The sun was slow to rise, just peeking over the horizon ever so slightly. The air was fresh and crisp, almost cool enough to take your breath away. As you inhale the brisk air and hear the faint rumble of motorcycle engines approaching, you cannot help but feel the excitement building, the feeling of freedom brewing and anticipation growing for the offroad adventure that lies ahead.
It has arrived – The 2024 International Female Ride Day!
An adventure with friends. Old friends, new friends and like-minded personalities with the exact same passion and love for riding! Although we were meeting everyone this early, something that felt earlier than a sparrow’s fart, it seemed to create even more thrill, even though some of us had never met. We knew that deep down in our hearts we were already friends, and after today’s adventure ride, these stories and memories will be embedded in us forever.
Honda SA sponsored the hot toasty coffee, freshly baked muffins and an array of eats that would blow away any two-wheel racing enthusiast. Suzuki provided two of our lucky ladies with Adventure motorbikes to tackle the off-road route on.
The starting grid layout was the first order of the day, chequered flags fluffed up, start numbers & heats confirmed, engines warmed up (some more loudly than others) and gear prepped for the start. Trusty Denver from Bling Kings was ready to capture every moment from the start!
Kerry & her team of pit girls and guys from Biker’s Warehouse always go above and beyond for a cause so close to their hearts. Ladies that ride!
Now we were ready. All lined up. Fuelled up. Fired up. Ready to hit the dirt, the dust and the endless chaos that awaits. I always describe our lady’s adventure rides like something out of a Jurassic Park movie…. The start is so captivating, awe inspiring, feelings of wonder, (can you hear that lovely gentle adventure tune playing in the background?), only to hit real havoc, mayhem and destruction later on! By the time that we eventually arrive at the meeting point, we seem to stand out from the rest of our lady riders who are effortlessly elegant and always impeccably groomed. Yes, that is us at the back of the crowd, with the helmet hair, mud, sweat, and tears of happiness wiped across our faces!
Thankfully, this year we seemed to have an Adventure ride that I would compare more to an orderly gathering of utter enjoyment, bliss and soul food! Not one occasion of picking up any ‘Geen-Sand’ aka ‘Big Buffalo’ and their rider in the middle of a mud fest, or rescuing a Triumph rider from a death-defying fence tackle or even a KTM who could not conquer the endless land-slide of clay mud.
This 2024 off road ride was seamless.
After a quick thrilling drag race with a few taxi’s through some of the back streets and roads of Kya Sands and surrounds, we safely exited the chaos of the city. Wind in our faces, dust beneath our wheels, we crossed along gorgeous winding twee-spoor tracks, though the superb long grass pastures around Chartwell with horses, antelope and even a few ostriches who kept us company as our humming engines bypassed. We even had the delight of “dicing” a few mountain bikers on our way past Northern Farms. Heart beats kicked up a notch when we passed under the N14-highway through two narrow dark tunnels and popped back out on the other end into the bright May sun and the wide-open landscapes around Lanseria and Gerhardsville. One or two misrouted mishaps in the thick sand, but we were quickly back up and pushing forward onto the next obstacle.
This year’s offroad ride even gave us the opportunity for a quick pit stop on route where we enjoyed our “padkos” which included everything from Lindor chocolates to red sherbet and Oreo biscuits! Not to waste time, we ensured that group photos were taken and shared as the few heats of riders all caught up. Some even had fun sharing old adventure tales under the shade of the trees before hitting off on the tracks through the ever-changing landscapes.
The 2024 off-road route for the International Female Ride Day was more than just a ride; it had been a tapestry of challenges and triumphs, woven with threads of unexpected beauty and camaraderie. With what was just over a 2-hour off road ride under the belt for most of us, there was one team that beat us all. I am adamant that they took some “unplanned” shortcuts on-route! In addition, I think that they might have had a tad too much racing fuel (coffee) at the morning brunch table.
We ended the morning off at Zwartkops Raceway where we met up with the rest of our two-wheel-loving lady friends to celebrate our love for riding. And this year the offroad group was on time for a change. It was mesmerising to see the amount of lady bikers and their trusty steeds all lined up along the pit lane. There was a mountain of incredible hampers, prizes and the most amazing goodie bags on hand from all the sponsors. Our offroad ladies were lucky enough to win some of these fantastic prizes! The adventure had changed us, leaving us with stories to tell and memories to cherish. And though the ride was over, the spirit of adventure lingered, whispering promises of new roads yet to be travelled.
We all enjoy these gatherings so much, whether you ride off-road often or only once a year, the IFRD is an event that must never be left off of the calendar.
We are already looking forward to next years event and meeting all the new lady riders
