MTBRIDER1234

I somewhat agree, but it also begs the question of where to train when you need to go fast and work on high speed bike control? Also sometimes slowing down or stopping is not viable, or is downright dangerous. For example, the roots trail in tokai with the large(ish) berms is a trail that you can reach a brisk speed, if you have your technique dialed in. It also has a few somewhat blind corners, and I have seen groups of 50 or more people hiking up there more than once. If I am going fast down there - and see the hikers at the exit of a berm, I can't just stop mid corner, as I will probably eat dirt. Additionally, they won't all be able to get out of my way in time either, so someone is getting injured one way or another. This is why I believe that we should stick to our own trails. If I need to ride the greenbelt, I never go MTB trail only speed, and always look out for walkers, dogs etc. But on MTB trails, I refuse to hold back. I don't ride for the fitness (although it comes with the territory and makes the uphills nicer), I ride for the adrenaline and the buzz it gives me. I have 0 problem waiting for a newer rider, or slowing down as not to scare/intimidate someone, but I can relate to where they have been. I can't relate to running, walking up what is clearly not a hiking trail (how many hiking trails have berms, jumps and drops?). Also anyone saying they didn't know the tokai trails are bikes only is either a bit slow, or is lying. They are incredibly well signposted and the many riders, and incredibly few runners should all point to the type of trails they are.

I do somewhat agree, I have never used strava, and see no point in changing anything (plus garmins are a rip-off IMO). This being said, when I am going flat out down a trail, and especially around a blind corner, and you are running up what is clearly a bike trail, it is completely your fault what happens to you. Sometimes stopping isn't so easy round a corner at 35km/h on a loose surface. Runners have the massive jeeptrack and extensive network of hiking trails, so why choose the dedicated MTB trails, which are supposedly the one safe place for us to go balls to the wall without the fear/risk of encountering another type of trail user. Also when I am riding in the cycle lane, and runners refuse to move onto the pavement which is 20cm to the side, it pisses me off. Why should they use a 'cycle' - not 'run' lane, as opposed to the perfectly fine pavement and make me swerve into the main road at peak traffic? just my 2c

I ride flats, and like them, but I will say that if you are trying to go fast, they are worse in pretty much every respect. The pro DH guys ride clipped in, and so do the pro xc guys. so you won't be as fast on flats as you would be clipped in, both up and down. But flats punish you for bad technique, take a bad line choice and you will pay for it far more than you would in cleats. Also I ride for fun and like to do stupid stuff, so flats give me a quick route out when the **** hits the fan. Additionally, when running flats you need proper pedals and proper shoes. Not tekkies or skate shoes. Riding shoes ain't cheap, so do budget that in. Also I run pedals with scary pins of about 4mm, and they give me amazing traction. But when I do on the rare occasion slip a pedal, I know about it - last time I slipped a pedal, the pin went a few mm deep into my shin bone and took a little bit out. Flats are more confidence inspiring, cleats are more efficient. (for 99% of people)

Not necessarily. I ride a 16kg enduro bike with flats in baggies and a t-shirt, yet I am still way faster uphill than the majority of guys on xc bikes. The bike isn't a problem, it the bike is 10% heavier than you want it to be, get 10% fitter. Also I am not sure if it is a concern to you, but an incredibly light bike handles awfully. Every rock threatens to throw you off course. It will not feel planted, and definitely not confidence inspiring. A super light bike is a phase many people go through in their riding journey, but few people actually come to the realization that an extra kg or 2 is worth it when it drastically improves the bike's handling. But at the end of the day, I am an enduro rider, so take everything I say with a pinch of salt.

Are you looking for rims or wheels? The thread title says rims, but the first post says you are wondering about wheels. Also your best bet is to buy 2nd hand wheels, but to get decent ones will be very hard at that price. You could probably get 2nd hand rims that are somewhat decent for that price. Personally, I would not buy 2nd hand carbon wheels or rims unless they came with a warranty. Sometimes cracks are invisible if you aren't looking for them, and it ends in tears when a rim breaks. With aluminium, it is not as much of a problem because the rims are many times cheaper to replace. Also you need to give much more detail... is it 29, 27.5 or 26? is it for xc or DH? Is it boost or non-boost? All of these will greatly affect price and availability.

I have seen and ridden all 3 of those materials with holes drilled in them. All 3 rode beautifully and lasted years. You must know what you are doing, as if you drill it in the wrong spot, it is game over. And carbon is risky, as it is very easy to get wrong.

You should know that pretty much every bike that doesn't have routing for a dropper is long out of warranty. Hence why they have nothing to loose Then I would recommend doing it yourself if it makes you feel more comfortable, as long as you have a drill, a file and a steady hand, it is really easy. Just make sure it is in the right spot.

I have seen it done on steel, aluminium and carbon. You just have to know where to drill, and at what angle, in order to keep structural integrity. But if done well, it will last forever and cause no issues.

Not all of us, just this special young man who has read over 50 comments telling him not to buy it, then deciding to buy it anyway. I hate to say it dude, but few things irritate people more then when you waste their time asking their opinion, and then you just flat out argue with it and ignore it.

You insinuated that you are pretty much buying it by starting this thread...

Hey man, I mean it's your money not ours, so I kinda wander what the point of asking if you should buy the bike was, when most people said no, but you bought it anyway. Also the issue with the Lauf fork is selling it with this currently terrible market. It may be worth decent amount to the right person - but finding them is the problem. There is a reason I have only seen 2 of them in my life - and I work at a bikeshop. So if you are relying on the money from selling the lauf to buy another fork, unfortunately you will most likely have to be prepared to wait - and probably contribute something on top of what you get, in order to pickup a halfway decent fork.

