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The Enduro is winning the group tests everywhere. Seems that ever so slight rearward axle path is the thing. Got me thinking about suspension design and I finally understood why a high pivot design would have an advantage in this department. That said, the Spaz pivot is not really higher, just far further forward. I'm not a fan of the look of that linkage system however - very messy and apparently attracts dirt like nothing else.

Ya, so looking forward to the season. Getting sick of product news and team rumours. Just want some racing! EWS should also be very good in 2020 - will Hill be able to keep the others at bay? Will Graves make a come back - at the moment he does not have a team. Will Courdurier be back on top after breaking her neck last year? So many questions... :-)

I don't think Iran deserves any credit for their "honesty". Quite the opposite. Iran admitted to it only after Ukranian and perhaps other foreign officials sent to investigate the crash scene, determined that it had been caused by a missile shoot down. Iran had already done their best to cover it up, first with denials and claims that it was a technical issue and then later, bulldozing the wreckage into piles which is totally against international accident investigation protocols. Unfortunately for them, the Ukrainians and news reporters had already taken several pictures of shrapnel damage to the skin of the aircraft. In short Iran had no choice but to confess.

There are plenty of videos online. I took mine in and it was sent to HQ. They gave me the dinged stanchion story but I resisted their attempt to make me spend more. It now works 100%, hasnt lost any air yet and has a fancy service sticker on it. R695.

Anything but Giant...

I suspect she will be back long before that. Ribs are 6 weeks or so and the soft tissue quicker I would think. Now I wonder what gnarly trails she was riding with Luca and the SC boys.

Get a Slayer - I hear there are deep discounts being offered since the PB review dropped :-)

You have omitted to mention Tokai. Naughty Myles.... Dale, come to the Southern Suburbs and ride on slopes of Constantiaberg. We have a DH line consisting of 5 sections starting with a double black and running to around 2 km in length. Then there are the Snake Trails, starting with a black ane ending up as a blue trail - that's about 1.85 km. There are a few other fun gravity tracks and a completely new blue graded descending track about to be opened that will be a ton of fun...

Mmm still not enjoying the home screen lay out. Once away from there everything is more familiar and looks very much the same as it was - for instance reading this thread. I think its the classifieds domination that is the issue - along with the reduced in size active topics zone and articles all the way at the bottom.

The new page looks good but for me, the Hub was always about the articles, news and the forums, not the classifieds. I absolutely get why the change has been made, but for me, something like Pinkbike with lots of articles, reviews, news and video content is what I'm looking for. I'm quite happy to seek out classifieds if I need something and not have them as the first thing I see when I log on. That said I do enjoy seeing whats out there on the market so I'm sure the new format will grow on me over time.

As Droo said early on, brake affiliation usually comes from early experiences and we develop a loyalty based on what we feel familiar with. I started out with Shimano and they were pretty awful - think 2005 XT dual control. Then SLX 2013. The latter are still going great - true, one lever is a bit notchy and they need a top up every now and then, but I can't really complain. The things have massive stopping power and you learn to deal with the lack of modulation easily. I swop between these and Guide R's on my enduro bike. Initially I hated the Guides because of the apparent lack of power. I loved the modulation but I missed that feeling of throwing out the anchor when trying to slow down from 50km/h on a loose jeep track descent. These days I quite like the Guides and I doubt they are holding me back at all. That said, this could be just because I've got used to less power and ride slower into corners, or brake earlier. Only way to test this would be to fit some more powerful brakes eg Codes or maybe XT 4 pistons and see if there is a difference in my strava times. One thing that I don't like with the Guides is the tendency for one lever to start binding in the heat. It doesn't lead to brake drag but you suddenly realise how much you rely on sensing the lever position to judge how hard you're braking. Its a known fault but its just not serious enough for me to take it in for a replacement or repair. I also hate DOT brake fluid. The biggest issue for me is that of $$. It seems to me that powerful shimano brakes can be had for a fraction of the cost. Guides are at least if not more expensive than SLX but not as powerful. Codes are very expensive and you can probably get XT 4 pistons for less. If my Guides 4 piston brakes are as weak as they are, I can only imagine how awful the Level dual piston brakes must be...

