Robert Dempster

Midlands Meander Seniors Coffee Sommelier's Cycling Club Somethimes known as: That was a SH!T cup of cold coffee 18 June 2021 This is a work in progress Last updated: 20 June 2021

When I turned sixty just over 10 years ago, I got onto my son's Mountain Bike one evening and took it for a spin. It felt great and it was not long before I was set to ride the Ama Shova Shova, 106 kms from from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. To train I cycled a 25 km loop in the Town Bush Valley in Pietermaritzburg, and was doing three laps per ride by the time the Ama Shova Shova arrived. The Cape Argus was next and to train for that I graduated to the a ride from the Hilton Quarry via Howick to somewhere on the Karkloof Road and back. By then I was hooked and very much taken by cycling through the Midlands.

Ultimately the whole family was riding, and with Edith and I doing a lot of cycling, Howick became an attractive proposition when we decided to sell our home and look for a smaller place. Shortly after arriving in Howick we joined the Karkloof Country Club in order to qualify for access to the SAPPI and Mondi forrests that contain enough dirt roads, jeep tracks and single track to keep even the most ardent Mountain biker happy. We also hooked up with an informal group of Senior Citizens who cycle every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. The group does a fairly good job of catering for the needs of a wide cross section of cycling abilities and fitnesses, and all rides end with the proverbial cup of coffee.

Now while there is not always complete agreement on when and where the group will be cycling, there is never any argument regarding whether we will be ending the ride with a cup of coffee. As to whether the coffee was good or not, that invariably invokes an opinion, and if it was not, then that will certainly evoke some strong opinions. I am sure that this is a situation that coffee vendors are aware of, and are desperate to avoid at almost all costs (free donuts).

As they say, "Never serve a woman wearing padded pants a bum cup of coffee!".

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The following photographs where taken by me during the rides that Edith and I have been on with the Senior Cyclists since we arrived in Howick six moths ago. I would also hope that besides illustrate the stunning nature of the terrain that anyone riding the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands will experience.

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The two images at the top of this page are left and right views of the proverbial bicycle Eve. They feature there as a result of three personal experiences. The first was me coming across a bicycle made of wood that featured in the Kalgoorlie Museum in Western Australia. The second was my discovery that there was a bicycle the preceeded the Penny Farthing, and that it was a wooden bicycle, the proverbial Eve that was invented in Germany by Karl Drais. Finally the third experience, a cup of delicious coffee served in the home of a Howick Senior Cyclist who actually rode, or should I say was astride, a “laufmaschine” (running machine, later dubbed a “dandyhorse” or “draisine” after its inventor) during a parade in Germany.

laufmashine.jpg *

kalgoorlie.jpg *

Jo.jpg *

My attempt to put names to some of the less frequented roads that run through the Midlands Meander. Any suggestions as to how this could be improved would be welcomed.

daMAPquest.jpg *

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Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a bicycle.

Some links

• What is a coffee sommelier and what do they do? WMF UK Coffee Machines Blog
• Marriot Karkloof Country Club
• THE IRISH TIMES - World’s first bicycle ride
• Karl Drais’ Dandy Horse - Deutsches Museum
• Wikipedia - Dandy horse
• History of the Amashova Classic – 1986 to 2020
• MapQuest - Howick

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If you have any comments, corrections, suggestions or plain criticism, I would appreciate it if you would communicate the same to me.

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[email protected]

www.robdempster.com

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