Iwan Kemp

According to Silverback the 605 and 705 is available!

Nope, not anymore. According to the email all Silverback dealers will also become official Garmin dealers...time to get those pre-orders in for the Edge 705!

I also think she is beautiful, but as far as I know she too reads these forums and I can't imagine her enjoying comments like that. I'm up for a joke and a quick laugh, but not at someone else's expense and not when it's in bad taste. Sorry to be a party-pooper.

Don't know who else received this email this morning, but here's the news: In a bold move local design group Silverback Technologies have thrown their weight and support behind team Garmin for 2008.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> This will not only see top mountain bikers like Marc Basingwaithe and Samantha Oosthuizen conquer the dirt but also enhance the lifestyle philosophy of the brand. The riders on the team will further bolster the list of brand ambassadors for Silverback with their Neotel counterparts on the road. The fact that Garmin has a hospitality area after each race they participate in offering free coffee and race coverage falls in line with this approach. Mountain biking is about the lifestyle and is an easy expansion of the ?live this life? campaign by Silverback to get more people outdoors and participating in healthy activities like cycling. Team Garmin will be showcasing the brand new Silverback Mercury that has been two years in the making. Silverback teamed up with a team of local and international designers and engineers to take the local cycling market by storm with the launch of the Silverback Mercury Dual Suspension mountain-bike ? with team Garmin putting the machines to the ultimate test in the upcoming ABSA Cape Epic and the rest of the South African MTB season. Designed for desire, this state of-the-art mountain-bike has undergone strenuous testing from a highly experienced panel of judges, including well-known adventurer Jacques Marias and Jacques Brink. The design is characterized by Silverback?s pursuit of performance, rigidity and durability combined with awe-inspiring graphics. The Silverback Mercury features the company?s latest innovation, an exclusive engineering feat aptly named Intelligent Design System. Simply defined, the Intelligent Design System offers a unique riding solution with minimum working parts, great traction combined with maximum control and efficiency. This system has the benefit of small-bump suppleness, contributes hugely in minimizing rider fatigue, while providing maximum performance and power advantage. This fact will greatly assist team Garmin in their quest for glory in every race they enter in the coming season. The added dynamic of talent and experience within the team with the addition of Yolandi du Toit ? a previous winner of the prestigious Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge and beauty of sport ? will undoubtedly cause a stir in the cycling community with her cross-over from road to dirt. The 2008 Garmin line up looks as follows: Stars on the team 1. Yolandi du Toit ? previous winner of the Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge and beauty of sport 2. Marc Bassingwaithe ? Two time SA champ, Two time SA Marathon Nationals winner, 2003 under 23 Africa Champ, previous stage winner in Trans Alps 3. Renato Albrecht ? sub vet category winner at Sabie experience ? 2007 Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge mixed tandem winner 4. Shaun McKenzie ? winner of 2007 Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge sub veteran category ? stage winner at Cederberg experience and sub veteran category winner at 2007 Sabie experience 5. Arno Viljoen ? winner of the hill climb stage in the Tour de Windhoek as a 16year old, Induna Drifter winner, Two time Lourensfort MTB race winner and a 4th place at SA National champs 6. Samantha Oosthuizen ? winner 2007 Pick n Pay 94.7 MTB Challenge and previous winner of the Land Rover Challenge

My MTB: ...and my hardtail:

New ones...something in black will do.

Ride a Titus Moto Lite with 2.1 Nevegal UST front and 2.1 Small Block Eight UST on the the back on NoTubes ZTR Olympic rims. No leaking,seating,inflating issues and haven't had a flat or snake bite in over 4months. Small Block Eight does not give ultimate grip on loose stuff when you have to pedal VERY hard when the going is slow, but grip through corners is great and "give" is predictable. Not the greatest wed mud tire either as I've at Harkerville over New Year. It does roll very fast and last long. Nevegal is a awesome front tire and just a good a rear tire in mud/wet/loose conditions. Not as fast as the SBE, but faster than most other "trail" tires. I've tried several other combinations and brands and these are what I'm happiest with.

