NotSoBigBen

This is in fact one of those frames 👌

Sjoo .... I only really have experience with converting MTB frames etc. to gravel Biggest problem I foresee is clearance for bigger tyres, best to post a pic of the space available .... I wouldn't attempt tubeless on those rims myself I must say Disc brakes on the front no issue by changing the fork... At the back 🤔 Having said that, it'll certainly be great fun for the both of you!

Finally getting down to sorting the Lefty stuff for my gravel bike. Thanks to advice from Grumpy I dropped the fork off at a local engineering guru to have the spacer made, provided the dimensions from @Mongoose!, thanks again mate. He says it'll probably be ready tomorrow 😎 Have to build a wheel .... That'll happen over the next few days. Bloody hell Grumpy has some cool cool stuff!

A longish story behind this but no ... not Amish, not analogue, not acoustic Pushbike if you will or 'Mountainmaschine ohne Elektromotoren' Cooling on the Highveld but far from unpleasant!

That is pretty cool! Printed some Fox goodies for my son and ASX battery covers for the Grumpy one ....

I find it not too bad but I do use the standard (not HD) version as well .... I'm not there for the view 🤪

Espresso may not be the answer but its worth a shot 😜

Thanks Chris ... Another one of those builds where I was asked 'but why' and at times I even wondered myself. I must say though it is an absolute hoot to ride! As an aside my stock reply when asked about any of the 'unusual' builds I do is simply 'because I can' 😎

Legs tired .... Ride with your heart! Taking a lot of frustration out on the bike at the moment, yesterday just 2 hours of ambling aimlessly and today 2:30 'on the rivet' Both had the same effect 😎

“The cold morning air holds the calm before the day’s storm.” It happens every year, its really no surprise 😜

My own intuition, unsupported by any spreadsheet analysis or forensically studied list of cases, is that “the unwritten rules” are slowly but surely being followed less and less The 'wait' rule is to be considered mostly in GC type races where there are a number of things in play over days .... One day races not so much, the stakes are very high in this case - anyway that's the way I see it Despite the thoughts about this particular case on social media it would appear the riders involved and the rest are indifferent about it?

"Campagnolo made me sign a contract stating that they can repossess my groupset if I don't finish each ride with an espresso" Sho the struggle is real 😲

No miles are junk miles IF the alternative to the 'junk miles' is sitting on the couch! A fun amble around the local trails for a mate's birthday ride

Sometimes you expect just another ride, racking up the miles ... And then it turns into a 'no chain ride' with endless 😁

But but but it's 'just a bicycle' 😜

😂 A bit off topic but it you arrive at a bike ride or race with a helpmytrap with a throttle you're a tchop .... Period! Helpmytrappers come at me all you want

Only for that race Chris .... I'm happy with the number 20, I don't think there's anything special about 21 anyway Reminds me when the neuro and vascular surgeon were standing next to my bed in ICU just over 2 years ago now .... "is there anything you haven't or still want to achieve in your cycling?" After my wife and son told them what I had done over the years they said "ok he's good then if he needs to stop" The both of them "NO THAT'S NOT HAPPENING, NO WAY IN HELL HE'LL STOP RIDING!" At the time I wasn't really in a state to say anything 😏

"Basic, simple" you say? I'll think about that next time I sit with an 'exploded' SRAM shifter in front of me or that Shimano 11sp STI that only works when it's '"upside down"

Ai, true that and I need the stability when I start swinging as well!

All things being equal it also be my 19th, ticking it off then God willing 20th in 2026 ... Maybe hang up the cleats for this race after that?

'Doner' Freudian slip Chris 😜 ... ek het gelees 'donner'

Sadly that last sentence is where it all falls apart ... human nature is a strange thing

Predicting rain doesn't count, building arks does! First real opportunity to get in a pleasant ride on the Highveld for a while ... whooshing just isn't the same

206 today, 210 tomorrow Disclaimer - as per the current schedule at 8am Sat 5/4 😜

Mon Dieu 👀 - I see coverage of the XCC late afternoon today and XCO tomorrow from Brazil on DSTV