Velouria

I can hear my pain cave calling me - 7:09 start. We've got Ben Swift from Team Sky in our team, as well as Dan Halksworth (UK Ironman Winner x2). My target is to make the N2 with the team, anything after that will be a bonus.

Just checked - 3 Danes did the race. That has got to be some sort of record. Nice report Matt. Seems like the Danes had a knack for falling off bikes this weekend

Then again, they also have "No Brawling" signs:

Which is why they have these signs in Cairns

I got my Saturday ride in before work this morning, so that just leaves Sunday in the rain

Hanlie and Sharon? They rode away from about 4 male teams up that switchback singletrack as one by one the guys would mess it up. Impressive riding indeed. I don't even bother to ask to pass on single track when I am behind them because half of the time I can't spare enough oxygen to speak, and the other half I am nowhere near close enough to actually pass

It those noobs that get to me too - those guys who define themselves by where they came in a stage race. Every position closer to the front somehow makes more awesome in their own minds. Thanks Yip - DC is the one ride us rouleurs can get our revenge on the mountain goats. I'm a little nervous though - we're trying to go one better and end up on the podium this year. The pain cave awaits.

Thanks Skubarra - I think it's like that old quote from Greg LeMond: "It never gets easier, you just go faster." I do feel for the racing ladies, as I'm quite sure they must their fair share of guys dicing them for position in the singletrack (despite most of them being able to ride singletrack as good if not better than the guys around them). People will be surprised to hear how well "Please" and "Thank You" works when trying to pass. Then again, as Ricky Bobby said: "If you ain't first, you're last". I have a pair of compression pants from back when I was young and impressionable. I even wore them with shorts and slip slops, thinking I was the bee's knees. Nowadays, I reckon you can only wear compression pants if you hide them under long trousers, after an exhausting effort lasting at least 8 hours out on the bike, and you have to to it again the next day

Thank you It's a nice event, but I reckon you could have as much fun on almost the same trails if you and a bunch of mates took a weekend, stayed in a B&B, and explored Grabouw on mountain bikes. Schapenberg, Grabouw, Oak Valley, Paul Cluver, Thandi, Lebanon and the Hemel and Aarde valley trails.

The French Toast Mafia - a Wines2Whales Race report: http://www.velotales.com/2013/11/wines2whales-2013.html

I think Erica Green also achieved that

Greyton, Wellington, Ceres, Grabouw

I've done a heap of Sani2Cs and W2Ws and what saddens me is how the culture of mountain biking has changed over the years. What went from fun events out with a mate in some beautiful surroundings where riding your bike was more important than your position and what you got in the goodie bag, have become tooth and nail, don't give an inch, dash for the finish line - etiquette and manners be damned. It's no wonder Enduro riding is the new mountain biking - tough technical riding with a bunch of mates where it's about the ride and not so much about the time, followed by beer. Now get off my lawn!

I used to have a better one from the Bicycling website that seems to have vanished. We don't have to tell anyone that he was already a lap up on me at this stage, do we?

Not too good - loads of encouragement, but when it came down to raising money - not much. Thankfully, Go For Gold were really just interested in the publicity, and any additional funds would just be a bonus.

My WEMBO World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships race report - A journey of discovery deep into the pain cave.

It might be a little too soon. I found new depths to my pain cave that are going to take a while (and lots of wine) to erase from the memory banks. The best thing about retirement is that you get to unretire when ever you want. So, maybe.

Thanks for all the support. It truly was an amazing experience. Gave it a good go and am super stoked with the result. Stay tuned for the blog post when I finally do get home... Now it's time to sit and chill on a beach with my wife (and all in one pit crew) for a few days.

I'm not one for blowing my own trumpet, but in this case it's for a good cause. I'm heading off to Canberra in Australia for the World Solo 24 hour Mountain Bike Championships, and I'm riding for an organisation called Go For Gold. They are doing some amazing work with kids that are less fortunate than we are, and giving them an opportunity at having a future. To find out more - please check out their website. If you're interested in donating and making a difference, I have a givengain project here. More about the World Champs - it's being held at Stromlo Forest Park - a paradise for cyclists with a crit circuit, and stacks of mountain bike trails. The event will be held on the weekend of the 12/13 of October, and over 300 solo riders are expected to take part, from all over the world. Live results will be available at http://www.durt.com.au, and follow @VelotalesInOz on twitter for updates. http://www.wembo.com.au/images/australiaadmin/IMG_7189_s.jpg This has been promoted to a front page article: Click here to view the article

It's October - you've got 6 months to figure out what tyres you like before Epic. I've ridden everything from Maxis Crossmarks, to Geax Mezcals, to Conti Mountain Kings/Race Kings at the Epic and I've never had a problem. Find a tyre you like and trust, and go with it.

Great looking bike Dan - and fantastic that it's local too

Then do the race instead

By Steve McGhee - a digital artist who is obsessed with catastrophes. Here is the original: http://lh5.ggpht.com/__zoKJ77EvEc/SxIJZnFkpFI/AAAAAAAAB2I/OXzzzsXbKWQ/SteveMcGhee05%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800 Some others: http://lh6.ggpht.com/__zoKJ77EvEc/SxIJM1RkI6I/AAAAAAAAB14/X6qgBcA1qUI/SteveMcGhee01%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800 http://lh4.ggpht.com/__zoKJ77EvEc/SxIJXrsfgiI/AAAAAAAAB2E/UUClFr9IrF8/SteveMcGhee04%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800 http://lh6.ggpht.com/__zoKJ77EvEc/SxIJUDGfFII/AAAAAAAAB2A/f3oy-mzuOLw/SteveMcGhee03%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800

http://www.srm.de/news/road-cycling/vuelta-a-espana-stage-18/ http://www.srm.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/news/news_2013/vuelta18_horner_full.png

And Eden - the top trail past The G Spot and towards The Widow Maker is now an Oak Valley-like ride. The two rock gardens have been derocked and are now more like bowling greens. I'm not into big gap jumps and all that, but good technical riding is a skill everyone should learn. And if I find the w**kers that insist on dragging their back wheels around every corner, in the process destroying the trails, I'm going introduce them to that giraffe that doesn't like back wheels....