Rouxenator

MTB for sure. I use the same MTB that I ride trails with. Clocked about 5000KM in a year and its still going strong. Knobby tyres means you are less likely to get a puncture.

I actually like the n00b look. Most of my MTB rides I do with normal tekkies, I have a massive saddle bag that hold two 29r tubes, a multi-tool, tyre levers, cable ties and chain breaks. I have never (touch wood) used a tube before but I have given away 5+ to tubeless riders that ran into some "tubeless trouble". Apart from my oversized saddle bag I have a topbar bag that carries car keys, phone (used for Sports Tracker) and some Slim Slabs. I have two bottle cages that hold 750ml bottles so there is no need for a Camelbak. I also do not believe in cycling shirts - they are useless and just helps you to loose a lot of stuff and feels uncomfortable on your back. Mini-pump that does both Presta and Shrader valves is a must on my bike. What really makes the n00b look fun is when you outride someone that looks like a pro, or when you stop to help someone that does not ride with any of the bare essential spares.

Nice, no way you will turn those into slicks anytime soon.

Never had a puncture with them, but its only been a month and a bit since I got them so there has been little chance for them to get punctured. You do get what you pay for and at the price I would not call them bad.

My bike came with Maxxis Aspens and they lasted pretty well for the first 4000km. Had a Crossmark at the rear for a while but it did not last. So the day before Karoo2Coast I decided that I need a fresh set of tyres and to my amazement the cheapest ones available were R95 each! Brilliant deal so I bought 4 of them, two of which I fitted on the bike and off I went to Uniondale. The Good : They are really cheap. Grip is very good on gravel. The Bad : They don't last very long. Not as grippy in the mud. After 500km this is what they now look like. I am a bit tail happy which is why the rear looks like a slick :-) Verdict : If you need knobby tyres on a budget these will do... for a while.

Yeah, I'm also looking for the results, had a pretty nice time out there and managed to finish in just under 3 hours. http://thumbnails103.imagebam.com/21789/9b97bd217889587.jpg http://www.sports-tr...p441kj0jr2khest. Results : http://www.stbb.co.za/uploads/STBB_2Keepabreast_MTB_Challenge_results2012.pdf

I should perhaps add that I am never in the front of my group, especially at the start. As my body warms up and starts burning fat I gain some speed and pace. Helps to finish strong I guess.

The question should perhaps be what advantage do you get for cleats on non endurance rides. Personally I find then great for climbing since you can also pull with your legs, but on a technical track I am better off with my old Nikes. They are also not affected by pushing through thick mud.

Wrong, my GT Karakoram 3.0 cost me R4900 and its an excellent bike.

True, usually by 30km I would have had something small.

Ek ry elke dag deur kampus, van Welgevonden na Tegnopark toe. Moet erken daar is nerens op die dorp waar ek my bike sal parkeer en vasmaak nie. Kon jy toe 'n plek kry?

Been looking forward to this ever since they announced it at the start of the TransKaroo.

When I started riding I had one thing in mind and that was to loose weight. Therefor I always did my workouts on empty and it worked remarkably well. However I have been on my goal weight for more than a year now but still I prefer to go out on rides with out having eaten anything. I might take a Slim Slab or two during a ride purely because it works for me. Anyone else that prefers to start their rides on empty?

Jaco and his team do a great job at Piet se Fiets. I spread my business around, if I want something fixed quick then Piet se Fiets is the way to go, otherwise I make use of Mason's or Flandria. Sadly the attention to detail I get from Flandria is sometimes lacking and they often overlook things I ask them to look at on my bike. That being said they have helped me out big time when I had issues hours before big rides.

I have MTB pedals on my road bike, use cleats all the time. On my MTB I only use it if I do rides longer than 80KM like K2C or TransKaroo. I just love seeing people on shorter and more technical rides fail because of cleats.