Garden Route Giro - 2026

[JCPT]

Deciding between Shwalbe 2.1 Thunder Burts or G-One RS 50mm. Will probably go with the Thunder burts 

[Patchelicious]

Does anybody have the gpx files for the route?

[Patchelicious]

On 3/30/2026 at 8:16 AM, the_roadie said:

So what's everyone's setup looking like for GRG? I'm going with my Diverge, 42 + 10-51 gearing and 45mm pathfinders on Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels with inserts.

Ribble Ultra Grit.

44 + 10-46 RED XPLR (although I’m strongly considering a 42)

Tuvo 48mm on 303 XPLR SW

(don’t know what inserts are)

[the_roadie]

7 minutes ago, Patchelicious said:

Ribble Ultra Grit.

44 + 10-46 RED XPLR (although I’m strongly considering a 42)

Tuvo 48mm on 303 XPLR SW

(don’t know what inserts are)

I like riding a high cadence, so for Prince Alfred's pass during GB a 42 was great and I was happy to have it.

Inserts saved me on day 2 of GB during the last descend when I got a flat at the top and was able to still go down at relative speed and bomb it at the bottom. But they do add weight (about 70g per wheel for the panzer's). Worth it for me.

On another note, I've been sick now for 2 weeks 😫 so hoping to be OK by Monday. Otherwise it's going to be a nice gravel bike tour for me.

[Patchelicious]

1 hour ago, the_roadie said:

I like riding a high cadence, so for Prince Alfred's pass during GB a 42 was great and I was happy to have it.

Inserts saved me on day 2 of GB during the last descend when I got a flat at the top and was able to still go down at relative speed and bomb it at the bottom. But they do add weight (about 70g per wheel for the panzer's). Worth it for me.

On another note, I've been sick now for 2 weeks 😫 so hoping to be OK by Monday. Otherwise it's going to be a nice gravel bike tour for me.

It’s a tour for me too. It’s not often I get to spend a week away from home riding bikes. So why the hell suffer and stress about being 100th or 110th.

So my buddy and I have agreed to “not race” and prioritise just chilling and relaxing.

Will see how long that lasts once the days start(I know myself), but that’s the idea for now. 

I just hope to all things godly that the gravel is not too rough and corrugated. Rode Malgas to Infanta and back today and I almost threw my bike over a farmers fence out bloody corrugation frustration. 

[the_roadie]

36 minutes ago, Patchelicious said:

It’s a tour for me too. It’s not often I get to spend a week away from home riding bikes. So why the hell suffer and stress about being 100th or 110th.

So my buddy and I have agreed to “not race” and prioritise just chilling and relaxing.

Will see how long that lasts once the days start(I know myself), but that’s the idea for now. 

I just hope to all things godly that the gravel is not too rough and corrugated. Rode Malgas to Infanta and back today and I almost threw my bike over a farmers fence out bloody corrugation frustration. 

It's always a race 😜

I have regrets from GB not riding harder the first couple of stages and saving too much for the end. There is definitely some satisfaction in crossing the finish line completely smashed even if it's for 100th place.

[betaboy]

It’s not race till it is… I think by Day3, will be full race mode. 🫵🏻

[Bub Marley]

3 hours ago, Patchelicious said:

So my buddy and I have agreed to “not race” and prioritise just chilling and relaxing.

Serious question here. Did you both have a straight face when you told each other this? 🤣

[Headshot]

I see established SA mountain bikers are now referred to as "experienced gravel riders" in the latest blurb on the event. I feel as if SA mountain bikers have finally been named correctly. 🙂 

[Headshot]

18 hours ago, Patchelicious said:

It’s a tour for me too. It’s not often I get to spend a week away from home riding bikes. So why the hell suffer and stress about being 100th or 110th.

So my buddy and I have agreed to “not race” and prioritise just chilling and relaxing.

Will see how long that lasts once the days start(I know myself), but that’s the idea for now. 

I just hope to all things godly that the gravel is not too rough and corrugated. Rode Malgas to Infanta and back today and I almost threw my bike over a farmers fence out bloody corrugation frustration. 

This is the part of gravel i don't get...most roads are corrugated to some extent so where's the fun in the whole exercise. I get road riding - love the speed and downhills but its also less pleasant on rough tar. Gravel must be infinitely worse. 

