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I recently had a hefty crash on my beloved bike. I was diagnosed with a AC joint separation grade 3-4, it seems like a very common injury in the biking world. People and doctors seem to be 50/50 split on surgery and non-surgery. Anyone who had this injury and what route did you opt for? How is your recovery going and lastly any advice?

good day fellow Riders please assist , did any of you riders witness a crash of which my college was involved this weekend please contact me on 072 241 3370 thank you

We have a lot of crashes on our Tygerberg trail network. With 6000+ members, a trail network close to 100km and the nature of the sport, accidents happen. Reaching crash victims is difficult and time consuming and there are some points which you may want to ponder when assessing the risk of your next ride. Bridges: they are probably the biggest cause of serious injuries. While most are wide and covered in mesh, going over the side happens too often (especially with less experienced riders) and normally results in serious neck injuries.Strava chasing: difficult to gauge how many crashes are a result of this but riders definitely take more risks when racing the clock.Overestimating your skill set: know your limits and if you want to stretch them, ask for advice from more experienced riders or go on some skills training.Who will pick up the pieces: do you ride on your own? Do you have the wilderness search and rescue number (021 937 0300)? do you wear id such as IceID?Landowner relations: most land owners cannot understand us - they sit on their stoep with their klippies and coke and wonder when we're going to grow up. They don't like emergency teams flattening fences and cutting their way through gates to rescue mountain bikers.Your safety is your responsibility, be aware of the risks and manage them suitably and don't think you're invincible.

I've been meaning to give some praise and thanks to Cycling South Africa for a while and have finally got round to doing it. As a CA and a PPA ExCo member I always though CSA were a greedy and wasting money on travel and entertainment so never renewed my membership when it lapsed a few years ago. I elected to ride the 99er this year, which was a CSA sanctioned event, and I was presented with a choice of a day licence at R35 or an annual membership of CSA at R120 I think. I had seen a few tweets and articles on what CSA was doing for members and I thought I would support them. I chose the membership. And it was without a doubt the best financial decision I have made recently. I had a really nasty crash and shattered my shoulder. Badly. CSA has an automatic insurance policy for medical expenses up to R20,000 if you are injured, get this, riding your bicycle. Not even racing or training. Just riding. Can you believe it? Well, I phoned CSA, they put me in touch with Hollard. I filled in a form and got my orthopaedic surgeon to fill in a form. I sent the surgeon's quote with the 2 forms to Hollard. 3 days later R20,000 was deposited into my bank account to cover me for medical expenses not paid by my medical aid. I've said if you ride your bike without a rear light you are an idiot. Or if you believe guys win a Grand Tour without doping you are an idiot. Reality is, if you ride a bike and don't belong to CSA then you really ARE and idiot. R120 for a year with real benefits. Compared to PPA membership and what you get there it's a no brainer.

Hi guys Trust you are all well. Yesterday my brother in law went for a ride after watching Hamilton win at the British F1 race, much to his demise. We started the ride, the weather nice and warm until a cold wind started picking up. At about the 5 km mark will going down a road called West street in Brentwood park which has a 2 % descent gradient. We were doing around 44 km/h when we decided that we would try to be Chris Froome, even after the attached warning provided on Facebook stating it was a bad idea. I was sitting on the top bar on the bike and decided pedalling = speed (thats normal logic right?). At this time my left knee hit the bottom end of the drop bars and this in turn made the bike preform and unexpected turn, I guess for the worst. The bike and I went down pretty hard, Note to self: use glove cover part of hand to slow down and not fingertips, with the bike landing on my rear Campagnolo skewer (needs replaced). After this, the contact points ranged from the bottom of the drop bars (replace bar tap) to the hood of the left gear shifter (needs replaced) to the left pedal (seems fine) and the seat (needs replaced). The section I'm most worried about however is the rear of the bike due to the bike being carbon. Whats the best way of identifying a hairline crack in the frame? I completed another 18 ish km on the bike before we had to return home due to sunlight and this was followed by a bit of screaming why trying to clean the roasties I received during my experience. During the rest of the ride, I tried to push the bike as I usually do and nothing or out of place, this was over all types of road including a plot road that has a few sections of covered potholes (Near brothers in laws house). The bike in question is a Merida Scultura 4000 Carbon bike. Thanks for the help

Emergency vehicles were blocking a lane at the intersection on Beach and Fristz Sonnenberg Rd. My heart sank as I saw a mangled bike being taken away while medics where attending to the injured cyclist. From what I could see he was injured but alive. The driver of a small white car that had a visible dent in the side door was having a chat with the police. There was a second cyclist limping who I assume was also involved and a third unhurt but visibly worried about his mate. Not sure what happened? Get well fellow rider and to everybody braving the winds in Cape Town for the next week and beyond, take extra care.

