SwtCraigMachine

My philosophy has always been something like: "Prioritize the parts that are most difficult to change" 😅 In my mind, the order might go something like this, from easiest to change to most difficult for a beginner (broadly based on time/cost/skill required; others may disagree, and I'm sure I'll forget some things): Saddle (also one of the most important ones to get right; fortunately it's easy to change if you don't) Pedals (unless you're changing cleat/pedal type, too, which moves it much further down the list) Cockpit components (handlebar, stem, seatpost, grips etc.) Tyres (you will probably want tubeless at some point, finding the right tyre for you can be a process and costly) Brakes Groupset bits Wheels (including discs, cassette and tyres) - I put them this far down because they tend to be expensive, especially if upgrading Fork (depending on knowledge level of fork travel, offsets etc.) - see above, it applies for forks, too Frame (because you have to move all the other items across) Based on this, I would try find a frame/fork combination that works best for you. Wheels will usually come with this as a reasonable combination (at least the axles and wheel size should be correct). Most of the other stuff is pretty easy to change and those parts come up in the Classifieds on Bikehub all the time. As you ride and determine that you don't like a particular part, or something breaks, you can replace it with something that you prefer. This is typically more difficult/expensive to do with frame, fork and wheels. I have also found that a bike fit (even a free online one) makes a big difference in both bike/component selection and ultimately comfort on the bike. Not everyone has had success from the online tools, I gather, but I'd say it worked for me! Above all else, though, find a bike that speaks to you; find a bike that you want to ride. If you want to ride the pink bike with purple streamers, ride it. If you want to ride the lumo-green monstercross bike, ride it. If you want to ride the squishy bike or the stiff bike or the racing snake carbon bike or the rusty steel banger bike (surface rust, let's hope), then ride it. You can always ask for advice and others' experiences and you will find lots of people to share that on here, but nobody can tell you which one is going to make you feel the love and fondness that many of us have found for our particular, peculiar, very special machine. 😁 But also, get a saddle that fits...

If you tap a coin (or similar) down the length of the seat-tube, the sound will likely change as you get closer to the 'crack'. If the sound doesn't change, there may be more hope of it being paint/superficial deformation. It's by no means a foolproof test, but it might provide another reference point! Good luck, regardless.

Hi guys, Is anyone out there successfully running road tubeless set-ups? I'm familiar with MTB tubeless and the implications of the rims/tapes/tyres one can use, but there seems to be much less info out there on road tubeless. I've got a pair or proper tubeless clincher rims (ie no spoke holes on the inside ), but I'm hesitant to just fit any old foldable 700c tyre, because of the high pressures. Has anyone tried fitting 700c tubeless tyres vs normal 700c folding tyres? How easy/difficult were they to seat and seal? Any recommendations of sealant and/or tyre combinations? Any experienced opinions or anecdotes welcome Cheers

Seems to be all sorted now, thanks!

Somehow, my account type has been set as a "Business/Trader". I am certainly not. How do I change it back to 'Personal"?

Sold out, in 8 hours...!

Does anyone remember how long it took for entries to sell out last year (or previously)? I will be at a family funeral this afternoon just after the entries open, and I really don't want to miss out...

Thanks for the offer! You have PM

I cannot do the race, simply because I cannot collect a number! How frustrating is that!? I work on the East Rand, but live in Pretoria. I would be close enough to collect an entry/number from the shop in Pretoria, but I cannot possibly get there (or any of the other collection points) during office hours. I sent a mail to the organisers, to see if any alternative plan could be made, but no response yet... Is the race too big to accommodate number collection and late entries early on race day?

If you're having problems with the actual shifting of your gears, it could be down to any number of reasons. There may be no need to replace bits of your drivetrain at all! What exactly are the "problems" you are having? If you are struggling to get into a gear, or stay in that gear, the problem is more likely to be in the shifting mechanism. The indexing may be off, the cable housing pulled through, the B-screw need adjusting, or your derailleur may be worn/bent. Some more details of the exact "problems" might help with this diagnosis These problems may also indicate a worn cassette/chain. However, if the chain is "slipping" while you are in gear, this is a clearer indication of a worn chain/cassette.

