Table Mountain Group tower above tiny riders scrambling for home – riders often reduced to hacking on foot going up , or severely heating the brake rotors going down , especially the gravel bike riders who had to pay for the early speed on fresh legs and flat roads . In our opinion a hardtail mountain bike is a safer bet if finish time is not your primary goal . These overhead cliffs are often tilted past 90 degrees , creating the most epic riding passage – most notably the spectacular ‘ Wall of Fire ’ that I had to stop to admire as my last pre-home-stretch moment to soak up the grandeur .
The finish , back in the middle of Prince Albert , had a festival vibe where local craft beer , klippies & coke and exaggerated war stories were shared with promises to return , maybe with a gravel bike . The jury says that if this type of bike riding appeals to you , get yourself a gravel grinder – then make bike choice , tyre size and gearing choices before each race , depending on the gradients , technicality and length you ’ ll be tackling .
Buoyed by the sheer joy of Karoo adventure and riding endorphins we partied on until the early morning of Sunday at the aptly named Bush Bar . We think 2023 will be massive . ●
Official sunscreen of Team Qhubeka and Team Honeycomb Pro-Cycling
" I like SolRX because it ' s easy to apply and I don ' t burn during a full day ' s cycling "
R E I N H A R D T J V R E N S B U R G
2022 South African Road Cycling Champion
360 ° BAG ON VALVE – even sprays upside down !