Zawillow

👆👆 what he said. Massive fan of the Aspen's, but only put them on when riding K2C or Trans Bav.

The issue for me is less about the fynbos and more about the trees - the existing forest with the climb up to Saaltjie and then the young trees up the Irish climb. The fynbos and bush will grow back, but it'll take years for the trees to grow (assuming there is a will to plant new ones). Judging by the image below (red is the unburnt vegetation) it looks like the forest may have been saved to a degree. I could be wrong though. High res image available at https://t.co/OfbnX63Bak?amp=1

Reminds me of the fire 12 years or so ago with the ash raining down in town. I’m still hoping they managed to save the forest area in Jonkers. Now I’m worried about Eden Forest. Fire is after all our cycling trails.

I see Jonkers has been closed for the weekend due to the fire that's been going for the last few days (I think it came over from Franschoek side). Does anyone have any idea of the severity of the fire - has it hit the forested area that has the the jeep track up to Saaltjie?

I'd use the narrower rims for commuting unless they are significantly lighter in which case you'll need to weigh up weight vs traction on your MTB rides. I have a cheap set of non-tubeless slicks which I used to use for the CTCT - nothing wrong with going cheaper if you're ok with a bit of a weight penalty - it's what I would do unless you're looking to chase Strava KOMs on your commute. I have two sets of "bike-tool" kits - one for my MTB and one for road. Lighter than keeping double tools - simply pick the kit you need for your commute or trail ride and its not that much of an additional expense. You can google the length of GS vs SGS derailleurs. Clutch is used to keep the chain tensioned to prevent chain slap and chain drops when go over the bumpy stuff.

Thanks - assumed back-order meant they'd need to wait for stock. Just placed the order and they reckon I'll have them by early next week.

I'm a massive fan of the Maxxis Aspen 2.25 for a fast rolling XC tyre. I cannot seem to find them anywhere in SA though. Let me know if manage to find some.

Hi Eddy, I did it and it was the best decision I could have made. I have a 11x M8000 long cage RD with a 38/24 front chain ring setup. Rear cassette is an 11/42 - you won't need more than that. For races like the Trans Baviaans and K2C the big granny and long high gear are great. Only issue I have is that my 38/24 chain ring is a SRAM compatible direct mount setup from Lyne components and unfortunately they no longer produce them. Still looking for an alternative that doesn't require a new crank.

Would be an interesting exercise to see what would cost more. Upgrading the 930 shock or switching the 920 to XT (incl. new rear wheel setup). I'd probably want to upgrade wheels at a later stage anyway and would align this with when the drivetrain wears out that, and a personal preference for the blue, swings it for me.

I think a good point raised here is that the design has not changed since 2017. Spez and other did their changes recently - I think to coincide with the Olympics (which were then postponed). Probably a good chance of a new Scott design next year? Not sure if you'd be willing to wait it out for a couple of months. Santa Cruz Tallboy would be great, but the price is a limiting factor for me too.

I'm also considering a new bike. Done a fair amount of reading etc. and for what I want, xc/trail riding, the 920 is top of my list. 130mm up front with a dropper will get me over everything it needs to and the twinloc setup is something I see a lot of value in, as mentioned above. A bonus is that the 920 is also the best looking in the range at the moment imho. Only downside I see is that I would have preferred the XT drivetrain on the 930 as opposed to the GX on the 920 - but this can be rectified as an "upgrade" later down the road. I'd say go for it unless your looking for something that is a bit more trail orientated.

https://fb.watch/3fDSueBBVS/ Nino enjoying G-Spot late last year.

Hi All, I lost my (new) Scott helmet visor (white) after taking a tumble coming down Armageddon at Jonkershoek this morning. Only noticed it was missing when I got home. Please reach out if you picked it up and hove it or handed it in at the office.

Details on their website.

Fair comment - I do think think they're still working things out, but by all sounds coming from their side the event is going to go ahead. I hope sense prevails. I think with the Christmas travel the country is likely to see a spike at the time of the event as everyone gets home. In terms of it being ballsy to enter the event - entries opened and closed last December already, way before Covid. I don't like being put in the position where I need to decide to give up a R8k investment in the event and accommodation or do the event and risk getting or spreading covid. In all honestly I'd hate to pick up covid and then infect a parent or friend who doesn't make it at the end of the day. Sure the likelihood is low, but is it worth and R8k chance? In an ideal world it would be great if they could push it out to late March/April.

