V18

Damn. At 6w/kg we won't match.

Bought a silverback siablo GR a month or two ago. No complaints. Unbelievable spec for price.

https://www.fasstco.com/products/flexx-mountain-bike-enduro There ya go. Cheap and simple.

I've had pleasant telephonic and email interactions with the staff. Haven't actually bought anything as of yet as they didn't have stock of any of the items I've enquired about... And they all were "in stock" online.

My First full argus (did the half one back in the fire days). Rode with my neighbour. Despite the rain, had an epic day. Left my gravel tyres on. Was a good discision. Probably 3 punctures that sealed up. Didn't even have to stop for extra air.

@MongooseMan 8.9k.

@MongooseMan they were being unboxed at cwc. Better jump on it. Didn't look like many were available.

The most wake-up moment of my mornings are school drop off zones (2 of them) and taxis in yellow lanes in Tygervalley Road.

Tip one for the day. Buy those bar end tubeless plug inserters. Generic (non samurai) ones work well, just trim a few of the rubber gaskets if too stuck in. If you are quick enough you may get away without having to top up pressure. Saves me from having to take off my backpack and having to reinflate the tyre. Second tip. Get a mirror. I got the nerdy "take a look" mirror that clips onto your glasses a while back. Increases the the actual and perceived level of safety. Also looks unbelievably stupid and therefore keeps the yoga-pants-active-wear moms at bay. Makes sense that my wife got me the mirror.

I recently bought some 10yo wheels off a fellow hubber for about R700 bucks. True, spins freely without play, feels gritty when spun in the hand. Didn't bother me as I expected them to be worn. Didn't even let the seller know as price was right and the wheels old as hell.

Just got my 5yo son his first geared bike. Titan Hades SE 20. Very impressed with the components for the price. Light! Hydraulic brakes with kiddie friendly adjustable reach. Rapid fire shifter microshift 1x8 drive train. Suntour air fork with ridiculous plushness at low pressures. Vee crown gem tyres. Only thing that may be an issue is the rear derailer clearance from the ground... but I see that is a common issue in tiny wheel geared bikes.

I had that under saddle u-bend spring for my hardtail commuter a while back. It gives about 35mm height . I didn't like it but the saddle clamp mechanism may be something to look into.

Sold a bike a few years ago. When droppers were still niche. Bike shop packed the thing rough and upside down. Arrived with oil leaking out. Paid for a new dropper. Buyer was cool to wait a bit for the new dropper.

Don't forget about Momsen STR/STF series. I still can't break mine.

I've been through at least 4 balance bikes with my two sons. Best and most abused by far, earlyrider big foot 12.

This dassie can climb.

I've been on a XL hyrax for the last year. One of the best bikes I've ridden. Climbs super efficient in a comfortable upright position. Unbelievably well balanced on the down. Eats those rocks. Especially with the coilshock rear. Only reason I'm selling the frame soon is for curiosity sake. Tempted to just keep it on a wall. Looks absolutely sick in the raw alu.

“I said last night that this would be the toughest Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, I’ve ever done” -said no one ever

What the others said. If you are moderately fit, you should be able to finish 35km route with less that 1000m elevation if you pace yourself. You won't enjoy it. But you'll survive. In order to look forward to and enjoy.... if starting from scratch, do 5-10km (150-200m elevation) ride 3xweek (use strava on your phone to guage) for 2 weeks. Then 10-15km/2-3xweek (200-350m)for 2 weeks ...etc. Untill doing a 20km ride without rests becomes very manageable. Equipment. (assuming you're a complete noob) . Reliable mtb. Hardtail 29er (26er if you're on the short side) is a safe bet with tubeless conversion. 2 waterbottles and holders. 2 energy bars. 2 gels. One bottle electrolyte/sugary drink, one ice water. Lekker bib short that you're gonna train and race in. Chamois cream (since you need it anyways). Good helmet, sunnies, gloves (short fingers are fine). Shoes that you're used to. Tekke/flat shoes and broad platform flat pedals are fine. Sunscreen, breathable cycling top. You're set. Oh ja. Plugs, small pump. Tyre lever, tube, multitool with chain breaker and masterlink (gooi all in saddlebag and know how to use them). Train (sommer 5am voor werk) with all the kit you plan to do the race in. Come rain come wind come scorching sun, you're gonna have a lekker day whilst many other cramp their way from the 15km mark.

Saw that. Brutal

Very impressed with cura 2 pots. And I'm heavy. More power and modulation than my previous fancy hope tech3 e4s. Only look a bit bland.

Contermanskloof: The mast down to revised. Or the mast down black rhino 1 and 2 into happy hops. Or super tubes into Enduro line. Then finish with lower black rhino or die kloof. And if you want, the dh track. But too short and over quick to be worth the pedal up. Also moerse steep and gives me the grillies. Hoogekraal is really flow trails. Pretty dangerous at speed though. @thermophage knows some lekker Cape Town/Table Mountain ones.

@Hairyyep. Just the angle of the pic. Here she is with her office look. Haha!

@HairyI think 120mm.

My daily commuter. Incredible bike. Highlight of my day. Errday. Not brave enough to go SS. 38Tx42-11 gives good top end pace. Upgraded brakes recently. Think I may take a few trail detours on the way home in the coming months.