Many moons ago, I was sitting in a garage with an acquaintance, drinking and talking about bikes.  I mentioned that bike magazines in South Africa cater predominantly for bikers in the Gauteng area. And a debate started. 

I also commented that half the content of these magazines consists of advertisements that supposedly target the whole of South Africa (nice). In reality, very little of the content was relevant for the Cape Town area - or any other area, really, other than Gauteng. 

I took another sip of my drink and then it hit me (with a spill of my drink and moerse excitement)! "I'm going to start a (bleep) website catering for only the (bleep) Cape Town area!"   

At that moment I was standing up smiling, drink in the air, almost cheersing the air.  I can't remember what the acquaintance said but all my mind was doing was buzzing with ideas and how and who and what.... where to start.... how to do it.  I didn't have a clue about creating a website.  I can write an executable menu in QW-Basic (sad, I know) and take a PC apart and put it back together again.  But programming?  Eeewww  Programming was nerdish...  Vaguely I remembered something about geocities where you can have a free website.  That night, I barely slept.  Cradled in my mind’s thoughts,  I dreamt. 

So the Monday at work I tell a colleague about my idea and I visit the geocities website.  I register "bikesincapetown" feeling moerse chuffed with myself.  Luckily geocities had some kind of "builder" thingymagick where I could "build" my website.  My website looked like a "plakkerskamp" in comparison to those "6 hectare smallholding" websites you get.  But, the list of Cape Town shops were there.  I then registered my domain name and my dear colleague, Narriman, helped me to make my domain name point to geocities.  Ooooh.  Aaaah.

There.  I was glad.  And on the seventh day I rested.  (Just kidding!) 

I told all my friends and family none of which - except my big brother, Albie - are bikers. 

I was Yahoo! bedonnerd.  I searched for anything that could feed my need. 

Then...

Out of nowhere... (Queen’s song “Flash Gordon” comes to mind here… Flash!  A-ha!  You save every one of us!)...I found the YahooGroups section. "Mmmm..... looky here," I thought.

I found a group for Suzuki Across (it’s the bike I drive) and joined. 

I started my own YahooGroup, calling it  Bikesincapetown", on 21 May 2003.  My aim was to ‘connect’ bikers all over the Cape Town area, who could give each other advice, point bikers to the appropriate bike shop or mechanic,  post bike-related stories, let other bikers know of something they’d need to know, publish ideas for runs, places to drive to - and so on. And all just for Capetonians.   

The first members were colleagues of mine who were also keen bikers,  Bear and Nakkie being amongst them.

S-L-O-W-L-Y more people joined and once in a blue moon someone would post something.  I was the eager beaver, watching the group like a hawk and just WISHING that people would post something. 

I’m not the kind of “social” biker who belongs to a club and goes on rallies.  I’m the shy version of the lone rider.  So I didn’t have a lot of bikers to share it with.  But with the years, more people joined. 

I guess the group was similar to that Chinese Bamboo that first grows its roots and then only after years and years, does a visible plant emerge...Oooohhh…. A little leaf.  Oh wow, leafy grows.  Oooh, a branch!  Ooooh a small tree! 

Now the BCT group has nestled its roots in Cape Town’s biker community.  And it is growing. 

On 26 June 2007 we had our first big jol - a ride to the  Karoo Saloon;  organised through the BCT group!  Mama was proud.  I still am. And LOONE's promised to write up the story.

We have a Cupcake Rally (don’t ask) every month, hosted by a different BCT group member each time, which gives us an excuse to meet personally and get to trash one members' home each month! The 4th one will have been held by the time you read this.

Some days we talk kak.  Prior to an event the group sends e-mails like crazy.  Until the next one.   

Other days we bitch about cagers.  Someone would need help to find a part and everyone gives their 10 cents worth, all the advice confusing the shit out of the poor sod that needed help in the first place! Some days, up to 100 emails are swapped between the members. The group is set up so that all emails are shared with all members.

The website is still a “plakkerskamp”.  But I married a programmer who has promised to redo my site for me. (Clever, huh?) I asked him how long it will be and he said about two weeks.  That was 3 months ago… so please be patient.  I will post progressions on the BCT group. 

It is the BCT members who have made the group what it is today. Click the BCT website banner below to access the BCT website or email me, Amanda, at bikesincapetown@telkomsa.net

Membership is not limited to Capetonians. Anyone can join. (LOONE did - and his only association with Cape Town is probably a relationship one of his ancestor had with an indigenous lady of ill repute a few centuries back...). If you're planning a ride to Cape Town, BCT is a darn fine resource to introduce yourself to Capetonian bikers - which could make you visit in Cape Town quite extraordinary!

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