NGM

Everything I've read suggests that power output only actually starts to drop off for cranks shorter than 145mm, but anything between there and 190mm is negligible ITO performance. So just size for comfort and you're all set! The 170-175mm range is such a small variation compared to the variation in human height; I guess bike companies are just catering for the median because it wouldn't be cost effective to make 20 different sizes.

CrazyGuyOnABike is an oldschool website of online journals by people who have done bike tours. I've filtered for south africa: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/locales/?locale_id=195&doctype=journal It's interesting to read different people's takes on south africa. Some good, some bad. Most of the time the perception of crime is worse than the reality, but unfortunately you only need one or two incidents of violent crime to be life changing/ending. This is one below is one of my favourites. This korean lady rode around the world for about a decade. She might still be riding. This is where her journal starts in africa: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1mr&page_id=322828&v=38C&src=page_next It's hard not to read her comments with a korean accent. Anyway, I guess my point is, a lot of people have ridden bikes right up africa and made it out alive.

I feel like this didn't happen by accident:

You mentioned that jersey in your post. Incidentally I remembered this so when I saw a guy with this jersey I almost rode up and asked "Are you mamil?". Given that it was almost certainly not, this would have been a pretty weird question.

This comment almost sneaked through the radar.... Well done @bleedToWin

No Strava is so that your friends know you finished.

Yep nothing wrong with that I'd guess, although I don't ever really ride through Strand/SSW to Gordon's bay so can't recommend a decent route through that relatively built up area. I'm sure other people on the Hub can though. Some long flattish rides are possible if you head north out of stellenbosch on the R304. (eg: right onto R312 and then home via R44 or Paarl or whatever you choose). My only word of warning there is that there has been the odd incident of people being bike-jacked going past Kayamandi. I've not heard of anything recently and LOTS of people cycle past there... but I still tend to only go out of town that way if I'm in a group.

Then we shall have to ride at 40kph.

Yeah I think I may go with 2 x 750ml bottles and then I've got a couple of these silicone type running bottles (300ml) that are supposed to go in hydration vests and I'll just stuff that in my pockets. Not that keen on stopping simply because just about the only thing I do well on a bike is climb (and I'm also a competitive SOB) so if I'm still with my group at the beginning of the last climb then I have a chance of doing well within my group.

It's not a loop (and not 100km) but the old Franschhoek-out-and-back is pretty much a standard ride from stellenbosch. It's a really beautiful ride, especially the road into and out of Franschhoek. If you want to extend it a bit (and like climbing) then go up Franschhoek pass. If you do that, it's about 90km riding with 1,200m climbing. If you don't ride the pass it's about 75km with 750m climbing. There's not much to know ITO directions. Take the helshoogte road out of town, then turn right when you hit the T-junction at Pniel. That's it. There can sometimes be a nasty headwind riding into Franschhoek and helshoogte is a decent climb in its own right, but you get it out the way early and on the way home it's a lot more gradual.

Riding my first one on sunday. 160km goes well past my 2-bottle limit, so.... In a mid-level group (lets say average speed of 30kph to give an indication of "seriousness") what do people generally do for water? Do people try to take enough to not stop ever, or do you stop on your own and then try to catch the bunch again, or (seems unlikely but..) does the whole group stop?

He commentated at a number of events I entered, but the Versus Socks trail run at Mont Marie in stellenbosch will always stand out. The race ended with a pontoon bridge over a pond. As the event wore on and all the racing snakes had finished a number of things started to happen: The crowd of finishers (who became spectators) started to grow The runners generally got heavier and slower The bridge got worse... It was a situation tailor-made for "Raasbekkie"... Runners would emerge from the woods to be faced with a growing crowd of onlookers and an increasingly dodgy pontoon that they had to cross, while a man born to entertain narrated the whole thing over a PA. It was absolutely hilarious. A lot of runners got wet that day. I sat on the bank for ages watching people come in and listening to some of the best banter ever.

For sure. But if I keep getting the same message after leaving the ad up erroneously, then I can only get annoyed with myself.

I agree about manners. So I just write "If you are reading this, then it is still available." This allows me to ignore the question in good conscience. A serious buyer will try again and/or read the ad carefully.

Yeah if you thought Belgian toothpaste was bad....

Picture is low res but I'm pretty sure the bloke with the white shirt right behind you is laughing even before you hit the ground, and a dude further back in a greyish shirt may have video footage. Sorry man, glad the bike is OK.

Thanks! will do.

Ah brilliant, thanks! Will message you.

Hi folks, I'm looking for a shim/adapter to allow me to mount a 34.9mm derailleur clamp on a 28.6mm tube (ok my calipers said 29.3mm but I'm guessing that's paint as 28.6 is the standard size?). I've heard that you can make them out of aluminium cans, but I may as well try to get the real thing before going the McGuyver route. Apparently they used to be supplied with the FD if you bought one new, so I'm sure there are some lying around in drawer a man-cave somewhere. Thanks! oh and technically I need 2 of them.

Not a flipping chance. This was the event where my "riding partner" worked out how much easier drafting makes your life. We joined a biggish bunch going towards muizenberg and she was amazed by that we could chug along at 35kph without too much effort. So if I get a tandem I reckon she wont even pedal.

I wouldn't use the last two years as a benchmark, this year especially. Covid has had a huge impact on turnout. And for a few of the very recent previous years there's just been bad luck - fires, wind, protest action. In terms of appeal, I can only speak for myself, and that is to say I had a brilliant time and will keep coming back as long as it is possible. I can now see why my old man used to make the annual trip out to Cape town for the argus and why he bought a tandem solely so that he and my mom could ride it together.

Oh, interesting. Tiagra 4700 is unique/different from all of the other shimano 10 speed stuff, and can actually be used with some of their 11 speed (Road) stuff and is aslo completely compatible with GRX range of 10 speed. As to mtb, I had no idea that would work.

Wow, thanks. Will DM you.

10 and 11 speed shimano road shifters don't have the same pull ratios as MTBs. This was created for this very issue: https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/tanpan Most older 9 speed shimano stuff is cross compatible though. very good explanation here: https://bike.bikegremlin.com/1278/bicycle-rear-derailleur-compatibility/

Hi All, I've got a 2017 specialized AWOL frame and a 2x11 shimano mtb drivetrain that I'd like to fit to it. The front derailleur that is part of the unused group set is one of those direct mount types so I need one with a clamp mounting that is bottom pull compatible. To my knowledge, this is the one i need: https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deorext-m8000/FD-M8025-H.html Is there any reason why this wouldn't work? (note: I'm aware that I'd need a shim/adaptor to compensate for the fact that the seat post tube is thinner than the clamp size).