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That's a very broad statement. What is high end? A Ferrari vs an X3 or an X3 as opposed to say a Hyundai SUV or an X3 vs a Suzuki Espresso? At some point you're just paying for the name but there are also significant performance and quality differences between entry or lower level cars and more expensive ones. Those performance differences exist in bicycles but a cheaper model with no gold on the suspension stanchions or a different brand eg a Giant vs a Yeti makes a minimal performance difference if any, in certain cases.

It's a great hard-wearing tyre as the centre knobs are much harder compound than say a DHR 2. I've used up my last one and am about to test my bike with a used 2.5 Assegai out back... not looking forward to the added weight and drag inducing tread pattern.

Order in a 2.3 Aggressor. Great fast rolling rear tyre. Sadly Rush has stopped importing them.

The insert is held in place by the tyre therefore it will always influence the tyres rolling resistance. Based on that, you could argue it reduces the rolling resistance? Do you man to say "negatively affects rolling resistance"?. I wonder if the lower pressure I run with the insert allows improved grip which offsets the rolling resistance increase? Trailside hassles with an insert depends on the kind of insert. With the Nukeproof version, its not much more than without an insert. The bigger issue is that if you have to remove the insert, you need somewhere to put the hula-hoop.

Do you mean rolling resistance or rolling mass. Lower pressure in tyres have been shown to roll better on rough terrain and this is exactly what happens with inserts when using the lower pressures they permit. I speak from firsthand experience.

Sounds like built in bias towards inserts rather than a desire to learn.

Inserts are not primarily designed to allow you to ride home on a flat. While they will help prevent rim contact induced snake bite punctures, the primary purpose is to allow lower pressures for added traction in situations where you'd usually want lower pressures but can't risk it because of the risk of rim and tyre damage, per my example on the Missing Link trail earlier in the thread. If you only ride smooth gravel and hard pack, then inserts are probably a waste of time.

You can run much lower pressures and actually have to to avoid super bouncy tyres. The insert acts like a volume reducer in your shock and makes your tyres more progressive i.e they wont bottom out even at lower pressures.

Spank Spike rims bought on sale at CRC - Rapide rear hub and spokes supplied by local wheelbuilder. Under R4k for rear wheel including build. Tough as nails.

I run Nukeproof insets on my enduro bike. Out back I've had an exo casing Maxxis and not had any flats or rim damage despite running very low pressure and riding some seriously rocky trails around CT in the preceding 12 months. The Nukeproof version are reasonably priced on order from CRC and pretty light. They don't absorb sealant and can be shortened if they rattle inside the tyre. Inserts don't last forever however and mine already have several chunks out of them where they've taken some hits against the rim. If you get a set of two you can use one out back and keep the second one as a spare. They certainly make very rocky trails like CT's Missing Link way more fun as you can use super low pressure and make it up all the really loose rocky climbs while people running 2 bar bounce off into the bush.

I recall a rather lovely if very windy ride on one of the featured trails a December or two ago, Take your climbing legs.

Its only a 70l tanks and the 1.5k doesn't even fill it.

I think mine is safe - its been abused for ten years

About to pull the pin on a R1500 diesel purchase! Can't wait.

Its good to see they're promoting Baviaans as a riding destination. Its nothing new though. Take a support vehicle for all your clobber and ride it. The EC tourism agency that runs the gates is however not very user friendly - they only take cash so if you're really unlucky you could drive 150km on rough dirt from the Willowmore side and find you can't get into the wilderness reserve because you only have a card. We did a trip years ago, before the reserve had gates and it was very straightforward. The road in the reserve area is far worse than it used to be but is more fun to ride than the awful corrugated district roads that precede it. If I was doing it again, I'd drive to the start of the reserve and only ride from there.

I saw the Hambini video on this. The way these things were made seems like asking for trouble. I presume something like an SLX hollowtech crank from 2013 will have no such issues?

It all smells like ass after 30 mins or so surely?

Yes, I saw his video about it. AB are snake oil salesmen and deserve to be exposed. Go Hambini!

I watched the whole video...man the attempted hype generation is hilarious. How much did they pay Bart to use the TDF comparison? Why does the narrator mess up so many names? I'm all awesomed out and know that I will never measure up 😀

I'd go for the R2300 #endurobro lid. No peak sucks when you riding into a setting or rising sun and it looks kewl 🙂 Good prices from Spesh!

Not quite. They do have to pass to a standard, but some do much better and on independent testing are superior to the cheaper siblings, in most but not all cases. This is very educational - https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/

Nothing wrong with a HT and if you haven't ridden a full suspension for a long time, it will seem quite normal. I second the suggestion above for a Roscoe. Make sure it has a dropper post. Stun your buddies as you klap it through rock gardens that they struggle through with their seats up their bums. 🙂. Assuming you live where there are rock gardens and not KZN 🙂

Surely they could tag a few more title sponsors on there?

Like the look of that #Enduro style frame Titan!