MDJ

Thanks Andreas - I will give Orange seal a try, now to find a set of gp5000 tubeless tires ... hopefully in time for Christmas

Awesome ... do they do road side call-outs?

I would be keen to give the continental tubeless a try - I loved the ride feel of the Schwalbe pro one. The comfort and the grip was by far the best road tire I've ever ridden, but one glass cut and the tire was toast - very expensive toast I might add. It would seal ok to get home, but keep re-opening x2 tires. I went as far as trying to patch them, but I could always feel the bump of the patching - I see they now make proper road tubeless patches, wonder how effective they are. I've been back on tubes for 18 months and I've had 1 puncture in that time - replacing the tube and bombing the tire takes 5 minutes though. Putting a tube into a sealant filled tubeless tire is a complete mess, in addition to the struggle to get the extra tight tire onto the rim.

It really depends on the kind of riding you want to do/enjoy and how much you want to spend. Its the same as buying a car i.e 4x4 vs. SUV vs. Sedan vs. sportscar. Which is better ... depends on what you want to do with it! Then also consider new/used, waranty, brand, colour, local support etc. I'd suggest getting your base fitness/handeling skills up to speed on your current bike, then ask your LBS to recommend a test bike based on the trails you ride. There are lots of great bikes at various price points and I'm going to be labasted for recommending something specific. However, for me, looking at the trails you mentioned and MY PERSONAL BIAS ... assuming buying new, but still not wanting to spent too much, I would recommend something like a Scott Spark 940 with a tubeless conversion. You should be able to get a deal on the 2018 model for under 35k. Take one for a TEST RIDE, if you love XC and the feel of a hardtail - you might hate a slacker dual suspension bike . Most brands have similar bikes for the main types of riding styles/trails i.e Giant, Trek, Specialized, Merida, Santa Cruz, etc, etc. There will always be stuff to upgrade - wheelsets, drivetrain, tires, etc. However unless you are three seconds off a podium or change riding styles/trail types, you hardly ever NEED to upgrade, human nature is to want to upgrade though ;P

Welcome! You have one bike running in good condition it seems - so I'd suggest getting out on the trails ASAP, start with the easier trails at Meerendal and building back your base fitness . With regards to the second bike, it depends how long the bike has been standing, normally a good clean and lube will go a long way, but you might need to replace chain, cables, tires etc. The bike itself should be fine, if you aren't mechanically inclined you could take it to your local bike shop and they'd be able to give you an assessment and a quote. You can then decide on bike value v.s repair costs. With regards to "good enough" - the boring answer is yes, provided they are in working order they should be perfectly fine for the average trail ;P. That's probably not the answer you want to hear though! MTBs have come quite way in the last 6 years with regards to tubeless tires, dropper posts and shocks on newer bikes - they make a huge difference DEPENDING on the type of riding you plan to do. If you plan to get into riding the more technical trails a nice slack geometry dual suspension 29er with 2.35 tubeless tires and dropper is insanely fun and much easier to ride on more technical trails. You do need to be fit enough to get to the top of the trails though and you still need bike handling skills - those should come back to you once you start riding again though. The costs have unfortunately increased a lot in terms of purchase and maintenance ... so its going to be a decision driven by passion/fun/heart ... logically it makes no sense to spend that much on a bicycle, but then again cycling up and down a mountain is pretty pointless too from a logical perspective . You already have two bikes so you are half way down the passion road .... in that case, yes a new bike will be awesome, the tech has gotten better - plus after buying it you'll have to ride more!

Yes, you can get someone else to collect it. I've got someone collecting mine later today. The official PPA requirement is that you give the person a signed letter that says you would like them to collect the entry on your behalf with your PPA number.

Entered, see you all at the start!

Dito! I sold my Giant TCX to buy a "real road bike" and a "real mountain bike (scott spark 930)". I love the road bike, but the mountain bike feels like a truck compared to riding the TCX on gravel or flat fast single track.

I had the same experience as patch when trying both Schwalbe one pro (awesome tire to ride on - super grippy and comfortable) as well as Giant gavia tubeless. Things started out great for the first few weeks on tubeless until getting glass cuts that resulted in holes that would either not seal, or randomly pop open. I tried to patch them with superglue and standard patches but they were never the same - I liked them enough to try two brands x2 tires - but considering the mess and the 1k a pop price tag I switched back to tubes. I use gatorskins for normal training rides and I've only ever had two "punctures" in a two year period both due to pinch flats because I got lazy and let the pressures drop to below 60psi and hit something on the road. I still have wet dreams about the feel of the Schwalbe pro-ones ... but then I recall the cursing and sealant sticky mess of the reality while struggling to get the fscking tight tire onto the rim. Trying a few options and getting the same result at 1k a pop, I decided to go with the boring tube option - more riding, less fixing .

Count me in - sounds like an excuse to buy a new light

Condolences to the families and friends of the two cyclists and Marshall, tragic news on what was otherwise a great event . Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters, it was my first CTCT and I thoroughly enjoyed it!