Karooryder

Whaaaaaaat? The last time I rode Suikerbosrand in February entry was R30! Look, I don't mind paying a bit more for a good facility but - besides for a really scenic ride - services have always been in tatters (I literally cannot remember when last the toilets were working and the Reserve has been without water for most of last year and this year). I really hope that this money will go towards getting the place in order.

This is true...nutrition is a very personal thing and it takes time to find that fuel sweet spot. I do think it is SUPER important to remember that nutrition is no substitute for fitness. I think many many riders fall back on gels, goos and syrupy fitness drinks to compensate for a lack of base fitness. This is a recipe for disaster as the fuel will wreak havoc in an under-prepared over-revved metabolism.

I feel like that oke who's been driving his bakkie forever and only after many years discover that the car has an electronic seat warmer function...Have to ask, what is the Vitality endurance option?

Hehe I'm like that too. I'm a firm believer in Racefood Fast Bars...For a 100km / 4hour ride I will take 2 Fast Bars (of which I will eat perhaps 1 1/2 at the most during the ride), 500ml water and 500ml rehidrate and that's it. And a solid breakfast of oats and banana an hour before start. My secret is a 500ml disposable bottle of water to stay hidrated in the pens before the start so you don't touch your race liquid before the start. This has worked wonders for me.

Indeed and the type and intensity of the ride. I mean, there's a difference between doing Long Tom on a morning ride, and doing the climb on day 4 of a stage race. I suspect that the OP has one-day rides / events in mind when asking the question. A good buddy of mine's brother is a pro cyclist in Europe and when the oke still rode competitively in SA he once shared a valuable and very sensible opinion with me. He said that in his opinion, amateur and recreational riders almost always over nutrition during rides - adding that the kinds of one-day events and rides that most SA cyclists do, do not (at all) require the amounts of fuel that people consume and that those kinds of (often scientifically formulated) nutrition is aimed at pro riders and multi-stage events. This is often the result of clever marketing by the sports fuel guys . This is now a long story but in short, I agree with DR that for shorter (one day events, 4-5hour training rides) pre-workout nutrition is what make or break the legs...much of what you consume during the shorter ride will only energize when you're having the victory beer. As for my buddy's brother's story - simplicity is key and remember there's only one thing that will dehydrate you faster than a chunk of biltong and that's sugar...

Ladies and Gents, this (minus the PygaSchmyga tirade) is how a name / shame / fame thread should ensue. Even on a Friday. I'm almost starting to think that LeHub is growing up.

Janee I will be sure to go make a good old Transvaal braai on Robbie's sypaadjie in December when I grace the glorious Cape with my Covid-ridden presence!

I was just wondering the same this morning when I got that annual September nervous feeling that the 94.7 is also now around the corner. I wonder if we will ride Joburg this year but I cannot imagine that the 2021 Argus will be affected by the remnants of the teacupstorm.

Fixed it. Almost every cycle-loving spender I know has had some sort of not-great experience with ASG. It's beyond me how they still exist.

LWB I assume that the Comair Max is still parked there as well? Given their current Business Rescue process one wonders if the airframe will ever fly for Comair in SA again.

Taken from another forum...a sad sight. (but on a different note, what I would give to walk around one of these storage facilities for a few days!).

https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/opinion/2020-06-17-saa-and-the-quest-for-home-a-farce-wrapped-in-a-fiasco-inside-a-debacle/ A sobering read, and LWB you're quite right about the overbooked flight.

I was JUST thinking the same thing. Many moons ago, in my "The Hub" infancy I had a less than positive experience with an order from CWC. I dared share this on an existing thread about the Golden Shop - man, I was flamed with fire that would put old Mephistopheles to shame. It was "Oom Chris" this and "Oom Chris" that and I was called names that I last heard in my (boys) high school years. I wonder how Oom Chis must feel when reading what's happened to his once-proud establishment at the hands of Cycling Walmart.

LWB any idea how many A319's remain in the fleet or are these the last ones to go?

