mazambaan

I'm glad there is a little 640 appreciation society here. I have an '06 Adv almost stock that I have put 10 000km on and pretty happy. Sure, they are a little sluggish, vibrate,could do with a 6th gear and fiddly to work on - oil changes etc. Fit a good bash plate to protect the cartridge filter and, if it is well ridden, check the main important wiring for chafing - protect as needed (these 2 things have let me down). Low front mudguard can clog in mud. They like being run regularly otherwise battery, seals etc seem to be troublesome- just done the water pump - spares were not too bad and quick (KTM Dbn). You can get a KTM bolt kit for not too much money. Fantastic resource on AdvRider.

The issue of fire and the informal settlements should have been learnt from the Great Fire of London but who said something about history?

RIP, it is a tough world. Roger Scheffer; dirt biking hardman, BMW Academy, security company owner etc from Weenen/Greytown area died this week. Seemingly heart attack while recce'ing for an enduro. Good man.

I'm really sorry for all those that trained, then travelled and coughed hard earned cash for the cancelled race. I'm long over mass participation events. To the protests. In Africa (and maybe elsewhere) such mass participation events can be held hostage against some conflict, inequality, slight; real or imagined. I sympathise with those who had next to nothing and have now lost houses and loved ones. But I am pretty confident that getting the "Argus" cancelled and wrecking things, maybe burning more stuff isn't going to result in an improvement, well maybe you'll score some free stuff but it will only be temporary. Patches et al may see it differently. Like it or not this is the way of the future as I cannot see, and have not seen, anything that is going to change it. But who knows?

Never met Tumbles, never will now, and my loss I'm sure. This is very harsh; deepest condolences to his family and friends. It is suddenly dusty in here or there is onion slicing going on. Another Windhoek Draught prescribed. Ed Hertfelder's epitaph for his dirt biking friends "good traction and no dust" applies.

Sad stuff - these burns are terrible as to how uncertain the prognosis is. Hope springs eternal.

All the best for a fighting day Mr Tumbles. Wish you reduced pain; no infection.

Interesting - I sort of skimmed the debate with my coffee thinking that most of the reason we ride MTB's is to get the exercise and go where powered machines cannot. Then fly downhill; or think we fly. I don't strava - waaaay too slow. But Myles' post made me think. Imagine cruising up to the top of enduro (or downhill for some - not me!) runs under power (assistance)! Very lekker indeed. Maybe pop that front wheel over a rock or two; power up that steep single track or thick sand that catches you out most times (wheelspin?). Could be seductive.

That "clean up" sounds terrifying as I imagine it is debridement which I was told is another word for the most excruciating torture. All strength to Tumbles and the Tumbles tribe.

All the very best to recover from what sounds very serious. Thoughts are with him and his family and friends. Happy to make a contribution.

This is SA and CSA. I more or less stopped riding on the road, even in races organised events, when I was very, very nearly taken out properly by a mommy who ignored marshalls and a red traffic light and headed straight for me during a big local event. Very scary. This case is a shocker. CSA should have traffic police, even SAPS on stand by and driver should have long been arrested. At the very least name and shame truck owner (please don't say it was Super Group - unlikely I know) and maybe where he was delivering to. CSA / PPA to open a damages case against driver and owner (provided they (CSA) were within the law regarding the event and marshalling).

..............some rides are just plain *** though. Ja agreed. Sadly this is what I suspect; one of those

Not sure if I am sick but had one of those days Three hour ride and felt wretched from one hour in. 2km to 3km/hr down on my normal pace about everywhere; more on the hills and I am slow anyway. Finished shattered, body paining (I am a Durban oke) everywhere. I have been at gym most days and just finished an antibiotic for a tooth abscess this week so maybe that is it. Off to buy whey protein and then sleep. Any advice on what should be taken after an antibiotic?

Melandri "massive talent"; no, no, no that was the girlfriend and it was talents . lol.

Not cycling I know but a few friends who don't spend all their money on bicycles etc and so can go skiing / snow boarding noted that the difference in the last few years has been compulsory and/or extensive helmet wearing. They put it down to the Michael Schumacher incident. But they did also say they suddenly noticed how often helmeted head met snow or ice, particularly snow boarding, and how useful the helmet was. For me, I am not as resilient to pain as I once might have been and I can't wait for cannabis to be legalised so its ATGATT and definitely a helmet. The Afrikaans John Wayne: "As jy dom is moet jy suffer".

Not much to say on the White case except that with his Da so involved in training he'd be on top of his game as regards any and all "supplements". The cannabinoids amuse me as I know of only one guy who was done for aaptwak; motor biker named POTgieter if my recall is correct.

Ah but maybe SA is missing some talent from some of their population? "New Zealand's first Indian 'All Black in the making' couldn't be more Kiwi after growing up on a farm in Waikato. Shneil Singh was one of eight Waikato juniors called into Craig Philpott's first New Zealand under-20s squad, the Baby Blacks, this week."

I like the Fast Working plasterer - if I could get him to do shotcreting!

I see that one of the problems with SA's fall in world rankings is the risk of ending up in a "group of death" with two (?) of the world's better teams in the next RWC.

On a side note - there are some in the Aussie press who blame their sides' slide on; guess what? quota's! Apparently Greg Chappell instituted an age quota into the 1st class Aussie competition. Teams were limited in the number of players over 25 that could be selected.

Very lekker manne; makes the rugby loss to the pasty Poms a little more bearable.

I watched a couple of minutes, saw writing on wall and retired to file and tidy; waaay more productive. But in the week I read a bit about the AB's and picked up (well, so they say) is that they don't really have a concrete game plan, just particular plays, options and scenarios. Then a lot of their focus is on particular set piece skills, support skills and individual skills. Finally player awareness and fitness. All obviously with good coaches; like the reviled (by some; Smit seemingly) and discarded Plumtree. Makes sense when you see the fragmented and individually poor Bok play but by players who, I believe, actually have all the attributes.

I used to live climbing and devour those climbing books. Grumps; The Ruskie maybe Anatolii Boukerev; rip - wind blasted / avalanched off Annapurna or K2 I think. The accounts of the guys that have climbed all the 8000m plus peaks are generally all good. Other seriously hard men include Doug Scott who retreated off some Himalayan peak with a broken leg. Peter Hilary (Ed's lighty) also wrote a book about surviving a big accident. Tumbles; another dot on the Joe Simpson i is to read "against the Wall" by Simon Yates who cut the rope. Krakauer's Eiger Dreams also a reasonable read. Eish, try the White Spider - Heinrich Harrer.

In other news I see some fuss about Dan Carter and Joe R being on TUE's for banned meds in France. LOL.

Tumbles - read Krakauer's Everest book (really about experienced guides losing their lives trying to save tourists imho) book but try Joe Simpson - Touching the Void for a real chill (sic) up your spine. The book by the guy left for dead (Beck Wethers?) on that expedition is also interesting. The "South Africans" (Woodall et al) don't come out too well on that Everest saga and one SA guy went missing as I remember. Sad.