Mackem

Jean Biermans won the 2015 36One on a HT Ridley 29" with a Lauf fork beating the course record this weekend. A number of podium winners won these forks. Will be interesting to see who puts them on their bikes..In a race like the 36One - they clearly seem to work! Had coffee with Jean and the looks and stares the bike got in the 30mins was incredible. It seems like a piece of kit made exceptionally well for very specific types of riding.

Jean Biermans won the 2015 36One on a HT Ridley 29" with a Lauf fork beating the course record this weekend. A number of podium winners won these forks. Will be interesting to see who puts them on their bikes..In a race like the 36One - they clearly seem to work! Had coffee with Jean and the looks and stares the bike got in the 30mins was incredible. It seems like a piece of kit made exceptionally well for very specific types of riding.

Funny that for all SKY beat the "clean drum" they have not signed up to become a member of the MPCC?

Just please don't do what I did. Brand new bike 29" with XX1 - took of the front wheel to load into boot - due to having only one trigger the handle bars swung round and the bottom of the trigger scratched the toptube. I got such a fright when this happened, I yanked the handlebars back, taking a further gouge out of my toptube. Everytime I ride the bike I look down and remind myself that I am a tool!

Owned a Tarmac but love my Venge - nuff said.

I find that the pedestrian crossings are useless - with my commuting, I have find that very few Miciti bus drivers yield (despite the road markings) when you are crossing over the road from just under the bridge!

The Campervan is cool. You need a really good friend to drive it though. I got roped into driving a van for the a mate in 2008 for the Epic and geez was it hard work. Packing up the van daily (Cleaning up, making beds etc), finding water at a garage to top up the tanks, then manouvering around the dorpies to get in supplies etc, racing to the next venue to find a good place to park, unpacking (Gazebo, Massage table, Spares etc) and then all the stuff that the support staff need to do once the team gets in after the stage. The best part was hitting the competitor tents to crash for the night knowing that you need to be awake early enough the following morning to rouse the team and to start all over again!!! The next year was easier riding the Epic

The way I look at it - I can only ride one bike at a time so theoretically only one will be damaged at a time. I ended up with Cyclesure that only covered me for one bike at a time, except for theft out of my home. My bike insurance was costing over R1k per month which I didn't think was worth it (my SS and retro bike as well as my sons Stumpjumper are not insured). There is more of a chance of crashing than getting the bike stolen. Even in a crash generally only a few items are damaged beyond repair and claiming through insurance you end up claiming for superficial scratches that do not necessarily warrant the part being replaced. I have only had one crash serious enough for a frame to be replaced in 6 years. My groupset on my Venge is a 10sp Red which is 3yrs old and it would be insured for the cost of a new groupset whereas in reality I would probably just replace the parts with something either 2nd hand or on sale. I also live in a secured complex which has a very low crime rate so the chances of me being broken into and all 3 bikes being stolen are exceptionally low. This is my rationale for not insuring my bikes.

I no longer insure my bikes - was just too expensive.

As they would say around here great first post! Your story seems to have more holes in it that a sieve. You can spell delaminated but not helmet? You had a pair of shoes that you washed developed a "ridge" - they then became impossible to wear - so you gave them to your sister? Funny that - I have had numerous pairs of shoes of all makes that I have washed. Not one pair have ever developed a "ridge". If they were unwearable - why did you give them to your sister? Having worked in a shop - there are certain people that try to take the piss all of the time. They will bring in the most abused, old products and want a warrantee replacement for what is obviously fair wear and tear. You tell them nicely that the manufacturer will not warrantee the product. The client then becomes stroppy as they have it in their head that they "deserve" a new whatever so you end up agreeing to send it off. The claim is denied by the manufacturer/ agent and the client is even more the moer in with you, the shop as well as the manufacturer. They then they normally vent in the shop or on social media! Specialized are one of the better companies to deal with given they will normally warrantee the original buyer (hence the need for proof of purchase) in the case of failure or will offer a discount for crash replacement. I doubt that you will get more joy emailing Specialized USA as they will probably say exactly the same as Specialized South Africa (seeing as they are the same company and that the South African operation is not an agency as with other brands!)

I really feel sorry for the wife of the deceased but to tar the trail as well as the sport as dangerous is just gutter journalism. It was an accident and the injuries sustained from the fall in themselves were not life threatening. A post operative blood clot causing the passing away of the cyclist should not be linked to how dangerous a sport is. Was the deceased a member of any MTB club - as the fact that someone has owned a MTB for 2 years certainly does not make them experienced riders?

D - Knocked off his bike by a bakkie that sideswiped him - broken rib and damaged hand. Bike trashed. He is recovering at home but getting better. Thankfully no internal injuries!

Actually, it happens when your teammate gets taken out by a car the week before the Epic, and a friend provides you with a contact of a team looking for an entry................ They are professional in their dealings with you, they reimburse you in full for your entry cost and don't haggle or try and squeeze you due to your situation, you both pay for the respective rider changes and the funds end up in your account by the end of the day. All you can say is best of luck guys - I hope you have a successful Epic!!!!

My partner was knocked off his bike on Saturday and can no longer ride the Epic. We have a physiotherapy package that we have paid for with a private physiotherapist that we have for sale if soemone still has not found a suitable service. DM me for more details. Graeme

Me too - paid for it with it a kiss on the "barladys" cheek. Also got offered a flash of the nether regions by another one of the group - but she was quickly hauled away by her better half with him aplogising profusely. I guess she must have had too much herself by the time I got there! I also took a beer from a kindly spectator just before Noordhoek who was practically begging someone to take his beer - who was I to refuse - especially after making a 360deg U turn. This was my first Argus without the ears "pinned back" and I thoroughly enjoyed it!