martelpypie

I bought a Kona Hei Hei supreme duel frame through Chain rxn cycles in Dec 2007. There was nothing extra charged for courier costs as it was above R3500, and my landed price incl VAT etc was still R5000 cheaper than the best deal I could get in SA for it. It took 7 days to my nearest Post office

What I meant is you cant hold phone in one hand while riding, so its better to keep phone in back pocket. I did a 4 hour ride Sunday with the mp3 player with headset on full blast and I received calls in between. It had 3 block left at end of ride. Just need to figure out how to use Google maps with the data from the phone, because one can export it and share it with your riding buddies.

You cant compare it with a Garmin but it is a nice to have if you dont own a Garmin and still wants to have features such as mapping and stats of your riding by just keeping it in your rear pocket. Only problem is you can probably only view details when finishing the ride, while the Garmin shows it "live".

Add the free Sporttracker program from the Nokia website and you have everything specific for cycling or running - ie altitude, route mapping in google, speeds, keep stats of your rides, share it with your friends; lots of graphs etc. Only thing it does not have is a heart rate monitor

Looks like it is going to be a cold weekend for the youngsters at the Gariep dam

I see Outsurance has comprehensive bike cover; Any specific problems related to it, that I should know about? It looks quite good to me. http://www.outsurance.co.za/default.asp?search=1&ID=357 OUTsurance Bicycle cover will help you blow the rest of the peleton away. Our comprehensive, world-wide cover will ensure that your valuable bicycle is protected against fire, theft, loss or accidental damage, regardless of whether you're out on a training ride, competing in a race or simply transporting your bicycle with you. With OUTsurance Bicycle cover you don't need to take out household contents insurance just to get your bicycle and accessories covered,* or worry about having to take out additional cover every time you participate in a cycling event, either here in South Africa or abroad. Cover is available for everyday leisure cycling, road-based time trials, as well as semi-professional racing and competitive cycling. What are the benefits? Complete protection - every time you get on - whether you are racing, training or riding socially. Worldwide coverage -take part in cycling events around the world, like the European ?Trans Alps Race?, without the hassle of having to take out additional cover. Standalone cover - you don't have to insure your household contents just to specify your bicycle and accessories*.

What do you expect from the organisers of a mountain bike race to do, in order to call it a fantastic race? What do you want to see and experience?

stringbean - Do you really think Scott would have given Raleigh the agency if they were so bad? I bet you that they have taken notice of Raleigh's performance as a company and supplier of bikes over the last few years, before they took the agency away from the current supplier.

MTBaaisikilist - -- would you tell Kevin Evans or David George or Melt Swanepoel etc in their faces that Raleigh is K@k? Raleigh turned the market upside down since they introduced their upmarket bikes in SA. As a result of that, all major brands had to re-price most of their bikes, making it more affordable to persons that prefer other brands. Its a personal choice whether you ride an Opel or a Toyota or Honda. It does not make you inferior to anybody else because of what you decide to ride, unless you are a snob. martelpypie2008-06-27 13:40:38

Pilks I agree with you but the real competition for SA champion start as early as under 12. Then we should only have major competitions such as the SA XC cup series from perhaps 16yrs and up? I read somewhere that the Swiss only let their kids play around on the tracks at the young ages

Ok Racer, I can see you have all the answers. But what happens if Burry gets injured or stop riding. Is it good enough to only have 1 top XC rider in the world? We need a plan with our young riders to ensure we have many Burries in the pipeline

He is the only one that is doing exceptionally well for SA. The Swiss riders won medals in just about every age category

The issue is that we need to ensure that we have talent in the future, that can win medals at the world champs.How do we do that?

The problem is that you cant compete when you have a Toyoya 1.4 and your opposition ride with a BMW 325 sport (heavy steel bike versus carbon with all the bells and whistles). Thats why it is expensive. Then you still have to attend races all over SA

Mountain biking is a very expensive sport as you all know. What do you do when you have a very talented boy or girl who is in the top 2 in their age category in cross country, and no bicycle company in SA will sponsor kids untill they are 16yrs +. I have been told that in countries such as Canada etc, these talented riders receive special grants per months from their cycling control body, to ensure that they continue riding as they will become an asset to the country when they grow up. Is this not the way to go to ensure that we have talent such as the Swiss, in the future?

