Ngabe isithuthuthu sebhayisikili singaguqulwa sibe yi-E-biking ohambweni eKapa?

I ngikuvume - Ngiyisidlakela sebhayisikili. Ama-joyriders eqiniso-wesimo sezulu, yidla udaka lwami. Ngihambe ngebhayisikili ngedwa maphakathi nomhlaba wonke, nginetende nesikhwama sokulala kuphela, ngidonse ama-pannier kanye ne-trailer phezu kwamaRockies, ama-Alps nakuyo yonke indawo yase-Arctic. Ekugibeleni usuku olubi kakhulu ebusika, ngithola injabulo enkulu emehlweni amathole ami kanye ne-quadriceps egcwele i-lactic acid.

Ngenkathi ngingakafinyeleli kahle kuMamil (indoda eneminyaka emaphakathi e-Lycra) emi nje kepha - awungeke ungithole ngilinganisela emzimbeni we-carbon-fiber oyisamba esingu- £ 10,000 endaweni yamalambu izivakashi zasempumalanga yeLondon - ngebhayisikili, kimi, kufanele ikhombise ukukhathazeka kabuhlungu, amahora ambalwa ubuncane be. Ngakho-ke cabanga ngovalo lwami olumangele ekuqaleni kohambo lwamabhayisikili e-e-bike olungamakhilomitha angama-20 ngaphandle nje kweKapa, ​​lapho nje benginganikezwa ngehhashi lesitayela laseDashi elinebhande elikhulu, eliyisidididi, izibambo ezibanzi ezenza amabhuleki e-lever avundlile ne-throttle exhunywe kakhulu njengebhethri elinesisindo.

“Qala ngegiya lokuqala futhi uzoba nohambo olumnandi, oluncane,” kusho imininingwane yami, uSele, ngenkathi ngishaya isivikelo selanga esiqeshini ngasinye senyama engamboziwe, ngaphambi kokubopha isigqoko sokuzivikela. "Dlulisela egiyeni lesihlanu," eqhubeka, emamatheka. “Futhi uzophapha!”

I-e-bike craze ikhuphuke ngokushesha isuka kubantu abambalwa abazinikele ku-eccentric eminyakeni eyishumi noma edlule, kuya ebhizinisini lamazwe omhlaba elingama- £ 15 billion. Ngaphakathi e-UK, amabhayisikili kagesi angama-60,000 empeleni athengwa minyaka yonke, kepha ngaphakathi kweNetherlands ekhathazeka kakhulu ngamabhayisikili, lelo nani limi ngaphezu kuka-400,000 - okukhombisa amaphesenti angama-68 akho konke ukuthengisa okuphelele kwebhayisikili. Yize ngangikade nginqabana nesilingo sokuhamba ngithathwa njengalezi “zamabhayisikili okukopela” kwenye indawo, kodwa ngiyavuma, ubuchwepheshe babuthokozisa masinyane, noma ngabe buyabucindezela ubuthakathaka.

Ngenkathi iqembu lami elinabantu abayisishiyagalombili liqhamuka ngaphandle kwedolobha elisogwini lolwandle lwaseKommetjie, i-asphalt eshisayo ibhakwe ngaphakathi kwemfudumalo eshubile. I-eddying South Atlantic yayicwebezela ngakho-ke ilimaza amehlo ami ukuyibuka ngqo - ngisho nangama-sun shades. Uma kunokuthile, bekuzwakala sengathi bengivame ukushintsha ngokushesha okukhulu, kepha-ke, uma nginikezwa ngamagiya eyodwa kuya ku-5, bekulingwa kakhulu ukuhamba ngomsindo ophelele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umzimba nengqondo yami bekulokhu kunzima ukuthola. Bengihlala ebhayisekilini, ngihamba nge-15-20mph ngincisha imfudumalo yaseNingizimu Afrika, kepha ngikhipha iglobhu elilodwa lomjuluko.

Indawo emangalisayo ohambweni lwe-e-biking

Kumamayela ayishumi okuqala, izinkomba ezinkulu zomgwaqo bezixwayise "ngezilwane eziyingozi zaseWILD" - futhi bengizibamba njengehaba. Kodwa-ke ngemuva kokuthi sifike emasangweni eCape Level Nationwide Park, sasihlangane nezinyamazane ezengeziwe kuneHomo sapiens. Ibutho lezimfene ze-bolshie chacma laliphanga limatasa phakathi kwemigqomo nemiphakathi yomphakathi jikelele. "Uyakwazi ukuvala iwindi lama-cubicle?" kumemeza ipaki livumela umthengisi, kusukela ekuphepheni kwekhiyoski lakhe. Kodwa-ke bekungekho ndlela yokuthi mina, noma omunye umuntu eqenjini lami, sibe nesibindi esanele sokubabamba.

Omama nezinsana ezi-2 noma ezi-80 bebebahle ngokungenakuphikwa, kepha owesilisa we-alpha kuzodingeka ukuthi abe nesisindo samakhilogremu angama-XNUMX asabekayo futhi abe noqweqwe lwe-canine njengokhetho lweqhwa. “Eminyakeni embalwa edlule bengidinga ukushaya imfene ngesibhakela ebesizongihlasela,” kusho uSele. "Kodwa-ke uma nje ungahambi ngebhayisikili ngesandla sakho, udinga ukuphepha kahle."

Sasingenayo intukuthelo yokulwa - futhi ngenhlanhla amabhayisikili ethu ayephethe ibhethri elinamandla webhethri. Kodwa-ke ilanga belishisa kakhulu kunakuqala kunalokho ngangine-T-shirt neckline eshiswe yilanga eyayingaphekiwe koxhumana naye. Bengihlala ngiphelelwa yithemba lokufika entanjeni eCape of Good Hope. Kodwa-ke esikhundleni somdlalo wokugcina wokunqoba - BANG! - ithayi lami futhi lakhishwa lahlala phansi futhi aliphili ngokushesha okukhulu.

Ibhethri lami belikhokhiswa ngokuphelele, kepha bekungubuchwepheshe obudlule obebungiphoxile. Ngixhuge ibanga lokugcina ngezinyawo kunamasondo amabili, ngizwa u-Eddie ukhozi ethe xaxa kunoChris Froome.