W Smith

Hi Copperhead,I really enjoyed following your trip and viewing the photos of the places where you have been .Although I have not met you my gut feeling (based on your posts and photos) is that you are are a tough cyclist who likes adventure. The one moment you were in the Tankwa Karoo and a few days later you visited Prince Albert . This is a serious distance to cover with a bicycle with very high temperatures this time of the year.It takes guts and a cool head to do this . There were no spectators along those long open roads to cheer you . Please post some stats such as distance covered ,average temperature each day etc. in due course.I am sure that this trip and the one by Waynemol will inspire more more cyclists to go and explore the vast open spaces of SA where you can free your mind of Covid, corruption, crime, a downward spiraling economy ,overpaid civil servants,,,,,,,,,(sorry the list is endless and I will have to stop right here) Keep on riding.

Same here..And last year a new informal settlement sprung up overnight to the south of Killarney and Du Noon making that new road leading to the N7 very dodgy even in a motor vehicle..My regular rides are. now on the Cycle path between Milnerton and Melkbosch purely for safety reason .

Tried this before and it made no difference at all..As mentioned , a combination of penetrating oil, subtle force and luck is the way to go.

A bit late in responding to your e mail.I had a set of 27.5 Rapide wheels for over 3 years with absolutely no hassles at all.When I sold the set(which regret) the hubs were still silky smooth and on its original bearings and the rims were running 100%true .Recently I purchased a set of Rapide TR29-30 r and I am very pleased with this purchase.What i do like about the new Rapide hubs is that for less than R800.00 you can buy the new Shimano microspline freebody, or the "new" Sunrace freebody that can accommodate a 10-50 cluster or a Pro XD cassette body.When you order the wheels you can specify the type of free body that you want .Since I am still running a 2x10 I went for the standard Shimano freebody knowing that I can always convert to a 12 speed of my choice

Did the gravel bike ride and thoroughly enjoyed the event There was a chilled and relaxed vibe from the start right to the finish .Whether you have a vintage bike or a gravel bike I can strongly recommend this event .Judging by the number of gravel bikes who participated this year , compared to last year , I think that the event is going to increase in popularity. To the the riders who participated in the classic 135 km ,"Well done" The modern gravel bikes have 11 speed gear ratios which make it easier to traverse Ouberg pass compared to the vintage bikes with their "old six speed " clusters .Make no mistake , even with a 24 X 32 gear ratio on my gravel bike it was hard work to climb the pass.

Sensible thing do to .Unless you stand a change of winning the event it is better to walk this section . First of all you will minimise your risk of falling (not serious as you will fall into water);secondly you will not lose any significant time ;thirdly you will save yourself an expensive repair bill .If you look at the photos taken at this section , the hubs and bb's of the bikes of those who rode and pushed their bikes were all submerged under the water .Those sealed bearings will never be the same again .

The road on the Prins Albert side of the pass has been washed away completely as can be seen from the photo taken this morning .There is no road at this section.

Would like to see them at the Cape Absa Epic again.

Does not sound good. If they are financially distressed where will they find the funds to pay for an event that will not rescue the company ?

If you manage to get the name of the cyclist who did not wave back at you, what are you going to do ? Lay a charge at your nearest LBS or SAPS ? Why this issue is raised time and time again is beyond me. If strangers on bicycles refuse to greet or wave back at you it is their right to do so. This is the real world that we live in . Just because you ride a bicycle does not mean that you have some divine right to insist that every person on a bicycle should greet or wave back at you .When you shop at a mall , do you greet or wave at every shopper and voice your displeasure on a public forum if another shopper (stranger) refused to greet or , wave back at you? Rather concentrate on your ride instead of trying to get every Tom Dick and Harry on a bicycle to wave back at you. It is far more relaxing.

My take is that baggies are a fashion thing. You either like it or you dislike it. I have not heard of a compelling argument for or against it. By the way I have both and sometimes just enjoy riding with baggies when I feel like a slow relaxing ride. But baggies over bib shorts ? That extra thin layer of cloth over bib shorts is not going to make any difference when you wipe out.If you want baggies , get a decent pair as suggested herein above..

The solution is to ride at Welvanpas on public holidays.One of the best places to ride if you are looking for single track and technical sections.

Your comment is offensive,insensitive and in extremeley bad taste. To imply that the deceased was a "noob" smacks of arrogance on your part.You clearly do not have any respect for the deceased's family who incidently, may be reading this thread.Share your vile views with your mates and refrain from using the Hub as a forum to voice your insipid comments .

Here we go. Expect a lot of debating again on wheel size after the Epic

Cadel Evans, Jacob Vogelsang ( winner of the Epic a few years ago),Rabon, to name a few