Ain’t no mountain high enough for passionate cyclist
Durban - No mountain is ever high enough for a Margate man who organises Saturday morning mountain bike rides in Uvongo and on neighbourhood farms.
Siyabonga Mpofana is driven by his belief in living a healthy lifestyle, the joy of being out in nature and seeing families joining in healthy activities together.
Mpofana, who lives in Lamont, said even though the number of participants has decreased since the Covid outbreak, residents from around Margate were still taking part in mountain biking.
“The number is not the same ‒ we now average 15 riders, depending on the day,” said Mpofana.
He said his motivation for riding was to keep a healthy lifestyle and admire nature.
“I get to enjoy the serene scenery and the beauty of having families riding together,” he said. “I work at a bicycle shop, so riding is part of my job ‒ we service, sell, rent bikes and do cycling tours,” said Mpofana.
He said the rides attract people from all walks of life and there is no age limit, as long as a person is fit to ride.
He said he rode every day, some journeys of 15km and others more than 100km.
“Rides are usually from Dura Cycles (every Saturday at 6am) to the neighbourhood farms and around residential areas. Sometimes we ride along the coastline to Transkei,” said Mpofana.
He said people could test their saddle-readiness by hiring rental bikes from the shop before buying their own.
Mpofana said he started mountain biking in 2004 and had been enjoying it with his family ever since.
He said biking is not without “challenges”, including “bad weather and different terrains.
“Up-hills are not really enjoyable but it’s always nice once we get to the top,” said Mpofana.
Independent on Saturday