sa-shooter

And I was excited to see Nicholi Rogatkin ride and then disappointed when it turned out he didnt compete. He knows how to do it, epic crash or epic run, never disappoints.

Thanks for all the advice guys, it is greatly appreciated. It appears though that I may be chasing the white rabbit at this stage. My bike is an older Morewood Zula. Currently fitted with a 100mm fork. My initial idea was to get a 120mm fork since they were made to be compatable with 80-120mm of travel but I don't necessarily want to throw money at a 26" fork and I'd like to use the bike more toward trail riding. So the idea was to get a 27.5" fork (research shows that the Zula can safely be converted in any case) but still run the 26" wheels in order to slacken the bike out a bit. My next challenge seems to be that I need a straight taper 27,5" fork with 120mm travel. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that I am after an Unoptanium Unicorn horn. So I either need to settle for a used 26" straight taper fork with 120mm of travel or I need to suck it up and save up for a bike that suits my needs, as apposed to trying to make my bike fit the needs it wasn't built for.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

So my searching skills are failing me and I can't find a good enough answer. I want to upgrade my fork but 26" forks are few and far between. Since I have been told that my bike can be converted to 650b safely (and I may do so in the future) but for now I'm wondering if there would be any negative effects from running my 26" wheels in a 27.5" fork? The one advantage I can see for myself is a slight slackening of the HA which is adventageous to my riding, but I have no idea what it would do to the overall geometry of the rest of the bike. Any advice and/or experience would be appreciated.

Perhaps the guys at Mike's Dive Shop can send you in the right direction of they are not able to assist themselves.

As mentioned in my OP, I am sure the subject was discussed before. My reasoning for the vent/rant was from some of the comments that I read about the alcohol limit and not the actual issue of cyclists being run down. Some seem to believe that people will stop drinking and driving if the legal limit is zero. The point I was trying to make is that making something more illegal than it already is wont change that people are breaking the law anyway. Admittedly, my frustration turned into a ramble, that was my mistake. Thank you for the link, I shall read it in its entirety.

I thank those who took the time to read my seemingly poorly written opinion. I stand to be corrected on many fronts and this post was to serve as a vent and potentially a healthy debate on a sensitive and serious issue. To those who seem to wish to attack me based on poor writing ability, grow up. The fact that I am not a writer does not render my opinion moot or invalid, it is merely an opinion after all. I may be ignorant but I have quite a thick skin, something that I am going to need here by the looks of it, and I am happy to learn and be corrected as I go along. I do apologize for the state in which I posted the initial body, I was on my mobile at the time of writing. I have edited to make the post more legible.

