Flea

Sorry not oing this year, but my advice, if you are living out of aa box, Clicks has soup and coffee in a mug that heats up when you open - I used this last year, was nice to have a change. Basically it is a mug, so you can include in your container, and then you do not need help from whoever you get to carry the boxes. The soup heats up in about 30 sec so very practical. Good luck

Support from Thule is also great - I have a number of their products and have always had good service - both pre and post sales. By the way I also have a holdfast, but the Thule is softer on my bike

I was not there, but agree that I would not take a medal for this. To quote Oscar Chalupsky when they cancelled a day of the Texan Challenge (surfski from PE to EL), it is a challenge, not a ride in the park. I did the 2nd Sani where they changed the route due to the mud, and whilst I was happy that I at least completed the 3 days, I felt I had not completed the Sani2C, so had to do again the following year. Agree that they should at least give entrants from this year preferential enties for next year - difficult to give discount, as they probably already incurred costs or day 3.

so it is the same goody bag as the MTB

I am about your weight - it is not really about the weight though. A FS allows you to sit longer as you do not need to use your legs as a suspension. If you are going to do stage racers (or 24hr rides - Baviaans/ desert Dash) then a FS is needed, it reduces your leg stress and this helps recovery (never mind the butt). for a while I had a 26" HT, and when I went to a 29er FS, the reduced stress on a hard training ride was noticeable.

Get fit sothat you can enjoy it - do back-to-back training rides to get used to getting onto the bike with a sore butt and legs. Day 2 can be tough, but it is only the climb out of the valley, it also has some of the nicest riding. I have done it really unfir and then day 2 is tough.

Agree with Stockcarracer - I trainedon a 26HT, and going down rough paths, you are using your legs as bracers, so they are getting tired and you are not pedling. The bought a 29FS and I could keep up much better with my partner - this is where the bike is faster and more comfortable. You pay a penalty in the climbs for weight, but if the climb is rough, then I find that the FS has more grip and you have more control. I generally found that I was less tired with the FS than the HT and probably faster, but this is from a middle/back tourer. If you are younger and lighter, then this may not apply. A proper FS is more expensive, so get a demo bike and ride for a weekend - you need to do at least 2 days, and then compare that to the same route with a HT, then make a call. If you have budget constraints, this will confirm if this investment is needed. At least then you know. The problem with the people on the hub is that everyone is differnet - (I can't imagine being 1.91 and only 65kg :-) )

I did on a DS 29er, but was not racing And did J2C - easy to get up the next day. A HT is a HT, regardless of wheel size. You can make the HT softer by going bigger volume tyres, but then you have a weight penalty (and you hope there is no mud) anyway, so you may as well go DS. The race is more technical than previously, but it is not that technical, there are still long stretches of jeep track or dirt roads. Maybe look at one of the lighter DS's, then you have the best of both worlds?

I did the Epic on an Evolve- very happy, no issues. And I am taller and heavier than you. Read the review in Tread before changing, iI do not think there have been that many improvements to warrant a bike change. Most of the "newer" bikes on offer it is their first attempt at a full sus 29er anyway. If you change bikes now, you will spend money anyway as you will go through a set of components in training. Keep the bike you know and rather use the cash to do some upgrades and weekends away to break the monotony of Gauteng training... You can only do Breedts so many times.....

The problem with a bomb is that it affects some of the latex so you need to add that later? I never know which manufacturers latex is affected and which is not, but the one time I had a sidewall cut, I used a bomb and the latex came out like a ball of plastic. I have not ttried a 4x4 compressor, but the small ones you get for a car give less air than a foot-pump. I suppose being a guy yo U like to buy tools hoping that you use them for something else one-day - like clean a car air filter, spray paint something.... What else would you use a compressor for?

I always battle with a foot-pump - sometimes you get lucky. I am just tired of battling. I do not change tires often enough as a result. Maybe i am not a good enough pomp - need mechanical help - must be an age thing :

Where abouts were they, at the back or Jhb side of the farm?

I am looking at getting a compressor for home to pump up tubeless tyres. What is the size that I need? The big thing is short term pump rate? Any advice?

