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eventsWords: Tim Brink Photos: Nick Muzik

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ON A ROLLSeven days across the Karoo (and other

interesting places) sounds like hard work. Not on gravel bikes.

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THERE IS SOMETHING SOOTHING about rolling along a flat desert road at 40km/h, just the sound of your breathing and your tyres for company. Sharing these moments of solitude - yes, that sounds silly, but it is a thing - doubles the pleasure, and cameraderie is one of the hallmarks of any ride organised by London-based (but Saffer-hearted) HotChillee. Woebetide a newcomer who doesn’t introduce themselves here... the fines for shyness are legendary.

Most famous for the annual London to Paris event, which finishes on the Champs Elysees the day before the Tour de France does, HotChillee’s leap into the burgeoning gravel bike market is two-pronged, with October’s Rainmaker RollerCoaster the first full-blown race on their agenda, matched with a more relaxed and exploratory event in

Morocco’s Atlas Mountains earlier in the year a perfect foil for the testosterone trip across the Western Cape. The inaugural event attracted an entry of just under 60 riders, 40 of whom hailed from beyond our borders, which created a perfect platform to settle the systems for the 2019 edition (which was already over 50% sold out as we went to press). There were three options for riders; two-person racing teams, solo racers or ‘tourers’ with HotChillee ride captains to guide and cajole. All the South Africans ticked the racing box, while most of the visitors opted for the scenic ride. In reality, we all rode together, apart from Christoph Sauser and his partner Craig Boyes, who ding-donged for the win with Shameeg Salie and Kevin Benkenstein.

The grand overview of the route is that it covered 600-odd kilometres from Swellendam to Plettenberg

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Bay, via Riversdale, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn and Knysna, over six days. That doesn’t tell the full tale, though; the RollerCoaster started with a 16km prologue through the Bontebok National Park, which less than ten percent of the field took terribly seriously, for fear of spoiling the taste for the finish-line beverages as the tempreatures hit the high 30s. Day two was a 58km loop from Bontebok through the Grootvadersbosch and Marloth reserves, and back, which the organisers euphamistically labelled Adventure Gravel Biking... and promptly amended to head south for edition two into the more suitable farmlands below Swellendam. After this gentle prelude, the proverbial hit the fan on day three. And the fan was stuck on hot, as temperatures hit the high 40s on the brutal Alpe d’Huez of the South climb out of the Grootvadersbosch conservancy...

riders lay scattered, panting. Even good riders (I promised not to mention Captain’s meltdown) who usually get hydration spot-on, cooked. 2 000m ascent in just 107km is hard work on a cool day... the pool in Riversdale was a welcome sight.

From Riversdale we set out on the queen stage (because the previous day was too easy) of 109km, with 2 100m ascent. Much of this climbing came early with the ‘neutral’ ride up Garcia Pass hard-fought, before the long, dusty Moordenaarskaroo roads led our motley crew to the foot of the feared Rooiberg Pass, which was rendered neutral by yet more 40-degree temperatures. The regroup at the top looked like an episode of Survivor (just not as pretty), before the helter-skelter down to our accomodation repaired broken minds and legs, a little. And then it was on to the kindest day of

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º Celebrity Vlogger Francis Cade filmed the whole thing (look for him on Youtube), in between more

punctures than should be possible, and was ably assisted by Everest conquerer Daniel Hughes.

» The best of braais was a welcome treat after six days of insanely beautiful, insanely hilly riding.

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» The Seven Passes Road is a natural wonder (albeit now burnt to a cinder in many places after the recent

fires), although Captain loved it a lot more than he did the big, hot hill on day three...

all, a flat trundle through the ostrich farms of the Oudtshoorn valley. Fast and fun, after two days of baking heat, and with a roaring tailwind, we arrived at Chandelier far too early for our own sensibilities and preceeded to kuier long into the afternoon... and beyond. Just what bike events should be about. Riding is just a small piece in the puzzle...

Day six is the best, and worst, of the whole Rainmaker RollerCoaster experience. It shows 140km on the map (make that 149.55km by the time you have found the accommodation), with another 2 150m to be accumulated. Thankfully, the topography is kinder, with the first 50-odd kilometres out of Oudtshoorn flattish and fast, before the gradual ascent of the north side of the Montagu Pass surprises you by being over before it really began. Then... 5km of some of the best descending you could ask for down a 150-year-old road-building masterpiece, into the sudden bustle of George. Of course, this being HotChillee, we had a 40km/h police escort through the city, complete with sirens and flashy lights, that left the foreigners lost for words. The special treatment didn’t last long, though, and soon the lost-for-words-ness was because the second half of the ride was upon us: the Seven Passes Road, all the way to Knysna. Fairly obviously, this boasts seven passes, some on tar and some gravelled, through the most splendid

natural forests and farmland, before dropping across Knysna’s famous Red Bridge, along the lagoon and home for the biggest braai in cycling. Thank goodness, because many were the calories burnt as the up-and-down road accumulated over a thousand metres of climbing in less than 65km, with 90 kays already in the legs. The outstanding catering held up admirably in the onslaught, as not only was it the last big day (read: fines and more), but Captain also celebrated his 60th birthday with us. OK, so we celebrated his 60th, he insisted on a more reasonable 50-something, quite accuratley but boringly. His birthday-suit stroll through camp will never be unseen.

As we lay in our tents a few hours after managing to find them, the dew turned to drips, turned to deluge. Secretly, we urged the organisers to can the final stage, a beautiful roll through Knysna’s magnificent forests, to Plettenberg Bay, as this was to be another Adventure Gravel Biking mission... one made both unpleasant and dangerous by the torrential rain. They heard our pryares, and we bussed to the grand finale - a visit to the Rainmaker-supported Kwano cycling development programme in the dusty township high above glitzy Plett. What a pity it was we couldn’t ride with this enthuiastic bunch of fellow cyclists, who make so much happen with so little. Next year, promise. ›

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º On paper, the riding in the Bontebok National park is flat and fun. Paper shows no rolling stones,

though. Don’t be fooled - fun, but loose and a little scary... // Riding out the rocks on day three, before the

cloud gave way to volcanic temperatures. // Garcia Pass was a welcome neutral start to the longest day.

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º The indigenous forests and open farmlands of the

latter part of the Seven Passes were cool, and cool!

// » On our last day in Bontebok, we finally rode with

Bontebok. Hotchillee founder Sven Thiele missed

them, he was too busy greeting his riders.