XTC, you probably require a bucket seat on your bike

Is it not strange that all the major mtb manufacturers (scott Spark; Cannondale Rush, now Specialized) are all going back to a "shock position" similar to the Santa Cruz Superlight. All they do now is just to change it a little bit, from the original. Santa Cruz must have done something right years ago already.

EPO = Extra Potent Oros???

Kona Hei Hei Supreme Review: Kona Reigns Supreme By Alex Cameron April 08 , 2007 - 23:03 http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_05.jpg Click to Enlarge. What is a DH rider to do over the winter to stay in shape? Hockey is great but nothing can substitute for just getting out for a ride. Any pro will tell you that XC riding will improve your DH results tremendously, building strength, endurance and bike skills. So, this February, I escaped the cold Canadian winter and travelled to Tucson, Arizona where I raced the Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Stay tuned for a full recap of that incredible event on asilvertouch. Pending the full report, I wanted to showcase the amazing bike that I rode at that 24 hour race courtesy of Kona - the 2007 Kona Hei Hei Supreme. UPDATE: For a full story of the Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, click here: Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo: asilvertouch Represents in Arizona. The Hei Hei Supreme is unlike any bike I've ever ridden. It had to be torn from my hands at the end of the race. I can hardly get on another cross-country bike now. I occasionally dream about the bike at night. Lust is a terrible thing. I can't concentrate. http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_01.jpg My Hei Hei Supreme shimmering in the desert. I wonder if I could ride it fast enough to start a fire? Is it really a "Hei Hei" if it's a duallie and not titanium? Old school Kona aficionados may balk at the idea of a biked called a "Hei Hei" that is not a hardtail and not made from titanium. For those that don't know, Kona made a ti hardtail called the "Hei Hei" (meaning "Race" in Hawaiian) for many years. It has a devoted following and was a beautiful bike. The religious Hei Hei worshippers may feel that the gods will be angered by a non-ti, duallie edition of the Hei Hei, but who are we to judge? Let the 2007 Hei Hei Supreme be judged on its own merits. http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_03.jpg A closer look at the magnificent frame and finish. Performance of the Hei Hei Supreme When I showed up at the race and first spotted the Hei Hei Supreme that I would be riding, I stopped in my tracks. The bike has a shining ball burnished finish and a spec that just screams of high-performance. You know it's unreal before you even get on. And you know it's light. When I climbed aboard the Hei Hei Supreme, my expectations were fulfilled - I could hardly believe how light it felt underneath me. A few quick pedal strokes and I was at the top of a small nearby hill. Elation started to set in. This bike was impossibly light. Weighing in at about 20lbs and sporting full XTR, the Hei Hei Supreme is bred for racing. Overwhelmingly impressed at the nimble quickness of the bike, my mind immediately turned to the question of whether the speedy race rig would hold up in hairy situations and take a pounding under my 200lb body. It wasn't long into the race that I had a chance to red-line the Hei Hei Supreme. http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_06small.jpg Click to Enlarge. Source: KonaWorld.com In the first part of the race course, I rode a blazing fast fire road for about 5 miles, including a series of seven short but steep rolling hills called the "Seven Bitches". Downhill in these sections, I just let go of the brakes and rode like I was on a DH bike. However, I quickly learned that the road wasn't as smooth as expected. Drainage ditches, water ruts and floating airs were all encountered, and at top speed. Somewhat unintentionally, I pounded the Hei Hei Supreme into these ditches and ruts and took her airborne several times. The bike performed like a charm. Nothing broken, no wheels knocked out of true, and plenty of control. My initial lust for the bike converted to love in those moments. Kona Hei Hei Supreme Essential Specs