Swift01

Hi am a manitou fan, but the one on the CWC site is not the top of the range, fairly heavy compared to the top of the range. They say the insides are the same though. I would go the fox only due to that fact.

@blokman Big up for collecting the rubbish.... I for one have picked up many gel sachets and tubes at Suikerbos (and many other places). Unfortunately as a mountain biker I can't fully blame the roadies as the thread suggests. I may have picked up a lot more roadie tubes but I have also picked up larger size MTB tubes. (and not the skinny 1.95 tubes the larger ones). Looks like my worst fears have happened that they will eventually close the reserve to cyclists because of this litter problem we seem to have. I am quite disgusted in parts of the tread where people try to justify tossing packets because their poor hands or shirt may get a little goo on them from using gel packets. Still does not explain the tubes though. Either use a "gel bottle" if you are so worried, or finish the gel packet fully instead of 3/4 squeazing and then stuffing the remainder into your back pocket, or just carry a small sandwich bag to put the sachets into. How hard can it be... Soon we will loose all the nice MTB places we ride at. As for the glass/rubbish/nappies (very common) on the side of the road (and not just Golden Gate area) it really worries me not only about the amount of rubbish thrown out of cars, it is the amount of booze bottle glass thrown out of the windows. And we wonder why we have so many accidents. May be when Juliasssss M gets a couple of punctures from beer bottles he will take note and try do something usefull and stop it..... ok sorry I was dreaming a bit there :-)

After watching guys on the first day of Sani2c 2 years back hitting the mud, we came to the conclusion, fox forks had the most clearence while the rock shox had the worst. If it was bad for 26inch wheels I can't imagine wanting to use a 27.5 inch wheel on a 26inch fork. It was taking guys 20 min to clear the mud.

I am actually supprised with people saying what they carry or is this thread just full of the old school guys . I hesitate sometimes now to ask if people need help as it's getting expensive. Normally it's the guy on a 75km race with no backpack, no tube, no bomb and no beer money etc that has a flat or a broken chain. Unfortunately it is getting expensive to help out. In the old days people always hyunted you down after a race and paid for the tube, or handed your chain breaker back in. In one race I gave away 1 tube and 2 bombs. 2 weeks later I gave away a tube and a bomb. Now a tune is R40 and a Bomb R10, thats R110 and not once was anything handed back etc. I always carry a tube worms AND patches for the just in case. You could just have one of those days like I had the other day riding ont he road with my MTB bike (yip there was the problem ha ha). I got a punture that could not be fixed with a worm or 2 so i put a tube in with gator patch. Then I got another punture, so I had to resort to using a patch. Basically I pack a small tubbie bag with tools, chain links etc etc then always take a backpack. You can never reply on the water tables, take that one Van Gaalens race where there as a heat wave and they could not get enough water to the tables and people were pouring it over their heads. Half the field nearly went dry...... Oh and don't forget to carry money to buy a beer ASAP after finishing the race... :

One thing is clear BS is ahead of KE in every one of those 3 pictures so the problem of the shirt/kit has to be at the back of it.... Any one got pics of that ha ha

Stay away from the AM wheels especially the way you intend to ride. My sister at a hefty weight of 53kg has dented her rear rim twice in 3 months (and not from rocks hitting them as there is not a scratch) and she runs the tires at 2 bar.They are very well known for their very soft rims. Personally I believe the ZTR arch/Hope hubs setup are pretty reliable. 5cents worth :-)

I believe the raceface ones also fit

@eccentric1 Thanx for the info on the cables. I will give them a call. According to the Fred at cyclesure after I sent them the picture of how one can tie the cable to the eyelet on the car, he was happy with that solution, so he has seen the locks. I have also emailed him what happens in such a situation where someone breaks those locks and takes the bike, with the cable still attached to the bike to be cut later. How will cyclesure react as all I will have to show is a broken lock, no cable. If they refuse to pay out in such a situation, I will have to look for another insurance as these are real situations. I am not trying to rip off the insurance company, which I believe some people are, hence all these new rules every year about theft, I just want peace of mind that I am covered.

I would definately inform the parents as to what their kids are up to in your garden.. My nephew the other day was showing his dad some big drop off's that he was doing after school. All was great until he let slip he used dad's bike

Hi, I went to builders and they had nothing bigger than 6mm. I will keep trying. I did get a reply from cyclesure and i sent the picture to them of @walker's method. This is their reply "The method you have explained will be acceptable if used with any SABS approved close shackle lock" Looks like I just need to go shopping now -)

@walker Where did you get a long RavX cable?

Hi, Looks like the best solution. I have emailed cycle sure as to how I solve the problem. I will send this pic along to them and get confirmation they are happy with this method.

