Off to Mossel Bay, back on the ocean

November 11, 2025

Today is November 11 ie Remembrance Day. While I am not at home nor at a ceremony I have not forgotten those who shall not grow old.

Today we rode out of the desert back to the ocean and Mossel Bay. It was a long and hilly ride made worse by a very strong headwind. We crossed the mountains over Robinson pass at 860m/2840’ of elevation. The worst thing to drain an e-bike battery is wind. We only have small batteries and despite only use eco and turning it off as much as possible I could only get 40km out of it. Fortunately there was a spare to get me up and over the pass. Those on push bikes worked very hard today.

The Robinson Pass cuts through the Ruiterbos Valley, linking Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn. Like many of the other myriad passes in this beautiful part of the world, it too began as a bridal path over the Outeniqua Mountains, adapted by Thomas Bain as one of the 26 passes he was to build, tarred later during the 1950s.

There were some amazing cloud formations over the mountains as well.

The route and profile for today. We drove into Mossel Bay rather than ride due to traffic.

We rode out of the ostrich farming region but this beauty and had to take his photo. There is a female sitting likely on an egg in the corner of the photo. I put a video on Facebook of the ostriches running in the yard.

This lovely church was out in the middle of nowhere. Stopped near was a road cycle group of Canadians riding with the Magic Places tour company that is out of Victoria

With the strong headwind some drafting was the order of the day.

Stefa and Karley fighting the wind to the pass. Amazing cloud forming the distance.

We had some gravel after lunch and I came across this tortuous. You would never have seen it flying by in a car or on a tarmac road.

Today's ride: 85 km (53 miles)
Total: 484 km (301 miles)

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