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tinmug

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Everything posted by tinmug

  1. Ive had phenomenal service in-store at two of the Thule dealers (Cape Town area). Probably helps to actually be inside the store speaking one-on-one with someone (so they can se the desperation in your eyes 😁).
  2. I can write a lengthy analysis on ... Ley's cut the chase: Thule. Your children will be happy when they inherit it one day (and will probably be able to get parts for it then too).
  3. 1,9 mil zars for a bicycle? With no suspension? https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/14/australian-track-cycling-team-paris-olympics-hanzo-bike-cost
  4. I'm pretty sure everyone here knows who JW is, and what (many of) his achievements are. But it's still good fun to rag him a little now and then. Obvs enormous respect. 👏🦾 Great Epic. Entirely worthy winners all-round. Enjoyed the routes and scenery (and even the broadcast ... can ya believe it) this year (like we all do every year, but route just consistently nicer this year than in recent years > from a telly perspective) and ready for the 2025 broadcast (if WW3 doesn't interfere, that would be a tad annoying).
  5. ... but the (student) night life in Stellies will keep him going. 🤘
  6. That's like you saying you can outride that fine athlete that Matthew Beers is (and that is a compliment of the highest order, in case I sound vague). 😎
  7. ... he must have a better coach. 😆😉
  8. Likely not critting Grotts per sé, but the (limited) choice of partner. Beers is clearly far stronger than his partner ... but then it seems Spez must ride with another Spez (which is of course a tad limiting). Question: What happens when the leaders pull in? Presumably the humans (after interviews etc) get massages etc, but would would typically happen to the bikes on a daily basis? Clean obviously, but what sort of maintenance? Then what prep for the rider for the next day? And while I am holding the microphone, I would like to have an auto-mute button for Mr Know-it-all-ramble-off-the-statistics-ad-nauseum-and-always-manages-to-somehow-extend-a-simply-three-word-sentence-to-five-minutes-of-stating-and-restating-the-blindingly-obvious. Apart from that minor annoyance (pro tip: sit a few minutes behind the live feed and you can skip those bits 😆) I find the YT feed pretty good, considering the vast logistical constraints. Bart is a great addition and Spitz knows her stuff (with her highly entertaining German translations). Good stuff, appreciated the audio (99.7 % of it) and the visuals (when we actually have visuals). Uhm ... have a C172 fly circuits overhead providing signal?
  9. Excellent idea (excessively worn chain equals worn drivetrain). I learn't something today, thanks Mamil.
  10. If I can add my 2c worth of possibly-useful info: pay attention to the groupset on the bike before you peel back the velcro on your wallet (if I gauge your age correctly; i.e only a little younger than I am 😀). When I returned to the sport I first bought a good frame (I get points for that), but an iffy crank/derailleur/shifters/brakes. Mere weeks later I paid again to upgrade those bits. You quickly learn where the quality lies – and what is overkill – and settle on something reliable, durable and pleasant to work with. I am not siding with one brand over the other – I ride what I used in the Eighties and that works just fine for me, wife rides my Eighties brand and the new brand on two different bikes and she's absolutely content with both – but will campaign for a certain level within each brand. I am rambling too much. Welcome, and enjoy the new venture. 👏
  11. Support local or expect to buy everything from abroad in the future. 🤷‍♂️ *Unless you're looking to buy something super exotic, in which case you can tell us if you were scammed or not. 😛
  12. Hmmm. I wouldn't go with a (heavy) alloy frame paired with a Chinese groupset when there are far, far better bikes out there in the same price range on the used market. 🙅‍♂️ Those heavy bikes tend to be proof-of-concept bikes: you buy it (because new is always better, right?) to prove to yourself that (gravel) biking is your thing (spoiler: it is); then a few months later your eye starts wandering when you see a 'better' bike. They look so light (they are!), the drivetrain is so nice (it is! And you can get parts for it!). So you want to sell and upgrade but nobody wants to buy a used Chinese gravel bike for half-decent money ... ... so go straight for the throat: buy a half-decent known-brand bike (that you can resell for the same money if gravel bikes aren't your thing; only it will be your thing do you save time). 😎 EDIT: absolutely nothing against Avalanche whatsoever: they get lots of people into cycling, and that is always a fat plus! But the last time I lifted an Avalanche I cracked three vertebrae and tore a bicep (*slight exaggeration may apply).
  13. Cypher with locked-out suspension and skinny wheels. Sure, not as light or slippery as a gravel bike but a dirt-cheap why to get your current setup to be a little more suitable for the Argus. Plus, all those pot holes ... and schnoep Coke vendors and all. 😆
  14. A birdie told me that the organisers contemplated a route change so that the finish would be at the Coke factory. In an industrial area. Where you can Coke until you throw up. But the statistics chaps determined that those people who complain about everything will say it's not scenic enough and their precious bicycle was stolen. Or they can have a conveyor belt from the factory right to the finish. And call it the Coca-Cola Cycle Pursuit (CCCP). Or you can stop along the way and guzzle Coke to your heart's content (hint: your heart doesn't appreciate Coke). Or, hey here's an idea, cross the street and BUY Coke at the finish. 😛 Fix the roads? They did actually; talk is they were out the night before the race started patching potholes. This is Africa mate, potholes are part of the character of the place. Don't like 'em? Use your mountain bike. And as for the voice octave adjustment: you are only doing your share in entertaining the spectators. 👏
  15. Go time. Have fun out there.
  16. @Phillippe Coetzee Use an app called Windy and/or Windfinder. This will give you a better idea of the slog to Cape Point. Last I looked 20 knots of breeze – enough for white caps on the water – but not too bad. Really just classic old Argus weather. Don't stress about the wind. The temperature looks fine, and the wind helps you on the other side of the peninsula (it actually helps you everywhere by keeping temps down). Have a good ride. 👍
  17. For your budget: definitely go hard tail, preferably with air suspension up front. Play close attention to the groups on any bike you want to buy: learn the differences between the various Shimano and Sram drivetrains (and brakes, for that matter), and shop with a minimum requirement for that (for Shimano I'd say the basic Deore as a minimum, not sure what the Sram equivalent it). You'll likely get a MUCH better deal buying used (considering your budget), but ask someone to help you source an honest bike. Welcome, good luck, let us know what you get and enjoy the ride. 👍
  18. Quality is better than quantity. 🤙
  19. … invite some friends along. If you have 12-13 riders you can ride for 12-13 days. I’ll shut up and sit down now.
  20. Good for UCI (decision-maker) pockets, bad for the sport. Sense it makes not. 🙈
  21. The plastic board is probably ABS, so over tightening it may weaken the structure. Double cable ties is a good idea. Does anyone know what reads it? No RFID that I can see, and just a tiny barcode (that surely cannot be it, can it?).
  22. ... or an autumn 99er gravel race? 🙌
  23. You already have a large brick on the back of your bike, may as well ad a side-stand as well. 😉🤭🤙
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