I have done both - the knobbly run had lots of rain, so I was happy I did not change, but you will feel the difference. That year I did the back-to-back so did not change - also did it just as a training ride so the extra drag was there for a purpose

Interesting that adding a day (even if only 27km) makes a race easier....yes it makes the averages lower, but a race is not raced on averages, but over a route. This comparison can only be done by someone who has done both. The "old" Epic was raced over more roads with some hills thrown in - today it is more off-road. The bragging rights on the Epic are higher - would hate to sweat bullets on the Pioneer then have no-one (other than an avid cyclist) know the race...

I run both - selection each depends on the time I will be riding, and which light I need for the terrain. In fact, I have also run the extra bottle cage option (locally sourced off the hub), with a splitter to run both at the same time..... Don't know about the run-time on each, depends on the level you run. I used each of the batteries and the borrle cage option for the Desert Dash and still had light left in the morning

I am looking at buying a road bike too - to replace ny hardtail 26" - I have an Elsworth 29er If you had to have an XL (21") MTB, what size would you look at for a Road Bike? Also I spoke to someone who suggested a full carbon bike for strength (when he saw my size - 100Kg +) - should I check all components for weight capacity? I know roadies are more paranoid about weight as robustness is not such a big factor, so what is the level of components to use? I will probably just do 94.7 etc on the bike, and early morning training - tied of riding on the tar with the knobblies

My 2c - if you are riding 80-130 off raod - go for Softail. You can make a hardtail softer by putting on a bigger tyre, but then you could have clearance issues - especially if there is mud. I tested Hardtails, but prefer the full suspension ride - in all conditions except tar. You will battle to get to your bike weight target though.

How did it compare to a "normal" Baviaans? If I knew that it was going to be different, I would have done it, as it seems that the route was quite a bit different.

agree - I used to look at the ads, but now find it is too frustrating

I have a rockhopper - was very happy with it, just bought a full suss for the Epic, but did many 24 hour rides (1 day Sani, Baviaans etc on it). Now it sits on my IDT.....

I did Epic in 2010 - no 29er UST available, but used Mtn / Road King combo - bought 2.2 mtn king, but looked too small, so fitted 2.4 - no problems. then for Desert Dash, changed the front to Road king (2.2) and got a sidewall 10 km into the race....had to fit a tube for Joburg to sea fitted the Mtn 2.2 back on the front, to improve clearance if there was mud - no problems All tubeless, no problems. Had no problems with the rear Road King yet - still the same one for all three races including training (ok, not that much training) There are more options now, so would look around. Most of those of us who run the conti's have been on 29ers for a while and probably not tested all the newer options (I suppose if you are happy, then you do not change)

In terms of forks, depends on the type of riding that you do, but I think the Fox has more tyre clearance than the RS.... well in the 2010 models at least If you are riding a 540 seatpost, then the bike is big, which means that you should go for a robust wheel, not the lightest?

The only issue I had was the bidding process - on most auction sites, they allow bidding to continue after the close time if the item is active, but on EBay I battled with 3g connection. I wanted a 29er a couple of years ago and had to go the EBay route as there was no local stock, but always outbid at the last minute...... I also had to clear beforehand if they would sell to me in South Africa, as the atandard on the US site was to only sell to the US - some were happy as long as I used Paypal, others felt it was too much hassle,so ask beforehand.

Sh*t another happening on my route - where to train now. After all the events the other side of Summit, I stayed on these roads - no single track anymore..... Now will keep my early alone rides to the tar roads around Bryanston - soo boring, might as well give up? Getting in my car to go to Teak etc is not why I started MTB.... I know I will hate riding these areas now as I will look at each of the people I pass in the morning as potential bandits, where most of them are just normal guys going to work, or local workers .... There have been some really interesting bikes stolen in this area - from custom to limited edition (as I class this one) - surely there has to be a way to find these. The cars that get hijacked are more common (Toyota Tazz's, Citigolfs BMW etc) - this is the equivalence of Porsches, Ferrari's etc being stolen. These bikes are not desired by the local commuters as they are too complex and in reality they prefer the cheaper simple bikes. It all points to a syndicate, but that does not make sense as there very few stores selling 2nd hand, and they are not going onto gumtree? Also Za is so expensive, they are probably not being exported, unless the components are the real target, but again who sell 2nd hand?......This is not a mainstream market?