MTBRIDER1234

I am lucky enough to work in a bike shop and this means that I have had access to some really good mechanics who have taught me a lot over the time I have worked there. I do all my own bike stuff and find it incredibly satisfying to work on all things mechanical, so I find myself enjoying a lot of jobs that other people dislike. Case in point: setting gears or working on suspension. The biggest cause of poor shifting that goes under the radar is commonly a bent derailleur hanger. You won't believe the look on people's faces when they tell me that they have spent hours trying to get their shifting right, then I discover that their hanger is bent, straighten it and then the shifting is prime after a few tweaks.

SRAM is amazing if you know how to set it up. The thing is, most people don't and then they have a really bad experience with it. When SRAM is set up nicely, it feels amazing and is super smooth and quiet, the problem is that 12 speed is finicky and I can imagine how easy it is to get in over your head with it if you are not very experienced with gears.

I guess it all depends. My dad is a purist and would have nothing other than a manual in his fun car, but the daily driver has a dual clutch. It comes down to what you prefer, manual for fun, dual clutch for pretty much everything else.

^this. I dislike the lever feel of shimano and think it is super sloppy and there is no resistance or nice 'click' when it changes a gear. I can't speak for road, but I have ridden slx, xt, deore, xtr and from SRAM, NX, GX, X01, XX1. Sram feels (and looks) awesome and the ergonomics of the shifter are amazing compared to shimano. Little things like the shape and throw of the lever that takes you down the cassette make all the difference.

Honestly, at a low price point, all the forks are there for is looks. I have yet to see one of those that has lasted over a few months and not made the bike weigh the same (or likely more) than a full size bike. Rigid will also help skills development and a light bike will be a lot easier for a laaitjie to handle and throw around and have a good time on. I have no problem with Titan, but if you can afford to, that spez kids' bike looks like a really solid bike and like Morne said, it will be much easier to resell. In my experience, as long as you look after kids' bikes and service them properly, you won't loose much money when it comes time to sell.

I am a bit taller than you at 172ish and I ride a size large PYGA enduro bike and I prefer the handling over the medium by far. It is not too big for me (I run a 125mm dropper but could run a 150 fully slammed) it all depends on your riding style and preferences, as I have clearly upsized because it suits me and how/what I ride better. For perspective, it has a 480 reach and a 1243 wheelbase, so it certainly is not a small bike by any means.

You can't go wrong with lyne. Super strong and great value. Stans always crack by the nipples and are not the best in general. Dt swiss and raceface are both fine, but if I chodse, it would definitely be lyne because local is lekker!

Honestly if it's only surface rust, then maybe you could use rust remover and see if that does the trick. It will be cheaper than buying a new clutch assembly and it's pretty easy. Honestly no idea if this would work but it is super easy to do. Even if you installed a new clutch assembly, I would recommend cleaning the whole derailleur and give it a thorough checkover. If it has rusted like that, the derailleur itself may be pretty old and worn.

Yip. They probably have a box full of miscellaneous OEM cable guides, manuals, stickers etc. that they are either keeping to sell or use when servicing a bike. You can drill the blank, but it is sketchy at the best of times and you will probably need a very sharp drill bit and a steady hand. I think the best thing to do is to ask them for the guides and maybe offer to pay courier (it is unfair, but it may make them more likely to tell the thruth and gove them to you). If this fails then bust out the drill haha

I have never used strava and likely never will. I don't ride with any technology because in my opinion it creates a more pure and enjoyable riding experience. I ride to get outdoors, so why should I bring devices when I could just be on them inside my house on the couch. Except for bringing a phone for safety, I do not see the point. I am not the fastest up a hill, but can keep up with pretty much anyone (you wouldn't believe the surprise on an xc rider's face when he is going hard and you pass him on a 16kg enduro bike with DH tires haha) Also Strava makes people assholes sometimes. When I first started riding trails, some guys would get furious when I waited to move over to let them pass where it was safe for both parties, because it ruined their Strava run. It only takes a few experiences like that for a newbie to paint all riders with the same brush.

