slowpoke

Spaaidy, next time come back and help me ge to the finish before cutoff damnit! Blah, ok, fine, I'll just start training now. As soon as the bio lifts my gym ban! Fighting headwind on first proper outing after having bursitis in the hip was maybe not a good idea :-P The goodie bag was worth the effort, we didn't do the potjie thing.

At least they let those of us who lost the battle against the wind do the final stage despite loading ourselves onto bakkies at the end of stage 2. Urgh! That wind hurt :-P Training has had to begin already for next year to avoid a repeat. 363 days to go...

Sigma karma on front. Cateye at back. Knogg frog red on back hub, white on fork. Valve lights (flashy blue) on both wheels and green flashy clipped to jacket. THAT is what counts as Christmas tree ;-)

RIP. tragic loss. Condolences to his family, friends and team mates.

Mud, mud, Glorrrrrrius Mud!

In other words we need to find a way to make sure you are never allowed to look down or blink or anything??? You ok?

Great, there goes o e location for Trans Baviaans training thanks to some morons who think the sun sets when they sit down. Hopefully they will choke on their goo-fueled egos.

I disagree about going FS immediately. Cheaper FS bikes need more TLC to make sure all stays in working order. I have been riding HT since 2003 and still do not truly see the point of going FS unless I can afford one that is as light as my HT. rather get. Good HT frame and decent wheels and then upgrade the rest as you "grow" into the sport. Listen to the advice re "ladies' specific"... These also tend to be the entry level frames.

Heal up soon ladies.

RIP Ertjies

Get better soon Ertjies. My thoughts are with you and your whole family.

I have Rudy's and my dogs (lab x ridge and lab x rottie) have played soccer with them and I've had a tumble or two with them and still fine after 5 years. I use the optical inserts and the clear lenses after dark and the grey lenses in the day. I have incredibly sensitive eyes and love my Rudy's (I've had corneal grafts in both eyes).

Why "women specific"? In that price range that just means "entry level junk painted in girlie colors" rather get the best in that price range and just get a shorter stem and find a saddle she likes.

While I never rode it myself I loved it.... It was always fun to watch the guys riding it and other obstacles.

Any more news how he is doing?

+1000000

Eish, hope he's all healed up soon and that he tracks you down to get his bike

Seeing a bicycle in such bad shape is gut wrenching for us Road Rangers... My blood ran cold as I led the lead A's past. Hope he heals up fast and 100%

The official rule is that the bunch being passed must neutralize and may only resume racing once the passing bunch is gone.

And that is where the trouble starts. A year or two ago this happened and the comm asked me as marshal to tell the "being passed" group to back off. Oddly the ones at the front were the ones who heard the request despite my giving the request / instruction from behind. Due to the (deliberately) "deaf" majority ignoring me and the comm, the whole lot eventually got DQ'd due to the reckless endangerment of themselves, the comms, the marshals and all other road users (nb, my motorbike got damaged due to me having to "bundu bash" in the grass verge on a sports bike). The fuss kicked up by these riders, even here on thehubsa, was a good example of why many non-cyclists hate cyclists. End of the day there needs to be more consistency of enforcing this rule by CSA, CGC and all comms as letting it be is dangerous if there is not full road closure as the group gets too big and ego's demand taking high risks no matter how far from the podium you are going to be.

Overall was good event and well organized, but I have to reiterate what Scotty said... From about 12:30 it appeared many (most) of the foot marshals stepped down, and us "back markers" (5 hour finishers from KL start bunch) were left to our own devices. Also, on suffering to the end there was only blue powerade at the finish water table (thanks to my fellow rider who had a water sachet left in his pocket that he gave me) AND the physios had packed up :-( really could've done with a leg rub after soloing most of the race. The biggest danger the whole way was the riders themselves. Pushing for position 4999 or whatever :-( Seriously guys, if you aren't in the front bunches there is no need to shove and push. If you pass someone, keep going. Don't slow down then veer right as soon as they end up trying to pass you now that you are blocking them. I witnessed the main pack of KL riders spread over the whole road with someone screaming "d*ckhead!" at a car that was trying to pass. Seriously dude, the only ones of those we're the riders nowhere remotely near the racing bunches riding all over the road! No wonder drivers hate cycling events - the back markers ride all over the road with their misguided pretentious of being racers. It was just easier and less stressful riding alone. I hope all the injured people heal up soon. There was a very bad multiple pile-up that us KLs passed a couple of km into the event. The state of the one lady brought back some very bad memories based on photos i saw of my 'Shova crash. At least she was conscious. Hope her injuries are not as bad as they looked.

RIP :-( condolences to family and friends

To all the riders who went down, heal up soon. The elite guy didn't look good while the medics were sorting him before loading him up :-( a cyclist down issomething us Road Rangers hate to see. The lady who went down a little later just a short distance further down that road also looked very eina. I was patrolling the section from the first water table to where the long and short route's split. Thos were the 2 bad crashes in my section, but there were also a fair number of "fall off's" amongst the later riders... The race is clearly a bit tougher than it used to be. It was definitely easier to patrol and get impatient vehicles past on the new, quieter, route. Thank you to all the cyclists who moved over to make it easier to get trucks/cars past you. To the others... "eish, when will you learn?????" *sigh*

Slowlady, it definitely can't be cos you're female nor that you're not athletic. I've never had anything but good service from them from when I "was" a shape, through to being in shape.

The FSM says I must ride my bike to show my respect and honour to him. He says when I start doing this every day things will be better.