Frame Four-bar Scandium Butted Frameset Rear Shock Fox Float RP23 Rear travel 2.5" Fork RockShox SID World Cup 80mm Headset FSA ORBIT DL Cranks Shimano XTR Bottom bracket Shimano XTR Chainrings 44/32/22 Chain Shimano CN-HG93 Freewheel Shimano XTR (11-32t, 9speed) Derailleurs Shimano XTR front and rear Shifters Shimano XTR Handlebar Easton EC70 OS Carbon Stem Easton EA70 OS Grips Kona RACE LIGHT Brakes & Levers Shimano XTR V-Brake Hubs Shimano XTR front and rear Rims & Spokes Shimano XTR Tires Maxxis CrossMark Exception 2.1 Kevlar Saddle Selle Italia SLR KIT CARBONIO Seatpost Easton EC70 Carbon Color Ball Burnished http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_07.jpg Source: KonaWorld.com After the initial hammering, I had several laps of the 15 mile course and hours of solitude in the desert to fully evaluate the Hei Hei Supreme. Although the course was not technical (and would admittedly have been better ridden on a hardtail), the bike floated like the wind over the desert, steered with precision and sucked up the bumps nicely. Pedalling was steady, smooth and virtually effortless. I dream about riding the Hei Hei over that course even to this day! The only thing I would have changed on the bike (and in fact did change after a couple of laps) was the seat. It was a little too hard for my tender behind! Discs vs. V-brakes? The Hei Hei Supreme is shipped with Shimano XTR v-brakes. For some, this might be a little peculiar. How can a top-of-the-line race bike came stock with v-brakes? Should it have discs? On the issue of whether the Hei Hei Supreme should have discs, I won't purport to open up the whole disc vs. v-brake debate for resolution, but let me say the following.... I have been a downhiller and freerider for seven years. I never thought I would ride a bike with v-brakes ever again, until I rode this one. As alluded to above, I railed the Hei Hei Supreme as fast (or faster) than I would have ridden a DH bike through the downhill sections of the race course. Open fire roads, fast twisty sections, dips and airs, gullies and ditches were slammed into. http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_04.jpg Rear suspension is a solid, proven performer. It is telling to me of the performance of the XTR v-brakes that I didn't even pause to think for a second that I was riding v-brakes. I couldn't believe it. The brakes worked exceptionally well, much to my surprise. To the extent that they contributed to the (rolling) weight reduction of the bike, I enjoyed every gram of it on the flats and uphills where I could fly, barely feeling like I had a bike under me. Obviously if your riding conditions involve a lot of long downhill sections, v-brakes might not be for you. However, if you're buying the Hei Hei Supreme for downhilling, then you need to change a few screws in your head, in addition to the v-brakes! With more time on the bike, I would love to be able to comment on this further because I was very surprised at how the brakes performed. http://www.asilvertouch.com/images/features/143/kona_hei_hei_02.jpg Bred to ride fast, really fast. Conclusions There is no question that the Hei Hei Supreme is bred for one purpose and one purpose only - fast riding. It is at the top of its class in that department. The following MSRP prices reflect the top-of-the-line performance of the bike and its components: MSRP USA $5999, Canada $6999, Europe ?5555. This bike clearly isn't for everyone. However, if you want one of the best XC race bikes on the planet then do yourself a favour and take this one for a spin. The Kona Hei Hei Supreme reigns supreme.

This is the 2007 model. Its less than 10kg when bought complete. Chain rxn cycles sells it for R27k martelpypie2008-06-14 09:01:53

I have the Hei Hei supreme - best bike I have ever had. I build it up to only 10.6kg. No bobbing up the hills and superfast Only has 2.5" rear travel but that is enough for me and it never bottoms out as my shock is pumped correctly. Bought frame through Chain Rxn cycles at R5000 cheaper than best price in SA

The new Tubeless ready Pythons are only 575g

What is the lightest tubeless MTB tyres that wont cut easily ?

no you should be proud south african man! i think john lee is gonna win! or robbie!

Damnnn!!! i thought Boonen was a good guy!!