Dappere

Horses for courses... Highly dependent on a lot of factors, where the above statement might or might not be true. Believe the OP asked for advice on the max chainring size they can fit on Titan Cypher/Cypher RS.

Do you have a budget in mind?

I completely agree with this statement. Even with the best-fitting saddle and bib shorts, when doing ultra distances you're likely to start shifting position on the saddle eventually. This is where chamois cream demonstrates its value. Also need to factor in that when doing events like Badlands, or related on a gravel bike, the rougher terrain contributes to moving around more than usual on the saddle as well.

Thanks for the heads-ups 😎

I can only speak from my own experience, but for short or training rides I do not use chamois cream. However, for ultra-distance riding and events, I do find chamois cream beneficial.

Speen salf? I've heard it works wonders.

Ass Magic or the Assos, whichever is available at my LBS.

🤣 You may be right, drunk people can do peculiar things sometimes. It reminds me of my university days. Good to hear there are programmes in place now to refurbish and recycle the recovered bikes and put them to good use. To my knowledge, at least when I was there, there was nothing formal like that in place.

I used to live there. They clean up around 15,000 bikes per year on average from the canal. It's seen as a big problem, but bikes aren't the only things they find in the canals. They attribute it to stolen bikes, vandalism and accidents. You'll notice most of those pulled out are oma-fiets or stadsfiets, which are the most popular bikes used for commuting.

That aligns with my experience using the rim strips, as additional layers of rim tape would be a similar thickness as the rim strips. Glad you came right.

I have heard about this issue from a fellow cyclist. At first, I couldn't relate as I'd had no trouble seating them. I realised the difference though - I have Bontrager rims that come standard with a rim strip instead of tape. I can only assume the rim strip has more volume and therefore allows the tyre to seat more easily. Have you tried the soapy water around the rim trick?

I used ESI grips for years and recently tried the Wolf Tooth Grip Cam Ergonomic Fat Paw -> https://bicyclegarage.co.za/products/wolf-tooth-grip-cam-ergonomic-fat-paw. It has all the elements I loved from the ESI grips and the ergonomic shape adds extra comfort. Well worth checking out.

I do understand that. I didn't provide enough context in my previous message. When I mentioned I only cycle on my mountain bike on certain trails, I meant I only ride at trails like Jonkershoek, Banhoek, Tygerberg, etc., where I drive to and cycle and then drive home. I'm trying to minimise my time spent on the road.

The lengths they're willing to go to nowadays. Thanks for the additional information. One of the reasons I sold my road bike and only cycle on my mountain bike at certain trails.

Sorry to hear that. I hope your friend makes a full recovery from any injuries sustained.

Bigger groups? By bigger groups I mean +- 12 cyclists

Prepare yourself for advice on anything from the brand of toothpaste to the deodorant you should use. 😂 Regarding Thule roof racks, there are two factors to consider: the length of the rails and the fixtures. The length is generally determined by your car model and can often be reused. If the new car model has a similar roof width to your old car, or is narrower, you may still be able to use the existing rails, provided you don't mind the overlap. The second factor is the fixtures; you have less flexibility here. In some instances, this is the only component you'll need to replace to fit the racks to your new car. This could set you back around R1500. The Pro Ride bike holder is compatible regardless of the chosen rails and mounting parts. From your message, it seems that you've sold it. The ability to finance a new roof rack will depend on several factors. Some car brands offer rebranded roof racks as an additional accessory, which means you could potentially finance it along with your car. If feasible, an additional R11,000 financed over the average period wouldn't significantly increase your monthly instalment. If you can afford it, I would recommend purchasing the racks from Thule. Hope that helps.

From my understanding, spoke tension and rider weight have a much bigger influence on potential spoke breakage than the wheel brand. Insufficient tension for a rider's weight would put more strain on the spokes.

👆 I'm sure if I called my girlfriend a grumpy old man, the situation wouldn't play out too well for me 😅. But my girlfriend said the same thing, which is why she isn't riding it.

Does anybody have information regarding number collection?

I was thinking the same thing. I guess it will be a pick-your-compromise situation: either deal with okay weather and muddy trails, or bad weather and muddy trails. On a loop yesterday on the Bottelary trails, they were alright in some sections. We'll have to wait and see if the weather over the next few days improves or worsens the current trail conditions.

Part of the reason I use a roof rack, but that also opens a whole other can of worms 😅 I have never used this myself, but I am aware of evoc and Thule that offer covers you could have a look at. https://www.thule.com/en-za/rv-racks/rv-rack-accessories/thule-bike-cover-_-307335 https://evobikes.co.za/product/evoc-bike-rack-cover-mtb-black/

If you didn't specify the items on the policy, or at least increased the insured amount of the bike to compensate for the upgrades done, then no. From my understanding, they will likely try to replace your stolen bike with a similar one (like-for-like), or one of similar value. There should also be an option to get the cash payout, in most cases taking the replacement is a more valuable choice. Again this has been my experience and might differ from the one you have. Apologies for the loss, hoping you can get a new bike soon.

I understand what you're trying to convey, and in most cases, I'd also pick my MTB over any other bike. However, over recent times I've rather grown a close bond with my gravel bike - it's the one I choose when I want to rack up bigger kms with the potential for adventure. In my opinion, doing rides like the Cape Cross is perfect for a gravel bike, with its ton of mounting points and designed bags. I also appreciate the multiple hand positions a gravel bike offers over an MTB. You're right though, you could certainly do all that on an MTB as well. For me, the efficiency not just in the bike itself, but in how it's able to carry bags and attach them with less hassle compared to working around a rear shock, makes the gravel bike ideal. That said, I wouldn't attempt a true MTB-designed route on my gravel bike. There's certainly a time and place for both!