^this I always find that mechanics who ride are much better because they can understand and relate to how someone likes their brakes, what angle they run their shifters at, how high they like their seat, how routing cables neatly can make the bike quieter etc. Also if you ride, you are far more in tune with how a bike feels and what to look for when checking it over

I rarely ever work on road stuff, so I can't speak for that. I have rebuilt a few shimano trigger shifters and a fair amount of SRAM. I can confirm I much prefer the latter haha

That's a looong time ago, almost before my days haha

With the right knowlege, pretty much any shifter can be rebuilt. I have done a fair amount in my time and have had great success with all. But yeah, geberally shitmano is more finicky than SRAM

Any idea where I could get one of these? I actually really wanna try it on the enduro bike, as I upsized and think this would make the bike feel awesome and super playful

I use wurth pretty much everything and really can't complain at all. I have used spanjaard stuff before and had great success with it and they really do make just about everything haha I would recommend as above, flush it with brake cleaner and then hit it with spray lube. But first check your cables are all fine and replace them if necessary If a flush and lube doesn't work, then (if you feel comfortable) you can rebuild the shifter or alternately, take it to someone who can. Once you have done it before, rebuilding a shifter is pretty straightforward and oddly satisfying

The Orbeas were a mad deal, if I wanted a downcountry bike, I would probably buy one of those and swap the suspension for RockShox (pike ultimate upfront and super deluxe ultimate rear). But I guess that isn't why enduro riders spec xc bikes haha Also I am getting carried away and I need to stop thinking about a downcountry bike before I spend the money I don't have and get another bike...

Yea I kinda figured that out haha I was not sure if his fiance was starting out riding, so I always recommend a hardtail to anyone if they are new

Not sure of the skill level of your fiance, but if you are doing mellow xc and road/gravel rides, then you could get an amazingly light xc hardtail with great parts for that. Also IMO a hardtail is essential to start on because it builds all the essential skills and makes you a better rider. For example, I had ridden hardtails for 2 years before I got my first full sus, and on the first ride, I was easily lapping my buddies who started on enduro bikes and they have been riding for 5+ years.

Maybe I came on a little strong but I hope I made it clear that scammers aren't my favourite people. I dislike them because they have scammed my family before and I have seen firsthand how they prey on kind and unsuspecting people. Whenever I see it, I go absolutely mad. I do occasionally have a bit of fun and troll the ones who claim to make you rich quick, and you wouldn't believe how gullible some of them are, pretty ironic for a person who makes money off of deceiving others.

Please, please press charges. I want nothing more than to see this disgraceful lowlife piece of **** punished. Also I believe that one day he will mess with the wrong person and hopefully justice will be served, hopefully sooner rather than later. Also guys stay vigilant, these scammers are getting really clever and if you can, phone with them and ask for some photo of their ID or something similar. Meet them if you can and please do not let desperation rule common sense.

I don't know how much you weigh/what you ride/where you ride but I have heard the 32 stepcast is like a wet noodle, it flexes like mad. I think the 32 SC is about 200-300 grams lighter than the reba. Small gains IMHO when compared to performance. But the again, I ride a 15.5kg bike with 170/160 travel, so I may not be the best guy to give weight weenie advice... Also I have never had experience with the 32 SC (I have used the normal one), but I have used the reba and that thing was BULLETPROOF and pretty easy to setup, as well as having a pretty plush and supportive feel.

It may well be his real name then. Apparently he is 61 years old, so if anyone knows a Lionel Hennessy, that helps narrow it down quite a lot. But just do the right thing bru, you are a complete lowlife scum and you have no reputation left, due to your stupid actions. This is solely on you and hopefully you will learn your lesson with a big fine or best case, some jail time. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we hate scammers and there is a 0 tolerance on here. That also applies to you Mr Bewsher!

What a stunner for sure! I have wanted to ride a steel fully after loving my steel trail HT so much. Outta interest, have you ridden it yet, because I am curious as to how a steel fully feels, surely it must be incredibly smooth and trail feedback is minimal. Also it looks like some really nice parts, I can vouch for curas, the lyrik and the hope wheels/hubs, they are all solid parts that are easy to maintain and are super well made. (also the hope hubs sound rad if you are into that kinda thing) So enjoy it bru, and please give us some feedback, as I may be keen to make a steel fully frame with Dave in the future if all goes well

I haven't been on here for a week or so. Last I read of this thread, I thought 'Lionel' was gonna make it right after I called him out. It turns out he is a disgraceful fraud and my suspicions were completely correct. I said that he should rectify this before his name (if he is even called lionel hennessy) gets destroyed. Well, if you snooze, you lose. Your name and reputation has pretty much hit rock bottom and all I can do is laugh to imagine what people think when they search you and find this thread. It serves you right and you are a disgusting excuse for a human being and we don't stand for *** like that on bikehub. Also I am a very trusting person and once bought a frame sight unseen for 20k without bikehub pay, what a thrilling experience that was! So I guess you are seeing your reputation crumble before your eyes and are too cowardly to do anything to stop it. So man up and refund all 3 parties involved.