Hi, I had to do my yearly renewal for cyclesure. When they sent me the forms and policy they said I must be aware of their new policy rules. One of them being locking your bike to the car. Basically your bike when Unattended MUST be locked up at all times including through the wheels/frame and attched to either your car or an objected that can't be moved. If you don't do this they will not pay out. This is how it reads: 5. theft, loss or damage to unattended property unless secured to an immoveable object, vehicle or trailer by an approved lock and cable or chain or locked inside a vehicle or trailer and removal is accompanied by violent and forcible means. Same applies to the wheels. If they get stolen off the bike while the actualy bike is locked up they will not pay out. All fair. I did query what happens if I am at a race and I go to the toilet leaving my bike outside the toilet and it gets taken. They replied and stated they will NOT pay out. I also checked their rules on how you must lock your bike up and it states with either a 12mm think chain and SABS lock or 12mm steel cable with SABS lock. You can use the RavX 12mm locking cable. So when the bike is on your car it MUST be locked to the car. I went to go buy a 12mm cable or chain, but they are so large that the chain does not fit through the loop on the back of my corsa bakkie load bay (the only place to attached the bike to the car). I then looked at the cable route. The RavX cable will not fit through the loop because of the lock. While a normal 12mm cable will fit through, once you have made the loops for the Lock on either end it will not fit through the loop. My question is what does one do to lock their bike to the car. They have changed 4 points in the policy this year and it's all about theft and locking your bike up. Attached is photo's of the loop in the back of the load bay on my car.

I may have the chance of selling a brand new 2011 Merida Carbon 3000D frame, medium size. It will look like the one in the picture. These are extremely light frames. It will be coming off a brand new bike (the size is wrong so we are changing it with another frame). Are there people interested and how much for the fame. They are 10k brand new for the frame alone. Just testing the waters.

Hi, I have moved from the Adventure to the Trail. They have 2 problems. Firstly they over booked the Adventure so they would not replace me with another team. Then they also have their own list of people wishing to move from Trail to Adventure, so if you want to do the swap from Adventure to Trail just phone them. They other way around will be a problem. I just decided it does not really matter which one I ride, but all my mates were in the Trail so made sense to move.

Solve the problem with all your brakes.... Go back to V-Brakes

@Roach Cool will rather save up and get a set of new Loiuse Bats with new Storm SL rotors.

@Roach Are they Brand New? Have you posted them on the classifieds with pics?

@papa roach Hey the brakes are awesome once I bought 2 brand new Storm SL rotors (ended up costing the same amount as a pair of brand new Magura's could not just buy 1 Storm SL as the other remaining rotor that was ok was not the same) due to the one "Brand New Brakes and Rotors" I bought from you was completely toast But that was long ago, so lets not go there They are functioning very well. It did makes us learn that you can't use other manufacturers parts with Maruga brakes so it was an expensive excercise. Ps I still have that "special rotor" if you need one Saying all that i will buy myself a pair one day, may be even "Brand New ones from the Hub"

@ SeaBee I am quietly waiting for a good set of Magura Brakes to pop up on the hub. After testing the difference between the Avids and the Marura you can't compare. I believe the new range of Shimano's are quite good, but I have never tried them so can't personally comment. I just know that everyone you talk to that have the Magura Loiuse Bat brakes just talk how strong they are at stopping. The only secret is only stick to Magura parts like brake pads and rotors. Don't try mix n match.

I have to say I run elixir CR brakes on my bike. Having moved from V-Brakes I thought they were the bomb until I had them 6 months. Talking of heating up, they are crazy. Running G3 rotors, organic pads, well bled, but as soon as you use them a bit too much they start to feel like the pads have worn out and the discs are scratching. Upsets me because the GF got a set of Marura Loiuse Bat brakes, running Storm SL rotors and the preformance pads. Boy can those brakes stop well. She has been running them for a year now, only re-bled them once and they are still working like new. No scratching feeling etc. So yeah Avids I have to say may not be the best brakes in town........ Saying all that, I would at least get the brakes cleaned, bled etc. The rotors can bent straight if they are not too bad. I hope thats the reason, as you said they have been to the LBS, so the SHOULD have trued the pads the the rotor correctly....... If the brakes are still not working, consider that the rotor could be toast. Not sure what rotor you are using but if it has been over used or over heated in the past it seems to loose it's braking power. The GF had that on the Magura brakes before she bought proper Marura rotors. She had Aligator rotors on, brake were ok (nothing like they are now but way better than her previous Deore brakes). Did a race where there was huge amounts of mud. Ever since then the brakes were worse than the old Deore brakes. Even new pads didn't change a thing. The rotors were only 3 months old, but as soon as we changed the rotors the brakes were like brand new. Seems something happened to the rotors with the mud etc.

aaaaaaaaaah XT hubs aluminium ones...... Glad I got rid of those. I now have more time to sit back and have a cold beer instead of servicing the hub every time it went near water. Since the GF changed to hope hubs life is good....

Head to Kameraz in Rosebank http://www.kameraz.co.za/ . Awesome service from those guys and great prices. The GF just got a Nikon D5100 with 2 lenses and a few extras last Sunday. Been a while since i have been in a shop and had such great service. Explained everything to us and was not just trying to make a quick buck, left us to decide what option we wanted.

@singletrek yes you may have ridden there but the speed you guys ride at, you can't miss any markers. How's the cupcakes and chips going down while your on holiday? Hope your going to take @mackie out again today sounds like he enjoyed the ride..... Oh and my dad says he is faster than you at the moment so best you try each him a lesson as well.....

The GF had loads of problems. We tried various rotors and makes of pads. Been a year now with not a squeal, she bought SL storm rotors and the preformance magura pads. If you have magura rotoors I woud suggest getting the preformance pads. The last just as long as the normal. I have heard many times u should only use margura parts on magura brakes only.