Baracuda

After trying many, many options over 15 years, from paraffin through to larny options, and having lost some paint etc in the process; I find Namgear Chain Cleaner to be the best. It gets the gunk off you chain, but if some does go onto the rest of your bike and brake disks etc, it does impact them. It is also relatively inexpensive if you buy the 5lt refill. I have used that Shield car shampoo on the rest of the bike and it seems fine. i have not noticed any issues with bearings or seals.

Completely agree. Gravel bikes are good on gravel roads, mountain bikes are better on single track mountain trials. I really don't know why folks take gravel bikes on rooty single track and then say a mountain bike could be better. It is like doing a Tour de France stage on a MTB and then noting "these mountain bikes suck, a road bike would have been much better"

What I find strange is that while the outside size of cars is increasing in size, the inside does not appear to be. I have a old Subaru Forest 2007 and it seems to have more room inside it compared to a friends new Land Rover Discovery (even though the Land Rover is far larger). I am not sure if the doors of modern cars are filled with airbags etc, but they seem to be a lot more "puffy". Only the 200 series Land Cruiser and Patrol seem to be substantially bigger inside. The worst may be a BMW X6, the puff pastry of cars, fills your garage and not much space inside it.

(Lots of last notes ) - but when it comes to bikes, the focus is different to here - it is all about geometry, suspension and brakes. Weight and drive train really don't matter. On my first trip to Morzine, I initially hired a fancy carbon bike, but after the brakes packed up, ended up getting a second rental down the road - an alu Giant with an arb collection parts on it, but with decent fox suspension and Shimano Saint brakes (and big fat DHF/DHRs). The french dude running the shop made me ride around and bounce off pavements until he was happy my "suspension is balanced". It was brilliant and all that is required for a DH sled.

I have done a few weeks in Morzine and surrounding bike parks that are similar to Whistler and can't but reiterate the advice above many times over. Just to add - the schlep and cost of getting your own bike there, flights costs, shuttle costs, services before, services after, new tires, brake pads, ... when you work it out, is pretty similar to hiring a DH bike or freeride bike there. What I did not realize before is that you fit more than a year of SA riding into a week. Here we ride tokai etc once or twice a week, say 4-6 downhill runs a month on average. In Morzine, you do 8-12 long runs a day. So you will accumulate a year+ of wear and tear on your bike in a week. I go through a set of tires in a year here, last year in Morzine, I went through new DHFs on a rental bike in a week. This amount of riding obviously requires next level hand strength and upper body strength. It is a different kind of fitness to SA riding. Hand strengthening, push-ups, sit-ups, swimming, rowing-machine etc. Invest in protection, knees, elbows, arms, shoulders, hips and a full face helmet. The rental stuff is not the most comfortable, but is often cheap and often just comes with the rental bike. Shop around on the bike rentals, if one spends a little time and book a few months in advance, one can save quite a bit. Lastly, as noted above, start slow and ride within yourself. Take a day or two to get your eye in and to get the suspension dialed. But jealous as hell, hope you have a fantastic trip

Yip, my mates that work there take their own bogroll to work.

I love the way Manitou and Suntour are at the front. Guys winning on a bike finalised a week ago. Goes to show, the engine is ....

The shuttle guy recommended above is retired dude in Muizenberg with a double cab pickup. His rates are similar to Uber and he could give you a lift to Cape Point with your bike. You could then cycle back to the City via Simons Town (and see a Pengiun or two), then turn left at Glen Cairn, go over to Noordhoek, Chapmans Peak Drive, Hout Bay, Landugno and the Atlantic coast back. This forthcoming weekend is looking a bit damp though. I would take a ziplock bag to put your phone in: https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/za/muizenberg

There won't be much in terms of public transport. Perhaps look at the Red Busses or https://www.citysightseeing.co.za/en/cape-town/cape-point-penguin-explorer-tour Just keep on a eye on the entry fee into Cape Point National Park. I am aware it can be costly for non-residents. There is uber. I use this guy for airport shuttles and I know that they do provide shuttles for tourists: +27 76 390 4536. Perhaps give him a ping via Whatsapp

When it comes to extended corrugated roads, like those in Namibia or the Kalahari, one needs to rent a car. Even the wear and tear on a Land Cruiser makes renting far more preferable.

I ride that area a lot and especially for the rocks up top, I would prefer tougher Maxis tires. Icon on the rear and Forecaster on the front.

