amasendeinja

I got irritated and gave up on question 61 - Sir Ben Kingsley, silly floating lamp fellow is still guessing! Back to work dammit!

Is the battery really such a problem? I speak under correction - anyone actually in the tracking business please correct or confirm - but certain tracking devices are passive. Specifically Tracker if I recall, unless technology has moved on and this is no longer the case. Certainly the first Tracker I had in my car (some years ago though) was a coded coil that was inserted into the seat padding and had no battery. The only problem with a system like this is that there is no way of activating it at the time of hijacking with a "panic" button of sorts like you can with say Nestar. You would have to get to a phone and call it in and then Tracker would get tracking... This whole lot could take a while if the highjacker has stripped you kaalgat and you have to walk 10km barefoot to the nearest phone!. I'd still be keen on a system like this though as at least you have a chance to get your bike tracked and recovered, even if they start an hour or 2 after it was stolen. A passive device should also be easier to insert into a tube where it can't ever be removed, e.g. the downtube via the headtube and glued in place. Anyone care to comment on this?

Most likely they'll be Freilauf just up the road from Mickey D's on the Fussgaengerweg in the middle of town or Schirmer Eberhard quite a way out (south) on Nuernbergerstrasse. Both pretty damn pricey in my experience but worth a look anyway. There are others but if I recall they were the best ones. Do yourself a favour and catch cab out to Stadler Zweirad Center in Fuerth, about 15-20min cab ride. Its the biggest bike shop in Germany, maybe even Europe and worth checking out - they've got from XX/XTR to Sportman's Warehouse-type crap, but I'm sure you'll find a bargain or two there. Don't try find a train or bus to get there, there isn't (or wasn't) one, just pay the high cab fair and call another to fetch you when you're done. I'm sure you'll make up the fare price in savings and more. Look for their website first though to see if they've got the stuff you're looking for. PS. There are lots or beer festivals around that time of the year, so try find one in one of the small towns around there, you won't regret it. Far better than the bloody Oktoberfest any day... and much cheaper.

stollen:

Yeah +1...billion! It's a bit much like Mens Health with a few gratuitous bike shots in it. The cherry on the cake for me was the recent issue where they had the "29er shootout" and then added the little caveat at the top of the article that the bikes were listed in alphabetical order so that nobody would get any ideas that they considered one to be better than the other. WTF!!!!? Is that not the purpose of a "shootout"? FFS grow a pair! And on that rant, none of the local mags ever "score" any of the products they review, which does my bloody head in. Is the industry that small and/or fickle that the importers and other would-be ad space-takers would turn up their noses at a particular publication if it rated their pair of socks 6 out of 10, vs another pair at 8? Surely not, or am I just naive. What Mountain Bike, all the way for me! To answer the question and if you meant printed magazine: I still buy Tread most months and read it cover to cover, at least they're trying and are slowly getting there... still no scoring though FFS! Deep breath... and relax.... PS. Johan, I find that if you rub the pages together long enough you can rub the shiny coating off and then they do a passable job as "remover" as opposed to "spreader" when you're desperate in a Sani2c portaloo and discover the previous bastard dropped the last bog roll down the pit!

Jeez and I thought I was the only one! That paper is nassty smelling indeed. I'm sure they bleach it at the same place Koeberg disposes of their spent fuel rods.... not very "green" of them... tsk, tsk

Get one that fits your ass.... seriously... or more accurately ass-bones (not a medical term) I went through 2 Gobi's thinking that it was the best saddle, because it got so many rave reviews. It was way too narrow for me and the bloody thing murdered my bits for years and I just figured that's the way it was with saddles I think Specialized rep shops have that foam pad type thing that you sit on and they measure the dents your "ass bones" make and from there you know what saddle width you'll need. And it's got nothing to do with having a fat ass or not by the way. I think Specialised BG also have a nice variety of widths, i.e. you can get the same saddle in various widths. I use a Ritchey Marathon WCS which is about 140mm wide and I'm pretty happy with it. So if you're in that range maybe consider it, they're well priced and if you can't find one call up Al at Bicicletta and he can advise you were to find one.

To quote Kung-Fu Panda: awesomeness!!

