NotSoBigBen

No lack of places to ride and look around ....

As my wife tells people about the stuff I do 'because he can'

Philistine [emoji12]

New 'ones and twos' day .... finally my Di2 issues on that bike are a thing of the past and it's a pleasure to ride again. Brilliant day out on the Highveld, little wind, the usual perfect blue sky [emoji41]

I've seen one and followed it a bit but it doesn't tie up with the markings that have been done and the start is very different this year, it's from the Circus...

You never know what bike @Pikey will turn up with ... good company means the crappy wind somehow didn't seem so bad

In my experience the cassette doesn't really matter, 11sp is 11sp whether it's SRAM, Sunrace, Shimano etc. But an 11sp shifter with 10sp derailleur doesn't work ...

If as you say the bike will spend most of it's time on the tar I'd get a carbon bike ... I have a steel and carbon framed gravel bike, I take the carbon if there's more tar. I'm not like the 'touchy feely' expert riders on the hub but the steel gravel bike does seem to beat me up less on very long off road rides.

Fast One route recce for Sunday ...

'your weight in pounds' I assume you are meaning take your body weight in kilograms and pump that amount of pressure in PSI into the fork... i.e not convert your weight into pounds [emoji12]

You called...

Great riding weather lately on the Highveld but damn the wind is starting to wear me down... Since I'm generally going out towards the south and back it's almost always (no not almost, every single frikkin time) a headwind coming back [emoji53] Ja ja I know it's good 'training' but just a little break would be nice [emoji12]

My son 3D printed me this tool for servicing SPD pedals, for the one's you can't do with a spanner... Much better than the one Shimano sells. I have probably 6 or so sets of them fitted... Service a pedal occasional when it gets play. Even then I don't disassemble the whole thing, take the body of the pedal off axle, adjust the little bolts at the end which can be a bit fiddly. Add some extra grease, re-assemble go ride. I'm sure CB have improved but my memory /experience of my boet half riding half walking for 10k's at Sabie Experience with a pedal that disintegrated put me off them. He persevered though and still rides them, go figure....

Some refreshed graffiti at the Blockhouse 1Stop ... the artists must be struggling I see they had to have 'Jannie verjaar' cooldrink

Sometimes you don't mind lying around a bit till those who sacrifice themselves for biltong have passed

You wouldn't be the first or the last person on this here hub to not actually be a 'cyclist' or at the very least being an active cyclist... Me thinks a straw poll may surprise us all [emoji848]

I've seen that on a few NX's ... Must be honest my GX I've had for a year and a half has not given a moments trouble *touches wood*

Those that don't falling apart end up stuck in the dinner plate every so often and won't shift down without help ????

We're busy with another charity bike for a church group and need a RH side 10sp SRAM shifter... Even a damaged one would do, need the double tap lever. Happy to strip and repair the one we have if necessary

In my experience the shifter, cassette and chain work fine but the derailleur is crappy. I used an 11sp Shimano derailleur, worked just fine!

Mon Dieu, imagine the conspiracy theories if it's called off and Loulou wins!

https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/tour-tech-julian-alaphilippe-takes-historic-win-on-clincher-tires

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."

Doesn't help when besides the dangerous conditions there is also the usual odd idiot spectator as well... From Twitter 'Pozzovivo on Instagram said that his crash was because of a spectator that was doing a selfie. He hit the phone with his helmet, making him and other 20 riders crashing'

No, a 9sp Shimano MTB (any, SLX, XT, XTR, DEORE) will work though