JS Scott

Hi there, Yea, good idea to prevent wheel theft. It's actually really simple, all you'll need to do is go to your LBS and get a replacement axle. Tell them you want a solid front/rear axle to replace the hollow QR axle you removed. Might be a good idea to take the old one with as a sample, the axle should be about 100mm long on older bikes. Then install and set your cones as you would on a normal axle, just make sure that it sticks out equally on either side of the hub to allow for enough thread to accommodate your nuts. Then install the wheel to the bike and tighten the nuts, it's really as simple as that. Shouldn't cost you any more than around R60 for the axle. See attached what your new solid axle should look like, just without the sealed bearings on the shaft (I'm assuming your old Avalanche has loose ball and cone bearings.)

Yeap, it's sobering to see the difference between the two. Sometimes I wonder why they can't bring some tech from motorbikes over to mtb. Like needle bearings in the pivots and head bearings etc. Like you said, there's no reason for MTB components to be so expensive and to have such a short lifespan in comparison to the same parts in different applications. I sat restoring a 1996 Honda CR125 for about a year. The whole project including buying the bike didn't even cost me 20k. I had more fun on that than I did on any of my mountain bikes because the fun vs value is just so rewarding. Even working in a bike shop and being a bike tech right now I can't justify buying another mountain bike at the moment, I just feel the value I'm getting for my money isn't there. I'd rather invest in other departments and just vasbyt until prices hopefully normalize again.

You're right, but somehow the stuff still is selling our before it even lands in the country. Bikes are in such high demand right now that Shimano approached the 5 biggest bike brands (Scott, Giant etc) and said that if they want Shimano components on any of their 2024 bikes they need to place backorders. And the local bike shops get the scraps that are left.

Very true, it's a seller's market at the moment. Everything bike related, even a decent pair of gloves will set you back a pretty penny more than it did a few months ago, never mind years. Best is to hang on to what you've got currently bike-wise.

Yeap, it's almost a pipe dream for anyone without considerable amounts of disposable income. As you say, as long as people keep buying they'll keep pushing the prices.

Right?! Funny you mention that, myself is busy with getting a few dirtbikes restored. At this rate a top of the line KTM 300 is cheaper than the equivalent MTB.

You make a good point. Suppose Russian and Ukraine aren't helping, fuel hikes and everything that follows are probably next. I can only imagine the automotive industry right now.

Anyone else freaking out at the current price of bikes right now? Versus the value you get for your hard-earned Rands. Buying a bike right now is just almost impossible right now for the average Joe, as someone on the inside of a bike shop I've watched over the last two years as the prices of everything (Bikes, Components, Apparel, Accessories etc.) have just sky-rocketed. Bikes in particular though, some of the stuff retailing two years ago, for argument's sake: a Scott Spark 960 with entry level stuff on it (Sram NX/ Shimano Deore Drivetrains etc.) would have retailed for what our current cost price is on the same bike. It's just ridiculous, we all understand that with a lot of manufacturing plants operating at less than full capacity this means that there is an extremely limited availability of Bikes and all their associated components. Pair that with a huge boom in cycling interest and here we sit a few years down the line with what was already a "Rich Man's Sport" now becoming almost an elitist hobby, making it totally unattainable for someone of mediocre means to get into. What happened to making cycling more inclusive? Are the manufacturers and distributors to blame? Is it really justifiable to put such an extravagant price tag on everything even remotely bike related? It not only kills the cycling community but your local bike shop as well. Having to take the loss purely because people can't afford most of the products on sale nowadays. How am I supposed to explain to customers why things are so expensive? Being asked every other day to justify the price tag on what used to be such a simple, fun and inclusive sport. What are your thoughts on this and when this Covid chapter hopefully closes do you think that the price of things will come down again? Just a frustrated hubber sharing my thoughts at the moment, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Stolen: Santa Cruz Tallboy 2013 When: 01/12/2021Where: , Durban Central, Durban, KwaZulu-NatalXXL Frame Size. Custom painted black with purple lettering. Maxxis Skinwall Tyres. 11 Speed Gripshift. Stolen around the Durban area.Get further details about the incident in the Stolen Bikes section.

Hi all, can anyone with the same or similar bike confirm if there are bushes in between the rocker and frame? Think the previous owner might have lost them. Doesn't make sense that there wouldn't be any bushes in there, swingarm moves without them and scared of tightening the bolt without bushes in case something snaps. Can someone confirm? See pictures to see what I mean.