The Aim of the Flap Away Campaign Hundreds of cyclists in Gauteng join together to enjoy a ride to the Cradle of Human Kind every weekend. After a number of accidents involving the 574 Swareflex Lane Dividers situated on the D540 and D374, it is felt that safety is being compromised. The aim of the Flap Away Campaign is to gain as much support as possible to have these removed. Why are the ‘flappers’… a problem? While the initial intension was to improve safety for cyclists on this busy route it has fallen short of expectations. This has resulted in some nasty pile ups. Furthermore, limited space does not allow for two cyclists to ride abreast enabling them to stay within the cycling lane. A large number of the ‘flappers’ are broken and difficult to see. What we need from you, the cyclist We need your support in removing these hazards. Please click on the following Google link http://goo.gl/forms/ZCI4cFNJka and complete the survey. In order for the campaign to succeed, we need as much support as possible. Spread the word, share the information with club members and friends as well as ‘like’ and ‘share’ our Facebook page – ‘Flap Away’. Testimonials regarding incidents or accidents that have occurred will add impetus to our initiative. The campaign will also endeavour to gain the support and backing of the local media. In order to have the necessary impact, this campaign needs to be finalised as soon as possible. Further queries can be sent to Megan Thorpe at meganthorpe@netactive.co.za. Together, let’s strive to make cycling safer in the Cradle!

As cyclists, we all run the risk of being injured in a road accident, so, if you have not heard about RABS, you had better take note. There are plans to replace the Rpad Accisdent Fund (RAF) with the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) that are going to SERIOUSLY limit your right to claim and cap benefits should you be injured in a road/cycling accident. Their misinformation campaign implies that they are trying to "help" you settle your claims quicker and cut out expensive legal fees. The reality is they are preventing you from claiming for true compensation. Click on the following link and sign the on-line petition to prevent RABS taking away your rights - http://www.truthaboutrabs.org/

Cycled past an incident this evening on Victoria rd in front of the 12 Apostles Hotel. From what I could detect there was a white Toyota parked in the emergency lane on a very blind corner. From all the glass on the road + one very mangle Lime Green Spez behind the car and the cyclist on the other end of the car, the cyclist probably hit that car at a speed as it is a very fast corner. The cyclist looked alive but he was curled under a blanket with some friendly folk talking to him. It was not long before a paramedic sped past us further down the road. I wish him well and hope he recovers soon.

Hi All I'm hoping someone can help me with info please. I came too in the back of ambulance. Have zero recollection of crash. Head injury, Hip and Arm (all on the left). Judging from gear I spent some time off road. Bike is undamaged. I was in AS bunch (turquoise top) and according to ER24 it was about 3km from end. There were many cyclist around me so someone must have seen something? According to ER24 a metro cop / race marshal called it in but no contact details ? and apparently they didn't witness crash. Any info would be helpful. TX

To the two cyclists who stopped to help my wife after a nasty crash near the end of the Modders green route this morning around 11, our gratitude and thanks. The feeling of community and willingness to help is one of the things we enjoy most about mountain biking. Thanks also to everyone who came past and checked whether we were OK. A thorough checkup showed no damage other than a serious shiner. Thanks again!

I participated at in the vineyard races this weekend at Lourensford. I did see some spectacular crashes.(even crashed myself). However not all of this was the riders fault but alot due to overcrowding in the singletracks,and then the worse - ignorant,selfish riders that dont care to look whats going on around them. Pulling in in front of faster riders,Braking dead on going downhill,walking dead in the middle in the singletrack around blind corners etc. Let me know what you saw,or even better did u get some footage - share your link please.

I participated at in the vineyard races this weekend at Lourensford. I did see some spectacular crashes.(even crashed myself). However not all of this was the riders fault but alot due to overcrowding in the singletracks,and then the worse - ignorant,selfish riders that dont care to look whats going on around them. Pulling in in front of faster riders,Braking dead on going downhill,walking dead in the middle in the singletrack around blind corners etc. Let me know what you saw,or even better did u get some footage - share your link please.

I would like to take the opportunity to give a very big SORRY to the short distance rider who came down due to touching handle bars with me......on Sunday during Ride 4 Sight. It was the B bunch who passed you at that point just before the turn down to the stadium. I must apologize as it was such CHAOS coming into the finish and mixing with the shorter distance riders.....The organizers need to seriously consider splitting the finish. I Really feel like a "BOX". Hope you did not have any major injuries and recover very quickly. I know cycling can be dangerous but I would never let somebody fall on purpose. Regards.