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The Robertson Adventure

Written by Brendan Hayden

Thursday, 25 March 2010 10:05

So a few mates decided it would be fun to cycle from our homes (Durbanville) to Robertson.

After much planning, we were off on Saturday 20 March 2010, riding on most of the back roads.

I decided that I needed to start training with a backpack for the Freedom Challenge. So I packed all my weekend stuff in my backpack. Finally weighing in at 9.8kg! (I have to say that my bum was not ready for that extra weight)

The ride started at about 6:30am, riding from Durbanville, through to the R45 heading towards Franschoek.
We arrived in Franschoek in time for a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee for breakfast before hitting Franschoek pass.

So this is the first time I have been up Franschoek pass.. man it is on hell of a hill... But I survived. And it was so worth it, as the downhill on the other side was steep and sooo long!

We rode through to Villersdorp, praying for a coffee shop to stop at for lunch. We were getting really worried, as we rode through the town's main road we were not finding any coffee shop of any kind. Then luck was on our side, as we were about to ride out of the town, the last place was a art gallery and restaurant! Wow were we lucky, the owner said to us that the restaurant was full, but that were more than welcome to park off on the lawn and order food, etc. We will defiantly stop there again the next time we are going through that area.

Anyway, so after our food intake need was satisfied, we were off on the 'last' stretch to Robertson. Villersdorp was the 100km mark. Still had to do another +-78km.

We rode the tar for a while, then turned off onto a dirt road that cut across through to the R60. This road was awesome. At least we were able to get some dirt under us..

Turning off the dirt road onto the R60, we were met with the last hill of the ride before Robertson.. Man that hill was nasty, especially after all the distance behind us with my backpack one too...

Once we were in Robertson, it was a nice relief to take the backpack off and just chill.

Total distance: 178km
Time in saddle: 8h38min (+-)

Overall, I had a great ride. My legs and body (Except my bum) held up really well with the backpack's extra weight.

I honestly think I might be pretty close to ready for the Freedom Challenge... then again.. I could be kidding myself.. hehehe.. We'll see...

Argus MTB 2010 - One hot day in the sun

Written by Brendan Hayden

Monday, 08 March 2010 12:59

Wow... what a hot day.. Last year was hot.. but I reckon that this year was hotter!

We were all standing in the starting blocks and most were sweating already.. It was only 8 AM!
This year they swapped the route around a bit, they placed the big climb at the beginning of the race, so that the heat wasn't too much of a factor during the climb.. well, this year at least I was able to climb all the way to the top, I was pretty happy with myself (I suppose all the training has helped a bit :) ). Even though the climb was right at the beginning, the climb was really tough, with the temp being well on its way to max already at the time we reached it...

The track was really sandy and rocky. With this in mind, the race was awesome. I enjoyed it so much more than last year, at least this year they sorted out the congestion that was caused last year, and the entire ride was smooth, with no hiccups that I noticed. All the water stations were full all the time.

They cut the race short for a lot of people due to the heat, so there were very little people that actually finished the 55km... Apparently the numbers were about 549 people finished this year opposed to 1113 last year... so that is a massive jump. I am proud to say that I was not cut from the race and was able to finish my 55km in 3h51min :)

All in all, the race was well organised and the turnout was great. Thanks to all the organisers for their hard work.

My new interest :)

Written by Nicci Hayden
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 13:10
Heya :) I have found an interest in SOGOPRO. Take a look at their website, explains it all. Movies, Music, Photography and Entertainment in general are huge passions of mine and this is a closer look at how to build your own production company. Really interesting and extremely entertaining! Laterz, Nicci https://www.sogopro.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/SoGoPro/107185550198 http://twitter.com/SoGoPro

Hayden Music working with 12th Avenue

Written by Nicci Hayden
Thursday, 21 January 2010 10:41
Nicci & Brendan Hayden have taken on the challenge of Managing the 12th Avenue Band from Cape Town, South Africa. Exciting things to come - for bookings or sponsorships contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Last Updated on Thursday, 21 January 2010 10:47

Big thanks to Cape Nature

Written by Brendan Hayden
Monday, 02 February 2009 11:22
We just want to send out a great big thanks to Cape Nature for all their help and support in organising our wedding at Tweede Tol in Bain's Kloof. Every step of the way they supported us with great service and quick responses which all in all helped to make our special day that much more special. We have always supported Cape Nature by visiting many of their campsites and nature reserves and we would always suggest that if you want to have a great weekend out camping or just a day hiking, use Cape Nature's reserves as they are always clean and well maintained. Also a great big thanks to Raymond and the guys onsite at Tweede Tol, you guys were awesome! Thanks again to all those that assisted with the organisation for the wedding. You can get to the Cape Nature website by going to our web links. or clicking on the Cape Nature logo on the right hand side of the page. Kind Regards, Brendan and Nicci Hayden
Last Updated on Monday, 02 February 2009 11:40

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