MORNE

Yes, all this bib talk…i rode bikes for 25y before i got my first one. They help for longer rides, but good fit/saddle is more important and it’s not a must. A bib wont do anything if the saddle is wrong. I ride without one often. OP, if you are relatively new to riding bikes for longer periods of time…it WILL hurt the first few weeks, even in a bib. There is no replacement for time in the saddle.

5ten freeride pro + deity Tmac is the closest thing you’ll get to feeling clipped in on flat pedals imo. I actually don't always like how solid the connection is, once you put your foor down you literally have to lift to move. If you arent used to it you find yourself fidgeting for the first few meters to get your foot in the right spot. At least on clipless you have float. The Adidas rubber deffo feels softer in hand than the 2FO - but my 2FO’s are clipless so cant comment on how they feel compared to 5ten on platform pedals. I’d buy whatever is available, and that means 2FO for most of us. just dont even bother with those Etnies shoes that you can find locally, those with the Michelin soles. Those things are Semenuk etc signatures for a reason….they are made to not be totally locked in for tricks and stuff imo. If thats what you want…then great. I hate mine…use them in the garden now since they are waterproof. They were the reason for the 12 stitches on my left shin lol

https://getstoked.store/product/race-face-tailgate-pad-v2/

Really enjoyd the riding at muratie when i was there a while ago, they are proper enjoyable even though mostly XC orientated. The climbing wasn't too bad either. You dont realise how fast you gain altitude there.

‘Closed’ trail networks i said - behind a paywall, inside a fence preferably😅. Not a gravel road easily accessible by anyone off a main road. I know spez paarl trails are pretty meh…but think Jonkershoek, just hikers, baboons, sone snakes and the actual trails out to kill you there😁

Again guys, come ride all the closed mtb trail networks. We are truly lucky with the amount and variety available. You’ll never get bored. Puffies dont carry knives (outside their mouth at least) and are slow as hell…they cant get you on the opposite side of the road. The cobras are faster, but they tend to ‘run’ in the opposite direction anyway…and you usually hear them. The mole snakes loiter around like vagrant squaters, sometimes IN the trail, which requires some quick thinking, but they are generally way too lazy to even care about what you are doing. But most important, none of them want your bike or your phone! 😊

Thats what i did….and i still got bike jacked, but on the other side of the road😝😒… Best thing is to not be in a known hotspot, alone, in the first place. Thats the only reason why i follow this thread. To know where NOT to ride anymore. I’m over it. I ride bikes because i want to relax. There is no relaxing when riding on the road anymore. if they decide they want to get you, those few meter extra probably don't mean much. Especially when travelling up hill. Thats a tried and tested M.O. thats how they got me even after i went to the other side of the road. Thinking about my bike incident again….the skollie doing his best Pythagoran theory while now sprinting full speed with a knife overhead to intercept you….is way scarier than a guy casually walking into your path, showing you he has a knife and telling you to give them your crap. This has also happened to me before while on foot, and although it also sucked….it was all pretty ‘civil’ compared to being flanked and chased down by an idiot wielding a knife, fully intent on using it as a means to get me on the floor.

Better steer clear of these guys, clearly trying to mug you trailside of your bike accessories @ChrisF. Considering his food of choice, a headlamp will come in handy while out looking for dinner. such snakes these guys…

He has a nicer ‘bmx’ too though. @Jewbacca, show them Mint-sauce!

Poor Mol slang is not even on that list. And most likely to be mistaken for another thing on that list. They are plentiful around bloemendal. They like sunbathing too. You are most likely to see mr cape cobra around hoogies and conties in my experience. Well thats where ive encountered them anyway. Puffies more to stellies side i think. If only seen them at jonkers and boschensal. But i guess you will likely find any one of those anywhere in the cape so dont bushdive too much!

Mol slang. ps: not venomous. Although the black colour and their size makes you think it’s something way worse so it’s scary nonetheless. They are constrictors…and you guessed it, eat moles etc.

#priorities this is me when i mount my platform rack and bike to my cockroach…I mean driving appliance…i mean car.

Sell the road bikes and come ride mtb on closed trail networks. MTB’ers rag on roadies a lot but we’ll accept you with open arms ☺️. Some of these stories, and my own incidents are the reason i don't ride on the roads anymore. Not worth it. I want to enjoy the act of riding my bike without feeling naked, covered in blood while running through the Kruger park making distress noises…