10 Year Anniversary

Today I celebrate my 10 year anniversary in the UK. It is a normal day like all the other days I've spent in the UK. Most days the first words I speak in the morning is: "Can you please move down the carriage?" Is that the start of a bad day or is that just a normal day?
Sad to say this but if you do things long enough it becomes normal, today is just another normal day in London.

I was saying to my friends this week, I see living in London as a relationship. Like any relationship London has been good and it has been bad at stages.

1.  Friends vs Friends leaving
2.  Summer vs Winter
3.  Independence vs Family far away
4.  Public Transport vs Sharing small spaces with strangers

In 2012 I sent out an e-mail to my friends, listing highlights of the past 8 years, today I have updated a few more to highlight 10 years of living in London.

2012	2014
The last 8 Years in Bullet points	Added highlights for the last 2 year
Became a Christian
Stayed in 5 different houses	Stayed in 8 different houses
Lived with 38 (+-) people
Shared a room with 7 different roommates
Worked at 5 different jobs
Gained about 18kg and managed to lose only 12kg.... :)	Gained about 18kg and managed to lose only 12kg and gain another 2kg since :(
Made many great friends
Paid off my study loan
Applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain	Dual Citizen to South Africa & Great Britain
Been to 9 different countries not including Wales	Been to 10 different countries excluding Wales
Been in Wales 7 times	Been to Wales 10 times and the annual 11th trip is being planned right now.
What have I not been doing...	What I've started doing
Not looked for my dream events mgt job	Started Tango Cycling
Saved a nestegg	Started saving for this!
Still not eating baked beans (Anel de Jager has still not given up trying)
Lost my accent
Things I've done that I never thought I would!
Learnt to manage a budget/my own budget	Did my first stage race, 3 day Black Mountains in Wales Got attacked by a cat - true story I can swim now, thanks to Stephné van Niekerk
Dived in the Red Sea (those that knows me, I don't like swimming & cringe for sand)	I've done a Triathlon
Started running	Started road riding and even bought a road bike
Ski	Pay with a wireless bank card - Wow!
Started mountain biking (now my only true love)	Volunteered at the Absa Cape Epic - it was a blast!
Went coaststeering (again I can't hold my breath under water)
Speak to Transvalers let alone speak to Souties or Zimbo's
Run a 1/2 marathon
Eat Chinese & Indian food
3 Things that would be hard to change
My love for people
My tendency to suffer under peer pressure :-)
My love for chocolate milk

My mom asked me this morning, "Do you regret your decision to come over?" Without hesitation my answer was, "No."

The thing I've been saying the most this year is, "Life is about choices, every choice has an outcome, good or bad and you have to carry the consequence." I chose to live in London, I carry the consequences gladly and are looking forward to the future!

My first ride ever - what an amateur?

First Road ride EVER!



First Triathlon ever!



The beginning of something I love!

REVIEW: Falke MTB Socks!

Last year I received a pair of these Falke socks as hand-me-downs.

I started wearing them on our mtb-rides and caught myself looking for them as my chosen socks whenever I got ready for a ride.

I can't exactly tell you why or what was so different about them, but I loved wearing them on my mtb-rides and was determent to buy more when I go back to South Africa. I even started looking online, but couldn't find what I was looking for.

So on my recent trip to South Africa I went to Cape Union Mart and there they were! Stacks of them: men's, women's and in different the colors.

It was the first time that I saw the packaging.

Mountain biking Socks!

The clue was OBVIOUSLY in the MTB stitching on the back of the sock, but I never noticed it before.  

I bought a few pairs for myself and some as gifts so we can all share in the benefits of wearing these socks when we ride our beloved mountain bikes.

Who would've thought that such a tiny component of your clothing can make a difference? But it does! These socks provide ventilation where you need it, support behind your ankle and so much more. The technology behind these is spot on!

Tread - My favourite MTB magazine



Tread reads like a book to me with helpful headings as above

Buying a Tread magazine is always on my shopping list when I go back to South Africa. Finding it on the shelves in shops is the hard part though. In March I found it at Revolution Cycles in Cape Town. My search in Spar, Pick n Pay and Woolworths were unsuccessful. I am still trying to figure out if they just sell out quickly or if they don't stock it. I almost gave up hope, but then as I arrived at the airport to return I found it at CNA, Cape Town Airport to put the last cherry on the cake for me this holiday.

