Aggies

This is now double standards, which is totally unacceptable!! Last year at the Sani2C, Team 360Life missed a turn (due to outside interference - truck that blocked the view of the sign) and they lost the race! It is not the first time this has happened at a MTN/Nissan event! If you have a split in route, you as the organizers must ensure that it is VERY clearly visible! Not just one sign. What about having warning signs 200m and 100m prior to the split. It is very easy to miss one sign, but if your miss 3 or more, you as the rider are to blame.

Had exactly the same issue. Replaced the battery in the unit on the strap, same issue. Bought a new strap, never had the problem again!

Jip, but team support is now fine and in the rules. Kevin Vermaak definately mentioned that Specialized will have an official second team at the Epic in support of the first team. Can this be it? He did confirm that the one rider will be Specialized US racer, Todd Wells. Max Knox the other team member?

I also have a Anthem 29er and have not find any issue. It came out with a 10X SLX chain, which only lasted 700km (.75%). I have replaced it with a 10X XTR chain, which now have about 1500km and has not reached .5% yet. I will try the XT chain next once the XTR must be replaced.

If are are looking for a nice 26" bike, just follow the classifieds on the hub - you will get PLENTY to choose from. History: On Super Cycling toninght, they had Christoph Sauser and Burry Stander as guests. Viewers could phone in and ask them questions. The Question: Having ridden both 26" and 29er in both HT and Dual, which is better. Is the one better for Long stuff and the other for XC racing. What is best for Cape Epic. Christoph Sauser Answered: "I have plenty of bikes available to me and got rid of all 26" bikes." He reckons that it is just so much better in all disciplines! When he needs to ride a 26" bike (someone else's), the proportion of the bike now is just out. The wheel is way to far away. On the 29" you sit in the middle of the bike and just so much more balanced. He then recons that if they had developed the 29er first and someone then brought out a 26", that no person would have bought it. This from a person (like most 26" fans), which commented a couple of years ago that a 29er is only for his mother to go and get the newspaper. Now it is not only me preaching 29er, but a Multiple World Champion in both Marathon and XC disciplines. 26" Lovers. Now to see your rediculous comments.

Not one day! At the Crater Cruise a friend of mine got wiped out in the Neutral Zone which ended his race totally! At least, the guilty person came of worst. Bottom line is you don't expect incidents like this in a neutral zone where you go so fast around a corner that you cannot even control your bike!

Normally only the lead batch get a pace car/bike and I do think that they tend to respect the neutral zone. The pro's will normally spread in front of the race and control the pace of the batch to their "neutral" pace. It gets rediculous in the later batches where you find the wannebe racers! If I was the organizors, I would have put the start timing mat at the end of the neutral zone and not at the start of the race. If you race in the neutral zone, you don't get any benefit! You might recon it spread the field, but why have rules?

To me the biggest joke in MTB races is the neutral zone! Is the aim not to let the whole batch travel safely to a spot where the racing can start? I am not a racer and it does not affect me, but I must admit that I am more and more "surprised" at how the racing is done in the neutral zone at each and every race. In every single race I have done, the racers is long gone by the time the end of the neutral zone is reached. Saturday at the Crater Cruise, people were doing like 60km/h in the neutral zone! I would really love to see some organizers stepping in one day and DQ all those that do not respect the Neutral Zone. Bottom line: Avearge Race speed = 20km/h - Average speed in Neutral Zone = 40km/h (What a Joke )

With the news that Garmin withdrew. Will the team totally break up? If they do, I really hope that a BIG team will grab hold of Philip Buys. How about Specialized? It can only do wonders if he can have the same support as Burry. Maybe then even another full SA team for the Epic.

OK, so why did you not tell GrootSeun that he was beaten to it? https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/106394-merida-99-for-2012/page__p__1461633#entry1461633 Just love the way everyone is so clever on the hub, which remains an open forum.

Managed to get some early pics!

How about the Black one? Or the White one? I sort off still prefer the Tang.

Must be the nicest looking carbon dual suss bike on the market!!! The suspension looks very much similar to the Maestro of Giant, meaning that it can be quite good.

Who the hell cares about the name if you get good quality for money! The same cannot be about your Zula. Maybe a good bike, but the price!!!

Rumours have it that the 96 is replaced by a 99 for 2012. If these spy shots are correct, then they have gone totally backwards!!!!! This setup is just not looking nice. Note the Merida Team colours on the bumper of the vehicle - seems like the rumours might be true. Merida Ninety-Nine, spyshots!

Sram XX = SRAM XX Sram X0 = Shimano XTR Sram X9 = Shimano XT Sram X7 = Shimano SLX

I run the Conti Mountain King 2.4 Front and Race King 2.2 Rear. Love it. At serious loose downhills (Lionman 80 ) I just found the Race King to like to start sliding under braking. I am 91kg and did the Nissan Teak this weakend at 1.4 Bar Front and 1.6 Bar Rear with no issues. I have run them as low as 1.2 Bar at Groenkloof. With the bigger volume you can go way lower. I've sat on a 26er at 2.2 Bar and we measured the distance from floor to rim and did the same on the 29er at 1 Bar and the 29er still had lot's more body!

Which chain is better and why? XT (HG94) or XTR (M980). My current SLX (HG74) did not last too long.

99% of that field only weigh up to 65kg! You then want a 26" HT. If you are a normal person (90kg plus) - why would you not want a 29" Dual.

www.bikeinn.com

Have you guys not heard of Bikeinn???? Delivery at your door in 3 days. 500 - R1451 500 Pack - R1894 800 - R2865 800 Pack - R3440

Agree that Crank Brothers is way easier to clip in and out than SPD. Also don't find the problem when there is a lot of mud as with SPD. Last week I saw "new" pedals (something box) at Epic Cycles in Centurion that looks quite similar to Speedplay pedals on the Road and they claim that these is even 100% easier to clip in and out than CB. Maybe worthwile invetigating. What I have found is that all pedals is "hard" to unclip while under power. It seems "difficult", but if you just drop the "power" for that split second, it is like much easier and faster. The problem is to "remember" and time this in an emergency.

I know two guys that bought bikes with 26x1.95 Ignitors on them and now spears by it. Best tire they have had in all conditions. Then Pro-bike must be absolutely crazy to just think that they don't have a market for it. Same goes for other models.

BULL!!! Last year we had two races at Babbas that was one week apart. First week I did the 70km on my 26" Merida 96. The following week on my new 29" Giant. Improved my time with 45 minutes!!! Conditions, etc. was exactly the same and I did not get that much fitter in one week. Beat that! .... and first experience both type of bikes for a while before you can be concidered as "knowing enough" to make comments on a 29er. I will NEVER go back to 26".

Easy to say? What tyre is the most used at the Epic? Mt resources told me it was the Conti's. I went that route and not sorry for one moment. Most Pro's also seems to be on the Conti's.