BigDL

Has anybody ridden this area before? Is it worth the drive to do this event?

Got to better than this Ferrari I saw in China

That oke has issues

Also a real eye opener. Made me look at the Peloton very differently

Yes, read it and gave it to a mate afterwards. Really intense. That oke had some passion to catch Lance

Great read

Thanks, ticker is fine. Luckily I was running or cycling seven days per week leading up to it, so doc said my fitness level saved me. Not allowed any stimulants going forward, so slowly getting used to decaf coffee. Lesson is that stress and stimulants don't go together apparently.

Sorry to have missed this. Is there another one planned soon?

So, after a bit of a break due to an unexpected Heart Attack, i visited Groenkloof yesterday evening for the first time in a few months. Just wanted to make a positive comment about the efforts that the guys there make to maintain and improve the trails. It was such a pleasure yesterday to find new trails, bridges and continued well maintained pathways. We are indeed fortunate to have this facility in the middle of so much Urban mayhem.

Apologies, i sent a small payment this morning before I read this thread again, so didn't get to the bit about not making any more payments. FWIW, please feel free to use my small donation for any cause that you see fit.

Possible issue with phones is that altitude, in most of them, is not measured but is based on the map data that they have, therefore your climbs can be inaccurate if the map data is not 100%. i seem to recall reading that only the newest iphone has altitude measurement capability.

has anyone done this event before? Is it worth it?

My First Mountain Bike was a Carrera Banshee X, full Sus All Mountain bike. I sold it last year and not a day goes by when I don't miss it. Halfords sells Carrera exclusively in the UK and they benefit from their purchasing power in terms of components. Having said that, 170 pounds does not get you a lot of bike over there. I bought an entry level hard tail from Halfords a couple of years ago for around 700 pounds and it is roughly equivalent in spec to a 10 to 12 grand bike here.

Part of the reason Le Mond stayed away from the tour in any capacity for so long is his frustration with the doping culture.

RIP

Ride for these guys last year. Had an opportunity to visit their centre at Baragwanath. Incredible work that deserves as much support as possible.

Majorca. Awesome cycling dedicated holiday companies there.

What a *** place to find yourself in. I bet these boys never started their business intending to rip people off. Probably sitting wondering how they started on the slippery slope from cutting a few corners to completely losing their integrity and cashing in on the trust that was placed in them.

Ouch. Looked like rabbits in the headlights. Devi was like a strict schoolteacher.

Having said all this, the whole Lumen issue is going down the same road that the candlepower issue went some years back. I recently ran an older 180 lumen light against my one year old nine hundred lumen light and the output was very similar. Genuine 500 Lumen lights that I used to import years ago in a different life were incredibly powerful and far exceeded what is claimed as 900 or 1100 now.

Looks like a beautiful day there for a ride.

This perception that the OEM manufacturers will sell exactly the same product to the market as they are manufacturing for a brand is nonsense. Why put their relationship with their big customers at risk by selling their products to others. Whilst far from an expert about this, I have visited China three times looking at oem's for equipment that I buy and, of maybe a dozen factories visited, not a single one will sell the same stuff under a different brand name.

Popped in to Howick Cycles last week to buy two water bottles as I was sneaking off to Karkloof for a post-meeting de-stress session and had forgotten to bring water bottles from Gauteng. I was in for fifteen minutes and, by the time I left, had been handed the personal phone number of the owners, invited to a braai, and been urged to call before I come down next time to ensure that the owners could take me out cycling in the area with them and show me some great trails. I could not believe the friendly, helpful, welcoming approach to a complete stranger and can not recommend highly enough the attitude of the young man who is one of the owners (I am terrible with recalling names).

Put me down for 10 rand a night please. PM details and I will make a deposit

Anything is worth it if you are able to get value for your money. If you pay 100 bucks and only go once a month it is far more expensive than paying 300 bucks and going five times a week. You need to evaluate how often you will use it and then decide if the price per visit based on your usage is value for money for you.