Stefan Cremer

When I sold my previous bike I contacted my LBS (good reason for not buying stuff of the interwebs) and asked if I could bring the bike to the shop for a prospective buyer to have a look at, knowing me well they agreed and the eventual new owner had a look at the bike in the shop. My instructions were to not release the bike to the new owner before I gave them the go-ahead to do so. I also got an sms indicating the money had been transferred, but did not release until I received the funds and transferred it to an investment account with another firm. I therefor new that I had my money and let the new owner know he could collect the bike and let my mates at the LBS know they could release the bike to the subject to him providing proof of identification, proof of purchase and my written approval to collect the bike. Bit of a hassle, but most of the risk is mitigated in this way when selling an expensive bike.

A small saddlebag is the business.

Riding 1x whatever amount of gears at the back is simpler than riding 2x or 3x for that matter, however one always has to remember to take into consideration that 1x will not give you the same range on external gearing as oposed to 2x or 3x, meaning that you will at times be limited in terms of gearing. I've been riding 1x11 for a couple of thousand km's now and have found that it is fantastically simple solution, but does at times limit one in terms of gearing range, thus I use either a 32, 34 or 36 tooth front ring, depending on the terrain, for a relatively flat area like Pretoria a 36 works like a charm, whereas something like Jonkershoek calls for the 32 tooth ring. 1x11 is awesome, but is not the be all and end all, take care to remember that 2x or 3x has a wide range of gear ratios. To conclude I would say that I won't use anything less than the 10-42 offered on the 11 speed cassette, as it offers a too narrow set of gearing options, rather stay with what you have.

that would be a cadence of 106.

Solo...

And h And hopefully done by now!

Same here, last year's event was one of the best I have taken part in...

Guys, it's a no brainer - awesome trails, stunning scenery and excellent organisation !

How the blazes is Tulbagh TOO far from Cape Town for a proper MTB event????????????????????

All true, but as a cyclist it infuriates me to see how my fellow cyclists: - Run red traffic lights - Don't stop at stops - Bunch together on any road, be it busy or not - Weave through traffic like you have a right to do so - Expect pedestrians to make way because you also happen to own the sidewalk - Throw signs at cars for doing the same type of things that cyclists do (running red lights, etc.) These things all infuriate me as you are influencing the opinions of motorists negatively and they subsequently act in accordance with how you treat traffic laws. It is each and every cyclist's responsibility to obey these laws and improve the opinions of our fellow road users.

Conti's don't work as MTB tubeless tyre, all of them that I have used leaks air through the sidewalls.

Beautiful frame! That and the 2013 model frame with the white lettering and the couple of red decals on are in my opinion the two best looking bikes around...

I had same problem as you did with my Roval wheels - I had the wheels rebuilt with new spokes, but kept the hubs, they are essentially DT 240 hubs... Never looked back for second.

Don't get just one size, I have 32,34 and 36 tooth rings for different types of terrain. I would not easily take Mankele, Sabie, etc. with anything bigger than 32. For flat races a 36 can work...

Probably is pricy if you just look at the rands, however you need a couple of marshalls through the entire 36.1 hours of the event, etc.

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/130230-36one-mtb-challenge-2014/page__hl__36one

I don't bother pulling them out on my training tyres, they're natural plugs.

Other than strava you could also use Polar Beat with the Bluetooth Smart heartrate strap.

I reckon it has a lot to do with many riders riding for the fun of it only and not taking part in it as a competitive sport that it is. The masses do not have technical skills, started riding at too late a stage in life and are not fit and strong enough to take the hurt that XCO dishes out. Due to most guys starting riding too late, the technical nature of the courses probably intimidates them, therefore the hesiance to take on the challenge with the limited skillset. I started out with XCO, but I have to admit that longer races suit me better, as I take a while to get going from the gun. On a good day though there is nothing quite like riding past the same crowd a couple of times and getting cheered time and again!

That will probably hurt quite a bit, but seems manageable over the distance. Luckily there are lots of guys around town training for the epic, so no shortage of fellow riders on the long rides over the weekends!

This should provide you with some information: http://reviews.mtbr.com/2014-mtbr-bike-lights-shootout-tunnel-beam-patterns

Jeepers, I would have thought that most of us would be happy that something concrete has been put in place in the law books, however most of you react as if cyclists are being targeted. For the life of me I cannot understand why cyclists, specifically cyclists practicing cycling as a sport and generally not commuters who have no other means of transport feel that they have a right to NOT obey the rules of the road. I see comments of moaning and groaning about motorists doing this that and the other, NEVER about a cyclist being in the wrong. Come on guys, for crying out loud, STOP at a STOP sign, STOP at a RED LIGHT and wait until it is green and safe to ride. Stay as far left as possible and if possible ride on the sidewalk. WE as cyclists collectively need to change! OBEY THE RULES OF THE ROAD!

My suggestion is to definately do this race! Magic scenery, awesome trails and proper climbs.

Where do you buy these?

The solution is really very simple, get XT pedals. XTR pedals are not worth the extra money and all the hassle that most guys seem to have with them. XT pedals on the other hand are superbly tough and last for 10's of thousands of abuse. Wondering about the weight difference, XTR = 310g vs XT = 343g per pair. Worth the extra bucks and all the issues that the less durable XTR pedals have, I think not.