Ashchest

So on Thursday I picked up a ShockStop suspension stem as an addition to my Gravel bike and to smooth out some of the bumps and make for a more comfortable ride when going for some adventure "go anywhere" rides. I replaced the stock elastomers for the next level up that is recommended for my weight when I installed the unit. After installation the first natural step was to press down on the handlebars to feel the effect - my immediate thought was that it felt like my MTB front FOX fork when locked out - giving that short stiff travel on a locked out FOX to still take the edge off minor bumps. Yesterday I took my GP300 out for a 35 km ride - when I got onto my bike to ride out on the brick driveway ,things immediately felt different - then I remembered the ShockStem. The stem works very well and it makes the ride very smooth on tar roads - but it is when you hit Gravel at high speeds when the real effect is felt - it does what it says and it is good! I am glad I made the investment. The Stem does not remove the large bumps, but it does take the edge off them. I will test the different available elastomers and on a next ride test the lower options that should give even more suspension than what I currently have on - I think the next lower option will work perfect for me because I felt nothing strange or any compromise when riding even when riding out of the saddle. During my ride I definitely felt more confidence to hop off and onto the side of the road "MTB style" to side-step normal traffic and take shortcuts

Ek dink ek sal maar net 'n dubbel brannewyn drink na die tyd?

Great!!

So Sunday I rode with the pressure at 65 Psi but the ride was still very rigid and bumpy. Yesterday and today I rode at 45 Psi front and 50 Psi back and it is perfect! They still roll nicely and fast, but the 50 Psi gives it a very nice plushness and I do not see any chance of pinched flats or other problems at this pressure. I assume the 55 Psi low rating on the tires are for bigger people and that my 78 kg weight could probably allow for lower pressures (with tubes)

That rings a bell.

I actually recall that I had to get off my bike to que in order to get past some of the crowded water points.

I am aiming for a 3:30 time with the 42 x 11-42 gravel frame- that is if I don't start in the 9:30 group, because then I will spend half my time on the brake levers to dodge the party people My last participation was in 2011 on my 26" dual suspension with 3 x 9 and because I entered late , if I remember correctly my start group only took off around 9 am! My time then was 4:15 In 2012 I got engaged and then married and started the baby making process. I started riding my wife and not the bicycle and cycling events not a priority at all This year is my BIG comeback and I am aiming for position 6055 - that is if there are no e-bike cheaters

2 weeks ..... maybe he should learn to sit up straight first? Congrats! My boys first started off strapped into the bike trailer towed by myself, along with riding those annoying plastic 3 wheel kick bikes. The Balance bike is for sure the best upgrade after the kick bike stage. Got my youngest a kick bike on his 3rd birthday because he showed no interrest in the small pedal one's with training wheels. He loves he's balance bike

Thanks! But 3 x is going to be impossible because I will be out of the country and I foresee only being able to do 1 of the races mentioned above - the Rand Water race. Will there be any merit in doing only 1 x? If not then I will just rather do my normal solo Sunday ride of 75 - 100 km's on that day. I see on the 947 website it says races longer than 90km will improve seeding? Input much appreciated

I have ZERO seeding, but was wondering if I could get a seeding by entering 1x race before the event? Can this be done and if so which race and distance (in Gauteng) could qualify me for a better seeding. I hate a late start time as with previous events and having to find my way between all the thousands of slower riders.

I also adjusted the reach of the brakes and shifter. It has been a very very long time since I rode with drop bars.

Thanks, I actually did that since the pic was taken and it is better.

Last Sunday I did my "last Sunday morning 75km road loop" with my dual suspension MTB and I thanked her for the "Road / Gravel" service she gave me, and I also promised that moving forward I will only ride her on proper trails where she was meant to be used. This morning I took my new GP300 ride on the same loop for a proper feel on the longer ride. It was a bit windy, but to my surprise I took a full 21 minutes off my previous MTB time with an average speed increase of about 1,4 km / hr. MTB time was 3hr 22min and GP300 time was 3hr 01min. I also felt much more comfortable during the entire time and by the end of the ride I felt that I could easily go further and was tempted to ride another 20 km - but decided to rather stop so that I can have a proper comparison on the exact same route. (I will push it another 20-30km further on next Sunday ) I have forgotten how much work the front and rear suspension on a MTB actually do, although I have ridden it locked out, but the rigid frame on the GP300 does require much more rider input to help deal with the unevenness of some off road / gravel sections - more on the front than on the rear - But this is something I have to get used to - or maybe look at a Lauf or Redshift front system in the future to help with more comfort for my hands and arms? The X-Plor tyres that comes stock with GP300 are very grippy and corners extremely well, But they are not the TL versions. The Weinmann rims are Tubeless Ready rims, so I will probably have to buy TL tyres if I want to go Tubeless and run lower pressures for more comfort. I have dropped the pressure from 75Psi to about 60 and although it did provide a bit softer ride, I know that the ability to go down to around 40 will make it even softer. I will try to drop the X-plor pressures a bit more, perhaps to 50 psi? But don't want to go too low because the specification on them says min pressure of 55Psi ?? Overall, I am extremely impressed and so happy with the new GP300 ride - it is a whole different experience and it is so nice! I feel like I am flying even though there is a lot for me to get used to with the new geometry, drop bars, rigidness and all - but it is awesome!!!

