dave303e

Take a titan Cypher RS Carbon Pro R80k vs a Specialised Epic Comp R89k. The cypher has carbon rims- epic has aluminum Cypher has a better fork Cypher has GX ASX vs GX cable on the epic. Carbon handlebars and seat post vs the epic alloy. https://titanracingbikes.com/bikes/cypher-rs-carbon-pro/ https://www.specialized.com/za/en/epic-comp/p/199644?color=320002-199644 So it is 10k more for lesser components? Easy decision for me to go with the titan, far better value for money.

ya I think the tough thing today is the relative income to housing price ratio. https://businesstech.co.za/news/wealth/219897/this-one-graph-shows-how-the-average-salary-has-changed-in-south-africa-over-the-past-70-years/ https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/120187/average-house-prices-in-south-africa-1995-2015/ Average sallary in 2000 ± R95k/year, Average Sallary in 2016 R108k/year Average house in 2000 R250k. Average house in 2015 is R1,35mil Fun and games trying enter the housing market as an average South African now. Even with Repo at 25% years ago, it was still more affordable.

Look in a place like Mana you need to be prepared, and like I said you may as well drag around the thorn trees or put a basic paddock fence up, because you are at risk from 5pm untill you get into the tent(if you think the rooftop tent is 100% safe). And while sitting eating by the fire you are not in a tent and making lots of good smells. That being said I watched an Elephant pull a fiberglass canopy off a bakkie to get a sack of oranges at Charara New years (now that is a wild new years party). If it wanted to get at you in a rooftop tent it would. Having seen Lions on bonnet/roof of cars I think the 'safety' of being high up helps for some animals, and gives peace of mind for most. But it is a bit like the first time you kit up fully on a motorbike, you crash hard because you feel invincible. I am not saying bivvy everywhere(learned that at Torridin with midges) but there is a time and a place for almost every type of tent and for rooftop tent money, wind noise, fuel economy and loss of roof rack space, you can get a lot of really good specialist tents, which open up a far broader array of destinations. Especially when you realise that while a few like you venture to places where it is recommended to have a rooftop tent. 90% of them venture no further than forever resorts Warmbad...

Lion, baboon and elephant can all get you in a RTT anyway and chances are they will all get you going for a pee early morning or before bed outside the tent anyway so I really don't get the need for a RTT. Hyena and croc are 2 that you can probably be safe from in terms of being off the ground and being animals known to attack people inside tents. But really dragging some thorn trees or a temp paddock fence system will work as well, and you can pee safely in the dark as well. We have cleaned hippo poop off our tent after staying at our spot on Kariba dam, it is part of the experience. If it were 100% safe would it be as much fun? As for the comment on monkeys and nylon tents- Monkeys go for food, which should be secured in a hard box or cooler box in monkey areas anyway so really again sales talk. Horses for courses, there is a cheaper better horse for almost all courses in terms of tents and you can have multiple horses- one for each course for less than a single rooftop tent and that is before you start considering roof racks and alu cabs to support it. The best camping I have done is still sans tent, in a bivvy...

The reality is that you can buy 3-4 tents for the price of a roof top tent, especially when you consider roof racks/mounting etc. 1- good tunnel or 3/4 season tent for 1-3 nights where you need good waterproof comfortable option 2- lightweight hiking tent, for when you don't feel like sleeping in a glorified 4x4 carpark. 3- big canvas tent for when you need to escape the city for a week or 2. 4- Gazebo because they are always handy That combination is far more versatile and as comfortable. Also usually has less road noise, doesn't need to be packed up when you want to pop to the launch ramp/pub/start line etc.

Agree, I have clocked 37mins for 10km, but the idea of a sub three marathon makes me wince a little. Sub 20 hour 100 miler seems easier. Aiming to go under 35 for 10km in the next few months and then roll up through the distances from there.

my treadmill is 15A, 110V power requirements, so that is like 1650Watts?

treadmill is a very big user of power compared to smart trainer. Mine has a 3hp motor which pulls big power. Smart trainers use a lot less. The key with a gas geyser is the fine settings, it can be a pain if set up wrong. if set up correctly they are good, gas geysers never run out of hot water, so for like 6 people to shower 1 after the other, it will handle it better than a traditional geyser.

And back to the actual topic while my model is training. I traded up a few months ago, the 2nd hand market was strong and I got a trade in far better than I ever expected. Looking at it now- I think it would be a hard sell to get that trade in today... 2nd hand cars are also a big joke, heard of people making profits selling newish hilux's earlier this year.

