A dual bike adventure event without equal
The Lowveld Dual Bike Adventure, birthed in Mbombela in 2012, was the brainchild of Rika de Bruyn - a fearless, extremely capable and adventurous Lowvelder.
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She has since relocated to the Cape, but is still very much involved in organising dual bike adventure events across the country. The route master for these events is another well-known Lowvelder, Mark Taylor. The ninth event in the Lowveld, with some 80 participants from all over, was held over the weekend of June 10 to 13 with Premier Hotel The Winkler in White River serving as HQ.
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“We have not changed our format since the inception of this event in 2012. Offering participants three different but spectacular routes that cater for all riding skill levels, and good food, accommodation and company, is what participants want, and there is no intention to change the format. Routes are nearly 100% off the beaten track and the co-owner of the event, Mark Taylor, spends months on finding and preparing new routes for every event,” said De Bruyn.
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“One of the many reasons for the success of these events is that riders must ride in pairs and adhere to the GPS route plans. There is a sweeper as well as medical and emergency staff at hand and every route offers an escape route should a rider decide to, for example, revert from the red route to green when they find the going tough. Planning and designing the routes requires about four months and yes, the black route certainly is not for the faint-hearted. Be that as it may, all routes offer spectacular scenery and the red and black routes will most certainly challenge your riding skills,” said Taylor. A member of the 2016 winning GS Trophy team in Thailand, John Harris, who also participated in this event, said, “I rode the black route with Mark Taylor (“Titanic Taylor”). It was 114 kilometres and 105 kilometers over the two days, and despite the challenges involved, we had time to interact with locals. On completion of every day’s route, the chatter, interaction and banter with other riders who completed the green and red routes were excellent. There is no brand bashing or brand exclusivity despite Yamaha having been the main sponsor of this event. It is simply a unique and magnificently well-organised event.” The next event will be at Country Trax, Amersfoort, from October 14 to 17. For more info on these dual bike adventure events, visit www.dualbikeadventure.co.za. Photos: Matthys Ferreira/Supplied