Mamba

35 000 members of that website - and this is the kicker - in just two months. We've got be be doing a lot wrong to piss so many people off in such a short time.

Astana, I had the same misgivings as you however she is wanting to do the Africa trip with a backup crew. Maybe you can volenteer:-) In fact she was thinking about two backup crews - so many months on and then so many months off. However that is still in the planning stages. Never heard that expression. Lovely.

Hi Holy Roller, yes I was there as a representative of the Hub. I picked up her bike to feel the weight of the pack on the back. It was HEAVY. When I think that at times she was doing just under 100ks per day through hilly places like Barbeton and Tzaneen with that on the back I am amazed. Really. Her next task is to go around Africa for two years.

Hi everyone. One of the Hub's members - Jolandie - who has been riding round the circumference of SA for the past few months on her own is due to finish tomorrow at 12 midday. This is the first time that this has been done by a woman. I think we should all congratulate her on this incredible achievement. It's also nice to know that she's one of us - a hubber. You can pick up her website on www.jolandie.co.za

I agree - what an adventure. I'm pretty inspired to do something like that myself. Haven't seen enough of the country. What a great way to do it. Nice and slow.

Jolande has been riding solo round the circumference of SA for some weeks now. She started in Linden Jhb then rode to Richards bay then down the coast through the Ciskei and Transkei, Garden route all the way down to Cape Town through some terrible weather. She then rode up the West coast then turned east going through places like Pofadder etc. she has now reached Upington. She's due back on the 10th of January after riding round the bulge at the top of SA and coming down the East side then back to Jhb. You can link with her website on www.jolandie.co.za (note that the spelling is with a J not a y) it will also lead you to her facebook page. I've been following her on Google maps. That way it's rather nice to see the terrain that she is riding through. She is one brave girl. Her next step is to ride round Africa.

Guys you are right and you are wrong. Theoretically right but practically wrong. Lets go back to my example of the windsurfing nature reserve at Bronkhorstbaai. The windsurfers would pitch up, rig up and be on the water within say half and hour to an hour. They would then land at lunchtime quickly gulp down a pre-made lunch and back onto the water. We all bahaved ourselves when on land. At the end of the day we just packed up and went home. However, the fishermen made illegal braais (this is a nature reserve that I'm talking about). Drank themselves vrot in the sun then drove home staggering drunk leaving behind a trail of destruction. Fishing lines, rusty hooks broken bottles and the carnage it that caused to the local wildlife: Dead birds with line wrapped around their legs, rusty hooks, plastic bits and pieces that killed or maimed the wildlife. They also left fires burning and just went off. I've seen young children burn their feet on the hot coals as well as the veld that has been set alight. Guess who got kicked out. The windsurfers - who were model citizens. Hell we weren't even on the land most of the time. You go figure. When it come to Nature Conservation it is might = right. There were a lot of fishermen that made a lot of noise. Period. So if you think that by being the good boys you are going to fly under the radar. Think again. Been there got the T-shirt and the scars. Incidentally I've most probably put in a hundred hours of riding at the reserve and to this day I've yet to see a birdwatcher. That is, unless they are cunningly disguised as bobbejaans. Which could be the case. When I ride there I don't do it just for the exercise I do it with the prime objective of watching the game. Both birds as well as animals. Now I'm told that people ride around in cars burning petrol and making more noise than I do are going to have me booted out!!!!

Hi SwissVan, If it was a mamba wearing a pair of binoculars it wuz me.

Slowbee I absolutely agree with you. We should work together. However unless I'm mistaken it is not the cyclists that are trying to get the birders off, it's the other way round. I think some of the anger from the windsurfing thing is peeking through. It's just that is angers me that some people feel that it is their right to hog everything to themselves and do their level best to exclude others. Even though it is them making the noise and in addition to that they are just a handful relative to the cyclists. Don't be surprised that we are all excluded from Suikerbosrand by a handful of birders because they are the ones that are being proactive. Don't forget that I said IF they continue. I am also a birdwatcher just in case you thought I was totally against them.

Couldn't agree with you more Steelponyman. I ride around Suikerbos with a pair of binoculars on me. I watch the game and birds as well as cycle. It's wonderful. Who the hell are the birdwatchers to demand exclusivity!! They are the ones driving the noisy cars. However, I've nearly been ridden over by park vehicles travelling in the wrong direction. We have to act very quickly to make our stand. I also do windsurfing and we had much the same scenario with the fishermen at Bronkhortspruit. They had us kicked out even when we only used up about 10 meters of a shoreline that was many kilometers long. I see the same thing happening here. We should have gone in boots and all instead we were defensive and landed up with loosing the entire facility. Of course whenever I'm at Bronkhorstspruit now start on the other side of the dam then I go over to where the fishermen are with one of my boards that has a very long skeg and make sure that I snag every f*&^% fishing line that I can. Unfortunately that is not often enough. But the damage has been done. There are many more cyclist using the facility than bird watchers. We should draw up a plan to get them booted off if they continue.

Take a bow DD and Nancy. I ran into the person that heads up the Braamfontein Spruit trust yesterday just upstream from the bridge. She was very complimentary about the mountain bikers for doing that so take a bow. There were some issues that she had against some of the other bikers that try to run the walkers and dog walkers off the road. We are going to try and educate some of those that are not affiliated to any of the clubs that the walkers have right of way and to ride around them otherwise I can see there is going to be a problem in the future for all of us. We also need to educate some of them that they also need to keep to the left believe it or not!!! Dumbasses.

Thanks everyone for your contribution. Much appreciated. The Spruit is my Saturday ride (sometimes Sunday). Mampara I won't join you at Alberts. I'll ride in the opposite direction and hope to catch up with you at some point. Haven't seen you for ages. I've have been riding on my own since my accident. Needed time to get my confidence back. We can compare notes on the bridges etc. if you would like to. Anyone want to join me going up to Alberts from Fratellis at 7.30?

Thanks all. I guess I'll only be cycling again once my wife is speaking to me again. When hell freezes over.

Hi Mich, thanks for the ride on Saturday. Loved your bike. I should have gone with you Northern Farm. After working this morning I thought I would give myself a treat and go for a short ride. Had an accident and have shattered my hand so badly that they are going to have to put a plate in to hold the bits together. Mommy is not impressed for messing up her mothers day. Wants to break my other hand. It would be my right hand of course. I'm using my left hand on the mouse and typing with one finger again. Thank goodness for helmets. It literaly saved my life today.

Big Ben, if you are fimiliar with Jan Smuts and Hyde Park. If you go down the hill from Hyde Park along Jan Smuts driving in the direction of Randburg. At the bottom of the hill you will find a split in the road. You take the left hand road. (Conrad Drive). Within a few meters you will cross over a bridge. (If you look to your left when crossing the bridge you will see a paved parking area. That is where you are going). After the bridge the first road to the left is Hillcrest. Turn left into Hillcrest and left again into the parking lot that is in front of Fratellis and Manhattan Grill. There is a car guard. Make a BIG fuss over MichH's bike otherwise...