Robbie Stewart

I have the same bike and the suspension is shot. I guess it's time for a new bike then.

that was meant in jest. Ride whatever you want I don't care. I choose to ride Amish but that's my choice. I agree with "don't be a ****, be lekker." - next time these e-bicyclists (better?) can politely ask to make way instead of charging straight through the middle of a group of riders ahead of them on a single track trail.

So yesterday myself and a few mates were out riding the Hoogekraal skills park doing the jumps and afterwards decided we were heading up the hill to do the Hammer flow line descent. We stopped by the bench at the Welvergenoegd trail head for a breather and had just started off again when I hear a group of riders coming up from behind, at pace. I called out to my mates up ahead who had already entered the single track that a group of motorcyclists were coming up the hill, and it was at that point that I overheard the one chop tell his mate that "they were in the way" - by they, he meant us - and then there was some gruff mumbling and cursing happening as they passed. Herewith the point of my story. Next time I hear an e-bike coming up the hill at pace behind me, I will not be moving over. You will have to find a route through the Renoster veld if you want to pass me. It's not only road cyclists in club gear acting like a bunch of entitled morons, they also ride e-bikes.

Having never done a Epic, and never will, all I can say is that anyone saying that this route is bland may be partially correct, not having done any trails north of Paarl myself, but that last day at Jonkers is going to be one heck of a tough day. I know from personal experience that a day out at Jonkershoek is draining to the Nth degree. Climbing Irish, descending Armageddon, then back up again to descend Red Phoenix before crossing over the valley to ascend back up the other side to Firehut is one massive ask of legs that by then are running on empty. Having done a couple of enduro events there, that trail network must not be discounted as being trivial. That will be a mistake. Also, Armageddon and Red Phoenix are not your typical green trails either, so rider take note, you will need to sharpen your technical riding skills, or you might be looking for a medic before too long.

Go send some lead downrange around there, and see how fast CCT reacts. That is a rubbish excuse.

Same. I don't pedal on tar anymore either. I drive to the trail head, pay and ride, drive home after. Also on the trails you mentioned.

Same here. As @Jewbacca also says, my bike is a tool. So is my vehicle. They are means to a smile. The bike isn't the goal, the stoke is.

That is a question I prefer not to find the answer to. If the crash is so severe that your helmet is unlikely to help, then you will in all likelihood require EMT intervention. edit - I had one in 2016. Was riding along happily and then suddenly found myself being strapped to a gurney and being shoved into a CT scanner. It was NOT a fun couple of months. Severe brain injury. I had to wait a week before they could wheel me into the theater to fix my shattered arm because the anesthetic would kill me with my head injury.

It makes sense for the helmet to come apart to dissipate the energy of the crash which means the brain absorbs less of the trauma. That does mean though that the head is likely to take a few knocks and scrapes, but the aim is to deflect the trauma around the brain. If that means some stiches then so be it in my opinion. I would much rather deal with cosmetic problems than a traumatic brain injury.

After my last crash which caused mild concussion, I replaced that Leatt helmet with a second Leatt helmet and I am not unhappy about that decision. I was wanting the Fox Speedframe Pro, but I got the Leatt at a stupid low price at one of the W&M days.

Don't close your eyes in the shower unless you fancy a trip through the glass . . .

I've had concussion. Three times. The first hit had me pass out while talking to the driver of the car that caused the crash. When I recovered consciousness he was gone. The second time, I was out again. I don't know how long. It could be 5 minutes. It could be 2 hours because I was alone at the time. my neurosurgeon told me I won't work again. The third time was earlier this year, and I knew immediately what was happening, except I was wearing a much better helmet this time around. All I can add to this discussion is that concussions are not a joke. MIPS / Turbo is the bare minimum any helmet should have. Anything less than that adds tremendous risk to a serious brain injury. last week had me suffering a bout of post concussion syndrome again, if anyone thinks that what I am saying isn't serious enough. You have ONE head. Protect it!

This is my issue with that man. If you hurt a child, you remedy your mess. You make right by the child and his or her parents. Just going on with your day as if nothing happened is just looking for trouble.

That new addition at the bottom of the Hammer rides so well. It makes that bottom bit more spicy and fun. Thanks to Patrick and his build crew for making an already great line even better. All those hundreds of runs down the skills park over the course of the last couple of months has come full circle. What a jol.

By a very thin margin.

You're pulling a fast one, right? Truly, you can't be serious? I'm dad to a five year old. A couple months back we were on the beach when a unleashed German Shepherd came charging straight towards her. Within a twinkling of an eye I was invading the owner's personal space winding up to send him to ER with his wife talking me down from extreme and grievous harm. That man has likely never been so close to needing extreme medical intervention. When it comes to my daughter and me, it's a case of f around and find out. I don't care how wide you need to chuck your knees, touch my child and you better make sure I didn't see you, want jy gaan k@k.

There was that chap on his skateboard that got the camera to flash. It caused quite a stir at the time if I recall correctly with law enforcement being quite miffed at the guy. https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/feb/08/south-african-skateboarder-speed-camera-video

I can only dream of the day when I will notice a 100g weight saving. I'm built like a rhino rather than a cheetah.

all of it. Surely these GPS devices can be traced back to their original owners.

It's a very lopsided observation built up over a period of time, including reading comments on Bikehub and chatting to owners of e-bikes. I'm not saying it's a true reflection of the facts, only an observation, which, in all likelihood may be wrong. That being said, I am of the opinion that buying an e-bike is a very costly affair beyond the initial purchase judging by the price of batteries, and when the motor finally conks in. I spoke to a chap recently who owns one, and he was lamenting some chip that got moisture on it shortly after the warranty expired, meaning he had to spend an obscene amount to get it fixed. This, on top of the normal wear and tear expenses of a normal bike, is what leads me to conclude that it seems to be a hassle. That is my very subjective opinion, and I am not saying I am right.

Suddenly the reason for riding an Amish bike looks more and more like the better option, and also, I no longer stress the price points. E-bikes look to be a hassle to keep going?

Irish?

Same. Drove to Plaisir from West Coast area only to find out that Plaisir was closed. Banhoek was also a no-go. Ended up at Jonkers barn storming Red Phoenix. Turned out to be a good choice in the end. One can never go wrong with Jonkershoek.

I ride with Specialized 2FO Roost shoes which are probably the closest thing to Five 10 according to the YouTubes and the Interwebs. Tons of grip. And like @MORNE mentions, just like his 510 they don't float as well initially. I have Spank Spoon pedals and the pins are quite high so the shoes bite and, just like a bull terrier, refuse to let go, so I have to ensure that my foot placement is spot on when I aim for anything that isn't flat ground. Getting my feet inserted is a routine challenge due to my foot bridge being rather high, but once they're in I'm sorted. They are comfortable and I can ride all day without my feet starting to feel like they want out of the shoes. I paid around 2.5k for them maybe 2 years ago and, although being very pricey, I don't need to replace them anytime soon. Suede uppers also don't mind the odd spin in the washing machine to keep the pong at bay either, and they still look very good for their age considering the abuse I've inflicted on them. Overall I rate my 2FO's highly and will freely recommend them.

Shocked to see precisely how round I've gotten