Tread is everything and more from what I would expect from a mtb-magazine. 

In Issue 26 Sean Badenhorst aka @MrTread writes what their aims were when they started the magazine. 

1. Create an authoritative biking media platform

2. Improve general level of mountain biking skills in SA

3. Help give women mountain bikers greater recognition

4. Grow trail riding in South Africa

Tread is exactly that and to me it explains the reason I go out of my way to find this magazine when I return to SA. It is all about a passion for the sport combined with a great deep knowledge of the sport. It is not just about the pro's, but it is also about us the normal weekend riders who ride our bikes for fun and the love of our sport. Tips on things that are within our reach that we can change or add to our riding so that we can become better riders. 

I arrived back in London on a grey miserable day. Tread kept me company for the 40 minutes we had to wait to find a parking for our aircraft at Heathrow Terminal 5. I continued devouring it page by page on my tube journey into work and not even the company of my flatmates could get me to put it down when I arrived home.

Thank you Tread for what you put into the sport I love and sharing your knowledge and passion with us. All the best for the future and 2014!

 

 

1st Tango Cycling Competition!

I am so excited to invite you all to participate in the first Tango Cycling Competition?

Tango Competition

Stand the chance to win a years’ worth of Squirtlube, Squirt Bio Bikewash a KMC Squirt induced chain and a batch of TC’s signature crunchies! All you have to do is ride your bike as much as possible for a two week period from 25 November – 14:00, 8 December 2013! Register your GPS device with Strava and join Tango Cycling Club on your pc to enter and participate in this challenge.

To participate in the competition you all you need is the following:

 

1. Be registered on Strava, have a gps device or download the app on your smartphone

2. Join Tango Cycling Club on Strava – make sure you join the group on your PC otherwise your profile will not come up on the leaderboard http://www.strava.com/clubs/tango-cycling

3. Ride your bike as much as you can from 25 November – 14:00 on 8 December 2013

Terms & Conditions:

 

Enter at your own risk

Strava leaderboard will have the final say as to who is the winner

Honesty is the best policy so no #digitalepo business

The winner has to live in the UK

Tango Christmas Party

The winner will be announced on 8 December 2013 at the Tango Christmas Party!

We can all go for a last ride together, maybe just around Richmond Park, everyone can do as many laps as they want and then we can indulge in some homemade cakes & tarts with teas & coffees at potentially my head quarters (tbc). £5entry fee to the Tango Christmas Party. Anybody ie cyclists & non-cyclists are welcome to join the party?! #makethecirclebigger

Who is in? Who will take it? Who will you putyour money on?

Tango Cycling Greetings,

TC J

Ps. Squirtlube is now available for purchase on Wiggle and Specialized Concept Store in Kingston.

Crash Boom Bang

At the beginning of the day I thought to myself, today won't be more fun or exciting than yesterday... LITTLE did I know what was about to happen.

 

Six of us started at Dorking Station. Today was an intermediate ride, so none of us were going to get away with a flat route, we were going to work and earn our tea & cake.

 

We started with the White Downs and connected with the 22. At Abinger, Marie stared at the cows and made a voluntary dive into the grass, we realised a noise on her back wheel shortly after her tumble. Liezl is an expert in v-brakes and quickly found the problem. The rim burst/split and was rubbing against the brake pads. She opened the brakes more and Marie was able to continue the ride with her front brake only. She was determined to be on this ride especially after the mission it was to get to Dorking on time. First she missed the train as they changed the platform at the last minute, then 'Spiertier' Willie fastened the quick release so tight that she couldn't get the front wheel off to put it in the back of her car. Her frustration gave her the extra strength she needed and she was able to join us in the end. 

Mechanics at work

We stayed on the 22 up to after Shere. We then followed the route crossing the train line and went up in the trevine/kloof. It is a bit of a longer, technical climb but with a nice gradient. That part of Peaslake is usually quiet and you feel totally removed from the rest of the world. I was so proud of everyone as we were all equally matched and sitting right on each others wheels.

