NeoOne

So after extensive searching, I find a gravel frame on Bikehub for the Race to the Sun 17/5/2025. I arrange a courier (also on BH) to collect in CT on Friday 9/5/2025 morning and deliver to me here in JHB the following Monday. The courier is late and the Seller calls me, shouts at me for wasting his whole morning. I told him “ it’s out of my hands” and I most certainly did not ask them to be late. He starts talking about me NOT managing the process to make it smooth and more importantly the message I heard was that I’m not even “grateful” he’s selling the frame to me! Said frame was on Hub for two months before I made an offer of R15 for the R18k frame. Seller then offers to throw in wheels, headset, seatpost. We agreed and that was it. When courier guy tried to arrange a later pickup the Seller gets difficult and only offers a window of 3-4pm. He’s so rude to the courier, that the courier asks if I used Bikehub Pay and that I should cancel! But I’m in a spot- I paid Seller guy and paid Courier guy and all I have is my new 40mm Spez Pro tyres and GRX comps. So after being shouted at while my kids are in the car, I have little choice but to cancel the sale… but now I’m screwed. The race is here and I have components, tyres. No frame. No wheels. Seller agrees and pays me back. I Now I’m stuck with comps and narrow tyres that I don’t need. While having coffee to drown my sorrows at Fournos I see Dunkeld Cycles and chat with a young guy, William, about tyre choices and how will GRX comps fit on my old Giant XTC Advanced as a monstercross bike. He was so professional and helpful I a told him about the failed deal and asked if I could do a monstercross with GRX components. Because I bought tyres for a Cannondale Super X, I was forced to buy 40mm and the William advises me to go back to Spez store and get wider 45/50mm for the Giant as I figured that’s be the cheapest way out to save my race. Dunno why, but I ask him if he has any gravel frames. He says he has a one year old trade-in, but he has promised it to someone already. I ask to see the frame and he obliges. See the frame he produces(essentially a complete bike! below) I asked him what he would need to get for the bike and whe made a number if they built it. Not to be denied again, I asked what price if I took it as is and built it my self. A walk-out-the-door-now price. He calls the other buyer and arranges another bike for her/him and we agree on a price( which was a few bob more than the original frame) such a fabulous deal that I happily paid him and rush out the door to get wider tyres at Specialized… and fetch my soon at school an hour late 🤣 Now I’ve assembled it and am so glad I walked into this store and spoke to this guy! Thank you @Dunkeld Cycles Thank you William!

Maybe we swap timing boards then I get the Strava adoration! Thanks for your input. Will run Pathfinders on the day

So YouTubers Dylan Johnson and Drew Dillman both rate the Pathfinders over the Cinturato H and Schwalbe GS Ones for fast hardpacked stuff (but they also prefer the 2.2 width). For the muddy, rocky stuff they say Conti Race King 2.2 and Schwalbe Thunderbird 2.1. It looks like the consensus is Pathfinder, if the weather plays nice else put some drop bars and my GRX comps on my old faithful 8 kg Giant XTC Advanced and hope for the best!

Hubbers I need your advice. Anecdotal or otherwise, for what gravel tyres to run for the Race to the Sun. On the proviso that it stays dry and hardpacked. I have a claimed max tyre clearance claim of 42mm rear and 45mm front on a 2019 Cannondale Super X. I raced the 2023 version and even on my Cannondale Scalpel my wrists were itching from the vibrations of the corrugations. The organisers have promised a safer, much smoother backend to the 2025 race. On the ‘23 event I got dropped on the tar section by “little girls and old boys” on gravel bikes (no I’m not a masogynist -I’ve been dropped by many, many a female, including Ashleigh Moolman (before she became a Pasio) and TRT pensioners) - it’s flowery language for getting dropped real HARD, on the black top. Which gravel tyres offers fast rolling 8/10, 6/10 sketchy-at best- cornering, lightweight 8/10 with a decent 7/10 puncture protection? My shortlist assuming size 40-42; -Panaracer Gravel King SK+ —S-Works Pathfinder 2Bliss -Pirelli Cinturato M -Sawtooth 2Bliss Thanks

I’m looking for advice re gravel bike or rather repurposed road bikes that can handle jeep track and not-so-rough terrain. I can’t seem to search the Hub (see attached pic). Which brand of road bike can be modified with a gravel fork and some 750b wheels/ frame that can accommodate the gravel tyres required for a Race to the Sun type of event. I like Cannondale’s as a manufacturer own a two Evo’s, a CAAD 8 ( dedicated Zwift bike and candidate for modification BUT rear clearance can’t even do 28” tyres) and a 2016 Scalpel HM. At 2023 Race to the Sun I was dropped by everyone on a gravel bike as soon as we hit the tar and want to find a brand of bike that I can use as my gravel bike for 2024. I heard murmurs of an older model Specialized Roubaix circa 2012/3 will be fit for purpose. Which light <11kg road frame will get 32-34” (maybe 36”) rear tyre in? Which gravel fork can work well with such a hybrid? I will be fine with v brakes and not necessarily discs and am not fussed with Road or gravel components. We’ll just pray it doesn’t rain this year at 2024 Race to the Sun. I have lots of pretty smooth gravel roads where I live and does not need to be a gravel weapon. My budget is <R15 000.

I rode this race for the first time last year and the ladies are NOT allowed to take a wheel at all. I offered one up to a lady that was being dropped from the front group and she looked around like there were cameras around. She did say thanks but no thanks. We’re strictly enforced by race Marshall’s and like clockwork some motorcycles with marshalls came through

Is there reliable shuttle service from Sun City back to the start all day?

I handed in a 520 where the rubber buttons have perished from age, but fully functional and holds power for over 4-5 hours. Garmin wanted R2500 for rubber buttons or R4700 for a new 530. They take my old unit and promise to refund me R650 for the old unit. I emailed a young lady Alice R. at Garmin at least 10 times and each time we have problems with her forwarding docs for me to fill out( either wrong format or they want credit card slip or credit card receipt (all which I provided). When I finally get tired of waiting for my refund I told them either refund me or send me my old unit they were holding since 94.7 Nov 2022 or I’ll take it to social media. A few weeks ago I get a package with the old unit. No explanation. No apologies. Really poor customer service

How do you pick your le Tour Fantasy team? Stack it with sprinters and TT specialists for first few days and then transfer and take a loss with GC choices in second part of first team week?

No sir. Acc to Fox it’s a sticker with 4 character letter and numbers

as supplied by the bike shop. When installed it hits the frame

I checked and there is nothing on the outside

Which 4 digits will tell us what the correct stroke and length? Thanks

Will check in my way past bike shop. Thanks for reply