RobynE 🚵‍♀️

A couple of really solid thumbs up for latest purchases. This seat is ugly as sin but worked perfectly for tandem stoker yesterday. It’s wider than it looks but she didn’t bounce off the seat over a single bump and didn’t complain of a sore butt (a true first): Shock-absorbing seat that is very ugly but works And then this seat is not quite as ugly but smells like a rubber recycling plant when you first open the package. The smell does go away pretty quickly. It is stiff and so, so comfortable and not a single pressure point during 98km Ride Joburg yesterday (something I truly struggle with) and my butt isn’t crying today: honeycomb saddle for less than 300 bucks And finally I did the ride yesterday in this brand new bib - no chafing or discomfort at all. Sizes run slightly small so go one size up. Cheapy ladies bib - not the exact one I bought but same pad and style

On the subject of moving to the side - trust me, it’s pretty tough to do when people are passing you on both sides at the same time and essentially giving you the finger. Some people could really do a little better in terms of etiquette. I don’t think too many people *want* to be basically track-standing trying to move over. I agree in terms of people who just STOP but if you look ahead and see someone struggling, shouting at them doesn’t really help. Keep left, pass right and all is well! We had a couple of moments yesterday where our tandem momentum just wasn’t, and being passed left and right at the same time while being told off is a little hairy (and we were left already).

If you finished in 3.31 then by the time you got to that awful M2 climb at the end we were busy hiking 🥾 the bike up Homestead 😂 But thanks for the thought! 😁

Yes, a silver one with gold bottle cages and gravel bars. There were at least two blue ones as well I think.

We were by far the slowest tandem on the day 😂 but we finished within the time. Was very pleased with how the tandem went overall, but need to make a drastic change to the gearing if we’ll have any chance at all of riding the long hills. I would have suffered a bit on a single bike on Jan Smuts but the tandem was impossible. My kiddo was really trying, too! So definitely not a case of her being a passenger. Vintage Shimano Sora 2x8 just doesn’t cut it unfortunately. We had some bloody epic descents though - I forgot to record my ride so not sure what speeds we were doing but it was like we were shot from a cannon, sailing past single riders. The descents were flippen awesome. The bike felt super stable and everything worked. We did stop on the M2 bridge to inflate the rear tyre a bit so suspect we may have picked something up but it sealed itself. A nice guy came past us and said the rear needs a bit of air as we hadn’t noticed. We had a Maxxis Rambler 45 up front and a Schwalbe G-One 38 at the rear. And our cheap Temu saddles 💯 did the job of keeping us comfy. Neither of us had any butt pain at all which is a first! Hats off to everyone who gave it their best whether finished or not.

Was it diagnosed by a doctor? I developed a perianal abscess which was surgically drained. At the time it was a lump, it was there, but not problematic. It was deep within the tissue of my butt cheek. Unfortunately the surgeon didn’t explain the recovery goals and I ended up developing a fistula a few months later, and was booked into same-day emergency surgery by another surgeon. I spent 3 days in hospital. It was pretty serious. Recovery was approximately 6 weeks with a focus on keeping the wound open and draining as it healed from the inside out. This was despite bike fit and no feelings of issues while riding. Some people get them, some don’t. These days I do use ridiculous amounts of shammy cream though, and saddles that literally can’t contribute to pressure points like spiderweb and honeycomb saddles. I also give my cheeks a fairly regular poke and squeeze. I absolutely will not “leave it” for any period of time ever again.

Ok cool! 1.77 you’ll be a medium and Trek, Giant, Titan Racing, Merida, Specialized, Momsen, Silverback, Scott are some of the brands you’d be looking at. They are incomparable to Huffy. This 2022 Scott Scale 950 looks very clean, is well-specced, and would serve you well for many, many years. They are very easy bikes to ride. It will feel like a Bentley in comparison to your Huffy. Just check the specs with the seller as it should have: Fox 32 Float fork Shimano XT groupset (1x12 speed) Shimano MT501 brakes It does look like it has those components but the photos aren’t clear enough for me to be able to identify, I don’t have the skill set.

