DJR

You REALLY had to buy the Alpinist, just because of the name😁

VERYcool angle of view, you obviously THOUGHT about it!

The Facebook pictures of the Harvard made me look up from my desk at the aviation inspired Orange Explosion sitting high above the other old bikes on my study wall and hope that D will be home soon to go for a ride with me....... https://forum.bikehub.co.za/topic/46935-retro-bicycle-thread/page/320/#comment-3291997

Soory, wrong thread

We should all do black & white photography a bit more often.

I have that feeling every time I travel to places where "things just work". But every once in a while I am reminded that I tend to wear glasses that give me a limited view of my own world, despite thinking that I see it exactly like it is. Last week we had a young visitor from Spain and it was her first time to Cape Town (yes, I know it isn't the whole country). She is of Argintian and Colombian ancestry, grew up in both countries, studied in Sweden and Italy and lived in the Netherland sbefore moving to Spain, first to Madrid and now lives in Majorca. She was simply blown away by Cape Town and the winelands, the mountain, the food, the beaches, friendly people, the art galleries, weather, the waterfront, Kirstenbosch, Boulders, even Uber, shops. She did not quite expect lion and wild animals in the streets, but said she certainly did not anticipate such first world beauty. Yes, I know she visited while there were no power cuts, demonstrations and the weather was perfect, but it mademe look at my own surroundings again. Sometimes it is good to see through an outsiders eyes!

Ai tog, IceCreamMan, why do you keep posting these things that make it even more difficult to forget that we are living in (almost) as crazy a Cuckoos' zoo as the Americans?

I had to report the theft of a brass water meter at my local cop shop yesterday. The only reason I still bother is to get a case number so thet the City will install a new plastic one for free. The way the cops handled this was saddening: There were 6 of them in the change office. 5 were busy writing in slow motion to fill in papers at the speed of sloths. One was sitting back leisurely playing something on his phone. My case, which was all knew was not going anywhere, took 30 minutes to record. Four A4 sheets of paper including a full page written statement that the copper basically wrote for me by asking me 2 questions. When was it stolen? Was it inside or outside? What he wrote cannot bear any resemblance to what happened. Then my 4 pages went into a brown folder, on which were a multitude of things to fill in as well. During the night their computer generated a case number and sent me an SMS and I'm sure the paperwork that cost half a tree, is now safely filed in drawer 13 never to be seen by a living soul again. It always seems to me that they are very keen to spend their time on work that they know will not lead anywhere or make more real work for them. As soon as they see that it means they would have to leave the safety of that office and go confront a real criminal, their enthusiasm seems to hit a gale force headwind. Ok, I feel better now that I could flush the toilet again......

Ha ha, you can be my spin doctor any day.

Good to hear Dale. Vasbyt.

That's a name I haven't heard for a long time.........the younsters will have to Google.......and I'm not so sure Google will know🤪

Fixed!

Eroica SA is a very special ride. Tough, long, rough, hot, but with beautiful surroundings and VERY friendly people......exactly what it should be like. (I have not done the Nova, but I did most of the classics.)

Ha ha, yes, I can see that as a totally probable story, having had to deal with large institutions, including UCT, myself. But is IS apretty good story!

It really was a lovely track.

I thought Luke was 3rd

After the 2021 fires, UCT used the site to dump the wood chips and debris from the trees they cut and removed. A big par of it is now just a huge compost pile. The sign has mostly been a joke and relates to the area between the jumps and the historic old Welgelegen homestead which belongs to UCT and which they have neglected so badly that it a terrible shame.

