Salty

There is always something you can buy....and if that holds off a dieeat - go for it....

When I upgraded my farm gate many years ago before the 29er evolution, the top 3 on the list made the biggest most noticeable difference. I did Frame after Crank, which also made a huge difference. Basically I would wait for good specials at the LBS or CC and by things when I could afford them and they were on a great special.

I have done a few of the momentum duathlon a. Road and off road, tried the cycle short route, used old ones whose padding held less structure...was ok, not great. Decided to buy some, look like cycle shorts, but thinner and smaller padding. Works well. Don't like the ski pants thing. Got them at New Balance factory outlet store in wood-mead. Distances are 5km run, 30km mtb ride and 2.5km run.....or walk, depending on how hard u push. The on road is same running but a 40km cycle. ......to avoid a Cullinan bottleneck, try get as far forward in the chute.....(is that ok W?)

Thanks.

I can't put a specialised on my Scott - would just be wrong.....

I am currently running a Conti X-King up front and Racing Ralph on the back. So far no troubles either way. Sat had plenty thorns etc. and I came through unscathed. I have seen some deepish sidewall scratch marks from rocks on the Conti - but nothing that is causing me to worry. I don't particularly like the handling on the front - altough with a slightly lower pressure they are doing a bit better. I won't put the conti on again - maybe as a rear, still trying to decide on the front. (Apparently u need to go more aggresive on the front wheel and more for Rolling Resistance on the rear). The Maxxis UST apparently have a fairly good Rolling Resistance and are well rated, but since my 26er have never really liked Maxxis from a handlinhg perspective (6 years ago) and have not bothered to try them again. My best is still the Sagaru (or however you spell it), but I struggle to get them on and off the rim without much stress and sweat - (Crest rims). Would hate to be on a race needing to get them off for a tube fit or something - I can't carry enough tyre levers. So no real help....but on popularity - think the Maxxis

I like all the profile information (don't care if wrong or right), I then dream how fast I am going to ride and attack everything. Then on the day of the race, all that goes out the window - when I am standing in the start chute wondering if I can go pee again before the start - but up to that point, I enjoy the profile stuff.

Does anyone have the 40km profile? The 70km does not look like the one I am going to choose for my first 70km attempt....all those things about matches/slabs/praying....think I will look for an easier ~70

What an awesome first - thought getting taken out by buck was awesome, but seems to be farily common nowadays - I guess this is the new MTBing fad - getting taken out by Fish Eagles......

Looking at all the friendly passing and not so friendly passing comments - it is difficult to report "chops" since the number is on the front of the bike and once they gone past, you can't see it and looking behind long enough to get the number is tricky. Can't they look at a way to put numbers on the back of the bike (and the front where not timing chips involved), that would make reporting the "chops" much easiser. Am sure it would lead to a whole new thread - but at least if a number came up consistantly - then something could be done..... My philosophy is if you ask nice I will go out my way to move (almost road into a thorn tree (my fault) on Sat to let a polite young dude past - he even appologised for my error), but if a chop, then I will move when there is a safe space/opening, and if you want to bush crash to get past, go for it, but I won't slow much for the chop (just enough when they pull in - since they often forget they have a rear wheel and I now expect them to pull in way to early). So far no-one has tried to push me off......but the fact that it happens to Ladies so often leaves me speechless.

Gala = falls. Doing this on a phone is not that simple

I did the 40km, and apart from that stupid walk over the mountain, enjoyed it. I saw a number of gala on my decent, luckily nothing serious, agree with the above, no medic. I felt for most of the 70km dudes having to squeeze past. Most of them were fairly tolerant, which was a nice change. The 20kms seemed to be very confused at one point and were turning around thinking they were going the wrong way. Got very messy.

My wife's first off road duathlon.....and second mtb ride. She hated it, not exactly the type of terrain for a newbie mtber. I was in trouble for telling the route would be easy. During the race I saw a number of pple really struggling with what I would not even rate technical. A few of the roadies I spoke to on route did not seem to b enjoying the route either So was the route too challenging for a duathlon?

I got 52 as well - at the 30/50 split I had 32km, so knew I would be in for 52....or more....

Was also my first 52km ride....I really felt those extra 2km's. I managed to miss a turn somewhere, luckily noticed the guys behind me oging off in a different direction so was able to get back. Also had a lady in front of my going charging off in the wrong direction at a split, but managed to call her back. Other than that, I through the route was well marked, was riding by myself for a lot of the second part of the race.

Many guys r very happy with 2x10....I may just b slow to accept changes, I like options. Also gone from rapid rise to standard at the back, I am definitely a rapid rise fan and changing is a huge annoyance, keep on wrong gearing, not sure if SRAM do

Thanks JanMTB, will go and play

With u on Suikerbosrand.....tried that when not fit...almost died

Harder on the smooth stuff and as gets steeper then worse, but easier on rough, rolls nice and able to keep a nice steady cadence.

Went for the Scott Pro....so far v happy, but 2x10 is taking a while to get used yo....

I have just bought a 2x10 29er coming from a 26er. It comes std withn11/36 on the rear and 24/38 on the front. I find the biggest problem is running out of legs. Would it be possible to do 24/42 on the front? I have not tried any serious uphill, but from what's have done would be concerned on moving to far from my granny equiv....

I am also looking at a good value for money with performance. I have had a look at the Scott Spark 29er expert, which if u could get it would be around R27/8k. It is a Carbon dual sus....claim 11.5kg. The one up is the Pro....better spec. Have had a look around, Giant, GT, Trek, Spez.....but am totally lost. Scott seems to be best deal for a carbon and weight. Handling.....I have no clue, coming off a ht 26er, they feel very foreign....

Yey, my first post....

I also did the avalanche to zaskar conversion, can't compare...huge difference as per everyone. Then upgraded components to full XT as they came on special over a year or two, rebuilt the avalanche and sold it off to a friend, who now rides a GT 29er hard tail. Three biggest differences, fork, went to a Sid, crank, XT, and wheels to Richey Pro....eventually converted to disk, but did not help performance, only sore fingers on long descents. Bike was super agile, climed like no tomorrow, and not that uncomfortable on +3hr rides.....