Lone_Ranger

Event Name: MAD Mountain Cycle Race Fundraiser When: 3 August 2013 Where: D'Aria Wine Estate, Durbanville, Western Cape Category: MTB This race is a fundraiser being organised by a group of young people in our company as part of a community development project. The funds raised will be utilised to improve the conditions at the Noxicule Creche in Khayelitsha. Contact Katelyn Naidoo at katelyn.naidoo@aecom.com or 083 411 1862 for further information. Go to Event Page

BTW 29" tires are going cheaper than 26" at the moment. A lot more specials. I've been struggling to find specials on 26" tires, so don't believe that just cos they smaller they'll be cheaper. I'd go for 29er if you can get one in your range, other wise Silverback for the win. My first bike was a Silverback and I still have it. Converted it to single speed and loving it.

I must say that the Bridle Path area is where I feel the most vulnerable in Tokai. I ride Tokai on my own every weekend, and that is by far the least populated area, so it makes sense that the crooks will target it. Does make you think though, that these guys are there in Tokai and watching, cos they obviously know that they'll be able to do their thing there with few witnesses. Going to be more careful in future!!!

Seriously considering a dropper for my next bike. Got a solid knock in the nether region coming down Vasbyt at Tokai today.

Fully agree. Don't know why the Scott's come with such poor wheels. Friend of mine neary lost his teeth when his standard Scott wheels buckled on him. Lots of similar stories on the web.

Not recommended for the faint hearted. The alternative was to drive all the way back to town, without doing the race, which I definitely was not keen on.

The standard rims on Scotts definitely worth an upgrade. Had a buddy come off badly on a technical section cos his standard Scott rims buckled. Think head over handlebars, hitting ground. Happened to him twice, then he upgraded. He got Stans ZTR, not sure which one.

Awesome ride. Changed to the 32km after I brought two left shoes. That's what happens when you pack in the dark . Right foot super sore, but it was worth it. Loved the singletrack overlooking the dam, super smooth for super fast ride. Definitely going to be back for the 45km next year. Big up to the race organisers for a well organised event. Just the right amount of chaos to make it fun . Nice to see some of the big names there as well. Had a chance to watch the pros start, and it really was a who's who of top young riders. Forgot to say that the course was also just wet enought to make it interesting and fast.

Looking forward to the race tomorrow. A bit worried about the climbs in the second half of the race, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I also thought my Avids were useles, but my LBS suggested new pads and a bleed, and they're now 100% better. My suggestion would be to try that first as a cheap fix, and if the problem persists replace with Shimano or other. For now my Avids are ok. In all fairness, I haven't tested them on a long descent since getting them back, that's normally where the turkey starts warbling behind me.

I for one didn't know I needed my racetec chip, and I defintely wasn't alone. Lots of guys without chips. I checked the Racetec website the day before the race, and my entry for Knysna was not recorderd, so I assumed they were not timing this race. Bit disappointed as I did a good time, but no use crying over spilt milk.

A cappucino is a pretty good recovery drink. Many recovery drinks are high in whey protein, which is a milk extract. The high percentage of milk in a cap is thus good for recovery, with the caffeine giving you a short term kick after a hard work out. Works for me. Burry was known for drinking Steri Sumpy after a race, which is basically the same thing minus the caffeine. My 2c

Riding 32:18 on my 26". Probably time to graduate to 32:16, but found it a bit heavy going at Tokai.

Love the video clip. Had me all choked up. Just made me want to go out and ride my SS in the rain. Wish I could make it.

The best way to get your confidence up on Faerie Garden is to ride up it a couple of times, helps in a huge way in seeing the line at each bend, and also how to attack the bridge. The bridge can sense your fear , the moment you're off the attack you're on your a$$ . Find the line and ride it, keep momentum up and you should be ok. Great trail to learn on btw, I cut my teeth down there before graduating to Vasbyt, Boulders and the Downhill tracks.

Fully agree. Bought some really good stuff from them over the past year or two.

A theory I read was that the RD is more visible, so guys like to have the higher spec there cos they can brag they've got an XT / XTR setup, meanwhile everything else is Deore / SLX. Article basically said the same thing you guys have said above, for better shifting spend money on (in this order): 1. Shifters 2. FD 3. RD

While I agree with your sentiment, my experience with buying onlne has been that the customs for clothing is crazy (>50% if I'm not mistaken). This would certainly go a long way to explaining the inflated prices of imported clothing. The bigger question is why locally manufactured clothing is so expensive.

There is a video on You tube about this. I've done it with the entry level Shimanos and it was fairly easy. If u google "service shimano pedals" u should find the clip.

I forgot about the river crossing. Might get downright dangerous if the rain forecast materialises.

Weather forecast not looking good for Saturday folks. Weather warning due to expected storms. Gale force winds, heavy rain and max temp of 13. Great day for MTB

I am colourblind, but the shiny bits still grab my attention . I also got caught out by CB, one nasty fall later had me binning the pedals ASAP.

Thanks. I'll be the guy in baggies on the Scott Scale 26" HT. Trying to keep up with the rest of the competitors . While trying not to do any spectacular face plants on drop offs. Lets hope we have a few dry days, cos that course will be treacherous in the wet.

I've entered Sports category just for a laugh. 2 laps of awesome technical riding . Most of the very technical sections have chicken runs btw, but even with these its still fairly technical. If you've raced before I reckon you should be OK, unless they've changed the course since I was there earlier this year.

Having recently switched from an entry level alu mtb frame to a mid / top end carbon mtb frame, I can categorically say this is horse manure. Every aspect of my cycling has improved, climbing, flats on the road, descending, technical riding,etc... Not to mention the smile on my face when I'm riding . My first ride out I was overtaking guys in climbs where I was always the "overtakee".