_C50_

True. Also thought that it deserves another thread for awesomeness. The more the better.

I would just like to give a massive shout out to Wayne from Rapide for his incredible service. I have been using the Rapide TF:135 saddle for a while now, on my road and mountain bike. Last year during The Munga I had a pretty bad crash which resulted in me breaking my saddle - the rail broke out of the saddle on the one side. Was pretty interesting riding 900km's with a busted saddle. Parked the bike when I got home and left it alone for a few months. Eventually decided to start riding the mtb again and replaced the saddle with a spare one I had. After a few rides I noticed something was not right with the saddle. Inspecting the saddle I noticed that it broke on the one side of the cutt-out. Yesterday I gave Wayne a call telling him what had happened. Took a photo and mailed it off to him. He told me he would replace the saddle, no problem. At the same time I ordered another one and a handle bar. That was yesterday - this morning the courier delivered my order including the replacement saddle in Cape Town. Thank you Wayne!

I have the series 1 Apple watch, still going strong after many years. For Vitality purposes I just use the integrated workout app. It just removes the hassle of me uploading my garmin workouts - which I do whenever I feel like it. Sometimes I go a few weeks between garmin uploads. The watch saves me the hassle and I get my points allocated within minutes. The garmin is used for at the same time. Sometimes I do longer rides as the watch/phone combo will not last long enough. It lasts long enough for me to get maximum points based on duration/HR though. I couldn't be bothered with uploading my garmin after every ride, also not bothered with Strava that much either. But that is just me and the watch saves me the hassle.

Tent details?

Size is XL. If you're a L it might also work, depends on your build/setup preferences, etc.

Will probably go in the classifieds soon if I can get rid of the emotional attachment.

Apologies for the crappy pic. Ritchey P-29

Overreact much? I never implied you said Campy is rubbish. Neither did I say group set X is better than group set Y. I don't know what you paid for your AXS group set. I merely did a quick search and found the prices for SRAM Force 1 AXS of local retailers online. I don't understand why people are moaning about the "possible" retail price of Ekar vs. that of Force 1 AXS based on those prices I found. Further more, my comments are based on what my needs/requirements are. I'm perfectly happy with a mechanical group set and don't see any benefit (for me) going electronic. One of them is not having to deal with charging more stuff than I need to when I'm out doing a bike packing trip or doing an ultra-endurance race. That is purely based on the battery life of AXS. My 1 X 12sp SRAM Eagle is perfect for my mountain bike, I wouldn't change it for anything. I don't like the jump in gears on my monster cross with 1 X 11sp cassette, based on the type of riding I use it for. Riding up those passes with a fully loaded bike with my 36 chain ring and standard SRAM 11sp cassette is not particularly noteworthy, I agree. There is however a slight difference when you hit Rooiberg after you have already done 200+km's. It was just a point of reference for me knowing what gearing I require/need in all situations. I'm just a fun rider, so what would I know.

If you ride your gravel bike to the coffee shop and back, once or twice over a weekend, probably not. So BikeRadar tells me about 25H. https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/components/groupsets/groupset-mountain/sram-x01-eagle-axs-wireless-drivetrain-review/ For my last trip I did that would equal 2 days of riding. That makes it every second day in my case. Still a thanks, but no thanks for me.

I beg to differ, but that is purely based on what I want from a group set. Not everybody wants/needs an electronic group set. I don't want to be changing batteries every day when i'm out on a bike packing trip for multiple days, and then still have to worry about charging them as well. Thanks, but no thanks. Currently riding a 1 X 11 on my monster cross. SRAM does not offer a 12sp mechanical group set. Not that it differs that much from the 11sp, other than added a 50/51 to the casette, which I have no need for. I can comfortably get up Rooiberg, Montagu Pass, 7 Passes Road with my bike fully loaded and a backpack running a 36 up front with my 1X11 setup. My biggest gripe with the 1X is the big jump in gears, it annoys the living crap out of me. I am actually considering going 2X because of this. Never mind the absolutely ridiculous cost of the wide range cassettes. I fully get what Campy tried to achieve with this 13sp setup with small jumps in gears. It's not all about "range". I actually hope they bring a smaller than 38 front ring option - for me that is just to big. With a 36 up front and the 10-44 cassette I will be very happy. I'm sure it won't take the likes of Wolftooth/Absolute Black/etc long to bring out compatible chain rings to fit other cranks. I had no idea what a SRAM AXS group set sets you back, so had a quick google. R31K for a 1X Force "upgrade" kit that excludes a crank set and cassette. Add those two and you are in for over R40K! For R33K you get a complete 13sp groupset. I'm not ever going to drop that kind of money on a group set, but why the issue with the price compared to AXS? When 13sp compatible chain rings become available you can keep whatever crank set you have and only buy the rest, as the group set parts can be bought separately. Also looking at the individual pricing it looks like the cassette is way cheaper than the upper end SRAM cassettes. On the "range" topic. Campy filed 2 patents for the cassettes. The one patent mentions a cassette with a small 9 teeth cog and a large 51 or 52 teeth cog (can't remember which one of the two). So my guess is that a wide range cassette is coming soon.

My RM Vertex 999 RSL is the best bike i've ever owned. Will never sell that frame. I've done XC, marathon, 24H, ultra-endurance, bike packing, and everything in between with it. It blows my mind when I take my bike for a service and people make comments like: "Now there is something I haven't seen in years!". The hardtail is the best all round, do it all bike you can own. It might not be the fastest at any specific application, but it does most things very well in capable hands.

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My only tip, and it might sound a little obvious... You have to keep moving. It's always good to have a "strategy" going into the event, but I would say don't overthink it. Spending all this time thinking/worrying/stressing/calculating/putting spreadsheets together is not really helping. By this i'm also not saying you should not prepare well. Rather spend the time making sure your equipment choices is spot on and your bike is in 100% working condition. Eat what is available at the checkpoints and water points. Trying to carry food for a specific diet is not really an option or ideal.

Thanks to the organizers, excellent event, as usual. Just one thing regarding the course/route. Since I last did the event in 2016 there was a wide gravel road/track at the bottom of the decent from the Boma that lead to the start of the second climb. This year it was replaced by a single track. As much as we all love to ride single track, on an event like this you need a few places that allow for passing, or being passed. The dirt track allowed for overtaking, where as the single track does not. I'm sure riders would much rather ride on a wider path for a section that allows passing without them having to pull over and stop. Just my 2c, use it, don't use it.

Doping is also against the rules, didn't seem to bother him then. Funny how he is OK with certain rules when in his own best interest....