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Finally here ... our new FARR OUT CARBON Gravel Bike!!! We're keeping it simple - 1 Model in Carbon, 1 Spec Option! Limited first stock is available NOW --- see our website here for sizing. KEY SPEC FEATURES: Sram Force1 Gravel Drivetrain ( 1 x 11 ) Sram Force Hydraulic Disc Brakes Stan’s ZTR Grails S1 Pro Tubeless Ready Wheels Zipp Finishing Kit KEY FRAME FEATURES: Toray Carbon Modern Gravel Geometry with Taller Headtube for Comfort Internal Cable Routing Flatmount Disc Brake Mount and Floating Derailleur Hanger these bikes are supplied 99% assembled and require minor adjustment to get riding --- gears and brakes are already set up and ready-to-ride! Just insert the saddle/seatpost, turn the handlebars, fit the front wheel and you are READY TO GRAVEL! some pics of the bike below:

Hi All I'm planning on doing a 4 day bike-packing tour on my new gravel bike around the Klein Karoo area, specifically Riversdale - Oudtshoorn area, in a few weeks time. - I'd appreciate any suggestions with regards my proposed routes, places to stay, places to stop for lunch etc. Trying to include a few scenic passes where feasible. - I've kept the distances around 90km, it's going to be my first multi-day trip on my gravel bike so would rather be (relatively) conservative. Quiet gravel roads would be preferable to tar where possible. - I've used Google Maps as my primary route source, but I'm a little concerned as to it's accuracy once you get off the major roads onto gravel. - To keep weight down I'll be packing my credit card rather than a tent etc! - Day 4 might get interesting but I've got an emergency escape vehicle (assuming I have cell signal) if things get too desperate.. Thanks! NC_Lurker Day 1: Buffelsjagrivier - Riversdale Distance: 92km Elevation: 1450m - Overnight in Stilbaai Day 2: Stilbaai - Van Wyksdorp Distance: 92km Elevation: 870m - Overnight in Van Wyksdorp Day 3: Van Wyksdorp - Oudtshoorn Distance: 90km Elevation: 1200m - Overnight in Oudtshoorn Day 4: Oudtshoorn - Albertinia Distance: 125km Elevation: 1750m - Overnight in Stilbaai

Nirvana: lightweight carbon gravel bike with 1x drivetrain Currently on the Hmmm ... let's see list is: Momsen 700 R355 2018 Momsen 700 R355 2019 (more likely) Silverback Siablo CF They are all much the same price (with Momsens on fat sale). Both Momsens are lighter than the Siablo, have better rims and hubs. Otherwise much of a muchness (I think?). Siablo looks great without paint, newer model. Anything with the new Shimano GRX system that my Google-zu cannot unearth? Any other brands/models to consider (in similar – or less – price range)? Anyone with a small carbon gravel bike with 1x system itching to upgrade?

Good afternoon Hubland! Is anyone doing this event? I had a chat with the organizer and she claims that the area where it's being held had some huge rains in the summers, so the roads that the route is going along is not really suited for gravel bikes anymore. Can anyone substantiate that claim? I dearly would like to do this race. It seems to be quite gravel friendly. https://www.highland100.co.za/

Good morning Hubbers, Since I joined the gravel frat lately, I've been looking at gravel races to try out, and this seems to be first on the list. http://www.cycleevents.co.za/mtb-events/the-magalies-citrus-gravel-xpress-2019/ Who is joining for the gravel event?

100 Miler event organizers in South Africa have come together to present the first ever 100 Miler series in South Africa. Races forming part of the series that kicks off in 2020 are: Ride The Karoo Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo Race To The Sun Trans Elands Around the pot Maloti 100 Miler Race To The Sea The series will be based on a points system through SA Seeding where a riders top four (4) results will count towards his/her final series standings. Seven (7) unique 100 miler events will showcase tough yet spectacular routes all over South Africa. Using some the best gravel & jeep track roads in SA this will be a series for all to enjoy. The series winner will walk away with massive bragging rights, get their name engraved on the coveted “100 Miler series” trophy and take home a pay check from the pot of R50 000 up for grabs. The series kicks off on 22 February 2020 with Ride The Karoo event close to Middelburg (Easter Cape Province) on Fairview Guest Farm, experience the beautiful Karoo. After a hot start the series moves to Prince Albert for the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo on 25 April 2020, where gravel and tar meets up and beautiful views can be expected as you crest the Swartberg pass. The 3rd event in the series takes riders to Hartbeespoort on 25 May 2020 for Race To The Sun , ride through picturesque landscapes and challenging terrains to the finish at Sun City. On 6 June 2020 the 4th event in the series, Trans Elands with a start/ finish near Jeffrey’s Bay takes riders through the Gamtoos and Elands River Valleys, where you can expect some big climbs as well as technical descents. The series then moves to Swellendam on 18 July 2020 for the Around the Pot event, loads of rolling hills with breath taking views can be expected. The 6th event in the Series will be the Maloti 100 Miler on 26 September 2020, starting in Barkly East, expect some big climbs including Naude’s Neck pass before finishing in Maclear. Finishing off the series in 2020 will be the Race To The Sea on 17 October from Franschhoek to Hermanus, looking forward to reaching the sea, Riding your bike is the best way to do it! The series has two categories competing for prize money; Open Men & Open Women, however riders in the Sub Vets, Vets, Masters & Grand masters categories will earn their spot on the final series podium. Not all events in the series are sanctioned by CSA so take note. Although some of the events in the series also offer shorter route options and team entry options, only Solo entrants in the 100 miler race distances will qualify for series points. Each event will be unique, true to its area and organizing staff, but will ultimately form part of this brand new exciting series. Choose your weapon | Choose your ride As the series continues to evolve we hope to grow and build on its success. Our primary goal is to further the growth of gravel & endurance cycling in South Africa by providing fun, safe and beautiful events that appeal to all. Events Timetable 22 Feb: Ride The Karoo 25 April: Swartberg 100 Grand Fondo 25 May: Race To The Sun 6 June: Trans Elands 18 July: Around The Pot 26 Sep: Maloti 100 Miler 17 Oct: Race 2 The Sea More details can be found at http://www.100milerseries.co.za/

