typhoon

You got a 5min head start Oom... you better pedal!

Strava says 1.5km at -230m... https://www.strava.com/segments/5512151 Here's the Satellite descent video from the 2014 race.

I'm at VG almost every weekend, like my second home... A lot of the time i'm on my own and never feel unsafe, but then i do know the trails/area backwards. There are some sections that if you fall, it's gonna hurt, a lot! So you gotta watch that, don't want to fall and hope someone comes by to help. On the odd occasion i've ridden something slower "just incase", like descending from the top of pofadder. Like anywhere though, there have been incidents, a friend was mugged and her bike taken, can't remember offhand but i think it was during a weekday ride from the Coves.

Batching: https://www.saseeding.org/participants/event-batching/ashburton-4-2016-06-11 if you haven't gotten the email yet

Suppose seeing things like this kinda puts us in our places... One day when i'm big. Erik posted to twitter, stats for the 100miler...

The Monster never disappoints! great day out, possibly went out a little quick and had little twitches starting towards the end. Starting at the front of B batch was probably the best thing, so I didn't get caught up in the "racing"... Doing it on a dual this year is much much better than a HT (last year)! You definitely notice it after the race that you're not completely stuffed. Took ages in 2015 to perk up and feel slightly human again. Happy with knocking just over half an hour off the previous time, even though the route was shorter with less climbing. 2015: 80km, 1650m, 4h21 2016: 74km, 1430m, 3h48 Comparing last years winning time to this year: Men: 2015: 3h27 Erik Kleinhans 2016: 3h26 Pieter Seyffert So not really much in it, although Erik was 10m ahead of the group from 2nd in 2015. Ladies: 2015: 4h04 Robyn de Groot 2016: 3h38 Robyn de Groot http://results.spectrumsport.co.za/Portals/17/ResultDoc/MagaliesMonster_Mtb_20160521.pdf Was a little tricky when the distances merged, hitting oncoming traffic wasn't fun and overtaking was a little more challenging. The mowed grass and sandy sections are part of this race, just like the climb, just grin and bare it... Overall an awesome proper mountain bike race as usual! Back next year.... for sure!

Forgot about that... lets go test it...

Says it's going to be SASeeding: From the FAQ: Entrants will be batched by SA Seeding and your batch starts will be given to you at registration. Not sure if it'll be posted here during the week sometime. https://www.saseeding.org/participants/event-batching

Thankfully the "moderate" ride was 50km/800m at Van Gaalens, with some PR's and a couple trophies... It's just a little 4h21 from last year that needs looking into come Saturday On a dual this year, which will make things a little more pleasant.

hmmm... it should be fun... i think... Having gone 1x10 (34 up front) 3 weeks back, 1 slow ride, 1 moderate ride, 1x wet weekend = no rides... i think it's going to hurt a wee bit

That's coz you aren't pushing enough watts... Although it's usually just when you haven't tightened the wheel enough.

Tucked next to the dining room table, in front of the TV for watching Giro Make shift cellphone holder that originally came with a windscreen suction holder thingy.

Just do it, i'll see you there... again...

current goal 400... Cradle trophy day 1, 3h24 at 83% avg = 1500 points day 2, 1h48 at 82% = 600 points... Hope the goal doesn't go up too much after that little effort

already entered!

in for the marathon as usual...

was bound to happen when they increased the points for each activity, it made it easy to get up to the points needed for the reward. Just walk around the block and log it as a swim...?

http://www.nikitamotel.co.za Nikita is a restaurant on the R512. From Lanseria direction, it's about 3km's before the Broederstroom T-junction by the Sasol. From PTA, from the R104, you would turn left onto the R512 and it's 3km's up the road On a side note, the toilets are only IN the restaurant, which doesn't open up it's doors until about 7am... Keep that in mind if you're planning an early start.

