Headshot

Ha, My RDS is now a collectors item...

Nope - 20 stories and you'd probably be doing closwer to terminal velocity...

A discussion like this is almost meaningless - everyone has an opinion and almost all tyres work well some of the time. I can only think of one front tyre that was definitely rubbish - ie very poor cornering grip and thats in 17 years of riding. Basically if you want light weight you will sacrifice durability and vice versa.

Bummer - the video is gone - probably copyrighted and interneted illegally. I managed to watch about 15 mins of it - the cornering advice was brilliant - lean the bike and keep yourself upright - tried it on some high speed dirt road bends this weekend and even on easy corners the dirfference is noticeable - just feels a little counter intuitive to start with...

They do this everywhere - I ride straight at them if they are running in the road and they usually jump smartly out of the way. Have had a few verbal altercations with the more obtuse variety however. Part of the reason I don't road ride anymore - dangerous drivers and runners...

Post a pic of you on the bike from the side as it is now. Your bike may not be too big (assumptions, assumptions!) and just needs a tweak. Bar height makes a huge difference on climbing - the lwoer teh better but you need to strike a balance for flat and DH work.

Good post Omega Dude - That clears up quite a bit, but when does Vasbyt stop being a dh only? Or is it the whole way down? I tend to think it should be but then again the gradient is gentle after the first few jumps. 30kph limit - hope they never start using radar guns on us as they do in the USA....

6 - 12 weeks but shouldt you ask your doc rather than the Hub???

What kind of riding do you do or think tou'll do as you progress? A 4-5" travel trail/marathon bike is the best all round platform because it does a bit of both. If I was shopping I'd look no further than a Zula - monopivot simplicity in an attractive package you can spec yourself...

It depends. A cheap uncoated breathable windbreaker a la mamapara or a Cape Storm or FA cycle specific job will work well to block the cold wind, but do little for water. So if you're in Cape Town and intend riding in the rain, you may need a proper breathable coated rain jacket. Better still, when its raining, stay in bed with someone warm and friendly and get some proper exersise

Agree, that people should not be triding up a pure DH track. Question is what is a Dh track. One which the baggy boys/girls regard as their stomping ground or one which is steep enough to make most of it unrideable - eg Mamba (think I have the name right). Sure as hell someone will try and get up it. In those situations, right of way does become an issue. There are tracks which I regard as primarily as dh fun tracks but which people regularly ride up. Who has right or way? Some of these are steep making a sudden stop for the dh rider dangerous - the IMBA rule of dh rider yielding is hardly appropriate here. Nonetheless, its generally possible to slow and yield to some extent if the other party does the same. Also, what is a dh rider - only someone with a 20kg 8" travel bike and body armour, or anyone, from lycra clad snakes to kids who enjoy a good blast down the mountain? The only place I see xc/beginner/dh meeting regularly is at the big berm and below. Some of the people I see in plastic pads are as slow as anything down there, but look like DH riders. Some XC looking riders fly down there do all the jumps - some of the videos made at Tokai show this clearly. I guess what I am saying is that there are so many different strokes in this sport of ours - definitions are blurred and we all need to co-operate, be reasonable and yes, just chill!

Like Dangle said. The Horst link is the extra pivot in each chainstay just before the rear dropout that allows the rear axle to follow a straighter up and down path than a mono pivot bike. The long term solution - buy a monopivot like a morewood Zula or SC Superlight - nearly nothing to fail or service and they soak bumps nearly as well:)

welcome to r1zr world bru I have bar ends on my low risers - those Ergons with bigger palm rests and stubby bar ends. Frankly I am not bothered by the looks and the fact that my hands are pain free on longer rides is all that concerns me.

My personal view after nearly 16 years of riding at Tokai and surrounds. I ride a 100/120 mm marathon bike that is set up for dh grip. It could manage just about anything Tokai could throw at it if I was brave enough. Mastering the gap jump on My Roots was quite a mental challenge for me but felt amazing when I finally had the courage to take it. I tackle the singletrack (not the 600m of DH)as fast as possible and try and ride as many jumps and bumps as possible. To me the technical dh s/track where where the fun is, so I generally ride the jeep track up and rip the s/track on the way down. The exception is Boulders and Fairy which I ride both ways. I have no problem with people cycling up some of the more DH oriented tracks that I would never ride up, however, common sense should prevail, especially on those tracks that are effectively DH only - the 600m mentioned in this thread - and the other steeper pieces of singeltrack. Surely the fact that ist step, there are plank judmps and such like indicates people are going to be coming down there, probably at pace? If so, expect bikes to be coming down at speed sometime semi out of control. You are not riding up the fairy garden anymore!If you see me coming, and its possible, please try and let me pass or at least move over a bit. At the same time, when I am bombing down your chosen peice of singletrack, I'll be watching ahead, probably more focused on the trail than you are because I could crash, and I'll try and avoid you while maintaining my momentum. I'm sure this could work - it just requires some common sense and courtesy from both sides. Not everyone is into this sport for the adrenaline - skills levels vary hugely and there are a lot of beginners out there but if we act properly we can all get our kicks on the same trails... My 3c

where is the frikken pic of the hill. How can you expect Capies - masters of mountains and hills - to respond with anything other than "learn to ride' unl;ess we can see the problem

Mine is the previous version of the hang on rack - rated to 45kg no warnings re smooth roads. Very different design in the tow bar atachment department to the Express.... Still **** out a luck tho as it doesnt seem to handle local conditions too well...

