First bad crash

2024/03/03

Last September less than a minutes into the day’s riding went OTB at 30kph and shoulder first into a rather stout tree.

Spent about 5 minutes sitting on the ground considering my life choices I got up and rode enduro stages with uplift for another 4 hours.

After spending the last few months trying less intrusive recovery options like physiotherapy and shoulder infiltrations I eventually got to see a Sports orientated orthopedic surgeon thanks to my GP. It came to requiring a Shoulder Subacromial Decompression, also known as an Acromioplasty, which was done almost two weeks ago. The pain relief has been worth risk. I went in with 7-8/10 pain, and left the hospital with what I would call discomfort, so 3/10.

Both my surgeon and physiotherapist are confident I will be able to ride a 3 day stage event (Sabie Experience) in May.

My current rehab schedule is 15-30 minutes on Tacx smart trainer, and exercises from my physiotherapist.

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One year living with a Kenevo SL

2023/09/15

I bought my Kenevo SL Expert in September 2022 after test riding a comp at the my local LBS, Lynwood Cyclery. Over the year I have made some changes however in general have been very happy with what I have since moving from a 2022 Levo SL.

The items I have changed are:
1. Brakes, well got rid of the 1.8mm stock rotors and changed them for the HS2’s which are 2mm rotors. That was a big change alone, the changing of the pads was the other moment. Have some RSC levers on the way, which I only really want so that I can change the bite point as the pads wear out. I found I have to change my pads at around 500km with 2mm of material left which sorta sucks.

2. Handlebar to a 50mm Burgtec Josh Bryceland bars cut to 780mm. These alone made me so much more at home on the bike due to the effective change in stack height that on the first day out I set PR’s on every stage at the Grootfontein Bike Park.

3. Grips to Ergon GA2’s in Yellow. In hindsight not the best choice, as they are not easy to keep looking yellow. The grips themselves are amazing at removing handpump.

4. Change to Schwalbe tires. I had to send my Butchers in for warranty as I had ripped most of the side knobs at less than 500km and I am by no means an aggressive rider. One thing I definitely noticed is these tyres are way quieter on the trail is they are so much quieter, and I can here when grip is changing.
Front is a Big Betty at 2,6” wide, terrain I ride does not really warrant the Magic Mary. The amount of front grip is quite crazy, although that could also be due to the step up from 2,4”
Hans Damph in the back 2,4”. The difference in rolling speed is so worth is and again this tire is grippy when needed and is easy to make it loose grip when you want it to for those style points 😁

5. Rear wheel to a 32 spoke as I kept breaking spokes on the 28 spoke. the hub is a high engagement from ZERO HUB REAR SL6.0. The best part of this hub is it is nearly silent. Paired with the quite tyres life is good.

Pros:
– Adjustable geometry. Only messed with the head tube angle.
When at +1 makes it feel like my 2022 StumpJumper.
At Neutral it is very much an all rounder
When set to -1 it is really a downhill monster, however does not quite the trails in my area as they tend to have very tight corners which I did not find comfortable on. However on a flow / jump line this was scary how hard it was to not just let go.
– Stable at speed, scarily so
– Components are for the most part good. I have made a few quality of life changes
– I feel like I am part of the bike, not the other way around. This was something I really did not like about my Levo SL 1.1 (Large) as I always felt like I was just sitting on top and just never felt in control.

Cons:
– Bike is long, switchbacks especially in the two slacker positions are really touch to get right.
– Stock rotors are rubbish. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy some SRAM HS2 rotors when I was in Germany and these made the brakes actually usable. I know everyone is always complaining about the SRAM brakes being terrible, however it is really down to the stock “consumables” not the Code RS, even my wife’s Code R’s work really well with the change in Rotor and pads

For those interested I have some riding videos on Youtube. Not talking to the view ones. YouTube Channel

Filed under mountain biking, Outdoors, Review Tagged with ,

Why it is bad to Mountain Bike in the wet

2023/09/14

Disclaimer: was playing with some AI tools. Not written by a human, i.e. me.

If you love mountain biking, you might be tempted to try it in the mud. After all, it sounds like a fun and adventurous way to enjoy nature and get some exercise. But before you grab your bike and head to the nearest muddy trail, you should know why riding mountain bikes in the mud is a bad idea.

First of all, riding in the mud can damage your bike. The mud can clog up your gears, brakes, chain and suspension, making them less effective and more prone to wear and tear. The mud can also scratch your frame and components, reducing their lifespan and value. You will need to spend more time and money on cleaning and maintaining your bike if you ride in the mud.

Secondly, riding in the mud can be dangerous for you. The mud can make the trail slippery and unpredictable, increasing the risk of falling and injuring yourself. The mud can also splash into your eyes, mouth and nose, impairing your vision and breathing. The mud can also contain bacteria, parasites and toxins that can cause infections and illnesses. You will need to wear protective gear and wash yourself thoroughly after riding in the mud.

You should always follow trail park rules and if they are closed do not get upset with them, not like they control the weather. Some parks, e.g. Wolvespruit and Grootfontein Bike Parks, have sections where the rain does not affect them. Although those sections tend to be for more experienced riders it can be quite treacherous in the wet/mud

As you can see, riding mountain bikes in the mud is a bad idea. It can ruin your bike, endanger your health and damage the trail. Instead of riding in the mud, you should wait for the trail to dry up or find an alternative route. You will have a better experience and show respect to your bike, yourself and the environment.

Filed under AI Shenanigans Tagged with ,