Gansbay

It's easier than what you think - if you happen to loose the little stem just let the valve hang at the bottom (keep the valve closed with your finger so sludge doesn't come back out) locate the stem and stick the thin bit back in. It has happened once to me! Worth a try I think BTW if you are going to use a syringe get a biggish one (say 20ml) and don't use a needle, make a small puncture and stretch the tube over the syringe nozzle - no blockage then. I friend uses this technique but I find it too fiddly

Also reluctant to drill out my rims so... screw out brass end as far as it will go by hand then use a long nosed pliar to remove it off the seal stem catch the seal stem INSIDE the tube and hold it carefully squirt sludge into the now open valve push the stem back in and clean threaded bit carefully reattach the brass end and screw it in again the first bit will acquire long nosed pliars there should be enough resistance to prevent the brass end from screwing completely off if you ever have to reinflate the tube wala!

ask the mamba's!!

Another moody shot I must say the weather was perfect for the race - the riders couldn'y have asked for better. Tail wind on both days! Maybe Sunday's heat wasn't so cool.

Here you go - you were right about the bike! out in

That Tora seems not have much travel?

Second bunch (2 guys) Leading lady and defending champ

Off to Agulhas

Here they are again!

Took my two eldest and a friend to Delvera on one of the hottest days this summer! Had a go at the pump track - hard work!! sore hands from all the pulling and pushing but managed to get round without pedalling after a while. Then the 4X track - awesome. Although the two boys were riding everything and clearing the jumps, my daughter and I came up short on the jumps - but still had great fun flying a few meters through the air. The berms were awesome. Then a very very hot ride to get to the north shore. Rode it once and probably won't do it again now that I know what is coming! Some pics below. Thanks to crowd at Dirtopia - hope to be back at some point

Had some hassles with vandalism with the track we built in the town. Will fix in time for the school holidays for those who will be visiting. In the meantime put some effort in a little track closer to home getting a bit of air off the dirt jump trying a no footer (my daughter is the patient photographer here) Second dirt jump in progress (not enough good soil around!) Composite of the first jump - got him to wear some safety stuff as the wooden structure is not as forgiving as soil. Our little wall ride. Also got some jumps across a river, and beginning a pump section and rock garden.

The sharks should stay in Gansbaai, for the same reason they stay in False Bay. Plenty of seals - Geyser island is probably the most packed seal island I have ever seen!

Just some details I promised to post. Michael does not take individual clients anymore but his brother does. Here is Morne's detail. email: sharkxplorer@gmail.com phone: 082 564 1904 He does all dives: Seal, Wreck, Reef and Shark. I know he dives with 7gill sharks but I am sure some others as well but for that you need to phone him. (Info from one of the ladies working with M) A lot of discussion goes on here in Gansbaai re the sharks, especially amongst us not working in the industry. There is a theory that sharks cannot see the people inside the cage because of the confusing picture the metal frame gives (electromagnetic image). Anyway we take a friends rubber duck and go and look at the sharks during winter when they are around the island. Biggest so far was a 6.5 meter female - scary. It's the girth that is so impressive. During summer they come very close to the beach and as it is mating time (early summer I think) they can be quite aggressive and will chase most things - including ski's!! Below are some gif sequences taken by Chris Fallows in False Bay For those who cannot see the animation

On the other thread there was a brief discussion re the above - check it out! We were chatting about it last night, no locals surfing anymore. We have the accasional guys coming to surf toilets or the harbour when it is really big and the sharks hang around the alley during winter (far away from the recognised reef breaks. In summer they come to within a 100 meters of the swim zone - the holiday makers just don't see them!