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This has ruined my year - was really looking fwd to watching/following this thing...

I like it - its Rallonesque super slack and has good suspension parts on it.

On the fork front, I can manage with a higher front end, its just so much easier with a more XC ie lower front set up on long slogs. For instance, I did 47km and 1600m of climbing on my Reign on Saturday including most of the Tokai DH line on the way back. 120mm travel FTW on the climbs Back on topic - I played with a new Reign 2 this morning at the bike shop. It feels reasonable in the weight dept and the spec is pretty good, including the tyres. Definitely very good value if compared to the likes of Pyga and SC.

Ya, I have also read that. Its a necessary evil IMO though, especially if your long travel bike has to do a lot of pedaling...

While you chaps are at it, please source me a 36 Talas, tapered steerer Thx :-)

No, its not an error, he has these things made up for him I think. As I said check MBR for the details. I think its horses for courses. There are times on a DH track that I wish my bike was higher in front and more slacked out than its 67 deg but on anything like normal trail riding its more than adequate and climbs anything...

If you go onto the MBR website they have some articles by Porter where he discusses his geo theory and riding experiences.

I agree there are numbers out there - its not about enduro or any other label though its about truly having fun on your bike and learning the skills to do so. I too was a victim of the "stage race is what MTB is" disease and didn't progress as I should have. My skills have grown more in the last two years than they did in the previous ten - and I have been riding MTB for 20 years. Getting fitter and riding stage races keeps you stuck in a holding pattern that most people never get out of. Improving skills takes time but also commitment and some risk. Arguably less risk than riding along a busy road on a road bike though. Skills clinics would do a lot to help here - a tech and gravity inclined skills course should be mandatory with every bike purchase....

October there's a WP Gravity Enduro and November Dirtopia version at Delheim

Dude you can come talk k@k about climbing in enduro stages when you actually come race one

There are definitely many riders who can do both as others have pointed out. I did the S2c in 2007. GM raced it and came in the top 20 I think. Nigel is correct though - the local bike industry is to blame - they buy the hype first because they are paid to. They pass that on to customers directly eg by the BS the ill-informed sales people gush and indirectly by stocking only certain bikes eg 29er max 100mm travel etc. Then we could also mention the Epic, which touts itself as the be all and end all of MTB but is very one dimensional... I am glad to see some manufacturers are keeping sixer models in the line eg Canfield, Kona and a few others, even if only as "Park" bikes. I am also completely happy with my strong stiff 26er wheels and great handling 150mm bike. :-)

The new Canfield AM bike looks superb - 160mm 650 or 170 mm fork and 26"...

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb11417761/p4pb11417761.jpg

Not sure you can say the FSR suspension on the Enduro isn't as good as the Giant Maestro. The Enduro always gets good reviews and little if any crit of the rear suspension. If I was in your shoes with your budget, I'd get the Enduro preferably in 650B though. My only concern with the 29er version is that unless you buy the top range one, you are probably looking at a bit more weight than on a 26 or 650 bike. Check out MBR's website for some recent revues of enduro bikes. That said, i'd probably wait for a new Reign to get here and see how much its going to go for. The price estimates I have from my bike shop are quite a bit less than yours. I have only seen one review where its climbing ability was critted and the reviewer was a dirt roadie not a usual trail bike rider.

Sad for Momsen that one of their retailers has to step in. sounds as if there is am manufacturing design flaw with the frame in question. I had a 1998 or so Giant ATX 890. It got hammered for 8 years, had dents in it all over and was still going strong when it was stolen earlier this year. I weigh 80kg but 80kg for 8 years is a long time for an ali frame.

The stock fork on the Trance is very Trance specific - OD2 steerer and longer ie taller drop outs than the standard Fox product so not sure how many other people will want one. Anyway, the OP's lady does not sound like an enduro racer, so not much need to upgrade anything especially not the fork... BTW, a set of decent rims is R2k. Factor in a build and some spokes and its not very much at all if you use the original hubs, which are Giant and pretty good.

I mailed Strava about this problem. One of the Welvanpas singeltrack descents was flagged by some idiot. They investigated and said they were leaving it flagged because it was a " high speed trail" . I kid not - this is your average singeltrack trail and slower than many others there. They also claim to be making running changes to the flagging system but I haven't seen anything yet... someone did try and sue them for damages because a roadie died defending his downhill KOM, but Strava won the case.

Agree, its not the big wheels at all, but a brake problem. Change the pads and clean the rotor with alcohol to remove any slippery stuff.

Explain please - I can't make the build but would be happy to chuck some bux into the kitty. Who has the kitty purse strings and WTF is snap scan. Just gimme an account no.

Must say I love Mamba as a black run but it is a bit hard in places for the average Tokai rider at the moment - the middle rock garden is properly rocky and the clay filled damp bit just before the exit is quite eroded and rocky too. Boomslang is an abomination though and needs a re-route/rethink etc. The Bridal path is great fun - well done guys.

He should have been banned for taking substances known to decrease performance.

Showee, sorry. must learn to read a bit better...

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-09-02-groundup-after-daryl-impeys-exoneration-truth-could-be-the-ultimate-victim/#.VAhCZMWSzJI A reality check. I wonder whether an experiment was conducted to establish the veracity of DI's claims...

Robriders science makes sense to me. That' s why 29ers should all use rim brakes. I ride with a 203 mm front and 180 rear on my 2.35" 26er tyred bike. Beat that brake force niner people...:-)

I have a standard Flow as my back wheel rim. The tyre stays on - no burping or air leaks and as a result the rim is still perfect. Nothing worse than a rim that bleeds air or burps tyres off and the Stans system seems to work as advertised. Same tyre with a different rim and it leaked all the time.