RAS KOFI
JOURNEY TO NEGRIL - 2005.
Friday night October 14, 2005, 9:30p.m. Blacks and I went to check 123 to get bike chain & brake rubber, got de rubber but no chain, had a chat wit 3’s. I have to go wid de old chain cause he had no new ones to fit me, the old one has over 4000mls so wat, Jah bless I. Some other guys came by, more bike talk, you can spen a lot of time at 3’s yard jus talking bicycle. Is like a meet place for BIKEHEADS. He’s de local Commondale, oops Cannondale dealer. Him jus need a likkle juice bar, some hammocks, a shower, & yuh don’t have to go home. Anyway, I gone home to mek a last check on my bike.
11:30p.m. called Adams check wey im a do. Called Blacks an him nuh sound 100% but him will tek on de ride. Doc Aitken ready , mi ready , but de weather look bad wid rain in the forecast and having butterflies in mi stomach. Wid 4900 miles unda mi pedal in six months, I am very ready. Well anyway, 4:30a.m. Saturday morning an rain a fall, Jamie (mi son & support driver/camera man) still asleep. Call Doc Aitken , him sey boy it look rough cause nuff rain and him tink him a go drive, call Adams him sey him ready. Call Burger, him sey him, Detroit & Palmer ready an in de van, so mi tell him fi come pick up mi bike an tek it to Molynes Road/Boulevard where de ride start. 5:20a.m. Caan mek likkle rain stop my ride after training for so long. Jamie taking me to de start of de ride. Nuff rain, road surface clean. 5:40a.m. about 30 riders at de starting point Molynes Road / Boulevard, rain still a fall. Well, all a have is mi cell phone ina plastic bag, couple candy bars, fit legs, belly full an ready to go. The support crew who consist of Jamie & de Crew (him madda - Grace-Ann, him fren - Joelle, him girl - Sophia & Putus - di baby.) was still at home. Afew rider were milling around making last minute checks, Adams not yet in sight, no Doc Aitken, my bike is here Burger had it. Jamie was to drive one of Adams vehicle but in de mix-up dat did not work out. Anyway 6:00a.m. and first group left from 5:00a.m. Leeford, Peter, Abdul, the Hussey’s , yes Mr. Hussey 70years old. NUFF RESPECT . For him kick nuff young ass. So here we go 6:10a.m. an we are off, boy de road still wet. We cruising by Ferry 16 - 17mph, not bad but dis is going to mek mi fall asleep. By di way dis is my first Negril Ride but don’t get me wrong, wit about 39yrs riding and 4900 miles since April, I have been to many Negrils. Well dis is a long ride, so dis is a long story, zeen. Where was I yes, Ferry. By now I was ready to wake up cause I was falling asleep, so I start to make my way to de front. The group was now riding two abreast, and now numbered about 40, pass some of my regulars, Billy - him sey if a trim a will go faster. Pass Ranger & Snake-Man, hail dem, Van Dam & Bobo, Robert, Mark Wong, Dr. Calder & Patrick Chin. There were a few female riders, Rachel was doing her ting. Up near de front a si a team, dem look like dem come off di Tour de France. Well dem is not French, dem is Trini an boy dem gears look good, a wonder if dem good. Well wi doing 18mph, an wi reach White Marl - Lasco Factory. A fall in behind de Trini’s, scope dem out, mout drool a bit, hail a few guys an we reach Husey Marti round-a-bout. Swing round one ratid trench across de road ina de bend. On de by-pass, a cannot tek de pace anymore, too slow. So a do my own ting, up front 22mph, let’s see if anyone crazy like me. Burger in him van, shout to me sey mi mus wait pon de group. A sey boy a gone, a have something to prove, one stop or no stop. So here I am in Innswood and a decide to look ova mi shoulder, well is me alone, one madman. Old Harbour town busy, nuff people a hail de ras pon im strange looking bike. Him a go true, Bougles Estate Flash by pass unda Highway 2000.
