The Johannesburg Mountain Bicycle Club

JMBC will be holding there usual annual Dam2Dam ride from Emmerentia to Hartebeespoort Dam on Sunday 27th December 2009. So....it is a Sunday this year, making it possible for all those who work during the week between Christmas and New Year, to ride this awesome event. Your logistic support will be easier to organise as well. This is a long ride (100km) which is not for beginners and you will be required to register with us in order to participate. Get your name in early (by sending me an email indicating which ride group you would like to participate in), we will cap the groups to 20 or so per ride group and will be publicising this ride for non-JMBC members as well.

Details are as follows:

Dam 2 Dam: Sunday, 27th December 2009

Distance : About 100 km for the blue and red groups

About 80 km for the yellow group

Starting From: Emmerentia Dam Car Park (red and blue groups)

Fritz Pienaar Cycles, Paulshof (yellow group - if there are not enough takers for the yellow group, we may call it off so make sure we can contact you when you register)

Start time: 04h45 for 05h00 (red and blue groups)

05h30 for 06h00 (yellow group)

Duration of Ride: All approximate durations include the stops but no time for mechanicals/accidents

Blue group - 7 hours

Red group - 8 hours

Yellow Group - 9 hours

Ride Category : A SERIOUS RIDE

Ride Groups: Blue and red only from Emmerentia

Strong yellow riders from Fritz Pienaar

Technical Rating : 7/10 Hill Rating : 9/10 (Mystic Dolphin area)

Ride Description: For those of you left in JHB, and can ride at a min average of +12km per hour offroad, then this is your post Christmas ride of note. JMBC Blue leaders (16km/hr plus) and red group leaders (14km/hr plus) will take 2 groups from Emmarentia Dam to Hartebeespoort Dam. A slower but strong yellow group (12km/hr plus) taken by JMBC Yellow Group leaders will leave from Fritz Pienaar Cycles in Paulshof for a 20km shorter ride to the same destination. It's a great ride but very long and tough in the middle. There will be stopping points along the way (Maggies Farm [The Home of the Chicken Pie] - Lanseria), Nikita Pub and Grill (Broederstroom) and then the end @ Yasmyn's in Meerhof Hartebeespoort (Big Dutch Windmill). The route has small sections of tar but we have kept these to the minimum possible (about 10km of the 100km).

The ride will take 6 to 9 hours. You need to be well prepared for this ride. It can be viciously hot in the valleys from midday (40 deg in 2004) so do not run out of water. Do not assume because you have done the 94.7 road ride that this is well within your capabilities - it is equivalent to 200km by tar.

The basic route is down the spruit to FPC, up Witkoppen to Lonehill, down Main road to Leeukop prison, through Helderfontein, Daynfern, Northern Farm Sewerage Works, down to the Juskskei, through Le Farge Quarry (sshhh! we aren't supposed to be there), up to Lanseria, around the runway and on to Chicken Pie, northwards through Mystic Dolphin, Kalkheuwel, down to Nikita, into the Harties mountains, through the gorge to Pecanwood via the quarry, the dreaded railway line, back through the mountains and round to the Crocodile river, up and down the concrete strips at the dam. The JMBC recce groups are trying to change the route slightly out beyond Chicken Pie so be prepared for route deviation.

You also need to organise transport back from the Dam or from the various stopping points. We must all plan to have a late lunch and lots of beers at the end.

Non-members at R20.00 per rider

Contact: Don Buchanan 083-228-0145

Here is more information you must pay attention to if you are coming on this ride:

Start Point....

We will meet at the Emmarentia Botanical Gardens entrance (Olifants Road, Emmarentia) just before the dam wall. The parking will be closed at that time of the morning. Leaving your car in the side streets nearby will be at your own risk (cars where broken into two years ago). It would be better to have your logistic support drop you off.

Fritz Pienaar cycles parking in Paulshof will also be closed. There is public parking across the road near the Mugg and Bean but it is also recommended that your logistics drop you off there.

Logistic Support....

You have to organise logistic support for the day because you have to get to Emmarentia/FPC, be collected from the stop points or any convenient point if you abandon the ride, and be collected from Yasmyn's at the end point at Hartebeespoort.

Start Time...

We will leave at exactly 5h00 (Emmerentia) and 06h00 (FPC) because of the potential heat during the day - if you are not ready to ride, you will be left behind.

Cell Phones ....

All riders must have a cell phone with them. If you have a mechanical failure or you simply blow out physically, you will have two choices:

1) Drop back to the other groups if you are part of the red or blue group (the other groups could be someway behind). The blue and red group will not wait for you - fixing punctures or mechanicals is no fun for a faster groups like this.

2) Make your way to the nearest main road and phone your logistical support vehicle in order to come and fetch you. The 2005 punctures and mechanicals turned the ride into a 10 hour nightmare. The other years have been much more successful because of these rules.

Punctures and Mechanical Failures.....

Please make sure your bike is good working order. Failures of the bike will also result in you being left behind to be evacuated by your logistic support. We suggest that all riders carry spare tubes with sealant in them. Do not assume that because you have tubeless tyres, that you do not need these tubes as backup. We punctured several tubeless tyres in 2005 year and had problems getting them to seal. There are a lot of thorn bushes (think Sun City) and dolomite (side wall cutter of note) out there

Riders Joining on Route....

Several riders have said they will meet the groups on route. Please be sure to calculate the arrival time accurately. Make sure you join the correct group as well. You could kill yourself joining the wrong group and hold them up which would be unfair. Those that wish to meet the groups on route need to notify me in advance as to where they will be meeting the ride.

Distance....

The distance of the ride will be between 80 and 100km long. We will adapt the ride on the fly depending on how well it progresses.

Notification.....

NB: Please do not just pitch on the day. Tell us if you are coming. We would like a feel for numbers. Each ride group will be limited to max of 20 riders. Indicate whether you will possibly eat or drink or both at Yasmyn's after the ride and how many other people (support) will attend there. This is to give Yasmyn's a feel for how many people will pitch on the day. Yasmyn's is very popular and is always busy but a far better venue than Dockers we used to use in the past.

Pace....

The Blue group will run at a pace of about 16 km/hr average. The red group will try to average 14km/hr and the yellow group will average 12 km/hr - If you cannot do this pace off road for the kind of distance planned, you will end up being left behind. The group will try not to go faster than this average speed. If you cannot keep up, you will be asked to drop back or be collected. Please remember, we are a social club and this is a social ride so do not try to push the pace of the groups to a higher level.

Stopping Points....

Two stopping points are envisaged. These are Maggie's Farm (The Home of the Chicken Pie) on the R512 and Nikita Pub and Grill (before you reach the Crocodile River on the R512). We will stop their for short periods for refreshments. They are also good abandonment points. Bring money on the ride so that you can buy things.

End Point.....

The end point of the ride is Yasmyn's in Meerhof. We can grab a bite to eat (alla cart menu) and plenty of beers there with your logistic support. Directions to Yasmyns: Take William Nicol North past Diepsloot, under the N14, and then turn left onto the R511/Brits road past Idle Winds, Hennops, the N4 toll plaza, etc. As soon as you see the dam, take the next road/robot to your left (first robot before Hartebeespoort proper), you will see the big Dutch Windmill fronting Yasmyn's in front of you.