Mets

Omega Cycles in Eloff (near Delmas) I can promote Jacques Marais to anyone on the East Rand and Pretoria for price and service. I drove past the dealer in my town (Middelburg) the other day and this bike was going for R16500

Bought my 2013 Titan 29Pro for just over R13500 on 24/10/2012 - already have 250Km on it and love the ride. Full XT with Avid Elixir 5 brakes and Rockshock Reba RL Shock with poplock - Lekker wheels too - ZTR Arch on the XT hubs

Wow, great event, well organised and lekker fast. I'm so glad for the support you guys received from the surrounding towns. I'll be doing it again next year. Big props to Jaco and his team.

I changed over from a 26" D/S to a 29" H/T on 24/10/2012 and can't stop riding it - it is awesome. No, it is not the same as the D/S, but ride before you buy. My 26er wasn't the lightest bike, but I was under the impression that I just needed to train harder to get up the hills, that the fact that the other guys are zipping past me during climbs was due to my lack of training (and it is, but only in part). Since getting the 29er I've been climbing like an animal (ok, might only be in my own eyes) and I would drop myself on my old 26er by miles. For me, the (small) compromise in comfort from the lack of the rear shock is totally worth the feeling of climbing, powering forward with each pedal stroke and just the general ride. Swop out with someone in your group just to feel the difference, you'll be amazed. One more thing - ride behind a dual suspension bike (doesn't matter 26" or 29")for a while and keep an eye on the rear shock / linkage - that constant slight movement up and down or forward and back delivers the comfort, but it is also lost momentum that is not taking the bike forward. A climb on a d/s will always be more sluggish uphill than a hard tail. A budget of R20K will get you a very nice aluminium bike (I bought my 2013 Titan 29Pro for under R14K and it is full XT). I looked at the Merida Big 9 TFS XT-D, Momsen 529, Silerback Vida and a couple of others and this was the best value for money I could find. Happy hunting.

I bought the 2013 Titan 29Pro just over a week ago (coming from a 26" D/s) and I LOVE this bike - I would seriously consider spending the extra and getting the 29er if I were you. I've done just over 165Km in about a week's time and haven't missed the rear suspension once and that is mostly due to the larger wheels absorbing a lot of the terrain. Looking at the spec sheet, they are pretty much the same bike except for the wheels. If you have even a bit more to spend, I'd look at the 29R Comp, just for the benefit of the air shock - I've seen one in person - stunning looking bike, the pictures in ciculation doesn't do it justice.

Titan also does two ladies bikes - the Elite and Trail, but from what I've seen on these two and even on the Momsens, the ladies bikes are very much under specced - bottom end Shimano stuff with entry level (air if you're lucky) fork. I would also rather advise on a smaller sized regular bike with better components.

Entered myself (50Km) and the wifey (25Km) yesterday - think it's gonna rock!

I don't know why it cuts the front portion off the pic - if you click on it, it opens the whole thing in the preview. Wragtag Pragtag!

The Titan has landed. Thanks to Jacques Marais from Omega Cycles in Eloff. Great price and even better service = respect. The bike is awesome, came with XT shifters (not SLX) as advertised and Avid Elixir 5 brakes (not Shimano M505), so two nice upgrades. I managed a quick 28km after I got home and it's smiles all around. The colour is a nice metallic red, which brings me to the only minor negative for me : the paint job could have been better, there are a few small pits and specs baked into the paintwork that you probably won't find on more expensive bikes, but this is something I can live with. The bike looks stunning and it runs like a dream. I can definitely recommend it. Compulsory sofa shot

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Performance 29 X2.25

Ja, see that's my problem the bike comes standard with non-UST tyres (I'm sure the rims will work fine), maybe I should just tough it out with the original setup until the time comes to buy new tyres and get a nice set of rubber to wrap around the rims.

So you guys don't think I'll have major issues with the standard tyre's thinner sidewall on the tubeless? Not on the conversion side but as a reliability issue? I don't want to do the conversion and end up riding with tubes after two rides due to cuts in the tyre.

Ok, first off, I'm not trying to combine the two most disputed arguments in one thread. But in anticipation of my newly ordered 29” rig, the following question. If I want to do a ghetto tubeless conversion on these rims, what size inner tubes do I use? I know that 26” uses 20” BMX tubes. Would you suggest 24” or should 26” fit snug enough? And then the alternative: going with tube and tyre liner. The bike comes with ZTR Arch rims and Schwalbe Racing Ralph Performance 29 X2.25 Tyres - So not UST and maybe not ideal for the tubeless thing I read somewhere on MTBR.com that you can use a 26”tube on a 29” rim, once you get it stretched over and start to inflate it, it will expand enough. They talk about it as a “Type O Negative” tube that you can use on 26” and 29” rims and with the reducing / adapter ring you could even lend it out to fellow riders with schraeder valves. 26” is lighter, stores smaller plus it is still cheaper and easier to source than 29” Tubes. Your thoughts?

