goya-goya

OMG... van Gaalens is awesome!!! 2 kinds of riding... a 10km loop that is in the shade 99% of the time and along the river... awesome singletrack... just be careful... route is both ways! it is awesome fun! then there is the outer stuff... for more training..

possibly defending my own personality

making *** comments in "jest" is not funny that is how separatist groups form we need the roadies else MTB races would be a thing of the past, because all MTB'er are all too cool to actually race!

Seriously you guys are taking the route of us and them! roadie MTB'ers have give XC/Marathon racing a boost! and to all of you die hard "I am a MTB'er" "I am too [whatever] to ride on dirt roads" "only trails for me" or some other drivel, we are all cyclists/athletes Let me tell you that from my experience, the real hardcore athletes are all roadies I guess because MTB'er are all to "above" actually training, they just ride for fun Personally I dont like unthoughtful people on a bike or off

I have ridden trails in JHB, PTA, DBN, CPT, SABI, FREESTATE AND OTHER PLACES... and I can promise you that I have not seen one person ride as presented by the people who say a bike fit will not help!... yea sure... when the trails get knarly... we all gunn it... but there are never trails that present standing up as the only option for more than 30% of the ride (the percentage assumption is mine... not a fact) unless you only go downhill... I did a 80km KZN Outsurance Inanda ride in November... That race had about 60km of single track in the 80km!!! serious XC singletrack - awesome!... I flew in from JHB and had to setup my bike... Like an idiot I did not fasten my seat tube enough... seat dropped by 2 cm.... by the time I realized it... I had already had the most agonizing cramps... What I am trying to say is that - for me and more most of everyone I have ever seen riding anywhere - even if you sit for 1 hour in a total riding time of 4 hours... it is gonna help you... Let me reserve the few people who are supremely fit by way of cross training where this will have no effect... (read up on how muscles work) But hey if no setup works for you, then sweeeet! enjoy your ride... for me on da ah-va hand Darren... I could not do without it... Its a new year... Enjoy the ride!

I am of the opinion that the Giant has a more neutral ride and the scott is a bit less forgiving - more of a race bike... but that is 26"... Actually I have no idea about 29ers.. Please ignore the above comments

Dude... your avatar is unnerving!!! I almost slapped my screen "stikkend" thinking it was a miggie

Dude... I wish my body was as tough as yours - seriously!! and I agree with your "signature"!! SWEEEEET!

@Clint_ZA I never mentioned a LBS.. Also when you do not know what to look for - if you are a newbie or even an old fart - you can search for days... just going to someone who knows will take you 10 minutes... I aint selling anything.... if you are that defensive about your stance to realise the potential consequences of doing things yourself when you do not have all the facts... well... it is your prerogative to learn from experience... who am I to steal that from you? Dude.. you are gonna fall one day... and you when you do... I hope it will not be serious... but lets continue this discussion then I have to admit part of my "rant" was because I read the rest of the drivel on the blokes website... so take it from whence it comes...

@Clint_ZA That is just the real problem... as a newbie you read loads of crap... and if you do not go to/ask someone who knows you could end up hurting yourself or your children or just giving up cycling because it is too hard/painful/etc.. just because it is on the Internet... It does not mean it is the truth! There is no harm in admitting you do not know something... I do it all the time! But the cost of trying to be smart could cost you waaay more... I went through 6 saddles before I wized up and went to someone who knows! The other thread you are referring to was some chop who has no idea that some people have money to spend and he was trying to make himself feel better about his poverty/cheapness/whatever...(sic) At least the question has produced some discussion... What people really seem to forget is that this is actually a dangerous sport... and the older you get - the less your body can take the hammering it did when you where 7! If there are guys/girls out there that can do all the riding they want to at the pace they are satisfied with... and feel no pain AWESOME!!! for those of you who want to ride longer/faster/with less pain... Treat yourself: GO FOR A BIKE FIT... it is cheaper than going to the Doctor!

I think it is awesome that you have an opinion... I read one or 2 articles on your site... Your opinions are just that... I hope no-one actually believes the drivel that you spew. Its nice that you take the time to write these things... some ignorant people may take your advice and you may give some beginners serious knee or hip or back problems... but hey that was just your opinion so what the heck... This is my opinion...

Did you guys know that the idea for 2012 is to have all SOLO riders ride unsupported... meaning they will just be able to drop off an ice cream box of goddies per check point... NO SUPPORT TEAM! It is supposed to lessen the dust issue... It is not official yet... but there has been talk.