 

At the top of this climb we (Pokkeltjie & myself) rewarded ourselves with some fun in 'Die Sloot/The Ditch' as we call it. The Ditch has 2 lines, one steep smooth line and one less steep, but rooty line. Pokkeltjie went for smooth and steep and I went for less steep & rooty. Liezl went first and as she finished she wanted to turn around and look what I did... By the time I stopped I spotted her flat on her back in the middle of the road, moaning and groaning. I instantly thought, collarbone... Luckily nothing was broken and the moaning & groaning was just attention seeking. :) We decided that we would like to get Liezl's style on video, so she had to have another go. She did it brilliantly again and even rounded it off with a nice jump. I had total brain failure and didn't get it on camera. Liezl then volunteered to go a 3rd time. I was starting to consider to try her line WHEN I spotted the little tree stump roundabouts where you would land when you come out of the jump.

 

Seconds after my last thought my tree stump fear happened. Liezl's back wheel landed on the tree stump and she got catapult over her handlebars! 3 seconds went by before her bike landed on top of her head as she was busy pushing herself up from the ground.

 

We were all shocked and very concerned. She was moaning and groaning, but moving and not to badly injured. A cut on her arm and some major bruising. We made a makeshift bandage with my arm/knee warmer and stopped the bleeding.

 

She did 'The Ditch' a fourth time and redeemed herself!

 

My nerves were hanging on a threat as we will say in Afrikaans as we continued, it could've been so different, but I am very greatful that she was fine. We moved across to Christmas Pudding & Carpet land for some single track action.

 

The sun, the leaves and weather was just amazing. Here Lara is styling!

Halfway down I heard something behind me and stopped. Sara came off her bike so we went to see if she was ok. Her bike landed on her and her leg got bruised, but she was ok. The right hand  gear casing from her bike broke off and was hanging lose. We tried to position it back on with a plaster, but it didn't quite hold. Two guys came passed us and I asked if they had ductape with them, they didn't, but the one offered his last cable tie to us. We managed after lots of faffing to tie it back on and just left her gears in a gear that she could stay in for the rest of the day... Middle ring front and middle back.

 

Bronwen, Lara, Marie, Sara & Pokkeltjie

After all of this drama we had a well-deserved tea break at Peaslake Village Store where Trudy offered us lots of TLC. We had a non-eventful but FAST return to Dorking station. A record 45 minute sprint via the flat route to Dorking Station and made the next train back with 5 minutes to spare.

 

I send our in-house nurse a text to ask if she was home as Pokkeltjie needed some medical attention. Nurse Saartjie was pleased to know that I was not the patient this time and she was ready with savlon, cotton wool and an extra dosage of TLC. I only had Mr Myprodol left in my TLC-cabinet and provided Pokkeltjie with some at church that evening. :)

 

Thank you Ladies, I had a ball despite all the mishaps along the way, it is all part of the adventure.

 

Check out our route:

http://www.strava.com/activities/87267693

 

Add-ons for my first-aid/essential-must-have kit in the future

1. Ductape

2. Cable ties

3. Pain killers

4. Plasters

 

In one of my previous blogs, "My Favourite Things" I mentioned Squirtlube I am now proud to announce that Squirtlube is sponsoring Tango Cycling. I will be handing out sample sizes when I see you next time. No more dirty hands when dealing with your chain, less time needed to wash your bike as you will never have to degrease your chain again is just some of the benefits when you use Squirtlube! #morefunforless

 

Future Rides:

 

20 October - Intermediate: Men & Women

2 - 3 November - Skills Weekend: Men & Women (note no ladies ride in November)

30 November - Beginners: Ladies

1 December 2013 - Intermediate: Ladies

 

Drop me a line if you would like to join us.

 

Try this link if the video doesn't work. http://www.magisto.com/video/bF4eaglWFDNsDxJhCzE?owner_login=1

The Mushroom Files

Saturday was probably one of the most fun days I've had on the bike in a long time.

