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For the price of a really good eBike you can get this high performance machine... that will still be slower up hills. 🙂 The mind boggles. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/cervelo-zht-5-hardtail-first-look-2022.html#cid3385981

I wonder if running the QR a bit loose would contribute? I still have a couple of QR forks on the home fleet and none of them show much wear if any...

At 1.83 and 108 I'd say you a large kind of guy. Those older 26ers will look like a BMX under you. Go huge (L or XL) or go home 🙂

The CTCT entry fee inflation massive. Later entries R950 and late entries R1500. They really are trying to cash in.

Seriously? 🙂 Those cheapies will let you down, spend more and get a real bike.

In pic 1 you can see it went wrong from the start. He didn't pinch the saddle with his thighs at all so the bars were never going to be where he left them.

You may find a Maxxis Ardent available in 2.4. I got one from Evo earlier this year.

Great raw vid, wif music. Caught the no-hander crash perfectly. I reckon the hooligan was going for social media gold one way or another 🙂 Really sorry I missed this one - caught the dreaded flu the previous Sunday and still can't breath properly, So I gave it a miss. Looks like a well organized and well attended event. Well done all.

The dead sailor to head is never a good thing...

Just take out the battery and leave it at the roadside Will make the bike lighter and easier to pedal after the battery goes flat. No need for expensive spares.

@MORNE - I think we all have our off days, weeks or months on a bike but I also think that set up helps a lot. I have just got my original Monarch Plus up and running after RS decided to belatedly make the missing spare part it needed available. I was supposed to ride the Enduro this weekend so I refitted the RS and went for a test ride. It feels different to the Ohlins, mainly because of the firmer compression tune I think. Bike seemed to have a bit more pop and may also have been a tad more harsh but better and more supportive over all. You have a very adjustable shock there so perhaps experiment a bit with low and high speed compression damping - just to keep the back a bit higher in its travel and resist the Gs better in fast berms. The other thing I changed recently was my bar for a 75mm rise. This is probably the biggest eye opener for me. I weigh about the same as you and am 1.88m and always struggle with low stack height and too low bars even on XL frames. I expected the higher bar to make steep stuff feel better and it does, but the biggest improvement has been in fast corners and berms. The weight distribution front to back has changed with the higher bar and I feel far more centered on the bike with a far better sense of what the wheels are doing. I have never ridden the JH berms as confidently and fast as I did last time I was there. Its quite amazing. So, if you are tall, and your bars are XC low because of a low stack height, you may find that bringing your hands up with a bigger rise bar will help the cornering as it has for me.

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/downhill-mountain-bikes/574705/yt-industries-2017-carbon-fiber-for-sale Have a look at the tyres - sold with no work to be done but lekker pap bande

I'd be disappointed until I replaced the plug and carried on riding. The OP's post is OTT. As others have said, plugs can last the life of a tyre, ask my car and bikes.

Its acceptable attire for an eBike...

E4000 is about R70k. Will cost a lot more than the R100k or so for the local version once you factor flights in...

Anyone know the cost to enter the Swiss Epic - also part of the "Epic Series of Awesomeness " along with a few other strange ones like the Reef to Reef or something. I wonder because watching the coverage - which was pretty awful compared to the local version, it seemed like a far smaller field and little spectator interest... I suspect that its way cheaper and you could probably fly there as a team, do the event and have another week jolling for less than an entry to the "Race that measures all" back here in SA. I could Google but you guys know a lot 🙂

My experience of SRAM GX has been good in 11 s form. Cassette wear is almost non-existent. Rear derailleur is tough and I like how the clutch works. That said, the shifter ergonomics suck. That cable release lever is in a horrid place and pushes upwards instead of in the same plane as the thumb shifter. Compared to my Saint 10s shifter it is a dog. And then there is the lack of rapid high gear shifts that Shimano has had for years.

As long as there are mullet MTBs and eBikes, 27.5 will not disappear. The tyres available tend to be the more gravity focused tread patterns however. There is a huge range of 27.5 tyres available at CRC for instance.

That is such keen pricing compared to anything SRAM. The only negative is the shifter I think but then if you're used to GX or indeed any SRAM bar AXS the one shift per push to a higher gear won't feel like a problem. I think the best option would be an XT shifter paired with Deore everything else.

GT3 RS is available as a 6speed manual isn't it? There is nothing quite as lovely to use as a slick short throw gear lever and 6 speed box. I still miss mine and the days when F1 drivers had to take their hands off a tiny wheel to shift gear. 🙂

If you import your own, the range is far wider and the price usually better. I bought two Spank Spike rims on sale recently for less than one rim sells for here (if they were even available). So far I'd say they are superb - beautifully made, look good and so far no dings. I've also become a foam insert convert. Improves the feel on the trail in subtle ways and allows lower pressures without the risk of rim damage. I'd say they could work well on all sorts of bikes, not just for gravity orientated riding. The weight penalty is not huge.

Ha ha, that figures. I'd have put my money on them. They are useful for stocking up on small items I find. Would never buy a bike from them, or let mine go anywhere near them for a service.

"Most MTB's sold in SA are effectively gravel bikes". Tell me why I'm wrong.

Check out their insta @wc_enduro - I saw some names mentioned there.

I got the Nukeproof ARDs. They're quite reasonably priced at CRC . I started a ride two days ago to find that my front tyre had a very noticeable wobble in it since fitting the front insert. The sight of it was quite off-putting and I have yet to manage to remove the tyre which is damn difficult with the insert in there. Warm soapy water and some patience will be required.