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hillbilly

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  1. Bruce is not a first timer, he has a blanket, rode with his father in 2013 (22d 11h), has also been back to reccie parts of the trail this year.
  2. The rider was disqualified for carrying a device which was prohibited - simple. Might seem harsh but those are the rules. A smartphone is not prohibited because it is required equipment for riders - as a communication device. As for the smartphone argument / grey area: Do you buy a smartphone for its GPS functionality or do you buy it to use as a phone? If you intended to use it as a GPS, you could but you would have to pre-configure it (load track files - which would be intentionally cheating), then mount it on your bars for it to be practical to use while riding - so it would be pretty obvious to everyone else what you were doing. Not to mention the battery life issues, the fact that its not waterproof etc. You carry a phone (smart or dumb) as a communication device - for safety reasons during the event - if you carry it for other reasons, then in the words of Percyzn: "it could help but that takes away from the whole point of this amazing race, so anyone who is doing it for the right reasons would use their phone to tweet and take pics and have as an emergency, not use it for mapping."
  3. A spare tyre is not neccessary - if you use a UST or decent 'tubeless ready' tyre with strong sidewalls, it will survive the journey. Rather fit a pair of strong 700-800gr+ tyres and carry the required bits to fix them if disaster strikes (glue plus gaiters to fix a bad sidewall cut and the usual selection of plugs and patches). The Crossmark UST is a perennial favourite but many other good options out there: Geax Sagurro, Conti X-King UST etc. The Ardent is availbale in a UST version and would be a good choice which also offers decent volume/cushioning for your rigid SS setup.
  4. "There is a new technical Trail X being developed which leaves from Tranquillitas and goes straight down into the gorge. Not sure if Glenn is finished with that one yet. Think he said August..." Trail X is still under construction and will be for another few months at least... The other trails are all open and conditions are dry, fast and fun. More accommodation will soon be available at the newly restored farm house too. Riding permits available from Roc n Rope Adventures in town or up at Tranquilitas itself.
  5. This year Guy ran a 32x20 and Glenn a 34x20 - both riding 29ers
  6. The route up The Ladder is an historic route that has been used for many generations. The landowners'website confirms this: All produce from farming had to be carried out on pack donkeys via a few routes and even up the now famous ladder route; http://www.diehel.co.za/overview/ The law relating to historical rights of way is clearly set out in a recent judgment in the Western Cape: http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAWCHC/2012/50.html From the judgment it is clear that the public right of way exists completely independently of any proclaimed road. As The Ladder is a public right of way the permission of landowners is not required. I understand that a number of the farmers of the area are also aggrieved by the attempts of the landowners to restrict access and have expressed their support of the Freedom Challenge in asserting this right.. All over the country these public rights of way are being unlawfully closed off. The question really is what is the role of members of this forum in protecting these public rights of way?
  7. You can draw your intended routes on Google Earth (it does take a bit of time to do accurately), save them as .kmz files. Upload and convert using www.gpsies.com (will convert to .gpx files which your Garmin can read). Then upload to your Garmin.
  8. This might help - many years ago I rode south from Royal Natal via the Busingatha valley and eventually ended up at the Mweni Cultural Village. The route was a mix of dirt roads, paths and animal tracks - good fun on the bike. I know from Mweni, one can get around to Cathedral Peak along the district roads - so technically you could do the same in reverse or drive around to All Out Adventures and start from there, heading back to Cathedral Peak. The whole Mweni area is full of trails and it's still tribal land so the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ban on mountain bikes doesn't apply. (That's the problem with the Contour Path - it could be a great MTB/multi-use trail but you aren't allowed to ride it.)
  9. Any info on the route from hubbers that have ridden it before? Is it hilly/flat/tight/twisty, lots of singletrack etc?
  10. We asked for it and we got it... solo entries opened on 21 Dec
  11. Come on EcoBound, give us a solo category - this event is perfect to do as preparation for FC..... (even the timing is spot on.)
  12. Max rides for Ghost Bikes - they haven't had a 29er in their line up so far (the 2012 range does though) so he races a 26er - doesn't seem to matter to him though...
  13. hillbilly

    MTB Baggeys

    Second that - Hoss gear is top quality and they also make them in a 3/4 length
  14. There were 2 or 3 titanium HT's this year, one was a 29er. I've spent some time on a steel HT and can vouch for the extra comfort it gives, Ti is supposed to be the same but much lighter. In 2006, there was a Ti HT frame failure (cracked at a weld) which was repaired on the trail with a piece of steel bar and cable ties.
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