Martin PJ

You can buy 11 speed cogs on Aliexpress.com, cheap but take months to arrive. Ask a mate if they have an old cassette lying around, this cog does not usually wear out first. Something to check, is the chain master link on the right way round? They are directional and can cause the chain to skip on the 11t if put on backwards.

Is the locking ring 11 speed on both?

It's not really a bolt. I think I may create the wrong impression. Like this, countersunk screw with a small nut. Cut it short once it is in, glue the shoe as well.

Use small m3 bolts with flattish top. You don't even notice them.. Once you have dirt on a surface, it will never form a decent bond. I have tried glue alone. A mate of mine had a cobbler repair one of his pairs of shoes, didn't last too long.

I have repaired a few pairs with small brass nuts and bolts. Drill a small pilot hole, push the bolt through from the inside. Smear some shoe glue on the separated pieces. Once it is tightened up, cut off the bit of the bolt that sticks out. Paint the brass black with some nail polish. Need about 4 or 5 bolts per shoe. If you get it repaired at a shop, it will never hold for long.

Tandem brakes use a conversion, work really well.

You can get some gravel bars, use cable disk brakes.

Ball and cone bearings (like many Shimano) always feel slightly rubbish, when it feels really rubbish then you perform a service, replace anything that looks damaged or pitted, clean and new grease. Make sure you don't over tighten when you put it all together (back off about quarter turn on the locking nut). New sealed bearings can feel a bit tight, but still feel smooth. Make sure that nothing is touching when they spin and I am sure it will get better after a few rides. If you not sure what bearings to use, ask the bike shops where they get their bearings and use the same, bearings are not all the same quality.

+1 for Rapide. I use the 780 aluminium bars for about two years now.

Gravel bike should be fine, it is district road and tar. If it is wet, without a clutch derailleur you will not make it. So as long as the gravel bike has a proper derailleur and not a road derailleur you will be fine.

Jasper said its a combination of Gold and Yellow where they took out the nasty single track and is rideable on a gravel bike. He is the trailmaster there.

I emailed Holla and got a reply with GPX, this does not look like a gravel route.

Can you post the file, want to look at it.

I have done many tires cleaning the old slime stuck to the inside of the tire. It takes 2 to 3 hours to clean a tire. Pick the old sealant off by hand, do a bit at a time if you are not patient. I would like to have a "hack" that works, found nothing so far. I have tried a high pressure hose, didn't do much. Leaving it to dry over a couple of days seems to help with some types of sealants.

I don't think there is a "hack" to do this. Walk around at the start, someone will have one. Ask nicely.

I had my own branded kit made with a Durban supplier (PS Sports), the set up cost (one-off) was 1800. The shirts work out to about R400 each thereafter. Also had similar casual shirts, cycling jackets and gilets made with same branding. The supplier also helps with the design, anything is possible. I am happy with them.

I have bought some rubbish here. Second hand sales has it's risks. I have bought a lot on Bikehub over the years and intend to buy a lot more in the future.

I use a sharp knife, keep cleaning the sticky glue off the knife with paraffin.

I use duct tape, works fine. Buy a thick roll and cut it down the middle, that takes a while.

90 percent of bikes in Sani are dual sus. For 40 to 60 k you can't go wrong, whatever you buy. Aluminium is fine with good components. 100 mm travel upfront is plenty.

https://www.easybike.co.za/tacx-drive-belt-for-rollers.html https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/542787315/Tacx_Drive_Belt_For_Rollers.html Or search online for "Drive belt for rollers", plenty of hits.

In the past there was always free camping at the Spionkop side race village.

As indicated above, if the diameter is 44 mm, then you can accommodate the tapered fork. I have done it with my son's bike. It raises the height a few mm and works very well. I got the part from Aliexpress. The part was something like this below. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32900727858.html?spm=a2g0o.search0304.0.0.58ad2872ZqM8od&algo_pvid=5c010f7c-ff0d-4cbe-8298-774f047f6727&algo_exp_id=5c010f7c-ff0d-4cbe-8298-774f047f6727-4

Ultegra is for 68 mm shell and MTB for 68 or 72 mm. I don't think you can use Ultegra on MTB. The BB cup threads are fewer on the Ultegra as the BB52 is designed to be used with spacers (if required), also the plastic tube which stops water getting into the bearings is too short to join the two BB cups if you fit Ultegra to MTB.

Done B&B and Sani2C in the wet, both were grim. Sani is now much reduced in numbers, so not so crowded. Last year May was near perfect in terms of conditions, so the weather does play a big role.