RossTopher

do you have anyone from JHB coming down soon? alternatively, stomach the courier cost, consdiering the price per chain. Bikemarket has new (unboxed) Wippermann Connex chains for an absolute steal https://bikemarket.co.za/home/shop/components/drivetrain-gearing/chains/chain-11spd-connex-118-links-unboxed/ I've got 10 speed ones runnning on my bikes, and one sitting spare. they are also a dream for maintenance due to the quicklink design.

https://www.decathlon.co.za/cycling-bottles/168751-2488-fabric-handlebar-bottle-cage.html#/demodelsize-254/demodelcolor-8487122?queryID=34f8f9c30a97f38de882bb07a2d47cd9&objectID=2538918 If he's willing to mount to his bar, these kind of holders are fantastic. I'm no wild MTB'er, so can't vouch for how secure, but I used them on tours for myriad purposes, even a 500ml of yogurt

magic, thanks for the reply. I had a Supra which i never wore and donated, so never needed to find out, but had to use the Specialized replacement, and realised what an important value add it is. i'll buy my Arx Plus now!

With the ride JHB vouchers at CL/CWC, Im considering a new helmet. I can't seem to find anything on Scott's website or Google about crash replacement value or %. Does anyone know if Scott offer this on helmets? CL salesman says he is sure the do offer it, but can't recall details. Not keen to buy a helmet that I have to just write off completely if I wipe

3 decent options, all of which i regularly ride and are "safe". nothing is 100% safe, theres always opportunists. 1. the simple/short route along koeberg/adderley, left onto the philadelphia road. not much of a shoulder on the philadelphia road and vehicles hurtle past, but just keep your wits about you and keep an eye over your shoulder. 2. along wellington/klipheuwel and turn left before silos. reasonably wide shoulder until the turn, where its the same as above. biggest threat is the odd two-tone shirted hilux driver who believe everything needs to be driven to at 160. 3. a bit risqué and i'll catch flak but over vissershoek, onto the n7 (for 2km) and off at Van Schoorsdrif Rd (the ostrich farm road). albeit not for the faint of heart, i feel alot safer than on other roads, and only do it with BRIGHT lights and a buddy, early when cars are at a minimum. once you're off the N7 on van Schoorsdrif, its solitary bliss, no cars, no people. if riding solo is a concern. there are many forum folk who i'm sure would happily join for the pedal. weekend mornings, the roads are not want for cyclists.

i was at Solomons woodmead and Northcliff Cycles while up last week, and body had lots of stock Northcliff in particular had loads: BB's, cassettes, chains, chainrings, deraillers and shifters i am on an unending quest to find a 42 or 44t apex chainring, the one sram component i cant find

great news Lloyd they are so versatile, have great geometry (almost the same as the Revolt) and soak up the bumps. as mentioned, i did the same sort of conversion and its done loads of dirt roads and a weeklong tour thorugh the Karoo. My only splurge was on a set of Roval SLX 24 wheels and 40mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M, which completely transformed it. the ONLY foible was when i took it through one too many muddy crossings and on the last, deepest one, the wheels dug in. it's only then when you understand the benefit of disc brakes, as it was painstaking cleaning the brakes and my brand new rims to avoid scraping. sacrificed a whole bottle of water and a pair of socks cleaning them, but was then perfect for the next 60km.

Thanks for the responses. Ive watched a few videos and see two big points are ensuring the bb isn't forced against the lip on install, and to apply loctite (I think 641). Now to decide whether to stick with my cx bike, or go for the caad

How bad is pressfit, or at least how bad are Cannondale alu frames with the bb30 creak? I'm toying with an opportunity to swap my bike for a CAAD12, which will suit me better in terms of use, gearing etc. Ive only read bad things about pressfit, and only have experience of threaded GXP, hollowtech, regular fsa megaexo, and that dreaded FSA bb4000 19mm setup that consumes a BB every 15 seconds. Am I making a mistake moving from a threaded GXP to a pressfit bb30 bike, albeit with better components, or am I making way too much of this? Is it more the carbon frames that are a pain

you can order from Suunto - Price delivered is under 6000 which seems a bargain. I contemplated it at the time, but got a Wahoo on a decent sale. https://www.suunto.com/en-za/Products/partner-products/karoo-2-cycling-computer/karoo-2-cycling-computer/ part of me regrets it, but the Wahoo does all i need, except for the nightmare trying to get it, and my Polar HRM results into any app/format that will work for Discovery. So if Vitality points are your thing, go Garmin. the headache isnt worth it

couldnt agree more.

