Unsurprisingly perhaps the various long range weather forecasts on the web are showing quite a degree of variance! Often this time of year we only have to dress for the cold, but it looks as though it'll be a good idea to pack the oversuit. I haven't made the decision yet on whether I'll ride in leathers or in winter textiles.
RAT Weekend in Hazeyview, Mpumalanga, 8 - 10th June
- Thread starter DaveB
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I think winter textiles are the better idea - can't believe what the weather in Graskop is going to be! My family in the Nelspruit area said they can already feel the 'nip' in the air!
Good advice Gromit, but my leathers are more middle-age friendly than my Triumph camo pants- I can't get the blooming things done up around my waist 
.
I've been on an apple/water/brown rice/carrot & celery diet for the past few days in an effort to improve the situation.
A 'nip in the air' in Nelspruit probably means 22 or 23C.
The weather forecasts on the web this morning look quite a bit better than those I saw yesterday
.
BTW, last Sunday morning, about 07h30, we saw a two-up blue Tiger 1200 heading towards Monte up the Nicol. Was that you & FS?
.I've been on an apple/water/brown rice/carrot & celery diet for the past few days in an effort to improve the situation.
A 'nip in the air' in Nelspruit probably means 22 or 23C.
The weather forecasts on the web this morning look quite a bit better than those I saw yesterday
.BTW, last Sunday morning, about 07h30, we saw a two-up blue Tiger 1200 heading towards Monte up the Nicol. Was that you & FS?
That sounds like a really nice ride, DaveB.
Good advice Gromit, but my leathers are more middle-age friendly than my Triumph camo pants- I can't get the blooming things done up around my waist
I've been on an apple/water/brown rice/carrot & celery diet for the past few days in an effort to improve the situation.
A 'nip in the air' in Nelspruit probably means 22 or 23C.
The weather forecasts on the web this morning look quite a bit better than those I saw yesterday
BTW, last Sunday morning, about 07h30, we saw a two-up blue Tiger 1200 heading towards Monte up the Nicol. Was that you & FS?
Nope, not us - FS's is black - he's just got back from TTC having a few bits added like crash bars and something to do with a tank bag and wiring in the Garmin - so my duct tape has been removed from the bike - hurumph!
Seriously, to drop a couple of inches quickly, get some real apple-cidar vinegar; add about a tablespoon of the vinegar to about 3/4 cup warm water and drink that first thing in the morning (before you even brush your teeth) and last thing at night - you'll drop a couple of inches in a week! Dear Abby signing out
I do hope it warms up for you guys though! I'll be in the office with the heater on.
Ha, I've found you out.
You must be our agony aunt
!
I'll give that a try next week, for sure- thanks. I've got to do something cos the way I'm carrying on at the moment I'll end up looking like a blooming carrot.
I know you have to work this weekend- chin up, take no prisoners & I hope it goes well.
You must be our agony aunt
!I'll give that a try next week, for sure- thanks. I've got to do something cos the way I'm carrying on at the moment I'll end up looking like a blooming carrot.
I know you have to work this weekend- chin up, take no prisoners & I hope it goes well.
Enjoy the weekend Dave the weather down our side is telling us it's going to snow
I got here. The first 4 hours were 14C with gale force winds- trying conditions. Here in Hazyview it's about 28C!
Glad you are safe. Those are horrendous riding conditions. Heavy winds make for an interesting ride.
I got home about an hour ago. I estimate there were 40-50 people on the run and they should all be home by now. Three days of gale force winds (sunny throughout) and it just got colder and colder. I went over 2,100 metres above sea level twice today and I reckon it was no more than 3C up at those elevations.
Anyway, despite the cold it was a well supported an enjoyable weekend and I have a lot of photos to edit
, so more to follow.
Unfortunately I have no video- a stone shattered the Drift camera lens. I've been using the camera mounted on the engine protector bar and the video shows the front wheel & suspension doing their thing, but perhaps I've got to mount it higher up on the bike where it would be less vulnerable. Or ride slower?
Anyway, despite the cold it was a well supported an enjoyable weekend and I have a lot of photos to edit
, so more to follow.Unfortunately I have no video- a stone shattered the Drift camera lens. I've been using the camera mounted on the engine protector bar and the video shows the front wheel & suspension doing their thing, but perhaps I've got to mount it higher up on the bike where it would be less vulnerable. Or ride slower
?
