Roneblack46

A friend of mine just bought the gravel specific frame from Sling. I think it’s stunning.

This is how I ran it for Munga 2024.

LOL. It’s a large frame - similar to 58cm. Sling were clever when they designed this as it’s built for bikepacking - numerous additional options for bottle cages and bags to be bolted to frame. The larger triangle is great for frame bags. It can also be fitted with a rear rack or aero pack. The other nice feature is it has a split rear stay so belt drive is also an option.

I ran it geared for Munga 2024. I am running it SS going forward for my events this year - Tankwa Grit, Northwest Grit and Munga 2025.

Yes, I went with the external routing. It allows me to switch to flat bars if I need to without having to cut the brake line if I used the internal routing.

I have a Sling Tagati - the one with slacker headtube angle and sliding dropouts. Running it as a monster cross with 2.4 tyres and wide flared gravel bars. Great ride. Very compliant in rough corrugations. Just completed Munga 2024 on it and it was a great ride. Finishing of the welds is top notch.

Benky just completed Atlas MTB race on a Santa Cruz MTB.

Everyone has a different level of risk appetite. I stay in Rivonia and regularly ride these streets from 4am and have never felt unsafe (my biggest concern is the drivers who have been out drinking all night). If you're coming from Sandton you could go down Rivonia Road and left at Sandton police station into Summit drive. All the way down till you get the Circle (All downhill from here), then left up St James, at the T junction right (Ecclestone), then left into Bryanston drive and left onto Main Road. A short climb and the Engen is up on the left. The Engen to Engen route goes down Sandton Drive so you can always break off at Sandton back to your accommodation.

Super excited for this one. Lots of new for me: 1) MTB/Gravel Monster Cross bike - first time on a gravel configuration. (3 months now) 2) Gears this year not SS 3) New shoes - received today. 4) Changing to wider gravel bars end of September. On order from US. 5) New time goal - going to be a challenge. @Gemmerbal - pity you're not doing it - you have unfinished business... Updates on below pic: Front suspension added - Rockshox Sid Ultimate SL Brain Lowered aerobars - now on 60mm riser.

Here is the link to the 2023 Sedgefield 500 tracking. It shows the route that was set for last year. https://sedgefield500-2023.maprogress.com/

There is only a solo option but nothing stopping you from riding with someone. The nature of these events, and this one specifically, you will eventually end up on your own with no other riders in sight for hours. Obviously the longer the race distance the more isolated you will be. This Recce Raid event provides you with a tracking device for live tracking. Also they have a safety plan in place due to the remoteness. My first taste of this event will be next year. Doing the 400km/10 000m (more like 12000m looking at the Strava data from 2023). See below from one of their event newsletter's from the 2023 event: Race Safety & Security Safety and security of participants, supporters and crew during endurance events have become a major concern in many parts of the country. These concerns resulted in certain areas becoming no-go zones from a race organiser’s perspective. While the Recce Race operating zone is a mere 250 km from Gauteng, and crosses both the N4 Elandskloof and N4 Schoemanskloof highways, the routes are rather isolated and do not pass through or close to semi-urban or rural settlements or towns. This has its pros and cons, as large parts of the routes do not have any GSM coverage. We are deploying a Community Safety System that will include some of the local landowners, private security companies, regional community policing’s neighbourhood watch and farm watch initiatives, as well as support crew, including SARZA (Search & Rescue South Africa) and ER24 EMS. These parties will have access to a Virtual Control Room that will monitor any GSM based emergency SOS activated via the Herdum User App during the event on the event routes, as well as supporter routes. Their responders or patrollers will also be directly informed via the Herdum Business App for a rapid response to any safety, medical or other emergency in the event zones. As the areas that we cover with the Recce Raid are rather large, we have divided these into 4 operating zones as indicated on the maps below. Detail of how participants and supporters can register on the platform will be shared next week with all participants that have entered by May 6th.

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Thank you all for the comments. Much appreciated.