In Freetown, rain ease up but road still wet, and a want to spring a leak, not desperate just nerve, yu si, when you as a rider break from de pack and gone solo, it look bad if de pack ketch yuh. So for my dignity I cannot let dat happen, zeen. Call Jamie, he say he and de crew is on Highway 2000 an will meet me at de end at Sandy Bay hill top, seen. And how could I forget de potholes, dem yah potholes is of export quality, with Government Approved Marking, yuh know de likkle yellow lines around de potholes mean they are approved by government, ok.
First likkle hill, leaving Freetown 12mph on de hill short and got de heart pumping. /well a really want to piss now, got to find a spot, ooh dat was good. Back on de bike, lots of potholes. Sandy Bay, well I’m at de end of Highway 2000, start the Sandy Bay climb, water bottle empty but a still have juice. Mek a call Jamie an si wey him deh, yow weh yuh deh, ok, meet me at de top of Sandy Bay Hill ok. Up de hill 16mph half way, 14 at top of hill, catch breath, drink some juice see a car way down de road, a Jamie dat oh yes, cause a run out of juice an water. Got stuff from Jamie. Body feel good, weather cool, slight wind behind me going at a comfortable 24mph. Bustamante Highway, see Gary Sailsman by train overhead bridge, he is support crew for Perry & Simmo. 25mph to Mineral Heights round-a-bout 7:10a.m. Down on my tri-bar the only way to go. Been on them for about 12 years straight de only way to go no joke. Down hill to Rio Minho Bridge 36mph feels good, oh shit de road wet, be cool, stay calm, rememba a have on slicks, dat was good. A want to have a leak, dem bush deh look good, have a quick one, aah dat was good. Back on the tri-bar, it lonely, no music, drink some juice, eat a snicker bar, drink some juice again wash it down. Hail a few john public in Osbourn Store 22mph, car load of girl pass mi, sey dem love mi legs, blow dem a kiss. Reach first drink stop, had juice and water so a neva stop. On to Juicy Beef, cross train line at Juice Beef, hail de girls who sell nuts, go true ras, dem sey. Well a did sey dis is a long ride, so de story go wid it. Wey wi reach, yes, Scott Pass, road not too good but give tanks is wat de government gi wi afta Ivan an him family pass through. 8:10a.m. an a reach Porus, what a name. Well wit wat I a go through a sey poor me an mi mad fren dem. Now who in dem right mind a go ride a bicycle from Kilsome to Negril. Can you imagine, 14 years now dis ride going on, an every year more and more mad people join de gang. Yuh have Lawyers, Doctors, Indian & Chief an dem all love it, some treat de bike dem like dem girl, dem all gi dem name. Yes, a reach de hill foot, dem call her Melrose. A tink de Mel means melicious (wicked) an she’s no rose. Now afta nice flat roads, rolling, bumpy hills, now you come to Melrose and bow at her feet, pay homage, for nuff man lick rings trying to ride Melrose. Ah start at a pace of about 12mph for about half mile, at Porus I had more snicker bars, some fruits, Gatorade. Stomoch feel good, see my first rider from the 5:00a.m. group, this guy is on a mountain bike, he is well built but he needs a bike. By the time I caught him, he was off his bike walking near the roast yam stop, nasty bump. Down to 8mph hail him, pass him, climb de bump. Back to 10mph, reach a level, catch breath, start grinding again. Reach Williams Field round-a-bout, at the foot of Melrose I passed Perry, Adams, Simmo, Richie B, fixing a flat, they seem to drop Adams on de hill and caught me just outside Mandeville, we went through Royal Flatt, they stopped in Mandeville. I was on de move, saw Gibbs bus, his daughter was driving. Mandeville town was busy as usual, start the climb out of Mandeville town, see a group of riders ahead, step up de pace, pass dis guy, don’t know him, hail him anyway. 