Andymann

Even the mousses in Off-Road and Enduro aren't fail safe - they eventually collapse. There are two types - the ball type and the perma-tube type which is actually like a very thick tube... bugger to fit! It might be that the two valves on the downhill bikes were actually 1 valve and a rim-lock - to stop the tyre sliding relative to the rim?

"Track please!"

Get a MET. Saved my brain about 3 weeks back. Have already replaced it with a new one!

I used to work for one of the big 4 Japanese MC importers in SA. There is a huge amount manufactured in China, and the only thing that determines what goes in the Japanese boxes and what goes in the Chinese boxes were the tolerances - if anthing was slightly off the very tight Japanese spec, it was used elsewhere. I'm guessing it's the same here - I bet these unbranded frames are probably a slightly different tolerance or finish to the mainstream ones and if you are willing to ride an unbranded frame go for it...

Got my Merida 96 3000D to under 13kg without doing much at all - Thompson Seatpost, FSA flat bar, and trimmed all the cables. I paid under 20K last year, and I think there are real bargains to be had now because of the new model. And I've got some real heavy tyres on now too - Geax, which if I changed could save me 500g - but like has been said earlier, no punctures is way better than 500g saved!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tech-colnago-launch-c59-disc

I'm running a combo of 105 RD and TT shifters on my Bianchi TT bike with Record cranks (only because the Campag TT shifters are really difficult to source), Record chain and cluster. Must be honest, I was a bit skeptical having "dodgy" 105 mixed with the Campag, but I'm damn impressed - that 105RD shifts really cleanly and it is at least on par with the 2007 Record RD it replaced....

- No worries - the weekend was awesome last year, so I reckoned there must have been a good reason to move the race. Thing is, to leave Jhb at 16:00 on a Thursday and fight the masses down to Durbs means we will only realistically arrive after eleven that night. To do a MTB race the following morning might be a bit much...family will grumble!!!!

Here's an interesting one - the website lists the MTB on the 27th April (Friday the public holiday), and the road on the 29th (Sunday) - we normally drove down especially to do both races back-to-back (good Sani training!) and also for a bit of a break. If the MTB race is on the 27th, then it means I must take an extra days leave and drive down on the Thursday, to hopefully register in time for the race on the Friday. Not sure if this is such a good option anymore..... pity.....

Was in emergency ward last night until about 10! Luckily nothing major, a few scrapes and bruises but that's about it. First time it has happened to me though, and most scary is that i have absolutely no recollection of how I fell off, or how I got to the hospital.

Thanks so much! It's amazing how the cracks have moved along the polystyrene away from the point of impact - it really did it's job - i was unconscious for about 5mins.....

In Gauteng - Pta area, but travel to Krugersdorp every day - so anywhere in PTA/Centurion/JHB area is good

Destroyed my MET Stradivarius helmet last night in a fall during a night ride. Anyone know who stocks MET - would really like to replace it with the same model!

OK so why didn't my picture upload?????

Wonder If I can still order a Bridgestone MB-0

So true! I actually enjoyed the riding for the first time in ages. And what's more, our 12+kg Berg Sportzone specials which I shunned on day one were actually damn good bikes, and..... Could I really feel the difference between Deore and XT, Tektro vs. Magura and Suntour XCM vs. Fox.... Er....not really....

Bought it like that hey - it was one of the Pantani replicas which they made after he won the TDF in 98 I think. That would be great - I'll also keep an eye open for more bits - my training bike has the original ITM BigOne stem and bars, which I would have considered replacing, but I see you are sorted there. I think the 1" headset is going to be a problem though...

Also noticed that - one guy was pretty fast on his old Y-Frame Trek - now there's a bike from the past. Seems like they are pretty chilled in Europe - they didn't even give us crap about the orange reflectors in our wheels.....

Not so sure - there were tons of S-Works and Scotts as well as a few Felts on the trail and some pretty smart kit. We rode 26'er Full Sussers btw - that's all we could get!

So chuffed to see my old Bianchi getting a new lease of life..... it's going to make someone pretty happy. I still think that's a damn sexy sprayjob.....

Just got back from a cycling holiday in Portugal . Mostly MTB. Interesting to see, not one 29'er on the trail.... We saw one new one in a shop, but that was it. Hmmmmmmm.......

And try not to grip the bars at all - I trained years back with the HSBC boys in the Vaal up Ertjiesbult, and one of the biggest tips I got was to relax your grip on the bars when you hit a climb - if you can't wiggle your fingers while climbing, you're holding the bars too tight...

Hmmm - the crank bolt shouldn't have come loose, so I would think that's an assembly issue. The fork leaking oil - difficult to say without some actual photos - any possibility?

Must be honest, I was also a Bianchi fan, and bought a hardtail frame which I built my components over. After 3 hardish rides (the last one being the Emperors MTB race in 2010 - not that technical) the frame cracked. I had to wait for the replacement, so bought a Giant XTC frame as an interim. Needless to say, when the replacment Bianchi frame eventually arrived (6 months!), I sold it. After this year's Sani, I bought a Merida 96 3000D - sure it's a bit porky compared to the Giant, and I'm not sold yet on the Magura fork, but it's damn comfortable, feels like it will last forever, and climbs much better than the XTC (which I thought it wouldn't do.) All I've done so far is an extra set of American Classic wheels for racing, a Thompson seatpost to replace the carbon one it came with, and a set of flat bars, and I changed the Magura levers to incorporate the BAT adjustment - I like a bit more bite in my brakes. So far, it's really been a good buy. I do still lust ater the Italian though ;-)

LOL - thanks. Spacer plan would have worked fine too though. If you have a choice, try and get the ones with the metal shields, not rubber - they seem to last a bit better against dirt.