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Biggest benefit IMO would be to put a longer air shaft in your pike / yari / whatever you've got on the front. Then things like larger rotors (if not at 200mm already) and a set of burlier tyres, if you don't already have some on there.
That'll be pretty much it, IMO. Those bikes are pretty well specced out of the box, and there's nothing on Helderberg that they won't be able to handle.
Pretty much running the out of the box specs, but have moved the Maxxis DHR II 2.3 to the back and put a Maxxis DHR II 2.4 in front just last week.
Would going from a FOX 34 Float Performance to a 36 be THAT much of an improvement? Or should I just slap on some 200mm rotors (currently 180mm) and call it a day?
Been great reading through this thread for the small tips.
About a year ago I got into riding & got myself a Merida one-forty 700 with the intention to enjoy the downs far more than the ups. Currently, I'm primarily doing the Helderberg Shuttle days & skill parks with a trail ride every other weekend.
In the future I'd like to get designated DH & trail bikes, but for the time being what sort of upgrades should I be looking at to make the One-Forty as DH & jump worthy without throwing anything out of balance?
While on topic of TMTBC trail ratings, how would the black & double black lines at Conties compare to other trails? I haven't had the chance to ride the Cobra or too many other trails as of yet to have a fair enough reference of gradings.
What time do these trails close? Getting my weekend warrior back on and would be great to fit in a ride after work during the week.
Welcome! You have one bike running in good condition it seems - so I'd suggest getting out on the trails ASAP, start with the easier trails at Meerendal and building back your base fitness
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With regards to the second bike, it depends how long the bike has been standing, normally a good clean and lube will go a long way, but you might need to replace chain, cables, tires etc. The bike itself should be fine, if you aren't mechanically inclined you could take it to your local bike shop and they'd be able to give you an assessment and a quote. You can then decide on bike value v.s repair costs.
With regards to "good enough" - the boring answer is yes, provided they are in working order they should be perfectly fine for the average trail ;P.
That's probably not the answer you want to hear though! MTBs have come quite way in the last 6 years with regards to tubeless tires, dropper posts and shocks on newer bikes - they make a huge difference DEPENDING on the type of riding you plan to do. If you plan to get into riding the more technical trails a nice slack geometry dual suspension 29er with 2.35 tubeless tires and dropper is insanely fun and much easier to ride on more technical trails. You do need to be fit enough to get to the top of the trails though and you still need bike handling skills - those should come back to you once you start riding again though. The costs have unfortunately increased a lot in terms of purchase and maintenance ... so its going to be a decision driven by passion/fun/heart ... logically it makes no sense to spend that much on a bicycle, but then again cycling up and down a mountain is pretty pointless too from a logical perspective
You already have two bikes so you are half way down the passion road .... in that case, yes a new bike will be awesome, the tech has gotten better - plus after buying it you'll have to ride more!
Awesome thanks! Just dropped it off at Cycle Teknix to strip down and service.
I'll likely ride these out for awhile then once the bug has truly bitten again look at getting a dual suspension. What would be a good entry price for something that I'm not going to want to upgrade again in a couple of months?
Howsit Guys,
Ex-weekend warrior returning to the trail in Cape Town. Back in 2013 I'd be on the trail every weekend, but unfortunately stopped when the group I was riding with bailed. Finally getting back into it with my partner and a couple of friends and would love some help with the following:
I have a Trek 6300 recently serviced and in good condition & a Merida Matts 1000Lite also in good condition but with a light layer of rust creeping in on the chain & derailer ect. from sitting in the garage ever since I stopped riding.
Am I looking at replacing parts or will a good service do the job? Are these bikes still good enough for now or should I be looking at upgrading sooner than later? (Just for weekend warriors around tracks like Meerendal & Contermanskloof)
Any advice will be appreciated, thanks gents 
[Event] EWC 3 Jonkershoek Enduro
in Events
Posted
+1 on the proframe. I struggled breathing in a full face for my first ride, especially on the ups, but now remove the padding on the ups, and have been very happy since.
Has definitely saved me a couple of times, and finding that I'm opting for the full face more often than not.