(very) Soapy water liberally applied all around the rim and bead, once the tyre is on the rim, with a soft brush and then inflating with a normal floor pump has never failed me. As soon as you start pumping air normally comes out around the valve area, ensure its at the top and just squash the tyre down on to the rim with your hand. Works every time.

Just to throw a er... spanner in the works/BBB punt here... I'd get the Park Tools TW1 and TW2 - yes two of them. The TW1 ranges from 0-7Nm and the TW2 0-70Nm - one for the little things (stem, handlebard, etc.) and one for the big stuff (crankbolts). It may seem you can just get the big one, its pretty useless in the lower ranges, so don't be fooled by the 0-70NM range. These wrenches are the parallel beam type; very easy to use, far cheaper than the ratcheting type and will last you a lifetime without ever needing to be calibrated. If they ever go out of "calibration" all you have to do is bend the arms (wiff your arms) to align them again. The ratcheting type will need to be calibrated and I'm not sure where you can get this done, but even if you do, what a ball-ache. Oh and dont bother ordering off CRC or elsewhere, I've yet to find a major price difference on Park Tools (specifically) between any online or oeverseas shop and any semi-decent local LBS. If you can't find these in your LBS, and you likely won't, call up Cape Cycles (the importer) and they'll send them up to your closest LBS and you pay and collect. I've got the TW1 (around R500 if I recall) which is brilliant and will soon get the TW2, if only for damn Truvativ crankbolts. Getting the play out of those damn crankarms does my head in!!

Oh for varksvleis who started this thread, huh, huh?!! Is there not enough of this incessant drivel about 26er vs 29er on this forum already? C'mon man, go ride your bike, whatever wheel size it has I'm sure you'll find it far more enjoyable to ride instead of sitting on your dogblossom in front of your pc starting yet another inane troll-luring discussion. "Value for money" generally does not even come into the buying equation - the value of something is the price someone is prepared to pay for it, so if you're prepared to part with your money for something, then by definition you'ver got value for money... not? Climbs down off soapbox, throws it on braai fire and goes off for quick ride before lunch...

I've had the entire rear triangle collapse (both seat- and chainstays snapped) and then the one seatstay on the "new" rear triangle assembly (replaced under warranty at the time) snap again just 11 months later. This on a Ti FTM, so at nearly R40k (retail) for the frame when purchased I'm entitled to be well pissed, which I am. My frame now hangs on my garage wall awaiting a new triangle assembly when On-One manages to get the supply chains up and running again - which has already been done on some models but not for the FTM yet. I'll need to pay probably around US$500 for the entire thing out of my own pocket (I think that figure should cover the shipping too) and my dealings with the Titus/On-One guys so far has been first class. Obviously I'm pissed that I now have to pay for something that should be covered under warranty, but.... Here's the thing about insolvency: the company that buys and insolvent company - like On-One/Planet X did with Titus - does not buy it's liabilities, especially contingent liabilities like warranties. So On-One have absolutely no obligation to honour any previous warranties in any shape or form. What they are doing in the interest of preserving and hopefully building an existing client base is offering replacement parts at cost or in some cases below cost. Personally I think this the best they can realistically offer and I for one do not begrudge them this. Consider the alternative: what if nobody bought Titus and the brand just disappeared like Ibis did for so long? Then you'd be well and truly screwed with no options at all!! So your "warranty" does not exist anymore, stop whining about it and move on, bearing in mind that you still own a bike from one of the most awesome brands out there, which I have no doubt will go from strength to strength under On-One. And if you're thinking of avoiding the smaller (more exclusive) brands like Titus in future due to their lack of economies of scale and therefore higher (perceived) risk of bankruptcy, then consider this: GM and Lehman Brothers went bankrupt no so long ago and they weren't exactly small fry! Bad management, and specifically bad cash management is not the exclusive domain of the the small guys only. Enjoy your ride....

...and bushes and electric fences... very exciting...for the fence! Got f-all to do with cool or not, they certainly work well for climbing and giving you options to change your grip, I've found Specialized BG grips (the winged variety) give are a happy compromise for me. They do make your cockpit look a bit Hyperama-bike-ish when installed with risers though, but everyone to their own.

Er... nope, thanks.

Add 14% VAT and drop the 15% duties and you're correct. Bit of a wash at only 1% difference, but you forgot SA VAT, so would be in for a 14% surprise! No duties on bike frames - tariff heading 8714.91 "Frames and forks, and parts thereof" is duty free.

