Nic Brigando

You sir, are faster than I will ever be But yes - if you need to go fast, you can. A bike is a bike, and at the end of the day, the strength of the rider determines your speed. I just know that I have far more fun on my Tigre than any other bike (carbon, alloy, hardtail, dualie) and if I ever do actually sell her, it'll be to buy the same frame in a different colour

If you don't understand the appeal of an aggressive steel hardtail, you don't have to get an aggressive steel hardtail But seriously, there are tons of brands dedicated to steel bicycles still, hardtails especially - there is most definitely a market, albeit smaller than your normal XC market.

I mean you're not gonna build a rapide to compete with a carbon xc hardtail

I'll be opening up a case early next week - hopefully not too late, but I'm quite busy with varsity and haven't found the time yet. R500 is not crippling to me and I have written it off, but will open the case just for other hubber's sakes. Not sure if admin's details may be able to help out on the case but the detail that no strange logins have occurred is interesting - so either the guy has been here scamming for a while, or something truly went wrong.

Easiest way is to buy a cheap 29er hardtail and port all the parts over.

No time like the present - whatever you need is in stock right now😉

Well, as I've waited just about as long as swannie for my refund, I'll post my experience with @ysteryetihere too. I was interested in the same Bianchi frame + fork combo that swannie was. The morning after the ad was posted, I received the same call, and was told someone was going to take the combo for 5k, and if I could do better (5500) then I could have it. I said I'd take it, he asked for a deposit, and I paid R500. I received the same replies, the same excuses, and I've been led on for a full month on this bike sale - absolutely nothing. I've travelled to joburg so I could be there when he drops the frame off at my parent's house, and I've tried to make it as easy as possible for him to get the frame to me. Obviously I now know there was never any intention of giving me the frame/fork. About the time when this thread was posted, Lionel offered me a refund of the R500 deposit - I have still not received this, despite multiple promises that it would be payed by the end of the day of the message. I can only assume I'm not ever getting this money back either - which does slightly screw me over as a student, but I'll survive.

Mine are running strong, clicking nicely and had no issues - I got the red ones too, so they're pretty

120mm is listed as 66, 140mm listed as 65.2, so I can only assume it's around 65.5~65.6

So the build actually started as a mash up of old parts, and the mismatched bottle cages fit the aesthetic I was going for - you can find the first rigid single speed version from about a year ago on this thread. I've slowly gone through and replaced almost everything as it was the bike I ended up riding the most, as it just felt more fun - I actually have another matching black bottle cage that I just completely forgot to put on! These are super narrow carbon bars actually, you're right - I find when doing longer distances I tend to lean on my hands a bit more than I should, and the narrower bars just feel more comfortable. The bike actually feels agile enough with these bars that I've never even considered changing them, so maybe something to look into on the next round of upgrades (don't tell my bank account )

Set up the Tigre to pretty much be a do-it-all bike. 130mm travel so that I can do everything from ultra-endurance (see you at the munga grit in september) to enduro, with half cleat/half flat pedals and sexy ardent tyres! Took her out during the sunset today to get some pics and she is absolutely beautiful, even if I do say so myself

Yeah, it's a whole different bike, this one is made by Rapide

Officially the one-year anniversary of my Tigre. Ridden it as my main bike for an entire year now without getting bored - that's an achievement, as I tend to chop and change my bikes often. She's a real beauty, and I felt she deserved a bit of an upgrade, so I picked up a Rapide wheelset (complete with red hubs, of course) and a 12s setup. Currently on the lookout for a worthy new fork (looking for something a bit beefier than the 120mm MRP ) but here's what she looks like, as of tonight!