In order to get to the trails quicker we took the flat route out towards the 22. We met Jill at Abinger and went passed the farm down to the Volunteer. We bumped into Lizzie, Iain & Dan at the top of the hill at the farm. Had a nice chat with them, told the girls just how hardcore they are. :)

Carrie-Ann, Saartjie, Letitia, Karen, Pokkeltjie & Jill

The girls were all super strong, I was taking some shots from not enough sleep and was just so lazy to do anything that involved effort. I spotted my 2nd snake in England, the shock was enough to get me to pedal faster.

The leaves are starting to change colour and the area was scattered with all kinds of different mushrooms! A beautiful and interesting fairy tale spectacle, they are absolutely fascinating.

Karen styling on Bron's bike

The adrenaline junkies amongst us did Yoghurt Pots twice and all of the others were appointed to take some videos while others did a 2nd or 3rd run.

We were waiting on Saartjie to finish her 2nd YP-loop before I heard this typical girly squeal... Followed by TTTTTCCCCCC! I ran back up the trail to hold Saartjie's hand and Liezl came along to hold my hand. :)
 

We got to Saartjie and there she sat facing the trail backwards with her bike also facing the wrong way... She was pretty much winded and just in shock. Pokkeltjie & I didn't give her much sympathy as I was more worried that a speedster was going to crash into us if we stayed on the track. So she just had to get on with it. :) She got back on her bike and did YP a third time with NO crashes.

We also did Barry Knows Best and treated ourselves with tea and treats at Peaslake Village Store. We also bumped into Roald, Pooh Bear, Iain, Lizzie & Dan again. 

On the flat route back, Liezl decided it was time to challenge my one and only QOM on my favourite Tunnel of Love downhill section. She trashed it with 9 seconds AND she had to slow down for people! We found 3 clusters of oyster mushrooms in the middle of the track. It was massive at first I thought it was a tree stump, but it was this squeesy slippery mess!

We left Jill at her car in Abinger and started heading homeward bound. At Dog Poo Dodge, Liezl and I decided to dice each other and oh dear it was at that point where everything fell apart behind us. As soon as we went round the corner, Carrie went flying into the bushes and winded herself. Karen broke her chain, no I mean, Karen broke Bron's bike chain on the short steep climb whilst I was waiting for them oblivious of what had happened where the road joins the bigger road again. I then realised that maybe they got lost or had trouble and started riding back. Saartjie filled me in on all that went wrong when I got back to them.

I asked Karen where the chain was, she looked down to where it would've been and said there... There was nothing! She quickly ran back and found it. Carrie was fine. I swapped bikes with Karen and sent Saartjie to get Liezl to come and push me up the hills. Hahaha

I freewheeled as much as possible and held onto Liezl's camelbak where and when I was losing speed. I learnt this *manoeuvre from Zane when Cecilia had chain problems on the exact same track earlier in the year.

Whilst we stopped at the very conveniently located Head for the Hills to get the chain fixed Liezl escorted Carrie & Letitia to the station and met us back at Head for the Hills. This allowed us more time to pop into this awesome cook shop that I always longingly look at when we sprint back to the station. It is an incredible shop, it has everything any cook can dream off and it was so nice just to 'look' at the stuff. My bank balance & camelbak limited me to buy anything apart from a small gift for a friend's birthday. :)

Give me the pinky & I'll grab
the whole hand... :)

Once on the train back to London the guard announced that there was a fatality at Wimbledon and we would be delayed. We were deliberating if we should get off & ride or if we should sit it out. We started chatting to the guard and he told us, "You have F((*&&^% bikes you have no problem!" To which I asked him, "Don't you think we rode far enough for one day? You are so cheeky." He then turned around and said, "It's not cheeky, it's common sense." I absolutely loved it, he put me right in my place.

We continued giving him stick as he made poor announcements etc. I suddenly thought it might be my only chance ever to be in the drivers cabin of a train and asked him if I could check it out. He agreed unexpectedly, so Liezl & I got right in there, under strict instruction NOT TO TOUCH anything. That was incredibly hard as it is soooo tempting, but also hard not touching anything when you have to get out of the driver's chair. We made it all the way to Raynes Park and secretly didn't want to get off the train as we were enjoying the banter with him way to much. Apparently Saartjie panicked and asked if he knew that we were double trouble and that he just left us on our own in the drivers cabin to which he replied he noticed. I love the Irish, fun & straight talking.

