Zook

Answer: guide tube built into the frame is easiest. Some talk of vacuuming a bit of string through the frame, which sounds like a total hassle.

Looks like a maintenance nightmare. How would you get a cable threaded through the frame? I've wondered this before but saw an ad the other day for a bike that had internal cabling holes, but the owner had obviously thought **** it - cables on the outside. But I assume there's a technique to it that doesn't involve melting the frame down and trying again.

For the guys who do it themselves, they have peace of mind and can take pride in doing the job well. I get that. Lucky there are alternatives I firmly believe in the "division of labour", which has underpinned the rise of the modern economy and means I don't have to farm my own food. My time isn't best spent fiddling with my bike even if I could do it better than a bike shop, because there are other activities that are more valuable to me. I'll get a specialist to do it. If I'm not happy with the LBS I'll find a good mechanic from the hub.

I'd probably lean towards the international rules. If you're caning it, it shouldn't be up to others to deal with your speed. Riding at your own limit doesn't make it someone else's fault when you can't stop. In sailing the faster boat yields to the slower or less-maneuverable boat. Makes sense to me that riding is similar, although I wouldn't get too uptight if someone acted differently. I generally always give right of way, and thank anyone who gives it. I guess if someone was coming down the trail I'd happily give way. If they get aggro and demand the trail, different story.

I think not - there are some messages earlier in the thread about being open for Friday and Tuesday this holiday, so assume not Monday unless you hear something official.

It's not technical - mostly singletrack and jeep track. Certainly nothing that will stop her ride. I think it's more likely to be open in the mornings.

For the Amashova the race entry is by far the smallest part of the price, unless you live in Pmb or Durban and self-service your bike and make your own energy drinks, lunch and dinner. For people who have to travel, pay to get their bike fixed, stay in hired accommodation, drive a rented car (or have mad toll fees), buy energy drinks and spares...a R285 race entry isn't the limiting factor in how many races they'll do a year.

12's just fine. Usually the limiting factor is our own weight, so when you've lost all you can and you're being held back by your bike, upgrade something.

Thanks for the pointers, guys - just ordered a Thule from rackandcarry.co.za 5 minutes ago.

Sounds like a good cause. I've got a couple rims lying around. PM me for info.

Nobody wants to take others' medals away, just it would be nice to have less waste for those of us who don't place as much emphasis on them. If only 1/3 of the field wanted medals, would there be any reasonable effect on the cost? We already get a choice of ordering a shirt (sometimes) so why not medals?

I reckon for most races, I'd rather not have a medal. It seems like such a waste - they have to be designed, created, distributed, handed out at races. For the ones that aren't handed out they have to get re-moulded (I assume). Rather make the race cheaper or give the money to charity, or something. Obviously new riders want them, but surely anybody who has done e.g. 10 races would be happy to not get one unless it's a really hard race. Is there any benefit to race organisers in e.g. 30% of riders offering not to get medals, or is the cost structure such that you may as well give them to everyone? What happens when people get e.g. goodie bag trinkets instead? Nicest one I have was a wooden one handed out at Sabie 2004. Kinda acts as a coaster, and it was different. Maybe I should turn the rest into a hanging mobile.

When I bought my first mtb, I rode around the block and a bit offroad next to a river. About a 5 minute ride, and I got 7 (seven) punctures and thought I'd end up hating the sport if that's what it was like. Best result I've had ever is XT tubeless wheels with sealant, with or without tubeless tyres (currently with). Runs down slower than my tubed road bike. Not one ride-ending issue ever, if anything it's a 10-second pump, but I actually can't remember needing to pump it up.

Easy. Ride with one of them without sealant for a year. You'll find out soon enough. Tell us how it goes (Alternatively, just get the sealant.)