I just love the idea of a waffle race. I think we need one in SA. A gravel race of course.

I wasn't aware that Chuck Norris moved to Muizies. Hope to spot you soon dude..

Did some research on the highest carb & energy food per unit weight and dates are quite hard to beat. They also pretty cheap if you get a 1kg block in the baking section or at a spice shop. If you mix almonds into the date ball mix, all the better. Also high energy per unit weight / volume. I then have a date ball and half a banana per hour. With some isotonic drink that has salt in it to deal with cramps. Keep a gel in back pocket for the last 30 mins of a >3hr ride. Just for that last umph.

They seem to have good distribution of knobs. Try that bike / body separation thing in the clips above. Pygas are the puppy's nuts and love to be ridden hard.

I had a similar issue when moving to a trail bike. Two things that helped are position on the bike and tires. Position on the bike, there are lots of clips on Youtube on keeping weight forward, not dipping your heals, bike body separation and how to corner on flat ground. These two channels where guys are teaching girls seem to have a good explanation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8tcLMGDtBY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spbl1WvzlMY&t=58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h26NLjmyEDc&list=RDCMUC22qoor44d486QHNC13N5_w&start_radio=1&rv=h26NLjmyEDc&t=429 Then with regard to front tires, are you perhaps using a Minion DHF? Fantastic tires but there is a gap between the centre tread and the side knobs. Sometimes it slides. One has to aggressively switch from the centre to the side knobs using the bike body separation above. (this guy also knows how to ride corners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6xQDi4xCuM&list=RDCMUCVRjRInx82lpLOe4hk4fa5A&index=2)

I find these Castelli shorts really good: https://www.castelli.co.za/collections/bottoms-mens/products/castelli-unlimited-all-surface-bib-short-2021-black or https://www.castelli.co.za/collections/bottoms-mens/products/castelli-competizione-bib-short-2020-2021 Ironically the less expensive ones with the KISS AIR shamy are more comfortable than their top end larny versions. One just has to size up. Their sizing is usually quite small. Not really made for Real South African Men.

I don't see how it improves on this Enduro Seal bottle that I have used many, many times. The Enduro Seal bottle also allows me to place exactly 80ml into each gravel tire. With the Squirt option is 120mm or nothing it seems. I am not sure how you accurately regulate the amount added.

Completely agree, the Forekaster is an amazing and underrated tire. I had Barzo's before and it is much better tire in loose over hard. As for all this anti Maxxis sentiment following Nino's experience at the Eric, folks quickly forget that Maxxis are the most common tire on the DH and Enduro circuits. They as tough as hell. The Aspen was originally more of a semi-slick cross tire that Nino started using for MTB. However, it he used an Ikon or Recon Race, actual proper MTB tires, I doubt they would have had many problems.

I picked this up, especially when looking for a bike for a mate last year. Every reasonable priced bike disappears in minutes, only to come back on at an inflated price a little while later. If you see a reasonably priced bike, phone the seller immediately and tell them you taking it. The guy I bought a bike from in the end told me that following my call, he had another half a dozen calls, but he could sense they were traders and not guys who were going to use the bike. That said, if I lost my job due to rona or whatever, I would also probably buy and trade.

https://bikepacking.com/gear/12-speed-shimano-xt-review/ For a long-term review. Otherwise, I am on 11-Speed XT, more than happy and no silly hubs required. 11-46 on the back. I have had the same cluster and chain for 4.5 years - covering 2 weekly rides, two Berg n Bushes etc etc. Just clean the chain after every second ride. Only now it is starting to show heavy wear, but replacing the cluster and chain is a fraction of the new 12 speed systems.

I have the same issue with a Sunrace cassette on a Shimano hub. If one greases the hub before hand and then really tighten the lock ring (just watch out you don't strip it), it seems to do the trick.

What a shame, Red Bull have done an amazing job and it is for free. Most of us will not pay.

I have the GK Slicks which are a lot faster than the GK's that you have. They are nice and tough and can deal with a little off-road well. however, if you are solely planning to ride on road, I pop on a pair of Spez roubaix 28c and they fly. I would not ride off-road with them, but they light and fast.

I suppose it depends where in NZ. I was on South Island in the Alps, where after 3 nights in gale force winds and driving rain in the mountains, I opted for an Airbnb cottage on a farm down the road instead of the general base camp at the bottom. In those sort of conditions, eventually everything gets soaked through. But I would take a "robust tent"