Rapunzel

Remember getting an autograph from Willie at Paarl track back in the 80's and 30 years later got to go on a memorable but very wild night ride with him. Much as he had his demons and was not always one for following the rule book, Willie was generous almost to a fault. His passion for cycling was contagious and without him, our sport would have been so much poorer. Willie, you are lost but never forgotten.

Introduced our daughter to cycling on a half wheeler and it worked a charm. Turning circle is a bit big so stuck to tar and dirt roads. She's now 17 and shreds tech trails and joins me in 70km+ rides and loves cycling. We think the half wheeler had a big role to play in this.

A clever local clothing manufacturer will read this thread and realise there's an untapped market for shorts with a more durable lycra, even if it is at the expense of appearance. Maap makes a bibshort which is "Non-see-through function [fabric won't thin over time]" BUT be careful as there's a very dodgy Maap SA site which is not legitimate. Agreed there is a quality issue (4 year old Ciovita's still good but 1 year old are transparent), it affects multiple brands (had the same from a year old pair of castelli's) and definitely agree it is a sweat thing and wonder if there's a genetic component as all my cycling blood relatives have the same issue. Needless to say I have 2 pairs of outdoor bibs and about 6 pairs of see through IDT bibs

Yes, what custombikewheels said. Cracks at nipples will be very clear (went through 4 crest rims) but those still look good.

Meanwhile at the other end of the field ... 517 teams finished 156 individual finishers Carnage in the heat

Fit first - head and helmet shape need to be a good match and must sit firmly (ie ratchet and straps must work too) Weight - after 3+ hrs in the saddle, extra weight on the neck can be an issue. Lighter helmets tend to also be cooler Crash warranty Price, brand, looks, MIPS - equally important but wouldn't go for an unknown / unproven brand

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1331481510883214 Had a similar incident with our daughter years back but it ended in a face plant lol! (btw, she still loves cycling)

So interestingly, the idea of sharing a story in the hope that somebody will take action is a common problem. Here's a simple solution to many of the problems with the cycle lane: you go here and log a service request so that it can be actioned. Granted homelessness and criminal activity is not a simple fix but for many maintenance issues, they get resolved. I've logged 12 requests over the past 2 months (mowing, traffic light timing, dumping, potholes, street lights, ...) and they've been resolved. I sadly haven't been able to get to town for a number of weeks but I did log a request for the paving on the cycle lane at the exit into town (under the freeway), vegetation overgrowth as well as numerous patches of damaged or removed tar between the N1 bridge and town. The people responsible for maintenance don't ride bikes so they don't see the problems. We have to be their eyes.

We feel your pain and any ER trip on the weekend will have you sharing war stories with other mtb'ers. 20 Jan is still early days so pop the pain meds or use transact patches (great for injured ribs). Embrace the pain where you can, it gives you an endorphin kick and also helps you know when you're pushing your body too hard. Did similar early last year on Lombards - ended up in hospital with concussion, collarbone in 5 pieces and 2 broken ribs. Thankfully lack of memory meant confidence recovered quickly and was back on the indoor trainer day after discharge and on trails in about 4 weeks. Still love mountain biking but it's always a fine line between pushing boundaries and playing safe.

So I got creative and got my goodies in but ended up driving to Oak Valley and using the Rotary service to take my car back to the finish (had booked before the route change and seeing proceeds are very well used, didn't want a refund). Some feedback after the Pinotage (on an analogue bike): Lourensford stage 1: really lekker route with solid climbs (particularly 1st 20km) and a variety of singletrack, some flow trail and some tight and more technical. Showers were available at the finish and buses taking people to Oak Valley were leaving at regular intervals. Oak Valley stage 2: we had overnight rain and lots of mud so it wasn't too much of a play day. It's a real pity as it was clear JK and his teams had put in many hours to repair damage from the first event. Oak valley to Lourensford stage 3: climb from WP 1 to Gantouw is gorgeous and enjoy the views before the portage because your eyes are glued to where you're going to put your foot down so you don't slip or twist an ankle. The 2nd half has some fast rolling dirt and singletrack and was good fun. Routes were excellently marked, fun and the amount of work invested in them is huge. Water points were extremely well stocked by Food Lovers and USN and had tech zones. Gees was a little quiet - maybe just because it was the mid week event which is more laid back and missed Shaun Peters familiar voice en route. Race village is amazing with permanent shower set ups which are spacious with cooking hot water. Lots of undercover areas and the FNB chill zone has heaters, poofs charging stations, hot drinks and tv's. Food and drink available for sale and food supplied by Food Lovers for participants was plentiful. Thanks Cadbury for the ice creams for dessert. Squirt will wash your bike for you (you may not do it yourself) and the bike park is secure. Thanks FNB for the little goody bags in our tents with a headlamp - indispensible when in the blue tents. To those riding next weekend, good luck and don't forget to take in your beautiful surroundings, enjoy the hand built trails and acknowledge the many volunteers and sponsors who make this event possible. Install the app - you need it for comms and seeding info There's no reception at Oak Valley but there is free wifi (ask for details at race office) Pack ear plugs if staying in tents unless you enjoy the chorus of snores and farts. If you're going big to celebrate (or commiserate) Saturday's rugby, pack your Essentiale

Question to those who finished today and stayed in the tents: how did you fit all your goodies in the bag? The bag is without a doubt the nicest bag out of all I've had but I can only just squeeze my sleeping bag and pillow into it. Can we use one of the old bags?

That was as tough as it gets but an impeccably organized event. Loved the community gees with the high school students and parents. Thanks for the pictures V18, at that point I wasn't quite up to appreciating the views.

It's back on the charger

Thanks so much for the suggestions. Took the pedal off and gave the springs a generous dose of WD40 (all I could find) and scrubbed with toothbrush and flushed again with WD40 and it's muuuuuch better. Hoping it will stay that way.

Hoping somebody can offer any suggestions: I'm battling to cleat in and uncleat from my left XT SPD pedal. The problem is intermittent (not the spring setting as that is on fairly loose) and it still happens after replacing the cleats. It is definitely not catching on the shoe as have tried another pair of shoes with spd cleats and the same problem occurs. Hubby can always cleat in and out but he has a good 30kg on me and a far larger shoe and therefore leverage to uncleat. Is it possible that the spring is somehow jamming? It happens about every 3rd or 4th time I try to cleat in our out.