Robbie Stewart

My take on this for what it's worth. Should you decide to carry, whether on or off a bike, just make sure that you are 100% committed and capable to getting rounds down range, onto the target, as soon as you draw your firearm. The same goes for if you carry a knife, the difference being you had better be ready, willing and very able to stab your opponent until they stop moving, or else you are the one who will pay the price in blood. Now, place yourself in that frame of mind while riding a bicycle and then ask yourself if it's even feasible, and if so, must you carry? If you can answer yes, then my next question relates to your proficiency with said firearm. How often do you practice using it? Once a week, once a month, once a year? Less than that? If you are not firing that gun at least weekly you are merely bluffing yourself and placing anyone in close vicinity to you in grave danger. If you haven't fired your gun in the last 12 months, what do you have it for? Safety? How long do you need to find the keys to the safe and open it, then to unholster the firearm and get a round in the chamber, and fire off some needed shots before you're in trouble? Hopefully at least you have it unholstered with one in the chamber already but people are known for doing dumber things. But I digress. Good luck to anyone who thinks cycling with a firearm is a good idea. And in saying all that, I agree that crime in SA has gotten even more out of hand, but carrying a firearm while cycling just doesn't strike me as being very smart.

Arrive Alive make some "proposals" for handling a roundabout. Legal legislation has the final say. Note that it legislates right of way to traffic already "within the roundabout where such vehicles constitute an immediate or imminent danger". Also note that it does not say to yield to all the traffic on that road that hasn't even reached the roundabout yet. In that case, you have right of way.

The rub for me comes in when spending the kind of dosh the ACE requires for entry and then getting held up by people who couldn't give a toss about actually being up to the terrain expectations of the day because they don't have technical skills. And as Diesel has said, then when passing these people they get aggro. If I have to choose between getting frustrated to the point of a near-cardiac event and just skipping altogether I would choose the latter. (Edit) There's more to MTB'ing than just pedaling far for long.

Nah, Mamil is correct. I said that after getting slammed into a pile of rocks at the top of Hoogekraal Cobra. At the time I was nursing some rather unpleasant injuries, but it is strange how once you're mended again how you forget about those incidents. But it could also be that Morné feels the same after his last time coming off the bike.

Hi, my name is Robbie and I'm a mountainbikeaholic

Potayto potaato

Upskilling is something I will always get behind, and if that was the intention of yesterday then that is a good thing. My only concern would be to not leave it until a few weeks before the event. I'll be honest and say that it always intrigues me to notice the amount of people who pedal past the Leatt Skills Park on a given weekend without ever taking enough time to observe what's on offer. These are usually the people who also enter these events, and to my mind they would benefit greatly from just riding there even just once a month. You can learn how to properly ride berms, drops, skinny's, even rocks and not once need to jump anything if you don't want to. That park has so much more to offer than big, intimidating jumps. And the best part is that there are so many folks who can help most weekends that you don't need to be stressed riding there the first time. Since I started frequenting that skills park my trail side technique has vastly improved and now I ride down very technical trails with absolute confidence. And that is 90% because of the skills park. People don't know what they lose out on by not riding there.

I went for a ride at Conties yesterday and saw a bunch of people attending some event promoting Sani2C. Didn't think much of it and did my own thing. Last night I came across a reel on Instagram about the day and there was some drone footage included of people descending "Cheeky Corners" which has got to be the easiest trail on that entire network. It consists of nothing more than a few bermed switchbacks that aren't very tight, yet from the drone footage it looked like just about everyone was having difficulty riding it. To me that just confirms my bias to stay as far away from these types of events as I can get. Thankfully the lines I rode was untouched by these people because they'd probably end up in the ER if they tried.

Wouldn't that just be priceless, to have some Sunday evening light entertainment about this turd.

I just renewed the drive train (1x12) on my bike. Consider the following: Cassette, Chain, Chain ring. Best guess is about 3k or thereabouts. I did replace the bottom bracket as well which was an extra 900 odd. Labour to get it done was 450. I have a SRAM NX set so I got an el-cheapo SX cassette and chain on special from CWC and new ring and BB from Evo bikes. Shop around for components and deals and save a bunch of cash.

I am no legal eagle, but I am pretty sure that the mounting burden of evidence against him that has been piling up over the course of the last few years means he is a creature of habit and will likely have a tough time convincing a judge why he should be allowed to serve his time under supervision and not inside Goodwood corrections facility for instance. I feel for his parents for sure, to a degree. He's their son, and they will always help him, as they should, but there comes a point where not helping and letting the process of justice serve out is the loving thing to do. I hope he gets the help he needs.

First off, well done to DieselNDust, Stephan and SamTaylor (and everyone else) for finishing the event. It sounds like it was tougher than the daily broadcasts made it look. Reading the race reports I am convinced more than ever that the amateur field exists for the sole reason of funding the helicopters and nothing else. I am more convinced as well that I am 100% not a candidate for this type of event. I enjoy riding my mtb over long distances, but I enjoy riding single track more. And the more technical the trail, the higher my level of enjoyment. So for me to pay all that money and then stand in endless queues waiting for unskilled people to ride the most basic of trails would just end me. I have a short fuse already, so no need to add to it. But at least this event isn't about me, and no one cares, but I will honestly say that I enjoyed watching the live streams every day, even long after the event stopped broadcasting, but still, I won't be lining up to partake in what to seems to me to be a fool's errand.

I'm enjoying the interviews with Haley Preen and Bianca Haw. They are such an entertaining vibe. I hope they manage to contain the Cannondale ladies to finish on the podium tomorrow.

I saw a Biogen bottle with a red cap amongst the shrubbery

I rode Contermanskloof today and I was disgusted to see how much litter the Epic riders left behind. If that is how these people treat our trails that were pretty much pristine before they came through, then they can take their race and shove it. What a bunch of tossers.