River Rat

If having it 5 times makes me an expert here goes, the first time I got diagnosed they picked up that I had the parasite for something like 4 to 5 years, my only symptoms was tiredness. They were able to track the number of cycles of eggs the worm laid in my system. The treatment for bilharzia usually only stops the egg laying part of the cycle and traces of the parasite can remain in the system for years. I was treated with the drug that preceded Praziquantel however, this egg laying part of the cycle is rarely eradicated completely on the first treatment and as canoeists we treat ourselves at least one a year we don't even bother with tests as they inevitably come up positive. So my advice is to take the Praziquantel on a regular basis obviously with the doctors recommendation. I hardly ever get symptoms anymore but every blood test usually produces evidence of the parasite mostly old infections.

Having had a relative go missing sometime back we soaked up every bit of social media to find him and then it turned toxic as people started speculating. We found him unharmed but not in a good mental state , this case could very well be different but from my experience the best for the individual and family is to let it go. They'll tell us when they're ready if ever, once the person is found our job is done and it's now up to the family.

I have heard of a number of people that now have enlarged hearts after COVID some are so bad that their doctors recommend no strenuous exercise.

Time of day is important here as most of trails are quite busy and unless your dog is trail smart it could lead to problems. I go to Big Red Barn or Wolwespruit in off peak times with my dog but if I see it's busy I just take him for a walk and leave the bike. Hedianga Farm also works but the trails aren't up to the standard of the other two.

I would add that UCI are equally complicit by being lax in the application of their rules, this leads to TNT's argument that everyone's doing it so what's the issue. The rules are there for the safety of all competitors if you don't apply, abide or comply then you should face the music when things go wrong as they did in this case.

I said nothing of the sort rather read my post again.

I don't buy this logic because in another application you are suggesting that a drunk driver who kills someone in an accident should be given the same censure as one that causes a fender bender. I prefer a world where actions have consequences so sprinting within the rules is cool break the rules and face the consequences, it's your choice.

To put things in perspective this was not just a minor infringement his action nearly killed a fellow competitor. For a fan it's a case of he served his time so let bygones be bygones for Jakobsen and fans of fair play it's not so easy because they believe that the punishment did not fit the crime. I can see this issue dogging Groenewegen for the rest of his career, so the win at all costs approach has the rest of the field recalculating the cost column.

I would contact Brett his details are here https://www.lowveldchaingang.co.za/

Can't seem to find broadcast times on DSTV?

Our cat Batman absolutely loves hanging around when I work in the garage and I recently built my own Lithium power pack for my camping fridge, I would say Batman is quite chuffed with his contribution!

Good news is that this route now has a champion and will be upgraded and brought back it's former glory. Watch this space.

There has been a lot of effort in terms of sorting out of the security at Klapperkop and we seem to have this under control thanks to the efforts of various security companies. There is currently an effort underway to start clearing the trails and a Strava segment named Fortgetmenot was cleared on Saturday but it is far too technical for most and I can't see anymore effort going into this segment down the line. However, although quite short 660m at (-10.5%) it could make a great Enduro route with a bit of TLC. Anyone interested in taking up the project?

It was a hot day at Wolwespruit.

We haven't had an incident in the area since August when two cyclists were robbed in Klapperkop. Within 15 minutes we flooded the area with 20 security guards with myself and my dog sweeping the area from the fort towards the circle, I know from my dog's reaction that we were very close to the perpetrators although we did not catch them. I think it was very close call and they got a huge fright and they have stayed away from the reserve since then, we have also had a continuous presence of security companies in Klapperkop in the mornings which has acted as an additional deterrent. There are groups starting to ride off road in Klapperkop on Saturday mornings if there's interest I'll post times on here. All the activity in Klapperkop means that the criminal activity should move to Groenkloof but I have noticed a huge amount of Metro Police activity at fountains circle, heck someone was even arrested for illegal dumping last week! So my general impression is that Groenkloof is safer now than it was in the beginning of the year but as always rather ride in groups and if you are alone rather avoid the area closest to the circle (north).

I think the mods could save themselves a whole lot of PT if they employ this rule https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Tachy%20Goes%20To%20Coventry

I am a frequent poster on off topic threads I also use Chit Chat to post some of my stories which are not always cycling related.I do both because I find there are a lot of like minded people who find the same topics of interest as I do. However, I guess if there's no place for off topic threads then it would follow that I should not post non-cycling related stories either. It would be a pity for me but perhaps welcomed by others depending whether you enjoy what I write or not. I have often thought about creating a blog of my own to air my stories so this might just nudge me in that direction, but the thought of being an administrator of sorts is rather off putting. So, I do respect that Admin has an unenviable task when it comes to moderating heated discussions and I am sure that when it's a non cycling related topic it feels like a waste of time. But it comes down to what is the metric that drives revenue, I am unfamiliar with the business model but I would guess that it's traffic and what would that be if it is cycling related only. I have no idea if the moderation of off topic threads is worth the traffic gain or not, but in the end that's going to be the call that Admin has to make. Good luck.

Every year I wonder what emotions are playing out as you are approaching the finish with 20kms to go. Especially if your body is starting to breakdown and you are riding with one leg only.

And he is home!

Agreed it doesn't look like we are in for any photo finishes this year.

Three riders up against the clock needing to finish the last 70 to 80 km at an average of 15kph JM , CS and TR.

Huge kudos for give it a go and not just throwing in the towel. Sometimes you have to realise that it is just not your day and the best you can do is make sure that there is another day to make up for it. So rest up, get over the ailments and disappointment then start thinking about Munga 2021!

Outdoorwarehouse had the Garmin Inreach Se+ for R6.5k on a special.

I shudder to think what would happen if a rider has an emergency and tries to activate the SOS function on a malfunctioning tracker. I had a similar incident when my wife had a fall on the Isimangaliso race 4 years ago, we activated the tracker with no response. I eventually climbed to a spot where I could get cellphone signal and called the emergency number. "Press the SOS button" they said, anyway I moved around pressing it until it registered on their side. The bakkie that was sent out ended up 4 kms off our position, I eventually coordinated the whole thing using my mobile and WhatsApp location. Now take the mobile out of the equation and we would have a disaster, with my wife having deep cut with blood everywhere in a big 5 reserve.