26mph downslope caught de group, saw de BIG MAN Mr. Hussey and his crew, with Yogie, Dogie, Cutty, Cuttyboo, Happy, Angie an de rest. Dem sey I fi cool, but as you know I’m on a mission. On to Spur Tree Hill top, fingers start to get cold, have to blow on them to keep warm, see my support crew, give me water, food & juice. Down de hill mi gone, no fog, road damp but clean cause rain been falling all night. Now for those of us who is weak heart, should not attempt this hill when the road is dry much less when wet, anyway down I go. 20 - 25 - 30 look beside mi only to si dis guy pon a Rambo (steel lala) a bubble, we pass Leeford and Peter at 35mph. Abdul was there, on we go, tears coming out my eyes, shadowing my brakes to keep de speed down and de rims warm. 45mph and pass de Curry Goat Shop, a won’t mention de Jerk Dat, as yuh dun know. First corner, de youth still a bubble, check speed 12mph round de corner out of saddle, big ring 16 on de block, 24, 26,30mph, no youth. Dat was fun, ooh shit, more corners, check speed round de corner si de youth, I get out of saddle, mek a sprint. Yuh si mi can mek a Rambo stay pon mi wheel, dat nuh right. No disrespect to de Rambo still, I have one , but class is klass seen. Peppers in sight so is a next rider got to ketch him, more juice. Di rider look back an si mi, im start press. But ah wah dis, let’s see what im gat, im a gwaan but di Klein (my bicycle) a run. So a pass im at Goshen 28mph wind behind me, Negril in front 8mls from Santa Cruz, alone again. The steady ride 22miles an hour, reach Santa. Si Wayne Leyow an a few guys from de first group by de road side, sey dem hungry, can help dem. Gone on mi way. My plan was to stop in Santa Cruz if I needed one, so on I go. Body feel good, bike running super, on my tri-bar alone again and out front. Bamboo Avenue, have a leak, dat was good. On my tri-bar again, big truck flash pass mi, wow, rock di bike. Middle Quarters and start to feel hungry, a don’t hear from my support crew, oh well, dem a tek picture way down a back. Mi nuh get none. A got a soft snickers and some juice, if a stop an wait de group will catch mi. A don’t want dat so a gwan pedal. A can keep a 20mile an hour pace, wah juice station at Luana, drink two Gatorade cary one, full water bottle. All de carbo loading worked out well, it kept me going. Got to make it to Savana-La-Mar food is dere, road is wet but good condition. On de tri-bar cruising at 21mile an hour round a slight corner, three dogs ina de road having sex, si mi a come. One run straight ina de bike, buff mi drop, jump up quick. Tek mi water bottle to give di dog one bitch lick, ah miss to ratid. Bike handle bar bent, it not too bad so a use mi foot an straighten it out. A look around, nobody nuh si mi drop, mi woulda just dead, di ras drop. Sah. Reach White House, a still hungry. An, yuh know de place right ina de corna wey sell fry fish, boy! Some wicked scent lick mi. A den di hungry twist mi tripe. But wey fi do, nost even a nanny fi buy a bulla, mi just dead. Bluefields, an 11miles to Sav, dat equal to one Port Royal to Airport Round-a-bout loop, when yuh belly full. Got to press on. Jamie got two flat tyres after Bamboo, so dem can help mi now. Mi deh pon mi own. Mi si a country man, ask im how fur mi deh to Sav, him sey 4miles. Well boy dat deh 4 miles deh wicked. Reach Sav Buger King, 4 Apple Pie, 3 Gatorade an 2 water later, I was on my way to Negril. Little London 21 miles an hour, some yout at de road side sey mi late, cause some riders just gone. No I a sey to myself, ah who dat, well, I ah go true still. 130miles an feel good, rider up ahead. Two miles lata, catch im, ah know im, he trains at de Airport Circuit. Riding a hybred. On to Sheffield, ah can feel Negril. 21miles an hour, pass de Golf Course, 12miles an hour, climb de last hill to Negril. Round-a-bout in sight, a done it, an it fell good. Next year, same time. New aim. Try it even once. Remember Mr. Hussey, 70 an still going strong.
One Love, Ras Kofi.
Livestrong.
Egkofi541@hotmail.com mailto:Egkofi541@hotmail.com
Member of Blissett Cycle Club.
Willow Tree Warriors.
