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19 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:My 2 cents.
I been riding my Camber 29er for a couple of years on all things janky, gnarly and jumpy. Basically, I learnt the skills on the machine I had. Some less drastic improvements helped along the way, such as a dropper post, short stem and wider bar (yes, it's flat), flat pedals and better wheels. My riding progressed rapidly from that point on.
Then last November I pulled the trigger on a new Stumpy EVO with a mullet setup. And oh boy, did that make a difference. The bike is super slack (63.5 HA) and on that smaller rear wheel it really comes alive on all the trails I rode before on the camber, except it is much faster overall, and makes the camber feel wooden by comparison. Yes, the suspension is way better, but the geo and the wheel setup made a huge difference.
But in saying all that, I agree with getting the skills first. That is paramount.
To be fair though, a Camber is a very outdated bike geo wise, so there are a host of factors that make your Stumpy so much more fun to ride, not just the whippy rear wheel.
1 hour ago, Shebeen said:When i did it on fixie, I found the long downhills way harder work. think i was on 48x18
(maybe because i only had front break), but spinning the cranks freely sounds fun, but far from safe with a lots of riders around like on argus day.
Interested to know - what broke at the front of your bike?
Go for it and send us blog reports on how it rides.
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33 minutes ago, Anthem24 said:From a safety perspective, muggings on the greenbelt have been few and far between. At weekends, Constantia Nek to Newlands is quite busy with walkers and cyclists. There's no telling if muggers will shift to this area now that Table Mountain and Signal Hill are being patrolled.
I wouldn't ride on the road from Rhodes Drive-M3 intersection to the 'stone cottages', but the route drops down into Fernwood for that reason. After the stone cottages the road is wider and there's verge to ride on, but the official route stays in the suburb.
Its amazing to see how the SANP jeep tracks in Cecilia have gone to the dogs since that video was shot five years ago. Sections of it are nothing more than rock gardens now.
1 hour ago, lenzman said:I have recently moved to Tokai and started riding the different trails / routes in the area. I want to try Tokai to Newlands Forrest via Constantia Nek. Any advice or route maps for which route to ride and be safe would be very much appreciated.
My biggest concern is the route back from Newlands Forrest to Tokai. Was considering up Rhodes drive and then down Diep River trail.
The Constantia Greenbelt and Cecilia to Newlands Forest loop are exceptionally safe. I am there once a week. I am not aware of any reported muggings in the area for at least 5 years, but I may have missed the report
The M3 single track from Peddlars to Tokai can be a bit deserted at certain times and as its close to the M3 and has some homeless people camping at one point does feel a little less safe. That said I ride it alone and haven't had any issues.
Mugging/Bike Jackings have taken place on the Spaanschemat road from time to time - If I recall the last one was very early in the morning last winter.
No man - wear those tears as badge of honour. I still have an ancient long sleeved First Ascent top with barbed wire holes in it. Brings back great memories. 🙂
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There seem t be a few well priced HT 29ers out there. R10k isn't going to buy you much of a new bike and as others have said, you'll get a better bike buying second hand, even if you have to fix a few things.
My Mule was stolen several years ago and i replaced it with a Dakine Drafter (on sale at R500) which has withstood numerous crashes and a bladder repair. I'd rate it as better than a Mule and as well made if not better. Sadly, not available in SA anymore it seems.
My experience of Ryder products has been excellent. They deserve kudo's for making affordable quality products that show up the show pony brands who overcharge for similar products by up to ten fold. I have a set of their SPD's on my road bike - so far so good. I have just bought their Force saddle for my HT bike which looks like a power saddle and costs R340. Yes, 1/10 the price of a fancy Spesh saddle. It is comfortable, reasonably light and looks good. Those shoes look good and I bet they are far cheaper than rival brands. I will give them a go when my old 5.10's finally wear out.
You jest surely. Do some googling. Its basically snake oil.
On 11/18/2023 at 5:57 AM, Frosty said:For me, it’s their greed and inflexibility.
A grand a month (on a dual view decoder) to be limited by their schedule. I left in 2018 before streaming became a thing. I found myself flipping channels trying to find something to watch, i.e. a slave to their schedule.
Netflix and GCN+ cost less than a quarter of that, and I could watch what I wanted, when I wanted. I already had an internet connection, as the Mrs has her own business from home that requires a connection.
Precisely. I have no interest in most of what is offered on DSTV and neither do I have the time to watch all of it or watch events when they are broadcast instead of later, on demand as a replay. And ya, there is no comparison to GCN+ and Netflix from a price point of view. Even F! is available as a streaming service independent of satellite TV providers.
I bought a new android TV box and found that the new system didnt like GCN so I had to download an app remote on my phone to navigate it properly. The same might work on the LG TV.
It looks as if the often expressed fears that the UCI's decision to ditch RBTV would lead to hell for viewers is starting to come true. I subscribed on an annual basis and am now due a refund with no indication how I will get to watch the racing next year. The options that have been put up here don't appeal to me - a monthly subscription plus the possibility of a VPN being necessary, making the whole exercise even more expensive. The UCI and big media like WBD is hated for a reason.
4 hours ago, Dirt Tracker said:Reckon that is a great choice. You'll have to report back if you pull the trigger.
Just sold my Shand Shug... was a large frame and I wasn't nearly as large as I thought I was. That was a frame of note. 853 main tubes, Custom italian steel rear and dropouts. 64 degree HA. 29 or 650B+, 140mm front. Was so capable, climbed so well, nimble when needed, stable when needed and so comfortable doing 90% of the hectic trails I was dong on my longer travel dual bikes and 110% more fun on all the other trails. Miss it everyday. Being a slightly over sized on a long, slack HT which made it longer and slacker than perhaps it was designed for was a great eye opener and really given me some ideas for what I might look for on the next one.
I have the opposite problem... my On One Dee Dar is their large which is a bit too small for me to be set up properly - needs a longer than I would like stem to give me some reach. I saw your Shug for sale - looked like my perfect bike, sorry you had to let it go.
Good deals if the RRP's are correct. Scalpels have been moving slowly it would appear...
4 hours ago, IceCreamMan said:
Probably all the power you'd need to have a total blast on some passes.
30 minutes ago, IceCreamMan said:I would have one if I won the lotto. Think these are perfect for our roads and plod. But it’s going to be expensive I reckon. That will put ppl off.
but it throws the gauntlet to the KTM/husky 690/701 models. This motor will be used in many derivatives for Ducati.
Yes it will be over R200k. Perfect traffic commuter and mountain pass bike.
Protein supplement recommendations
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Nutribullet some mince meat?