Leon O

So my trip ended before it really began. 1st my Left shoe sole departed from the sheeat to come. I turned around, somebody from Cycleworx helped to repair damage with Duct tape, and off I went. I had barely hit the dirt road, yip you guessed it, Right shoe gave up. The little voice in my head said, stop it, drop it, go home! I listened. From the comments above I am sort of glad I listened, for once!

Most probably zero, nothing, f..all. They will be out by the w/end! Bets of all luck to Wayne for a speedy recovery.

"Maybe earplugs are needed to cope with all rooster and other human noises" Nooit, I thought cyclists are gentlemen like golfers!

Costs are most certainly a factor, if not the biggest I am keeping tabs on my 1st ride. Costs currently about R8k. this includes bike service, places to stay, fuel etc etc. coming from Gauteng. Luckily my boss gave me a fuel card(semi sponsor) But still, a lifetime to-do list.

Yip, my first ride in group G

Maar dan moet GAP en JohanDiv maar plekke ruil

Just received my mail and number! So, now there's no turning back. Thanks for the advice of parking outside of town. Although we are staying close by, it might be troublesome for the wife to get out to Knysna.

Not in Velddrift itself, but out towards St Helena Bay there are a couple of places I have seen MTB take to the veld. From Velddrift to St Helena Bay, there is a butchery. Next to it there is a route up towards the wind turbines, just don't know where it heads to. I have seen a couple of MTB's go up this route. Will roam the area in December. Then from St Helena, there is a lekka sandy road to Paternoster. I have done the latter, about 40km there and back, with nice ups and downs, soft sand and corrugated road. So, if you want to go from Velddrift, it should be about 70k's to Paternoster and back?

I need to go ride there for MTB training uphills. Is it an all tarred road route, or are there some off road routes as well?

Marius, I saw a helluva motivational sticker this week-end. "Think about the first kilometer you have cycled, it is one kilometer more the person on the couch, and one kilometer closer to the reason why you started!"

I want to find out if there is a ride, closer to the sea, from St Helena Bay (Shelley point) to Paternoster which can be done with the bike. I have done some km's on the sand road in this direction, but am not sure if you can go all the way to Paternoster, apart from going the more "inland" road, over the hills, and then turn towards Paternoster.

I feel trying to patch a sidewall, even more the rear tyre, is risky. Taken the movement, radial and lateral, it has to go through during rotation, and the patch not performing the same as the tyre, might be a cause for continues failures. Mtcw

Agree to the quick healing for the earth-meeters! (I hate the word fall or crash, it gives me shivers all over) Had my share a couple of years ago on the Magalies Monster. Slow speed uphill, just before a waterpoint, slow rider in front, front wheel decided to challenge a rock on the single "spoor". Two weeks later, shoulder op, four months after that knee op, both of them earth meeting related So, watch it out here, plenty opportunities to send your savings to the medics!

I had an arthroscopy about four years following and ground meeting during the Magalies Monster. I could clearly feel something wrong in my knee, and the doc "cleaned it up" as a previous comment said. Discomfort for about six weeks on crutches and very idle movement. I have since started MTB again for about two years now, and it seems to hold up ok, although I do sometimes feel slight pain after hard exercise, but not close to what it was. It disappears after a short rest. Still following doc's orders - "as long as you don't fall on it again, you should be ok" Just m2cw

I see this is gonna go South, no, North is vertical, anytime now

Wish all of this was this true for the K2C

I'm going for a bearing/ worn axle issue as well. Pit marks on the bearing or axle can cause havoc. In free wheeling on a stand, there is no load to cause friction on a bearing. Loaded, it simply amplifies the problem.

My 2c worth. Have a look at the Namibia Desert Dash as well. Starting in Windhoek and end up in Swakopmund.

For the bike hangers, i used 6mm threaded bar with two nuts on either side of the allu tube. Then bent it suit the frame size. The cover of the hooks is with electrical cable heat shrink.

If you are somewhat handyman, i bought a length of allu square tube, a couple of these plastic fittings, and made a stand myself.(Connect-it connectors)

So, my son, in prepping for his first full marathon in September, and deciding that being a self admitted "brat", treated himself to new "sports-mans watch" Ag dad, you can have my old one (Garmin Vivoactive 3) for R1500-00, sorry man its already six months old! Thanks boet, looks like I brought you up well, looking after the ou-toppie!

Donasie gedoen IcemanGP. Klou vas, boet, jy gaan hierdeur kom! Ek stem saam, jy het niks om oor skaam te voel nie. Sien dit as 'n papwiel langs die pad - daar is baie wat gaan help!

Yislaaik, this is one helluva thread! Looks like the both of you enjoyed this project! Just shows what can be done if you "TEAM-UP"

Have a look in Willowmore. I managed to get a overnight place there.

This sounds like the place to go for K2C training?