Sydd

This! The last two winters riding in the Netherlands, this has been the solution we have discovered and I haven't had cold feet/toes again. Never too hot, never too cold. Just right. The socks are a bit of an investment but totally worth it. Trek makes nice ones

She spent the last 2 years training at the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland. Tailoring your accent so you can be understood by multiple nationalities and trying to clip the rolling of words the way South Africans do, becomes a habit I suppose.

This should be pinned for the next few days 😁 - I hope that everyone gets behind Maddie and follows the episodes as they are shown on the Eurosport YoutTube page. Fingers crossed for her!

Have a look on buycycle.com you will find some good MTBs on there. They are based in Germany, but you can buy and sell across Europe. I've sold 3 bikes on there in the last few months, to people all over the place. Their platform works similarly to Bike Hub Pay and I have had good experiences on there. I prefer it to Marktplaats personally as it's more aimed at "sports cyclists" as opposed to Marktplaats where it seems much more common to buy/sell your commuter bikes.

You'll be able to see the ice usually, it's just shiney and glassy. It's super interesting to see how the soil on the top of the ground rises now when it freezes and everything that was a swamp last week is frozen hard today. You will see white speckles like someone spilled chalk when roads have been salted. If they spray after it froze, the road will be wet where the ice melts so you'll know. Then next week when it rains again it's going to make a filthy grey mess on everything. If you have a car, remember to wash the underside of your car at the car wash! And buy a windsceen cover at Praxis or Action. There is nothing worse than coming out the house precisely on time to leave, and you have to spend 10 minutes scraping all the windows covered in ice... They also salt the bike lanes. Last December everything froze so badly that when I'd walk to the bus stop for work, the only way was to walk in the road because the paevements were like ice rinks. Be careful even if you go walking on a gravel path when it's frozen, that's often when you don't see the ice and it's like a super rink. Walk on the grass, it's the safest. And fascinating how the grass here defrosts and stays alive, not like Joburg grass that goes brown and dies after frost.

@AntVanR also try Vittoria Tirreno Dry. BikeInn usually has them at a good price. They are gravel tyres but perfect for the conditions here. Relatively low rolling resistance but enough surface contact that you will have control in the usual soggy conditions here. Keep warm this week, proper winter is finally here.

My husband commutes about 25km each way in NL. He has a hardtail that he built up to commute on. Some bike lanes have a weird rubbery composite material and the combination of this and the tar can really eat your tires up, so some sort of commute tyre or honeycombed gravel tyre with low rolling resistance works well. It's nice having some extra grip for when it's rainy. His bike takes a back rack (we bought some nice racks that take panniers that clip on/off that we can also use for longer bike packing trips) and he puts his clothes and lunch etc in these. He has somewhere secure to store his bike inside at work - bike theft is a big and real thing here... Having a dedicated commuter will be a good idea - I wouldn't leave this bike outside at the shops or use it to carry groceries home. Also remember in the winter there is salt on the roads and bike lanes for when it's icey, so you need to be religious about washing your bike properly on a weekly basis if you commute. The gunk thatcomes off the roads and bike lanes when it rains is unbelievable. If you are going to live in the East (from Hilversum/Utrecht eastwards) or far south there is some nice MTBing, and lots of great riding to be done in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and beyond. If you live in the Randstad around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag, prepare to be extremely disappointed when it comes to MTB or gravel opportunities. Not very interesting at all... Put the 34 or 36 on, but keep the 32 for when you do some adventure trips.

@ChrisF all the startlists are published on the CSA website, here: https://www.cyclingsa.com/sa-championships-startlists/

You could look at Seven Seas but that might be too large a space for what you want to send home. Otherwise a company called U Bag sends excess baggage - it's not the cheapest but easier than carting it all over the world with you

I dislocated my AC joint in July 2017, training for a major goal event. I was fortunate to see a wonderful orthopedic surgeon at Fourways Life and he completed a surgery to put a hook pin in - initially the doctor in casualty advised us to leave it. Because my husband dislocated his AC joint previously and his shoulder has never been the same since, and I was training for a major event, we searched for a number of opinions for the most pro-active treatment that would have the best long-term prognosis for an active person. I was on the trainer within a week and was in a sling for 6 weeks. I was able to compete get back on track for the events I was aiming for. The hook pin must be removed within 3 months (it can be a little bit uncomfortable whilst it is in, I felt pressure on my sternum where it articulates with the clavicle). I completed the physio (very very important!!) and briefly worked with a biokineticist to get a strength programme going as well. I have previously broken the same humerus and still have a plate and screws the shoulder from that, so I have a good understanding of how important the rehab element is. I have no pain or problems 5 years later. I can race ultra marathon length MTB and gravel events with no problems, madison on the track and am able to carry out all of the movements required in CrossFit which can be heavy on the shoulders. I have about 95% of the mobility of the other shoulder so I have to work on lots of stretching and mobility exercises, but I think this is likely due to having also had previous surgery and still having the plate in (which can't be removed). My husband dislocated his AC joint about 10 years ago and it was treated by being immobilised for a while in a sling and then left. He is still very active and it gives him endless problems. Constantly seems to be subluxating and he has a lot of pain. There isn't much that can be done for him surgically now - he's had the joint and the area cleaned up and he is likely to battle more as he gets older. He often laments that he didn't know better at the time.

Lots of nice routes out westwards from the Cradle area if you are still looking for mileage. Almost no traffic and there are often groups hitting out that way. It's mostly district road so not overly technical, and you can make it climby if you want to. Happy to share GPX files if you want.

I would change your saddle. I used to battle with the same issues, and was spending a huge amount of time on the bike. I have an ISM saddle on each of my bikes - selected differently for each bike depending on discipline and the resulting position you will sit in. Personally, I enjoy the Ciovita bibs but with the correct saddle I can now ride in just about whatever bibs I want without any of the problems you described. Nothing worse than spending the day racing and not being able to go to the toilet or have a bath afterwards...

And a track frame...

There is just something about riding a gravel bike that puts the biggest grin on the faces of even the most seasoned cyclists that I have ridden with. I don't know what it is, but they are just SO MUCH FUN! I for one don't argue that it replaces a mountain bike for awful corrugated roads. But horses for courses. There are many, many rides where a gravel bike that is well configured (thinking tyre selection, correct bars etc etc) just can't be beaten for the fun factor. I'm very excited about the Gravel World Series!

We have thoroughly enjoyed the events in Gauteng where you are supplied with a GPX file and set off when you are ready, and get some jelly babies and a naartjie at the waterpoints. Most of the events we have done have been on district or open gravel roads so they are re-useable and great for future training rides. I love riding new routes! I really just want to race criteriums. Those are great for staggered starts, and you can avoid having too many spectators by streaming the event. In general they can be a great solution to many of the problems we have with road races such as extended road closures and the related costs, as well as road safety issues. Track racing is alive and reasonably well in Gauteng and seems to be a good outlet for people desperate to race at the moment. Central Gauteng was even a bit innovative and has spread the Provincial Track Champs over 3 Saturday afternoons instead of condensed in one weekend, to keep the numbers of people at the track a bit lower. SA Omnium champs are coming up on 11 September at Hector Norris Park and looks highly likely to be streamed. This will be great for the sport and also give the sponsors some nice return. Maybe it's time for people to be a bit flexible and try something new if the events that they are used to are not available in the same format they have grown comfortable with. Never know, you might find something you didn't even know you enjoy ????