Weekend Warrior to Downhill Diva

My name is Angela Pattinson. I am married with two beautiful daughters, have just turned 40 and I am a massage therapist with my own practice.

A year ago, Robbie Powell of RBC (Robbie’s Bicycle Concept) challenged me to do the Wines2Whales 3 day stage race with him in November 2016. (EEEK!!!) I used to ride on weekends with mates, nothing too hectic or serious and now I was going to take on 200km in 3 days. To say I was petrified would be an understatement.

Robbie was great! He worked on a skills/training program for me, that I was able to include into my already busy schedule, and after a few lessons/rides and a very interesting skills course (find out more at www.robbiesbicycleconcept.co.za), I soon found myself doing all sorts of things on my bike that I never thought possible. I had never even heard of “switch backs” and “drop offs”, so when I did you can imagine my anxiety levels (Elevated heart rate, sweaty palms, hyperventilation, etc.).

Soon I was riding trails and getting more and more confident. Before I knew it I was ready for Wines2Whales 2016.

The race was intense, tough and loads of fun. It tested all my skills/abilities on the bike as well as my tenacity and will-power. The route was magnificent! We rode through some really beautiful parts of South Africa. It was a privilege to be able to experience it. The views were breathtakingly beautiful, the vibe was amazing and the downhills were just beyond exciting. (I absolutely nailed the downhills, hence “Downhill Diva”, I squealed, laughed, and in some places probably even closed my eyes, as Robbie told me to “let go of the brakes and let momentum take you, hesitation hurts!”)

It was such an amazing experience for me and there were some very good lessons that I learnt from this race:

·       To ride my bicycle properly (Thanks Robbie)

·       Hesitation really does hurt and momentum really is my friend

·       I am more powerful that I think

·       My mind is a very dynamic and forceful tool

I have to say a huge thank you to Robbie and his team at RBC. The crew are fantastic and really talented at what they do. They always make sure my bike is ride and race ready and they took very good care of me at the race. The admin ladies (aka the bosses, Angela and Erin) are always efficient and friendly, they even serve coffee and cupcakes on “Cupcake Friday”.

Thanks to Rowan Powell for the use of his bicycle…it is an awesome machine and I will miss riding it terribly.

And of course to all my family, friends, colleagues, and patients who supported and encouraged me…I could not have done it without them all backing me.

So, until the next adventure, happy riding J