Myra

That would be awesome - Papegaaiberg was what got me into mountainbiking. Let me know if you need help when you start doing this - I'll help where I can. Hellwarp - apologise for the mini-hijack.

Pace?

At least its good, clean, fresh dirt* that's easy to clean, not like some of the oily muck that you pick up on your road bike. *Generally - except places like Oak Valley where there are ridiculously huge landmines planted on the singletrack in almost unavoidable locations and you're glad if you're using a camelbak instead of bottles.

Good for you.

All I have for what? Friendly banter? No, I suck at that but I don't think I'm alone in that regard. I said I wasn't going to debate with you and I didn't, hence I didn't comment on your statements about the actual topic under discussion. See above. You're not very good at this, are you?

Don't flatter yourself. You just haven't said anything that warrants a reply (until now) - especially given that - allegedly - everything you've been saying is not to be taken seriously...

Hectic stats. Thanks, B!

Me too. Best of both worlds - why chose only one and limit one's fun?

Do you know how to use google? Off you go then, there's a good boy. Seriously, though, doping is rife in all sports. Even golfers and archers dope - go figure. Why does it appear that road cycling has more dopers? Because they're tested more and the powers that be aren't as good at covering it up as other federations. It all started with the Festina affair. [Oh, yes. I know you won't believe me and will in all likelihood rudely accuse me of talking out of my 'poephol' because you don't agree with me. At least try to be civil.]

Wish I did, but unfortunately not. I did do some googling, though, and found this quite interesting: The Tour de France is broadcast in 186 countries; 2,500 journalists, photographers, cameramen and consultants; 1,800 technicians, pilots and drivers. 260 cameramen, including 30 from France Télévisions, on behalf of 121 TV channels with live coverage on 60 channels and pictures broadcast in 186 countries. 70 photo agencies; 72 radio stations, 350 publications or accredited agencies. (from the official website http://www.letour.fr) The Epic was and will be broadcast live on SuperSport on 27 March and 3 April - apparently its the first time that a mountainbike stage race has ever been broadcast live. "The Absa Cape Epic is .... the most televised mountain bike race of all time. Since its inception in 2004, the Absa Cape Epic has generated more than 10 000 hours (excluding the 2009 race) of international TV coverage in Europe, America, the Middle East and Africa" (http://www.linkedin.com/company/absa-cape-epic) The latter is quite impressive for a new race (except if the international TV coverage includes Supersport in other African countries with MultiChoice like Namibia and Botswana because Supersport repeats their programmes so many times it would be hard not to reach 10 000 hours ) .

Dangle, I'm sorry that you didn't take the time to read what I said. What could have been a fun and interesting debate has already turned nasty and I will now be withdrawing from it. All the best.

Please don't make the mistake of equating the South African funriding culture with road racing. There's no comparison. Dangle, I love mountainbiking and I'll be the first to admit that it has history and character (not so sure about tradition though). It is, however, a much younger and newer sport (Aren't Bontrager, Fisher and Sinyard all still alive? ) so there's no way that it could (at least not at this stage) have as rich a history and as much character as road cycling. Must agree with you in respect of Contador - but since when does Contador represent a whole sport, which is over a century old? And what does doping have to do with it? [if by your reference to his clen infested nuts you are implying that mountainbiking is cleaner than road cycling, you're in for a rude awakening... ] Doping itself has its whole own history and is not restricted to only certain sports. You forgot bmx and dual. And where do trackies, fixies and cyclocross riders fit in? What about folding bike and rollapalooza racing? I don't think diversification equates to character, but that's just my view. Any way, road racing and mountainbiking (whatever you include under either heading) are just way to different to be compared on a which-is-better-harder-tougher-my-is-dad-is-stronger-than-your-dad way. Or in any way actually. But if road cycling didn't have (granted, at least for the timebeing) more history, tradition and character - why is mountainbiking using some of their concepts?

Mountainbiking will never be road racing. Road has history, tradition and character, though, so one can't blame the mountainbikers for trying to tap into that with the jerseys and stages.

