BIKING GERIATRICITY IN THE GARDENROOT

We all living longer nowdays, I told Priscilla. Important, for us old Toppies.

- Jan Minaar

Medical care, better food, more health consciousness. Yes, and also bikers. Biking sharpens the senses, quickens the reflexes, builds stamina and enhances joie de vivre – same as your herbal concoctions do, Priscilla. And the good vibrations from riding older bikes keeps the blood circulating in us ...err, more mature riders. And biking is cheaper than psychiatry. Old bikers dont fade away, or pitch off their barstools. They just keep on riding, blerry riding.

Let me tell you about it. You all know our Garden Root crowd is an senior, tough, hard-riding bunch. Incredibly experienced, hard as nails, and all got true grit. Had our annual blow out celebration at the quaint and historic Totties [shaddup Priscilla] Farm Kitchen Eatery and Pub on the Rheenendal Road. But on the designated day the rain poured down in buckets. Undeterred, forty-odd (some very odd) brave members and true turned out. In their cars, including yours truly. Our crowd does condone cars at events due to our ...err, seniority. But one oke rode the deluge to Totties on his motorbike. The incomparable Paul Tops. Parked his dripping Africa Twin in Totties’ entrance and left a watery trail all the way to the banquet table. Paul first distinguished himself back in 1967 by doing a transcontinental trip crossing the jungles and deserts of Africa and into Europe. Not on a scrambler or even one of the ‘streetscramblers’ of the day, but on the über smooth autobahn cruiser Earles Fork 600cc R69S BMW. From Capetown to The Hague in Holland. And back. On his own. Currently in his mid-seventies and incredibly fit, Paul still rides heavy off road both here in RSA and up in the desert. Clearly Paul’s passion for two-wheel adventure riding keeps him young. Awesome.