shova1

Hey OP, perhaps time to change the thread title to "The Sir Froome Thread"...

Great idea, but will be tricky to administer in terms of who decides what cause gets a donation & how much... While starting out with good intentions, it could become a bun fight.

There are brands other than Specialized?

Good point. Fact is a sanctioned race has rules & regs to be considered and adhered to. If there's a possibility you are in contravention of these, my call would be to ensure you comply or not partake if you can't comply. Not 'botthering' to establish if you are compliant could be costly.....Just ask Barry.

Post clean up pics....or it didn't happen.

Dopers have no place in out sport!! The fact that he got caught & faces sanction if found quilty will hopefully discourage other recreational cyclist from attempting same. The question remains, did he not dope, would he have been able to finish the event? I do however wonder why a limited resource would be utilised on a 'middle/back marker' rather than focusing on the sharp end of the field where doping has a more profound effect on those that don't....

Another LA article, this one by drug free sport, enjoy:http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/news/

I ride a small stumpjumper 29er & love it (I'm 1.62m). While Specialised have the geometry right on their small frame, not all the manufacturers have, so I suggest you make sure your wife gets the fit right before buying.

Thanks. Great initiative. I'm in

I'm sure there is a perfectly legitimate technical solution to this problem, but being a Friday afternoon after a rather trying week, I'll proffer you restrict rides to under 150km!

Money may not buy you love, but sure can buy some serious speed!

If you're prepared to go the Hillcrest, you could spend a number of hours from central Hillcrest through assagay, shongweni, alverston cato ridge... spending very little time on tar.

Demand is such on the 29er's, that you are more likely see one at a local race rather than in a bike shop!

She's a beaut!

First up, training is more likely to improve performance than a bike. Some time back I got hit by car & my alu frame suffered the consequence, luckily no bodily damage! I used all the existing components and transferred them onto a carbon frame. Whether it is much faster, I can't say for sure, but regards handling I feel alot more confident on fast decsents & climbing seems 'easier' - perhaps because the carbon is stiffer...

Great morning out on a bike. Did the 40km & had a blast, the single track was simply awesome! Thanks organisers, job well done.

For me, when I first heard about 29er's it just made sense, but my concern was potential weight penalty & spares availabilty if the 29er was going to be a niche market only - it won't be a small niche market & this baby weighs less than my 26 FS... After much deliberation, due to being only 1.65m tall, I finally bought a Spez Stumpjumper Comp 29 HT. All I can say is wow! I just want to ride it all the time now. Simply put - it works for me. The longest ride I've had so far is 4 hours & can confirm a 26 FS is easier on the body. For mid to back of the pack marathoners, I would still recommend 26 FS over 29 HT. Whatever bike you have, just ride & enjoy!

Never good to claim something that is not yours.......unless of course, you're a hubber. Hubbers are always a notch or two above other cyclists and the masses in general anyway, so deserve a podium regardless!

Too beautifull! Enjoy & thanks for sharing

I'm always suprised when I discover someone either rides only road or only mtb. I do both & will confess the mtb maintenance is in another league to my road bike, but the smile on my face after hitting the trail & some sublime single track and no cars, taxis etc to worry about, makes it more than worth the cost.....

Agreed, no bike will improve your ability above what a managed training program will

looked very cool. Just not so sure about the 5km of portage on day 2!

Has anyone else ridden these two? What comments?

Hi sadiq, a fellow hubber posted a link for accurate fitment awhile ago. You may find it in a search...If not PM me your email address & I'll send you the program. The file is about 3 megs.

Thanks for this, much appreciatd. While I'm sure rider weight & riding style will be a variable, is there a recommended mileage interval for shock servicing?