HomerSimpson

For people regularly riding Jonkershoek this is an absolute bargain. The permits are valid for a year from the date of issue. As soon as you apply/pay, you can ride for free. Conservatively estimated, my R 350 family permit which I renewed in June has allowed for visits to the tune of about R 1300 (calculated on R 25 per person per visit, 4 family members that can use it, but one has been in the USA for the past three months) over the last 4 months alone. Last year I would have spent about R 5 000 on entry fees for JH if I did not have a permit (OK, without the permit I would not have made use of JH nearly as much, but you get the picture).

Bainskloof is closed. Apparently closed on October 11, and will "be closed for several months"

Two road groups on weekdays at 6 a.m. One (slower group) leaves from the corner of Merriman and Bird streets (Caltex Garage?) and one (faster riders) further along Bird Street (C/o Bird and the R44), organized by Linus van Onselen, go ask at Flandria cycle shop (Run by Linus and Alwyn). Also used to be a MTB ride some afternoons organized by Mason (ask at Mason's Bike Inn). Carinus Lemmer organizes some MTB group rides on weekends (Search the Hub for details).

Thanks Clint. I think I know the second dirt road. As kids we used to cycle up there (to the top dam) to fish. I remember dicing the buses coming down the old pass... ...in the dark, no lights....good times.

I did some road intervals up there early in the year...found it a bit disconcerting to see blokes sitting next to the road having a drink at 6 a.m though. Have not ridden there since January, hence the question to Clint. Want to badly ride the area around the dams on my MTB (I know Sara rode around there a couple of years ago), but not too sure about the safety aspect.

Clint, quick question regarding the Idas Valley dams. Where do you ride from to reach the dams? From the old Helshoogte pass? This is one area of Stellenbosch that I do not ride; something that I have been meaning to do for quite some time. I frequently ride Botmaskop up to near the top of the new Helshoogte, then return via the pass to town.

Funny how that type of thing can put you off a place for life....for the same reasons I have not been back to Bethlehem since 1977.....

A similar scheme is already in place in Paris....

Just this weekend? I fall over a lot when on my MTB. This weekend I did a involuntary dismount on Friday when my front wheel got stuck between a rock and a root while going uphill at Coetzenburg. Went sideways into a clump of small gumtrees and stumps. Have a really spectacular set of bruises on the inner forearm as a result.

Have at least 2 riders with you and stay alert at all times. Avoid pedestrians as it seems that these thugs frequent routes where pedestrian traffic is common. Kromme Rhee is a better option as you can get onto Helshoogte Rd and avoid the Saturday morning traffic through the Town. This route also carries less pedestrian traffic. Conversely you could hang a right at the Devonvale Golf Club (if you come along Bottelary Rd) and go up over Devon Hill' date=' down through Devon Valley and then through Stellenbosch. [/quote'] Homer, I know this route exists, but where do you come out when you go over the top above Devonvale? I always thought that was a private farm road. Is it tarred and easily accessible? It is a public access road, but there are signs trying to discourage road users from going up there. Once you get over the top, the road descends to the right for about 1 k then you get to a steep little turnoff to the left. The road then turns to gravel for about 500m before you get to a gate across the road (but the surface is good enough for a road bike). To the left of the gate there is a path that leads through the fence, and then you are back on the tar. I have been using this road ever since I started cycling.

Have at least 2 riders with you and stay alert at all times. Avoid pedestrians as it seems that these thugs frequent routes where pedestrian traffic is common. Kromme Rhee is a better option as you can get onto Helshoogte Rd and avoid the Saturday morning traffic through the Town. This route also carries less pedestrian traffic. Conversely you could hang a right at the Devonvale Golf Club (if you come along Bottelary Rd) and go up over Devon Hill, down through Devon Valley and then through Stellenbosch.

