Fisan

Scott RC Evo. Got it on the hub, new, but no warranty 😢

I recently noticed my right shoe feels different, when off the pedals, compared to my left shoe. Turns out, if I try flexing the shoe with my hands the right side definitely feels less stiff. Like, stiffness index 6 (made up number) compared to 9 (left side). I can't visibly see cracks, so it may be delamination between the different layups. I'm not sure what caused this... (over torquing cleats? hard dismount on rocks?, etc.), as the shoes are barely two years old. Is this normal for MTB carbon shoes? Do I downgrade these to commuting and get a new pair? I guess there's no real repair solution here.

Had the privilege of doing an insanely beautiful race in the Western Cape. Views worthy of paintings....but...the littering. Now I may sound like an old Oomie (FWIW I did recently move up to "sub-veteran") but the amount of Goo sachets strewn on the otherwise pristine Renosterveld was just plain gross. One or two may have been case of accidently dropping it - or thinking you put in your shirt pocket but missed. I can forgive that. But when the count is 50 (no exaggeration here), its no accident anymore. Unforgivable. Where the blerrie F is the respect for our trails? Anyways, great event. Good vibes. Amazing day. Rant off.

Having some second thoughts about my impulse-buy-entry 🫠

Wrist-based HR + grip-based sports do not go well together. I have a Garmin with the latest/Elevate Gen 5 optical sensor, but the writst-based HR measurements are rubbish when MTB'ing. People say the same when rowing, paddling, using weights in gym, etc. ...then again, some people have more success.

Looks legitimate. Looks like it's hosted by a (German) startup that sells bespoke.... salt. So make with that what you will.

Awesome! Thanks a lot!! I'll be heading out late Dec/early Jan for some recce rides

Bump. Anyone?

Hey BH, I'm keen to enter the Imbuko Big 5, but I would like to get a feeling of the terrain/difficulty before doing this. So, does anyone have some example GPX routes or similar in the area? E.g. a 40km-ish loop. Thanks!

Just send me a DM to arange pick up

Yup. I have a spare. You can choose between USB-A (pictured) or the newer USB-C variant.

Can't comment on battery, but if you are in the atlantic seaboard anytime soon I defs have a spare Garmin USB charging cable around - if that is what you need.

Oh goodluck Rick. After a successful Tor Des Geants this year, I'm sure this will be a breeze. Sort of. Maybe not.

Another weekend, another canceled event due to weather (UTCT 35k). Time to revive the topic about event insurance. Is it possible to get some sort of personal insurance? I've searched the hub, but couldn't find a definite answer. Fortunately I reside in the Republic of Cape Town, so it's not like I wasted accommodation and travel fees. But these events aren't cheap - you hardly get races below R1,000 nowadays. And don't forget about the nutrition (for training to the event as well as race day). Also, this not my first cancellation, a I've experienced a lot of these over the past couple of years. Problem is, most of the event companies cover their tushies well in the T's & C's. Some even make an extra Rand or two through substitution policies and waiting lists. But let's not go there now... Back to topic, is it possible at all to self insure? Incl. for medial reasons?

I think the for the first generations of the Epix the "visibility in sunlight" was still a valid argument, but I've had both types now, and using the lowest (adaptive) brightness setting is more thr clear enough, even while wearing sunglasses. The only valid arguments (IMO, of course) are: - battey life, and - true always on - screen burn in if you plan to use it for years The AMOLED definitely feels more like a computer than a watch. The battery life is better MIP watches of some years ago - more than good enough for most athletes. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference.

Been there, also used to struggle a lot. Then I got a new-to-me wheelset - suddenly everything was easy. I could even seat new tyres using a road (high pressure/low volume) pump. Also, the Stans Tyre Sealant Injector™ made life a whole lot easier.

Man, I spent so much time drafting accurate diagrams, only to be told use a sock 😀 I definitely over-complicated this one. Time to close thread.