JOURNEY TO NEGRIL - 2005.
Friday night October 14, 2005, 9:30p.m. Blacks and I went to check 123 to get bike chain & brake rubber, got de rubber but no chain, had a chat wit 3’s. I have to go wid de old chain cause he had no new ones to fit me, the old one has over 4000mls so wat, Jah bless I. Some other guys came by, more bike talk, you can spen a lot of time at 3’s yard jus talking bicycle. Is like a meet place for BIKEHEADS. He’s de local Commondale, oops Cannondale dealer. Him jus need a likkle juice bar, some hammocks, a shower, & yuh don’t have to go home. Anyway, I gone home to mek a last check on my bike.
11:30p.m. called Adams check wey im a do. Called Blacks an him nuh sound 100% but him will tek on de ride. Doc Aitken ready , mi ready , but de weather look bad wid rain in the forecast and having butterflies in mi stomach. Wid 4900 miles unda mi pedal in six months, I am very ready. Well anyway, 4:30a.m. Saturday morning an rain a fall, Jamie (mi son & support driver/camera man) still asleep. Call Doc Aitken , him sey boy it look rough cause nuff rain and him tink him a go drive, call Adams him sey him ready. Call Burger, him sey him, Detroit & Palmer ready an in de van, so mi tell him fi come pick up mi bike an tek it to Molynes Road/Boulevard where de ride start. 5:20a.m. Caan mek likkle rain stop my ride after training for so long. Jamie taking me to de start of de ride. Nuff rain, road surface clean. 5:40a.m. about 30 riders at de starting point Molynes Road / Boulevard, rain still a fall. Well, all a have is mi cell phone ina plastic bag, couple candy bars, fit legs, belly full an ready to go. The support crew who consist of Jamie & de Crew (him madda - Grace-Ann, him fren - Joelle, him girl - Sophia & Putus - di baby.) was still at home. Afew rider were milling around making last minute checks, Adams not yet in sight, no Doc Aitken, my bike is here Burger had it. Jamie was to drive one of Adams vehicle but in de mix-up dat did not work out. Anyway 6:00a.m. and first group left from 5:00a.m. Leeford, Peter, Abdul, the Hussey’s , yes Mr. Hussey 70years old. NUFF RESPECT . For him kick nuff young ass. So here we go 6:10a.m. an we are off, boy de road still wet. We cruising by Ferry 16 - 17mph, not bad but dis is going to mek mi fall asleep. By di way dis is my first Negril Ride but don’t get me wrong, wit about 39yrs riding and 4900 miles since April, I have been to many Negrils. Well dis is a long ride, so dis is a long story, zeen. Where was I yes, Ferry. By now I was ready to wake up cause I was falling asleep, so I start to make my way to de front. The group was now riding two abreast, and now numbered about 40, pass some of my regulars, Billy - him sey if a trim a will go faster. Pass Ranger & Snake-Man, hail dem, Van Dam & Bobo, Robert, Mark Wong, Dr. Calder & Patrick Chin. There were a few female riders, Rachel was doing her ting. Up near de front a si a team, dem look like dem come off di Tour de France. Well dem is not French, dem is Trini an boy dem gears look good, a wonder if dem good. Well wi doing 18mph, an wi reach White Marl - Lasco Factory. A fall in behind de Trini’s, scope dem out, mout drool a bit, hail a few guys an we reach Husey Marti round-a-bout. Swing round one ratid trench across de road ina de bend. On de by-pass, a cannot tek de pace anymore, too slow. So a do my own ting, up front 22mph, let’s see if anyone crazy like me. Burger in him van, shout to me sey mi mus wait pon de group. A sey boy a gone, a have something to prove, one stop or no stop. So here I am in Innswood and a decide to look ova mi shoulder, well is me alone, one madman. Old Harbour town busy, nuff people a hail de ras pon im strange looking bike. Him a go true, Bougles Estate Flash by pass unda Highway 2000.
