walkerr

Haha - fair point - or they could make it a 24 hr ride ...

Now that would be an awesome trail - I'd definitely sign up/vote or do whatever else is needed in support of that. Imagine they used that for the Argus MTB race the week ahead of the road Argus!

A big thanks for your efforts kandui. Haven't got to MTB on table mountain yet, but I do hope too. It's superb that you're taking such effort to improve this for all of us.

Garmin has a local Training Center package that lets you offload and save without an internet connection (not 100% sure if that's what you meant)

Agree - I always find it a long gap from Argus to One Tonner. Road bike gathers dust, although it gives me an incentive to do more MTB - and that's never bad

I did it few years back (2009 I think) when it was the Plett run - was my 2nd season road cycling. Damn near killed me as I hadn't trained since the previous Argus. Was a nice ride though, with a good vibe as I recall. Partner and I made a weekend of it, with our boy who wasn't even 1 yr old, had a really good time.

If I did it .... I'd expect it ....

I admire your faith in people's good nature. I've seen people throw whole trash bags out of cars while still driving - I really think littering / not taking trash home is just a bad habit learned at an early age for those that do it. If you remove one source of something for them to litter, they'll still drop something else anyway .... it's a mindset.

I really wanted to go Campag - that Chorus 11 speed is very sweet. The whole special tool needed for fixing the chain put me off though - I like to be able to fix my chain mid ride, either with chain breaker or quick link

Yep, in fact already looked at and seen that method - only use gel very occasionally when totally bonked though, so wasn't for me. Was really just saying same thing as BigBen - it's the mentality of the litterer that's the root cause, alternate packaging may help, but how hard really is it to carry an empty packet home

Handy ... but surely, if you bother to carry a full packet with you on the way out, you have space/weight to carry the empty one back? I hate them ending up all sticky in my jersey pocket, but I'd rather that than litter up our beautiful countryside

I started back in August .... and looking at my argus time, I'm still waiting to see it ....

I thought Gu was just for road riding ... the packets look so nice squashed flat and plastered all over the tarmac.

Thanks for the suggestions. Already swapped over to a compact crank and enjoy it a lot. As per chat with Kris, I think I'll see how I get on with the stock 11-25 and then decide. It's not so much a steep hill on a normal weekend 100km that bothers me - it's how that same hill looks towards the end of a 300km+ audax ride. Have read quite a few reports from guys saying that's when they find a 27 or 28 cog useful to keep very tired legs moving even though that hill would have them on a 25 or smaller for a normal ride.

CWC had a good price on Ultegra at the Argus Expo (R7,200) - I've gone 172.5mm because that's what I'm used too, in theory for my height (176cm) & leg length (83cm from memory) I'm right between 170 and 172.5

Ouch - R825, and still it wasn't worth using ..... Thanks anyhow!

Maybe I'll wait and see how my legs feel after the first 300, 400 and 600s on the 11-25. I guess if I'm struggling to spin, as you say the other option is get down the gym and HTFU

Haha - fair comment, thanks!

I think I know the answer to this already. The 11-25 cassette that came with my Ultegra is fine for most rides, but I do want a slightly easier gear for endurance (read long audax) and hillier events. There's an 11-28 Ultegra cassette, but for this kind of ride I don't really need the 11, and would happily sacrifice the 28 for a 27 to keep fewer gaps in the smaller cogs. I think my options for a 12-27 seem to be: pay up for Dura-Ace, go SRAM I think I may be able to go cheaper/heavier with perhaps 105 or Tiagra maybe source a less common make (like KCNC or IRD) from the UK - albeit some of these are more pricey than DA even. Anyone know of any options I haven't uncovered?

Kudos ... well done. Still after my first sub-4. Had half a hope to get there this year, but legs didn't have it in the heat.

When I was struggling to keep up with the rhino on Suikerbossie I'd have paid one of them to push me ....

We definitely agree there ... bring it on!

I think you're missing the point (or at least the point I was raising). I certainly don't question the right of everyone to be able to enter and enjoy this great event (or any ride for that matter). And I don't compare myself or judge against any rider in any way, slow, fast, fun, racer or any other. My only question is the wisdom of sticking faster riders who have earned a seeding behind riders the organisers know will be less experienced - it's not just about whether they may be slower or not, it's also about "how they will be slower". It's one thing enjoying the ride at your own pace, down the middle or left of the road. But spread across the road in a solid block at crucial points has as much to do about safety as it does about other people's speed etc. I totally agree for most of us, the Argus is about a fun day out rather than trying to race or set a time etc etc - but if the organizers bother to create seedings, and hence know who is likely to be quicker, why not start them earlier? If not, then why bother with the higher alphabet double letter seedings.

Sorry - nothing to offer there. I dropped 4 kg on the Argus despite drinking 5 bottles en route. It'll all go back on over next week or two though I'm sure

12 months incentive to drop a few kilos then .... (sorry - only joking)