Tomik

I agree with above except I would look second hand and spend a bit less, perhaps even a dual suspension (depending on his preferred type of riding). My reasoning is that your son might be big enough for a 29er in 2-3 years. And second hand 26ers don't have much of a resale value. re: price: I sold my Giant Trance 26er (full susp, full XT) early last year for R6500 - it was in excellent condition.

The world will end regardless of whether you use a 24 or a 26...

just be careful about lowering the saddle too much - I got bad knee pain by doing that. Basically, if you get achilles pain, lower the saddle. if your quads get sore from doing too much, raise the saddle slightly. Also, be careful when raising the handle bar - sometimes too upright a position can cause back pain too due to the position of the hips (similar to if saddle is too flat/tilted upwards). It's best to make small adjustments and see the difference - takes a while, but reduces the risk of doing damage.

Here's my 2c worth 'cause I feel your pain. Upper back/neck pain is most often due to overextending so not sure a longer stem will help. A shorter one might be better but you may need to move your saddle back a bit to give you space to breathe. Your saddle should be in a neutral position - i.e. the seat-post should grip it near the middle of the rails. And make sure your saddle is pointed slightly down (if it's flat, the pressure from sitting forces it down slightly at the back, which forces your hips back, putting pressure on your back. And definitely strengthen your core but more importantly, loosen the hammies - they connect to your back and neck. And don't always rely on Ergofit etc.rather go with what your body says. I had a set-up done by a VERY reputable person here and was not at all happy on the bike. Good luck!

My knee also 'itched' on the outside and it was the start of a horrible ITB problem. The ITB starts to get irritated and an itch seems to develop. Well, did with me anyway. Time to start some gentle stretching, focusing on ITB, otherwise it could get worse. And believe me, you don't want that! Might be the fleas, but rather safe than sorry. :-)

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph's are incredible for grip. They're light too but not the most durable, and expensive. Maxxis are a good compromise. I rode the 24hours of Oak Valley with Maxxis Ardent up front and Crossmark rear and loved the combo - very grippy. Make sure pressure is correct or they can get a bit slippy. I would use Racing Ralphs for jeep track type racing (Karoo2coast etc), and Maxxis combo for more aggressive terrain. Havent used Nevegal or Conti's, so can't comment on those...

Here's the provisional route profile...I'd say a bit of climbing involved...(not sure how provisional it is!) http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1393090&code=0aa5feee159e8e61fd80b98ef61ca416

Hey Katie. Depends on how long you want to ride, but here's a nice loop. Start at Kloof Nek car park. Ride up Table Mountain Rd towards Cable Car. At first bend, take left onto dirt road past boom. Down that piece. Turn right at cross roads. Follow this all the way into Deer Park (make sure you take sharp right at bottom of very steep downhill. This takes you to Deer Park. The river will be on your left. Follow the road (don't turn) and you'll climb for a few minutes through the forest. Then once out the forest, keep heading East (towards BlockHouse) but turn right before the final uphill to the BlockHouse (about 1km past the fork in the road, take right fork). This very rocky track takes you up to TM Road again. Then cruise along the road back to Kloof Nek, or drop down by the big tree (before start of Platteklip Hiking Trail) back into Deer Park (great downhill section) and follow your route back to car. I add in a loop up to Signal Hill too along the ridge past the kramat although we're not technically allowed to ride there. Only been warned once in 10 years of riding... It's hilly, sometimes loose and rocky, and Signal Hill can be a bit technical (I sometimes fall off) but all rideable. PM me today if you want a guide for your first ride. I'm free this weekend.

Here's my 2c worth. I have a 16km mostly off-road loop that I do regularly. On my 26" Giant Trance, it takes between 58min and 1hr02min depending on wind on signal hill. On my new 29er Giant Anthem (marginally lighter) it takes between 50 and 53 minutes. This is for an slightly above average cyclist who has been riding a 26er forever (and didn't want to switch to a 29er, but had to because training partner / Cape Outback team mate did!). I'm convinced they're better. Is it worth it to buy a new bike, probably not - unless it is time to anyway. Or if you're fairly serious about your race times. And by the way, they're as good on the tight stuff if set up properly!

I also got ripped off by @Specialized, but thankfully only for a pair of gloves (R100). They still do the job well enough but obviously are not the real thing as I have real SP gloves to compare them to... Guys like this spoil the experience for everybody. Be careful.