SSCC

Faking, gaming, manipulating.... How do I know? Personal experience and not just mine.

I usually read cycling clothing product reviews because its good to get feedback on how the item fits, wears, temperature range etc. It's pointless having product reviews if the company only publishes the glowing reviews that say how awesome the product is. The constructive feedback ones are useful. Those reviews that point out the good and the bad. Something like this jersey is well made but I didn't love the fit or fabric so am rating it 2 or 3 stars. Ciovita block those reviews which IMO is kinda lame and dishonest of them.

A 40 x 11 is good for 55Kmhr before spinning out. Plenty of gearing for a gravel race unless you are Matt Beers.

Oops posted now. 29er. Thanks.

Stans MK3 are junk and Stan’s know it so they changed the design. The MK4 is very good. I prefer the Spank Vibracore rims though. The Vibracore really works to mute vibrations. I’m not mountain biking nowadays and have a Spank Vibracore Boost wheelset for sale in the classifieds.

Yeah internal width makes a huge difference. I have some 42mm tyres that measure 48mm on a 28mm internal rim.

There don’t seem to be a lot of rim brake frames that can fit wider than 28mm. Are you riding a rim brake bike with 32mm or wider tyres? If so what frame and brake calipers are you using.

Droo what’s the advantage of going to Microspline over HG if you already have a HG driver? Better cassettes options, better shifting?

Were you on an MTB race committee? There were a few MTB events that had big title sponsors that could pocket entry fees but not many. Is there a single gravel event that has a major title sponsor that covers all costs? Doubt it. It’s not the glory days of MTB stage racing.

FYI - They are designed for bikes with clearance up to about 45 and tires from 35 to 42 while maintaining the air flow design of a semi deep rim.

Have you built up any of the Nextie 45’s with the ultra wide internal? I think it’s something like 29.

Let’s not get carried away. There have been a couple of incidents on that section. Regular makes it sound like it happens weekly which is just not the case. Same for Redhill. It’s happened before but it’s not a regular thing and I’d be perfectly happy riding there alone. Avoid the Hout Bay township area for sure because there are much better ways to ride up to or down from Constantia Nel

The Mungas been done on a ridged single speed but a bmx would be next level.

They cost $45 so R950 is in line with exchange and vat. If you want extra tall ones DM Jack Black on this forum.

I wrote that drafting does not help much for this specific event because of slow speeds, corrugated roads, extreme fatigue etc. Drafting has multiple variables. Aerobars don't and provide a small but constant benefit, even at slow speeds, for the duration of the event provided the rider uses them. The drag reduction on very high stack aerobars is marginal but the saddle pressure reduction and comfort resting position is substantial.

For sure. More relevant is being a USA cycling certified coach and having used power metes for field tests for over 20 years. Chung type testing road / TT bike position, clothing, wheel sets etc for a couple decades is a good start. Munga experience is an added but important reference point as specificity is a thing.

Me? Yip. 75hrs something. I mention that because if my slow ass avg moving speed was good enough to be faster than 86% of the field I know what the real moving averages are for each sector. That’s the reason for my view on drafting in this race.

However, in a 1998 paper entitled “Cycling Uphill and Downhill” David P. Swain wrote: “At very slow speeds (on the order of 16 km/h or less) air resistance is negligible, and drafting becomes nearly meaningless.” >>> Plus holding the line on corrugated rough roads is more effort than it’s worth. if you disagree what year did you do the Munga and what was your moving time?

Drafting in this race is mostly of little benefit for almost all riders. Speeds are really slow for almost everyone so drafting doesn’t help much. The group dynamic can help a lot but that’s more for motivation / connection rather than draft. Where it does help is if you get two “pros” riding a fast section fast and swopping turns. That applies to about 2 people in the whole event and only happens every couple of years.

There is nothing technical or tricky in the race it’s just very rough in parts. Rideable on a rigid gravel bike if you have the fitness. Min tire size of 55cm is probably wise.

Do you keep your money under your mattress?

Don't have the link but google has all the answers. Maybe on bicycle rolling resistance dot com but can recall.

There is a test somewhere online - inserts are only 1 to 2 watts slower than no inserts. So basically they make almost no difference to rolling resistance.

If anyone entered and booked accommodation for this years event but is not going please let me know. Thanks.

The Evil was the worst gravel bike I’ve ever ridden on fast rough descents. Nothing comes close in terms of bone jarring ride feel. The designer really had no idea what he was doing. He’s an excellent MTb designer and has made some great frames but this one was a flop. Pity because they are great guys with a great brand.