fatcyclist

Lazy 50km this morning with @snapshot, first to Lucky Bread Company, and then to Seattle.. some days are just better when you take it easy..

I have the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical with Applied Ballistics, because my other sport is actually competitive shooting. Love the watch, was a very nice X-mas gift from @snapshot. It's been a game changer in how I approach many things. Love the 'Tactical' activity feature, I use it when we shoot a IPSC match, and I was surprised to see where my heartrate goes when shooting. So yes, a huge +1 for the Garmin Instinct range.

In the growing quest to become 'less fat cyclist', @snapshot decided (in her infinite wisdom), that today is the day I go die on a hill. It's a short hill. Problem is, when you're 138kg's (down from 141 in January, and down from 161 in December 2024 mind you!), any hill kills you. Thank heavens for the Cannondale Topstone's gearing. I do love that bike. Seattle Coffee soothed the soul.

@snapshot's Cube has a set of Newmen R32 wheels. When I bought my Topstone I got these Bontrager Girona RSL's (42c's). They were brand new but I don't like brown sidewalls so I replaced them. Mounted the Bontragers on her wheels this weekend, but they didn't want to seat correctly. They hold air at 4bar, but the wheel runs elliptical. I tried a 23c tube and a 35-42c tube. No difference. You can see in the pictures, on one end the brown is on the rim, and the other side it's a large strip of black sticking out. Any ideas how to 'center' these? @nick_the_wheelbuilder any ideas since you do this for a living?

Looks like a good time, but it clashes with Crater Express, close by in Parys running on the same date.

This weekend @snapshot decided to show me that Pretoria is not flat at all.. I'm dead..

I'm 51, and this is what Garmin says... can you adjust it on the Garmin app or Garmin Connect dashboard?

What is this long rides in zone 2 you people speak of? This was Saturday, and all I was doing was trying to hold on for dear life 🤣

Been out of the scene for more than a decade. In CrossFit the WOD's were usually quick and explosive.. warm up, die for 20mins, cry a little on the floor, drive home, drink a protein shake and some creatine, rinse and repeat. Specifically: How are the Biogen products? I can get a 15% discount on them through my old CrossFit coach (she's a sponsored athlete of theirs).

I'll be running a 45c Kenda Krusher front, and 40c Pirelli Cinturato M at the rear. The Cannondale Topstone I have rubs with a 45c tyre in the rear. So far it has been a comfortable combination.

How does the CSA day license work? Can I buy it on the morning at registration?

Holding on to @snapshot's wheel for 2.5hrs while she finds every drag in and around Pretoria to make me suffer on. Apparently I'm not allowed to ride a Cannondale without some sort of TCS kit, so plans were made (dankie Carel!) Also, S vs XL frame ..or as I call it 'beauty and the beast'

Indeed it has... but I'm back on a bike again after 8 years and life continues..

Sadly there is a reason both Carel from TCS and myself hung up our moderations hats (first two mods) after a few years. Then I went dormant for a decade.. slowly surfacing again.. this is a good place with good people!

141kg after 3 years of CrossFit and recently got back in to cycling. Finding kit that fitted was an issue, since I now have traps, lats and biceps.. Shopped around and found a Cannondale Topstone gravel bike at a decent price, and it's rated to take the weight. You can read about it under the gravel bike section. Good luck with the weight loss, we've all been there!

@snapshot dragging me to some gravel roads on Saturday.. great ride... ek is net k*k onfiks!!

The elusive @snapshot spotted in the wild with her Cube, and the farm gate I bought.. 1st ride on the Cannondale was awesome, I'm *** unfit, also, the internet lied, 45c tyres don't fit the frame at the rear, I need a 40c.. oh and a longer stem.. otherwise, I'm happy and happy to be back on a bike first time in 8 years.

I remember many many moons ago when Gavin Rossouw and myself needed a place to stay for a race close to Worcester, Francois also opened his home to us. We slept like students on couches, and had a great race in the morning. I'm going to miss him..

Literally sat with tears in my eyes last night looking through some of the old photos of us riding together.

Dankie.. sien jou dalk eendag weer op die pad 🫡

Spotted a Trek I really liked at The Bike Garage in the Buy & Sell section this morning. They're 5km from my offices in Bryanston, so took a drive through. The Trek was already sold, but they had this XL Cannondale Topstone in stock. The Topstone is one of the few frames rated to take my not so small size. Seemed to fit me pretty well. Made a call or two, and paid for it an hour later. Picking it up Saturday (life and other things interfering in-between).

@MongooseMan thanks for sharing, I'm planning on buying 1st week January, hopefully the post Xmas quiet have set in to stores and there's some bargains to be had. This is a good price though, 10k is a lot of money!

Dankie, buying a gravel bike (hopefully) first week of January 2026 to get back in to it, so don't want to enter before the bike is in the garage..

Any idea what date the cut-off falls on for 2026?

Does this race sell out or are there usually spaces available until a month or two before?