Skubarra

Well done, its a proper hard ride. We definitely underestimated the ride last year when we did it.

Friend of mine was robbed of his mtb on that gravel road few years ago, not sure how safe/unsafe it is now but I'm also a bit nervous when cycling through there.

That section among the trees where you took the photos, is a known hotspot for muggings, but criminals are probably more interested in the motorists stopping there for the "services" provided by local ladies than the cyclists passing through.

You are brave - only cycle there on the odd occasion that section along the trees always feels super dodgy to me. That said I don't know of any recent muggings there.

Visiting George in Sept - going up Montagu pass on my gravel bike was top of my to-do list, guess I am going to have to park that idea until the next visit Also thinking of the Prince George race thats supposed to go down there in October...

There are hubbers on here who are far more knowledgeable on these things than me. The one key difference I know off is that the 2022 version should be able to fit wider tyres (53mm vs 45mm), for me its worthwhile to have that option if you are planning to cycle where the terrain is very bad.

Some random thoughts R700 is pricey for a funride, no matter how well its justified. Event still attracted close to 400 riders so clearly enough people feels its value for money The organising, the venue & the route were excellent. Starting with 20km climbing not fun but by the time you get to the singletrack the field is properly spread out, was lekker hitting the singletrack without traffic. Had lots of fun, finished the ride with a big smile on my face. Would love to do it again next year.

There would be different opinions but my preference is buy the frame I really want for the long term, and the rest I upgrade as/when the budget allows including wheels.

Was a diehard hardtail fan for many years. For me it was 300km Tankwa corrugations over 20 hours that killed me (and the guys around me on FS bikes still looked fresh like daisies) & a 100km mtb race at McGregor shortly after where I was again broken and beaten by guys on FS bikes who I knew for a fact are slower than me. Made the switch shortly after Not quite convinced a better specced hardtail would have made the difference but an intriguing idea!

I have the carbon version, absolutely love the geometry of the bike. My roadbike and hardtail gathering dust in the garage! Only thing I changed was the 40T chainring, found that I was spinning out now and then on the flats & downhills

I have never felt wider and softer tyres can really compensate enough for the lack of suspension, but maybe I just have one of those older HTs that rattle your teeth! That said I the vibes I pick up from the OP is that he has already decided to get a HT, its really just up to the hub to help decide which one! 🤣

Not exactly a like for like comparison because my hardtail was an older model, but I bought a full sus to replace my hardtail on trails - only to see on Strava my full sus is faster everywhere including gravel and tar despite being heavier than my HT. Only reason I still have the HT is because as gemmerbal said - the maintenance on it significantly less so it works well for commuting.

I'm with @eala If you preferred the full sus over a gravel bike on gravel/road rides you would probably prefer it over a hardtail too The 2kg weight saving is less of difference than one might imagine, especially for social type rides. And you will miss your FS when you do trails. If you are only allowed to own 1 bike I would keep the FS, possibly a larger chainring more suited to road/gravel type riding might be an option for you.

True - I was thinking along the lines of Malmesbury -> Darling -> Yzerfontein -> West Coast National Park which would still include a short stretch on the R27 but at least not all the way.

As I have it the XCM will be mostly the gravel roads (including the section next to the river) but for the XCO there is a proper technical trail that was built