Great to hear you back safe and sound and had a good weekend in spite of the weather, looking forward to the pics 
Gromit!!!!!!! You posted your best advice- you urged me to wear my winter textile gear. I listened & I did just that and I'm very thankful!!!!
Pics have been edited
!
OK, I promise not to go on about the weather. We're not normally totally useless in cold weather here in South Africa, it's just that we have had very little cold weather so far this winter so it hit us hard this weekend- it hit me hard and I don't mind admitting it.
So we got to the destination, the Hotel Numbi in the town of Hazeyview in the North East of the country, through the course of Friday. Many people had recommended this hotel to me over the years but I'd never been here before- tis my loss. We stayed in the Garden Suite rooms.
It was approx US$ 70 single, $ 60 sharing, per persom per night, dinner, bed & breakfast.
This is a biker friendly establishment and you park your sickle right outside your room.
Friday night was warm; the cold front didn't reach Hazyview until the Saturday. We were greeted by a troup of Swazi dancers- good stuff!
Meanwhile the proud and cheery chefs were working their magic with a traditional South African braai (BBQ). That's a fire pit in the middle and braai grids either side.
There was a selection of superb salads as a starter.
I'm supposed to be on diet, but it didn't work out....
cont......
Pics have been edited
!OK, I promise not to go on about the weather. We're not normally totally useless in cold weather here in South Africa, it's just that we have had very little cold weather so far this winter so it hit us hard this weekend- it hit me hard and I don't mind admitting it.
So we got to the destination, the Hotel Numbi in the town of Hazeyview in the North East of the country, through the course of Friday. Many people had recommended this hotel to me over the years but I'd never been here before- tis my loss. We stayed in the Garden Suite rooms.
It was approx US$ 70 single, $ 60 sharing, per persom per night, dinner, bed & breakfast.
This is a biker friendly establishment
and you park your sickle right outside your room.Friday night was warm; the cold front didn't reach Hazyview until the Saturday. We were greeted by a troup of Swazi dancers- good stuff!
Meanwhile the proud and cheery chefs were working their magic with a traditional South African braai (BBQ). That's a fire pit in the middle and braai grids either side.
There was a selection of superb salads as a starter.
I'm supposed to be on diet, but it didn't work out....
cont......
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....cont.
Saturday dawned sunny but we knew it would be windy and cold. Some of us got talking and we simply felt that the organised ride was too long; too ambitious. Two gents I don't know very well proposed a slightly shorter route and, much to my surprise, invited me to join them. G rides an Adventure 1200 and W has a Tiger 1050 and they were both riding with their wives as pillion. I knew that both these guys are highly rated riders and I was honoured to be riding these fantastic roads in company with such good riders. We were riding at a fast touring pace- just right for the windy conditions. We stopped at a viewsight
to take in the view to the East of the Escarpment, across the Lowveld that includes the southern part of the Kruger National Park, all the way across to neighbouring country Mozambique.
We rode on together until we stopped for lunch and somebody ate a banana waffle smothered in maple syrup. And it wasn't me!
For the last few kilometres of the day's ride I slowed down to take in the scenery and snap a few pics.
My huge thanks to G & W for making the most of the ride- it was absolutely superb
!
More good things were to follow. Saturday night (OK, OK so the diet went completely out the window) and I had the most tender and flavoursome beef wellington imaginable accompanied by velvety smooth Cabernet Sauvignon .
I'll state it right out- the food served by Numbi Hotel is the finest I've ever had in a 3-star establishment.
cont....
Saturday dawned sunny but we knew it would be windy and cold. Some of us got talking and we simply felt that the organised ride was too long; too ambitious. Two gents I don't know very well proposed a slightly shorter route and, much to my surprise, invited me to join them. G rides an Adventure 1200 and W has a Tiger 1050 and they were both riding with their wives as pillion. I knew that both these guys are highly rated riders and I was honoured to be riding these fantastic roads in company with such good riders. We were riding at a fast touring pace- just right for the windy conditions. We stopped at a viewsight
to take in the view to the East of the Escarpment, across the Lowveld that includes the southern part of the Kruger National Park, all the way across to neighbouring country Mozambique.
We rode on together until we stopped for lunch and somebody ate a banana waffle smothered in maple syrup. And it wasn't me!
