michaelbiker

We did this with Singapore (tax is not nil in SG but it is very low) and you still pay tax in SA on the amount above R1.25m. It's not a ton of tax though - roughly 30-35% on the amount above the threshold - e.g. if you get paid R1.5m you are taxed on the R250k. So unless you earn millions it still makes it financially worth it.

If I remember correctly, my Si2 had a remote hydraulic lockout and there was no way to change it to a cable. I’d recommend he go with the manual lockouts if he can’t get it fixed. The lefty button thingy works very well. It’s possible it just needs a good service. Mine got very difficult to actuate and a service sorted it out.

Samoeng loop + Mon Chaem. The last 20kms were so hot in the full sun. Big storms arrive tomorrow in northern Thailand. temp_video_305128018777473024.mov temp_video_305136031940743168.mp4

More pics from the last couple of days through Northern Thailand

Currently doing a long weekend - 3 night / 4 day ride through Northern Thailand. Today’s profile looked insane 70kms of flat road and then 14kms of climbing with some 20% ramps built in. Normally, I’m okay on ramps like these but with a bike pack it’s a lot, lot harder.

Yes exactly. You get that kit and a new chain and you can then use your existing parts with the 10-52 cassette.

You need to get 9x7 compatible clamps on your seatpost head. Some seatposts come with these. Some seatposts it should not matter but if your seatpost is not compatible you are going crush the rails and cause all sorts of issues, so be careful and check.

You could just use one of these: https://ratiotechnology.com/product/1x12-wide-rear-cable/?v=1fdc0f893412 Your components are still pretty light and nice and if you just want to go 12-speed - these work very well. To replace or upgrade to a new 12 speed shifter and derailleur is going to be a lot more money. Note: you may still need to buy an eagle compatible 12 speed chain.

You can try dripping some baking soda solution on them to dissolve the aluminium oxide but be very careful.

Not something you get to do every day we bumped into a herd of elephants and their mahouts off to go graze.

This definitely sounds like a bleed issue not a faulty brake. But if fluid is leaking then you need to replace something. Make sure everything is super clean, leave overnight and check for oil spots. Shimanos are notorious for cracked pistons and the bladders can get damaged if you reset the pistons without cracking open the bleed port. Otherwise if you are 100% certain there are no leaks, keep bleeding until the issue is resolved. Bubbles can be stubborn!

Thunderos on the road are great. That’s all I use for both gravel and road rides. They last forever too. Getting about 7000km a set.

One other thing that’s often overlooked but can be super annoying are differences in tolerances of the hubs. Which means your discs may rub when switching between wheelsets. Plus the discs will wear at different rates depending how much you ride each set. So it’s not going to be completely straightforward each time.

Chiang Mai, Thailand. Such a stunning place to be on a bike.

Hard to say - how much mileage are you riding? Do you ride in wet, muddy conditions? How often do you wash your bike? Bearings die from corrosion, so if water can get passed the seals then they will likely need to be replaced more regularly. Also living and riding near the sea. My front wheel bearings on my gravel bike needed to be replaced after 4000km. The rear bearings after 7000km. Most likely because I was doing a lot of wet weather riding and needed to wash my bike more often. The bearings were also not the best quality with likely crappier seals than the more expensive ones.

Except with Shimano your crank can just spontaneously delaminate or fall off. I’d rather have the headache off the bike than on it.

Good to be back on home soil for a bit. Even if it’s a bit soggy…

Whoa that is hectic. Without getting a fit, I’d recommend watching some YouTube videos (bikefit James) maybe asking the questions on the bikefit Reddit. Most of the time the saddle is less important than the saddle height, reach etc but in this case it’s impossible to tell by just looking at your bibs.

Cannondale for me. I used to own the previous gen SSE and it was such a comfortable and fast bike to ride. Sold it sadly because road riding in Cape Town became too scary.

This has been happening on takealot for quite some time too. I remember seeing a pair of riding glasses that sold on Aliexpress for R100 going for R750. Buyers just have to do their homework. I don’t think there is any reasonable way to force people to mention where they bought something, how much they paid for it etc etc. Those that leave short, cryptic descriptions will just sell less. A good feature to add that doesn’t lead to comments on a listing would be an upvote on the product. I browse the classifieds and use them a lot and if I see something I like but don’t need, it would be cool to just give a thumbs up. That way others have a little more info on whether it’s a legit deal or not. Carousell in Singapore - one of my favourite classifieds apps shares the favourites count for a product and it’s quite useful for both buyers and sellers.

Thanks we were in Portugal two years ago. Sintra has some of my favourite mtb trails. Would love to go back some time.

Maybe. But that would only have happened if Ineos got Spez as a bike sponsor. There are rumours they don’t have a bike sponsor for next year so it could have worked out but the bora move was a lot simpler and they are trying to rival the big two, so they were willing to put up the cash.

Haha! We’re doing the least glamorous thing today. Cleaning up the Airbnb and packing bikes. Our bags total weight is now sitting at 92kgs!

Am sad too! France has been quite incredible both in prices but more importantly the riding. I will be posting pics from Thailand next month though!

Thanks. We are nomads. We spend 50% of our time outside of SA a year.