Not wanting to divert attention away from the other thread about the cyclist who was killed (may you rest in peace, Nino. Prayers and best wishes to the family) I thought I would start a new discussion here and vent my frustrations. I am very new here and quite new to cycling but reading the above mentioned thread, I feel compelled to vent my frustrations on the whole issue. Firstly, with regards to making stricter laws about drunk driving. It's totally redundant. Criminals don't care about laws... Drinking and driving is already against the law, you can't make it more illegal and expect there to be any difference. The current limit is already at such a point where, in my opinion, being at the limit is hardly regarded as "drunk" for any person. I highly doubt that anyone who has had a single glass of wine would be impaired. Yes, you would be over the limit but does not make you intoxicated. Not too long ago, the limit was 3 times what it is now (I stand corrected) and it was still legal. My point is, 10 years ago one beer would be fine but now you are a criminal, yet you have had the same amount to drink and are in the same state of mind. Now,please do not misunderstand me in thinking that I am standing up for people who drink and drive. I'm simply pointing out that making it more illegal won't change the fact that people get smashed and drive anyway with total disregard of what the legal limit is. Secondly, drivers have no respect for cyclists (and motorcyclists) simply because the lack of respect is mutual. Take this from someone who is completely unbiased (I've always respected two wheel travelers and given more than enough room to pass, even before I started cycling). Just yesterday I was visiting the Specialized shop in Stellenbosch. Upon leaving, I was at the traffic light and as the light changed green, there was an entire group of cyclists consisting of about 15 cyclists who simply ignored the red light and cycled straight though the intersection. Now in the event that a driver had not noticed them and crossed into the the intersection when the light changed, a cyclist could have been seriously injured. In another instance last week, I was driving up a road where two cars could only just pass each other safely but with a group of cyclists riding two and three abreast across the left side of the road. I had to slow down to a near standstill to avoid hitting the oncoming vehicle or a cyclist who never even bothered riding in a single file as I passed. Two weekends ago I took n drive to Jonkershoek where I passed many cyclists riding two abreast on the road where they could easily have been on the path riding alongside the road or in a single file. Who would be responsible if a rider is hit in these instances? I see it very often that cyclists do not abide by the traffic laws and get hurt as a result thereof. Granted, this does not apply to most cyclists as I see more who follow the rules than what I don't. I find it particularly interesting that drivers hate cyclist and cyclists hate drivers. Perhaps we all need to be more tolerable of one another and work together? I realize that this post may place a target on my back but it's important to note that drivers don't simply not like cyclists for no reason. I am also very much aware of drivers making it dangerous for cyclists when it can be avoided and the cyclists are practicing safe riding. This certainly is a huge issue with both sides contributing. So, in closing, I would like to add that this in no way has anything to do with the cyclist who was killed as I was not there to see what happened. My comments are based on the comments of others. I would also like to add that I do very much agree that the punishment of drunk driving and/or hitting a cyclist should be taken very seriously and without any leniency. However, enforcement is the key and as long as criminals will get away with it, they will continue to do it and the sentencing is moot if the perpetrators are not caught. This is something that is out of our control and is the responsibility of the state to ensure effective law enforcement. In my opinion, they have failed us in this regard on many fronts. I don't wish to step on any toes or alienate myself, but I felt it was worth the discussion (though it has likely been discussed many times before here on the forum). As always, stay safe and happy riding.

Have you received them yet? Any comments?

Very cryptic... . Nonetheless, small world after all

One and the same . Sometimes I wonder if I should pick new names for each forum . I assume you're Ghost over that side too?

Interesting, I did ad it into the title but it seems that it was cut off. I'm based in Stellenbosch.

Good day ladies and gents. So as the title explains, I am a total newb at this sport but I'm super keen to get going. I am most intrigued with the singletrack/downhill stuff but I've come to the conclusion that I probably need someone to show me the ropes before I pick up bad habits or break my neck. At this stage I'm still scraping cash together to get the basic kit going but should be good to go within a few weeks hopefully. So in the mean time I'm just reaching out and hoping there are some folks our there that wouldn't mind teaching a new rider the do's and dont's.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Much appreciated.

Hi guys, brand new member and I am in need of some guidance... or perhaps a shove, in the right direction. Firstly, I would like to apologize as I am sure this question is asked over and over again. I have searched the forum but due to my ignorance I am sure I'm missing a lot of info that I just don't know to search for. Much of the info (regarding price and models)is also outdated which makes it a bit of a challenge for me. So I am a total noob but I'm really keen to get into some entry level mountain biking. I live in Stellenbosch and I know there are some epic trails out here that I am missing out on. So, I need a bike but my budget is quite limited. I have about R3000 to R5000 (preferably less) to spend. I realize that this is very limiting but, that is where you guys and gals come in! I shall be buying used as this will probably allow me to get the best bang for buck but I need to know in which direction to go. Through my, admittedly limited, research I have found that either the GT Avelanche or Giant Revel to be a good starting point, however I wanted to get some advice and see if there are any other brands/models worth looking at to maximise on value and broaden my search in the used bike market. I don't need the latest and greatest, so-to-speak, I just need something that will get the job done without too much hassle. I am also fully aware that upgrades would be imminent, this will come in due course once I've decided weather I want to go full bore with the endeavour. For now, just light hearted fun! I am about 1.8m tall and weighing about 120KG (working hard to change this!). Primary application for this bike would be just for fun and dipping the toe in the water to see what it's like. I may also on occasion commute to work. I look forward to any and all responses.