StevieG

Have that exact same question. Busy watching Sprint on Netflix, and i'm dumbstruck at how some of these queens present themselves. So much Glam. I get it, they're like rockstars, but still, surely having hair down to your butt gets in the way somehow. It must also weigh a good 500grams +. Wouldn't one be better off with shorter locks?? The mind boggles

Not sure about Renthal locally, but have you considered Burgtec? They've got a set of bars called the Ride High signature bars, and feature a 38mm rise. Look at trailtechcycles for their range. They are aluminium though, so don't know if that is an issue for you.

A conjoined unicycle?

Haven't had a full tank of gas in what seems like years. Still paying off the last one.

Lol, agreed, if it were for me personally then yes, but it's for a kid, who will most likely outgrow it before anything wears out anyway, and for R5k, i'm not really losing out that much. (seems i've already convinced myself it's a good buy, damnit, blinking twice)

Was looking at the 26inch for my kid. Is the Volcan brand any good? I worry because the price seems too good to be true, but the build quality seemed better than expected

Check out the Burgtec range. I use them for Enduro and they're the business. Nice and soft, thick rubber grips, vibration killers.

Ok maybe I was being a bit dramatic. Its not scratched per se, but a buff definitely won't get the marks out. The paintwork did look damaged over time

Possibly the most cost effective route. Did it to my bike, so makes sense to do it to the car too.

That looks like an interesting solution, will see what the cost is to get one built up

Will give it a try, but often have to take my kids bikes too, so will only work if I go out on my own.

So i've just recently upgraded my cabbie, and now have to be extremely pedantic about protecting the tailgate. My last bakkie had some major scratches from the tailgate pad, because dust would get behind it, and then scratch the paintwork. Taking it on and off is a PIA, so i'd prefer to leave it on. Have any of you got any experience with this issue, and what did you do to alleviate it? I've seen someone put a massive vinyl sticker over the back, but I imagine they had to get it specifically made for their vehicle. Any ideas would be appreciated. Carrying the bike on my tow hitch is a no go, since the frame is massive, and requires a bit of mcgyvering to get it to fit on my rack, which is also a pain if i'm just going for a short ride.

Its my home turf. Very lekker place to ride, with a wide variety of trails to use. Depending on what you like to ride, the trails are mostly cross country oriented, but the new pink route, which is about 30kms, has some epic new single track sections that feel like you're doing an enduro (which I love). All sorts of terrain to ride through, so you won't get bored easily, and it's quite safe there. I ride on my own a fair amount, and haven't had any issues. Just remember to get a day pass when you pull up to the trail head.

Cheque book racers!

Does it vibrate too?

And just to add, tons of the local trails were decimated with the recent floods, especially Giba and Holla (although Giba isn't good for beginners so not an issue for you). Holla have started rebuilding, but you have very limited, short distance options available to ride at the moment. Still worth looking into though if you're that side of town.

Heartbreaking Mel, worst news ever. Have you got something to ride in the meantime?

Learn to ride on flat pedals, learn proper technique to keep your feet on the pedals, and then decide if you want to go clipless pedals or not. Its's much easier to put your foot down when you get into trouble than with clipless pedals. Most new bikes come with flat pedals anyway. I swap between the two of them, depending on what i'm riding, but flat pedals are just so much more fun

My biggest issue with this whole event is that foreigners will think a traditional South African greeting consists of open hands asking for sweeties

Speak for yourself mate, I bled out of my eyes a few times during that race

Honestly didn't have many issues with them, aside for the lack of skill part, and the utter soul destroying side of them zooming past me on the uphills. But knowing I could complete that race without the aid of a motor, makes it all good with the world again. Agree that they perhaps need their own batches, and start a little later than everyone else, but I guess the only answer is to ride more, get fitter, and start in a higher batch, so they won't bother you as much.

There was one or two sections where it opened up in front of me and I was belting down there, almost took a short cut down the side of a cliff, so maybe its a good thing to slow down on occasion lol. At least we didn't map a cow, that was some funny shiite

Hats off to everyone that rode up Iconic in one sitting, pretty impressive feat that. Not so impressive on an E-bike, but still technical enough to make it tough. If there was one thing I would change, is how to approach the Umko drop without having to stop for riders in front. Was looking forward to that section, only to be let down by riders who were either too slow, or didn't have the necessary skills to negotiate some easy switchback sections. Probably have to get fitter and start in a stronger batch, but it seems descending isn't a strong point for lots of riders

A friend of mine offered me a ticket to ride, and with very little training i decided to take up this once in a lifetime offer. Not one single regret, what a spectacular event, and one I will definitely love to do all over again. Was a little shocked at the cost of entry, but after actually seeing what goes into it, and what you get for your money, it's worth every cent. A bucket list race for anyone into mountain biking for sure. My arse however isn't going to forgive me for a while, but totally worth it.

So my experience buying a bike was a little different. Had no idea what I was getting myself into, and was buying a bike so I could ride with my kids. Decided to get a cheap dual sus, cross country bike which stood me in good stead for a year, while i learnt all the nuances of this sport, and what type of riding I preferred, and trust me, there's lots to learn. Then traded up for something that suited my riding style, and made sure it was the best I could afford. Couldn't be happier now, and can upgrade parts if the itch needs scratching. But that year riding a bike opened my eyes to this amazing sport, and showed me that there are different tools for the job, and i'm grateful to have had that learning experience to find the bike I wanted. Size wise i'm 1.86 too, and riding an XL, which is absolutely perfect, and doesn't feel stretched at all