For the last few kilometres of the day's ride I slowed down to take in the scenery and snap a few pics.
My huge thanks to G & W for making the most of the ride- it was absolutely superb
!More good things were to follow. Saturday night (OK, OK so the diet went completely out the window) and I had the most tender and flavoursome beef wellington imaginable accompanied by velvety smooth Cabernet Sauvignon .
I'll state it right out- the food served by Numbi Hotel is the finest I've ever had in a 3-star establishment.
cont....
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Cont....
So on to today. I ate a hearty breakfast and only got on the road at 10am. I figured that if I left a bit late it would warm up a bit- I was wrong and I don't think it got over 7C all day and that wind was still howling. It was blooming Arctic today. The route home is 400km (250 mi) and I did about 1,200km (750mi) over the three days. I stopped at the bottom of a mountain pass and got my trademark 'I'm in the middle of nowhere in Africa' photo:
Y'know I still love Africa even when it does try and freeze my nether regions off. Let's face it, we only have a few weeks of winter each year.
Yes, I fully intend going back to stay a long weekend in Hazyview again. And again. And again
.
Thanks to Lifestyle Centurion, the organising Triumph dealer, and indeed to all the folks who came out in numbers in the middle of winter to support a fine RAT event. It's what it's all about!
DaveB
So on to today. I ate a hearty breakfast and only got on the road at 10am. I figured that if I left a bit late it would warm up a bit- I was wrong and I don't think it got over 7C all day and that wind was still howling. It was blooming Arctic today. The route home is 400km (250 mi) and I did about 1,200km (750mi) over the three days. I stopped at the bottom of a mountain pass and got my trademark 'I'm in the middle of nowhere in Africa' photo:
Y'know I still love Africa even when it does try and freeze my nether regions off. Let's face it, we only have a few weeks of winter each year.
Yes, I fully intend going back to stay a long weekend in Hazyview again. And again. And again
.Thanks to Lifestyle Centurion, the organising Triumph dealer, and indeed to all the folks who came out in numbers in the middle of winter to support a fine RAT event. It's what it's all about!
DaveB
great set of pics there Dave
thanks for the report.
I can see a great woodsy shot coming up for the comp.
thanks for the report.
I can see a great woodsy shot coming up for the comp.
GReat pics thanks for the sharing. And fine lookin Tigger in those shots, love that grey color with the gold forks......sweeeeeeet.
Very nice report Dave and we sure do have some great places in Africa when it comes down to it hey
PS - I have just had breakfast now I am hungry all over again
PS - I have just had breakfast now I am hungry all over again
Well of course the wind has dropped now that we are back at work on Monday and it's an (almost pleasant) 13C and sunny in Joburg.
Hazyview is always warmer because at approx 600 masl it's about 1,000 metres lower than Joburg. It is between the Escarpment and the Lowveld and is in a region that is sometimes referred to as the Middelveld- an unofficial term.
I have a huge collection of memories of riding in extreme weather conditions and this past weekend is one of them. I was riding along wearing an inward wry smile, reflecting on how often real world riding is so very different from the benign way it is seemingly always portrayed in the various motorcycle manufacturers' glossy sales brochures :y94:!
This was around midday yesterday. Note how high the sun is in the sky; just 11 days before the winter solstice!
Hazyview is always warmer because at approx 600 masl it's about 1,000 metres lower than Joburg. It is between the Escarpment and the Lowveld and is in a region that is sometimes referred to as the Middelveld- an unofficial term.
I have a huge collection of memories of riding in extreme weather conditions and this past weekend is one of them. I was riding along wearing an inward wry smile, reflecting on how often real world riding is so very different from the benign way it is seemingly always portrayed in the various motorcycle manufacturers' glossy sales brochures :y94:!
This was around midday yesterday. Note how high the sun is in the sky; just 11 days before the winter solstice!
Thanks Devo. Oh yes I had the woodsy shot in mind during the Saturday ride- it's one of the most forested regions of the country.
The logging trucks are a major problem on the roads. They keep right over to the side of the road as best they can but they chug uphill terribly slowly. They themselves are not the problem; it's the idiots in the cars, SUVs & bakkies (pick-ups) who take chancy overtaking manouvres on blind rises and around corners, oblivious to the dangers of (illegally) crossing over the solid white lines in the middle of the road.
Awesome pics! Thanks for posting them.
