Old School Rookie

Jan's the only one fully kitted. The others forgot to pack their palm protectors.

Have some other fancy pancy bikes, but when there's heavy hauling to be done, there can be only one!

Also considered selling my road bike as I hardly use it - max twice a year for the odd race. All other riding on the mtb's - plenty safer etc. Thus I am 99% mountain biker, but nothing as exiting as the dynamics of a road race! PeterF's is good advice. I prepped my road bike for a possible sale and took it for the first ride in months......instantly realised that I'm not prepared to part with it and kept it.

15. How to manually lap? Please go to Training> To plan> Lap> Manual Lap, then press 'Record' key to start and press 'back' key to manually lap. Found this on the Brytonsports site under FAQ's - hidden at the bottom. Does not appear to be available while already recording a trip but hope it helps. Another function that might help to evaluate certain segments of your ride once home on the pc, is to expand you trip detail by clicking on the "full screen" tab, top right of the profile. Then click and drag on a segment of the ride to get the data for that portion only on the top right of screen.

Dislocated shoulder in serious climbing accident 12 years ago. Plenty time in sling followed by physio. Two years later same shoulder in skiing fall. Same action sorted it out. Since then keeping the surrounding muscles tight seems to keep all in place and no further hassles. In fact, have better flex in that shoulder. Do suggest you have scan thought to make sure tendons etc still intact. But keeping it in sling for a while followed by physio works wonders. I'd need some serious conviction before doing any op. All the best with recovery!

My two cents worth. I have the Bryton 50. Great for cycling, user friendly while on the bike, beauts and realistic training programs etc. Only aspect I'm not too impressed with is the mapping page - looks like something out of a Jules Verne novel and is not as userfriendly as even old generation Garmins I've used. Do not think it's dual purpose i.e. the missus can nav to the shops etc....it is not designed for vehicle use, except in emergencies. The PC interface is very comprehensive but not as userfriendly as one would expect. Spares and exstra cadence and mounting units are readily available. If you shop around you can find a full package (cadence and heart rate monitor included) for R3000. Which is very well priced for SA.

No....I think that was more a case of....if you leave a horse in it's stable for too long then you cant expect it to be in top form when you eventually throw a saddle on.

My quick and cheap DIY solution might give you some additional ideas. All required is some roofing timber and screws. Yes you need a bit of space but even the smallest kids can get their bikes out without much hassle. By turning the handle bars 45 degrees you save a stack of space and getting bikes in or out still easy and no banging the neighbouring bike. For some reason I just dont like the idea of hanging a bike by it's rim, and this pretty much covers that.

I under-estimated the race myself, but the sandy bits, especially on the second lap after being churned up by the rest of the field, quickly put that ill conceived notion to bed. None the less: Well organized, nice vibe, excellent marking and marshalling and decent ample water points. Expecting of marshals to advise you what any little trip computer or the rest of the competitors can do is perhaps a bit harsh. It was advertised as a two lap marathon. Distance worked out to around 87km. Yes the fresh single track after the sand went on forever. Maybe a bit tough on the bum but a nice flowing single track gets my vote anytime. The last section was blissful single track connected by short bits of dirt road…..10km? I think not. Anyways, personally I did the event for training purposes and to get out where the weather is always a bit warmer this time of year. It sure served its purpose and then some. My mental prep will be a bit better next time, but I’ll be back.

I've had my Reverb now for just under a year. Was good to go out the box, and had no need to fiddle with it yet. I weigh in at just under 90kg and it's fitted to a hardtail, so it takes quite a beating - touch wood, still going like new.

Hedianga Farm is a cool spot with great potential that will only develop if supported by MTB's. Been there a couple of times, still limited trails available but they constantly busy improving current and laying out new trails. Even as it stands now, it provides a great sting to the plot route around Bronberg, and at R10 a pop it’s a worthwhile investment. Leon’s trail is a rough figure of eight route of 4.1km from start back to start – mostly single track. Very gnarly still, but guaranteed to keep your heart pumping. Plenty other single tracks around worth exploring that can be developed into some radical trails. The trails are still pretty much omni-directional, and shared with trail runners, hikers and horse riders. So take care and please be considerate to other users should they be encountered on the odd occasion. The suggestion to develop single direction pure MTB trails have been passed, and should be on the cards if Hedianga's serious about MTB development. Gabriel is a nice guy and the place has a hearty atmosphere - Let's support them and forward positive criticism. Hedianga can become a great addition to places like Groenkloof, etc. They also have Face Book page: "Hedianga Farm" where info are posted on a regular basis.