In Freetown, rain ease up but road still wet, and a want to spring a leak, not desperate just nerve, yu si, when you as a rider break from de pack and gone solo, it look bad if de pack ketch yuh. So for my dignity I cannot let dat happen, zeen. Call Jamie, he say he and de crew is on Highway 2000 an will meet me at de end at Sandy Bay hill top, seen. And how could I forget de potholes, dem yah potholes is of export quality, with Government Approved Marking, yuh know de likkle yellow lines around de potholes mean they are approved by government, ok.
First likkle hill, leaving Freetown 12mph on de hill short and got de heart pumping. /well a really want to piss now, got to find a spot, ooh dat was good. Back on de bike, lots of potholes. Sandy Bay, well I’m at de end of Highway 2000, start the Sandy Bay climb, water bottle empty but a still have juice. Mek a call Jamie an si wey him deh, yow weh yuh deh, ok, meet me at de top of Sandy Bay Hill ok. Up de hill 16mph half way, 14 at top of hill, catch breath, drink some juice see a car way down de road, a Jamie dat oh yes, cause a run out of juice an water. Got stuff from Jamie. Body feel good, weather cool, slight wind behind me going at a comfortable 24mph. Bustamante Highway, see Gary Sailsman by train overhead bridge, he is support crew for Perry & Simmo. 25mph to Mineral Heights round-a-bout 7:10a.m. Down on my tri-bar the only way to go. Been on them for about 12 years straight de only way to go no joke. Down hill to Rio Minho Bridge 36mph feels good, oh shit de road wet, be cool, stay calm, rememba a have on slicks, dat was good. A want to have a leak, dem bush deh look good, have a quick one, aah dat was good. Back on the tri-bar, it lonely, no music, drink some juice, eat a snicker bar, drink some juice again wash it down. Hail a few john public in Osbourn Store 22mph, car load of girl pass mi, sey dem love mi legs, blow dem a kiss. Reach first drink stop, had juice and water so a neva stop. On to Juicy Beef, cross train line at Juice Beef, hail de girls who sell nuts, go true ras, dem sey. Well a did sey dis is a long ride, so de story go wid it. Wey wi reach, yes, Scott Pass, road not too good but give tanks is wat de government gi wi afta Ivan an him family pass through. 8:10a.m. an a reach Porus, what a name. Well wit wat I a go through a sey poor me an mi mad fren dem. Now who in dem right mind a go ride a bicycle from Kilsome to Negril. Can you imagine, 14 years now dis ride going on, an every year more and more mad people join de gang. Yuh have Lawyers, Doctors, Indian & Chief an dem all love it, some treat de bike dem like dem girl, dem all gi dem name. Yes, a reach de hill foot, dem call her Melrose. A tink de Mel means melicious (wicked) an she’s no rose. Now afta nice flat roads, rolling, bumpy hills, now you come to Melrose and bow at her feet, pay homage, for nuff man lick rings trying to ride Melrose. Ah start at a pace of about 12mph for about half mile, at Porus I had more snicker bars, some fruits, Gatorade. Stomoch feel good, see my first rider from the 5:00a.m. group, this guy is on a mountain bike, he is well built but he needs a bike. By the time I caught him, he was off his bike walking near the roast yam stop, nasty bump. Down to 8mph hail him, pass him, climb de bump. Back to 10mph, reach a level, catch breath, start grinding again. Reach Williams Field round-a-bout, at the foot of Melrose I passed Perry, Adams, Simmo, Richie B, fixing a flat, they seem to drop Adams on de hill and caught me just outside Mandeville, we went through Royal Flatt, they stopped in Mandeville. I was on de move, saw Gibbs bus, his daughter was driving. Mandeville town was busy as usual, start the climb out of Mandeville town, see a group of riders ahead, step up de pace, pass dis guy, don’t know him, hail him anyway. 