Look, I 100% get your view as well. There are majority of employees that can't be trusted not to abuse a 3min coffee break in the office, never mind manage themselves at home. It is the reality of dealing with people. I ran some analytics on the web browsing history on a team of developers, there was as much netflix and youtube abuse pre and post covid. But the true performers didn't miss a deadline or let their work slide. The usual let downs did what they always do, just as you pointed out, at a larger scale with WFH. What I have seen is that there are controls you can put in place and they are brutal. Obviously you need to become outcome based performance, but we have software that takes a few random screenshots a day, miss a deadline and have them find non work on your screenshots and there are issues. As for my absolutely clear statement- we had discussions with bosses, and then we moved out of jhb and onto a farm. It is around 110km to sandton now. Since then I have switched jobs, onboarded 100% WFH with WFH in the contract. It took 6 months for me to go to the office for even a meeting. Consulting also means- if the client thinks you are incompetent and slacking, it takes 1 email for them to request a new resource and there is groot k.... So you are always on your toes. We also haven't half done the work from home though. Built dedicated offices behind the shed. Generator, satellite internet, comfy desks and chairs, multiple screens, sound insulation. Current office is far more conducive to work than any of my actual office environments I have had. But yes to your point, as an employer I can imagine is is chaos with certain employees. But if they were serious about not ruining a good thing, you wouldn't be wanting them back in the office.

So many people bought houses budgeting on the low interest rates that came with covid, not thinking that it would pick up again soon. Big fails We both made it absolutely clear, work from home or we find another job. Driving to the office with fuel at R26/litre is a joke. If you got through hard lockdown working without going in, then you have no need to be there.

honestly, paying a car guard is the biggest joke in SA. You pay for a car tracker, pay for insurance, pay for an alarm in your car, pay for reverse sensors. Then you must pay for someone to stand around watching your vehicle, getting in the way of your reverse sensors. When in reality he has no training, no fitness and probably no capability in stopping a car burglar at the best of times.

And there are definitely some cyclists buying those parts, not all, but certainly some. We are our own worst enemies sometimes...

no, but we have switched to gas geysers, a small one in kitchen and a large one for bathroom, makes no sense to have water warm all day sitting in a tank when you can heat it up instantly when needed. Also having 2 smaller ones makes for redundancy and you don't sit waiting for hot water to run from one end of the house to the other.

noisy and maintenance intensive. You have something spinning 24/7. Drive the freestate, count how many wind pomps you see in running condition vs standing doing forkall/broken...

might not be that the bearings are shot after one ride, but might have been damaged in the install.

What is good to see is how many more environmentally friendly power supplies are going in. We are direct Eskom customers, so we have around R2600 line rental per month before we turn on a switch and use any electricity, hence our path to off grid is a lot more appealing, but we need to totally cut loose for it to be viable. Easier said than done sometimes, but it is definitely on the radar for the near future. As for water, that was something I hated most about living in town. You are so hamstrung by water supply and JHB is the 2nd largest populated place not located on a major water source. So the water usage there is really something of a concern going forward. Which is why the Cape water crisis is so interesting to me, we have made such a massive plan to get water to JHB, and then EC and WC are battling so much.

The grass is not always greener on the other side. So you may as well water it your side and realize it is pretty good here...

https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/606066/nedbank-launches-solar-financing-product/ Interesting one from Nedbank- solar of grid finance, much like vehicle finance, no home loan required(you can add solar to your home loan already). I think this is a game changer, if you can afford to pay off a 250k car, you can afford to go off grid.

Ya the midges are real, they can be a pain, but a midge net is dirt cheap and there are sprays etc. The Scottish weather is Scottish, but really it is part of the experience, ask the guys about going up Lehana's in the snow at Freedom a few weeks ago, the weather is part of the experience. Also why I recommended bnb/backpacker options.

You can cycle all the 'Great Ways' in Scotland. So 40-60km each day ending in a town. Backpackers and cheap accom with a good pub for dinner. I reckon 25k will give you an amazing week or 2... You could even time it to get into Fort William for the UCI WC downhill. You also don't need to stick to the great ways the roads are safe and there are some gems. I would start in inverness, pop across to kinlochewe and torridin. From there applecross has Bealach Na Ba which is an epic pass. Back across to Fort Augustus(beautiful little town) and the great way to Fort William. From there you can get to Glasgow and Edinburgh if you wanted, but there are a shed ton of open free trails with bnb's associated and equipped along the way. https://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/

Not to be a tonsil. But surely an e-bike is an enabler. Ie get someone on trails for like 40-60 km rides who couldn't manage it previously or as easily as they used to for whatever reason. If you are that dedicated that you are doing 100km high elevation rides surely you are dedicated enough to be fit enough to manage them without a battery? Or you are fit enough for 60 of those km and the e-bike takes up that last 40% stop gap and thus inly a smaller baytery required? If cycling was that important to you and you needed to do such big rides you would be fit enough. Or am I missing something here? As for the bike in article, I think it is a good idea, if you still fit ish and feel you on that slippery slope. Or are just starting to battle to keep up with the regular group due to age or injury. It is a good option.

having thought a bit more my 2c is as follows. Book accom at either Champagne valley or alpine heath side. All out adventures has 2-3 days of riding if you are wanting to do around 30km a day. Champagne valley side has Cathkin trails and other trails from the brewery. All are great trails. There are more accom option champagne sports side. Both are pretty safe in my opinion. https://www.drakensbergtrails.co.za/ - All out adventure near alpine heath Another one would be to do 2 days at mankele and 2 days at tranquilitas in Waterval boven.

Must say, I can't walk past mine and not think to myself - man that is a good looking bike.

Champagne valley has trails that start at the center opposite champagne sports resort/the brewery