Hey Jo, Welcome! Not meaning to sound like a snob but 15-20k new price will be very entry-level. You’d pick up a mid-range hardtail second hand for that money (closer to 20k though). What are your goals, where are you based, and what height are you? PS hardtail means front suspension only. Dual sus or full sus means front and rear suspension. Most people start out on a hardtail, some stick with them, some move on to full sus.

So how did everyone get on? Kiddo and I managed to finish on the tandem. It was brutal out there 🥵 🔥 😵 Saw lots and lots of sweepees. Not a fark am I ever attempting those hills with a 39t ring/34t cassette as my granny gear on the tandem, ever again.

Decathlon’s metal one is literally indestructible and I’ve never dropped my phone, even with some pretty spectacular falls. Very much worth it. The Temu replica is not worth it so don’t try it. Decathlon one all the way.

Well that will probably be in your favour in terms of specials as XL are slower movers than M and L. Have a look at Giant Trance and Silverback Stratos as well.

What’s your height?

And there’s this in the classifieds Link

Both have SRAM SX which doesn’t have great longevity. If you can, level up to a model that comes with GX or Shimano Deore 1x12.

Does anyone know if we can book massages in the hospitality area? We are riding for a reason so will head to the VIP area after we finish. I’d like to book a massage for myself and kiddo.

Not 20” but picked up a Signal Stormer 24” for a friend’s kiddo for R2500 off FB Marketplace. 30 seconds at Mellow to dial in the gears and tighten up the brakes and it’s a fine little bike and significantly lighter than the old gen Scott 24 that the kiddo was riding. Can’t beat it for value and it’s a good looking bike as well. I will be changing the brakes to hydraulic as I’m not a fan of mechanical disc for small hands but the bike itself is sweeet and the kiddo loves it.

Here’s a good deal at Cash Converters in Montague Gardens Link

Double your budget at the asking price but a great starter bike. It’s a large 27.5” which should work for your purposes and it will be a fun bike to thrash. Link And here’s another, this time a 29” L frame which will ride slightly bigger than the previous one. It says “barely used” but the fray on the cable at the back says otherwise. I would probably go for the GT in the first link before this one. Link And then have a look at your local Cash Converters or Cash Crusaders. They sometimes don’t realise what they have and bargains can be had. You can also ask them to better the price - if you don’t ask, you don’t know.

Semi-slicks (or gravel tyres) on their MTBs are probably the easiest way forward for you.

I hope you will all wave when you come past us while we’re suffering up to Kyalami on the tandem. We have a 06:30 start. Actually you’ll probably come past us at the first slight incline, so wave to us just before Main Reef Road 😂

Now I’m curious. A nut under the ball itself? So where the ball goes into the black bracket, there’s a nut underneath and tightening that (in effect tightening the ball to the bracket) stopped the rack swivelling? Mine don’t have a nut at all as they have pins to remove the balls from the brackets. Like when I harrow my arena I place the chain of the harrow on the shaft of the tow ball and not on the ball itself. If that makes sense. Sorry if this sounds dof but I’m just trying to picture it. I’m still using my straps.

The Cradle Moon rhinos are very used to people (very popular hiking and cycling venue, and hosts one of the Trailseeker events every year) and usually run off when cyclists approach. Usually.

Question: In ERG mode, could I run a SS bike on the trainer? Or any bike that’s in “a” gear? I have an old, trashed Raleigh that could be made just fine enough to be used on the trainer. I want to take the tandem off the trainer and don’t want to buy a new bike. I also don’t want to put my MTB on the trainer because I don’t want to have to fiddle before I head out on a ride.

It’s been flawless since and he did it right in front of me. Took like 45 seconds for him to sort out the issue I’d had for a year 😂 Not to say there isn’t a problem with the remote or anything else, but that fix, fixed my issue, and it hasn’t reoccurred as yet. So worth a mention I think.

Pog: 🥇 Remco: 🥈 Ben Healy: 🥉 Bet British Cycling is regretting dropping Ben from the MTB academy when he was a teen. G’waan Ben!