KV.SA

New jerseys and designs look sweet! Nice one, local is lekker 👌

Is 8 not given a black due to the fast speed and exposure… if you get it wrong and go off the side there it’s basically guaranteed (big) troubles. Don’t know if that should form part of the rating criteria though.

I lost a pair of Oakley Sutro (black with orange/trail lenses) glasses on Sunday coming down Armageddon (I believe it was on 6 or 5), please keep an eye out or let me know if you pick them up. Alternatively, please drop them with the office at the gate. Thank you!

As a first time at Jonkers (assuming at least an intermediate level of skill), I would start with Never Ending Story 2 down to ease into the ride/warm up, then across the valley and up to fire hut 2 down, then climb up Irish and go down from Armageddon 5 via Zulu Land... Trails would be from easiest to hardest... that would probably (from the gate) be around 25km and just short of 1000m of climbing and be a solid introduction to what Jonkershoek offers. If you're still fresh then go do the last 2 Red Phoenix trails, which will add a couple hundred meters of elevation. Depending how that goes come back and give the the higher up Armageddon sections and full Red Phoenix a run - still not phased - then look at Iron Monkey, Plumber, Status Quo - latter two being seriously technical.

Never ridden at Lourensford, how is this course (full one)? Technical? The one trail used in this years epic prologue looked pretty technical (considering video mellows everything out). Guessing it’s quite a fast one with most of the climbing done in the first half of the race. Weather looks great for Sunday👌🤞

A couple years ago I “face planted” on the bridge just after the step downs on Armageddon 4… helmet had a peak which impacted the bridge first.. got off relatively unscathed and it felt like the visor possibly stopped a more nasty direct slap to the face, by absorbing some of the initial impact.

This is why I consider myself a fair weather rider, haha, maintenance costs enough without riding willingly in a swamp. Apart from the rain, I don't back myself to ride safely (or have any fun) in 40+kph wind and 70+kph gusts. Was looking forward to this race, but I think its a no from me unless something drastically changes.

Weather is looking very spicy, rain and wind >40kph.

FastTrak - T7 grid rear, T7 control front (2.35 front and rear)

There was a guy 2 riders in front of me on this climb who clipped his handle bar on a tree and was launched off the side of the trail in a spot with a very steep drop off - he somehow managed to grab/hang onto a tree with both hands - stopping him from flying down the side… one of the craziest things I’ve seen on a bike 😅 and impressive.

No, the section between boschendal and Bethlehem farm, up the lower part of duiwelskloof and across a sandy/rocky single track to afterburn. I hear they have done some good work there since I rode (rocky crossings are now rideable).

Rode that ugly sandy/rocky section a couple weeks back, it’s at least 5x worst than last year, some sections unrideable (rain/storm damage and rocks all over the place and now the heat making sections even worst of a sandpit - nearly saw my *ss a few times grabbing too much break in very soft sandy turns)😂

Route profile updated, looks a little different, extra climb and decent in Plaisir and one less climb/descent in Boschendal.

Based on the profile on the website, it’s the same as last year’s route.