Freedom Challenge

Latest in Freedom Challenger Blogs

In Pursuit of Perfection.
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist May 10, 2021 | 06:04 am
In this guest post Kevin Benkenstein reflects on his winning performance on the inaugural event of the Freedom CircuitIn Pursuit of Perfection - Kevin Benkenstein Freedom Circuit was a race of progress for me, the first time that I felt everything click in the way that I wanted, allowing me to paint the picture of the race that I imagined in my head. Sitting here a week and a bit later it still seems unreal that it all came together, but I am oh so happy that it did. These were the keys to that performance for me. You do youThe first and[…]
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Freedom Circuit - Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist May 6, 2021 | 19:14 pm
As I left the Lodge at Ntsikeni I scanned the distant horizon to see if I could see Tim's light. The southern horizon like every other direction was pitch black thanks to the overcast sky that obliterated the moon. Good, when Tim got to the Lodge he'd see that I left well ahead of his arrival. That should give me a huge mental advantage. I figured it would take me no more than 7 or 8 hours to get to the finish. If I could hang on to the 2 to 3 hour lead I'd maintained over the last few[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 12: Cambria to Willowmore
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist May 3, 2021 | 05:21 am
Llewellyn Lloyd-Reblex Photography Once I had sorted out my bottles and had something to eat, I was ready to bank some sleep. It would be the first since I had started 35 hours before. I removed my shoes and soon after setting a count down alarm for 60 minutes I was sound asleep. Waking at midday I heard Roger chatting to the buffalo herders in the adjacent room. He had recently arrived and didn't have time to nap. He said he was heading down to the gate as soon as he had something to eat and I should wake him if he[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 11: Mordor
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist May 1, 2021 | 12:46 pm
I'm uncertain where the official start of the section of the Freedom Trail known as Mordor begins. Does the 10km ride over the Osseberg mountains down to the old camp site by the first river crossing count, or does the real show begin at the river?The ride along the Osseberg jeep track can be challenging and there have been a few mishaps with riders over the years. Those mishaps have resulted from the gnarly track being littered with holes and numerouswashouts. I guess it depends on your perspective. Some people revel in the challenge of snaking over the mountains on[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 10: Bucklands to the Osseberg
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 26, 2021 | 15:54 pm
Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography11:26pm. Back on the bike. We'd been on the go for almost 18 hours. As you'd expect we were starting to fatigue. The aftermath of the mad dash from to Bucklands was still evident in my legs. I wasn't too concerned as the ride out the back of Bucklands through the neighbouring farm of Tretyre wouldn't be too taxing. Or so I thought. We had 12 hours to cover the 96km to Kudu Kaya. That would give us time to eat and refresh before ambling off to the gate for a 1pm start. Sounds simple enough. 96km's[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 9: Bucklands
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 24, 2021 | 17:20 pm
Llewellyn Lloyd- Reblex Photography Arriving in Bucklands ahead of schedule took pressure off and gave us wiggle room. However, Bucklands wasn't the place to cash in those credits. I'd rather get within spitting distance of the gate before throttling back. Things could still go wrong and I didn't want to rue wasted time in Bucklands if I was a few minutes late for the gate. Getting through support stations quickly is key to moving down the trail efficiently. Henry's assertion that he and Pieter are able to ride quicker is not without merit but by getting to Bucklands 50 minutes faster than[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 8: Toekomst to Bucklands
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 23, 2021 | 14:17 pm
Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex Photography Toekomst to Bucklands is a dozen pedal strokes shy of 100 kilometres. The intermediate target was Kleinpoort 30 kilometres short of Bucklands. Kleinpoort is a settlement that exists for no obvious reason. It's most prominent feature is the Kleinpoort Padstal that serves as a halfway stop for travellers driving the R75 between Uitenhage and Jansenville. Arrive during the day and you can get something to eat and drink. If a good fry up is your thing the Kleinpoort Special breakfast will tick that box. For later in the day the menu offers an array of toasted sandwiches[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 7: Toekomst Ponderings
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 21, 2021 | 19:03 pm
Llewellyn Lloyd -Reblex PhotographyThis time the support station was the Toekomst farmhouse rather than the lodge. I've only been to the lodge once and it was a fleeting visit. I arrived well after dark on a cold winters night to find a car sized fireplace ablaze and a number of riders luxuriating in its warm embrace. It was tempting but I had my mind set on moving through to Bucklands overnight and on to Cambria the following evening. I replenished my bottles, grabbed some food and left the lodge. I pedalled less than a kilometre and sat on the ground to[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 6: Pearston to Toekomst
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 21, 2021 | 09:20 am
Llewellyn Lloyd - Reblex PhotographyThe ride from Pearston to Toekomst on the banks of the Darlington dam is 80km. The first half, along district roads, was undemanding and was knocked off in just over 2 hours. The only minor hitch was when Roger started cramping which meant I had to ride on ahead all by myself while he suffered through the leg spasms. As I made my way up the rocky ridge behind the Karoopoort farmhouse I saw Roger had recovered and was weaving through the outbuildings a short distance behind. From Karoopoort to the main entrance gate of Koedoeskop, which is[…]
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Race to Willowmore 2021 - Part 5: Pressing Pause in Pearston
Adventures of an Ordinary Cyclist Apr 19, 2021 | 18:06 pm
The last time I was at the Pearston Hotel the vibe was very different. Last year I arrived well after dark. After knocking on what I assumed to be the main entrance I was directed to another door a few metres further down the veranda. Keys turned and door bolts clattered and the outer door swung open. If memory serves I entered through some batwing doors (saloon style swing doors) and found myself in a bar that was rocking. There was music blaring and the TV screen was playing something completely unrelated to the sound emanating from what seemed every[…]
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