Andrew Buckley

The tyre/sealant combo on MTBs these days is so good it just doesn't seem necessary to run inserts. In 7 years I have never had a puncture which didn't seal on the trail. Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Rays, Maxxis Recon/Recon Race, Maxxis Ardent/Ardent Race, it doesn't matter, they are all great. Running between 1.2 and 1.4 bar. Andrew

Banhoek/Boschendaal/Plaisir are excellent. Bottelary also great.

I thought this was a thread on statistics! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi-squared_distribution

I don't think you can have a better day than this in the Cape.

+1 for Squirt, but... It is best to lube the chain well before you ride, so that it has time to dry. The night before is ideal. You only need to use a very small amount of lube.

If it is a narrow wide chainwheel, is the chain on the correct sprockets? I.e. big gap on a wide sprocket, small gap on a narrow sprocket. Is the derailleur shimano? If so is the clutch closed?

That is the problem with SRAM 1 x 12. A 42 to 50 jump is not great. A 42 to 52 jump is ridiculous.

The standard, i.e. what a bike with a 10/50 cassette will come with, is 34 tooth. I think it is also sensible for Mr Average. 34 x 50 will be easy enough for most climbs, and 34 x 10 is fine when you are going fast. With a 32 tooth chainring you will spin out at speed. Some pros even use 36 and 38 tooth chainrings.

Says XTR cassette, but I'm pretty sure that is an XT cassette?

Exactly my experience.

I have had good experience with SLX (with XT derailleur), and not so good with GX (with GX derailleur). I had them both for about 6000km. The SLX shifted well the entire 6000km, and the GX was never quite right. I will definitely stick with SLX/XT. Andrew

For where it is positioned in the range, yes, but not on price. Las time I looked, XT was about the same price as GX, maybe even marginally cheaper.

Sounds like don't spend the extra money on XTR. I have XT and zero issues after a year and a half. Streets better than my previous SRAM GX. Andrew

Agreed. With 45 tooth big cog at the back you probably can't go bigger than a 32 tooth chain ring (unless you are Nino). And with a 32 tooth chain ring and an 11 tooth small cog, you are going to be spinning out a lot. 10-51 with a 34 tooth chain ring is imho perfect. Andrew

Will not be a problem, there will be a plenty of cyclists at that time. There will be a bit of traffic, but it is generally slow and very aware of cyclists. The shoulder is adequate. Andrew