Day 11 of the African Bikers mountain bike tour throughout South Africa’s Backyard Route would develop into some of the distinctive biking experiences of my life. As an alternative of biking up steep mountain sides or zipping down slender single-track trails, our group of eight could be biking a number of kilometers alongside the shores of a sandy seashore.
Our day started with a protracted drive from the guesthouse in Mossel Bay, South Africa to a small dock, the place we had been met by a number of scraggly males in possession of a small fishing boat. The boys hoisted our bicycles onto the boat’s fundamental deck after which lowered the boat into the close by water with their truck.
After all of us jumped on board the boat, it was only a quick trip throughout the water to the financial institution on the opposite aspect, the place we then unloaded the bicycles and started our beach-side trip.
I had thought that we’d be driving alongside the shores of the seashore for all the day, however that wasn’t the way in which it turned out. Our trip did start on a small part of sandy seashore, however then it turned inland after just a few kilometers and we traveled rapidly via a desolate farmland space earlier than ultimately returning to the seashore to start our lengthy day of biking within the surf.
As soon as we hit the seashore there was nothing else to do however to level our handlebars in the direction of the horizon and trip! I instantly made my method into the shallow water, splashing about and making an attempt to trip as deep as potential into the salty surf earlier than the waves overtook me (which they by no means did). Others quickly adopted and we had a blast biking out and in of the South African sea water all day lengthy.
Using alongside the seashore was enjoyable, however not precisely straightforward. We deflated our tires only a bit to realize extra traction with the slippery sand, however even that didn’t assist in some places. We had been always on the look out for the very best sand to trip on. Typically the very best sand was near the water. Different occasions it was nearer to shore. More often than not, nevertheless, it was someplace in between.
After our seashore trip was over, we loaded ourselves again into the van and drove only a quick distance again to our Mossel Bay visitor home the place we showered, washed our garments, and eliminated ourselves of the salt and sand that was now masking our complete our bodies.
After a fast bathe, we drove all the way down to the shore of Mossel Bay and ate lunch at a lovely outside eatery. The solar was out now and we welcomed it after our cool trip alongside the shores of the strand earlier that day.
After lunch we walked alongside the sting of Mossel Bay’s seashore space, exploring the tide swimming pools, taking photographs and feeding the native dassies.
Then later that evening we went out to dinner at an area golf-themed restaurant and referred to as it an evening someday earlier than 11 PM. The next day could be our closing day of biking in South Africa.