two hands

I have a 1.5 and also in VA. Not going to query mine. Whatever the outcome of my harassing the Cycle Tour, my biggest hurdle is still going to be the sleep-over bachelors in Franschhoek the night before.

Question: What are the chances of doing a sub-3 out of VA? After a mate's bachelors in Franschhoek the night before?

Agree, Pain or Shine. The AGM is not intended to be a soapbox. What I meant was, those who wish to stand for certain positions, should motivate why, and explain how they plan to get things done (better). Hopefully yourself included?

Not 'good'. Essential. Probbaly also legally required. Wow, guys. You mean the AGM has only been advertised on the Hub? *SMH As heated as the thread has got this is not the 'public' forum to constitute sufficient notice for all interested parties. If you're calling for an AGM the onus falls on you to get as many interested parties there as possible. If I hadn't stumbled on this thread I'd have been none the wiser...

C'mon, Deon. Tokai needs you. You are supported far more widely than the Hub would have you believe. Guys, there's no point in having this out on a forum like the Hub. As I think we all know there are a lot of people with skills and experience to help us move forward with SANParks and TMNP who don't hang out here on a Sunday night (or any day or night for that matter!). The Hub is not a proxy for sentiment surrounding Tokai, or anything relating to cycling. It is has a large number of users from the MTB community, for sure. But the Hub is fundamentally undemocratic, and (at least in this instance) creates divisions rather than collective purpose. Both 'sides' raise interesting points that can be explained at a public meeting, if the holders of those opinions choose to do so... BUT (and here's the kicker) there are waaaay more than two sides to this. I look forward to people raising more support (and criticism) than what is contained in this thread. It is not binary. There are plenty of voices to be heard here. The Hub makes it appear like there are only two viewpoints. It's plainly myopic to view it like that.

Stunning, scenic ride. But probably the most dangerous 80km I have ever ridden in my life! I was amazed by the incompetence of the marshals. Not sure I'll do this one again... If we go over white lines and live dangerously, we deserve the blame. But we were pretty well-behaved today, barring a few numbnuts who wanted to play chicken with oncoming traffic. Marshals have a thankless job, sure, but today they did nothing to endear themselves. The bike marshals looking after Cat 1 were okay, not great. The roadside marshals however, were downright appalling. Where does PPA get them? And how are they trained. Paying attention should be a minimum requirement. Anyway. I survived. Still not 100% sure how. /rant

I'm of the same opinion as Vince. The Hub can and has done a lot to create a community of riders, as have the trails of Tokai brought many people together united in a love of mountain biking. The thing to remember is that it's not a good place for constructive and complex action. It rewards trolls and anonymous kneejerk responses. Tokai is a complex situation and polarising statements and posionous vitriol does nothing. Action requires a team of fundraisers, lobbyists, technical consultants, labour and maybe even a politician or two At the heart of it is a shared passion for riding and creating quality trails. If we can agree that how we ride is irrelevant, then we can focus the passion and intent in the right direction - at working with SANParks and TMNP to develop Tokai into a world-class venue. Through a lot of hard work from a lot of people (not me) over many years, both on the ground and in countless meetings, we are in a position to affect change. Let's put the bullsh*t behind us and look at the future. I am looking forward to the 18th. Not because it will be a showdown. But because it will be a starting point for what we can do as a collective. I'd love to see Vince, Deon et al on the committee. That would be a team to make some waves and a strategy for moving forward. Judging by the posts on this thread I reckon there is more in common among different 'factions' than we think. All have expressed a desire to see a working group elected that is both wary of and skilled at negotiating with the bureaucracy that exists among the stakeholders of Tokai. All have also admitted that they'd like to get expert trailbuilders in to assess the current work and provide solutions for the future. Also, if you read between the lines, there's an admission that they would like to serve in such a working group, if elected. We're not quite sitting around a campfire singing kumbaya, but we're not that far off. Let's get as many people as we can to Chrysalis on the 18th. Leave egos at home. And hear different viewpoints.

Ummm, sorry to say, but you last point doesn't really make sense. I'm all for a better registration/seeding system that excludes people who shouldn't be there. But by your logic you would expect to see all A riders at all races to come pedaling into the last 5km together, not having crossed the white line, as no-one was dropped, and therefore no-one needed to overtake on the right. Simply. Doesn't. Happen. I agree, overtaking on the right is sometimes unavoidable. So get it done quickly, when it's safe. Be your own marshal. Don't push the rules, and/or wait for an official warning. Ironically, we aren't likely to get rolling (or full) road closure till we are seen to behave. So, save your arguments about how flawed the system is, and follow the rules. They are ultimately there for our safety - so someone doesn't end up as a hood ornament... Or continue being pissed off by the organisers/marshals/commissaires. Your call.