I think a big factor will be how much you're willing to spend. If spending an extra 5k isn't the biggest issue for you - simply upgrading the fork might be a simpler long term option. Selling off the Judy and picking up something like a Reba would cost you around that price secondhand - and you could choose to get 120mm travel or change it up (I assume the Spark you're talking about is the 120mm version.) Selling the entire bike (post NX upgrade) might be a bigger hassle, but you should be able to at least sell it for what you bought it for without the upgrade. However a newer bike with better spec will most likely set you back a decent amount more than you paid for the Spark. Honestly, I would just try it out and see how you feel about it. The lower end air rockshox all feel pretty similar and I would doubt that a rider of your experience would be able to tell the difference based off of stanchion size alone. Going from a 100mm hardtail to 120mm and dual suspension is going to feel very plush regardless of the fork spec. Everything that you could ride on the Recon Gold, you'll be able to ride with the Judy, no problem at all. Other gravity type riders might make quips about your "noodle fork" stanchions but at the end of the day, it does what it needs to do. I rode a fuji outland 1.1 2020 with the exact same fork for about 1000km and never had an issue with flex. I do throw my bike around a decent amount and the fork just worked. Didn't feel quite as plush as the Spark 910 and Fox 34 that I upgraded to, but at a third of the price, I didn't expect it to! In my experience the X-Fusion shocks are perfectly fine. They don't have the status of Fox or Rockshox but they do the job and majority of the time, do it well. I wouldn't worry about that at all. The NX groupset is perfect too, especially if you're worried about replacing parts frequently. The NX cassettes are pretty solid and can take quite a few km before needing to be replaced. I think a dropper post might be something to look into if you don't have one on the bike already, as that will make your riding experience on the trails more enjoyable than any fork upgrade. TL:DR your bike, as it is now, is perfect. Maybe look for a dropper if you don't have one on the bike already

Not a bad idea at all, might be a decent temporary solution until the rapide ones are back in stock

Hey guys, anyone know where I could pick one of these up? I know Rapide sells them but they are out of stock. Only other option seems to be importing from Amazon. Anyone know anything? It's specifically to change a 100mm hub to 110mm at the front to fit into a boost fork - it has spacers for the axle and a 6 bolt rotor. Any help would be appreciated, thanks! Link to the out-of-stock rapide one: https://www.rapide.co.za/product/rapide-xba-57-front-hub-boost-adapter/

Honestly love it. Been grappling with the price and wanting that dual-sus, carbon race feel, and even regrettably put it up for sale a couple times over the last few months when I had no time to ride or needed a bank boost, but I am incredibly glad to not have sold it.

Actually came here to ask - what is the attraction of the STF/STR over a rapide? I've got myself a rapide, and my dad has been looking for a steel build for a while - but he seems to be more leaning to cotic/str over the rapide.

Hey guys! Is there anyone out there willing to part with their Large carbon titan cypher / cypher RS frame, or anyone that wants to trade their Large for a Medium? (I can get my hands on the 2020 Carbon RS Pro frame) Bit of a shot in the dark but worth a try - I don't mind what model the frame is from, so even if you've got a large cypher carbon dash, I'll trade the pro rs frame Thanks!

I've had only good dealings with TVS - bought wheels and a groupset, and when I wanted to upgrade the groupset due to a compatibility issue, they took a trade in and gave me a discount on the new bits I needed. Exceptionally happy with the service and quality

I know I'm a little biased but steel changed the way I ride bikes. Honestly so great to just sit back and enjoy the ride, push yourself and not race others, and just feel how smooth the ride feels. My plan is to pick up a black rapide frame as soon as I'm settled again and build up an enduro monster. Talking fox 36, 35mm wheels, the whole lot. Seriously a beautiful bike!

Tell me this isn't one of the most beautiful bikes you've ever seem????

I'm running mine at 120mm as of current.

Done everything on wolwespruit on mine - super smooth and set my fastest time down the new (single black) flowline. Definitely the most fun I've had on a bike by far! For reference I've got an MRP Loop fork - build pic attached! Bike definitely prefers harder, bigger features

I think I might be in love. Here's a quick pic of the first build - I used a carbon fork and set it up single speed, had to change the drop outs as I only had quick release wheels available. A quick ride at Wolwespruit gave me all the info I needed - the geometry is amazing, the frame smooths ALL the small bumps out and is comparable if not better than some of the newer carbon hardtails with flex stays (Silverback Superspeed was my reference, and it feels very similiar.) Bigger bumps felt as expected from a rigid setup, but can be fixed with a suspension fork. First build weighs in at 11.3kg, more than light enough for an average rider like me. Single speed was a bit rough up wolwe's tougher climbs (34t-20t,) but the descents were legendary. Centre of gravity is low, fast and centered, as a modern bike should be, and even with the rigid fork I was able to comfortably complete everything wolwe has to offer (besides the jump track!) Planning to throw a set of 30mm rapide sl rims on as soon as the boost hubs are back in stock - then just need to decide between a 120mm Marzocchi Z2 or a 140mm Pike then some form of 12 speed and of course, a dropper, to round out the build. If you're looking for steel hardtail perfection, this is it!