GoatBoy

Kulula or ACSA ?

so that was my solution to all the numerous suggestions above...

To all those well seasoned cycle specialists out there - where can I find a baby chair that will fit on the back of a Giant 29er XTC, if at all? The option for the top tube looks like an accident waiting to happen... Thanks

Commenting on the topic of tough - I thought you had to work for every bit of the 74.3km! No "free" climbing even the flats were rather bumpy and the downhills had a lot of ruts so the downhills were rough and intense. Pleasure factor also goes when total time at the end reads 6:50...

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I rode an XTC 29er - took of the tractor wheels it came out with and stuck on american classic hubs, Stans ZTR rims, DT swiss spokes withRacing Ralphs as tubeless - the bike was a totally different ride and the wheels made a massive difference. One of the other okes also commented that it depends on what you want to spend - sound advice. Good luck with the decisions.

I landed up going with a out of the box Epic S-works...

Did Sani2C on a 29er hardtail - great fun, but I would have been able to spend more time on the saddle with FS than I did with HT. I weighed 95kg's at the time. FS would be my suggestion.

Thanks for all the posts - some were thoroughly entertaining to read. Got my S-works in the back of the car...

Thanks - any particular reason you'd recommend the Spez?

I'm taking the plunge on getting a beast of a bike and my two options are the Specialized Epic S-Works 29er or the Trek Superfly Pro 100. I would appreciate the views of the guru's out there on which one is the better choice. I'll be using the bike for stage racing, XC Thanks

I didn't but thanks for asking

Jip - ergon grips sorted me out, but its a bit pricy for the carbon ones... The cheapest solution is getting your core strength up.

Claimed for Sani2C and the Discovery website reflected the points the day after SA-active indicated the claim as approved... All in all a three day process...

do you know how the Anthem's weight compares to the XTC's?

Do you know if the frame and fork was the epic or camber from specialized? Had a look at them but there seems to be a wider hub on the back which would result in a slight rebuild of my current Stans ZTR rims/American classic hubs/DT Swiss spokes/Racing Ralph tyres (all pretty much brand new)

I currently ride the Giant XTC 29er hardtail and I am seriously considering going dual suspension to enable me to do longer rides that are easier on the back. I have already customized my bike quite a bit in terms of seatpost, handlebars, stem and wheelset. So here is my question to you okes out there - what are the good 29er dual suspensions out there that still puts me in a better place than what I currently have (lighter or equal weight on the frame, etc.) but comes in under R50k? (the lower below this will also assist greatly in the stability of my marriage!) Thanks for your views in advance.

I've also got the XTC 29er - ditto on the easy scratching, but still an awesome ride

I'll have the Penne Arabiatta...

I ride the Giant XTC 29er up in Pta area and thought the thing was awesome - until I did some single track at Jonkershoek (described at the time as mountain biking nirvana!) and Lourensford. I fully agree with the sentiment that the single track, specifically where there are a lot of switchbacks are difficult with the 29er and the bike appears to be less responsive than okes asking to come past on their 26er. 29er is great for going over things (great momentum with the big wheels) but the technical stuff for guys like me that's not a pro - not so easy...

Problem is I drove down from Pta for the event and to just enjoy the Cape MTB scene, but didn't feature on the results (I did 4 hrs 34 mins - so rather long day!) and swinging past their offices doesn't seem like time well spent. Hopefully the same nonsense doesn't happen next year...

I also did the race and had an absolute blast! Thing was that I struggled with the single track and was quite slow on it - where in PTA or JHB area is there good schooling ground for the fast single tracks?

Just wanted to provide an update on the topic - Shamus and the guys from Solomon's in Woodmead came back to me on the matter. It was a case of overtightening that stuffed up the seatpost. They were legends however in providing me with a replacement seatpost at a DRASTICALLY reduced price. So armed with this knowledge (and a torque wrench!) it would appear as my 95kg's was not the problem and therefore supports the view that the heavier guys can still choose the carbon parts. Thanks to Shamus and Solomon's Woodmead.