Good afternoon Hubbers! Simple question - best gravel bar tape? Or double wrapping?

The world of gravel biking/bikepacking has interested me for a while now and will probably lead to me buying one. The Revolt range from Giant looks to me like the best my money can buy. After doing some reading on the net I can't seem to find a South African Opinion/Review and would like to get some feedback from someone who owns one. The Pro's and Cons, what to keep in mind and other bikes with more value for my money.

Hey Guys I am in Stellenbosch for the coming easter weekend. I will be bringing my brand new Norco gravel bike along. Looking for some great gravel riding trails to prepare for Race to the Sun. can anyone guide me on gravel bike friendly routes or is there anyone going for some nice long rides from Friday to Sunday ? Thanks for any advice I have plenty mtb routes that i have found that look amazing im just not sure which one i can manage on the gravel bike?

I bought a Specialized Roubaix SL4 Sport through the classifieds (not disk brakes). I want to give road cycling a go. The bike is very cool. It's pretty, unbelievably light (especially compared to my Camber). I'm investigating putting gravel wheels/tyres onto it. There are a few fun back roads near Durbanville including lots of gravel to explore. It's probably not possible to install gravel tyres/wheels, there's very little clearance between the front fork and the current tyre (enough for a finger). Does anyone have any experience or advice for putting gravel wheels onto a Roubaix SL4 ? Unreasonable ? Buy a Diverge ? Stick to your MTB ? Thanks

Hi all I want to start a thread dedicated to Gravel, CX, Touring and All road bikes, and even MTB gravel conversions. A one stop place to post photos of bikes, project builds, diy solutions and basically anything related to the topic. So to start off the thread here is my latest build. Specialized Sequioa Expert. The reason I choose the Sequoia was because I got a really good deal on it. Wasn't my first choice, but it's really grown on me. Parts I used on the rebuild are as follows - HED Belguim rims laced to Hope hubs - Paul Sram adapter with a Sram 1x11 GX setup - 40t Sram series s 1x crankset - Cane creek compact brake levers - Yokozuna Motoko brake calipers. Now lets see yours....

So we are a bunch of friends heading down to the Annual Knysna Oyster festival for the July Holiday with one simple rule - enter at least the half marathon run on the 7th. Great, we will all stay in Buffelsbaai for the weekend, I have 2 weeks of leave and has come up with this marvelous idea of getting to Buffelsbaai on my bicycle. I have 4 days so i have planned it as follows. Day 1 Robertson to Barrydale. Day 2 Barrydale to Riversdale. Day 3 Riversdale to Hartenbos (where some of my colleuges will stay)(backroades) Day 4 George to Buffelsbaai (via 7passes). All and all about 390km My idea is to take only the necessary clothing and a extra pair of cycling clothes. This is an opportunity to ride the amazing gravel back roads, experience some small town hospitality and get a good winter base training in. I will be on my full sus MTB for this trip I need some comments on the route i plan to take. Anything to watch out for, must do stops, route tips, dangerous areas, places to stay. Basically anything useful since i have never done this.( note I am a experienced cyclist, just not a experienced bike-packer) This is the link to my google maps route - https://goo.gl/maps/e4fbrFALWqQ2 Go check it out Thanks

Hey All I frequent the Groot Drakenstein/Boschendal area and will be there this Easter long weekend. Anyone know of some cool dirt road routes please? Looking for distance, elevation and preferably some pretty sights too... Thinking of hooking up Paarl Mountain and Franschoek Pass, possibly Wemmershoek/Zachariashoek somewhere? TIA x

