Rapunzel

eish - is it going to go down the tail end of the black route after 3+ days of rain? Going to have to grow myself some ....

and he had a little bit of drag to deal with (not the wind variety lol!!)

Wind was hectic! I really felt for the marshals and people manning the water tables in that weather.

Awesome vibe and we were even treated to some views at the top (albeit chilly at 5 degrees). Thanks energyevents :-)

Distance: For non-members, the Tygerberg trails tend to be shorter (they are linked by green corridors for members only) whereas Bottelary's full network can be accessed with a day permit Surfaces: Bottelary is a mix of farm road and jeep track with singletrack sections on gravelly sand (be careful for loose gravel on hard pack on some sections). Tygerberg trails are predominantly singletrack on a mix of clay and rock (some dusty patches in dry weather) Technicality: Bottelary has some mean climbs and flowing singletrack but on the whole, not technical. Tygerberg trails vary with novice (most of meerendal) to seriously technical (parts of contermanskloof and hooggekraal). Best bet is to try them all when you get a chance :-)

I like the velcro on the top tube - it's also a lot less cumbersome than this setup

meeting was adjourned so that advice could be sought for voting (more people were nominated for the committee than positions were available and there were some queries regarding proxy forms). Comms will probably be sent during the course of tomorrow.

Twice I've had pedestrians try to pull me off my bike and it happens so quickly that having mace in a back pocket is pretty useless. Has anybody got a nifty way to keep it in a more accessible spot?

The green route doesn't go through the vineyards so you're absolutely fine there.

The land owner on occassion does police the trails and the route to the top of the hill involves a very illegal fence hop. That said, riding on trails illegally just isn't the right thing to do so please can we help you ride them legally. Contermanskloof trail and Hooggekraal are both some of the best riding in the northern suburbs and for only R30 you can get a day permit. Meerendal also offers day permit but this trail does tend to be busier and isn't technical. pm me if you're keen on being shown the way

Sorry to resuscitate the old thread. Do any of the smaller and lighter lights work (eg LED Lenser) as a secondary source of light on a helmet? I currently have a bar mounted magic light but need something to "see around corners" on the trail.

and some broken bones. But in the days before meerendal, how many of us got hooked onto mountain biking after descending through majik forest!

The bridge is at the bottom of the jeep track before you enter the first singletrack and is sturdy and about 1.5m wide. There is a right turn off the jeep track to the bridge so if you hit the bridge with enough speed to get airborne, you'll probably drift left and miss the downhill part of the bridge altogether which is what I suspect may have happened.As a regular rider on these trails, I'm really concerned that this may be yet another nail in the coffin of land access.

http://www.tygerburger.co.za/135166/news-details/bergfietsroetes-lewensgevaarlik I'd first like to say that it is extremely distressing to have lost a fellow mountain biker and many of us have received a loud wake up call following Lee's death. Our sport is an extreme sport and obstacles which are normally easy enough for most can become lethal with a bit of rain or too much speed. The bridge in question is wide, well built and is visible from a fair distance. The trail has many other bridges and obstacles which could potentially be dangerous and I fear that we risk losing the trails or having them dumbed down if cycling clubs and land owners are at risk of being sued. Would a trail grading system be sufficient to protect both cyclists and land owners? Should signage be placed before each obstacle? Would either of these measures have prevented the accidents which have taken place on the trails?

it would be nice if they could do the same as Bottelary Hills: day permit comes with a "disposable" bike board which would alleviate the land owner challenges

Some of those photographers looked like they were in the perfect landing strip for anybody crashing on the bridges - they must have had some amazing action pics!

You can also use zinc supplement (zinplex or similar) - helps body to heal cuts, scratches, saddle sores and acne.

Spectrum sport has results super fast: http://www.spectrumsport.co.za/Portals/17/ResultDoc/LiquiFruit%20Vineyard_Mtb_20140330.pdf Also thoroughly enjoyed the race and route - love the gnarly climbs and rocky singletrack. Bridges were as slippery as ice so took them easy.

I love the stand - she must be a practical lass!

would be interesting to know how many meters and seconds were saved in the shortcut because Sauser also took a shortcut through the s-bends before mineshaft at the prologue.

also check that your tire pressure is high enough and the roller length set so that the front wheel is centred above the front barrel. Iit also helps to not have dogs under your pedals or kids hanging on your handlebars or earthing you when you least expect it )

What an amazing event - well done Songo and crowd (a spirited mass of locals). It really is worth making a plan to come and see this event next time around. Security is good and the 2km lap format leaves no dull moments.

Thanks Iwan Kemp I'm in no way "blaming" the cyclists, but it is our responsibility to keep ourselves alive and there are times where the risk is unecessary.

The past couple of months there have been signs on polkadraai road indicating that no cycling is allowed due to the road works and I'm not sure if this is still the case. I'm in no way taking the side of the motorist who should have stayed behind the cyclist if not safe to pass, but the last time I went on the road, it wasn't cycling safe for cycling unless riding on the roadworks side of the cones. Craig and Jevandre, have a speedy recovery and hope to see you on your bikes again soon.

Maybe if testing is not limited to podium finishers then run of the mill riders will be a bit more careful about what they're putting in their systems. As for intentionally taking performance enhancers: if you're doping for a top 3 finish or a top 300 finish - it still makes you a cheat.