It would have been the Critical Mass ride - last Friday of every month. Do a search, there's been a couple of threads about the Cape Town one and more recently one in Joburg. I think TitusTi is one of the main instigators. Ok, I did a search quickly - here some threads if you want more info/speak to someone involved: https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/100873-joburg-critical-mass/page__st__20 https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/80949-critical-mass-this-friday/ https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/73234-critical-mass-cape-town-this-friday/page__p__1052847__fromsearch__1#entry1052847 https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/84686-cm-on-friday-the-first-of-october/page__p__1164645__fromsearch__1#entry1164645

As far as I know there's a locked gate and you can get a key from one of the bike shops in Somerset West. You have to sign an indemnity and pay for the key. That's probably what he meant, in which case Cycle Addiction would be the shop to get the key from. I've ridden there once but it was a nightride and I don't know the area so I couldn't explain where it was. I just know we started on Silwerboomkloof Road and came out of a locked gate further east.

Well, lets see... Trails are, as far as I know, in the hills between the Bottelary Road and the Polkadraai Road. Not sure what that area is called. If Hellwarp and Miss MTB are who I think they are - then the trails probably start on or near their farm which is on the road to Jordan Winery. There's not much parking there though, so they'll probably have the trail start on another farm. There are lots of different farms involved in this after all. I'm guessing there'll also be an entrance from the north, to accommodate Tygerber members as they are helping out with this initiative.

Why via Paarl, if I may ask? I don't know the route between Malmesbury and Paarl but I know a couple of people, especially triathletes, cycle from Stellenbosch to Malmesbury (R302/R304) over weekends. From Stellenbosch you could then go over Helshoogte and then along the R45 to Franschhoek. As far as I know this is reasonably safe, although there have been some incidents at Kayamandi (outside Stellenbosch) in the past. If you do go via Paal, rather use the R45 to Franschhoek rather than the R301. There are roadworks on the R301 at the moment. We cycled past there during the Grape Escape and there were stop/go's. The R45 also seems quite safe. I've never had any issues or felt scared cycling there, even as a women cycling alone. Alternatively you could always do the R302/304 towards Stellenbosch but just after the N1 turn left onto the R101 at Joostenberg farm stall. The R101 (which takes you through Klapmuts to Paarl and you can then turn onto the R45 just before Paarl) is obviously easier at you don't have to climb Helshoogte and I've never had or heard of any dodgy incidents on it.

I based what I'd said on the impression you created of yourself in your previous post (no categories, narrow or otherwise). If that is not a true reflection of you (i.e. that you expect women to 'take care of' themselves because they chose to 'live it up in a male dominated sport' notwithstanding that they join club rides for that very reason) - I take my comments back. Apologies if I have offended you. My intention was merely to express my opinion on what came across as quite a harsh stance.

Possible? Yes. Allowed in terms of the rules? No.

Equal but different. Women are physically smaller and weaker than men, hence they make easier targets for mugging, hence women should ride in groups. Its all very well to say she must look after herself - that's would she did - she joined a group ride. They undertook to accommodate her (notwithstanding that is a 'male dominated sport') and then failed to and have subsequently apologised. Your derogatory attitude is really not warranted. As a lady you should be encouraging more ladies to cycle, not put them off. The pace wasn't the problem. She did not pop and didn't need to be nursed. A puncture can happen to and hold up even the strongest riders.

Let's hope he's learnt his lesson. Thanks for the update, Trubie.

Here's another, easier, one: Which winner of the TDF King of the Mountains competition is coming to SA to do the Tour of SA?

There are usually lots of us hubbers that know this kind of thing for certain.

Yip - checked on the official results which I still have at home. Penalties - Art 12.1.040 - UCI 29 - Unseemly Behaviour {Comportement incorrect} 3: Hunter, Robert, Barloworld: RSA19770422 FINE: 50 Fs On that day they also had two fines for "sheltering behind or falling into the slipstream of a vehicle for some time" and 6 fines for "Failure to respect the instructions of the commissaires".