Pikey

Never to be repeated again,ever 😬 you should of bought a lottery ticket that day 😂😁

Spending the first half plus of the year in the uk really put pay to any type of distance this year. Just really struggled in the cold. And this year won’t start until mid to late jan thanks to a spill, been a long 2-weeks so far 😪

Am the same mostly . Do the odd ride with mates when I can get up early enough 😬....yet am always first there weirdly. But have learned do more 3 digits solo though . Longer than that alone and I am bored. Have had the same thoughts as you . Frosty & crew may have a plus one 😁

The boundary wall is apparently as far as it goes. What’s left out and over the back will stay. I had the same violent thoughts you did believe me. It also won’t become exclusive to residents as other estates. Wendell will find away a way to cut some new trails into the side of the koppie. They are currently doing so. The only thing I have noticed is the less traveled trails are quite a bit overgrown,hope this temporary due to all the rain. They have already changed the new twin towers slightly. Fingers crossed it’s here to stay. I think (hope) the wildlife and Thaba ya batswana hotel and the wildlife trips will keep it safe.

The starting climb warms you up nicely. Luckily it’s only the little kicker right at the crest that gets steep, but it’s an eye opener when you don’t know. Glad you found the proper finish down part of the old xc & dh course. They are busy making the finish longer when I spoke to Wendell and he doesn’t know what to do with the start. Going through the construction just sucks, I did that last wkd. Lots of babies and wildlife around and so tame. Great start and finish , still love Thaba. Hope you had a good ride. Had planned a double lap before falling on sat. Thanks ,back soon hopefully 👍

Xtr Shimano spd 🤷🏻‍♂️ . Luckily I wasn’t riding some of those brutal flat pedals. For some reason ( think I was trying to protect the bike ) when the front end washed I held onto the handlebar with one hand and that stopped the bike from just sliding away from me ,instead, I stayed under the bike and the back end just spun around. At least that’s what I think happened. It wasn’t the ground or a rock as I slid on my ass / hip. Just got unlucky I guess.

The new start is a little soft but not muddy at all and rest is brilliant. The finish is excellent, although I was rolling down it so slowly. Fell on the other side of twin towers , so a fair pedal back. Now you have to follow the red arrows in and out. Well worth the trip 👍

It’s always the most innocuous falls right 🙈

Stunning Thaba & awesome wildlife. Then, a little mistake and the pedal had its way with my shin. A slow pedal back and a trip to the doc’s . 17 normal Stitches and 10 butterfly later.Luckily no muscle damage 😁 Going to be a long few weeks sadly 😔

Only time I don’t use that bridge is when I ride road . The water was flowing pretty quickly yesterday.

Lots mud and debris everywhere. Still, beat the rain & was nice and cool. New gravel bike 2nd ride day.

Terrible when you struggling to breath through your mouth only. Hope you heal up soon mate 💪

I feel you ,it’s horrible. Had sinus headaches and gunk since a kid . Operations have helped .Since stopping dairy, sugar, wheat ,gluten and colourants my sinus gunk is almost non existent and so are headaches . I do stray every now and then and demolish a coke and a slab of chocolate.

Great photo,has an air of mystery to it .

Very late afternoon storm runner .

Found them but unfortunately they are 12 mm. Don’t even know if they are front or rears but sadly 12 mm. Sorry mate .

I have American Classic end caps. No idea what they are but will dig around for them tmw and post pics of them .

Ditto on the 1st part. Most guys have calves bigger than my thighs , so when I can pull anybody on a flat section I am gobsmacked. I don’t mind if someone apologises , there’s always someone quicker than you can only hold on and no more. Besides that, like @NotSoBigBen said I am only a hacker and always happy to finish upright .

But of course ????

New bike day ???????? First marathon type mtb bike in a good few years.

I pretty much sat in a bunch until just after kyalami . 3 horrible crashes on the N1 north. Then pretty much solo until just after Nelson Mandela bridge. Once on the motorway home , a guy called John ( red kit) did a massive pull until just before Gold reef... so I took over and we passed a few groups along the way. Of course nobody helped until we hit the last bit of Nasrec road then a guy did a small stint but pulled off and I carried on . Then he out sprinted me to the line for 3456 place ????????.... it’s just how it is . But I did have 2 guys inside FNB come and thank me for the last pull.I looked for John who had done a big turn at Speed but unfortunately couldn’t find him. It’s the little things sometimes . @Chadvdw67if you can get in a group and hang on ,but only hang on,take it.

How are your bunny hopping skills ????

True that, that stern city climb is leg burner and killer ,but I take a while to warm up on cold legs regardless. I did like the last 10km odd finish on the motorway. It was a nice finish instead of climbing when you buggered.

NSBB and i at the start of ride joburg’s 94.7. Absolute pleasure mate???? Road closures for the win . Still lots of bad crashes though . Hope all are ok . We were at little confused by the neutral zone . Our group was stretched out so quickly ,like very quickly, we found ourselves at the back ????

I finished quite buggered to be honest. Found the route tougher with all the climbing at the end. But I suppose it always depends on the training you have put in.