As much as I want to ride a Summer TB, I think this is reckless from the organisers - the area has been declared a hotspot. Sad to see that decision is being driven by finances.

Hi All, I'll be in Knysna for a portion of the Christmas holidays and I'm looking to get some longer MTB gravel rides in. While I'm comfortable to ride Kom se Pad alone, I'm going to get bored with that route quickly. I've planned a route that heads up past the Knysna dump, up the R339 and then back down to the N2 and Harkerville on the Petrus se Brand trail. I then intend using forestry roads back to Knysna from there (I'm not comfortable to take the N2 at that time of year). The route is made up of different parts of routes found on the Garden route trail pass site, so I'm assuming they are reasonably well ridden routes. The question I have is whether it is safe to ride this route alone. While I have done a fair amount of riding in Knysna, I've not ridden up past the Knysna dump and know it as a sketchy area. I also don't know how safe the forestry roads are back into Knysna from Harkerville? Hoping some locals can give me some advice.

I've got the same issue, as one of the slower teams I'm worried we're not going to be able to finish and make it back to PE before the lockdown at 10pm. IF we start at 5am we effectively have to finish by 9pm (time to pack up and race through to PE) it effectively gives us 16 hours for the ride, which at our pace, leaves little room for mechanicals or a slower pace due to the heat etc. I don't like the idea that I'm going to have to watch the clock the whole way through the race - sure to take some of the fun out of it (particularly when suffering up MAC in the middle of the day). It would be interesting to know more or less how much of the field usually take longer than 16 hours to finish, but I wouldn't be surprised if its at least a third of more - all of those teams are going to have issues if they're looking at getting back to PE. With the festive season coming I also think there is a strong possibility of the lockdown rules being expanded further down the garden route which would impact Jeffery's. As much as I'd love to do a TB in summer and actually get to experience the views in the kloof I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't push the event out to Aug, but I suppose that ship has sailed.

I use the Shelly version of this (https://shelly.cloud/products/shelly-button-smart-home-automation-device/) to turn the fan on and off. It's not speed control, but I find it useful to be able to control how hot I get on the trainer.

Doable without support vehicle. Where it become important though is if you're suffering and really considering throwing in the towel - knowing someone is waiting for you or simply getting encouragement from them can make the difference between getting medal or not. If you're a strong rider with some training in the legs (and if the weather is not ridiculous - a big IF) you'll be fine without support.

Keep in mind that the new timing only applies if the current State of Emergency laws still apply by race-day. Will be watching closely to see if the government keeps the curfew in place through the December holidays.

I'm a big fan of the Aspen. For a light and very fast rolling tyre it has good grip. It has become my rear tyre of choice and when doing non-technical/endurance races like Trans-Baviaans or K2C its a good option for the front too. Don't know much about the Mezcal, but have heard they don't last long. Based on my experience (or my weight) the Aspens also don't last as long as I'd like them to.

I'm also interested in suggestions for upgrading PR2's. Another requirement I would add is whether you can run them tubeless like the PR2's.

I drive the R302 a bit - maybe just me, but I'd be uncomfortable on a bike on that road. Assuming the direction you're going is Wellington to Malmesbury and back to DBV - have a look at the Haaskraal road that'll take you up to Hermon before you hit Wellington (there is a turn on the R44 just past Windmeul that'll take you north and eventually spit you out onto the R45 which you can cross and onto the Haaskraal Road). You can then follow you're route back down to Wellington (I do this ride every now and again) and then maybe do a bit of an Up and Over on Paarl mountain and back to Durbanville taking in some of the gravel between the R44 and R312. Route distance should be similar - you could always extend it by going over Helshoogte and via Stellies on your way back. Just my 2c. Enjoy it and hope it's a good one.

I was looking to move the other way - I wanted something for my XC bike that was a bit more useful on the trails. I was running Ardent Race (2.3) up front and Aspen (2.25) at the back. I've now put the Ardent Race on the back with an Ardent (2.4) up front. This works well for me - rolls nicely, with more grip to enjoy the trails a bit more. I reckon this combo would work perfectly on a trail bike that's looking to roll faster.