DR ◣◢

Mine was Northern Farms. He definitely wasn't smuggling a budgie. More like cuckoo bird.

I used NordVPN for about 2 years and I was really happy with it. On phone,tablet,laptop is worked great but I couldn't use it on my Apple TV and I couldn't get the installation to work on Linux either. I'm also in the market for a good VPN that adds DNS settings to your router. I'm tired of what Netflix passes off as good content in South Africa. Even if I enjoy Braai Master a lot.

I remember that guy. Holy ****. Throwback to around 2011 maybe early 2012. The guy was weird man. Rode with him once in a group and it didn't go well.

Now that is a whole topic on it's own. Manscaping.

I love the retro look. From the boardroom to a quick century after work.

I still rate the SWAT system as one of the best stash solutions in the industry. My fiance's Stumpjumper is filled up with our spare tubes and bits. She carries that and I carry the tools. I do have a Tubolito in my hip bag though for the odd occasion that I'm out on a solo ride.

Going to 800 from 760 wasn't a big change to be honest. I could have gone for a 35mm stem instead of the 50mm but my fit on the bike is close to perfect now. Did you just ask if I have a saddle bag on my bike . No I don't (a quiet bike is a fast bike), I ride with a hip pack (with Camelback branding) that has the One Up pump in it. Couple of things stashed in the back like a slug plug kit with thicker bacon strips, R50 note, spare valve. I haven't needed any other tools on the trail so far. I'll post a photo of the bike later.

Ripped a sidewall on my trusty old Hans Dampfs and I needed new rubber I guess. First tried the Specialized Butcher/Purgatory combo and I wasn't too impressed with the handling on the 2.6 front and 2.3 rear. Very little rebound damping on the 2.6 and I was getting a lot of chatter through the bars. To the point of getting sore wrists. The Onza Ibex gets pretty good reviews so it's worth a shot. Running them front and rear. Not a fan of mismatching tyres. I did look at Maxxis options but the massive yellow logos put me off. Also had bad experiences with the brand in the past so I didn't feel like a repeat. I wanted to upgrade from 760mm bars to 800mm and also run the EDC system from On Up without having to thread my fork. This was the perfect solution. I will say this... I've had the headset come loose twice now. It took a little thinking on how to keep the headset preloaded as much as possible while straightening the bars and then tightening everything. Easiest is to use a cargo strap to pull everything together. After setting the preload you bounce the bike for a couple of minutes and ride down some stairs to let everything settle. Then adjust preload again as needed. I trimmed my steerer down by about 3mm to ensure I don't need to use the plastic spacers on top of the stem. They don't work and pop off when you remove the tool. A big draw was the lack of branding on it. My complete blackout on all my components is a big success to far. 800mm goodness with really good and understated looks. Do I find the chatter from the trail to be less with the technology they implemented? I don't think so. What I do like is the up and back sweep. Perfectly comfortable. The bars has various markings on it to help straighten everything out and get your controls setup perfectly. Again no crazy branding. So far this has impressed me quite a bit. The biggest and most impressive part was being able to tighten a crank bolt (8mm) by combing the quick link splitter and the 6mm hex wrench. I flipped out the rest of the tools and managed to stand on it with about 105kg. The quick link bit twisted a bit but I was able to easily straighten it again with nothing breaking. The storage compartment is pretty cool too. Takes a couple of strips of bacon, spare valve cores, the plug tool and the chain link splitter pliers. Quite a bit of space. I did break the first plug tool when I tried to tighten it into the adapter. Own stupidity and a very expensive mistake. The V2 of the tool is black which is quite nice. Never had issues with the green though. Looks pretty trick. So far I'm super impressed with the line of accessories from One Up. I also have their dropper post and I've had zero issues with it so far.

Sweet. I’ll have a look at Sportsman’s in Rosebank when I get my mane tames this weekend.

Who stocks it? Running low on Finish Line (hate it) and the wax lube I’m using is terrible.

I’m going to stand in front of the microwave while dinner defrosts. Hope I get lucky ????

100% with you on wanting to sleep on my laptop as well as the dull headache. Had a peanut butter and banana sandwich for breakfast yesterday. Swallowed it down with a glass of electrolytes. It’s normally good enough to see me through a 30km ride with 1.5l of water. My legs and arms are super sore today. So is my neck and shoulders. Weird I tell you.

It’s on my list of places to explore in the next month or so. Quite a drive but I’m sure it’s worth it.

Flow tracks are super popular right now and will continue to be so. Hope they know how to create good flow. Nothing worse than berms braking your speed instead of adding to it.

Had a similar issue yesterday. Couldn’t figure it out. I just had nothing in me. I wrote it off against the trail being soft from the rain and having more resistance. Got home and I just wasn’t hungry. It was now just after 10:00 and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Two hour nap later and I felt dizzy and almost like I had a fever. Dull feeling in my head. Had lunch and felt a little better but still bad. Lots of water and electrolytes also helped a little. I was in bed at 21:00 last night and slept like a rock until this morning. Found a spider bite on my stomach this morning. I’m feeling shaky still but not the worst. Temperature is normal and so is heart rate.

Just ordered a pair of Onza Ibex. Let’s see how it goes. Got good reviews and seems to be super durable.

Very much in the same boat right now. I tore a sidewall on the rear on Saturday. Turns out I had the normal snake skin Schwalbe Hans Dampf and I'm not too comfortable with that but I can live with it for now. I ended up replacing the set with a Specialized Butcher & Purgatory GRID 2Bliss combo. 2.6 in front and 2.3 in the rear (frame clearance limitation). While I do like the grip and ability to run a little lower pressure on the front with the 2.6 it does feel like it drags a bit and makes the front a little slow and overall handling a little weird. So the question is: Do I replace the front with a 2.3 Butcher and sell the 2.6 again? Do I look at the Scwalbe Magic Mary for the front and run the Hans Dampf on the rear? Is there another combination of tyre that is worth looking at? (Other than Maxxis. Not a fan)

This photo properly messes with my eyes. Can only imagine if it was a SC lefty.

Grass Muncher... how old are you? That last post has “13 years old and getting to second base” written all over it.

I believe marking as “gift” hasn’t worked in forever. SARS don’t give a hoot about your birthday. They want their piece of the cake.

My 5Tens finally gave up after about 8 years of riding. Replaced with a pair of RC Hellions. Can’t wait for the weekend.

Ok fine. **** it. I’m going to start milking almonds. I’m 99% vegan already. Just milk and cheese left to drop

What if I’m completely against animal cruelty and the abuse of milk cows but I only drink milk that comes from my cow that is 100% free range (not Woolworths free range) and grain fed etc. What does that make me other than spoiled?

That’s very impressive value for money right there.

In this case a silent hub would make this video better. The angry bees sound clashes too much with the environmental sounds.