I mentioned Squirtlube in my previous blog about "My Favourite Things" and am now proud to announce that Squirtlube is sponsoring Tango Cycling. I will be handing out sample sizes when I see you next time.

This weekend was the first time that we tried out the smaller groups of riders and it worked so well. Thank you Pokkeltjie for riding back & forth like a yo-yo, first to push & pull me and then to lead the way to the station. Thank you girls for joining, it has been one of my most memorable days of cycling in Surrey for me. #morefunforless 

Quote of the day: "It's not cheeky, it's common sense." Irish train guard on South West Trains.

Our route: http://www.strava.com/activities/87007650

Future Rides:

20 October - Intermediate: Men & Women

2 - 3 November - Skills Weekend: Men & Women (note no ladies ride in November)

30 November - Beginners: Ladies

1 December 2013 - Intermediate: Ladies

Drop me a line if you would like to join us.

*This manoeuvre is risky and is not recommended unless necessary. I have come off the very hard way from messing about with it before, but I have also concurred a 25km climb with the assistance this manoeuvre offers in times of need. :)
 

 

http://www.magisto.com/video/aEUZZgkNGDc1UU1nCzE?owner_login=1

XTERRA England forced me to Swim

I've been following Xterra World Champion Conrad Stoltz' career for the past few years especially since I've started mountain biking. I've never been able to swim properly so never considered doing triathlon as I've always had this fear of water, I think I've been jealous of others that were able to do triathlons.

Well as my dad would say I suffer under peer pressure, I'd like to rephrase that to fear of missing out. As soon as I saw XTERRA is coming to England I've decided that it is the closest I'll ever get to do one... So I sent an e-mail to my friends and got a group together. Many of them entered whilst I was still procrastinating clicking the button!

I was trying to ignore the swim element so kept riding my bike and started running again. Myburgh kept asking me when am I going to start swimming...

My first swimming session was 28 July, I swam 720m, with my head 90% of the time above the water... I left the pool thinking I can seriously drown... I'm surrounded by water and that it would be a bad idea for me to enter.

The next session was the following week and it was just awful. I like to keep my word if I said I am going to do something I AM GOING TO DO IT, so regardless of these horrible two swim sessions I entered...

16 August two weeks after I entered, my friend Stephne and I went to the pool. She is a teacher and her mom was a swimming teacher - I was in good hands!

She literally dragged me up and down in the teaching pool on a kickboard. I think she must've thought how on earth am I going to swim in the triathlon. I was so frustrated, swallowed so much water and started talking before I breathed. We finally found a drill that seemed to help. I had to stand with my back against the wall and blew bubbles through my nose and then started bringing my head to the side for some breath. We left the pool on a more positive note. I updated my Facebook status with the following:

"#XTERRA swim training back to basics last night. What a hack? Too many things to do at once talking NOT one of them, JUST breath, arms AND kick! So boring, but life threatening for me. Must keep going though.
Another good friend is a friend that drags you up and down in the pool on a kickboard! Thank you so much Stephne van Niekerk."

On the Sunday we went back to the pool and started with the same drill. I came up after about ten reps and couldn't believe that I have finally clicked the technique.

"I can report that I can now successfully swim, the penny dropped re the breathing today - so chuffed & grateful. I never thought that there would be a day where I enjoyed swimming more than cycling... BUT today was that day! Bring on XTERRA England, 8 September!"
After that I swam 4 more times of which twice was with a wetsuit. My housemate borrowed her boss' old wetsuit for me. Conrad Stoltz was obviously right when he tweeted to me saying that a wetsuit would make a world of difference - it did!

Thank you XTERRA for forcing me to learn a skill that I've wanted to be able to do all my life. Thank you Stephne van Niekerk for pulling your 32 year old friend up and down in the pool and teaching me how to swim properly! It has been the best birthday gift and I'll always be able to use it! I am far from a confident fast swimmer, but I've overcome my fear for water! If I can learn to swim at this age anyone can!

Meet my coach, Stephné van Niekerk

 

The beautiful swim start