buckstopper

In 2022 did the SB100 on Maxxis Rambler 40mm, and 2025 on Schwalbe G One Bites in almost the same time. . Lots of tar and the gravel not bad. Reaver 45s will be fine. Where I suffered was on the descent into Prince Albert. For the rest you're good to go.

It is not illegal to ride on National roads unless they are "Freeways', or if there is a sign forbidding bicycles.

IMHO It is a slippery slope once one starts bolting on softy stuff actually. Does the true spirit of gravel mean a dikwiel drop handled lwb roadbike or does anything go? Best thing about my gbike is wash'ngo, no springs to pamper etc. You see once you're through the washboard you forget the pain

And for us poors? How about slapping on a mtb rigid fork that can do a nice dikwiel? Surely tis front that really matters?

@Jbr I guess one just had to pick fights that we have a chance of winning. I left Fourways in 2023 after 30 years for a smaller town where I don't have to think about being rear-ended by a reckless or inattentive motorist. Saturday's tragedy not a surprise for me unfortunately. On a personal level, I feel everytime I go out there's a risk, although now the risks are easier to accept. But I do take risks on and off the road. I feel the less I expose myself to traffic related risks the less the chance of me ending up an unnatural death statistic.

I have duos on my road bike for about 5 years now. No spikes and I must say the dual sided power is nice. I got hooked on power when I bought a stages single sided pm. I put it on my gravel bike. It had issues on wet days and eventually gave in early this year. Luckily I was able to get the Garmin mx2 at 'family' price (R9k). I had started using the assiomas on the gbike. Road shoes and proper gravel rides not the best. Not the biggest fan of Garmins battery system for the pedals though. Much prefer the assioma charging process. Money no object, FA for me.

In SA cycling, road racing 'in teams' is a team sport in half the elite bunch and maybe 10-20% of the Vets groups. If you're afraid of bunches, ride in a small group of 3 or 4 and do a team tt for fun. Or ride alone. In which case you don't need to be doing 'tiring' intervals, at least not now. Just get used to riding the distance and maybe seek out some hills in October and you'll be fine

Your raceway prep starts when you commit to doing the race. You can't swat for an exam on the morning and hope to get a good mark. You have 17 weeks to raceday. I don't know what training you're doing, but you should be doing about 3-5 rides a week to do a semi-decent 947. (You gave your age and weight, and if you're healthy and on this forum you probably want to improve on your 4h19. To what? A sub 3h30? For this time (energy required, or how much you can burn at your power output) and your weight, 70g/hour is a lot. If, by the beginning of Nov you can do 75km in 3-3½ hours on a road bike, you will know what you need for energy on race day, (just add a bit). And you don't have to spend megabucks. I make my own juice and gels using mainly a mix of maltodextrin and fructose. Bought online. You can add flavouring for colour even. 4kg of carbs for about R400. Or even just sugar and water will do the job. Cheap. 3 bottles (1 behind your saddle) mixed 10% (80g carbs per 800g bottle) will give you about 240g nett carbs. 60 per hour. Plenty for you. But if you train and do a big ride every weekend you'll know come hoopla day. If you're good for a sub 2h45, it's another story, but even then at your weight 2 bottles at 10% and a couple bananas will see you home.

Did Louis go in any breaks? He had used this effectively in the past to climb GC

Apparently multiple flats for Beers (per Swenson)

In my training for the Ronde van Swartberg I was at 81kg 64yo (177cm), in my build up in 4 months I lost 5kg by eating more carbs before during and after my rides, (came down to about 15-20% body fat.) On my rest days I focused more on protein and eating less carbs. I drank very little alcohol, rather doing the 'zero' thing. I did my best recent years 'fatigued' numbers' (105% ftp on an 18min climb) 4 hours into a 70% I.f. gravel ride with 350g of nett carbs in me, mid April. Fueling at typical weekend warrior 40-60g per hour I could never have done that. Sometimes you gotta do what you just gotta do.

Watching the weather and wind closely for a friend. Looks like Saturday will be a warm day, 29c, with NW headwind during the afternoon. Hopefully it does cool higher up on the climb. Not a pushover this one.

If you can get a top 20 in your group and your best/last/seeding time is within 15 minutes of your age group Vets winning time, then maybe switch. It's much harder and more fun. And if you can stay in the 3rd group till 75k you're going well. Eg the 70-74 age cat winning time at CTCT this year around 2h45.

Maybe one from like Science2Sport etc...

Normally 400 to 550 ish. This was my 'big week' 3 weeks out from RvS. This week was 503. Prob 350 this coming week and 《200 for race week.

My understanding is that heart rate is very variable (within a person), higher could mean you are 'fresh' or have a virus or another issue), lower than normal could mean that you are fitter - (larger stroke volume), or you could be fatigued, and can't seem to get your heart rate up like 'normal'. I would also take google with a pinch of salt. We are all different. And while we do lose max hr over decades, your wife's hr seems well within range of a race winning 51 yo athlete. Maintaining a high max hr as you age is, to my knowledge, not necessarily a bad thing. My max 20 years ago, at 44, was 187, and my highest ahr for a 2 hour race then was 173. Now, at 64 my max is between 175 and 181 depending on how trained or rested I am. This week I could only manage 173 in a 5 min max effort, but this after a 743 tss week, and my power was within 5% of my best for 5 years. 3 months ago doing a similar test I got to 180 but a lower power number. I was not as fit then as I am now. I do not believe that pushing yourself as you age is necessarily a bad thing. NB atrial fib, though, is another thing to be aware of, particularly as you age.

True that

What's with all the psi stuff. Is that like a prostate health indicator? FWIW I run 1.4b (20psi) in my Rambler 50s. Wouldn't go any harder. Terrain here often dry, stony with sticky-out rocks, Fortuner ruts and cow shyte. Maybe not the 'fastest' gravel tyres but you know, they don't break in my proper heavy duty rims. Got a pair of G one 45s and am vassilating between running the 45s or 50s for RvS - 70k tar 100k gravel. Thoughts anyone?

I'm in for RvS and was hoping to do Road to Desolation in June, but it's been put on hold till 2026. I'm in EC so logistically not a train smash. Every time I've considered ATP the stories just dampen my enthusiasm somewhat

Pass

Head East by car for about an hour and a half. Very scenic drive to a place formerly called Grahamstown. Proper gravel routes for days. You could do a week long training camp here and not repeat your route. Also ride inland from Kenton towards Southwell, Bathurst, and beyond. No issues.

Dryland are doing the Cape Pioneer starting at R22500 for a solo, no frills. I reckon this'll go at about R4k per stage just to ride, and maybe eat.R12k would provide good value I reckon, including tents. Hope I don't hurt any feelings. Whataboutish perhaps, just my thumbsuck. Unless of course the masses have to subsidise the rich and famous in which case it'll be more. Anyway, watching with a finger on the enter button...

Yes you can! 70 km tar, 100 km gravel on public roads. Surely somebody will step in. Why didn't they try and sell the event? Or maybe they did?

How wide? I run '28mm tyres' with a vernier measured width of 30.4mm on my rim brake Scultura size S (52 ETT) without any brake rub. I have a Lightbicyle wheelset internal rim width 23mm. Fits no sweat, no frame drag cranking it out of the saddle at 1kW+

You heard it here first, he's moving to Ineos next year to teach them how to explode like a Grenadier. The UAE king issued the 'no attack' decree. Brailsford overhead Pog grumbling about this and offered him €10m...