Both have been in disrepair since the Covid pandemic and the big fires. I suggest talking to the UCT Sports Admin people, but remember that they will likely be a burocratic bunch and you are not likely to get much in terms of agreement or support. But really, all you want is to not get any explicit prohibition from them. Then, when the first winter rains started and the earth there is soft enough to work with (at the moment it is rock hard clay), start clearing and fixing up the jump track near the mill. One line at a time. But it will be a good idea to get someone who knows about jumping to give advice. Some of the jump lines are good for bmx and others for dirt jump bikes. One of two lines work for any MTB. But unfortunately there are several that were built and are totally crazy and impossible / dangerous. At one stage I think a total madman constructed stuff there that never worked and was probably built in a drug fueled craze. It is important to know what to restore and what to demolish or you will waste time and energy. Ignore the UCT signs. The XC track abouve Upper Campus I think is gone forever or at least until the UCT Cycling club revives itself and get trail builders and funds to rebuild it. (I live close by, used to jump there, but no longer do.)

All the VERY best wishes for all the Hubbers riding tomorrow. There will most certainly be something for everybody. Here is my advice to get what you want: If you are chasing a time, make sure you get it with a clear margin..........or miss it properly! Missing 3 hrs by 23 seconds REALLY sucks! Don't do it! If you are not after time, then go for FUN! It is the ONLY other reward worth it at the CTCT! Chat to people, lend a hand, encourage others. Complement especially those youngsters stoking a tandem with their fathers or mothers. Stop for drinks and a snack. Look up and SEE the scenery. If you ride with friends or family, TREASURE it. Years from now you will remember it as priceless and you'll be shocked at how few opportunities there were to do it! If it is your first time, just ENJOY the ride, the day and the vibe. Forget about time, ride to finish it comfortably. That means riding easy from the start to Simons Town feeling like you are not putting in enough effort. From there to the start of Chappies it must feel like you are putting in just the right amount of energy and from Hout Bay to the finish it must feel like you are suffering a bit more than is totally comfortable. Stay safe! Don't let the crazies force you into riding in dangerous positions in a group. Avoid the erratic madmen, let them go and cause others to crash. Don't get angry at them, they don't know any better. Keep an escape route open. If you are going for the win (you listening Chris? / Neil?), then ignore all the above, just freaking HANG ON and ride on the verge of puking from start to finish. I'll be cheering you somewhere on the M3, sitting on my MTB

Eina Dale! Sorry to hear, I missed this earlier. You have had some bad luck with crashes the last few years - and some great luck to make it out alive and recover. (Been there, done that.) So, I wish you all the best with the recovery and the rehab, may it be a smoother ride than my Eddy Merxkx on 28mm Gatorskins!

And on a side note, one of the very best places for kids to learn insane bike handling skills and overtaking is BMX.........just ask Jewbacca!

.........some of those infamous crazy night time Dual Slalom races at the Dirtopia Festivals come to mind as a VERY good school in how to overtake uncooperative people, touch, shove,, bump, and still stay upright........well, some of the time.......... (Just kidding)

The great thing about this argument is that all you have to do is sit and wait for another few decades and all the competition will be in a landfill while that 10 speed Record will be shifting like a Swiss timepiece and sweetly purring away at the kilometres. (In other words, yes, I'm with you on this one, just not sure I'm going to be around then.)

Yes, close to where I live we had the same. Cardboard and plastic city broken up, lots of angry people everywhere and suddenly you have to keep a close eye and call the City Improvement District patrols to move people off your porch or your parking before they get permanent rights to live there, **** all over and create a fire hazard. Also, a sudden escalation of breakins into cars and theft of copper pipes, cast iron and water meters.

I would expect the whole of Sea Point and Green Point to become more of a security problem in the next few weeks and months. When the City evicted the illegal street people in green Point, a large percentage of them did not go to the shelters or the offered relocation site. They simply dispersed before the Sherrif moved in and they moved into the rest of the neighbourhood. Now there will be many single and small group encampments all over, just not one large tent and plastic town. The majority of them are just down and out people and mostly harmless, but the real criminals, muggers, robbers hide among them. So, beware. It will remain a problem until the neighbourhood watch harass them enough to move to other areas.........yes, the problem will not go away because there is currently no way to solve it, just to displace it somewhere else. Sad, but true.