Agree with the DQ. Towards the end of the race Cat 1 riders were making no attempt to ride on the left. It was a shame, as I thought the race was actually very well-behaved for 90% of the way. The motorbike marshals were a little absent toward the end, which might have why so many guys took a chance? Bottom line is we, the riders, need to take responsibility for staying on the left. The occasional indiscretion to avoid a slower rider, accident, pothole, or from being buffeted by the wind, etc. will not result in a DQ (maybe a warning if it happens often). So stop using that as an excuse. There was no reason to ride on both sides of the road on Saturday. I know, I was in that bunch. I'd like to see DQs for littering. Cat 1 riders think nothing of discarding gel and bar wrappers en route. It's disgraceful and arrogant. It's a small local Cat 1 race, not the effing TdF. Have a sense of perspective, and put it in your pocket. Would you do that in your own home? In a nature reserve? Who do you think is going to pick it up? /rant

I prefer to keep lists clean

Actually, also need to add Ashleigh Moolman Pasio's 3rd at La Fleche Wallonne Feminine World Cup this year in there. And Reinardt Janse van Rensburg's 2012 season in general...

Here's my top 14: 1. Greg Minnaar's DH World Champs gold (2003, 2012, 2013) 2. Daryl Impey's Tour yellow jersey (2013) 3. Robbie Hunters's Tour stage win (2007) 4. Burry Stander's U23 World Champs title (2009) 5. Greg's DH World Cup overall titles (2001, 2005, 2008) tied 6. Burry's 1st World Cup win (2009) tied 6. Greg's 1st World Cup win (2001) 8. Greg's DH World Champs silver (2004, 2006, 2009) 9. Louis's Mentjes U23 World Champs silver (2013) 10. Cherise Stander's Junior World Champs silver (2006) 11. Greg's DH World Champs bronze (2001, 2005, 2010) 12. James Perry's U23 TT bronze (2001) 13. Robbie's 1st Vuelta stage win (1999)

aw, shucks guys... *blushes* Simply put: This event is a must-do. No amount of endorsement from my side can do the race justice. It will blow your mind with its technical trails, and the singletrack is nothing but pure nirvana. So different from any event on offer in SA, and I've ridden most of them. There's nothing to compare the terrain to locally, except, possibly, one or two sections of Harkerville outside Knysna. As for the trails around Squamish and Whistler, we are sadly not in the same league in South Africa.

All welcome. Kids as well. Will be great to see you there!

So, who's coming?!

Just spoke with Christoph Sauser - he has pulled every string available in his considerable network to stage a once-in-a-lifetime event on Wednesday, 21 March in Kayamandi, outside Stellenbosch. You have to get there. The Songo.info BMX and MYB race is designed as a fun day for mountain bike enthusiasts of every ability. Racing will start in the morning with a MTB route around the Papegaaiberg open to the public. There will also be a BMX race on Meurant's newly completed track. This is suitable for younger kids. Then, at 11am 50 invited riders will participate in an exhibition short track eliminator XC race. The line-up is better than anything Cape Town has ever seen. It will feature 2 reigning World Champions (XCO and XCM), 2 ex-World Champions (Xterra and XCM), as well as 7 reigning national XC Champions. Not even the Absa Cape Epic has that kind of royalty on show! Also, Red Bull will be there and Specialized will be showcasing their "test the best" fleet. It should be a riot. Enter here, and come along: http://www.songo.inf...d=62&entryId=78

Nuge, a very humble and honest assessment of the Elite bunch. Kudos, brother. I agree with you, it was too big. I think once riders have experienced the intensity of that bunch they'll willingly cede their spot to make up a safer (slightly slower) bunch starting 3-5 minutes later. Once we'd all got over the ego/flattery of being a $ rider, that is! I'd happily give up my top-100 position to ride in safety, with confidence in the organisers' ability to create a bunch of peers regarding strength and skill. The reality is that one unsafe or undergunned rider is a liability felt by the entire bunch.

Agree. Three weeks prior?? Seriously... Unless you're neglecting to mention some cross-training, or that one of your parents was a previous le Tour winner...

A sub-3 is probably a shedload easier if you ride throughout summer, and get a few of the fun rides in. That said, it can probably be done on legs (and an arse) familiar with pedaling, good general fitness and the right training with two months to go...

Agree ban or fine the bastards. I lost count of the tossed bottles in Elite as we hit Little Chappies. Disgusting. And Bonitas always seem to be culprits. The attitude is just plain f*cked, on so many levels.

Just happy I survived the cowboys and carnage of the Elite bunch. Okes only started racing at Chappies, which is where I got caught napping and a 50m gap at the summit turned into 5 minutes by the finish line. Suikerbossie was quite a lonely experience. Still, I'll take 2.42. Now for the real race: Epic

I've tried a few different tyres lately and am still left thinking the combo I have ridden 5 Epics on wins: Front - Specialized Fast Track LK Rear - Specialized Renegade Control casing for both Worthy mentions: Schwalbe's Racing Ralph (Snakeskin casing), and for a robust tyre (but with fairly high rolling resistance) the Specialized Captain Control. My 2c

Done 5, aiming for 6 this year... Clean kit every day. Look after your partner. Enjoy it. Look after your bike. Ride thicker sidewalled tyres. Take something savoury to eat. Enjoy it. Eat on the hour, every hour. Pause to soak in the scenery. Get a massage everyday. Nap. Enjoy it. Pause to soak in the atmosphere. Chat to a foreigner. Ask a pro something you've always wanted to know, however stupid it sounds. Watch the day's video highlights. Watch the flyover route description every night. Repeat x 8.

Order has been restored. Results are now correct.

Damn, I don't feature in the Racetec results... at all! Was seconds behind Oli Munnik in the 65km. All that sweat for nada...