[Race to the Sun : Race prep leading up to the 6th of May 2023.]

Train 5 to 6 quality hours in the week .I try and do as many road 100km races as i can before such a long event ,they do wonders for your legs and endurance .Ride over four hours at least once . Pace yourself . Cramps in the last 30 km will be the biggest challenge for most riders .Have a plan for them .Get your core in proper shape .Eat and drink normal food .Energy drinks ,gels help but they do not replace proper hours in the saddle     

[Gravel bike rental for Race to the Sun]

Gauteng gravel roads are not the same as in the western cape .Even on a MTB it is rough .IMO all the gravel sections will be faster on a mtb .Only the last section is 20km on tar.It can be done with a gravel bike ,but on corrugations and cornering a mtb is saver and faster 

[Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?]

16 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Groenland berg won't be muddy. the surface is sandy and there are lots of drainage ruts.It will be more solid with some large puddles but nothing these guys can't handle. The bigger issue is going to be the added surface drag on the climbs. Weakening legs will feel it early on

I rode Groenland berg in 2019 Epic in the rain .Riding up was slippery and you kinda lose every third pedal stroke .Downhill is fun and fast .If you hesitate disaster looms ,if you trust your abilities and gun it down its awesome 

[Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?]

30 minutes ago, PappaWatTrap said:

Seeing that this is all Epic, I’m very curious to find out how do the Cape Epic attract people like Nino,

Does he get paid to take part and to make media posts? A few days leading up to the race he would make some Epic posts on instagram. I’m just curious on how the economics work around the athletes . 
 

I understand that this might not be the place but if anyone knows or has some insight please send me a DM. 

Scott pays his salary .They decide where there is the best exposure to their paid representative .Probably gets a bonus for winning  

[Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?]

4 hours ago, babse said:

As long as my 120kg CEO can enter this race without any qualification... This is not even close to the tour de France 

If amateurs were allowed to enter Le Tour at the same numbers as the Epic and allowed double the time to finish like Epic ,i see a lot of people taking that on year after year .Your 120kg CEO can make it if he prepared .It will be hard ,but doable .You need to be fit and be able to ride technical trails .Some of these amateurs spend a year preparing .Show me another event motivating to such a degree 

[Bike jacking Delma's rd again]

This has been my regular route since Covid . I have ridden there many times alone . Buffels no more , now delmas no more .Groenkloof trails unkept .I prefer to ride alone .Since the sinkhole is fixed the trucks are abundant again . Not safe anyway

[[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023]

Done & dusted my first one .Really beautiful route with excellent road conditions .Missed under 4 h by 1minute .Must be the gravel tyres .On the smooth tar i battled to keep up with the groups ,but on the rough tar on chapman's peak ,i felt i was faster .My first impressions .Well organized  .I think 94.7 ridejoberg have a lekkerder roadside crowd .Chappies is the hardest hill ,but suikerbossie is the wrong hill at the wrong time .The last 20 km takes looong .The City is very clean .Well done organizers  

[[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023]

Riding my first CTCT . Prep was bad .I will be riding on the road converted to gravel bike and be using that as an excuse for not coming near 3h30 minutes .My goal was to ride with my daughter and her husband ,but their prep was /is to pump their tires and ride ,so i think i will be frustrated riding with them .Looking forward to a beautiful day around Cape Town 

[Absa Cape Epic’s Last Lions still roaring]

The lions don,t pay entry fees anymore .The Epic has some form of addiction that very few other races have . I have done two and would certainly do more if life permitted it .The only other event i have experienced such an addiction is the Magalies Monster .You know you are going to suffer and that brings you back . It is an evil race . The six month,s before the start your mind seems to lock onto the idea of it and it cannot be removed

[Best vehicle for bikes]

57 minutes ago, Baracuda said:

When it comes to extended corrugated roads, like those in Namibia or the Kalahari, one needs to rent a car. Even the wear and tear on a Land Cruiser makes renting far more preferable.

For Nam you need large 4x4 tires at 1,8 bar and never go over 100km/h on the dirt roads to avoid punctures .If you have Michelins ,take two spares 

[Best vehicle for bikes]

Very entertaining and lots of info on cars .

[Best vehicle for bikes]

7 hours ago, buckstopper said:

Maybe it'd be worth the OP defining what he needs in a 'student car'. I would start with, in order,

1. Affordability 

2. Reliability 

3. Economy

4. Practicality 

5. Safety 

6. Risk to own (affordable cover)

7. Parts availability and price

8. Size, (bigger not always better in campus or res parking situations)

9. Resaleability

10. Colour, boring white probably best

Maybe OP could award points on the above criteria and then let the aggregate score be the rationale. 

If he's a student he should aspire to being smart rather than clever, and he's already shown he is, by coming to the hub veluminati for advice

PS As a student parent I made point 5 on my list a starting eliminator for cars to pick from, that I chose for my offspring and surprised them with when they reached milestones. I bought a Renault Clio 3 1.6 in 2012, a Jazz in 2013, a Renault Megane in 2015. All 3 proved bought used proved to be sensible IMHO 

I see you avoid VW and Toyota like me. First priority is safety for me to .Too many noob drivers have either been killed or have been in accident,s . I don,t want my child to be a carjack victim either ,the reason i avoid above mentioned makes .Student,s don,t drive that much if they live on or near campus so economy is not that important to me ,reliability is .They often have to park outside and they will bump the car at some point .You don,t want a high insurance premium either .

