I FLY

On another Modderfontein Nature Reserve Facebook page it says park will be closed Monday to Wednesday 24-26 August for game management.

I see that I am not allowed to enter because of my age. I guess it works both ways as I will be encouraged to work from home at least until the end of the year.

I have had the STR frame for over a year now and ride a combination of tar , gravel and Mtb trails. I have 2.3 max is tyres and a 100mm fox fork I have not done more than 4hour rides off-road but always with minimal padded Mtb baggies. I don’t notice that I am getting beaten up The ride is not as nice as the Lynskey Pro 29 titanium frame that I broke last year

I looked at the Tonteldoos adventure but what put me off was arriving at the end destination on the 3rd day then hanging around for the 4 th day and then only transferring back to Pretoria on the 5 th day I used to go to that area twice a year and rode the valleys etc and ate at Verloorenkrone on each occasion In addition day 5 is when I have Exco meetings Any possibility for a early shuttle back on the 4 th morning option We also used to do training camps which did the 3rd day and return to Dullstroom for a few years So I know that it is a fast easy day

Been there and done that. Read a story in an early edition of Ride soon after I started cycling and decided that I wanted to ride up Sani Pass. Finally did it 10 years later with my wife

I had a unpleasant surprise when my auto generated assessment arrived via sms yesterday. SARS said I owe them just under R1m. When I called my payroll department they said the original IRP5 upload was corrupted and that a new upload was done on wednesday. Still a little stomach turning moment .

We live in an estate about 3kms from the gate so a pleasant 5kms to the start of the trails. Sometimes not such a pleasant ride home when you have chased your fit mates around the Red route. We went in at 8am yesterday and there were about 10 cars in the queue but the one attendant waved us to the exit side and we paid there. The carpark was full already. On our way out at 10:30 there must have been 25 cars waiting to get in. In the 3.5years that we have lived in the area and ridden at the Park we have never seen as many cyclists or hikers. This seems to be one of the good aspects of this virus - people want to be healthier.

in the 90s I remember a large explosion at this factory. I lived about 25kms away at the time and could hear the blast and see the smoke.

We live nearby and can hear the emergency evacuation siren go off every Friday at noon for practice purposes

Thanks We know the owners of Spez shops so we will try them first.

I am curious re the gravel bike trend and want try one out. Because I have a cycling wife it is never n+1 but always n+2 so we need to be sure before we commit. Does anyone know of a bike shop which has a medium demo bike that I can hire/ borrow for a weekend?

And I have to wait until level 2 before I am allowed back to our place in Somerset West before I can try out this ride

Agreed. Looked much colder than it was. we recorded 3' C average for our ride with a min of 2 and max of 4 and some very light rain.

I have the green and yellow STR frame and I think matching it with skinwall tyres will be a good combination. I read that the skinwall tyres are not as durable /dont look good after awhile. Any feedback from those who have skinwall tyres.

We did Red route this morning - track’s completely cleared. What a pleasure to ride there In three years of riding there I have never seen some many riders and families walking????????????????????????????????????????????????

Hopefully it means that more people are going back to work rather than their couches. The traffic in my area is almost back to pre-lockdown levels when we are out between 6-7:30

We are in the same position after our 11 year female labrador died recently Our male Labrador, also 11 years old, seems to be enjoying the limelight and the extra attention. He always slept on the couch before and was not a dog that sought our company often. Now he sleeps on the dog bed next to my bed and stays by my feet during the day. He is even starting to snore as loud as the female used to.

In my neck of the woods we recorded -4'C and we avoided the notoriously cold section on the way to the Modderfontein Nature Reserve. And we have not even hit mid winter. Dressed appropriately and only finger tips got cold. Next time I will wear surgical gloves under winter gloves.

Agreed. I only hope the same for me one day.

in 2006 I bought myself a Gore Windstopper N2S jacket for USD100. This is the one I wear in winter and adjust with layers underneath. Last year I bought my wife a winter jacket from Cyclelab - brand is called Sportfull - cost was just over R1000. Bearing in mind that we have recorded temperatures as lower as -6'C on some of our early morning rides we have been happy with these jackets and assorted layers.

Unfortunately I had to euthanize my female labrador last week. It was a very sudden turn for the worse. She went from happy, energetic and loving her food to dead within 12 hours. Vet says a cancerous tumour had grown on her liver and spleen and caused them to burst. My comforting thought is that she lay next to me or under my feet for 7 weeks of the lockdown. For a dog that mothered me for 6 years since we adopted her that must have been the best life.

My friends used to joke that that the air traffic controllers at Lanseria Airport had to phone me to dim my lights as the pilots were getting confused.

I used to commute from 6am to 8am and 5pm to 7pm in JHB. In winter half my commute was in the dark. I felt more visible then because of my lights and reflective clothing. Motorists are not sure what you are so they give a wider passing distance and are more inclined to yield at intersections. And I felt like a kid playing truant instead of being inside doing homework.

We are at the other extreme. Offices are only open by appointment. Hand sanitizers, temperature monitors and two COVID 19 declarations to be completed before you get granted access. Masks and gloves available if you don't have. All office staff are working from home. I am WFH for nearly 8 weeks now and because I am over 60 will be here for a longer time than others in my section. My company has mostly been working 100% from day 1 so no concerns re remuneration. I have a good routine going and my work space and equipment is as comfortable as I can get it. My dog (s) are enjoying being able to spend all day next to me.

What are your temperature ranges now?We are getting between 1-5 now There is one section next to a river amongst trees that is always 3'c cooler than the rest of our ride