Two weeks ago in the Cederberg, I was able to ride some super tech trails on my enduro bike, some easier tracks and do a 30km loop with almost no gravel road or corrugations and yet I see most people who ride there seem to love the awful corrugated dusty roads with 4x4's going past. 

What is the attraction of "gravel"? 

[the_roadie]

16 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

Serious question here. Did you both have a straight face when you told each other this? 🤣

We're both going to go easy, right? Not my fault if my easy is faster than yours...

[W@nted]

23 hours ago, Headshot said:

This is the part of gravel i don't get...most roads are corrugated to some extent so where's the fun in the whole exercise. I get road riding - love the speed and downhills but its also less pleasant on rough tar. Gravel must be infinitely worse. 

Two weeks ago in the Cederberg, I was able to ride some super tech trails on my enduro bike, some easier tracks and do a 30km loop with almost no gravel road or corrugations and yet I see most people who ride there seem to love the awful corrugated dusty roads with 4x4's going past. 

What is the attraction of "gravel"? 

Vey few people are privileged enough to have awesome MTB trails on their porch.

With a gravel bike I can leave from my house, do a 150km loop, without worrying about the road condition. Even some singletrack is possible. Therefore many smiles per km.

Same question to you regarding enduro bikes. I do not get the need to bomb down a side of a mountain risking life and limb on a rocky singletrack. Different strokes and all that.

[Headshot]

20 minutes ago, W@nted said:

Vey few people are privileged enough to have awesome MTB trails on their porch.

With a gravel bike I can leave from my house, do a 150km loop, without worrying about the road condition. Even some singletrack is possible. Therefore many smiles per km.

Same question to you regarding enduro bikes. I do not get the need to bomb down a side of a mountain risking life and limb on a rocky singletrack. Different strokes and all that.

I get that not everyone has access to trails but my point is more even when there are trails available people seem to gravitate towards corrugated dusty dirt roads rather than exploring a bit and riding further out into nature 

If you're out of your depth on a tech trail, there is no shame in portage ( we all do it) and at least you're out in the mountains rather than on a  road.  Under biking single track can be fun, but I'd argue far too many gravel riders are getting onto tech jeep track descents where they are more at risk than I am on a rocky descent/dh track because their bikes are simply harder to control. Never mind the danger on the road  where many gravel bikes spend most of their time.

[Eugene Oppelt]

On 4/7/2026 at 5:53 PM, Patchelicious said:

It’s a tour for me too. It’s not often I get to spend a week away from home riding bikes. So why the hell suffer and stress about being 100th or 110th.

So my buddy and I have agreed to “not race” and prioritise just chilling and relaxing.

Will see how long that lasts once the days start(I know myself), but that’s the idea for now. 

I just hope to all things godly that the gravel is not too rough and corrugated. Rode Malgas to Infanta and back today and I almost threw my bike over a farmers fence out bloody corrugation frustration. 

Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. It's the Karoo, Patch' - wide tyres for lower pressures come highly recommended.

Rooiberg Pass below.

[the_roadie]

1 hour ago, Eugene Oppelt said:

Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. It's the Karoo, Patch' - wide tyres for lower pressures come highly recommended.

Rooiberg Pass below.

That's nice gravel.

Really looking forward to next week!

[Bro Derek]

6 hours ago, Headshot said:

I get that not everyone has access to trails but my point is more even when there are trails available people seem to gravitate towards corrugated dusty dirt roads rather than exploring a bit and riding further out into nature 

If you're out of your depth on a tech trail, there is no shame in portage ( we all do it) and at least you're out in the mountains rather than on a  road.  Under biking single track can be fun, but I'd argue far too many gravel riders are getting onto tech jeep track descents where they are more at risk than I am on a rocky descent/dh track because their bikes are simply harder to control. Never mind the danger on the road  where many gravel bikes spend most of their time.

I know many guys who shred the gnar hard, smash DH/Enduro races and also love doing gravel rides, gravel races and occupy the sharp end of both, as well as marathon races and XCO
 

Enjoyment and experience isn't linear. 

You can't justify one type of bike riding more than you can others. All types of bike riding other than commuting are silly and pointless from a certain perspective

Edited April 9 by Bro Derek