Not to keen on the plastic bikes, I sometimes tinker on the bike myself and I couldn't bare the thought of hearing a frame crack under an over-torqued bolt or clamp - other than that no real reason. I'm going from a heavy dualie and never even considered a carbon bike, the weight I'm saving is fine for my level of riding - that is a good price for the Race though. I was offered a 2012 Carbon Pro for R16 500, but wanted the Aluminium.

I'm getting the Titan 29Pro for just over R14K and that is the top Alu bike - the yellow is the 29 Race and it's second from the top. Major differences are Pro = Mostly XT (except for brakes & Shifters), ZTR Rims & RS Reba RL fork, the Race = XT / SLX mix, WM Disc Bull Rims and Manitou fork. The race should come in between R10K & R13K I assume - great value for money bikes

Sooo, I just ordered one of these bad boys! Expecting it on Wednesday. I can honestly not wait!

Here is the scan in .pdf format if it is viewable on the forum. The warranty is only valid for the original owner for a frame bought through and assembled by an authorized Mongoose dealer. Mongoose Warranty.pdf

I just wanted to get a 26" D/S frame to enable me to reasemble the bike in order to get it sold, without having to pay in on the replacement. I still don't think I was treated fairly, but I don't intend to keep the bike and figured there are more people out there looking for a medium frame than a large. If I wanted to keep the bike - different story.

So some feedback The following quote is from Mongoose's warranty forming part of their owner's manual: "During each of the respective limited warranty periods, all original parts and bicycle frames subject to this limited warranty and determined by Mongoose to be defective in materials or workmanship, will be repaired or replaced by Mongoose, through an authorized Mongoose bicyle dealer, free of charge, except for shipping or other transportation charges and dealer labor charges (if applicable). These charges are not covered by this limit warranty." They have now managed to source a Medium (mine was Large) frame of the same year and model as the damaged frame. I can now transfer my components and sell it to assist me in financing my dream bike. Kudos to Tim and Niel from Omnico, they were calm and helpfull, but I still feel that Mongoose's warranty is not worth as much if there is cost involved in replacing a damaged frame.

A freaking ton and it seems to get heavier as soon as the gradient increases

I'm also in your position. Been riding on the queen's carriage for four years, smiling and waving, never having to bother with lines and bumps. I was exposed to a 29" H/T a couple of weeks ago and was sold. The speed and momentum gain on the bigger wheeled H/T was amazing. I did however experience a couple of times where a thud and a bump made me realize that I should have taken a different line or lifted my @ss. I'm sure I'll learn to negotiate these beter in time, but for now, I'm going one way 29" H/T

This is what I had in mind. Which brand of frame and which distributor was involved with your claim? I contacted them again this morning and confirmed that I would like more of a "win win" option from their side. The jury is out...

I have a quick question for you guys this morning. I recently noticed a small crack on the top tube / head tube weld of my 2009 Mongoose Canaan Comp frame. The bike was taken to my LBS and sent off to Omnico for the warranty claim. Yesterday I received a call from one of their representatives stating that they will exchange my frame, but that they only have frames with 5” travel available (mine was 4”). This is all fine and dandy, but then I’m told that I would have to pay in just over R2000 for the longer rear shock as my one won’t fit the new frame. I told the guy that I’m not prepared to pay in because I was looking at selling my bike in order to upgrade to a 29” H/T. He phones back later offering me a discounted price on a 2012 Mongoose Meteore Expert 29er (R12 500) or a straight up swop on a Meteore Team 26” H/T frame. I feel a bit annoyed that I should pay in on a warranty claim or settle for something that I don’t want or which is of lesser value than my original purchase. Am I being unreasonable?

This one is the alu version, the plastic bikes will be out of my price range. The paint jobs on Titan's 2013 bikes are VERY nice. I'm currently trying to decide between the pictured bike and the 2013 Merida Big 9 TFS XT-D. They have very similar specs, but I can't get hold of the Titan's weight, geometry or price. I visited a couple of shops and they all confirmed the ETA for the Titans is 15/10/2012. If they weigh the same and cost the same, I'll opt for the Titan (solely based on the looks - the Merida doesn't "move" me like the Titan), if the Titan is heavier but costs less, I'll still go for the Titan. Or is there something wrong with my logic(or lack of it?) Check out the Titan 29 Race - A bit lower specced (Manitou fork etc.) - but look at it, it sommer looks quick

Anybody know when the 2013 Titan bikes' prices and full spec (geometry and weight) will be available? The 29 Pro is seriously starting to grow on me and the LBS figures it should come in at around my price point (R15K or less). Highlights Shock: Rock Shox Reba RL Taper TK SA 100mm With Poplock Brakes: Shimano M505 180mm Chainwheel: Shimano FC-780 (XT) F/ Dera: Shimano FD-M780 (XT) R/ Dera: Shimano RD-M780 (XT) Shifters: Shimano SL M660 (SLX) Rims: Stans ZTR Arch 32H TL Hubs: Shimano XT