Blackburn's Mars 3 just scored 5/5 on bikeradar.com. I use them they and they are by far the best I've seen. PLUS THEY COME WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY

Blackburn Mars 3 on the back is da bomb!

So what are we paying for? The worst part is that after a while we all just accept that that's the way it is!

Email sent.

Yeah Joggie, maybe you should make "both" an option as well.

BTW, wanneer begin daai demo bike program?!

I do both, but prefer MTB. Quieter, fellow riders are friendlier, fresh air and in general saver. All of this and the fact that I prefer to be somewhere in the woods on a trail...bliss!

Just to let you know that CFS has some specials. Full service till end of Jan is only R300 on HT and RB and R350 on full suspension. I have serviced my RB and FS there and have only received great service. Major Service at Cycle Factory Store includes: * Full Strip and rebuild * Wheel true * New Gear and V-Brake Cables * Computerised Database on history of bike * Stan's Top-up on tubeless * Wash and lube * Free loyalty card that gets you discount off shelf prices * Telephonic updates and quote on any other repair work needed and ETA of bike * Free Collection and delivery service in and around Cape Town I also noticed on their website they have less 10% on bikes and 20-25% down on all accesories. Worth checking out. www.cyclefactory.co.za or (021) 552 8285The Crow2008-01-24 00:30:15

Not to kick you when you are down, but why were you cycling on the N7? And why did the guys in the Vodacom 4U / Willie Engelbrecht kit training this morning skip several red traffic lights (at a good speed) and at one crossing cycled on the sidewalk and almost into pedestrians? What the hell people? Are we TRYING to make things difficult for ourselves? Like when I was in Knysna after New Years only to witness just how many cyclists ride like idiots. Two/three oaks abreast on sections on the N2 where there's no shoulder. And they weren't ALL novices, some of them were on VERY expensive bikes with VERY expensive kit and gear. I'm really sorry you got mugged and NOBODY deserves that, but we need to sharpen up a little. Couple of weeks ago a cyclist got killed on the N4 outside PTA and the authorities shrug cause " he wasn't suppose to be there."

Concerning price: I wanted a full XT groupset for my build. CW advertised for R5500, but did not have any stock at the time. I would have to wait for the next shipment which was only expected in two months. I phoned Cycle Factory Store who quoted me R6200 for the FULL groupset excl hubs, but I only had to wait 1 day. PLUS that inluded free fitment and 1st check-up service and peace of mind of local back up. They even picked up and delivered my bike at no charge. I have been shopping there ever since...another happy ending.The Crow2008-01-05 02:07:21

Great weather in Cape Town todayThe Crow2008-01-03 10:21:43

I have, and know of PLENTY other guys, been using I-Links very relieably for a very long period of time. In fact, I use Aligator Super Fortress cables and Aligator disc pads on my MTB and haven't had any issues with them either. I have no doubt that Shimano cables work the deal with Shimano STI's, but I can't imagine other cables (at this end of the price range) stuffing up STI's. I must admit that the last couple of months my Aligator cables AND housings have been fitted to Record...obviously NO issues there.

I-link gets my vote. Cycle Factory has in stock...in all colors as well! (021) 552 8285

WTB V Stealth is available in SA. They are inexpensive and light. Lighter than Gobi. Gobi is very popular but it doesn't work with my ass...same with Arione. Try Selle Italia's new Yutaak - very comfy.

Forget carbon. Ask your LBS to get a price on KCNC's scandium bar and stem. Lighter AND stronger than carbon and half the price! PM me if you need the number...

Cycle Factory Store in Montague Gardens have them...very comfy.

Scott will have much better resale value and should sell quicker...IMO

Michelin Pro2 Race. They roll soooper fast for a tire with puncture protection. Bicycling.com found that only the Conti Supersonic and Michelin Pro Light's roll faster.