I've ridden some tyres on 26" hardtail and dual-suss, but can't comment on 29er tyres I'm afraid... I started my tyre testing with 2.1 Rons on front and back, but didn't like the skittish feeling of the back, particularly in loose-over-hard. I didn't feel like there was a good progression of grip on the rear - it seemed to grip pretty well, but then let go quite suddenly. Quite nice in mud and loose sand though. They were also noticeably light tyres. I tried 2.1 UST Crossmarks on the front and rear. They may have rolled faster than the Rons, but I didn't test them. They felt heavy (I suppose they are), and just didn't grip as well as the Rons, especially in the mud! I found them quite nice on prepared/manicured surfaces, and the progression of grip felt pretty natural. Then I tried the popular Ron/Ralph combination (Ron Evo and Ralph SS, both 2.25 width), with great success. You can really feel the lack of mass with these light tyres. I will say, however, I have had more punctures in the Ron than in any other tyre. It may just be bad luck, but I do suspect it might have something to do with the thin rubber used to keep the weight down. No problems that Stan's hasn't been able to sort out yet though The longitudinal (is that a word?) grip that the Ralph provides is good for powering over surfaces like rocks and roots. The lateral grip is very good in the dry, but does slide a bit more in mud and such. The progression of the grip from biting to flailing is very predictable and the feel is great. The Ron on the front grips really well in the loose and wet, with predictable grip on hard/dry surfaces. It is comforting for someone with my (lack of) skills to know that the back will slide more easily than the front Through sheer luck, I discovered a pair of 2.25 width Schwalbe Albert SS tyres (not the Fat Albert, which is a different design). The tread pattern isn't dissimilar from that on a Schwalbe Nobby Nic. They don't make them anymore, but they are by far my favourite. I have them on front and back, and the grip is unreal. They bite hard in the wet and stick to roots and rocks (I'm sure this is largely thanks to the rubber compound used). They give great pedalling grip and a very linear progression as you lean over onto the side knobs or when you overcook it. They look like "knobbly tyres" and do weigh more than the Ron/Ralph combo, at about 650g per tyre, I think. Despite this, I reached the same speed on these tyres as I did on the Ron/Ralph combo on my "terminal velocity" test on a little downhill on the M3 (about 63kph, as opposed to 72kph on my Urban-style semi-slicks, so I think it's a fair test). I was surprised by this speed result, as the Ralph (and even the Ron) are supposed to be "fast-rolling" tyres. I did a little reading and I discovered that, up until recently, the Nobby Nic had a lower rolling resistance than the Racing Ralph So, if I can't find anymore Albert tyres, I will probably be replacing them with Nobby Nic's!

I'm in. I agree with Grebel - one in or near each major city would be great too. Maybe Cape Town, 'Maritzburg and Jo'burg...?

I think I saw it at City Cycles in Canal Walk (Cape Town). I'm afraid I couldn't tell you any more details of year, spec etc off-hand, but I'm pretty sure it was an orange frame, if that helps

From a quick look at the specs, the Karakoram 2.0 seems to have better parts across the board (notably the brakes and especially the fork). The Karakoram 3.0 (cheaper than the 2.0) seems to have very similar spec to the Titan you provided a link to, but still has the "advantage" of 29 inch wheels.

I've been into MTB for a little while now, and I like to think I've accumalted some of the associated technical knowledge. However, I have recently bought a road bike, and found myself on another learning curve... Herein lie my questions. Does a road bike use the same sort of headsets that a MTB does? I can't find anything on the bike or in the (online) shops that distinguish them. Do they use the same fitment conventions as a MTB frame ie 1 1/8th inch steerer, divided into standard, internal (semi-integrated) and integrated headsets? Can I just take the standard headset from my MTB and press it into my road bike frame (Trek 1200 SLR), which looks like it uses the roughly the same size cups? I suppose I could just take them all apart and see if it works, but I wouldn't want to risk damaging either frame, and it is just so quick and easy (and cleaner) to ask a question up in here...