Dear Oupa Gerrit. Thank you for your message. I have given this a lot of thought before replying as there is so much to consider. But let me take all of you back to the beginning.
Seven and a half years ago, Thursia and I started the first organised night rides in Gauteng. You can ask Pierre Oosthuizen, aka DIRTRIDER, that then people were captive to their fears. What, Ride at Night? Here in Gauteng? Are you mad? its too dangerous! Were some of the responses he got when he initially asked folks. That is probably why he is one of the few Riders that was there from the start on that inaugural night April 1st, 2005. The culture of the rides settled pretty quick. It is not about a “shop” ride / training ride.. it is about having fun and looking out for each other with safety being the main concern. One and fortunately the only frightful highjacking attempt ensured that we never wain on this. And the focus is always more towards the whole group rather than some ego trip racing snake coming to tell you that his heartrate has just dropped below blah blah… lol… In the early days we were fortunate to have great volunteers that helped build the night rides to what it would become. DirtRider as I said was there from the beginning, Justing Schefferman aka the Punisher, was a great TrailMeister before he and his family relocated to Australia. We had Donald, aka DeeKayotic, and Gordon aka FLASH Gordon as great parts of the group who were always keen to help out leading and sweeping rides. Those were crazy good years, and part of the Magic of Dark and Dirty is that you never had to book your ride, etc. Just pitch up and ride if you can make it… This really works well because we know how crazy Gauteng life can be. Full of challenges. The main thing is, that even if you rode with the group a year ago, you could come back and know what to expect. A social fun ride with some gnarly trails where the leader and sweeper looked after the group. The group of riders changes all the time with new faces coming and going. We had various legends in mountain biking and adventure racing come and ride with us. Rides would become more popular in the winter as people has less “daylight” to train alone. And at that stage there were very few events that required riding your bike at night. The Sabie Shenanigan. Trans Baviaans and Noon to moon, with longer adventure racing always having the through the night rides/navigation. Now there is a thing about our society and social groups. There are few that see the value of something and what it is all about and are able to give back. There are many who are only able to pop in and get “their” weekly fix and pop out. Peoples participation is what makes it happen. While it is easy to just be a part of the fun and to let everyone else make sure it happens… the problem is that the “few” eventually also need to move on and are faced with different challenges in their lives. Then we get to the point where we have no one there to lead the ride, and around 2008 I am forced to ask some keen newbies “shop riders” to lead. With good intentions they do, however they are unable to shake their shop ride culture and people start asking what happened. They could always “trust” Dark and Dirty night rides… now people are being left in the veld alone… rides have just become speed and distance… D&D was never about race culture. It will only be a matter of time before something bad happens to someone out there… On considering all this, and understanding that the strength of the group is the people themselves.. we had to consider that perhaps this was the end of “Dark and Dirty” and perhaps shop ride, all about racing is what the community wanted. Fortunately for people like Carine and Jacques and Oupa Gerrit. The group re-defined itself as the social, look after riders and have fun “free” riding culture that it has always been about. We were fortunate to have some great Trailmeisters emerge, looking after the nightly crew. Oupa Gerrit, still a Legend J, Eric aka Gadget, Jacques aka “The Mummy” and Nico “the Stealth” who were a fantastic group of guys volunteering their time and effort to make sure the rides happened and had someone to lead. For a good few years people knew they could just, without fear, pitch up when they were able to and enjoy the legendary Dark and Dirty rides we have all grown to love. Unfortunately, as life, time and other challenges happen, eventually these awesome riders too have to take some time off… So where does that leave us now… well let me be clear. We live in such a Pay as you Go society. I have paid my entry to the race/park therefore I deserve my ride and and and… while this is good and has its place. Unfortunately when this becomes the norm, one of the greatest strengths of Human beings has just been bought out. The strength of community. When last have you done something, which cost you time and commitment, where you haven’t carefully calculated how much you stand to gain from it? When last have you thought, well, I like what is going on here. And I would like to help as part of a community keep the momentum going. What part can I play? Being fully aware that it is completely voluntary and some will appreciate your efforts, other will only critise in their corners about how they think it should happen. As Dark and Dirty Trailmeisters, you get nothing but the absolute treasure of riding with some fantastic people around. (which is what you will still get even if you don’t lead) but your effort will go into keeping these oppurtunities of great experiences evolving and available to those like you, and at the end of a nights ride, the laughter and memories building the soul. Many people and businesses have come to Thursia and I with various business proposals and ideas on how much money we could make off Dark and Dirty. We have not sold out. Go look, there are no “sponsers” driving this community or on our webpage. We are not punting products and someone’s profit margin. We are Dark and Dirty, which is free and in excess of human spirit and great character which is NOT for sale. We have been published in the pages of the countries leading cycle magazines. We have been filmed and aired on television. We have had so many different riders join us, that a few years ago DirtRider commented that you would need to book out Loftus If you wanted all the people who have ridden a D&D in one place. And now, after seven and a half years we are at a new chapter again. Oupa Gerrit is calling for anyone out there who is willing to commit to this cause, to make it happen. Just being there for the ride, is an important part of making the rides happen. Being able to lead rides is important in being able to enjoy these rides for years to come. You are your community and your actions define your quality of life and experience. And as a mountain biker, I trust that there will always be something about you, untamed and free from the “sell-out” society. It has truly been an honour to ride with ALL of you over the years. Sometimes we write history in our stories and ride reports. Sometimes we write history in the very core of our actions. See you on Thursday. hardy On 23 August 2012 21:05, Gerrit van Niekerk <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > > > This is the ride report of the ride that was not. For only one rider even > the urban bash is not advisable. > > That was the report; now the question: Are you still interested in the D&D > rides? And if so how often and how far? > Going on the last few months it seems that the Intro ride is reasonably > popular and attended well. The rest don't happen or end up in urban rides > because of the small number of riders. > > Please don't feel attacked; that is not the purpose of this message, but > please give your honest feeling about the rides. Since Hardy's work has > been preventing him to lead every week, I have tried to keep things alive > just because I enjoy it so much, but if it is not working then let it be... > > Oupa Gert. > > __._,_.___ > Reply to > sender<[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Dark%20and%20Dirty%2C%20quo%20vadis%3F>| > Reply > to > group<[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Dark%20and%20Dirty%2C%20quo%20vadis%3F>| > Reply > via web > post<http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/darkanddirtymtb/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxczk0dThlBF9TAzk3NDkwNTA1BGdycElkAzE0NjU4ODM0BGdycHNwSWQDMTY5MDE2MjM5NgRtc2dJZAMzMjgzBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM0NTc0ODcyOA--?act=reply&messageNum=3283>| > Start > a new > topic<http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/darkanddirtymtb/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdmhjNDFvBF9TAzk3NDkwNTA1BGdycElkAzE0NjU4ODM0BGdycHNwSWQDMTY5MDE2MjM5NgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzNDU3NDg3Mjg-> > Messages in this > topic<http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/darkanddirtymtb/message/3283;_ylc=X3oDMTM1YzhlMWwyBF9TAzk3NDkwNTA1BGdycElkAzE0NjU4ODM0BGdycHNwSWQDMTY5MDE2MjM5NgRtc2dJZAMzMjgzBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM0NTc0ODcyOAR0cGNJZAMzMjgz>( > 1) > Recent Activity: > > > Visit Your > Group<http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/darkanddirtymtb;_ylc=X3oDMTJmMmZuaG1mBF9TAzk3NDkwNTA1BGdycElkAzE0NjU4ODM0BGdycHNwSWQDMTY5MDE2MjM5NgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzNDU3NDg3Mjg-> > ********* > "Success is not the key to happiness. 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