Good to hear. I'll definitely give it a go later or tomorrow. Was it easier to find than all the plaintive parking queries would indicate? If not, if anyone could pop a GPS point up for e.g. parking, booking, that'd be great. Edit: as far as I can tell, this is the point: -26.09823, 28.16702 - just pop that into Google Maps and you should be good to go. (See the green arrow on the map.) I'll confirm when I go. Edit: yup, here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-26.09823,28.16702

And if the cradle had hundreds of horseboxes flocking there each weekend, maybe there would be more moaning. But it's not our current problem, and so we have the choice of trying to tell every driver to chill, or we can do something we have a bit more power over. Insisting that drivers chill out is a non-solution. Anyway, there's something I choose to do, and that's stay on the left. Doesn't cost me anything, so why not. When I drive into the Cradle (hasn't happened since Teak closed) I don't drive at speeds that would endanger mothers and baby lambs having a picnic in the road. I'm very aware that around any corner there could be cyclists. Just don't make people drive at 25km/h without making some effort to move over. Not hard. Doing anything else can too easily be perceived as a "f-you" by anyone more angry than a Buddhist monk. Agreed on narrow roads. I try avoid them, I guess. I nearly got taken out by a truck that sped past me - the dude went so fast he blew two other riders off the road. I was filled with choice words at the time! Edit: I also got hit by a car once. Cedar rd, about 10 (damn...20) years ago. Riding on the left around Uranium rd, but obviously not far left enough for this one hero. Guy went around me at speed and cut right in front of me to go left. I hit his car and scraped about 15 metres on my back. I was so cross I would still be in jail if he'd stopped. Nobody moved a muscle to help. Still, he's not who I'm talking about. I'm talking about most rational drivers who get irritated by us, and end up hating cyclists.

That's right. He comes here just to laugh at us peasants who scrape together our money for Anthems and Sparks. We should gather together at midnight and burn his castle down.

People don't phone in about horseboxes. I'm sure the same people who moan about riders, have passed horseboxes without needing to rant on the radio. I suspect there is something different that happens here. One possible difference is that it seems well-understood by other drivers that the horsebox is pretty much unable to become thinner, whereas a bunch can with minor effort. A bunch riding 5 abreast is being inconsiderate when a tiny amount of consideration will let cars pass without drama.

Some joker is going to put drawing pins down, ready for the single-file and it'll end up a rider-resident war, with Malema leading the riders. He did buy a bike a month or so ago. I reckon he doesn't ride single file, though.

I get it, but in the game of road-users we're the ones getting killed. There is no benefit in being aggressive to a driver. I can't see the downsides to riding safely and essentially holding up our end of the bargain. Now, I can't fix Zuma's kid stealing your money or rhinos being shot, but hopefully I can help convince cyclists to be a bit safer. If the big clubs are being better about it, we're already halfway there. Now it's just you

Wrong attitude, IMO. The "these are my priorities and yours are wrong" is exactly what we need less of. Imagine every week a bunch of cow herders left their herds on your road and it took you 10 minutes to drive through them each weekend. Cow herder says "hey. chill. so it takes you 10 extra minutes each day? You'll live longer if you relax." In my case it wasn't "slow down before I pass", it was "follow cyclists up the hill and around it until I, at some point, think it's safe to pass". Oh, then another group. And then another. I was livid by the end of it. If we don't understand the residents' position, they won't understand ours.

The main part of the road is much smoother and often has less glass in it, so I fully understand sometimes edging into the main lane. Also, think that pic miiight have been before the lane was built. I get equally irritated with the drivers who hoot at you if you're not riding in the gravel on the side of the road. Sadly it'll take a while to reset expectations and attitudes.

Heman, checkout this thread I started: https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/112694-club100/page__fromsearch__1 That was complimenting the Club100 guys because I'd seen them riding safely. I would have done the same for Cyclelab and I specifically said "really good to see the big clubs taking it seriously". I'm not for or against (again when I lived a bit closer I used to ride with you guys), but the person above said they'd never seen it, so I'm saying "yes I have, but it was a while ago". That's all.

I was in a car. I'd been trying to get around groups all the way. They were taking over the whole road, even on blind corners and blind rises, not even thinking of moving over. Now, I ride road and mtb. I used to ride with Cyclelab. I'm the most likely person to *support* them. What does a person who has to live in the Cradle think, who has that every weekend? Not excusable.

Found it: I think that's 6 abreast, maybe 7 if you squint.