TL:DR: The brake hose gets caught between the frame and the bike rack claw, resulting in the hose rubbing unnecessarily. Would it be worth trying to reroute the hosing? Adhesive guides seems like an option... I have an old'ish frame with external brakes/cables. There's no problem in itself, except when I travel with the bike: the rear brake hose gets caught between the downtube of the frame and the claw of the bike rack, resulting in the hose rubbing unnecessarily and causing wear to the cable and frame - see expertly drawn figure below It got me thinking, could I not change the hose routing somehow? I could think of two options: Option 1: Use existing derailleur routing Solution: This frame was spec'ed with a front derailleur, with the cables running along the top tube and seat tube (cable guides at pts 1,2 and 3). Maybe I could somehow reuse those guides for the brake hose, and the finally link up with the existing brake guides on the chain stay. Potential problems: bending radius of hose - especially close to the BB (PT4), there may not be enough clearance between the frame, tyre and what the bending radius allows. Also, the existing hose might be a bit short for this route. Option 2: Existing derailleur route + stick on guides Solution: Jagwire has these adhesive backed housing/hose guides that you can attach to the frame (pts 3 and 4). Meaning I can make use of the existing guides (1 and 2) and new guides (3 and 4). The old hose guides will just be empty. Problems: Not any serious ones I can think of. Some useless/empty guides on the frame. 🤷‍♂️ Option 3 is to eventually get a new frame where this will be a non-issue. But I'm not considering that as an option now. Thoughts?

That's just the thing. I have a team kit that have lasted years. I've probably worn the bibs waaay past their best before date. And that's one of the reasons why I chose to give Velotex a chance. Plus, supporting local also feels lekker. The new range is priced similar to Cioviata, for instance (can't comment on quality comparison). I feel for a relatively unknown brand that price range warrants a bit better customer service. Who knows, hopefully both sides learn from this. For what its worth I received an email update after my original post that the refund has been processed...

TL;DR: Velotex - decent products, but customer service no good. It seems like Velotex is trying to break into the consumer market (as opposed to just corporate wear). I had a team kit from them that lasted me a good few years, so I thought I'd give their consumer range a try. 🟢 Payment process works just like any online shop - not any problem there. 🟢Delivery was quick - 3 day delivery, but.... 🟡 ... they never sent any tracking updates or any form of notifications of when it it is out for delivery. Bibs arrived, looked good, and quality seemed decent, but unfortunately the fit didn't work. Consulted the Shipping & Returns page - easy enough, just send an email to returns@velotex.co.za and courier to their factory at Cole Str in Observatory. Except, that: 🔴 The email bounced (error 550 Unroutable address) and 🔴 They have moved to Chatham Rd in Obs Fortunately, I live in Cape Town, so just return in person right? But... 🔴 They couldn't process a refund at the shop; Left my invoice, bib, and phone number at the desk so that their accounts department could call me later the day 🔴 ...but they never did. 🔴 and a follow up email to info@velotex.co.za went unanswered. Eventually, after trying ihisales@velotex.co.za I received a response and request for my banking details. 🔴 10 days later, including a follow-up in between, still no refund. I will send a another follow up email. I know it's not fair to compare it to Takealot, for example, but at least there I can request and submit a return in one day and receive a refund or credit within days. However, the time and effort required is just not up to standard — I started the process 20 days ago and am still waiting. I'd rather just stick to corporate clothing.

Looks like Ill get into contact with Die Ark and Retreat. Worst case, some gravel riding. Thanks all!

Looking for some Hub Advice™, I'll be visiting Koringberg/Piketberg for a weekend soon. I see there's some trails, but my Google skills are apparently a bit lacking. Piket Bo-Berg seems like's event only, right? So no point in getting my hope up for that one... Swartland/Koringberg MTB trails - I've found a couple of "articles" that says it starts at "Die Ark", but in terms of maps, there's nothing. A couple of AllTrails for which I don't have a subscription. Strava heatmaps show nothing. Worst case I will just rock up at the trail head and take it from there, but ideally I would like to have a planned route or distance beforehand. Any suggestions where to get some routes or route suggestions?

Any suggestions or recommendations for free (preferred) or paid training programmes for olympic distance triathlons? Of done a couple of tris, but I want to commit to a bot more structure with this one. I was hoping that Garmin/Firstbeat's new adaptive tri coach will be a good start, but it feels like it's oriented to those who want to "finish" an event, rather than "perform". That was my general experience with their running-coach as well. So, any ideas?

Saw this on JWI News... (Sun, Jun 1, 7:06 PM)

Got my F7 hand-imported from the USA. Garmin SA replaced (and upgraded to Pro) the unit 6 months past its warranty expiration when I ran into hardware issues. The win: Garmin SA stepped up The loss: hardware issues on what's supposed to a premium (based on price at least) and one of the most robust multisport watches out there.