Nic Brigando

The Tigre and the Marino, my 2 steel beauties. Marino for pointing downwards mostly, and Tigre for everything else.

OP, for reference, this guy also has a Tigre

Or they like having fun ;D Time and place for all types of bikes. Depending on the type of riding you do, some are faster, some are more fun. Don't discount a gravel bike with a small suspension fork - maybe look at a Lauf fork on a cheap-ish gravel bike, it'll probably be faster than even the lightest FS bikes on a longer gravel ride, and you can definitively take it out on the trails still.

Any chance individual framesets will be sold?

Hmm, no I did not - didn't even think of that. I'll do that right now, thank you for the tip off!

Just for future reference, if anyone finds the thread: My current bikes are 2 steel beauties, both sitting at 65.6 and 65.5 HA, and close to 500 reach, so it's definitely going to be a big change! Bike is being built for the Munga, so more conservative is not necessarily a bad thing.

Yup, honestly that would be first choice for the little bit of plushness on the rear, but unfortunately you don't seem to be able to purchase a new frameset from them. I've already got the full bike build ready to go, just need the frame I've seen a few on the classifieds for sale too (could always sell whatever components it comes with, for sure), but nothing yet in Large in the price range I want to spend.

If that's an option, I would love to speak to him directly!

Hey all! Has anyone had any dealings with the brand Elves? They seem to be a malaysian [edit:] Taiwanese bike brand that has a supplier here in SA. They've got a bunch of pretty solid looking carbon frames on their site, of which I'm specifically interested in the Nandor Pro: https://elvesbikesouthafrica.co.za/shop/frames/elves-nandor-pro-29er-xc-mtb-hardtail-carbon-frame Does anyone know if they offer (and will honour) any sort of warranty, as I can't find it on the site? Looks like be a decent frame at a decent price. On that note, any other carbon hardtail frame alternatives? I'm mainly looking for frames with some sort of warranty at the moment, but if a second hand one comes up with a decent price then I would be interested in that too. Thanks!

I am late on this, having built the bike up over the last few months, but I did just purchase the final piece! Here's my custom Marino dualie! Treated myself with some new Lyne AMP HD rims with their newest shiny Hi-Per hubs, fox 34 up front for trail riding and a cane creak dbcoil at the back that I've had stashed for quite a while. She's set up to be a do-it-all bike, and while the suspension is just 130/130, I managed to take a 3rd place finish in Elite Mens at the Clarens DRI! Geometry is king The heaviness from the steel frame is completely counteracted by the loss of wallet depth

I've been running my tigre on a 130mm for the better part of the last 2 years, and I think that is the sweet spot. Ridden 2 munga grits, a few marathon races, and a few enduros, and 130mm seems to sit nicely. 140mm is just a bit too slack, and 120mm is a bit short for some of the bigger trail features. Side note, this is not an XC bike - if you compare it side-by-side to a bike meant to climb, it'll lose. It is also not a downhill bike - if you compare it side-by-side, it will lose. It is not a marathon bike, nor is it an enduro bike. It is a steel bike, meant to be comfortable and fun, not fast. Jack of all trades, master of none. But that's the beauty of it.

Hardtail for fun, dualie for comfort. If you're going to race, unfortunately the answer is a good dualie with decent components and some newer, modern geo, or an older trail bike which will be a bit heavier. It'll get you through the rough stuff without much issue, it won't hurt (as much) to ride consistently rocky or corrugated trails, and it's just less stress on the body. But I'd wager from the fact that you're looking at a Roscoe over a Scale or something similar, that you're here for the rough stuff, trails etc. Admittedly another Rapide rider here, from the second I laid my eyes on the local Tigre frame, I had well and truly fallen in love. I sold my carbon Spark 910, a better bike in EVERY aspect on paper (faster, more comfortable, more suspension, refined geo, carbon frame etc) and put the money directly into my Tigre build. I had doubts and second thoughts up until that frame arrived, and from there I never looked back. I have more fun on the trails and even though I'm slower on strava, I feel like I'm going at least twice as fast, and enjoying it twice as much. She absolutely shreds the trails and there's nothing the bike can't do - I don't have a particularly crazy setup, but some 2.4 tyres, an insert at the back and a nice soft 130mm fork at the front, and she does everything from double black enduro lines to multi-day marathon events. 2.5 years later, countless rides and even more kms, and I still get off that bike and look at it in awe - and that's what you want - a bike that gets you to enjoy the riding. As much as this is a Rapide propaganda post, the Roscoe will do the exact same thing, and you'll have more fun doing it than on any dualie. To answer the questions - you will not regret it, and it won't kill your knees. Your back might be a bit more strained than on a dualie, but that depends what you're riding, anyway

Any chance anyone has one of these extenders lying around still, or know where to get one locally? I've run in to a slight steerer length problem on my new build

Had my beauty out at the Munga Grit Modimolle event this past weekend - she ran beautifully

I've been riding enduro lines on my Tigre, all up in Gauteng admittedly, but she absolutely shreds. Get yourself some thick tyres (and probably an insert for the back, I've got a double thick CSIXX foamo) and you're set. Absolutely flies when you get into the rough stuff.

Mine is still going strong, 2 years and and 2 months later! Love it to bits. Thousands of happy kms, and every time I walk away from the bike, I look back and think how great and unique it is. Only thing that might be better is my custom Marino full squish on the way, which has the exact geo that I have on the Tigre, with the added comfort Recommend it HIGHLY. To anyone on the fence - just do it

It's a bit of a double-edged blade here. Some prices have gone up, some prices have gone down - in the last 2 years since Covid, no one is really sure what the price of bikes is. I've seen bikes selling here for 15k above what they were selling for 2 years ago, as well as bikes listed (and not selling) for 15k less than what they were 2 years ago. All depends on the bike I'd say.

MAN I wish I'd pulled the trigger when they still had this colourway available - been sitting waiting for a 120mm frame to come up in this theme but none have come Beautiful bike!!

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.