Li Mu Bai

I have 3 dead GXP's sitting at home, going to try get pull them apart

thanks, great piece of info.

Must agree, the Sram GXP isnt a great bb, they just dont last and take on too much water/filth. Problem is the different size bearings needed on each end of the crank arm. Reading back, it seems I can remove the step down collar and use it on a shimano BB - great news. Previously I had used XTR bottom brackets on my race face cranksets - The XTR is really brilliant, lasted forever. GXP is really disappointing, especially since it can get ruined after just 1 or 2 muddy/rainy rides.

nope windguru still holding firm, 28-44km/h (excluding gusts) use your skinny rims

ride with him if you can. will make anything he goes through easier and great to have his hero with him.

It usually is more accurate closer to the day. start making predictions by friday, but windfinder concurs. its going to blow its tits off.

really enjoying the Cadence classes at Fourways (design quarter). Music is great, classes are always different and work to each persons indiv ability. Barry Mocke is a great coach, keeps it fun and challenging, and actually shows a lot of interest in each participant. Big thumbs up, since getting my kid to school has robbed me of my early morning mtb rides.

thats just shocking. hope they get taken to task for that appalling behavior.

Knysna and oyster festival - great vibe and events are fun too. Argus vibe does more to keep me going back than taking a 4 day break or visiting CT. Amashova is a great race too, only think that has limited me from doing it more often is the logistics of starting in PMB and finishing in Durbs.

I used an X9 clutch rear derailleur - sucked plenty. The chain would pull the derailleur jockey hanger so far forward when it sucked that it would lock into place and i would have to stop to disengage it for fear of ripping it off completely. I think the Dullstroom mud was still causing some havoc in the jockey - its going to get a full cleaning shortly. My gear cables were also sticking nicely using 2x10 trigger shifters, so that needed constant tweeking to get the gears to engage. fun and games.

I think the difference then might be between the shimano and sram setup. I was chain sucking from the first climb at 5km. Maybe it has something to do with the manufacturer. I agree that if you go 1x10, you have to have the bailout sprocket of 42t to cope with the steep stuff. At the PSG Karatara event in december i got a PROPER workout using a 32 front, 11/36 rear 1x10 setup. I do prefer the spinning range that 2x10 gives, BUT havent been enjoying the chainsuck in my last several events.

yup, lekker ride.

Thanks Fritz, Wessel, Tim, and the Sabie co. Lekker weekend away with the family. Marathon was really tough, first full 75km Classic there for me. I can imagine the route to be quite spectacular, some gaps in the cloud really gave the most amazing glimpses into the landscape. Mud seemed worse than last years Lowveld Quest. Bullsh.. um, Bushpig Run was hectic, wheels stopped turning as the mud caked on and my bike went from 13kg to 30kg, and I got 10cm taller. Had some hectic heart stopping saves as my Rocket Rons skated perpendicular to some of the "sand" (read clay) roads. Water points - great, 2000% better than Dullstroom - enough to drink and eat, and still get a quick drivetrain squirt. Thank you. Pity the forest single track was so wet, caution got the better of me and it was slow going at times. The Mamba - niiiice. always difficult having to pedal backwards to go forwards. 2x10 chainsuck has really spoilt my last two marathons, and even last years Sani Race day2 was diabolical. I realise the 3x9 is much better and 1x10 with a 42 bailout sprocket is definitely the way forward. 2x10 chainrings are just too close for mud riding, and no lube could deal with Saturdays slush, not even Smoove. Will be back, rain or shine, Sabie is a great event. Put back Barberton into the Series mix and the world will be a better place

The biggest plus of going 1x is avoiding chain suck. In the 2x10 system, with having the chainrings so close together, mud fills it up nicely and pretty soon your chain is riding up the back of the chainring and pulling your deraileur hanger waaaay past its comfortable position. too much of this and it snaps off. I like 1x10, BUT rode the PSG race in Karatara - if there are steep hills and all you have is a 32 in front and 11/36 at the back, be prepared to work. its much harder, especially when you are used to spinning up climbs on a 2x10 setup. That said, going with a Onedesign 42 sprocket on the back will certainly even the playing field.

sounds like you have Big issues

1x10

I would suggest Aluminium too. Carbon although strong doesnt have the longevity that Alloy does. Been there, broken 2 carbon frames, at 92-96kg, 195cm tall. Tallboy is a great ride. The Aluminium one at XL is plenty big.