@ onetrackmind - "wondered if they were going to do one with real wheels"... ja ja, go take a ride on one with "little" wheels first and then we'll talk again! @ Chro Mo - no idea when it'll be available yet. Considering it's still a prototype I reckon end of the year at best.

First pics are floating around the web of the new Cotic Solaris 29er prototype. Based on the excellent Soul, and obviously only in steel, I've no doubt it will be awesome. And in baboon-ball blue too.... yirrr I can't wait

Slowbee! I hope it's not a titanium one with a gold CK headset, with custom geometry? As that would be my long lost one!

Don't know what size you are but Dangle has one for sale 2nd hand - his personal one. I think it's a medium and I doubt he rode that thing more than 10 times. Drop him a PM, maybe it's still available.

Good question this. I have just replaced my SRAM PC1071 chain after 2 months use (exactly on 0.75 mark) - around 800km or so I think, which I found to be a bit low. My previous PC991 9-speed chains lasted around 4 months (so say 1500-1800km) if changed at the same wear point (0.75). I'm not sure this is something related to 10 speed though and could just be a "Friday chain" I got. I also could be changing it a bit on the early side, but every time I've held on until it reaches 1% its too late and I need to replace the cassete as well. There was a bit of extra mud riding involved too, so jury will stay out into winter and we'll see how things are in the dry. Having said all that, with CW Cycles' prices of R450 and R550 for an "X9" chain and cassette respectively its probably worth riding them both into the ground and keeping a spare of each. If you're on XX or XO different story entirely!

Spoken like a man who sat on one for 55 hours over 8 days.... Eina v@k!! Well done for finishing!!

Apparently these are pretty good: http://www.piexon.com/ Also thought a knife was a good idea at one point, but figured - as per AirBender - the "other party" has the element of suprise and as such I'm likely to get said knife used on me. Or, I fall on the ride and it ends up in my arse or something... no thanks! I've had one of those batons mentioned earlier in this thread for some years now. Nice to keep in your car, but weighs a ton, so prepare to negate all the nice weight savings you just got dropping R4k on carbon blingy bits. Carry nothing anymore, but insurance policy is up-to-date and correctly valued. Still think it's worth having some sort of last resort weapon though, just in case the perpetrator(s) decide that you should accompany them. Sharpshooter in Sandton City have got a good selection of those plastic bladded "stabbing things" (can't really call them knives) which don't ever rust and will sure as hell do the damage required as a last resort - you'll hopefully only ever need to use it once. Cheap too. PS. These Piexon things are not "sommer" any pepper spray - designed for law enforcement, I think that they can put down the druggies pretty well too!

Hmmm toonutz... you lost me there with all that colloquial nether terminology... sorry don't know those fellows, but I'm sure they're from KZN as I got it from a mate from there.

I weigh 93kg and have just installed the X9 2x10 on my hardtail (26" so can't comment for 29"). I've got the 42/28 crankset and the 12/36 cassette. Its one thing that SRAM give you all the choices, another one entirely getting exactly what you want. The above combo is what I could get. My views in the couple of months of riding: I'd rather have a 44 big blade as you spin out on the flats quite quickly (don't do much flat riding though), or an 11 small cog on the cassette, but I guess swapping out the 42 for a 44 when its worn is the cheapest and easiest. I definitely need the 36 cog on the cassette, so no chance I'd go for the 34. The ratio (on my old 3x9 setup) between the 22 small blade and the 34 big cog is 0.647. Between the 28 "small blade" and the 36 big cog (on the 2x10) its 0.944. Not sure how scientific this is, but that's nearly a 50% difference, i.e. 50% harder for the 2x10 granny gear. That said I never wanted for gears on this year's Sabie Classic and with over 2000m of climbing in 73km it made really nervous initially. I think you adapt a mentality similar to what our 1speed bretheren do: this is all I've got so I'll have to ride it. Amazing what you can ride when you have to. For me, I'll never look back from 2x10, best move I ever made. On my 3x9 setup (44/32/22 and 11/34) I had 5 overlapping ratios, effectively leaving only 22 usable ratios. This excludes the gears you cannot use due to chain crossover. For my 2x10 setup there is only 1 overlapping ratio and there are no crossover issues, so effectively 19 useable ratios.