michaelbiker

I can’t really speak to the level of difficulty of trails in Jonkershoek but in general I’ve ridden many different trails in Europe. Blue trails should be treated with caution, probably up there in difficulty with our black trails maybe harder. In Spain, for example, blue is barely rideable on an XC bike. Steep, narrow with some features like drops, gap jumps etc. I remember launching into some blue trails near Tremp and having to get off the bike and walk it down some sections. You can see one of the technical sections in the distance in this pic. Red in Portugal was to be avoided unless you had body armour, an FF helmet and 160mm of travel. In some places in Sintra it wasn’t even worth trying. Black was basically just a bunch of massive step downs and drops through a pine/bluegum forest. It was hard to walk it. I haven’t seen anything like this in SA.

Back on the smooth tar of Northern Thailand. Almost feels like cheating.

Stunning stretch of road along the Nam Pa river between Phonxai and Luang Prabang, Laos

Some fun with an Insta360 on really rough gravel roads.

Yes, thanks for the clarification, I was referencing finding this stuff online.

The rice is nearly ready to be harvested here in Luang Prabang

Bummer.

Time to take matters into your own hands… https://dialedrunner.com/simple-fix-for-your-sticky-garmin-fenix-buttons/

Shimano spares for derailleurs and shifters. Also fork and shock service kits are almost always out of stock when I need them.

Yip. Just did a week on the worst roads I have ever ridden in Laos (some days were over 6 hours in the saddle) and had two things I think were essential: a shock stop stem and a professional bike fit and I had zero pain just fatigue. I’m not quite 50 yet but getting there at 44.

Top of the world. Laos

Mekong ferry, Luang Prabang, Laos

It's been quite dry this week and the water has dropped a lot, so we didn't have to ride through too much mud. Vientiane is underwater at the moment though.

Somewhere in a rice paddy in Northern Laos

I have the MX238s in leather. Fit hasn’t changed apart from the insoles. Not sure how it would with such stiff carbon soles. You do have to look after the leather. I clean my shoes when they get really muddy and treat them with some leather cream.

Been riding the 238s for a year now. Most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned. I also upgraded them with a pair of G8 insoles and was amazed at the difference they made. I have very high arches and the Lake inner soles just weren’t engaging my whole foot.

Already mentioned, but here's a direct link: https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/pages/tire-pressure-calculator It correlates quite strongly with how I have been pumping my tires on gravel and mtb.

I travel with two bikes about twice a year through Cape Town international. The bikes are in old bike bags. I have never been asked for invoices or proof that I bought them in SA. They do stop me sometimes to ask if I bought any gifts or new things but generally they just want to fill out their clipboard. One tip, go through after most of the passengers have been through - by that point they have done their quota and wait for the next flight. Most countries I have visited almost never have anyone at the green lane (Europe, US, Asia, Japan). Some ask to x-ray your bag (Thailand, Singapore - this is rare) but I never get asked anything about alcohol or cigarettes. Not that I try to break their laws in any case, I just find it surprising that it seems to only happen in SA where there are 20 customs officials asking questions and digging through belongings. I recently however got called back to baggage checkin to remove CO2 canisters from my bike bag - they are allowed in checked baggage according to IATA. That was a pain in the butt as I had to be escorted back through immigration.

And just a helpful tip if anyone is looking for spares to repair their derailleurs. Aliexpress has a ton of (either fake or original - I can’t really tell) Shimano spare parts. I also had to replace a corroded tension spring on the XTR derailleur and the spring I bought there worked 100%. Just make sure you get the right part number. https://a.aliexpress.com/_ol1TygJ

I find the Shimano 12-speed stuff pretty flimsy and poorly built. The clutch design is a pain if you don’t stay on top of maintaining it. I’ve now repaired two derailleurs (XTR and XT) both with corroded cage axles. Water gets in there and eventually the axle rusts inside the bushing and the cage tension spring can’t overcome it. The XT stuff is still relatively affordable compared to SRAM electronic but it doesn’t seem to last as long. Oh and the cage lock on SRAM is so, so nice to have.

Outside Kayak Cafe, Thailand

Steamy island life