What bike do you ride and what size front tyre do you use... the 2.1 or the 2.4?

Just read this thread... My brother broke his Giant Anthem frame where the top tube meets the seat tube... about 5 mm off the weld... riding acoss the golf course at the end of the Outsurance race from Inanda Dam to Blue lagoon... It is awful to hear how many people with this kind of frame are having the same issues... or perhaps the people who buy this kind of frame are real wild riders???

and you use a tubeless-ready tyre?

Front Tyre? I only ever consider Racing Ralph as a rear tyre... looking at the tread... I find it difficult to believe that it can grip on serious turns... However experience outshines opinions... Also I still am a bit ify to use tubeless ready tyres... please could someone who is using them give me an idea of the terrain you using them on and what kind of riding you do??

Hi there... This is an email I got from Schwalbe Marketing: " The difference is a tubeless tire is a UST tire and a TL-Ready tire is aclincher tire with our redesigned bead. Our TL-Ready tire has a supplerrubber on the bead so it will seal and lock into place better. A UST tirehas an extra layer of butyl rubber to make it airtight. A TL-Ready tirerequires sealant to fully seal the tire. Any tire can be run tubeless,but not all tires are designed to be. The main reason people are ridingnon-UST tires tubeless is because it saves weight. With Schwalbe tiresonly use the TL-Ready tires tubeless. " " TL-Ready tires are not a robust asUST tires, because UST tires have an additional layer of butyl rubber. Interms of knob wear they wear the same. The only added benefit toUST is it is slightly more puncture resistant than a TL-Ready tire. Thatis due to the added layer of rubber inside the tire." "Our UST tires use the same carcass as the TL-Ready tires. Butsince they have more rubber, they are stronger and heavier. Side wallwill be stronger on a UST." " Use sealant with all tubeless tires. Regardless if they are UST orTL-Ready. Sealant is required to make a TL-Ready tire airtight. USTtires come airtight. You would use sealant in both UST and TL-Ready tiresbecause if you were ever to get a puncture the sealant will seal the leak andyou can continue your ride. The main reasons for people going to tubelessis that is gives greater grip and you don’t have to replace tubes everytime you have a puncture." Also if you ride mailly on the road(sic) use tubes... you dont want to f*%k up a rim when you have a blowout! Personally I have always used UST tyres... never had a puncture in a race (about 30) or training for 2 years... but then I look where I am going Hope this helps

Sweeet thanx dude... How cold does it get at night? and how bad was the wind?

HI there guys... I am doing this race on the 16th of December in the SOLO category - WITHOUT a SUPPORT TEAM. I need some help: I need to give a few teams checkpoint "loaded" ice cream boxes... so that if they are faster than me they can just leave them at the checkpoints and if they are slower - i doubt it - I will just get them at the end.and if possible... I need a team to take my stuff to the finish from Windhoek?? the Orginisers said they might be able to drop my travel stuff at the end point... but I would like to be sure I will catch a taxi to the airport in Walvis Bay If any one is going with a support team... please could you help... I will pay for your help!

hehe... I did Giba about 2 years ago went on a 40km loop that was also great... but KarKloof is next on my agenda... after the Namibia Desert Dash...

You know what guys: You are all correct... the section from the bridge to Durban was not as good as the dam section... however I will do it again! HOWEVER... if as you suggest that they make the ride around the dam and the surrounding area... I will be there with bells on and I will dragg every single person I know in JHB to come with! The last best section of singletrack I rode was during the Golovane in April... See how starved we are here up in JHB!!

Sorry to hear that dude... some days you have good days on the bike and sometimes not... but when there is singletrack... it makes any day better!!

You are actually kidding aren't you!?

Dude... I flew in from JHB for the race... so I had to build up my bike in durbs... seat posts have to be tightened to spec on carbon frames else... well ***!... I thought 5nm was enough... and because of the continuous standing and sitting with the awesome singletrack...my seat dropped 8cm and I never realised it until the cramp set in!! ..and even struggling through the last 30km... which was the worse of the sections... it was still awesome.. I gotta do Karkloof... everyone has raved about it

Guys... either you are spoilt for choice or just whiners... I am not sure yet.... yea there was some unpleasant parts to the ride... but you had to go through a city and a rural community... I will not tell anyone that their outlook is wrong... perhaps just different... I am sorry you did not have a great ride. if you picked up your bike for 30 meters you would have been able to walk past and avoid the excrement completely... as to being in your back yard... what a pleasure!! IT WAS AN AWESOME RIDE... I will be back... hell YEA!