Baracuda

I got the stem on my gravel bike and agree completely with you. A game changer in terms of comfort and also control. I am aware it is just supposed to be a shock absorber, but it does form a suspension function as well, keeping the front wheel on the ground over bumps, stopping bouncing and improving grip and braking. I debated the weight thing before I bought it, but after one ride, I never gave it another thought. Worth every gram.

A lovely photo and I love that track on my enduro bike, but not sure what the point is? Gravel bikes are meant for gravel roads, not downhill single track. It is like saying mountain bikes suck on motocross tracks in comparison to motocross bikes. Well of course they do.

In our minds eye we all have different ideas about what "gravel" is, that is why arguments about gravel bikes just keep on going around in circles. There is a sweat spot on dirt roads (not single track, not rocky jeep track and not heavily corrugated), where gravel bikes thrive and fly. Better position, speed and efficiency compared to an mtb and you have a grin from ear to ear. A bit more bumpy and a hardtail mtb or efficient XC full-suss will be more comfortable. The downside, is that you have big mtb tires which slow you down and are a hack on tar roads in between. A bit more bumpy than that (rocks larger than golf ball size and corregations larger than 3cm) and all bikes just suck, especially over 100km.

Exactly, I love bombing down Karoo roads on my gravel bike with drop bars. Yes, you need to choose your line and work it, but I would feel like a complete tool on my 140mm Pyga riding 100km of flat dirt roads.

It does not get great reviews either: https://road.cc/content/review/214488-wilier-jaroon and apparently quite heavy: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/gravel-bikes/wilier-jaroon As mentioned the Kinesis Tripster is good. The new fork is apparently quite comfortable. Ribble also have some decent bikes at a reasonable cost: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikes/gravel-bikes/

I don't know that particular frame, but I did build up a gravel bike with components mainly bought from Merlin. I managed to get a Kinensis tripster frame and fork from a guy in Joburg for next to nothing. An amazing bike. Merlin also sells them: https://www.merlincycles.com/kinesis-tripster-at-gravel-bike-frameset-with-columbus-forks-148669.html I then chose these wheels, which are also amazing and have handled a lot of abuse: https://www.merlincycles.com/fulcrum-rapid-red-5-db-clincher-gravel-wheelset-161574.html And then a mixture of Shimano 105 and Ultegra parts (the rx back derailleur with the clutch that you need for gravel). Every 2-3 months or so they have 30% off sale and that is when I picked up most of the bits for the bike. On parts I paid 14% VAT, no duty.

I am sorry, but one can't seriously believe "mtb slipped out of the shadows of cycling" due to the Cape Epic???? It is one little event that has no impact beyond the small group who ride it who are perhaps 0.01% of mountain bikers in South Africa. Most mountain bikers I know in the Cape have never done the event and never will, and spend much time investing in trails etc. We mountain bike because it is fun, not to do some silly stage race. Outside of the blinked realm of the W.Cape or even South Africa, mountain biking has exploded because it is fantastic, not due to an elitist event in South Africa.

Hair grows on me without me knowing about it or with my consensus. I doubt the sheep is consciously cultivating it.

Quite different. One grows on a goat, the other on a sheep.

Whats the matter with Brakpan ladies now?

BKB and the Mohair SA produce some stuff that is available locally in the Eastern Cape, but there is such global demand for our mohair by the top fashion houses in the world, that most of it goes directly overseas. Like beautiful women from Benoni, before you know it, they on the world stage looking back at us.

https://privateer.co.za/product/apidura-race-bolt-on-toptube-pack/

6mm

I have one of these: https://www.naturehike.co.za/collections/hiking-tents/products/mongar-ultralight-2-person-tent?variant=2047357681696 And it is really great. Have used it in adverse conditions New Zealand and here and it seems to be waterproof. Packs really small. It is twice the width of my shoulders and one can sit up properly in it. I have had smaller tents before, which are a real pain, especially if you stuck inside for hours in the rain. This one you can actually move in, lay out all your stuff, get changed in it, keep all your gear with you, cook under the flysheet etc.

Yip, I have one per hour. The reason for focusing on concentrated energy / carbs is also to cut down on bulk. Otherwise, one would have to eat a large jam sandwich every hour. After 5 hours...

They certainly are easier. The trick with date balls is to roll them in coconut or it gets sticky. But it is really interesting to look at the data, I was quite surprised and never considered dates before, but where as bananas are 23g carbs / 100g, rice 25g / 100g, etc, dates are 75g /100g. On the energy side, certain nuts like almonds and peanut butter also have 2-3 times other foods that I used to think were full of energy. Good old peanuts and raisins have far more energy and carbs that most energy bars per unit weight at a fraction of the cost.

4-5 hour rides. I look at the GCN channel on youtube occasionally and they have had a few clips on how much to pros eat / drink, how much should one eat on a ride and so forth. The pro's consume a scary amount, equivalent to 3-4 energy bars an hour (made up on bars, gells, drinks, cakes etc). Amateurs should be on about half that. So I tried it and it is amazing how well it works. Energy drink, bar and gell per hour and after 4 hours you still giving it horns. You should try it (and gears), you may win the whole event.

I am training for the ever pushed out Swartberg Fondo and was going through expensive energy bars etc at a pace. Started to do some research on ingredients (energy/carbs per unit weight) and dates and almonds seem to be among the best. In the baking section at checkers you can buy dates at a very reasonable cost. Long story short, I spent R200 on dates, almonds and the other ingredients required to make date balls. That produced a whole baking tin of date balls. After 3 months of riding taking 2-3 balls in a ziplock bag (that I reuse with me), I still have a quarter of the tin left. If you run the sums, each ball has more energy carbs that all the branded bars that are R40 each. And they taste better.

Instead of investing heaps in camping gear, a starting option is also just to use farm stays e.g. those on Lekkerslaap. I am not referring to the larny places, but a basic place that is clean, warm and has a shower and coffee plunger. e.g. https://www.lekkeslaap.co.za/akkommodasie/buffelspoort-cottage--camping Lekkerslaap have a map and between their site and Google Maps, you can stitch together a 3, 4, 5 day (however long) trip, with a basic place to stay every 100km or so. You then don't need to carry camping and cooking gear which saves you a stack of weight as well.

Can't reiterate this ^^^ enough. Especially with Toyota Fortuners - a mate of mine wrote-off a brand new carbon wheel on a bike rack on the back. When he got back to the shop they mentioned "it happens quite often"

They likely to pave the single track below the blockhouse soon. Part of erosion management in the area. And no I don't have a hipster beard or wear checked shirts on bikes.

That was me doing a lap of the mountain From Camps Bay to Newlands, I really don't enjoy the dodge bit through the City, Salt River etc. I rather go up the back side of Signal Hill, past the cable way, down below the Block House and through. From the tar to Rhodes Mem is not great, but better than Salt River alone. I really wish the City or Parks Board would tar / pave a section from Rhodes Mem to the end of the cable way road. It would be fantastic for commuting and cut out the dodge sections.

I picked up two of these a few years ago: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dhb-long-sleeve-jersey-2-0-2021/rp-prod205207 One would need to ship them in and pay import duty but they really great. Keep the sun off and quick wick

https://fb.watch/v/4vhKcS6_5/ The "good old days" - proper steel frames.

Interesting listening to Lance Armstrong's webcast - got some gurus on the show and they reckon it may be down to the size of the teams. They not as large as they used to be and once you have lost 2-3 guys to accidents, one can't dominate the pelaton like they used too. So everyone just goes for it.