MTBRIDER1234

^this I did completely forgot to check the bike's weight limit, but I do think 140mm is overkill for jeep track. A fatbike does seem perfect for it, but I think that 2.8 tires may be the perfect compromise between rolling resistance and grip in sand. I was gonna recommend something like a trek stache, but the weight limit is 136kg. It is fairly tricky finding a bike for such a large guy, and maybe instead of the fairly expensive rapide frame, he could go with a momsen stf. I haven't had any experience with either, so maybe someone can speak for how they individually behave and handle.

If you are looking for a really strong bike, then aluminium is generally stiffer. Also it will be cheaper, so he can get better parts for the money. He shouldn't need a dropper for jeep tracks, so that is luckily an extra cost gone. A hardtail sounds perfect for what he is doing and they require little maintenance, and as a result of this, are super reliable.

My best advice is to look on the classifieds here. A pretty nice xc hardtail could be had for around 20k, but an extremely entry level full sus could be had for that (both second hand). What sorta trails is he riding - if he is indeed riding trails, then a dropper post is really nice to have. If I was looking for an xc bike, I would prioritise components in this order: 1) frame 2) suspension 3) drivetrain 4) wheels 5) brakes Personally, I would look at them in this order because wide rims are very easy to get hold of and it is not a challenge to find better hubs if he needs them. Also brakes aren't super expensive and a set of nice pads can make all the difference. Good suspension will leave you feeling more in control and less fatigued on rough descents - let us know if he needs help setting it up, as there are some extremely knowledgeable guys here. A frame with good geo will make all the difference to his confidence and how the bike handles. It is the hardest and most expensive thing to change. When doing more gravity oriented riding, you can get away with a cheaper and less refined drivetrain - it gets you up, to go down. But in xc, you want a smooth drive that robs minimal power and shifts nicely; nothing is as irritating as having a noisy/clunky drivetrain on a 4 or so hour ride. *Something like this would probably be what you are looking for: https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/570093/ktm-myroon-master-carbon-29-xl

Glad to hear you are making it right. If this is true then it seems you did the right thing and at least you acknowledged that you have messed up - this is a step in the right direction for sure.

Yeah I saw that... clearly he is just lurking while thinking what to say to drag this out further. OP, I recommend that (price dependant) you either take him to court or go to the police. His behaviour seems completely appalling and it isn't acceptable by any stretch at all. Most people would just leave it but I believe that lowlife scammers must be taught a lesson and brought to justice. (assuming he is scamming you)

@ysteryeti anything you wanna say? This could really destroy your reputation over something as simple as a refund. Not worth it in my opinion. Even if you are in the wrong, admit it and refund the OP, it is a lot easier than being marked as a scammer forever.

I second this, I love my pair of Vye shorts (much lower profile and more comfortable than my leatt ones) I never ride with a chamois and I can say that these shorts are rad for all day rides and also strong enough to hold up to quite a few of my crashes. 2 years on and they show no signs of wear, except on the zip handle where some of the paint has slightly rubbed off.

After a ride in tokai and a massive huck to flat off the wooden bridge at the beginning of dh4, for testing purposes of course, the clicking noise seems to be gone. Whether it was the cassette or bearings (or perhaps the flat landing haha), I guess I will never know. Not that I care as long as the horrible noise is gone and my bike is running silent once again. Only time will tell if the silence persists but I hope it does. Thanks again for everyone's help and input on this thread and I really appreciate the willingness to help.

Yeah, at that price, I don't think anyone even considers buying the beryl. There are so many better forks for 15k, that I can't imagine they sell very many at all. A lyrik in boxxer red would look amazing or maybe even a silver pike. Well... I guess there isn't much you can put on that bike to make it look bad haha Enjoy the bike bru!

At 15 grand, I would honestly go with a RockShox lyrik over the Beryl. The lyrik is a rad fork and has awesome performance, while remaining easy to set up and intuitive to tune. Also the kingdom vendetta is a beautiful bike. It is literally a shreddable work of art, it is for sure my dream Ti hardtail frame.

I know a guy who has used the aliexpress titanium pistons kits many times. He swears by them for guides and shitmanos. They cost next to nothing, so they are definitely worth a try for sure.

I have just taken the cassette off and the bearings out. I cleaned everything and applied grease/copper grease where needed. I think some fine dust worked it's way into the bearings and also potentially the cassette and xd driver interface. The noise seems to be gone, but I will truly be able to say conclusively after I give it a good thrash in tokai tomorrow.

Thanks bru I am going to do everything I can to fix it on the weekend, so i will see how it goes and let everyone know what the actual problem was once I solve it

Hey Matt, I was just wondering, is it a relatively new thing for these scammers to target wanted ads only? I have received several responses to my wanted ads - always through an outside platform like whatsapp, but I have posted quite a few for sale ads and never received a response I beleive was a scam. This seems kinda weird to me for some reason Also I am conscious of the fact that these scammers lurk among us, because to view a number on an ad you need a bikehub profile. I wonder whether completely removing my number from my ads may be an effective way to deter scammers because we have to talk through bikehub and therefore the chat can be more closely monitored and we can pickup who is a scammer more quickly.

It looks like a pretty stock trek slash and they aren't exactly rare. One can't assume that bike being sold is a stolen one. This is because the price is not unusual and most stolen bikes don't get listed on bikehub. The problem arises when you have a stock build that is one of many thousand and it is almost impossible to differentiate it if you don't know the serial number.

I used to be a set and forget guy, then I realised it is pretty simple. I set sag, then use high/low speed compression to get the desired support throughout the travel and add/remove tokens depending on how easily I bottom out. That is obviously a large oversimplification but hopefully it may give you a better idea how to tune your fork and make it a little less daunting.

Outta interest, what hub are you using? I am going to probably fully rebuild the hub and give the whole drivetrain an extremely deep clean. I will also apply fresh grease to the cassette and XD driver interface.

It happens even if I push the crank arm with no pedals, so it definitely is not them.

It is not BB. I have revreased everything there and when I take chain off and apply pressure, it makes no noise.

Yeah I would consider that, except the bike is only a month old haha As I earlier said, I rebuilt the pedals a week ago, so they are all good.

If it didn't crack when you were riding it, then it isn't cool for him to sell it like that. Hopefully if you received it as pictured, it was an honest mistake and he will rectify it.

Yip, rims are cheap compared to the damage that a broken rim could cause to your bike (broken derailleur, written off tire, cracked carbon frame etc.) It should probably cost you about 1.5-3K for a replacement aluminium rim including labour (and spokes + nipples if needed, hence the 3K)

Yeah I have rebuilt quite a few hubs, so I am good with that. I might have given the wrong vibe that I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to bikes, when in fact, it is the opposite haha I am a part-time bike mechanic and the main reason I started this thread was that I needed people's input and experiences as to what it may be - then I would look at that element of it. So thanks guys for all the help and I didn't expect this thread to reach almost 50 replies. Crazy how willing to help people on here are. *Also steady, I can only imagine the flashbacks you are getting lol

They were making all manner of horrible noises, but I finally had enough after 6 months and rebuilt them a week ago. They have been running smooth and noise free ever since. The only gripe I have with my e*thirteen pedals is the seals are impossible to reseat once you take them off.

Yeah there are so many hub standards it is crazy. Also non-boost wheels of any reasonable quality are a mission to find nowadays.