I've heard about this... Such a pity that we're gradually losing ground to these @#$ers' date=' when I was a student from 1997 to 2002, we used to ride around Papagaaiberg and pretty much everywhere else without fear. I rode on my own most of the time and wouldn't even have thought about anything bad happening, it was just unheard of.[/quote'] I still cycle on Papegaaiberg at regular intervals; but I agree it's not the safest place around. Normally do the cycling around 5 pm; lots of traffic on the hill at that time with people walking home from work and locals walking dogs (big ones). Avoid it like the plague on weekends. A couple of us were looking at doing a regular late afternoon ride on the Papegaaiberg (several MTBers living right next to it) and also to resurrect the ST and build some new stuff on southern/southwestern side of the hill. HomerSimpson2010-06-09 08:37:07

I note that over the 7 pages of this thread only 20 hubbers bothered to post. Not sure how many hubbers are PPA members, but are these replies/concerns representative? Maybe you need to ask for a "roll-call" of PPA members on the Hub to endorse the issues that you want to raise. It will carry more weight then, surely?

You have way too much time on your hands right now, it seems... I have two dogs....and the lawn is not dying, the little f*&^^rs have torn out most of the grass.... I WAS up on the roof, but only to try and fix a leak....they say you should repair your roof when it is NOT raining...but would I listen? Anyhow, the DCM is a leftover from when I was still building stuff with epoxy resins, best solvent to clean brushes and aluminium rollers. I actually should bring the stuff to work and dispose of it safely. I can no longer work with epoxy resins as I have become violently allergic to the amine-containing harderners. So if anybody wants two 20-kilo drums of epoxy resin and hardener.....free to a good home.

JB is quite correct (nice experiment Johan). Paint stripper will do FA to properly cured epoxy resin (which is commonly used in carbon fibre composites). Similarly acetone will not damage the resin. What will damage the resin is dichloromethane (methylene dichloride) (or similar chlorinated solvents). And, JB, I actually have some in my garage....

I ride pedals that are a combination (Shimano, forget what model), basically because: (a) I commute regularly and I want something that will accomodate a ordinary (work) shoe as well as a MTB shoe. (b) I have been told by my doctor that I should really stop falling on my head, so I tend to unclip at sections that I feel might lead to an involuntary dismount. Having said that, I can reasonably comfortably ride with one or two feet clipped out on these combo pedals BUT your feet (when wearing MTB shoes) can still slip when you hit stuff (which can lead to an uncomfortable sitation w.r.t parts of your anatomy that might come into contact with top tubes etc) The weight aspect of the pedals don't bother me, as 100 g here or there will make no difference when you consider that I am about 90 kgs myself (these combo pedals are a little heavier).

FF, on the cycletour website (homepage) there is a link (near the top) regarding the start times (www.cycletour.co.za/pdf/starttimes.pdf I think)

Depends on the wind...I also suffered into that headwind on Sunday...(may have something to do with the beer consumption the night before as well), and it took me about 20 minutes to do the entire section from Main Road back to Main Road. In contrast I did the reverse (R4S and 3 Passes) and had no problems at all (not sure about the time, but was way less than Sunday!). If the Argus had been this last Sunday I am sure that Boyes Drive (including the cumulative effect on the legs later in the race) would have increased my time by 15 minutes at least.

Thanks folks....I just needed to check. I think I know who the culprit in this whole saga is. Problem is if I give him a smack upside the head it will hurt both my fist and my head.... I was just worried about the pinging noise. Nothing seems to be missing on the bike. I'll double-check the bike tonight. I want to make sure nothing comes apart on the descent of Ou Kaaps on Sunday.

I have (from somewhere) a spreadsheet that orginated from Polar at some stage: There the max heartrate is calculated (for a male "athlete", which I read as being an active cyclist) : 205 - (0.5 x age). I find that for me that is pretty accurate. I am sometimes able to reach that value when popping a vein up a steady (4 - 5%) climb on the MTB

No, but thanks for asking..... I was on a black Cannondale and mostly by myself at that stage....