I think I have seen the express before - mine is not that flimsy - and certainly no warnings re using it on short smooth trips were given to me. I see racks like mine being used on holiday trips all the time... Maybe I just drive too fast

I have always liked the elegant engineering that is Thule and bought a nearly new 3 bike tow bar mount rack from Load and Go a year or so back. The std variety with two arms and three sets of rubber mounts for your bikes top tubes. Mine is one of the older ones with the lock mount. Moved my tow bar up on the mounting to ensure the lever does not impact the ground. The lock failed not so long ago and the cost for a new one - over R200 if memory serves. Thats a third of what I paid for the entire rack and a complete rip off. Apparently it happens quite often. Fail. I do not believe these racks are up to SA conditions and dirt road driving in particular. The movable arm mounts have worn resulting in the bikes hanging off the back at an angle. I assume this is because the plastic has worn from vibration and the weight of the bikes. Last weekend, we almost lost a bike off the back of the rack. One of the rubber mounts decided to slide backwards and managed to pop the plastic cap off the end of the tube. The front one stayed put so it was only the back wheel that enddd up bouncing off the tar. One trashed Maxxis X mark but luckily no other damage because heard the noise in time.. We had to stope several times to resecure the bike as even with cable ties around the rubber rack mounts they still slipped backwards. Now some of this may well have been due to bad bike packing, however, I used the same method I always have without problems. Bottom line I dont think these racks are durable or strong enough for local conditions. Perhaps in Sweden the dirt roads are manicured and the speed limit under 100km/h but over here we need something a bit more durable. Now I wonder if my rack will handle the 80km of dirt I am driving tomorrow... Amyone else had problems like this - suggestions for an alternative?

lagosloonie - ignore the undeucated comments of some commentators. I think its a simple case of LS passing the buck. Fight back - take it to MTBR forums and post a thread there. There are probably a stack of victims of the poor design in the US - come to think of it why not google it. I weigh 85kg and hammer my ali raleigh RDS into rocks and drops and have done so for 5 years - sure it aint Ti, but you pay top dollar for light and strong, not just light, so yours should ahve been up to it too. I would be seeing red with these guys - they deserve some negative publicity in the states too. Plonkers.

Had one come apart on me in a mtb race - slow speed bumpy corner - lost some of the bits and had to remove a few links and rejoin the chain using the old method. Always carry a chain tool - they are light and save you a walk in such situations...

The RAF only compensates where a car is involved - at least thats how it used to be. This is not a public road and no car involved. The ditch looks like soil erosion. If it's Gauteng - then you should have been exepcting it. You didnt have to brake - just bunnyhop over it or at least raise your front wheel. You were on a MTB riding off road. If it was a commuter cycle track and maintained by the city then you may have a claim against them because they failed to maintain the path. It would be a bit like the missing man hole cover on the pavement situation. all in I think you have little or no prospect of claiming anything from anybody.

Agree - lack of goody bag was a disappointment - things have changed. Must say tho I never expected bargains at the Road Argus Expo but enjoyed the show and new produts on display. best deals are to be had from the LBS, last years models and such like and those never make it to the expo.

no tv coverage on SABC

The terrain and flora are different from place to place. In the E cape and further north thorn trees are a problem - nothing stops those big white babies. Kzn has a few of them too but overall, its smooth almost rock free riding compared to CT. You couild ride the Sani on any tyres you liked. Those who have survived the Epic on RK's have done well. If you are a heavier rider and like to push the d/h stuff at speed they will be found wanting eventually. If you are more careful and protect them a bit they are great tyres from a grip and rolling resistance point of view. If you do flat and have to pump one on the trail even on a UST rim, they do not inflate that easily. On a long stage race you want reliability and ease of maintennace if things do go wrong - that means a heavier tighter fitting UST tyre IMO.

If you want tough tyres that will survive the Cape terain and especially if you tend to ride hard through rock gardens, do not use the Race Kings or similar weight UST tyres. They are (or were - a new version out yet?) only marginally tougher than a std tyre. Maxxis USTs are far tougher (and heavier)and refit more easily if you do manage to lose air. The RK's and such like are so floppy they are hard to pump even on a proper UST rim. Try and avoid using a stans or other converted set up. You'll struggle to reinflate after a flat and the co2 bomb trick dries up the sealant so you'll have more work back at the finish. Can't stress enough how much better proper UST rims are than converted tubeless systems.