26mph downslope caught de group, saw de BIG MAN Mr. Hussey and his crew, with Yogie, Dogie, Cutty, Cuttyboo, Happy, Angie an de rest. Dem sey I fi cool, but as you know I’m on a mission. On to Spur Tree Hill top, fingers start to get cold, have to blow on them to keep warm, see my support crew, give me water, food & juice. Down de hill mi gone, no fog, road damp but clean cause rain been falling all night. Now for those of us who is weak heart, should not attempt this hill when the road is dry much less when wet, anyway down I go. 20 - 25 - 30 look beside mi only to si dis guy pon a Rambo (steel lala) a bubble, we pass Leeford and Peter at 35mph. Abdul was there, on we go, tears coming out my eyes, shadowing my brakes to keep de speed down and de rims warm. 45mph and pass de Curry Goat Shop, a won’t mention de Jerk Dat, as yuh dun know. First corner, de youth still a bubble, check speed 12mph round de corner out of saddle, big ring 16 on de block, 24, 26,30mph, no youth. Dat was fun, ooh shit, more corners, check speed round de corner si de youth, I get out of saddle, mek a sprint. Yuh si mi can mek a Rambo stay pon mi wheel, dat nuh right. No disrespect to de Rambo still, I have one , but class is klass seen. Peppers in sight so is a next rider got to ketch him, more juice. Di rider look back an si mi, im start press. But ah wah dis, let’s see what im gat, im a gwaan but di Klein (my bicycle) a run. So a pass im at Goshen 28mph wind behind me, Negril in front 8mls from Santa Cruz, alone again. The steady ride 22miles an hour, reach Santa. Si Wayne Leyow an a few guys from de first group by de road side, sey dem hungry, can help dem. Gone on mi way. My plan was to stop in Santa Cruz if I needed one, so on I go. Body feel good, bike running super, on my tri-bar alone again and out front. Bamboo Avenue, have a leak, dat was good. On my tri-bar again, big truck flash pass mi, wow, rock di bike. Middle Quarters and start to feel hungry, a don’t hear from my support crew, oh well, dem a tek picture way down a back. Mi nuh get none. A got a soft snickers and some juice, if a stop an wait de group will catch mi. A don’t want dat so a gwan pedal. A can keep a 20mile an hour pace, wah juice station at Luana, drink two Gatorade cary one, full water bottle. All de carbo loading worked out well, it kept me going. Got to make it to Savana-La-Mar food is dere, road is wet but good condition. On de tri-bar cruising at 21mile an hour round a slight corner, three dogs ina de road having sex, si mi a come. One run straight ina de bike, buff mi drop, jump up quick. Tek mi water bottle to give di dog one bitch lick, ah miss to ratid. Bike handle bar bent, it not too bad so a use mi foot an straighten it out. A look around, nobody nuh si mi drop, mi woulda just dead, di ras drop. Sah. Reach White House, a still hungry. An, yuh know de place right ina de corna wey sell fry fish, boy! Some wicked scent lick mi. A den di hungry twist mi tripe. But wey fi do, nost even a nanny fi buy a bulla, mi just dead. Bluefields, an 11miles to Sav, dat equal to one Port Royal to Airport Round-a-bout loop, when yuh belly full. Got to press on. Jamie got two flat tyres after Bamboo, so dem can help mi now. Mi deh pon mi own. Mi si a country man, ask im how fur mi deh to Sav, him sey 4miles. Well boy dat deh 4 miles deh wicked. Reach Sav Buger King, 4 Apple Pie, 3 Gatorade an 2 water later, I was on my way to Negril. Little London 21 miles an hour, some yout at de road side sey mi late, cause some riders just gone. No I a sey to myself, ah who dat, well, I ah go true still. 130miles an feel good, rider up ahead. Two miles lata, catch im, ah know im, he trains at de Airport Circuit. Riding a hybred. On to Sheffield, ah can feel Negril. 21miles an hour, pass de Golf Course, 12miles an hour, climb de last hill to Negril. Round-a-bout in sight, a done it, an it fell good. Next year, same time. New aim. Try it even once. Remember Mr. Hussey, 70 an still going strong.
One Love, Ras Kofi.
Livestrong.
Egkofi541@hotmail.com mailto:Egkofi541@hotmail.com
Member of Blissett Cycle Club.
Willow Tree Warriors.
