RossTopher

@Wayne pudding Mol and @ACE Cycles . thanks, it does seem like the ideal "money no object" solution. I have looked at garbaruk and e13 and while the prices are high, my reading says they'll run forever, and a lot more resilient than the sram 10t cassettes. my bike has 105 hubs though, so i dont think i can just replace the freebody with an XD, so it will be new wheels + the 3-4k cassette... which is a bit dear

yip, i am looking for the most cost effective option, so no changing of shifters etc. its an 11 speed Apex1 hydro groupset, with Rival1 RD which i believe you can push to 46, but thats overkill for me. sounds like 42t in the front is the way to go. bigger chainring is more efficient.

my first foray into a 1x setup. Its a cyclocross bike which i intend to use primarily as my training/do-it-all road bike and casual adventurer. (i have dedicated road and mtb's so dont need to hit 500kph, or climb everest on this) It has an APEX 40t up front with 11-36 at the back. so far its unfaultable, bar the odd spinning out (but thats good resting time). i am in no rush to change, but want to hear thoughts of more learned folks, as i do feel like both top and bottom end may get limited on that chainring. i was initially looking at getting a SRAM/sunrace 11-42 (or shimano's slightly different ratios), but a bit of research has me set on Shimano 11-40, which has much better ratio jumps. obviously neither changes the top end. the Sram 11-42 is ostensibly the same as the 11-36, with my most used 12t sacrificed for a massive jump at 36 to 42. the Apex BCD is bizarre, rings are like hens teeth, so while i can get a 42t, i think i should, as i cant find 44 anywhere. i want to future proof and make sure i get the right cassette and if the 2t gain is worth it. if i went 11-40, would there be any noticeable speed gain from up front, or does the downside of tougher climbing outweigh it by not having a 1:1 ratio? I've done the Sheldon Brown stuff, but want some real world thoughts. Long story short, whats the best combo: 40t with 11/40 or 11/42 42t with 11/42 or 11/40 PS: 2x is better! PPS: not currently considering wheel changes to cater to 10/9t cassettes for top end. its just too costly, and seems those 9/10s dont last. having said that, the rims are 19mm IW and cinturato gravel h 40's, so its pretty much the limit. so is a wheel change the only real answer?

the popular spots are the Checkers and Village centre with Vida and Bootlegger. Personally, i prefer Barra (on Gladstone) or Virginia (on Chenoweth). a little quieter, and great if you also have franchise "allergies" both have lots of parking space and bike racks, make a good coffee, and are less crowded on a Sat morning.

those hit all the roads i know and regularly ride on my own. one option on the 2nd route is to take Malanshoogte from Addeley. you get a stretch of dirt before a smooth tar climb over to Visserhoek and then over back to durbanville. adds a good couple hills that the other roads lack. if you're able to stretch it to Wellington/Hermon, there is the Porseleinberg road. just dont try access it from Voorpaardeberg, that leads to private land.

+1 for Sludge. Not sure if there's any difference between the mtb "uniseal" vs road "pro series", but I use the road one. Had 5 punctures in 3 days on 38c gravel tyres that seem to have a thorn magnet in the tread. 50ml in each tube and not a single flat since. I use Enduroseal on tubeless setups, and decant the big bottle into old Sludge bottles. Handy for topping up, and carrying on longer tours and less plastic wastage. Edit: I see they do sell 1litre bottles but it's double the price of enduroseal, and bizarrely enough, it's nearly R100 cheaper to buy 10x100ml than 1x1litre

very nearly got a set of these, but it was the long/short set for gripship (i think) so left it. all their grips look lush. i have the bartape on 2 bikes and its a revelation in comfort, grip and durability. i hear great things about the inner bar ends too.

i dont do full-on MTB'ing, so went for the Fabric Ergo's. wings give great wrist support for long hours of grinding, like the Ergons. Just a lot cheaper. The wings are well designed so dont intrude if you need a more traditional hold on descents. Shop around, figure out your preferred shape and feel, and don't rush it. nothings cheap, and it can make or break your ride. DMR deathgrips look and feel great. Them and the ESI's seem the go-to for proper offroading, which is above my needs and abilities. as mentioned above, its all down to personal preference. its "whats the best saddle" lite.

