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Some bike set up changes my side. I finally managed to get hold of a super hi rise bar - a 75mm rise Spank Spike DH bar. I've managed one ride to test it and its an interesting change. Gone is that feeling of being too far over the front and I now have a more evenly balanced weight distribution with more of a bias towards the rear. The fork runs with a tad less sag and the back a bit more at the same pressures as before the bar change. Wheelies and manuals, such as mine are, are much easier. Steering on mellower terrain feels a little slower but I enjoy the feeling of having a bit more control - i.e having to steer the bike rather than a the super fast turn in it had with my weight further forward. I feel as if I have better feed back at the limit. The downside to the high bar is uphill pedaling where my previous XC ish bar height put me in a decent position. At least now I have the option to lower the bar by about 15 mm by removing some spacers if needed and/or add a bit of extra air out back. I already think the advantages outweigh the negatives but I still need to do some testing on steeper terrain. And get used to the look of the bike - its very BMX 🙂

Weird that in those conditions not more riders in longs.

There is no clarity on the pay to view yet. Redbull is totally out as far as UCI mtb events are concerned however. ESO is the new media partner. It's the crowd who run the EWS. No more Warner on commentary. Going to be rather dull I'm afraid.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/uci-and-warner-bros-discovery-release-2023-world-cup-and-ews-calendar.html The blurb talks about the "commercialization" of mountain biking. Isn't that what we all moan about here all the time? I suspect that this may mean less coverage that actual enthusiasts will enjoy and more ra ra for the masses. Lets see...

Too much money, not enough taste. Eish.

Try again, they've probably been upgraded by now. The experience tends to vary I find - yesterday at N1 city, the cashiers were more intent on spraying and wiping the conveyor belt than taking money.

I bought some as a joke. Its just as shite as regular Squirt. I prefer that other SA stuff in the red bottle because it seems to stay on longer.

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/s-works-carbon-zee-cage-ii--right/p/173135?color=274179-173135&searchText=43020-0502 R1450 28g around 1/5 the price weighs about 20g more, if that. I find it offensive that they even sell this cr@p.

Back to bottoming out. My rear shock regularly gets close to the end of its travel but never in a harsh way, i.e a metallic sound or felt through the frame. When I used to abuse a 100mm bike on dh tracks and such like, I used to bend the shock mount bolts but the shock itself survived unscathed.

https://www.go2berg.co.za/ride-2023-overview/ride-2023/ Okay, its not over. A cool R50k +per team

"motorized vehicle" That says it all.

I'm rooting for Bernard K to win. Fastest in timed training by 3 secs over Finn. Min in 3rd around 5 back.

I was thinking that the Giant DH was on was a reasonable frame size - quite long compared to what we saw other people on. GM is on record as saying the frame dimensions are as or more important than wheel size.

Greg was third fastest in timed training at the MSA WCDH yesterday. Qualification is later today.

Someone was trying his luck at R200k for hardly used Levo. It's now being offered at 12.5% discount. Boom is over 😃

Major upgrade would be to remove the battery and motor altogether and just pedal the much lighter bike? 🙂

MSA this weekend - watched the Kerr track walk video - it looks wild and steep.

Second hand cars in particular are a complete rip off in SA. When friends arrive from overseas and start looking at cars to buy they are always shocked. Bikes and cycles have suffered the same fate...

Some severe personality disorder present I suspect.

That is a top of range 300cc 50kw 2 stroke fuel injected enduro bike - it even has lights. So yes its top of the range and it will help you go faster in the discipline for which it is intended to a far greater extent than a silly Swerx will on the Epic.

That was a riding master class and that 26er looks like a perfect fit for Danny.

That was a wild race with great riding on display. I think the riders are probably looking forward to MSA which is comparatively tame and better known than the wet Snowshoe. I went through a phase earlier this year and hated the sound of Warner but he outdid himself especially on the DH this time round. I am going to miss his commentary hugely and I think the new media people are going to battle to fill his shoes.

Pssst - just ordered some crazily discounted bits from CRC - Spank Vibracore bars for R800 that are over R2k here. Same with rims - Spank for R700 ea - local price R1800. The disparity is staggering. Based on this I'd say that the bike boom - depending on how you understand it - is waning if not over. There was a time when CRC had very little stock and nothing of interest on sale. Order appears to have been restored, at least for what I needed right now.

I think its because so many people Vlog and YouTube these MTB especially the DH. They just making sure the casual viewer knows where it at, at least for now.

A month or so ago I tipped over in a rock garden at almost zero forward speed and into a large boulder. This broke off the compression damping knob on my Ohlins shock which turned the bike into an undamped pogo stick. I've never broken or damaged a shock before and made me realize there is some method in Scott's madness.