Robbie Stewart

2020 I got a head wind all the way to Smitswinkel. I climbed that hill and thought great, time for a tail wind. Got to the top to find the wind had swung around 180° . . . going up Suikerbossie I got absolutely drenched in a cloud burst. By the time I crossed the finish line I was as dry as a cork. A week later the whole world shut down and went mad.

Arma 8 springs to mind. Not techy in the true sense, but quite narrow and running beside a pretty steep mountain side that drops away probably 50 meters at places. I rode it a few weeks back and I'm not sure the effort to get there is rewarded sufficiently, unless you drop into Iron Monkey 6. But then you could just drop in there and not go all the way to the top of Armageddon. But is it really black worthy other than the psychological impact of riding such an exposed line that on any other trail would probably be rated green?

That looks like a great trail. I'd love to ride that.

That explains the low percentage of SA riders on the European circuit then. Our black is barely blue in Europe and their black is off the charts in SA. I wonder if that is a result of the overall SA mentality towards mountain biking being marathon oriented, and people perceiving events like the Epic to be the extreme side of the sport. And also why the gravity scene in SA is not really picking up noteworthy momentum. Any given weekend on the trails around the Cape you tend to see the same faces at the different trails ,which shows how small the gravity segment really is. So why spend massive amounts of money to build trails for the <1% crowd, when the returns of hosting an event for the lycra tigers will yield larger returns. Seems to me that gravity riding is a dead-end street in SA

Daniel summed it up pretty well. I'm also a big lad, although I have lost a good few kilos this year upping my riding a bunch. I ride a Specialised Camber Comp Alu on tar duty in the week for mileage and then a Stumpjumper EVO for trail duty. For both I upgraded the wheels ( nothing fancy, Rapide TR36 on the Camber and Lyne on the Stumpy). This made a world of difference in both bikes. Suspension and braking are the other main points to consider being a large chap. Your suspension must be able to take what you ask of it, within reason of course. More regular servicing is a must to ensure longevity. Brakes. 2 pot calipers won't do. Upgrade to 4 pot soon as you can. You want to be able to stop when you expect the bike to stop. 4 pot brakes will give you the confidence. Of course, being bigger doesn't mean you're at a deficit, it just means we have to think more carefully about what we end up buying to prevent having to replace it all soon after.

That's likely it. But in reality, to me, 7,6 and 4 are much more risky than 8. Which just, again for me, points to the subjectivity of the system. One rider's black is another rider's blue. To add: Also, to use black colours as a rating system at a trail centre like Jonkers is also confusing. Plumber, DH, Armageddon 8, Iron Monkey 5 and Status Quo are all black, but they are vastly different in temperament. I have no issues riding those lines apart from Status Quo and Plumber. Not saying I won't ever, but every time I do the math I find I'm firmly in the "too much risk, not enough reward" camp.

I can attest to what @MORNE said. I have a NX derailleur and cassette linked to a Raceface chainring with around 11000km on over mixed riding, long tar rides, long gravel rides, hard MTB rides, jumping, enduro races the works. Is it fubar? Yes. Does it still work? Yes. Although these days the bike only sees road action. I'm planning a full upgrade soon. I might even go Shimano next time round. Or maybe just back to 1x11 even.

The green circle is essentially an extension of Berkshire Blvd and the red circle is the new East - West Arterial that will be constructed, which looks like it will literally be right above my house I just bought (red X). On the upside according to this document it may still be a while before I have cars zooming up and down past my braai area 😤

This is a fact. Just riding, blindly trusting the "trail rating" is foolish. You're looking for trouble and you're going to find it at some point. To my mind, trail ratings are subjective at best and should only serve as a general guide in terms of what to expect. The absolute best choice is to walk the line wherever needed and suss it out before you ride. Get the Strava PR when you know how to ride it. Not on the first try.

100% and that is directly proportional to the absolute confidence you get to just lean that Assegai over and let it rip, blasting you out onto the straights again at speed, ready for what's coming next. My Stumpy was okayish on its stock Spez rubber, but the moment I fitted the Assegai and Minion DHR the bike just came alive. Dropping the bars in a wild lean into a turn comes naturally now and it's just so much faster.

I recall seeing a plan for this a few years back, but can't find it anywhere now. From what I recall, the plan was to extend from the R27 just below Blouberg Hill to the N7 by the landfill, and then to cross over beneath Zone 7 and then link up with Vissershok in the quarry road that runs beneath Hoogekraal. Not sure what that will mean for the trails around there though. Also doesn't help I just moved into a new house literally on the border to where that road will be built above Table Bay Mall. I might be selling in the not too distant future again.

If Armageddon 8 is black then 7 must be double black, and 4 must be a pro only line... The rating on that trail makes no sense whatsoever. This is why I don't normally pay attention to trail ratings. What I normally do on a new trail I've never ridden before is to take the first run slow, stop at the obstacles, walk them and spend some time mulling the lines, roll it a few times and then once I'm happy, I go back to the top for a full run. This way I know what's coming and improve my skills in general in a safe, controlled manner.

When last have you been down Cobra? That entire last "dangerous" section pretty much rides like a b-line currently. The challenge is gone. It got groomed recently and is perfectly rideable by by people who don't normally ride that kind of terrain.

I was going to say the same thing. Saw a clip on YouTube of W&M riding Plumber. Kudos to them for going. Then in the comments I read someone comparing Black Rhino, Plumber and DH0 in the same sentence... Three "Black" trails, of which only one is ACTUALLY Black? The other two are marginally grey, more like dark blue.

That Pyga looks good. The Slash a little less so. I'm also a Slash fanboy and just didn't pull the trigger when Trek had the sale last year. Ended up getting the Stumpy EVO later in the year. I don't regret the buy, but secretly I really wanted a Slakline, but the price was out of my bracket at the time.

I can think of worse earworms than this one.

The statue of that magnificent dog is very lifelike 😁

Two Gripens in tight formation buzzing around Blouberg this morning. Not sure what they are doing as there aren't any government shindings going on in town that I am aware of.

I have some good news for a change. Crossing the R27 this morning by Table Bay Mall heading East, I stopped at the red traffic lights and heard a bus behind me. I look over my shoulder and see a Golden Arrow bus at the front of the line. One of those conjoined jobbies where two busses become one. The light turns green, and I have ptsd from an encounter with one of those big, blue taxis a.k.a. MyCiti on that stretch of road. So I clip in and slowly amble off, nodding at the bus to go and I will pull in behind. He toots at me and obliges me to go. I hop onto the pavement on the other side and he passes with another friendly toot. My last 1km home was much more pleasant than it normally is.

people should start minding their own business and stop caring what other people want to ride. If you want to ride an ebike, then I'm the first one to support that. The fact that you're on a bike should be all that matters. I don't have one, and won't have one any time soon, but that doesn't mean I am entitled to shout at someone who does ride one. sometimes people just suck. and this is one such time.

Haven't needed one for quite some time already 😉 VID_20241006_112444~3.mp4

You can thank me later for converting you to REAL mountain biking 😜

I can't argue with your selection. I was actually thinking the same.

And just like that the curtains draw to a close on a once in a lifetime career. Thank you Greg. May the next chapter at Norco shine even brighter.