openmind

Jonkershoek is a problem at the moment because they don't let cars into the reserve, so many hikers just wander up the trails near the gate rather than walk the 5km to the hiking trail heads at the end of the valley.

Maybe just stop and very nicely point out that it's a trail reserved for MTBs. Most likely they'll be cool about it and walk somewhere else.

No, it was definitely Mark Blewett. He and some mates broke the Cairo to Cape Town cycling record on Swift road bikes a few years ago to promote the brand. https://www.bikeradar.com/features/routes-and-rides/the-fastest-human-powered-crossing-of-africa-is-done-and-dusted/

It’s a great bike, a racy XC machine. The build quality was great on Swift MTBs (they don’t make them anymore). My daughter has the hard tail version (D-Vore).

I second that - sounds like the upper pulley wheel of the derailleur is grinding against the underside of the cogs. It might work ok on the bike stand but then get pulled up a bit under torque. It makes sense that this would only happen on the larger cogs when you see how the derailleur moves as it goes up the cassette.

This is interesting. He has foregone a dropper post for a funky one that gets him a lot further back than the frame geo will allow. Quite an indictment on the "steep seat tube to get you over the BB" spiel that brands are punting today. The Orbea Oiz has one of the steepest seat tubes in the XC business. Traditional thinking says you need to be a bit behind the BB to engage your glutes and hammies properly. Probably the thinking here given the long stages and the need to be as bio-mechanically as efficient as possible. Efficiency over control. They would be better off I think with a less steep seat tube that is relaxed enough to get the same efficiency and then use a dropper. But maybe they are just incredible bike handlers and don't need a dropper or Orbea pays them enough to use this bike and suck up the compromise. Thoughts?

The Escape Collective website is live 😍 - https://escapecollective.cc Really good looking website by some of the best cycling journalists in the world. Have a peek. Please sign up if you can - they are 80% member funded (20% selective ads). So they work for us, not the advertisers. Great podcasts too. If you don't already know, this is almost the entire crew from the once-fantastic, recently destroyed-by-corporate-overlords, Cycling Tips website.

I just signed up - please do the same. This is really the only place you will get proper cycling journalism. Their podcasts are amazing too.

I'm 56, been racing bikes since 1984 including mountain bikes since 1989. Paid my first visit to hospital ever about 8 months ago, but I did it properly - broke my femur in a freak fall on the last obstacle on the last singletrack on the way home after a ride with mates. Big surgery with pin and screws (a la Chris Froome), 8 weeks before I could walk without crutches (but I was on the trainer at 6 weeks ). After initially thinking I would never ride again I am back on the bike and recently matched my FTP (ramp) power test of 6 months before the crash. I'm still doing rehab and still have pain, but it keeps getting better. I've had many minor crashes and close calls over the years, but this was a huge wake up call. It made me think a lot about taking risks on the bike. I was at the point where I was riding quite aggressively, riding a bike a size too small (faster!) and tyres without much grip (lighter!). So now I have a larger frame, grippier tyres, taller cockpit and a healthier respect for what could go wrong. Having to relearn the lines on familiar trails but taking it easy and having fun with huge appreciation for being able to keep doing this beautiful thing that we all do. Keep riding.

Another vote for Lake - I use the wide shoe after three pairs of Specialized. Never going back to the big S. Talk to Andrew at The Gear Change in Mowbray. They are well stocked and have the special Lake foot measuring thingy.

I live close by and often ride over the pass alone. It's fine, just ride in daylight and keep an eye on people walking on the side of the road (very rare) - give them a wide berth and be prepared to sprint past or turn around if you feel unsafe. There are so many cyclists in the area at the moment that there should be someone coming past every few minutes that you could hook up with to ride the pass if you want.

Outside owns Cyclingtips which also ran this piece. They fired most of the senior staff there and most of the the rest have left too, so the site is decimated. The founder of Cyclingtips, Wade Wallace, distanced himself from the Mo Wilson piece on Twitter saying that an article like this would never have been run on his watch. Very sad what Outside is doing to cycling journalism. But there is a Phoenix rising from the ashes - the ex Editor in chief of Cycling tips, Caley Fretz is starting a new publication together with Wade Wallace. Caley has a new podcast "The Placeholder" which is well worth listening to.

The article is trash, I agree. It's not journalism, but a very one-sided "tragi-porn" puff piece by someone clearly trying to put his buddy in a better light and absolve him of some of the guilt. By many other accounts, Strickland seems to be a callous serial heart-breaker who has left many angry women in his wake.

Use a music stand - if you have kids you already have one

Maybe a Bianchi Aria: https://jjcycling.co.za/product/bianchi-aria-aero-s-post-incl-disc-frame/

SRAM is either 10/50 or 10/52 Shimano is 10/51 I prefer the Shimano ratios, they don’t have the “bail out” gear philosophy, the ratios are spaced out more evenly so you can use the whole block.

It is spectacular, my son's school had their MTBing end of year party there this week. Drove past today and the big parking lot looked full! Way to go.

My WhatsApp group has the story: "Morning Jen. Just have to share with you in particular! My Brother Gav had an extraordinary bicycle accident last evening involving two porcupines! He was riding along the False Bay fenceline, when a big bugger came bolting under the fence and into the road in front of him... he braked, and went over the handle bars where he landed with the porcupine entangled in the bicycle between his legs .. he was completely disorientated and next thing another one came out from under the fenceline and attacked him in defense of the other one it seems. He got peppered with quills, most of them not deep except for two which were properly embedded in his front ankle. He was lying there when he saw two sets of headlights coming toward him. Lo and behold the occupants were a doctor in o e vehicle and a plastic surgeon in the other, the latter having full medical kit. They gave him a local anesthetic and got all the quills out on the side of the road, during which time a local farmer also joined the scene and took him and his bicycle home! 🤣..amazing story!" and.. "All the quills were in my legs and a few in my hands, that first impact is what put that deep one in my ankle. The craziest thing was the other one that came and tried to smoke me while I was lying in the dust. Really interesting that it's mate would come and help it seems."

I just take my bike right into the meeting. Most people in Stellies ride too anyway so no problem!

Sorry to hear about this. That’s my backyard, so to speak - please give more details about what happened.

With a unique third bottle cage!!

You’re just riding the wrong trails. Or you just need to go faster 😁

Stan takes the best pictures https://adobe.ly/3P9E82X

Freedom ride on Wednesday - Berg River dam outside Franschhoek.

I have not done the Epic, but I raced them in last year's Wines2Whales and have been using them ever since. I live in Stellenbosch and ride all the local trails (incl. Jonkershoek) and they are fantastic. I don't think the Epic is harder on gear than that. I am pretty gobsmacked myself as I thought I was taking a chance with them on W2W, but they were flawless. Much more grip than I expected. No sidewall issues. I previously rode Icon/Ardent Race and Schwalbe RRs before that. These are faster (according to my Strava segments) wil no downsides (except mud!).