This bike is a 'monstercross bike' that fork is crap over any bump bigger than a pebble. It is an undamped carbon leafspring. It will be akin to running a fork with the rebound circuit taken out - a sketchy combo for anything less than a gravel farm road. Like dasilvarsa said, this thing will be **** on a proper xco course. Something with a real fork is a must, especially if you are racing a rough course, and I guarantee that singletrack on that thing will be an awful experience.

Who was the scammer? Naming and shaming can save others from suffering the same fate. Also not enough details have been shared, but bikehub pay is a must if you are buying something sight unseen and having it shipped to you.

Looks like those Makro or game Raleigh full suspensions, where the rear shock spring is so stiff that it wouldn't compress if you rode the rampage course, and the fork is mostly for show, but if it works then it is essentially an undamped pogo stick threatening to throw you off over every bump.

Do you want me to laugh now or later? I have worked on hundreds of bikes and never damages a single one. I absolutely use a torque wrench when needed, but most of us are mechanically inclined enough to not need it for every single bolt on the bike. Maybe 1 out of 10,000 bikes that get worked on are over torqued, which results in the cracking of a frame. And bike shops have something called insurance, which will cover that. I refuse to believe they will force the customer to pay. But considering you are so skilled, why don't you go round the country training these mechanics, because after all, they are only "absolute amateurs" and most of them have no idea how to work on bikes. Some shops are guilty of bad workplace practices, but don't paint all bike shops with the same brush. The vast majority are good people earning a living.

I don't ride full face - nobody riding tokai really does. IMO and IME it's overkill, and I find it a bit distracting and also you look like a kook if you are wearing a fullface and not absolutely ripping haha But do whatever makes you feel more comfortable and confident. I have fallen and cut my face up pretty bad, but I think it would take a broken jaw or similar to make me go fullface.

Don't roll the dh2 drop. It seems like a pretty easy way to go otb into the rock after it and loose a few teeth. Please only ride it when you are capable and comfortable with dropping it and fully committing.

Riding in the centre in some parts of beast is a lot faster. 1 or 2 of the corners make it slower than the straight-line, so I tend to skip those when going for speed. Also I jump everything on beast, like everything, and I find that makes it smoother, because you can't be affected by rough stuff when in the air. It also makes it very fun haha Rolling the boulder is so easy, I was honestly confused why I hadn't been doing it from the very first time I rode dh1. The dh2 drop isn't hard, and it makes the trail more flowy. The dh1 drop isn't the hardest, but it isn't to be messed with. A guy I used to ride with (a very, very skilled rider) broke his back on that drop. Other skilled guys have also crashed on that drop a lot. If your speed is wrong, you can land with not enough time to turn, and get really hurt. Definitely one to treat with a lot of respect.

I love beast. One of my favourite trails in tokai. Super fast and flowy, with the right amount of sketchiness due to all the loose rocks. It might sound counter intuitive, but if you are on a longish travel bike, sometimes plowing through the gnarliest lines on beast is much faster. It is sketchy and loose, but much, much faster if you know where to plow, and where to stick with the smooth stuff. Also I know this is said a lot, but crashing is a part of riding, and while I also look to avoid it, it is a good skill to learn, as bailing well will save you from some big injuries later on. Also on dh1, rolling/jumping the boulder is waaaaay faster than going around, and much more flowy, as you don't lose all your speed.

To add to this thread, my slakline weighs about 15.5kg and it RIPS going down. Also it is a well designed frame, and it climbs pretty lekka, all things considered. Also even if it weighs 4kg more than a light xc bike, that just means that I must get fitter to climb the same speed. You should see the expressions of guys on their xc bikes when I blow past them on the climb. Also a lot of people complain about bike weight, but I highly doubt that anyone is at the point where they can shed no more weight without negatively affecting their health.

To be honest, it seems more and more young guys (and girls) are starting to get into jumping, and mtb in general. Many of my friends are super keen on dirt jumping, and do it more often than riding the big bike these days. I need to work on my jump confidence, but it is one of those skills that literally translates across to every other discipline of riding, and increases bike control by a helluva lot.

I use meguiars deep crystal car wash. Seriously good stuff and cheaper than most bike specific washes. Bike specific stuff is a ripoff, and most people overwash their bikes - and do it wrong at that.

I haven't interacted with any threads recently, as I have felt that none of them were important enough/I could add more value than what had already been said. But this is different. Anyone who has been on bikehub for a few years may remember my run-in with a dealer and his associate/business partner last year. This was a time before the "bring back the classifieds comments" thread was shut down. I was very vocal and let the dealer(s) know that what they were charging was BS, and I even showed them many ads of the same bike for tens of thousands less. But they didn't give a sh*t. They just want to make money, at what cost? I don't know, but it seems they are happy to do it at the cost of their reputation and the likelihood of a *** review after the buyer realizes they have grossly overpaid. Not most - but some of the dealers have no understanding of the mechanical side of bikes. They will write bogus claims, for example, drivetrain only has 500km on it, when you can see the anodizing on the cassette is worn off and the chainring looks like it has been around the globe more than once. Just my 2 cents. Dealers please be courteous and don't post a hundred ads of the same clapped, overpriced bike.

I have run it briefly on my slakline (same frame) and it feels pretty good. Still wanna take it for a proper ride, but I think it would be just fine in the high mode on the flip chip. Also looks like an older bike, so it is most probably out of warranty either way.

That's gotta be it. Assuming the OP hasn't been payed out by insurance (if it was insured) let's hope the guy doesn't take the add down before he can be taken to justice.