thanks all for the info. i feel so dof, i never even considered a bike shop. at the fit, i was told to get 2.5mm from a hardware store and try 1, then 2 for the ideal fit. so was fixated on getting from a hardware store. managed to get a 14 today, and learned that if you get 2 from a shop, they are free. if you ask for 10, you pay R75 added a couple to each bike and at least the look axles have a bit more thread than shimano (or so i have read). should keep my heels from the stays. @Zebra i have been looking at those for a while. they could well be a long term solution on the road bike, so will see what the Fitter says on follow up and may give you a shout if yours turn up. there are some on https://gpm-sports.co.za/cube/bikefit-pedal-spacer-20mm-solid-pair.html, they're just helluva pricey.

I need to move my pedals out slightly, so was on the hunt for washers. i believe the pedal axle (including thread) is about 14.2mm. so would need a 14.5-15mm internal diameter. I finally found M14 washers in a 3mm width, but need to bore them out slightly to get them over the thread. it seems M15 is non-existent and 16mm is way too loose. can anyone recommend a place in the CT northern suburbs who could help, or if i should rather get some laser cut? thanks

I have a few pedals, brake levers and v-brake components. I'll dig around tomorrow and get everything together and pm you to arrange drop off. its not much, but may help someone

yes, thank you @Steady Spin , a local shop found one for me. appreciate you checking up.

Did the bikefit show up any uneven interactions with the bike. If you're only getting it on 1 side and spot, are you maybe listing to the left. Are you left handed/footed? Different leg lengths or a pelvic alignment issue could cause that? Bib/saddle testing could get expensive. Good luck with the recovery.

thank you @RobertWhiteheadand @ridr, i appreciate you both making the effort for something so miniscule. i am going to call around today, and will let you know if i am still stuck.

Thank you, that would be excellent. Attached a pic of the brake mount, and from the net. Appears bolts come in m8 and m10 bolts, and I should be using m10

1 boss battle away from the end... i am hoping someone possibly has some old v-brake bosses lying around. maybe if you have a bike with disc and v-brake mounts and could go without the vee bosses/posts. will pay! i was changing brake arms and the pivot unscrewed with the arm, then i messed up the thread trying to extract the bolt

I've not ordered from their site, but the phyiscal address and phone number on the Monton site is all Northcliff Cycles details, so i think its just a formalisation of the distribution. I just called and confirmed with them that website sizing is the european fit, but there is a size guide

It doesn't answer your question, so excuse the unsolicited recommendation, but don't sleep on Monton. https://www.montonsa.co.za/products/SKULL-Bib-shorts-Black-Men-p435755048 I chanced a pair about 2 years back and now alternate 4 sets and won't bother with anything else. Bought at Northcliff Cycles. Got to check fit and colours first and even got a little discount.

i did this on a giant escape with 105 5601 shifters. kept the stock brakes for a while until i found a cheap shimano r353 front which is 90mm (so semi mini-V) and a slight upgrade. i will still consider the Tektro 926 down the line. it works perfectly well, considering: the pads need to be close to the rim to minimise lever travel wheels must be true, or will cause gentle rub because of the spacing 38mm tyres needed to be deflated, or v-brake unhooked to remove wheels the stock wheels are a great width and setup easily. i recently changed to a maddux rear (same int width) but is a little wider outer and harder to set the brake position

if you're running the Scoop shallow, but width is an issue, maybe check out the Line. Scoop only comes in 142mm, while the Line is mainly available in the 134mm, but only the Shallow profile (no flat or radius). I've got Scoop Shallow with different rails on all my bikes. Had a Line for a while, thinking the relief channel would be a win. it was torture and i ended up with saddle sores. what a difference 8mm makes. local retail prices are insane - I've been eyeing another off the CRC clearance sale.

i am hoping someone can help me out with a lockring for a cateye light mount. i think the computer mounts use the same thing, so maybe if someone has a busted light/computer and one of these lying around? thanks.