GLuvsMtb

The guy averages 41 and only played 15 innings to date. As an opener you'll get good balls that will dismiss you, but when you get in, you need to go big (probably 1 in 4 innings for a good opener). His technique is very sound, so I'd be more inclined to stick with him for a bit. No one on the domestic scene comes to mind as an obvious replacement. It would help if we could see some local action to assess the young talent out there though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I only picked up on this now. I'm so sorry Tumbles. All the dogs that are in heaven just got a new best friend. RIP brother. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

They have a very good home record, but the smart money must be on SA. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Most economical, but not best. Still a very good show by Tahir and the other bowlers.

I had a look at the website and did not see anywhere that ice were promised at the water points (we are spoilt in other races that offer these little comforts to us), or that Tapas would offer an all-you-can-eat buffet. From what I gather, the fare was appetising and in line with the fare at W2W, Epic or Sani. As a matter of interest, what is the cost of getting your car back to Knysna? I am paying R950 this weekend to have my car driven from PE to Plett for the PE Plett mtb race (For me R950 is more than reasonable). The time a rider takes to get evacuated from a trail can range greatly depending on 1. When the race orginisers were informed of a medical emergency (I hope you did the right thing and stopped, called the emergency number and made sure that her life was not in immediate danger before going on your merry way). 2. The remoteness of the location of the rider. 3. Whether or not paramedics were engaged in other code orange / red emergencies at the time. Without context this rant adds little value here (you are welcome to elaborate on this to give some context from your perspective). I usually prefer something I can use (T Shirt, Buff, key ring, etc.) instead of a medal. Did you not get any race merchandise? Just some advice as well. If you want race organisers to engage with you on things you felt were sub-standard, try a more constructive approach. If you are just venting, your post is just fine.

The American automotive industry have punted the 'Jap-crap' tag on Japanese cars after WW2 as well. The main motive was that American car makers could not compete with the Japanese cars on pricing and production capacity. Consumer boycotts are damaging in the long run (Except when it comes to boycotting Silverbacks of course. After seeing the Monkey's attitude towards other brands I would not ride one even if you give me one for free).

My irritation is publicizing the participation of an ex-doper. I'm all for second chances given the rules are being adhered to, but there is no glory in it for me. ACE seems to have taken note of this and have gone very quiet about this.

Last year my son got badly burnt with hot water. Only the top of his right hand some splatter on his left. The agony he went through nearly broke me. This is going to be a long ugly fight for Barry and those close to him. To everyone involved, stay strong and take it 1 day, 1 hour or 1 minute at a time. Here is a glimpse of what burns look like.

No one kicked on to make a 100 and anchor the innings Williamson captained well by rotating 7 bowlers well. We never looked settled and struggled to line up the part time bowlers. Parnell's duck off 4 deliveries was probably the difference between winning and losing.

The Epic ladies race took a few years to get to the point where we today talk as much (if not more) about the ladies race as the mens race. Equal prize money set that evolution in motion. I prefer to look at the quality of the field opposed to quantity. Numbers are important, but if we can get the best in the world competing in SA, the numbers are due to come.

Its like the bankers believing when it rains in the Karoo, it rains big fat sheep ready for slaughter. Some things take a bit of time.

Yip. That annoys me. Why repeat yourself in the advertisement body where there is space to mention all the specifics of what you are selling. Putting all that in the heading makes me sommer skip the ad. Rather spend the time to load up current good pictures (i.e. not a picture taken 1 week after you bought the bike in 2010).

Just saw this thread now. Healing vibes to you Tumbles. Shout if we can assist in any way.

I think the aim would be to fine-tune suspension for the type of ride you intend doing and to see how changing one variable affects other variables (think about the downforce setup of a F1 car for various tracks). Imagine doing a few practice runs for a DH race and being able to review various suspension setups for your timed run. It certainly has some appeal.

Now we just need to get something in the trophy cabinet.

I had a really good time at the event. The trails offered some nice single track in places and the distance and climbing was very manageable. The non-competitive vibe was refreshing and most of the basics were adequately dealt with. Great T-shirt and some useful goodies in the goodie bag. Just a few pointers on some finer points: 1. Communication. Apparently there was a Gin bar on Saturday. Pity I missed that. I also enquired about the details around the spit braai on Saturday afternoon for the evening on your Facebook page. The query is still unanswered. Perhaps have someone dedicated to the social media links during the event to ensure that any queries are dealt with quickly. 2. If you want to introduce timing for the event, chat to Amarider about their trailtag system. While I enjoyed the relaxed vibe of a non-timed event, there is always that nagging little voice wondering how I fared against other riders. 3. Website and profiles were slightly off (and website made no mention of the spitbraai or Gin bar). Perhaps spend a few ZAR more and have a user-friendly and informative website. Your event will benefit hugely from it. I'll be back in Stanford for some more riding soon. Where can we get more info on the trail network?

I'm just glad the weather held off long enough for some cricket. Sets up a very interesting tour for us.

Tahir returns his best figures of 5 / 24. Definately my Man of the match, but keep # in mind who got the pace of the wicket early on and played exeptionally well for his 62 off 43.

And Tahir takes 2 in 2. The Black Caps are 60/6 with 9.2 overs left. SA in total control of this one.

Great start by our bowlers after the batsmen did not manage to capitalise on a good start. 185 looks competitive, and Morris taking 2 in 2 means its game on!

I guess I am shopping at the right shops then. I've never had issues with stock to come or demo bikes to try out. Hell the shops I go to even makes a mean Espresso to enjoy while I chit-chat to the owners / staff. But back on-topic. Value-add in the delivery of a service will be key to bike shops that want to be successful going forward.

I think every bike shop should invest in these and include a week's use for free when you purchase a new bike. I also think that all shops should include a bike fit in the pricing of a new bike too. Just like a poorly set up riding position, poorly set up suspension can ruin what would normally be a good bike.

Ok? So I go to the events page to enter (presumably that is why you have posted the event here, so that people can enter nice and early), and it seems like entries are not yet open. Am I missing something? Other info that would be quite handy is: Entry fee Shuttle fees

This weekend's riding was out of this world. Dirtopia deserves a huge pat on the back for putting together this amazing event. Day 1 was more sedate with plenty of farm jeep track and off camber sandy corners, like you get in the Winelands in February. The 56km route did have enough single track to keep everyone interested and the cool weather made for a very pleasant day out. Day 2 incorporated around 25km of single track and 1600m of ascent (of which 1500 was in the first 40km). It was a challenging day out, but rewarding none the less. It was great seeing so many of the top European riders on the start line. Mountain biking is definitely alive and well in the Western Cape.

Bike washed (yesterday) for Simonsberg contour, camping gear cleaned and packed away (Sunday afternoon). This was my most enjoyable 24hr Oak Valley to date.