A bunch of us set off back from Malgas and past water point 1. A few climbs between 12-16% and we ended on about 2660m climbing over the 148km. I thought we had a tough one until reading these comments, and seeing people mudslide over the line. Did the extend cut-off because of the pont? It must have been a brutal, cold return

a good point, well made. the offer stands to contribute if you find something.

Andreas, here are a couple new options. sounds like he needs something fresh for all the mileage https://www.decathlon.co.za/bike-gearing/327079-11049-bike-triple-bottom-bracket-7-8-and-9-speeds.html#/demodelsize-254no_size/demodelundefined-968556?queryID=c60f206ea7b20181aad587dca081e6f3&objectID=4096853 https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/shimano-fc-ty501-front-chainwheel/ https://www.cwcycles.co.za/product/shimano-crankset-fc-ty301 i see you posted in the other forum, but if you dont come right, i'll gladly go 50/50 with you on a new crankset to help a fella out, of if you find something on the hub. just PM me bank details and damage (i will only be able to pay on Wed though :)...

I swear by Decathlon for pretty much anything, but don't order clothes online. Some of the lower end stuff can be pretty transparent, or have weird material, sizing is bizarre, and chamois can be really ill fitting (completely inflexible), so unless you're in store, i'd not risk it. The quality is there on the as the prices increase, but for 1300, i'll stick to Monton.

if they're comfortable, have grip, cleat placement is far enough back, and the closure is reliable, then thats all you need to consider. maybe the most important thing is to look at Sidi's closure vs a normal boa in terms of reliability, replacement etc. how much of the name is marketing. I have a pair of Sidi Swifts, which are supposedly an indoor shoe, and they have survived mud, rain and rivers, and a lot of walking.

I'll probably be lynched for saying it...but what about cable disc and upgrade to hydro calipers like those TRPs = easiest/cheapest balance of parts and maintenance costs, with advantages re brake surface as @Jewbacca mentioned. I never thought I'd need or want 11 speed, until I tried to find 10 speed Campag cassettes that I don't have to sell a kidney for, so the answer should factor in the manufacturer.

excellent, thanks @Naidy, it sounds like going the sram route actually opens up a lot of options. 12 speed always seemed like a world away for me, but i will look at the kit, and not make any rushed decisions on the cassette. Seems like the best option is to go rear wheel shopping, and that at least gives me a good foundation for the 11vs12 speed and cassette range considerations. then i dont need to mess with the chainring for now. it least they're easy to change, so i can swap out the 40 and maybe a 44 as needed.

thanks @Wayne pudding Mol. heard nothing but postives re garbaruk, but 11-46 is a bit too wide for my needs, and it just doesnt meet the need unless i'm going the XD route. Seems the ethirteen 9-39 is probably the ideal solve.

I'll likely go new, most probably Lyne or Rapide. Actually ended up with an incredible set of Roval rim brake wheels recently on clearance, so will keep my eyes peeled. burned myself with 2nd hand wheels before so i am very wary. hard to tell on inspection, but finding out at a service how badly damaged the internals were, or ending up roadside with multiple spokes snapping (32 spoke wheels) etc. It's in no way the sellers fault, but wheels likely won't behave the same when you're over 100kg, buying from someone nearly half that.

thanks @Sid the Sloth. i am keeping a close eye on this. Sure its pricey, but compared to other stores or bringing one in, it looks a relative bargain: https://getstokedonline.co.za/product/e13-xcx-plus-11-spd-cassette-9-39t/ that should mean no chainring change, and i really just need a rear wheel for now. i can get a matching front wheel when the funds become available

thanks for the info. food for thought from everyone. checking the ratios on Sheldon Brown, it seems i dot get much change between the 4 options, a half kph here and there, so if i want real impact, consensus appears to be the 9t/10t cassettes. I have WTB TCS i19, on shimano 105 hubs. my rear hub is 142mm, so is it as simple as buying an MTB/gravel wheel built with an XD driver?

that is a lovely bike. i swore i'd never go 1x, but the bike i got was too nice, and the 1x11 has been fine. i have 2x10 on the MTB and a hybrid gravel build so if i go somewhere that needs the options, they offer that. so this is really going to be about 90% tar, mainly for the paintwork

thanks, i'll give them a shout. its a 110BCD 4 bolt assymetric, so not the same as the 4 bolt 110 shimano setup, nor the 5 bolt 110's. the only place i can find the 42 is Bike Addict, and thats only online, so the only way to find out about its existence is to "order" and wait. i think a 46 or 50 may be overkill for my needs, i run a 11-42 on my MTB with 26/36 up front a and find the 42 so inefficient. i prefer to grind than spin

thats the cassette!!!! if it works on your road bike, i should be good with those ratios. i may not get the 50t up front, but i must just up the rpm. bonus points for that entire setup being so easy on the eye. gorgeous.