NickGM

It just means shifting and breaking with the same lever. It's a term that's synonymous with older tech though. In other words "Yay it's the 1990s now and we don't have to move our hands from the brakes to the downtube to shift gears".

Yeah he just sort of appeared from over the ridge looking like this: No one really knows who he is.

I've got to say, you should be commended for finding the right people to contact, chasing them yourself and chasing others on this forum to do the same. Bitching about something on bikehub does actually have some benefits (like raising awareness within our own community) but ultimately we should be sending factual information to decision makers. So thanks for always nudging this conversation in the right direction.

I will always keep recommending 5tens. I have the freeriders and nukeproof flats (with the grub screws) and this is exactly what happens to me. It's incredible how sticky they are. Nothing else I've tried compares.

For it's weight, carbon actually has a higher tensile strength than steel (a more traditional frame material for heavy load carrying). But steel gives you the peace of mind that it is easily repairable. Carbon tends to fail catastrophically and irreparably if it does fail. I doubt either of these are factors in your decision though. More importantly: What is the bike and what is the weight you intend carrying? Is it a bike you already own or is it one your want to buy? Weekend getaway with 10-15kg on a purpose-built carbon bikepacking bike (Canyon Grizl, Cannondale topstone, etc) then the answer is 100% yes. Transcontinental tour with 35-40kg on a specialized Aethos? Then the answer is 100% no. Provide those details and people here might be able to help out more. For what it's worth, my partner has a specialized awol that is steel from head to toe. We used it on a 3-month tour. It is like an armored tank. It was brilliant on our tour and could carry very heavy loads without even flexing. But at the same time she never rides it now because it, well, it rides like an armored tank. She'd much rather have a nimble carbon gravel bike now. So if that will work for your trip, then do that.

When I was a kid, waai/vaai was a slang word meaning "to go". eg: "That thing really vaais" - That thing can really move (if talking about a car or bike, say). Or the classic "vaai pozi": lets go home. Maybe this was generational or local to an specific area (KZN/SD), all I know is that I've never heard anyone say "vaai pozi" in stellenbosch 😆. I always assumed it came from "waai" in afrikaans but apparently there might be portuguese influence too, which checks out: https://dsae.co.za/entry/waai/e07803 Above link also shows "Vye" as the anglicized spelling. But now I'm curious too. Whatever the case, cool looking kit.

He did?

I think you're forgetting that he podiumed at the winelands cycle race.

Kids of the 80s will know:

@Stretched@Birth doesn't actually want it painted black. I think he was just musing that this is what Mick and Keef would want. And leaving some of us with a serious earworm in the process.

You could just prioritize the CTCT and Australian trip and see how that plays out.

Hard to see it being anyone but Pogi in the men's race. But I remember Van Aert being the strongest rider at the Tokyo olympics so he was left to close every little gap, and then when Carapaz went the riders behind just looked at one another waiting for someone to do something. That's the sort of scenario that could really suit a rider like Ben Healy. Someone who can climb well enough to stay in the mix until the end and then strong enough to TT away from a group if they can't decide who should close the gap. For the women I think it's much more open but I'd bet on Puck Pieterse.

This has put me back at least 10 years in therapy bro. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21835-coulrophobia-fear-of-clowns

Lol, I appreciate it man.

Thanks for all the input. The one and only time I traveled with a bike I was asked upon arrival in CT to prove that the bike was mine and purchased in RSA. It was and I could, so that was no hassle but that wont be the case this time around