Mamil

I would put some ketazol fungicidal cream (over the counter at pharmacy) twice a day for a week in case there's a little fungal infection there. Mylocort is a mild cortisone cream also over the counter if you have any redness or rash. Wash helmet lining thoroughly with Milton's sterlisation fluid and wear a buff or a sawn off piece of buff to make a headband. Edit - when I read the topic header I thought it was the itch to buy a new helmet which is a highly contagious condition that has only one remedy - do it

Pics please

Email received just as I finished my second beer. Prefrontal cortex slightly inhibited so .... Entered. Perhaps i should have read this thread properly first.

Ja this is a good point. Someone's son / brother / father / friend. Gotta feel for the guy who pepper sprayed him and saw him fall too.

Message sent

@Jbrhave you persuaded the mother of your children that Prince Albert is a brilliant place to go for a weekend away?

Ha ha ...Jeez ... The guy manning the toll turnaround point on chappies called me "Oupa" on Friday afternoon. And picking my way down skeleton gorge with a cohort of my peers a guy of about 30 said "well done" in a way that said "hope I'm still hiking the mountain at their age. Sigh

Never had a problem in 7 or 8 trips that way. Friendly locals through kalbaskraal and Chatsworth. That having been said, I seldom feel 100 percent comfortable and safe anywhere on the roads.

I'm in - when?

Here's a nice ride from Melkbos - some tar but a lot of gravel too Straight up on Tar with a wide shouder to botterberg, over botterberg then old malmesbury road, turn left at Kalbaskraal and jump onto the railway line service road and follow that to Darling. Have a sandwich at Tannie Evita's. From there there are gravel option to head further into the swartland, Malmesbury, Riebeeck kasteel, or return via Papenskuil road, to Mamre - from Mamre can be a bit dodge from a "What's this cyclist doing here" point of view, through Atlantis, back to Melkbos. Another nice option that @lechatnoirand I did the other weekend is drive Malmesbury, park there and head out on a loop that heads South to Joubertskloof road and then hooks up after 12km of tar with Haaskraal road, coffee at Hermon and then Riebeek kasteel and Wes and back to Malmesbury on Klawervlei road. Gives about 121 odd, most of it on gravel. There are also options to go further - Moreesburg, Hopefield, Back to Darling - that's about 250 or 260 if starting in D'ville.

Ja. I'm pleased not to be Atta this year ... Heat acclimation for the munga grit continues apace. I know a guy who pits a heater on next to the IDT to iccoculate himself against the 40plus temps we know are coming soon to a race near you!

When temperatures hit the mid 30s and higher I need way more than 800ml per hour. Recent training rides in the heat (above 40 degrees) saw me polish off a 3l Camelbak of electrolyte laced water in 2 hours and still not need a pee break. Have to envy the pro riders who are able to get ice from support teams and drop it into their jerseys. Been reading about their core body temp monitoring tech and how important they are finding that regulating that is. I've also noticed when training in extreme heat that stopping in a shady spot or where there's a breeze for a minute or 2 or until HR comes down yields dividends in the hours afterwards.

I don't think I've ever seen arrogance and self importance.... Except maybe once when a rather entitled oke stomped off after the wind cancellation shouting some quite unreasonable stuff. Oh and that idiot who did a risky sprint to come in under 3.15. What worries me more than that is the risk of accident in such large groups. I started later year before last I think it was when it was wet because of the risk. Ctct week is when this plonker pretends he's a pro rider by taking a week's leave to ride the tour du cap and finish in the lower third and pretend Greenpoint is the champs Elysees as he streak across the line. It's a mundane fantasy but it's mine!

I beat you! This year, instead of the sub 3 I have yet to achieve despite elbowing my way past @mikkelzand other 1X mamils, I'm going to try get my position into triple digits instead of quadruple.

I opted for the half this year as the Winelands is the next day and I would like to try get some sort of 1b ish seeding again if I can.

An equilon?

Me too

Steepest pitches of Jonas are steeper than the swartberg steep bits I think. Also.jonas has parts that slackmoff whereas swartberg is sustained. The hard part of swartberg is that by the time you have got to the pass you've already been climbing for 20km.ans have 130 odd in the legs Prince Albert is lovely... A spa day for SO and nice restaurants.

Gear ratios mean nothing on swartberg if you don't have an entry. A 1400 ZAR entry rider for anyone on a bike for 1000. I feel for event organisers. If it's this hard to give someone who wants to ride the event a 400 ZAR discount ..... That's for the swartberg granfondo BTW

It's on the same day as the munga mini which I was going to do as prep for a full.minga in 2025 when a discount price and mad friends persuaded me to do the main event this year. Buy the voucher!!! Such a lekker event. Proper HC style climb followed by a 20 km switchback descent.

Just say yes! It's a bargain - the voucher has about 5 letters so that's only 200rand a letter! Cheap

I have a 1400 ZAR voucher for someone to enter this event. I've placed an ad in the classified but thought I'd let everyone know that I'll give it to the first hubber who gives me 1000 ZARS. The voucher is the swartberg's substitution process - was an early bird entry but unfortunately, I can't ride because of Munga Grit - help a mamil recoup some costs! One of my favourite races - and sorry not to be doing it.

That's a pretty tough schedule I would say. As mentioned several times heat is going to be a huge factor on your trip. It's dry heat which is a good thing but it radiates up from the baking earth in what can feel like a solid wall. Every liter of water you can carry will be needed.