There is a dirt road on the other side on the hill, i missed a turn somewhere that would have lead me onto this segment coming from the African Swiss side. So i missioned through the veld. https://www.strava.com/segments/4256503 Then when going along the dirt road, i looked for this segment https://www.strava.com/segments/742346 Which takes you up to the the climb after concrete strips. There are multiple cattle tracks on that segment and two gate you need to go through, one to get off the dirt road, the other half way up, as you go through the second gate, the segment turns right after some bushes, not far from the gate. I missed it and doubled back after a couple hundred meters. Thats where it gets a little steep and rough. oh yes, there is a third small gate just as you get to the top, after that, it's all ridable until you join the normal trails couple hundred meter later. Was one of those ride where you ride a bit, stop to check on strava where you are, ride more, check you on track, ride, check.... Using the segment explorer on Strava is an easy way to find routes/trails, if there is a segment, it's been ridden, so there must be a path somewhere.

We were just going until my GF thought it'll be good time to turn around, which was about the 60km mark. Been pondering the Nikita to the Nek for a long time... its the 150km there and back thats been a little off putting... need to wait for the wind to be just right too Works out to be: Nikita to VG 25km VG to Hekpoort 25km Hekpoort to top of the Nek 25km then 75km back to the car... So it'll be quite a big day out and if you're feeling up to it, add in the church or Oom Piets for some elevation gains. on a side note, Nikita to VG and back to Nikita is 50km and about 550m. This is kinda why we started riding from Nikita, it's ALOT closer to home than Breedtsnek and gives you more or less the same distance and climbing (if you only go to the top of the Nek) and then you can add the VG trails for distance, technical stuff, climbing and fun.

haha That was a mapping excursion... From Nikita there is two route, the one i posted earlier goes around the hill on dirt roads/jeep track. As you cross the tar road, instead of turning right to go around the hill, you go straight, towards the Ale House (try not be tempted to stop there on the way out... ) Sometimes the big black gate is open and you go through Redstone equestrian, otherwise just before the gate, there is some single track on the right that takes you next to the fence and around the equestrian farm. Haven't been that way in ages, it's more fun going around. If you've had a big day and need a little bit of a shortcut back to Nikita, going through the equestrian farm knocks off about 5km. https://www.strava.com/activities/254682296 That ride was from Nikita towards Breedtsnek, on the way there we went the single track route, the way back through the equestrian farm but the gate was closed, so we had to go around the way we originally went.

it really is a great route, the last couple times, i've gone from Nikita to African Swiss and up that climb, 2.2km and 160m... Last Sundays ride, i went exploring, to see if I could get a route to VG without riding next to the road on the other side of the hill. There is a bit of hike-a-bike, the odd gate opening and you join at the top of the second hill after concrete strips. https://www.strava.com/activities/493085320 From the top of African Swiss

Yup, i do it all the time.

The easiest way to add extra distance to the usual 50-60km routes around VG is either to head out on the dirt road towards Hekpoort, do the loop that stays on the dirt road, from VG to Hekpoort is about 25km, so by doing the loop, it'll probably add 30-40km. Otherwise ride to VG from the Peaconwood Spar/Total garage parking, will add about 10km one way. Or ride to VG from Nikita (on the R512 about 3km before the Broedestroom T-Junction. From Nikita to VG is 25km one way. Nikita to FunGaalens with Steve and Nix - 21/03/2015 That one was 83km, Nikita to Oom Piets and Greek Church. Fun Gaalens and a bit to Hekpoort - 07/03/2015 This is all of VG and the loop towards Hekpoort. 82km Nikita to FunGaalens with Nix, Mike, Claire and Janine - 26/04/2015 Nikita to VG, most of VG except Oom Piets, 101km. We were doing the Nikita route quite a lot in the build up to Sani last year, it's an awesome route, you just need to remember that while you're bombing through the VG river route, thinking how awesome it is, pushing max watts... you still have 25km's to get back to the car...

Speaking of climbs... Are we seeing you there this year?