found some awesome ones on www.chainreactioncycles.com . We’ve ordered 3 sets, one for each of us, and we can’t wait for them to arrive!, but I think they only come in stock this Friday, so only THEN will they send them to us by Airmail. Hopefully it will be a speedy delivery!
Recently we had our first meeting together to discuss what’s happening. We mapped out our general route all the way to the coast on Google Earth, then somehow it all deleted itself., but at least we’ve drawn it out on a map too, so it’s not a disaster. After that little ordeal, we got a bit tired, so we'll cross the bridge when we get there.
Our friend Chantelle has invited us to stay with her at here home in Viljoenskroon in the Free State. Because we’re not riding all the way up there, she said she’d fetch us and our bikes when we get to Excelsior, take us to Viljoenskroon to stay with her for a few days, and then drop us back off in Excelsior to continue our journey! This sounds absolutely amazing
This last weekend Keegan and I took a train down to Durbs early on Saturday morning and rode back to Pietermaritzburg leaving early on Sunday morning. We stayed at a realy cool place called Nomads Backpackers (thanks to Ingi, my aunt, who sponsored us). Daniel sadly couldn't join us as he was in Hilcrest without his bicycle. We rode a total of about 94kms... yes we did get a little lost on the way, but thats my fault I didn't bring a map!
That was our first long stretch ride to get a taste of what we're heading for. Keegan seems to be as fit as a fiddle.. I've still got some training to do. By the time we got to Poly Shortts, my legs were totally buggered. Trudy thankfully picked us up and took us home. Amazingly we both felt absolutely fine the next day. Looking forward to the down ride.... and maybe one more ride up before the real deal.