Yes, spot on. I started riding with those awful toes trap roadie type things back in the 90's and then straight to SPD's. I wish I'd started on proper pinned flat pedals. Now I ride with DH SPD's. My foray into flat pedal riding happened after a knee injury in 2015 Its a very different ball game and adds a new dimension to your riding - foot/pedal interface awareness. You suddenly realise how much you rely on the fixed connection provided by SPD's. Jumping was especially interesting. I am going to give it another go on my enduro bike once I get a new pair of shoes and can convert my existing 5.10's to flats by screwing the cleat covers back in.

So excited. Just got a new rear derailleur hanger for my Spaz Enduro for R199. Is there a cheaper part for a bike? Maybe a top cap?

Wow sorry to hear. What frame is that?

No, XT and above have an aluminium spider that bears most of the load on an alloy freehub body. Put an SLX or lower on and you will damage the free hub over time. An excellent alternative is the Sunrace range of cassettes which also run on alloy spiders.

My 2c. What you actually need is not an equipment change but some proper skills coaching and the correct mind set. Flat pedals won't stop you crashing on a jump and its perfectly possible to learn jump skills while clipped in. SPD's do allow bad habits to develop over time and learning to ride well with flats is an excellent idea, but no amount of riding with them is going to teach you the skills you need. Youtube is packed with videos - start there or better still do a coaching session.

DT 180 hubs would be a good idea to save weight and go faster. R15k plus from your local smous.And a full aero TT helmet. R20k for 1 sec per km.

this was the banned substance: Prednisone is a glucocorticoid medication mostly used to suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in conditions such as asthma, COPD, and rheumatologic diseases. It is also used to treat high blood calcium due to cancer and adrenal insufficiency along with other steroids. It is taken by mouth. Wikipedia Not an antibiotic at all. I had an endless URTI last winter and the doc gave it to me. May just be my imagination, but I recall it made me feel so good i was able to do a decent ride on my MTB and shot up the hills...:-) I checked it out on WADA and it is banned "in competition".

Good to hear a vote for Alpina - just built up a 27.5 wheel set using their bladed spokes - 5g a pop and R12 ea.

Sounds like you're sweating the details before doing any riding. Based on my experience riding a smaller frame than that with a seat post far higher and a 120mm stem, you'll probably be just fine. If it feels to long initially you could try running the seat as far forward as possible and use the shorter stem. You can change these settings easily...

Not much for that price unless you go international online and look for specials. The latest Stans Flows are also worth looking at but quite pricey

Tyre update: As we move into summer the tracks at Tokai, some of them still rather fresh, are pretty dusty and soft in places. I've been waiting for my front Aggressor to let me down, but so far no go. Its been great even in the loose stuff between the new high G berms in the roots section of Tokai. If it slides, its easy to control and quite predictable. None of that weirdness I had with the Butcher.

No its a problem, I need to follow orders and if I can't hear what she's saying I get in k@k. So the hub had to be made quieter.

Wheels are built. I laced them myself but dropped them with Clint at the Bike Park for final tensioning. They look great with the bladed spokes and are a tad lighter than the Spaz wheels despite having 12 more spokes. The WTB rims work great for tubeless inflation and the bead hook really seems to hold onto the tyre although I did have a couple of issues out back thanks to some shoddy tape work by yours truly. I cant say that I can notice the lighter weight but the wheels do seem to feel more sprightly under power, perhaps thanks to the increased stiffness and spoke count. The Rapide rear hub deserves a special mention. Came in at the advertised weight, just under 300g and the free hub sounds awesome - not too loud but very audible. I'm a fan of quiet hubs and find the DT on my wifes bike offensive ( I added grease to make it quieter ) but this hub sounds excellent. The engagement is also faster than the crappy Spaz hub that came off and its noticeable on the trail.

The most expensive road bike you can buy will help a lot. Then you need to starve yourself so you are also close to the legal health limit for your height. An understanding partner is also essential so you can also do some practicing at odd hours. Then you need to pray for a windless race day.