FlySafair https://www.businessinsider.co.za/first-flysafair-flights-on-sale-in-lockdown-2020-6?_sp=c7ffb70f-abe0-4e50-a915-a2ac4eca1406.1591106994206 Mango: Apparently Mango is positioning to start mid-June as well. Link:

Seems like SAA is positioning themselves to resume some kind of operations next month or at the earliest opportunity. https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/401975/saa-prepares-for-take-off-again/ South African Airways (SAA) plans to restart domestic flights as soon as it is given official approval by the government. The airline said that it plans to retain its domestic schedule of flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town with effect from mid-June 2020. Accordingly, the group said it is focusing on ensuring operational readiness to resume flights once permissible. This position will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, it said. At the same time, SAA said it is cancelling all planned scheduled flights on regional and international services until the end of June 2020 with immediate effect. This decision has been taken as a result of the continuing global impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the airline said. Many restrictive rules and regulations still apply to civil aviation across the world. On this basis, it is not yet possible to resume operations beyond South Africa’s borders in a sustainable manner, it said. “Everyone at SAA is looking forward to welcoming and serving our customers once again. ‘Our operational preparedness is underlined by the significant role the airline has played in global repatriations to and from South Africa and by our desire to serve the domestic market,” said Philip Saunders, SAA’s chief commercial officer. The airline said all customers will be able to use their ticket’s full value as a credit for travel on any SAA service up to an including 24 March 2022. The airline will also permit a free name change if any individual customer no longer wishes to travel. This represents an important part of SAA’s continued commitment to support our customers in these unprecedented times.

I'm really curious to see how this is going to work. No inter-provincial travel allowed but limited air travel for business only - so unless you're flying between Cape Town and George for business this is not going to fly (pun intended) And as LWB said above, does not make sense for already suffering carriers to commence limited volume operations that will undoubtedly result in further losses.

Interesting take on Level 3 domestic air travel. Seems doable but I'm wondering how the inter-province movement restrictions will come into play. https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/399375/heres-how-domestic-flights-could-work-under-level-3-lockdown/

4 SAA A330's heading to Heard Pinal Park between Phoenix and Tuscon via Sao Paulo over the weekend. Wonder how the crew ferrying these A330's will get back home?

Yup, incidentally this was some of the primary data used in (attempting to) establish the flight path of MH370, right?

This reminded me of one of my most memorable turbulence memories which is very similar to yours! Flying from Sishen to Lanseria on Fly88's 1900 one summer afternoon, we approach the Highveld and the Cumulonimbus clouds start piling, looking like the wall in GOT. I was sitting just behind the cockpit and Fly88 was always very casual: open cockpit door, Captain and FO chatting to passengers, cooler with beverages for the take etc. The cloud cover is nearing and the Captain navigates the gaps in the weather but as he runs out of gaps the chap starts sweating profusely...suddenly it's dark outside and you literally HEAR the thunder. Rain is now beating down on the 1900 which is falling and climbing like a big dipper - you know that sensation when, in an instant, you become so disorientated that you do not know top from bottom? With every dip the sound of the engines are drowned out by the storm and when we climb out again you hear this high pitch revving of the props. At some point warning buzzers sound in the cockpit and I see the FO frantically reaching for some kind of manual or checklist behind her but the storm is so bad that it is literally not possible to read back one sentence, let alone run a checklist. The cockpit instrument panel looks like a disco when a fast song plays and every now and then I hear the Captain, an elderly gent, saying "hou vas!". In the cabin, much of the refreshments enjoyed during the first part of the flight have now been deposited in sick bags and the always jolly chats of mining contractors - who always made up the bulk of the pax - have now been replaced with total silence and the occasional scream when the aircraft dips or shakes... And just like that, it's over. We break the clouds and land safely at Lanseria with the prettiest sunset on our backs. We all had a good (and relieved) laugh when the Captain tjirped on the PA System: "Friends, please stay seated while we drive whats left of this bakkie to the terminal building". Good times!

Sterkte LWB. The world is in uncharted territory and the aviation sector is no exception. We must keep good faith that this too will end and there will be life after Covid-19. For now, hang in there and stay positive.

My first ever flight was on a 747SP when I was 15: a school choir tour to Europe and we flew into Munich. The airframe - later known as Maluti - was retired a while after and incidentally is now on display at Rand Airport. Amazing aeries!

B707! I love the look of those almost Meccano - looking engines!

Absolutely, the world as we know it and the people living in it will not be quite the same after this. I think event coordinators will have to face the harsh reality that a mind-shift will undoubtedly follow the wave of this pandemic. In my opinion, after the spike people will: - think twice before congregating in large masses - think twice before spending money on "non-essential" services - rethink their savings strategies - think twice before traveling to regions which might be a health risk - think twice before sleeping over at establishments which might be health risk - think twice before pushing their own health thresholds in the red to be super fit The list goes on and I think this mindset will last for a long time. Perhaps I'm wrong, dunno.