Riding Through the Remote Karoo - Our First Crash & Major Struggles S1EP31

[@Thebabsdt]

Cissey, I love that in 40 episodes you have gone from a novice rider to a very confident one, despite your fall, you are doing fantastically. That thick sand is extremely difficult!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much! Every day is a learning day and how better to learn than on an adventure! :) Still lots to learn but having fun!

[@mzuribikes2499]

Well done. I did that route backwards with a BMW 1250 Gsa . Exciting indeed. Luckily I was with a group & a great leader, the general advice was " if in doubt, accelerate" . Saved my bacon plenty of times. I felt your pain when you were laying sideways or paddling. So, your worst days will always be remembered as your best day. But please remember . Water is life.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! It was a learning day that’s for sure! That accelerating worked for me (Cissy) in the beginning but I lost the confidence after the fall and my body stiffened every time afterwards so we started the paddling… we will get there someday. But as we don’t have a home base and do this permanently we can’t afford to get injured or to break the bikes. So we take extra care and rather take the save way through.

[@ruthlesstrades2184]

With lots of dirt riding practice you guys will get the hang of it! Some advice I'd give you is to bang up a gear or two- 1st gear makes sand more difficult, especially in the soft stuff. Don't fight the bike if it wants to move around a bit, just throttle up and use your body as a counterweight to keep balance. There's a lot more I could say but those two things will help you out for now. Keep up the good work!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Hi yes practice makes perfect. Thank you for the advice 😁 we will keep it in mind next time we hit the sand. 💪

[@wilnaswarts1960]

Cissy, glad you did not hurt yourself too bad. Well done for getting up and keep going. You are an amazing team. Love watching your videos.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much! Team work makes the dream work 🤣 such a cheesy saying but it is true! Especially on days like this!

[@DW-hk2bx]

Can only imagine the frustration you went through on this particular day... Hat off to you both! Brilliantly done!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much! We tried our best but that sand was really to much for us! We need a lot more sand riding experience! But teamwork and a sense of humor made it easier. Thank you for your support and riding along on our adventures!

[@maxrennie9931]

Well done guys.Not easy.Youre doing well. Can only get better.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much!

[@DirtbikesNDirtRoads]

Came across your channel, love it! The best way to live life, out on the open roads! Nice guys! keep it up

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Hi! And welcome to the channel! We happy you found us and enjoy the adventures with us. Thank you for being here! 😁

[@christinegreen7120]

Stand up, look up and open up!!! Good effort both of you. Easy for me to say sitting here in Australia!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you 😊 We still really struggle with sand, it’s a mind game! We know the theory but actually doing it is a complete different thing.

[@bigboysmeskii8248]

Keep on riding. Prefection came after .

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! We wont stop riding. Love it!

[@peterkemp5074]

Well done guys team work is dream work

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! Yes TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!!! LETS GOOOOO!!!

[@scheun2]

Love the videos. Did this same road a couple of years back. Sand wasn't nearly as bad back then.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much! Whoop that was a sandy sandy road!! But it sure is a day we won't forget!

[@kokkiematematika1931]

I had an 'identical' fall on the R355 in 2021. Dammm that, not to thick sand lures you into picking up speed until whalla 'rider down' I still struggle much with sand.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Yes its what do everybody say “stand up, lean back, trottle out” haha easy said but does not always work. 🤣 sometimes its just better to slow down and drop the ego. Walk the sand and get to the other side in one piece. 👍😁

[@paulbooysen9345]

Well done.....and that's adventure riding....

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you, haha this was an wild day 🤣

[@brendanodonnell2148]

Lean back as far as you can and get the front wheel just skimming the road (get the weight off the from wheel). And when you get confidence you can go faster. And look up, not at the road. When it gets a wobble don't back off - keep in the power band. Cheers

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you for the tips. 👍

[@christianellis3651]

Respect

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you!

[@darrylcoomer1539]

Every day is a learning experience!!! well done both of you!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! Yes some days are just a harder lesson than others but all fun and games!

[@nawiribrahim]

Good you had no injuries. 390s don't crush well. The rear brake lever is a weak point. Seems like yours did not suffer

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Yes Cissy was very lucky too not get injured. Lucky it was in the soft sand. The 390 Adv actually did very well with the falls and only had the one plastic broke. We have not had any issues with the bikes at all, we do think that the bags helped a lot to soften the impact on the bike.

[@rickhughes811]

well done guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! keep on going no matter how difficult Have you heard of Adventure riding Muppets also SA based they ride sand for fun when not getting burried or going over the bars..............

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! Yes its part of it cant complain when you have a hard day in the office! 🤣🤣🤣 yes have heard of them and watched there videos. Bunch of “Muppets” 🤣🤣🤣 playing in the sand! Haha!

[@RudixSA]

With time and experience riding in the sand will get easier, I used to hate it but after a while I started enjoying it and now go out of my way to find it! Well done on not giving up, looking forward to your next ride.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much, we think it will take a while before we "love" sand. But we do like the challenge.

[@benniegerber9526]

Hectic, that gravel or should I say SAND road was tough. Cissy well done on getting back on the bike and to keep going. Well done guys 🎉glad you both survived the Karoo

[@thetravelingtortoises]

It was not an easy day in the office but it was an adventure! Thank you so much. We where very happy when we got a shower food and drinks and a good nights rest. 🤣

[@brucekendall52]

Well done on hanging in there.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! 😁 was a long day!

