Muddy

The fact that lockouts are something that can be left activated does nothing to increase or decrease it value. It only shows that people have short attention spans. I believe we've all done it. It's like saying lights on a car is stupid because it drains the battery if left on. And yes a chain elongates. I still want to see the legs on the guy who stretch metal.

chuck the shimano pin and use the powerlink. And always keep a spare on you when riding to use in the unfortunate event of your chain breaking

Yes you can buy a permit at the entrance. They have card facilities. Groenies and Voortrekker monument won't be linked in the near future. They are owned and managed my different entities. The monument is not part of Pretoria's responsibility. But it would be great.

Since they have distributed pamphlets about this at bike shops it creates the impression that it is all done and dusted, ready to go but when riding there it becomes clear that they are still very hard at work. I think if all is done it's going to be awesome and the annual permit is well worth the money at R150. Aangesien ek n 'vriend' is wonder ek hoekom oom Gert nie vir my ook ge-email het nie

I think I have cracked the code Having ridden there a few time I could not quite figure out why I would be paying R20 since the tracks are about 10Ks. Well there are some awesome single track that do not have their entrances marked yet. The marker called up the hill is a very nice track going UP and is very tricky. Lots of little step ups and clay. The marker Onto Single Track is the entrance to some very nice uphill single track. Beware that there is a ditch that is still missing a bridge and there are quite a few sharp turns which messes up the flow. I have found two 'official' start signs but if you arrive by bike the best start is just past the entrance at the marker called Unofficial start. The one official start is behind the monument at the amphitheater where you can park your car

Canaris has got it spot on. The term technical needs to be define and understood properly. You will always come across section that are not really worth riding if you race but the challenge is always nice and it improves your skill level. There is no shame in walking a section that you feel is too technical but remember that it is most probably very ridable for the next guy so don't walk on the line. The shame lies in the fact that people want to walk the easy line and create new tracks to bypass some 'difficult' section. That way you will never ever improve. Track builders can also get it wrong but that does not mean it's too technical. Good example in my view are some of the sections at Voortrekker monument. Having a switchback on an uphill single track immediately followed by a sharp sudden step up is not too technical in my opinion but it is just not good track design. Same with a drop off on a down hill single track immediately followed by a 90 degree turn.

That is a given. Scrap your sole concept but this is not waht the question is about. The question is when does it make sense to use lockout. There is no right/wrong answer because everybody rides different bikes with different styles. Thus it's a matter of preference (clearly there are those that use it and those that don't), riding style and terrain. To compare a bicycle, car and motorbike make no sense. Basic suspension principles like sag, rebound and damping applies to all 2 wheeled things but this is where it stops. You cannot compare the pedaling motion to the accelerator push motion. Thus to say you don't have lockout on some so why on other is mute. Oh btw adjustable suspension (on the fly) to the point of almost locking out has been used in MotoGP for a few seasons. It's not suitable nor needed for normal road riding.

No but do you have pedals on your car or motorbike? This was one of the biggest issues in the 80` with shaftdrive where you had a lot of squat when accelerating (Z1300). Technology have since sorted this out. Also on a car/bike you do not have people going up and down as they press the accelerator. No real comparison besides the fact that all should bring you from A to B but transfer of power is totally different.

Motorcyclists on that road, especially weekends, are all weekend warriors - Rossi wannabees trying to go 280 around corners. Cyclists on the road especially weekends, are mostly Euro peleton wannabees who insist on riding IN or near the middle of the road despite all the accidents. Result? Well apparently another accident involving motorbikes and bicycles near the Lion Park. Now the biker knows that Rossi has got a skill he does not have - emergency braking. The cyclist now realize that the Euro peleton is not as cool as he initially thought. I could not find any news about this anywhere so hopefully it's just a rumour, the accident that is Muddy2010-05-23 23:31:45

It's a matter of personal preference and bike setup. Some people never use lockout but a general rule of thumb is to use it to minimize bop which normally result in wasted energy. A bopping effect is more prominent when pedaling hard e.g. uphill or standing. Having said that, most shocks have some build in technology to counter this. Generally the more expensive the shock the better this technology is. Something that also helps is to make sure your suspension is setup properly with correct sag, compression and damping.

RELOAD!! RELOAD!!!!

If you are unfit a light bike is not going to get you up a hill faster (we're not talking msecs) - loose some weight and put in some saddle time fat ASS! If you are scared a heavy bike is not going to get you down the hill faster - get some balls you sissy. For the average Joe (fun rider) good maintenance to ensure everything is working optimally is more important that saving a few grams - be a man and get some grease under your fingernails. What does it weight is and will remain a stupid question!

The trails at rietvlei is not being used much by MTB, not nearly as much as say Groenkloof so I doubt if you would see any impact. But unfortunately some MTB riders are a bunch of idiots. It has become a tendency over the last few months at Groenkloof for 'riders' to 'create' their own tracks. This happens when the current option is too difficult for them i.e. a big rock, mud or ditch. So instead of taking the opportunity to learn how to ride these obstacles they cut though the veld, other woosies follow and soon you have a track where it was not meant to be.

Feedback from authorities. An annual permit for Groenkloof allows you to enter Reitvlei as well. The trails are both within the Angling Area / Water Works boundaries and it is most doubtful that there will ever be trails in the reserve itself. Mainly due to environmental impact on both flora and fauna as well as the animals. The Sunrise Trail (Eastern Bank) is 7km in length and the Sunset Trail (Western Bank) is 6km at the moment. The Sunset Trail will be extended to include the ravine if erosion will not be a problem.

Jokes aside this just goes to show how sick the society is that we live in. That is a very busy highway and the chances of somebody not seeing the bike fall off is very remote and yet nobody made an attempt to stop him. This just tells me that whoever saw this happening stopped and picked up the pieces to keep for himself no matter how useless it might be. Ons landtjie is so f'd up dat hulle n drol sal steel as jy hom alleen los.

Do the test Johan describes to make sure. Other this that I have found to make funny noises when you pedal and that you can feel are the chain and pedals. You will be amazed at the grinding noise a dirty chain can make but it eventually subsides. Here I'm not talking oil but sand. If you did a ride with lots of sand/mud and only wiped the chain before lubing it again some of that sand remains and if you take the chain between your fingers and twist it you will hear the grind. This happens very easily with a new bike because of the lube they put on the chain. That stuff is a sand magnet. If you do not hear the noise when doing Johan's test then remove the chain and wash in a solvent, re-install and lube and try again.