Old and Slow

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out for sure! Do they only come in the one size? I found one for sale online but they didn't state the width.

My condolences that yours could fit in that gap. I have always set up my bike myself, but recently, after a back injury, I found myself experiencing saddle numbness in a standard 143mm seat. Went for a bike fit yesterday and turns out I "have very wide sit-bones for a guy". Can anyone recommend some good 168mm seat options...?

There has already been a "Winelands" trail pass this year which included Banhoek, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington. Great that they've expanded the network.

Ummm.... Boet, whoever put your fork together... Well, they really forked it up. I refuse to believe any reputable bike shop did that, and if they did, then they deserve to be shamed for all eternity.

Great morning hitting the trails at Plaisir, doing a couple sessions of the flow trail and being embarrassed by the group of school kids on the jumps.

They're cheap. Just looking for an inexpensive stem to test if the length will work. Any brand will do though...

Looking for a Rapide 31.8mm stem in 35mm length.

It's called "Front Row", and it's an almost clone of the KidsRideShotgun, but at a third of the price. I got it from a guy here on Bikehub, I'll edit this post if I find his ad. I was thinking of writing a short review in the riding with kids thread, but couldn't find it when I looked. The quality is fair, although I have not used an original KRS to compare with. I found setup a little finicky: trying to get it in a comfortable position for both myself and the little ones, making sure it's tight enough that it doesn't move-and damage my frame, but also loose enough that it doesn't damage the frame. I'm relatively short (1.73m) and ride a medium frame, and I definitely find it cramped. If my dude tries to stand up, his helmet smashes into my face- not great on rough descents! It's also a bit uncomfortable pedaling with your knees out to move past your kid, wouldn't want to go much longer than 90 minutes. Handling wise, because you can't get forward enough, you feel awkward as you can't weight your front wheel, , however their weight more than compensates. Other than that, you just have to remember to ride with restraint (difficult when the dude shouts "FASTER!" on every downhill! 10/10 would recommend! Edit: As an aside, Rhebokskloof is a superb venue. The views both on and off the bike are stunning and the grounds are amazing. There are jungle gyms for the kids, a large, open lawn for picnics, a wine cellar and restaurant and some of the best coffee I've found in Paarl. The trails are pretty great as well!

Slowest 10km ride ever? Probably. Best 10km ride ever? Definitely!

Thanks a ton. The Strava link worked hundreds???? I've been keen to ride there but have heard exactly what you reported- nice trails but not well marked or maintained. Still keen to check it out though as the views look awesome! I wonder who is responsible for the trails there?

How did you find the trails? Condition, marking etc? Mind sharing your route?

Disagree. "Get a new bike" is always the best advice, for any bike related problem. My bike has a similar BB setup to this. Some, wool, a vacuum cleaner and a bit of patience sorted it all out.

I had bad luck with Conti's, think they were X-kings. Landed sideways off a jump and the tyre deformed out of shape. Thought I'd buckled my rim, but it was just the tire. They had less than 100km on at the time. Got Michelin Wildgrip now with about 800km and the back tire is stuffed. Knobs about to break off etc.

Difficult to tell from pictures, but I have the same grinder and when grinding for French press, I actually use it coarser than the numbered settings. If the numbers continued to 14, that's about where I set it.

Exactly this. Often what is marketed as "better" is, in fact, either just proprietary or new. Most suspension designs can be very good if they are designed well and, in the same vein, any suspension design can be *** if it is badly designed. These days, with the design technology that is available, it's quite difficult to find truly terrible suspension, unless you are looking at unbranded trash or the very entry level cheapies. Anyway, "better" is a contextual term. What is better on an xc bike is not necessarily better on a DH bike.

They're nothing fancy at all, but they are hot- all that matters after a sweaty day sessioning the flow line????

I chatted with the guys at Franschhoek Cycles and they said the trails weren't particularly well marked. I might head there soon and scout it out though.

Hi Francois. I agree with Robbie. I usually begin my rides at Plaisir as they have lovely outdoor showers, nice bathrooms and a bike wash for after the ride. There is also a weekend market where you can get refreshments. The climb from there is very pleasant and you can then loop through to Boschendal, do as much of that as you want and then come back down at Plaisir, either on the single track or the flow line for part of the descent. I'm not sure how good the bikes available at Franschhoek cycles are, but Plaisir do have a few very decent bikes available. Perhaps call ahead and find out. Enjoy the riding! Edit: There is also a super fun loop out of Specialized in Paarl and you can get through to Diamant/Spice Route from there on some recently cut single-track. Lots of climbing but great fun.

Complains about education, makes spelling mistake...

Couldn't agree more. KZN trail running gave fridge magnets at their events a few years back and they are great. Functional, stored somewhere I see them everyday and have printed pictures of the venue with the distance completed. Perfect.

Starting the week right.

Just waiting for @copperhead to comment on Trek's paint quality...

New or used?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/385805299854416/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_general&referral_story_type=general&tracking={"qid"%3A"-7555137535827727153"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"989601783705124363"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A989601783705124363%2C\"target_type\"%3A6%2C\"primary_position\"%3A0%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A1139309112568315904%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A501%2C\"value\"%3A0.00020812926419354%2C\"upsell_type\"%3A3515%2C\"grouping_info\"%3Anull}"%2C"lightning_feed_qid"%3A"-7555137535827727153"%2C"lightning_feed_ranking_signature"%3A"7311037100986466304"} I love the optimism on this one.

This was definitely a nice upgrade! The one that comes with the machine is a bit too small in my opinion, so @Mountain Bru made this about 0.8mm bigger to give it a nice, flush fit.