26 days, 2600 km, 35000 m of climbing.
2 weeks out from our 2nd November kick off and the trepidation is mounting. Have we got the route right, is it feasible, is it possible, what will conditions be like.
This week in the Drakensberg where we will undertake the first 5 days of the tour has days at 38 C… eish!
On Saturday last we had out first “team ride” doing 95 km with just 1400 m of climbing……..it was pretty hard work ! Thank-fully we had a following wind on the way home or we may have realised a bridge too far . The real ride has days of over 2000 m of climbing…. which basically means long hours in the saddle and hard and quite possibly some night riding.
All said and done it was a great day out. David and Badger Fivaz got lost for a while, Deidre who i think is the most jacked up of us all introduced us to the app Life 360….. which tracks us all down, and in no time we had located them on the map and rescued them. We learnt some lessons on how we should be riding, which basically means keeping David on the same course as us, as his wayward spirit just itches to find a different way. We also had our first accident’s of the tour with David tumbling not once but twice. In the first instance claiming Badger shoulder charged him off the path, and in the 2nd while standing giving us his insights on the ride deciding to do a forward roll still attached to his bicycle. Deidre was quick to nominate him for Dick of the Day.
Bookings are all done, camping provisions are ready, it remains for us to get our bikes serviced and some new tyres before we pack the cars (Deidre has to decide which 30 outfits she is bringing with) and we pedal off……………… literally over the horizon.
In the meantime, our first grandson (the most beautiful boy ever born) Max Bradshaw arrived on 15 October in London. Granny here is champing at the bit to get over there, but with them going back into level 2 lockdown it seems impossible. We adore Max. For a moment we thought he might be given the full Maximillian title, and were in the process of petitioning (because of his Zimbabwean heritage) for Maxazillion. Max it is!
Ryan Moss has been up in Zim for the last few weeks with Hannes Botha of the Zim Pensioners Support fund, and has been delivering goodie packs to pensioners around the country. As you know our fund raising will all got to ZPSF so Hannes can fill up his truck many more times and help the old folks.
On that note, please don’t forget to support our cause every penny and every pedal stroke is worth it.
Yours in the saddle.
Chris (CJ) Bradshaw
Donations are most gratefully received at the following accounts.
ONLINE!
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oldlegstour2020
ZIMBABWE
Bulawayo Help Network
Cabs Platinum Ascot Account
A/c No: 1124733450
Nostro Account
A/c No: 1125268611
Ecocash Merchant: 139149
SOUTH AFRICA
OLD LEGS CYCLE
Absa Bank
Acc Name – Old Legs Cycle,
Acc Number – 9355070826,
Branch Number -632005
Webtickets
https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1502354386
Zapper
https://zapper.com/url/88rsQyKRkV
AUSTRALIA
Rhodesian Association of WA
P&N Bank
BSB 806015
Account 0181 1882
Please include NAME and Old Legs Cycle reference
UNITED KINGDOM
ZIMBABWE PENSIONER SUPPORT FUND
BARCLAYS BANK, WEST SWINDON
SORT CODE: 20-68-15
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 23398579
SWIFT CODE : BUKGB22
IBAN: GB49 BUKB20681523398579
ZANE
A/c No: 00576568
A/c Name : ZANE,
Bank : TSB, Sort code: 30-99-74, BIC: TSBSGB2AXXX,
IBAN No – GB12 TSBS 3099 7400 576568