Photograph: Back in Gauteng after North West

A theme of this adventure, more-or-less along the route of the inaugural Tour of South Africa, is that the best luxury is a light pack. I kitted Mellow Yellow with only one set of rear wheel panniers. The left-hand bag contained my sleeping bag and a pocket holder held my cellphone charger, a double adapter, a small shifting spanner, a spoon for both eating and for changing tyres, my digital camera and spare pens. The right-hand bag contained my scant clothing: socks, T-shirts, a track suit top, underpants and shorts, plus plastic containers with emergency food in the form of Pronutro. In one plastic container was washing powder. There was just enough room in the pannier for a couple of spare tubes. Its pocket holder had in it my soap, toothpaste, toothbrush and my cholesterol pills.

Strapped across the back, inside a plastic bag, was my notebook. Tied up by straps in various positions on the panniers were plastic cool drink bottles enjoying a second life as water containers.

Half-litre Fanta bottles were handy in that they have a curly shape with a narrow neck between two thicker bulges that are easy to squeeze between the body of the pannier and the straps.

I kept my valuables – identity document, driver’s licence, money and ATM card – in my pocket.

To enjoy this luxury of traveling light it’s essential to wash clothes as often as possible, which is a challenge when you arrive at your destination with one thing in mind: collapsing into a deep sleep!

COMMENT: Are expensive frills that necessary?

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An uphill pass greeted me early in the morning after I left Weaver’s Roost. So did a flat tyre on my rear wheel, followed by a slow leak in the next tube. And another flat.

Things weren’t looking good. Was I just too heavy? I wondered.

I was condemned to pushing Mellow Yellow up another big hill, into Krugersdorp where the Muslim-owned cycling shop was closed for Friday prayers.

I waited on the pavement with my wounded bike but it wasn’t an unpleasant nor frustrating wait. I had reason to phone my friend and colleague Jenni who grew up in Krugersdorp.

“Jen,” I said. “You come from a town where people are well mannered. Every passing kid greets me ‘Middag, Oom’.”

The shop owner assured me that my rear tyre problem was not the result of my being overweight and he suggested I try a thicker tube, which his staff put on. That put an end to my puncture problems for the rest of my journey.

I called it a day on the Gauteng/North West stage of more-or-less following the route of the inaugural Tour of South Africa and summoned Dave from Johannesburg to fetch me in my little bakkie.

COMMENT: How does it make you feel when people are well mannered?