Dup08

Northern Farms updated route.

Very doable route, not really technical except for a small rock features here and there.

Early morning tar spin in Midstream. Found some mud to make my mtb feel at home.

Irene

Managed a 4:19 on my MTB, 2.4 tyres. Saw a lot of crashes, people swerving all over, not staying left, some more serious than others. Decided to not try and ride in bunches and play safe. Saved my legs for all the climbing as well which was nice, but perhaps kept a few too many matches. Will aim for a sub 4 next year on the MTB again.

Just wanted to take some time and give a huge shoutout to @Herschel for his kindness and generosity and just being an overall awesome gent. My niece was chosen to represent her school at the high school nationals in Piet Retief start of October. Up until this point she was using an old Giant hardtail, really not suited for racing at any level, but still performing exceptionally well and getting consistent podiums when racing. I decided to get a new bike built up asap, although budgets being a bit limited, I had some parts so first had to find a frame and fork. I messaged Herschel as he had a great deal available. Unbeknownst to me, he was aware who my niece is and is quite heavily involved with cycling in the community, what are the chances! His best friends son was the other rider chosen to race in the same school. He immediately offered a generous discount on the frame and fork, but not only that, he rallied the troops, Flip cycling club and Knipe Racing to source/sponsor the remaining parts after I shipped what I had down to CPT and build the bike, with no extra costs to us. With me sitting in Gauteng, he co-ordinated everything with regards to the build and the handover, with nothing asked in return. I am super grateful and I know my niece is as well. She just got her bike a couple of minutes ago and I am excited to see the damage she will be able to do with a better bike. Once again, huge thanks to Herschel, Flip Cycling Club and Knipe Racing for making this happen. You are all legends and I hope to see you guys in Durbanville when I go the Cape early next year.

Morning Hubbers, My wife and I are heading to Plettenberg Bay and De Rust at end of December. Need to get some insights on the trails/routes we can ride especially when we are at Plett, but suggestions when at De Rust also welcome. (Did check past threads, but nothing current unfortunately) Have seen Harkerville Trails, Cairnbrogie and the MTO trails next to Cairnbrogie popping up when googling and checking Strava. Any other trails which we should be on the lookout for? Also, any of the above that we should be weary of in terms of overly technical or not maintained. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks @Titan Racing Bikes Read the article yesterday and specifically saw the paragraph addressing the issue. I ended up applying multiple layers of PPF, but I suspect some users might end up removing the plastic guard in totality to avoid further issues. New bike looks proper and glad these small growing pains are being sorted, especially through listening to customer feedback, not a lot of brands goes this route. Also quite stocked that the small frame now also takes 2 x water bottles. Might be an option when we upgrade for my wife in the future again. Congratulations on the launch!!

Great trails. Lots of climbing and a fair amount of technical sections on the longer route, but fun overall. Go and give it a bash.

Very glad you turned around. When my wife and I lived in Kempton, we used to frequently use the gravel roads to BRB and back, but now there are issues in that whole area East of Midstream. We now live in Midstream and I wont dare go out East of the last boom gate any longer. Some flare ups in Bapsfontein and PTA East areas as well over the weekend. Sad how limited we are becoming with riding some nice gravel roads this side.

Correct yet. Cyclist passing through Midstream to Red Barn on Saturday for the Sani2c roadshow. He just passed over the low water bridge toward BRB side when the perp jumped out in front of him, he shouldered him and got away, perp started firing at him while he rode away. (The cyclist in question posted this on the Midstream owners group and sent a Whatsapp voice note)

There was a post on the Finish Line Cycles Whatsapp group this morning, stating the a fellow rider passed away today. Not sure if pointing to the same incident, but seems to be so. No details unfortunately. Very sad if that is the case.

If I recall correctly, there was a similar incident a year or two ago at Hazeldean trails as well, close to the River Section. Do not see any mention of this on their socials.

@Transformer09 My wife has the same bike. Do yourself a favor and remove the plastic bottom bracket/downtube procter and put a layer of frame protection in that area. Dirt and small rocks tend to get between the frame and the protector and scratches the frame quite heavily. Her bike has some serious paint damage as a result.

I am also looking for some faster rolling tyres as my Ardent (front) and Ardent Race (rear) is overkill for my riding and seem quite heavy if I look at some other tire weights. Any thoughts on Specialized Fast Track and Renegade tyres? T5 or T7 for gravel riding and lighter trailer usage?