Johnny included last years number too... must say though the finishing bunch of AL was huge 78 riders or so within 1 minute - no wonder the last few kms were so stressful - cones, cars, and other riders.

The cones were just insane. In AL going out, no one was actually sure should we be riding in the yellow lane on the right within the cones, or to the left of them into the oncoming traffic, or all the way across on the correct left hand side of the road. madness. then coming back when AL merged with the slow fun riders, there were cars being let through into the face of the now agitated and sprinting AL bunch, who were trying to dodge the funriders and the cones. I hit a cone, thank goodness for mtb racing is all I can say, as I managed to stay upright after an insane wobble. Was tough. A bit of wind, and a bit slow and negative at the halfway mark, many crashes and some intolerance with allowing others to slip into a gap. not great, the road surface seems to get worse all the time. even rode off the verge into the red sand at one point haha - nuts.

sorry to hear.

dont ride in a bunch with a chronic farter

Once is enough for me. Dust dust dust, traffic traffic traffic. and dust. Dont race where you train.

The only conti's I will use are Gatorskins (folding) on my roadbike and Mountain kings UST 26" if I still had a 26"mtb. Tried the GP4000 - didnt last 1 race season and the sidewalls were falling apart, threads everywhere. The Ultrasports were extremely soft and didnt last at all. My Schwalbe Ultremos, also started to come apart, at the joins in the black and white rubber used. still have them on my track bike, still work though after 2 years. I have been using Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps (race wheels), and also Vittoria Robino Pro's (training wheels), both work well.

Unfortunately I have to agree with Thug. I have been participating in the National series for the last 7 years, and the standards are definitely on the drop. Although the enthusiasm and growth seen in MTB racing is climbing all the time, what I experienced yesterday was just crap. Dullstroom route, great, no problems there for me. The views and terrain was sublime, thank you. A little bit of technical rocky stuff to keep it interesting, lots of mud and soft earth to steal my energy, and not enough oxygen. the rolling climbs were relentless, it was a fair marathon test. Gripes: Parking 2km from the start - lousy. No toilets etc at the car park, you had to get yourself set to go and ride down to the start with your turtlehead. Batching was fine, start good too. I got to the top of the main climb to the water table to find only bananas? Were you only expecting monkeys? The cups were laid out neatly, but empty. no powerade no coke no water. For B BATCH? wtf? It was starting to get hot, what were C, D, E, F marathon batches supposed to do getting there. POOR POOR planning. No chain lube either - it was a wet muddy event, surely some chain lube could have been forseen? or was this reserved solely for the tech spot much earlier? I managed to get some water up at a farmhouse further along the path. Lucky me. Then the finish. 6km of what might have been interesting single track, completely spoiled by an endless que of 20km funriders, and 40km riders who were struggling with the tree roots and climbing single track. I resigned myself to potter along in my granny gear behind these participants and enjoy the shade. How on earth do you combine all the riders for the last single track? INSANE! the 20km riders could have had that as part of the start to their route, not try finish with the rest of the field who were fed up, dehydrated, and just trying to get it over with. Then finally across the finish line. Lo and behold, NO WATER! just that nasty orange flavoured USN SPIKE. COME ON ADVENDURANCE? Same happened at Van Gaalens Trailseeker last year, in the heat, no water just USN Spike. Distance, only 72km, not 77. Umm did someone misread thier GPS. Honestly how hard can this be to get right. Jeezuz guys, do you expect us to continue to support the series when the first one sets such a precedent? I would much rather compliment you on a fun route, than whine over the basics.

avoid dhl if you can. admin fees = paying twice however if our bloody post office would actually do some work and not always be striking, it would be an alternative option.