Dicky DQ

Now that is bullet proof and does more than enough and has great battery life, 16 to 20hrs settings dependent. And if the battery dies it is an easy replacement.

Please report back

Hi dude, I am not where you are, but I ballooned (Well for me) from 85 to 115kg, slowly getting it down now. My bike is still the same as it was and the wheels have an 85kg weight limit. They are holding up though, but I am sure as soon as I start giving it horns they could be a problem. However to my point, if you get a reasonable bike with 32hole spoke wheels that are not for weight weenies, You should be fine on almost anything. Don't go blowing big $$ as I am positive you will shed the kg's and then you need the spare cash to upgrade. Good luck with the journey and do not stop, I only seem to have lost 4kg in 5 weeks and it is depressing, but we will get there. Also try to focus on longer flatter slower rides. Those mountains are heavy going with weight, it will also save the bike. Win all round Well that is my R 0.02

These days it is sad how little people believe other service providers should change (Plumbers electricians etc.) 1. How long do you think it will take to do 2. What tools and consumables will be needed 3. What experience costs 4. What materials are needed 5. What rent and manpower costs. Based on R 8,500.00 (Vat in or out) I suspect they will make about 750 to R 1k Profit. Also it is a niche service. I think I am paying about R 3.5k just to have a dropout fixed (yes they don't normally do this). Such a small bit of work, but attention to detail required is vast. Perspective matters, especially considering replacement cost and the average joe's salary / requirements

Munga; the Iphone of gravel races.....

@ a target time of 14/15hrs I don't see ant reason why you cant just sit in his slip everywhere you can and just do a better time. You should out climb him and on the flats you should be able to sit slip easily. Just ride the bike you have.

Not sure what a 36 will help you with unless you are going for a sub 10 hr ride a 32 will be fine. I have used 36 - 11-50 , 34 - 11-50 and 32 11-42 and in not one of these instances have I run out of gears sticking with the bunches. But I have run out of gears on the climbs. If I was fit and under 90kg I think 34 - 10 -50 would be the shizzel for a 10 to 11 hr ride.

Noted, however, how would the buyer know that it only has 400km on it. In this case the loss is real and the buyer would have been happy, but if you were trying to get 80 or 90% if the purchase price that would have been a loooong wait to sell.

Why would anyone expect more than 50% of the "New Price" when selling 2nd hand. What is a MTB made up of? Frame different between suppliers (but similar factory in China) All the same forks to choose from All the same shocks to choose from All the same drivetrains to choose from. after X riding hours they need to be serviced or replaced. That is where the cost lies. Now do I trust a guy/gal saying it was never ridden hard, they always cleaned the bike as it should be cleaned and never rode it in mud/water/whatever. An MTB apart from the frame is a consumable item, so a 2nd hand buyer needs to estimate the ware on those parts. Damn 50% after a year is a good deal for the seller if the bike has been ridden.

And there I am committed to the Fizik Areone that is apparently dog ****. However I do enjoy a nose down position and like the ability to move fore and aft on a saddle. There is no way I would be able sit in only one position on a saddle. So each to their own, rather get the setup correct for your A@ss as maybe the saddle you have is correct, you are possibly just not feeling it.

This is a video of experience of a Euro guy finishing 3rd in Armature group 2024. Yes 2024, but it give a very good perspective of the trails from a raider perspective. And yes you need to to be able to rise single track or do not enter. It is what it is. Well I though this was a cool video.

A lot of all of this could be avoided by shortening the cutoff times and cutting the rider totally if the cutoff's are not made. No more continue tomorrow etc. This way you eliminate the do as little as you have to, to preparation attitude most humans have. This will force riders to prepare better and then heat exposure and and and will be limited. But this or insisting on qualifying criteria will never fly due to limiting the initial field and $$'s

If you rode for 2.5 hrs without water you are doing something wrong or not thinking. You leave a waterpoint with at least 1.5L maybe more. Waterpoints are typically 25km apart or equivalent time based on a fit rider time based. Or so it appears. So if you rode for 2,5hrs without water. Damn the math just don't add up or the rider was not prepared. Also on all the routes to date there will be a farmhouse/ workers house/ farm cellar/ restaurant within 3km of the trail and that would typically be all downhill. If in distress just bail and recover then get back on course. There is really no excuse on this urban route for being so challenged, especially as they already had the initial 1.5L starts load. Which should get you between 1 and 2hrs to start with. I call ...... on this. Edit: If you know it is going to be hot take extra. Hydration pack 1.5 to 2L + 1,5L on the bike. No way you cant do waterpoint to waterpoint. If it takes 2,5hrs to do 25km you do not belong at the Epic.

Well it is interesting that it has Xc.... in the name. No matter if it is short or long course surely there needs to be sections that if you have not walked the track an tested it and trial ridden you would not make it. Or has Xc... now also gone manicured garden routes?

Noted, but again Vigilance is your friend. 90% of all incidents can be precented. There are opportunist attacks from people that have nothing to loose. But they also typically will look for the unaware parties. But that is just me. I have been cycling for 40 years and have only had this one recent incident and I know why. There have been many more that were avoided. But of course these days everyone want someone else to do something for them. As a total aside, I spend a lot of time driving in doge areas (Crossroads, Philippi etc.) Have had 2 smash and grabs and 1 armed hijack attempt. Again all cases were as a result of my low vigilance. Leave a gap between the car in front of you at a traffic light for escape route, don't leave things in cleat sight etc. We are often our own worst enemy.