niterider

That's impressive. I ran the non-SG trailstar version up front through winter. Most of my side knobs have small tears. Tread depth is still very good though, hardly any wear.

I've sworn off the MM and HD now. Both of them suffer from dodgy side knobs that want to come off. For summer I'll be back to a Specialized Purgatory at the rear, and possibly a Specialized Butcher in front.

You're training for a bike race, not a running race. Why waste time running when you could be riding?

Dropper post and bar-ends?? Dude, nice bike, but you're doing it wrong.

Got myself a fancy-schmancy HR strap to replace my very tired Garmin one http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0198/5880/products/powercal-ant_1024x1024.jpg?v=1369599748

A plastic Process 153 is absolutely top of my next bike list.

I have one of these on my seatpost - http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3070.html Its really bright and has a very noticeable irregular flashing pattern. Then I also have a smaller flasher mounted on the back of my helmet which increases visibility in traffic when the lower light might be blocked.

Agree with you about these being hot, but taking them on and off sounds a bit extreme. Just slide them down to around your calves.

If its only TSS that you want to record from your MTB rides, then a Powercal HR strap is a cheap solution.

Polar has always done their own thing and that's why they are a pale shadow of the the force that they once were in bike computers. If you want to be relatively future-proof, you want an ANT+ belt, and if you would like to be compatible with a few other things (like your iPhone), you also get belts that are dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart.

Matching bike for the kiddo

I'm going back to small wheels

You're an ass A simple real-world comparison of an identical rim with thick straight-gauge spokes vs the same with some DT revolutions will demonstrate otherwise.Or do some reading - http://sheldonbrown....wheel/index.htm

My first thought is a Stumpy (69 HA) or Stumpy Evo (68.4 HA). I ride a regular Stumpy, but upgraded with a 140 Pike, so it ends up with 68.1 HA. The bike is ridiculously versatile. To throw some other ideas into the pot, there's also * Cannondale Trigger (130mm/130mm, 69 HA) * Ibis Ripley (120mm/140mm, 68.5 HA) * Kona Process 111 (111mm/120mm, 68 HA) * Banshee Prime (130mm/130mm, 68 HA) * Cube Stereo (140mm/140mm, 68 HA) * Yeti SB95 (127mm/140mm, 67.6 HA)

Bike-components.de

Oh, you might find that the liner shorts that come with aren't fantastic. I prefer to wear old bibs underneath my baggies.

Regular cycling jersey, or a baggier "trail" type jersey, or even a polyester-type sports t-shirt.

Feedback on those please! I'm very close to getting some too

Magic Mary is magic. Been running one up front for the last few months. Grips on everything. Not sure how it'll be in summer, but it's brilliant on the wet and slimy stuff.

If you run a Trailstar HD at the rear it will die very quickly on the road. Get the Pacestar version or else put your Ground Control at the back.

There's lots of them, with quite a few choices online. Buying green beans and roasting my own is more fun though And cheaper. http://www.greenbeanhouse.co.nz/

+1. Cheap, simple and tastes great. Then get yourself an air popcorn popper and roast your own beans.

All else being equal, straight gauge will make a slightly stiffer wheel. But as said, it is no stronger in the parts that matter.

^ What he said. You'll probably get along with Arches, but for best durability (and a little extra weight), get the Flows. Build them up with some Hope hubs and you'll have wheels that should last a long time.

Over here we also have a trail grading system (not the IMBA one, I don't know why) - http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/mountain-bike-track-grading-system/ Typical marathon races seem to be similar in difficulty to SA, ie accessible to anyone with some off-road experience. No organiser wants to be airlifting bodies off a mountain. They're probably a mix of grades 2-3, with a little grade 1 and a little grade 4. Enduro races that I've done are predominantly grades 4 and 5, with a little 3 and occasional 6. There is always a chicken line though, around gap jumps for example. But I guess people's skills can only match their local trails, so if all they are able to ride is boring dirt roads, anything more than that is going to seem technical. Around here all the family friendly trails are grade 2 with the occasional bit of grade 3. My local trails are a mix of grades 3 and 4 with a smattering of 5, and I'm guessing that's what most trailbuilders here are aiming for (its certainly mostly what we build at our club). Comparing with Cape Town trails, I'd say Tokai is mostly grade 2 and 3, with some 4, and a little bit of 5 and 6. Durbanville is mostly grade 2 and 3 with some grade 4 (the Cape Cobra downhill at Hoogekraal would be a grade 4, for example). So as an organiser you need to decide, are you trying to appeal to the biggest number of people you can? Or are you trying to run an event on trails that are built at a certain standard, and entrants must adapt to that.