[New Shoes. Please Help.]

On 2/9/2023 at 5:36 PM, JC said:

Hi All,
I have gone through the forum and previous chats.

My current MTB Shoes, Shimano XC501 may be too small, or my feet are too wide for them. Also, I am getting numbness on the front and outer sides of my feet. And yes, I have gone for a bike fit. 

Anyway, I bought a road bike for triathlon and decided to get a new pair of MTB shoes to use for the mtb and road bike. 

I've been doing some research over the last couple of days, and I can't narrow it down to what I need to get.
I am currently looking at the Specialized Recon 3.0 or Shimano XC702 Wide (having difficulty finding a shop that stocks them). Other brands recommended online were Sidi, Lake, Giro and Bont. I like Sidi, but I prefer BOA for Triathlons. Couldn't find a shop that stocks Bont or Lake, and not keen to buy online as I already own one pair that I thought was the correct fit which ended up not being.

Any suggestions or tips would be great. Thanks!

Spez and Scott .Buy the Nylon sole type .Amateurs like us don,t need carbon soles

 

[Best vehicle for bikes]

6 minutes ago, eala said:

2003 model R6900 .25000km .These cars were built to do 700000km .Lexus USA reputation is built on this model .Best selling SUV in North America .Same 3L petrol engine as the Toyota Camry 

[Best vehicle for bikes]

[Best vehicle for bikes]

20 hours ago, Showtime said:

There was a guy in my first year who had a Ford Fairlane. Coolest car in res by a mile.

Both my two daughters used a 2001 prado 90 series as a student car .It was paid for ,insurance is R300 a moth for 3 party and they could park anywhere they want to .Away weekends the friends all shared petrol and they used it as a comfortable long trip car .It is also saver than these modern tin cans that sell for double what that car was worth 

[Best vehicle for bikes]

On 2/3/2023 at 8:26 PM, Eddy Gordo said:

I think the Honda Jazz is hands down the best option. With seats down you can get a few bikes inside. 

An older station wagon type car could also work for you, but to find smaller ones are gonna be tough

I used my lexus rx 300 for ten years as my cycling car .I can fit a XXL MTB inside ,lying flat .They arn,t the lightest on petrol ,but also super reliable and cheap to repair 

[Bike Addict]

I eventually received goods ,but it took way more calls , emails and persuasive harsh words than it should have been . It,s not only Bike addict thou . It is rare to find good service in RSA currently .Vote with where you spend your money 

[Scratched Carbon]

Standard handlebar scratch from bars overturning in fall with or without rider .All my bikes have this signature . I will just put a sticker over it .Model paint from a hobby store should work nicely if you really have to fix it ,but it is bound to happen again 

[Best Tyres for Cape Epic]

The rocks arn,t as sharp in the western cape as they are in Gauteng and the magaliesberg .I rode with what i use up here Vittorio Barzo and Maxxis ikon,s .More important is to have the correct sealant and enough of it .Only fresh Stan,s ,tyrejuice or ryder sealant .Those unbreakable orange tubes are crap .Ours lasted 30 minutes before puncturing .The area around the valve is also too wide and does not fit in some rims ,so they don,t allow a good seal .Take two normal robust rubber tubes and test them before .I lost an Epic medal because of the above mentioned .Robustness is more important than weight .I used a Schwalbe nobby nick in front once and with my 100kg weigh ,i never slipped on any off camber turns .My second event i used Maxxis ikon,s 2,4 back and front with no punctures .Ikon,s and schwalbe tyres are reasnoble easy to get of the rim if you need to .Vittorios are excellent but can be a monster to take of and replace again 

[Anybody had decreasing resting HR with decreasing fitness?]

Much more info needed like age for example .Ex Springbok rugby player friend that has always been fit ,trained his whole life ,all the cardiovascular parameters are excellent ,needed a pacemaker for a heart rate disturbance .Lots of very fit people end up with large floppy hearts that give rhythm problems .Go see a cardiologist . I discovered that i have two leaking heart valves only after ten years of serious cycling  

[Gravel Bike i.s.o Road Bike?]

I ride a Spez roubiax that is supposed to be a road bike ,but i use it as a road and gravel bike .Comfortable and i no more have worries of going of the tar and cutting across a gravel section to join up again on another tar section .I use 32mm panaracer tires on it and it is certainly a more comfortable ride than my proper BMC road bike . I would certainly consider getting a proper gravel bike like a Spez Diverge .

[Buffelsdrift closing down]

I spoke to the manager last year before spring and already they were talking about it .The good rains we are having is not good for them .No customers and higher maintenance .When they started out we were just getting out of a drought so the trails were used a lot 

[Where has your bike taken you today?]

[Magalies Mini-Munga 105km route - chaser dogs?!]

10 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

if you're using the mist spray, the jet is less likely to be carried by the wind.

 

BUT, be cautioned. It can still get on you. And touching any sensitive areas will BURN.

The problem is that even the jet spray leaves some residue on your hands and even the tiniest amount can cause a huge problem if you are far out in the sticks and have to cycle back like in this case where they were far from help .The water bottle solution is a better option in this case .I have also done it and it actually works