"I love nothing more than riding past motorists stuck in traffic with a slight grin on my face" says Dane Walsh of Somerest West.
A competitive cyclist who works as a Project Manager for a software development company in Stellenbosch, Dane is also a very good writer as is evident by his blog: http://www.velotales.com/
Dane was kind enough to run us through his daily MTB commute in the beautiful Helderberg region.
"The distance between home and work is 17 kilometres on the road. 40 minutes by car, 32 minutes by road bike on a good day. On the mountain bike, I have no idea as to the distance, but can take anything from 1 to 2 hours depending on the route and how adventurous I am feeling (or how unkeen I am for work). Apart from the bit in Somerset West, most of the route can be ridden off road, through vineyards and farmland. Nothing particularly technical, but if I need to get a bit of a single track fix, a not so short detour via Eden is an option too."
A great way to start the day.
A perennial top ten finisher at the 230km Trans Baviaans MTB Enduro, Dane combines this commute with his daily training.
"I'll ride to work, and then on the way home do the training that is required, or vice verse. I feel quite bad driving to work, driving home, and then getting on my bike to go for a ride. Doing my bit for the planet. And it gives me more time to be on the bike, just riding and having fun."
This diverse commute is not without it's interesting characters and wildlife of course.
"The traffic has got to such a state that it is faster for me to ride to work on the road bike than to drive to work (South Easter permitting). I also get to work in a better mood.
How can you not be in a good mood after commuting through this?
"On the mountain bike, through the farmlands I have a very special training partner - much like Eddie from the movie "American Flyers", but without the pedigree. He doesn't have a name, and is simply known as "The Dog", but there is nothing like a 1 minute anaerobic sprint up a hill with a dog chasing you to get the heart going. The faster I go, the faster "The Dog" goes, which is great when riding with friends. Tell them that he bites, and they race past with him in pursuit, leaving me to carry on at a gentle pace.