As a distributor I have recently been getting calls more and more for disk brake off-road road wheelsets. It seems roadies are no longer content to stay on the lovely smooth road (ok its SA, so smooth road with the occasional pothole) but are keen to explore the back roads and dirt roads. This "go anywhere" style of riding is becoming the norm in Europe and at our recent distributor meeting in Annecy it is quite evident that most of the roadies are kitted out to get off the beaten path (including the Mavic road segment manager who was riding 35c tyres!!) - orange bike in photo Interestingly Mavics neutral service bikes (like Chris Froome rode in last years Tour de France) are kitted with 28c tyres standard. (the yellow bike in the centre) As it is the time of year where i need to commit to 2018 stock, it would be interesting to get some feedback from the roadies who want to get dirty, but not dirty enough to buy a MTB, specifically what are you looking for in your off-road-road wheels, high end?,lightweight?,durable? etc feel free to post some photos of your road/offroad machines too, I'm interested to see what you are all riding if anyone wants to contact me directly you can get me on gavins@dragons.co.za Regards Mavic

Does anyone know of any gravel events/races? Can't find any!

I recently discovered I will be disqualified from Hill2Hill if I do it on my new gravel/CX bike (and possibly won't even be allowed to start) because it has drop bars which are banned in CSA rules. Does anyone know of any justification for this restriction? Is there any way to appeal or bypass this restriction? Are there any suitable (edit: non-asphalt) races where I would be allowed to compete on the gravel bike?

Like many good adventures, this one was born over a cup of good coffee one lazy afternoon in Stellenbosch. The initial plan was to cycle from Cape Town to Knysna over two days on mountain bikes, but this had been done before. After looking at the routes, it was clear that gravel grinders were the perfect fit for the farm back roads and we decided on Vermaaklikheid as the ideal place to finish. Click here to view the article

Event Name: Tour Of Ara 2015. When: 26 September 2015 - 1 October 2015 Where: Cederberg, Western Cape Category: Road www.tourofara.co.za The Tour of Ara, named for the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Ara, is a prestige race that is ridden on vintage South African-built steel bicycles in the proud tradition of the early Italian multi-day stage races. Open to only 35 racers, this second edition - 26 September to 1 October of 2015 - will take riders, predominantly over hard gravel roads, from the tiny village of Die-Dorp-Op-Die-Berg over the Cederberg mountains to the settlement of Algeria - the next morning will be spent with the local community before heading off to Clanwilliam. From Clanwillian the route climbs north to Calvinia, and then turns south to the little hamlet of Middelpos. Next is Sutherland, after which the last stage will be a race to the finish in the heart of the Karoo at the famous Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein. It's a race against the clock, and stages will be very difficult and challenging, predominately over varying quality dirt roads, with the longest day being about 150 km. Riders will encounter soft sand, corrugated roads, loose stones and sharp tyre-shredding rocks, and possibly even rain and snow. Tour of Ara is completely independent, and paid for by the entrants ; there are no sponsors or patrons, and no prize money - we aim to keep it that way. This race is ridden entirely at ones own risk. You cannot hold anybody but yourself responsible for what might transpire during the Tour of Ara. So don't come crying if you get a flat or lose a finger. Prepare, train, and know your abilities and limitations before entering.

Entries open 1 June 2015 at 12:00, and positions are limited - visit the site for details. tourofara.co.za The Tour of Ara, named for the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Ara, is a prestige race that is ridden on vintage South African-built steel bicycles in the proud tradition of the early Italian multi-day stage races. Open to only 35 racers, this second edition - 26 September to 1 October of 2015 - will take riders, predominantly over hard gravel roads, from the tiny village of Die-Dorp-Op-Die-Berg over the Cederberg mountains to the settlement of Algeria - the next morning will be spent with the local community before heading off to Clanwilliam. From Clanwillian the route climbs north to Calvinia, and then turns south to the little hamlet of Middelpos. Next is Sutherland, after which the last stage will be a race to the finish in the heart of the Karoo at the famous Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein. It's a race against the clock, and stages will be very difficult and challenging, predominately over varying quality dirt roads, with the longest day being about 150 km. Riders will encounter soft sand, corrugated roads, loose stones and sharp tyre-shredding rocks, and possibly even rain and snow. On the sixth and final day, all competitors will race to a point outside Matjiesfontein, where the clock will be stopped. When all active racers are together, there will be a sprint for the finish line outside the historic and majestic Matjiesfontein Hotel. The sprint finish time will be added to their final overall time. Tour of Ara is completely independent, and paid for by the entrants ; there are no sponsors or patrons, and no prize money - we aim to keep it that way. This race is ridden entirely at ones own risk. You cannot hold anybody but yourself responsible for what might transpire during the Tour of Ara. So don't come crying if you get a flat or lose a finger. Prepare, train, and know your abilities and limitations before entering. In August 2014, the first edition saw 35 cyclists race nearly 700km of gravel in six days, from the mountains of Franschhoek to Robertson, north to Touwsriver, then south of the N1 to Laingsburg. From there north-east to the little town of Merweville, then a climb into the west to Sutherland, after which the last stage to the south was raced to the finish in Matjiesfontein. The images below are from the 2014 Tour of Arae...