So I took her out for a quick 36 km ride to get a feel And ......Awesome! The bike responds so well and felt very good overall and especially when cornering. I pumped the X-plor tyres to 75 Psi front and back, but think I will drop it a bit to 65 and see how it feels on the next ride tomorrow as it was a bit bumpy on some of the rocky gravel sections and some speed bumps. The Sram Double Tap and 1 x 11 works so smooth and easy and I am very glad that there is only 1 x chainring in the front. The Mechanical Tektro Spyre brakes are more than sufficient. I will increase saddle height by 1 cm and perhaps take the handlebar down a notch.

It arrived this morning!

The " the lycra-clad homeboys" and " these spandex enthusiasts" Sounds like the writer seriously doesn't like the fact that he cannot compete?

Oh the wait! And the long weekend didn't help much to ensure speedy delivery of my new wheels In the meanwhile the extra's I ordered from Momsen to compliment my GP300 arrived and at least I can now look at them and Imagine what they will look like on the frame. 1 x Tubby Tank and 2 x red bottle cages I must say, the service from Two Wheels (Momsen) was very quick and impressive. They phoned me a couple of times to make sure hat I received my order and that I was happy with it

So after visiting various shops and trying on some shoes and reading many reviews I finally decided it was time to put my old Shimano MT 52's on the backup shelf and spoil my feet with something new and more current. (hence the reason why I was so glad to read about the BOA replacements earlier )

WOW!!! Awesome!

I think I am very fortunate where I live - although there is traffic it is only very heavy on a few parts and intersections. I live in the western side of Centurion in Clubview and if I go across the M10 & Old Jhb I enter Valhalla , Swartkop & Voortrekker Hoogte area between the hills with loads of nice back routes. I see plenty of cyclist in this area especially early Sunday mornings.

Dankie Gemmerkat - I will definately come and give some reviews. I have been riding my MTB always fully locket out and with 38mm semi slicks for the last 2 months so really look forward to see how the GP300 is going to perform on my known routes -compared.

Bike-Addict https://bike-addict.co.za

It is now 4 months since I got back in the saddle of my "Old 26'er" and It has been an absolute blast to burn some fat and get the exercise levels up again. Sunday I went out for a 75 km cycle and really love to start cycling from my doorstep and just to pick a route and ride! For the last 25 years I have bought several Mountain bikes and always enjoyed the trails - but recently I found myself riding more road and odd gravel routes. Currently my dual suspension which I bought back in 2010 had to serve as my road and gravel bike and it does not see much trails at all. To be honest - the idea of loading my MTB in a car and to drive 20 or 30 km's to a commercialised (paid) trail to cycle 30 or 40 km's just to drive back home again in my car became too much of a hassle and it felt as it I spent more time packing and driving my car than actual cycling. Anyway, let me get to the point For the last 3 months I have been searching online and read up to familiarise myself again with bikes and gear and stuff and drove to many bikes shops in Gauteng to look at different models of mostly Gravel and CX bikes to see and get a feel for them physically. My goal was to buy a second bike geared more towards just riding from my house here in Centurion for 3 to 4 hrs. I have no need for the best and most advanced and lightweight bike, but was looking for something that will be durable and comfortable and not cost an arm or a leg to get or (most importantly) maintain! And then keep my MTB only for the odd trail / fun rides. So after my search and research adventure I finally came across something that I believe is a good value for money bike that will be easy to maintain, yet comfortable and a nice ride to just enjoy being out there! I found out that there were still a couple of the 2018 model Momsen GP 300's in stock in my size and that they were actually slightly better specced than the 2019 models, same frame, different paint job and at a very attractive price. Yesterday I placed the order and got myself one of them 'last year" models for a mere R12 900 !!! Brand spanking New! I hope to take delivery before the weekend Details and specs: https://momsenbikes.com/2018-bikes/gp300/

I entered yesterday - looking forward to the vibe and to ride with all the people and with no cars on the road

I know formula is not mentioned by the OP but was wondering if they are any good - like the R1's? I have RX's on my nearly 10 year old MTB and they have have served me extremely well - only required bleeding once.