Monark

And are they worth the money? For an extra R500 you can get a custom build from CWC... so confused

I see that a lot of bike shops are only offering the All Mountain AC 29er wheelsets. Where can I get a set of the XC wheels from? Does anyone know the major differences?

USN Enduro Sport

I must agree that the Trance is an awesome bike! I rode one before moving onto my AnthemX. 5 inches of travel and a tried and tested frame. At the end of the day, sit on and RIDE both bikes... whichever one has the better geometry for your build (body type) will be the one that you just feel right on... For me, the Giant is the better option.

Well I have ridden approx 100km since collecting the bike and the jury is still out. It is coming on the Dusi Mfula as well, a mate and I will be sharing it (I will be on my Anthem and he will be on the 29er). First impressions are all good though, the bike climbs very well (expected from a HT though) and eats up flats with ease. Once you get your cadence right and you are on a flat the bike just seems to start rolling with very lttle effort and you can maintain a very nice pace. The riding position feels stretched out due to the 110mm stem but is comfortable. I might try a 100mm stem in the near future just to compare but am concerned that it might cramp me up a little too much. My average heart rate was lower by 6 bpm over the course than when I ride with my 26er. No major difference but this morning my legs feel a little 'tight', I attribute this to the nearly 2kg extra that I had to pedal around in comparison to my Anthem. The bike descents effortlessly and I felt that this is where the bike came into its own... The SLX/XT components are good but the brakes could be better. The initial bite from the 180mm rotors (front and back!) is 'distant' and takes some getting used to. The front shock is great but wish that it had remote lock out! The wheelset comes with stock Deore hubs and eventhough they might not be 'top of the range' they seem to roll well. I have swopped out the stock riser for my carbon easton riser and have already shed 120g. The white FSA bar is HEAVY!! I have also added chunky foam grips. I plan to drop the rear rotor to a 160mm XT rotor with XTR pads. The seat (Prologo) is very hard and quite narrow... might swop it for a fizik similar to the one on the Anthem. All in all the bike is a competent all rounder. It climbs and descends very well but can handle some rough stuff. My major gripe is the weight... Merida could have really applied themselves a little in this department. Lets see what the scale says once the rotors and seatpost get swopped out...

Dave Wiseman in Durban... 20 years ago I purchased my first BMX from Dave and his service has remained top notch. His prices are very competitive and the service that he offers is second to none. He always has sound advice to give and can fix almost anything. If you ride a GIANT you ought to be servicing it there!

Have one arriving on Friday... lets see

Anyone else? I cannot seem to find the article on the Bicycling website... Anyone?

Was the crossmark that bad on the front??

Thanks boet

If anyone can point me to one I would appreciate it... cant find anything...

Specialised Captain Control?

Wow those are some flash duals chaps! Great work!

I was surprised when I read that review on the XTC 29er... If Giant improved on the wheelset I think that the review would have been very different. I agree with Ghostface, every other review has been complimentary. The XTC frame must be one of the best alloy Hardtail frames in existence.

Topwine: I have changed out the following: handlebar - KCNC flat Brakes - SLX (came stock with huge Deore's that likes to melt) Grips - Specialised Tyres - Crossmarks LUST Wheels - Gipiemme Kenya XC Crank - Truvativ Carbon Noir FD - SLX Pedals - SPD XT Chain - XT Cassette - XT Seatpost - KCNC Seatpost clamp - KCNC Most were replaced due to wear and tear or after falls. My Anthem has taken everything in its stride.

Slowbee: 1kg will make no difference to me at all. I want to see how many 10kg duals there are out there. I think that they are very rare. My Anthem weighed in at 14kg's new (2009 X2). Dropping that to 11kg's has made a difference.

Am just curious... have recently overheard a few riders saying that it is easy to drop a dual into the 10kg region... My Anthem is 11.2kg and I cant imagine it being lighter! I do not want carbon anything on my bike... I fall too often.

Hi Just interested to know who here on the hub has a 10kg dual? Name brand and mods!

Thanks my man. Apparently Specialised has improved the sidewall issues but I cannot confirm for certain.

Hi I am looking for UST tyres to replace my Crossmarks. I want something lighter and 'grippier' than the Crossmarks. I am doing a mix of XC and marathon riding (being in KZN we have a lot of singletrack). The Crossmarks weigh in at a hefty 780g each, these are the LUST versions. Can anyone confirm the actual weight of the Specialised's or the Conti's?

Or a small claims court summons... its free and always gets the desired reaction...

Even though I own a 29' HT and a 26' Dual, the 26er will always be my first love... it is like that girl that you dated at school/varsity that just took your breath away...

The Zula is still quite expensive and thus out of my reach. For the price I was quoted it was between a Zula and a Ellsworth Truth... I settled on an Anthem X and spent some money on a vacation. That being said, I have a lot of love for the Zula. An awesome product from the sleepy hollow that is Pmb. At the end of next year I will look at buying either the Truth or the Zula.

How is the paint quality?

I think that everything is sold out...