Rock Guy

All practicalities aside, I'm a firm believer of dressing the part. Its a nod of respect to those that have paved the way. It's also a great way to integrate into the community of whatever you're getting involved with. Wearing a suit and tie is certainly less practical than jeans and a T-shirt, but it shows respect when going to a wedding, applying for a job, going to court, seeing clients (in many industries), etc. and this in turn will allow for more meaningful interactions. So, really, it depends what experience you're trying to get out of mountain biking. No-one will chase you away if you roll up to the trail head wearing a spandex skin suit, ankle socks, a roadie helmet and knee pads, but you will need to deal with some heckles and are probably a little bit less likely to be invited for beers afterwards with new people you just met on the trails. I also find it a great motivator to become a better cyclist. If I dress like a proper roadie when I take the Emonda out for a spin I push a little harder to at least try and be as fast as the real roadies. Likewise, when I don my full face helmet and baggies on the mountain, I am motivated to improve my skill set and not be a little pansy all the time. But hey, you do you... If you do go the route of looking the part, Specialized make some really nice, light baggies that I have never experienced to be a hinderance.

Those little sachets of Assmagic are useful at least.

Seems a bit archaic, but good to know. In that case, timing chip on the front obviously makes sense.

Wouldn't this also mean your start time will be a fraction earlier? If so, speed at the start gate is slower than at the finish line, actually resulting in a nett loss in time compared to mounting on the seatpost? Also, In the case of a very tight finish line sprint, you will need to add that little bit of extra effort to ensure you cross the line with more than 1m separating you and your opponent. I didn't do the maths on this, but I reckon at best it would be the most marginal of gains (whether fork or seatpost is best).

Nevermind, all the T's and C's. The trails really aren't that great. I mean it's a beautiful valley, but the trails aren't well maintained and are very limited. You can go and ride MUCH better trails in Stellies for absolutely zero rands. Or you could join the Winelands club AND Tygerberg MTB for less than a quarter of the price ( where you'll have access to world class single track and stunning scenery). Not sure what exactly these Lourensford okes a growing in that valley, but they should seriously consider smoking less of it. Seems they have lost touch with reality. On the other hand, if you're the kind of person that actually wants to pay this much for "exclusivity" it is perhaps best for us not to cross paths.

How long is a piece of string? Most people I ride with have had rear hubs die one way or another (myself included), So I'd argue it is something that happens fairly regularly. 10 000km is not a negligible distance to put on a wheelset. How often do you service your hubs? I.e. pull apart, clean and regrease (not including Dec after hearing suspicious noises). If the answer is "never", then I'd say you got some good zero effort milage out of the hub and bearings. Sadly though, nothing in life is free and now the gods of cycling have come to collect.

I also saw that on one of the Stellenbosch Whatsapp groups. I ride that road very often and always thought it was a much safer alternative to the R44 heading to Somerset West. I have not seen any further info on the incident on Bikehub or elsewhere.

If had to guess, the DQs are probably related to confusion in the start chute. I started in F (first race in years, so no relevant seeding), and it was impossible to know when the F batch was actually supposed to start. Seemed like people were just sort of guessing. I personally just followed the masses. If there was any instruction over megaphone, I certainly could not hear it. Also, the actual batch starting areas on the sports field were completely disregarded and unused. Poor event coordination in my opinion. That said, I really enjoyed the race.

Pretty much

The response I've received from Castelli SA on the matter has been somewhat disappointing so far: "Just from my side – at 1st glance, the fabric has 100% been caught on something prior to the training session. This as we know can happen with the smallest sharp object catching the fabric at any time." Waiting on a response from Castelli Italy, but if the local rep basically thinks you're a scamster (and that all bibs are presumably made of delicate parchment paper) it does not bode well.

Thanks for the advice I'll go check them out. They're not too far from where I work either.

It's supposed to be some fancy pants new lighter weight material. You can ready the marketing blurb here: https://www.castelli.co.za/products/black-november-2-pair-deal-castelli-superleggera-bib-2020-21-black-bib First time I'm trying Castelli So I had no idea what the quality would be like. Maybe it lasts, maybe it doesn't. The fact that it arrived pre-punctured certainly does not inspire confidence though. Which Assos bibs would you recommend for road cycling?

Should have probably read this thread before ordering from Castelli. Noticed a hole in the spandex on a brand new bib short, wearing it for the first time yesterday on the ITD. I'm not very optimistic on how the warranty replacement "experience" will go down.

I'll escort myself to the door now. I know better than to try and be rational on BikeHub. Good luck in buying your new bike @Dylanmtb. Post some pics here once you take delivery. You're looking at the right brand for a good value bike. Maybe Titan can upgrade the wheelset for you??? Otherwise Lyne are pretty good replacements at a reasonable pricepoint. Opt for wheels that are a bit over-engineered. They will be heavier, yes, but nothing is worse than wheels that buckle after every ride.