Joe Low

Jeep track is graded & clear. Single-track on the lake side of Modders is fine, but elsewhere it's overgrown in places. Didn't clock the arrows as I was the only one in there that I could see. Long-crested eagles still there.

I had comms with Tacx over this just before lockdown when i wanted to get my I-Magic going again. Basically, you can't - it's not supported, the only way is if it's already running and you keep it going on the same computer. I have codes etc but they told me i can't transfer them to a new machine. It's fair enough I guess, the technology is well outdated now. They thought I was in Europe and offered a 20% discount on the new equivalent. When they worked out i was in SA, the deal was to take the old unit to Cycle Lab who would send it to them and they would determine a discount on a new unit. I have yet to try this as pre-lockdown the price was R5,500 but the Rand fell quite a bit so I dont know if i want a new one now esp with lockdown eased. Also there is no stock in the country in or even a prospective date of arrival. I saw Tacx are taken over by Garmin & the customer service was MUCH better with Tacx - they were overly helpful and fun, Garmin are pretty sucky, slow and officious by comparison.

Great to find this thread and confirm Modders is open again & the heads-up that the multi-ticket I've used 2 entries of isn't valid (the guy purposely didn't stamp it when i bought it, so that's 3 entries). Also nice to see same names, same viewpoints. Fair enough to be pissed at the scam move, just lucky it's not a big amount. Will head over tomorrow, maybe the blue cranes will be there.

You might want to re-word this so that people can get the details more easily. Sounds interesting, just difficult to make out.

Or death

Well he would say that wouldn't he? Numbers have always been steady for this one - nice race. 1st one went up towards Oliphantsfontein and down Allendale Road - circling Thembisa and back past Simba chips. Bit of traffic and they didn't try it that way again.

They're running it on the Whine Route next year.

Those poor people - sooooo fashionable!

The protests and the fires are contributing. 2009 may have been worse but maybe the organisers learned from it and said 'we're not going through that again' - realised how dangerous the whole situation was & difficult to manage.

E-bikes exist and people can ride them wherever a normal bike can be ridden. The fact that some folk don't like people having an easier time enjoying themselves is just their own narrow / mean-mindedness.

Here's an ASG comparison: The entry fee for the 2017 Jock Classique is R885, which means early birds will pay R752.

I got a history and politics degree, so it's fine you can keep him. CA as well, but still not science, sorry.

What if there was a t-shirt?

So it's my big chance to get up the leaderboard, now that only the fat cats can afford this one! (I'm no good against skinny cats). I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt as I've supported this race for 10 years or so and always love going up for it. You've got to draw the distinction between the community organizing the event for the common good and a professional organiser there to make money. Now that the community aspect is downplayed, which kept it helluva cheap, is the new product priced ok compared to similar events? I'll probably go up this year to suck-it-and-see. Four meals spread around the Bundu, bag truck, road closure on the N1, massage esp lunchtime, goodie bag of avacodos, % of entry to overall weekend cost; escaping Jo'burg & the cold etc etc. I can spin myself a story to make it worthwhile.

7am but you can queue for a while if you get there then.

Sh*t, Barry - tweeted Saturday "Bit hairy coming back from the shop and my car starting smoking...Luckily it's a Corsa not a Kuga..."

Favourite comic, by definition, is always going to be subjective. I don't get BarryH that much. The gag you quote I 1st heard from the PG Tips chimps ad in the '70s (UK) - "ere dad, do you know this piano's on my foot" But the Savannah ads were my faves on DSTV. I like the craft and mechanics of TN's act, Mark Banks is also very good that way.

I havent seen a better or more clever South African comedian than Trevor Noah. I saw him at Teatro before the US move and I reckon he's the only single act comedy show to fill that venue. Like all of them he falls back on racial stereotyping routines too much, but the stuff on his own upbringing I find moving, authentic and funny. Went to Stars From the Apollo last week and he would hold his own with them - i think he appeared on that show a while back. He comes over as a bit smug, but then so do i when i'm succeeding. Good luck to him.

Nice to go down and spectate around the route today, glad i didnt have to ride it! Looked quite wet and there was quite a swampy section (50mtrs or so) down by the R59, probably on the longer route. Nice and festive at the end.

Butterflies and helmets don't go, but what does help your argument is this. The UK decided not to legislate the wearing of helmets as it was seen as a disincentive for people to take up the sport. It was seen that the health benefits of more people exercising outweighed the extra deaths and injuries that you'd get through non-helmet wearing.

As I always say on these threads, it's not the law* and it's not your business. Getting excited about it says more about the excitees than those they are excited about. That said i wear a helmet for all but the most dibbly-dobbly of trips around the block - biggest danger averted is not being accosted by people demanding why i'm not wearing a helmet. (* Regulations in the Road Traffic Act never had penalties set for not wearing helmets, making it unenforceable. It was seen as a prejudicial law to the vast majority of cyclists to insist they buy helmets).

Saw a jackal in there a couple of weeks back and met a hartebeest in the road a while ago. Funny one was when a snake reared up off the road to bite my friends tyre, but was the size of a shoelace so didn't get very far!

Mankele

There, fixed.

Shame not to see him in Paris, but nothing wrong in Cavendish leaving now, it would have been part of his agreement with the team and sponsors and widely anticipated by the media. I don't see that any Hubber has made an investment in him from which they are short-changed, so no need for huffing and puffing.