Mamil

The year of the fire, , the year of the big wind cancellation, COVID cancellations and rescheduling probably all play a role.

Actually I have an ex girlfriend there so the place forever has a certain lower case poignancy.

Mine is going to be big gravel days out to Malmesbury, Riebeek k and W for the hills, darling ....

Most people would be threatening people to discourage donation. #bananas

This looks a little nicer than the MULE which I see is currently on Version 14 - https://www.ospreysouthafrica.co.za/osprey-syncro-5-cycling-packs-hydration-mens-blue-rj3687024-south-africa-p-153.html 2.5l where the MULE is 3l Camelbak also does a HAWG which is a lot bigger and has room for a second 3L reservoir - in case you get to the waterpoint in last place on a hot day.

I have an ancient 2.5l camelbak classic (circa 2015) that I use on my MTB 'cos I only have one bottle cage and I also like being able to drink without having to take my hand off the bars and fiddle with the bottle on the trails. It's on its second bladder - the first having burst after I accidentaly sat on it. I'm considering https://www.takealot.com/camelbak-m-u-l-e-12-black-hydration-back-pack/PLID92861481 What do you use? Does anyone use a hip pack? If so how do you find it? Competitors to Camelbak?

It's all happening at the gabba

I never thought if doing that. Is there a rule of thumb as to how long you wait for a bus on a Sunday?

I ride there often. No problems so far. Residents greet, the artist at the bottom of the Scarborough side likes it if you stop and admire his stuff, kids ask for "tjoklids". Always a first time I suppose.

Not only do we not have to suffer alone but a chance to see a BMX ride 1125km through the karoo?.... Cheap at the price!!! I was nervous you might beat me at the argus on the BMX ... This is really upping the ante

The 20k discount entries are sold out. Looks like the number of discount entries available was limited.

I am lucky to have mid tier road, gravel and dual suspension MTB and I would be hard pressed to give any one of them up. The ALU gravel bike on the road feels sluggish and quite dull on the tar in comparison with the carbon road and I don't have the skills to take the gravel bike around the trails. If I was forced to sell all three and buy one high end bike I'd probably take the top of the range gravel bike but I know I'd be browsing the classifieds for a MTB very soon.

And the winelands cycle tour is the next day - feast or famine. So -- 3 races pick 2 and do the second one slowly?

My second Stanford 100 miler. Lovely and tough route with a bit of everything. Wide district gravel, a smattering of tar, sketchy jeep track descent, rocky farm road, patches of unrideable sand, a big climb and plenty of short sharp kickers. The gap between wp2 and wp3 is way too long for mid Packers even on a relatively cool day like it was. In the heat it would be horrific. As the race goes and attracts more average and slower riders this will need to be changed. WP when I eventually wobbled into it was fantastically staffed. Laid back music, artistically placed mannequin hands reaching for cherries and jelly snakes.... Suntan cream (super thoughtful)..... I just think it's a 4 water point route for us slow pokes. Even a JoJo with water in it between WP 2 and 3 would have been lekker. On a personal note I was pleased with my 21kmph average.... 45mm Pirelli cinturato (m) and a dropper post on my ALU checkpoint made me very happy! I'll do it again for sure, I think it's my favourite 100 miler.

What an appalling construction of the incident. Have a gorgeous friday

I haven't read the while thread but how many of you, when riding alone, also slow down a little to catch enough breath to be breathing easy enough to give a cheerful hello when sailing past someone you've been chasing up the hill? Conversely, who else, when being overtaken by someone, has to engage in an internal monologue about how you're there for a zone 2 ride and nothing more and maybe he's only riding 30km while you're doing 130 ....?

I was in the right hand lane planning to get away from him by turning right

Entered .... (Gulp)

Sure I put it into the public forum to get opinions and accept judgement and I think it's clear that throughout I'm taking responsibility for my role in the creation of the situation. I'm not debating that. Smacking the mirror was a step too far - he would have left it had I not done that. The cause of this incident is an aggressive, thoughtless driver showing a complete lack of awareness and disregard for the safety of road users driving an unroadworthy vehicle working in an underregulated and dysfunctional public transport system with a regulation flouting multinational which exploits its drivers and ducks responsibility for their actions. That's what needs addressing in some way (who knows how) as much if not more than my short fuse when adrenaline is pumping.

I reckon this oke was full of hate towards most things before I ever tangled with him of that I can assure you. And just to correct any reputational damage I might be creating for myself here I actually pride.myself on being a courteous and considerate driver and most especially cyclist. I stop for pedestrians and practice my wobbly track stand while doing so, I obey traffic signals unless it's dangerous to do so, I joke with taxi drivers who race me on dual carriageways .... Seriously, I'm I good oke and didn't deserve this assault that a less sanguine person than I actually am would have interpreted as attempted murder.

That would be the pinnacle of sang froid after a 20cm close pass at 300 watts - I aspire to that level of impulse control. A snap poll of some offline mates reveals that about half have slapped a car's mirror closed or hit against a bonnet in frustration or similar which is interesting. I wonder how many of us have done that here. It's also a temperament thing - in the old days of club cricket teammates and opposition would say "Jeez you're such a nice oke off the field after the game" but on the field, especially when bowling I would be incredibly verbally confrontational. I work in a field that requires immense interpersonal patience and empathy and emotional regulation which I do well but on a sports field it's a different maminal. I agree it was the mirror slap that enraged him out of control but I don't buy that I'm responsible for the incident.

Here's ubers response after Instagram was the only way to get in touch with them.

Ja. That's sage advice as troubled as you say the mind is. The adrenaline of the close pass clouds the judgement I think. I'm not sure about that being rubbish though, might ask my legal mates. Made me hesitate in laying a charge though cos he would give the Muppet in question the same advice which would result in an imbroglio of note. Much as I would love to see him squirm on the sharp edge of the law I am not completely without stain in this situation and as it stands both Muppets walk away with minimal consequence.

So here's an unpleasant experience. Riding back from my evening intervals session in bishops court headed down campground road in Newlands where the road narrows just after the robot when a chop in an beat up Toyota close passes me. Very close call. I shout "hey @sshole" which elicits a finger out the window. He stops, looks like an uber driver letting out a passenger and pull up next to him and say "what the f$ck". He tells me to "f@ck off" and then I made a bad mistake. I hit his mirror pushing it closed and said "with pleasure" and rode off. Next thing he's roaring after me swearing and brake checking me. I dodge him and head through the traffic lights against the light. He chases after me, pulls up alongside and headed down Camp ground road leans out of the window and starts whipping me with a sjambok. We're going about 35km an hour. Cars around hooting. I thought about pulling out my pepper spray but thought better of it cos ... Well he was barely in control of the car. Hit me 3 or 4 times. I slammed on anchors to get away from him. He roared off, shooting the light. I chased him but couldn't keep up. I went to the cop shop and told them what happened. Was pointed out to me that my hitting the mirror constituted grounds for him to open a case of malicious damage to property. I told them I'd think about whether I want to open a case. As it stands, he doesn't know who I am and has zero way of identifying me. Opening a case identifies me and opens me to a counter claim. I have a partial number plate and the address where he dropped his passenger so making an ID is probably quite easy. The injuries are minor, I had more painful jacks at school. The situation was very dangerous though School fees, never smack someone's mirror. Interested to hear Hubber thoughts.

I'm not sure what it would do in a strong headwind - but the jet is pretty forceful and doesn't come back at me riding at about 12 kmph or so.