Andrew Buckley

The tyre/sealant combo on MTBs these days is so good it just doesn't seem necessary to run inserts. In 7 years I have never had a puncture which didn't seal on the trail. Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Rays, Maxxis Recon/Recon Race, Maxxis Ardent/Ardent Race, it doesn't matter, they are all great. Running between 1.2 and 1.4 bar. Andrew

Banhoek/Boschendaal/Plaisir are excellent. Bottelary also great.

I thought this was a thread on statistics! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi-squared_distribution

I don't think you can have a better day than this in the Cape.

+1 for Squirt, but... It is best to lube the chain well before you ride, so that it has time to dry. The night before is ideal. You only need to use a very small amount of lube.

If it is a narrow wide chainwheel, is the chain on the correct sprockets? I.e. big gap on a wide sprocket, small gap on a narrow sprocket. Is the derailleur shimano? If so is the clutch closed?

That is the problem with SRAM 1 x 12. A 42 to 50 jump is not great. A 42 to 52 jump is ridiculous.

The standard, i.e. what a bike with a 10/50 cassette will come with, is 34 tooth. I think it is also sensible for Mr Average. 34 x 50 will be easy enough for most climbs, and 34 x 10 is fine when you are going fast. With a 32 tooth chainring you will spin out at speed. Some pros even use 36 and 38 tooth chainrings.

Says XTR cassette, but I'm pretty sure that is an XT cassette?

Exactly my experience.

I have had good experience with SLX (with XT derailleur), and not so good with GX (with GX derailleur). I had them both for about 6000km. The SLX shifted well the entire 6000km, and the GX was never quite right. I will definitely stick with SLX/XT. Andrew

For where it is positioned in the range, yes, but not on price. Las time I looked, XT was about the same price as GX, maybe even marginally cheaper.

Sounds like don't spend the extra money on XTR. I have XT and zero issues after a year and a half. Streets better than my previous SRAM GX. Andrew

Agreed. With 45 tooth big cog at the back you probably can't go bigger than a 32 tooth chain ring (unless you are Nino). And with a 32 tooth chain ring and an 11 tooth small cog, you are going to be spinning out a lot. 10-51 with a 34 tooth chain ring is imho perfect. Andrew

Will not be a problem, there will be a plenty of cyclists at that time. There will be a bit of traffic, but it is generally slow and very aware of cyclists. The shoulder is adequate. Andrew

Seen cobras today and Thursday evening on the way to Rhodes Memorial. Unfortunately they don't seem to like me, so no photos. Andrew

True - this why I like low carb. Some people may call it a fad, but: It is easy It works You won't go hungry And you don't have to cut out all carbs - Just generally white carbs: sugar, bread, rice, pasta. Note: For some reason it doesn't seem to work as well for women as men. Andrew

Don't know about any grand tour winners, but Kyle Buckingham won the Africa iron man while on a keto diet.

Had tic, tic, tic on middle cogs of cassette after muddy Origin of Trails. Eight clicks of the barrel adjuster and it went away.

I hope Banhoek has recovered - some trails were absolutely wrecked after Origin of Trails on Sunday. Camissa was a mudbath and unride-able by the time I got there (C-batch). Andrew

I went from SRAM GX to Shimano XT/SLX. The Shimano is cheaper and better. As previous posters have said, I could never get the GX to shift perfectly. Shimano just works. Haven't had XX1 or XO1 so can't comment on those, but I am not paying R11k for a cassette.

I rode Plum Pudding this evening - it is in a bad state. If you are 100% happy on steep rocky downhills, I recommend walking the bike down. Andrew

Hi DJR I ride through UCT upper campus at least twice a week. There is no signage indicating no entry that I have seen. There are just security guards at the main entrance, and they have never tried to stop me. Andrew

Lots of people riding and walking in Newlands Forest - no signs that I saw indicating it was closed.

The new SLX 12 speed is excellent, and its not particularly expensive. I suggest new. You are going to want a new cassette anyway. Maybe try to get an XT shifter, as it has the double downshift, which SLX doesn't have. Andrew