carpe noctem

'You guys are crazy', the guy said as he left with the celebrity at the bottom of Cornwall downhill rush.
'but i'll be back'

That's what they all say, the newbies.
They all think cycling gnarly downhills in the dark is slightly crazy.

What is it, then, that makes them keep coming back for more?

The string of lights ahead and behind you when you get onto cruizer, your first singletrack for the night?
QT making up songs while we wait for oupa gerrit to fix a light on vetseun?
The technical challenges of unexpected short steep climbs or rocky ascends?

We know it's not the smell that transformed paul's bike into a scott stinky :)

maybe it's the thrill of rushing down cornwall
or the expressions on newbie's faces after their first downhill rush :D

seeing the river in flood while you ride on what's gonna become the new R21.
seeing, but not being part of, the traffic in the city way below.
knowing that in the other houses, people are sitting in front of their tvs with their tv dinners.

Bundu-bashing through the veld, then climbing up routter's route with 11 likeminded people. initailly 14, which included our celebrity for the evening, samantha oosthuisen - we were obviosly too hardcore for her :)

Personally, i think it's chasing lights down eric's trail that make people come back. staying on the bike always helps :)

Or maybe it's arriving at the top of quadbuster hill to champagne and cupcakes (thank you QT!!!!)
Or chasing down look ma no brakes, or python. yes, it must be python that makes people want to ride D&D again and again!

The roadies or epic-trainees come back week after week for tour de tar, or that tar-climb on cornwall. oupa gerrit might graciously allow you to ride in his slip if you don't want to chase the bunch and if you can keep up with him.

The mountain bikers come back for the final singletrack and kakiebos on cruizer.

Or maybe the the endorphin-overload, or the hot chocolate or beer afterwards.


Or maybe because while they're riding, they're alive.


Whatever their reasons: here's to many more!!



thx oupa gerrit who lead us, mummy man who swept, and clint and qt who kept us all together (and organised the cupcakes)