[@DaveBarber-j5e]

Next time get off the track in the veld. Usually quite harder. I was there in the Karoo late last year.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

We will try that next time if we get into a situation like that 😁

[@marinusdupreez7151]

Nice job. Glad both are ok. Karoo at its best.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you, yes the Karoo is not for sissies! Die is leeu wereld! 🦁

[@francoisputter7018]

Good going guys.. I hate sand and avoid it like the plague.. (where I can). Hope Cissy is not too bruised up there. Keep on going.. You will have good and not so good days. That what makes the adventure..

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much! Cissy is ok thank you, a warm shower, good food and enough water and a good nights reat sorted it all out. For sure! Its an adventure all the way even the hard days we still love it! 😁👍

[@markusdippenaar331]

Great days riding much learned and a great story to tell .

[@thetravelingtortoises]

It was one we wont forget easy.

[@traveling_bushbaby]

Looks familiar. I think I had the same problem on the exact same road, went down 4 times in one day.....Was happy to get to Prince Albert after that.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Haha! It is not an easy road. But it is part of the adventure. Hope you did not hurt yourself or your bike? Yes we where also very glad when we reached a place to stay and food and water 🤣

[@TheSilmarallion]

Werner next time push the bike over onto its side the wheel will come out of the hole. Literally 5 seconds later you do it.. LOL

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Haha! Its that feeling of putting your bike on the ground and dragging it… i really did not want to do it… why we tried the hard way first. 🤣 but in the end it had to be done.

[@TheSilmarallion]

@@thetravelingtortoises Yes I know that sound of the bike is not pleasant....

[@dougster2k]

oooof that first fall looks like it knocked the wind out of you, glad you're ok; so much harder in the sand loaded up; I've just moved onto an 890 and found deep fine sand a challenge compared to previous smaller bikes, I'm going to invest in a scotts damper, pricey but might save a broken bike or a broken limb, hope you find some more favourable surfaces for the remainder of your journey, all the best

[@thetravelingtortoises]

It was a hard fall, but Cissy luckily is fine. Had a little bit of a stiff shoulder but a warm shower and good nights rest sorted it out. Yes loaded bikes is a mission in these fine soft deep sand, not much fun. I would love to get a Scotts damper for my 890 but a bit to pricey at the moment. Will just do the duck walk for now 🤣🤣🤣 hope you enjoy your 890! And thank you for the support!

[@johannesvanderwesthuizen9962]

Ons het ook daardie pad gery. Glad nie n maklike pad nie. n Man met sy vrou agterop het ook geval en sy het haar knie legmente geskeur. Ons het by die T regs gegaan en toe N1 toe gery. Kan dink hoe uitpunttent dit in 40 grade moes wees. Dit is maar hoe mens leer. Geniet julle videos.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you! Glad we are not the only ones that found it a difficult road! Sorry to hear someone actually got injured there. I think we did the same road as you, we also went to the N1 in the end. Glad you enjoy the videos :D

[@philipleroux]

Glad to see everyone got out safely. I wanted to say "in one piece", but mouse :(… As they say, all the gear, all the time and it's not "if I fall", it's "when I fall". Though it doesn't seem like it, the gear helped a lot there.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Hi Philip! I am sure the gear helped alot. You cant really see how far she went over the bars. But she went a couple of meters. It was a hrad fall but the gear did help for sure. We all fall and dres for the fall not the ride. 👍

[@SolarEclipse777]

What tyre pressures were you running in the sand?

[@thetravelingtortoises]

We dropped the tire pressures down, but on this road it did not matter. The bikes are heavy and heavily loaded. We also heard later on that this road is in the worst state it has ever been. Sounds like the road got extremely damaged by floods, creating a lot of ruts under the thick sand that you don't see. The sand is super soft and thick so the tires runs into it hitting ruts. It was just a mess and our lack of sand riding experience did not help. But hey it was still fun and games and its an adventure! :)

[@peterkoning21]

I stay on the Karoo and I have to ride gravel roads to get anywhere....on my 1000cc road bike ! Not fun !

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Wow! We would not like to do those sandy roads on a road bike... Gravel roads are fine but not those sandy roads they are very hard.

[@kokkiematematika1931]

I hear you say that you went to slow... 🤔🤔🤔

[@frikkiekruger6814]

Dit was ʼn harde val. Maar mens moet darem in los sand val. Ek het op my eerste los sand geval. 😂 Cissy het darem langer uitgehou.

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Ja nee kyk ons almal val maar een of ander tyd. Cissy het nogals mooi deur die lug gevlieg op die een. Maar gelukkag nie seer gekry nie. 😁👍

[@wravenant]

How many kilometers did you ride on this day?

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Hi Willem, we ended up with something like 130-150 km the offroad was about 80-100km of that.

[@wravenant]

@@thetravelingtortoises I have many routes in the Karoo as I use it for rally training, let me know if you guys are ever short of places to go ride. Where are you headed next?

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Thank you so much Willem, as long as its not this SANDY! 🤣 we need a break after that from the sand. We have a bunch of routes planned atm but if or when we tun out will def ask for some routes from you. 😁👍

[@roarman75]

Ahhh yes. I know that road very well. It looked very sandy for you. Normally when I ride it, it’s less sandy. Glad you arrived safely in Laingsburg. Enjoy!!!

[@thetravelingtortoises]

It was a sand pit play ground for plastics! 🤣 heard from the guys from Wild Dogs that the road is now in its worst state ever. After the floods / heavy rain they put a lot of sand on the road. I think all those security cameras on the road with the deep sand is the Katoos Funniest Home Videos now 🤣🤣🤣

[@garthwaters5756]

im sure after all this you will ace your test , bet you guys were out cold after a shower and feed lol

[@thetravelingtortoises]

Two dead bodies! 🤣 lucky we could have had a shower! Or it would have smelled like two dead bodies aswell! It was a rought day! 🤣