BergForce

Same bike here I get this if I don`t turn the axle in tight enough. With the qr lever still open make sure you tighten the axle enough.

Why no carbon handlebars? And titanium rotors? And you must put on some American Classic Race wheels http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/American-Classic-Mountain-Tubeless-29er-SS-wheel.jpg

Conti tyres tend to be heavier and weaker. I would not take those weak sidewall X-kings near my bike. Team 360 Life used Ikon Exo front and back for the Epic.

Definitely not NobblyNicks for stage racing too heavy and too slow rolling. For a dually I prefer the Ritchey WCS Shield on the rear, it is lighter than a Ralph SS and rolls just as fast/or faster. It wears out just as fast as a Ralph. On the front there are 2 options, Ralph or Ikon. Been using the Ikon as a front for long now and the grip is extremely good. The Ikon outlast most tyres by far wear wise and is lighter than a Ralph SS, but the Ralph just rolls a slight bit faster. If money is an issue I would just run the Ikon front and rear. For a dually I can highly recommend the Ikon Exo front with Ritchey WCS rear. My Ikon on the front is there for a year now and still looks fine, while at the rear my 2nd Ritchey is just about done, in the same year.

Google translate it is then: "Vashou aan Ikon agterste Ralph voor omdat die Ikon duur veel langer wyse dra. Hul greep as 'n front is soortgelyk, maar die Ikon leun met meer konsekwent greep, terwyl die Ralph het groter kant knobbies maar minder knobbies tussen die sentrum en newe - 'n kwessie Schwalbe probeer om op te los met die 2012 weergawe (Ek het nie probeer om die 2012 weergawe). Die Ikon dra beter maar ek sou sê die Ralph rol net 'n bietjie vinniger en is +-35g swaarder."

Stick to Ikon rear Ralph front because the Ikon lasts much longer wear wise. Their grip as a front is similar but the Ikon leans over with more consistent grip, while the Ralph has bigger side knobbies but less knobbies between the centre and side - an issue Schwalbe attempted to fix with the 2012 version (I have not tried the 2012 version). The Ikon wears better but I would say the Ralph just rolls a bit faster and is +-35g heavier.

Ye, but you pay the penalty in weight.

Ikon front and rear, lighter and more durable than Ralphs.

Yes bite the bullet definitively , but consider going 29er also.

For the trail setup you need a high bb and slack angles, for xc low bb steeper angles. So I think Scott got it the wrong way round.

Definitely 29er for a hardtail. Get the Vida.

We want route profiles , or at least give some indication about the amount of climbing.

I think the Pyro with the 4000k light is better.

I say this country is by far more sick than most. Did you know that FBI studies concluded that SA has the most psychopaths, and more than double the amount than the country that came 2nd. Then also SA is not known as the rape capital of the world for no reason.

I got the 1 for only R1000 more than the 2 because there was stock on the floor and the prices went up, and also I like the XT. What is a premium brand? Oh you mean brands where you pay 20-25% more for the label? Because that is what you will do if you buy a premium brand instead of the Storm. Silverback is now German engineered and those Germans sometimes build good stuff. So really I do not care about the label, in fact it makes it more fun leaving the premium brands in the Silverback`s dust.

BergBok would not say this is a great bike if no thru-axle. I will not buy a 29er without a thru-axle. As for the 2013 line-up, the XT Storm now has 3x10 like the 2012 Storm2, but XT i.p.o. SLX.

One area where the XTR pedal is better is that they are flat and better for avoiding pedal strikes if the bike has a low bb and/or is a dually. And the XTR`s seem indestructible. If the XTR weighed and cost the same as the Look I would opt for the XTR.

Like I said, the Look Carbon Quartz is almost 100g lighter than XTRs, for less money. Of course the pros will opt for the lighter product, they are weight weenie gone bonkers. The XTRs have got a better feel when clicking in and out, but only when they are clean, which is only at the start of the ride. The Looks are not bad when clicking in and out, and better when dirty, but the tension can not be set and normal riders might find them a bit tight. But I prefer my super light Looks to my XTRs. I am referring to the current Look Carbon Quartz pedals, their setup was easy for me.

You wont find lighter better quality pedals for the same price. I switched over from XTR to Look Carbon Quarts and saved +-100g for less money. The looks handle the mud better too.

I would not recommend the Anthem 29er for sizes smaller than large because of the long chainstays. But the Anthem 29er in size large or bigger is a great bike, fast, good handling and very comfortable. I just think shorter chainstays will be better. And remember: if 29er then thru-axle. If you want comfort and st and downhill speed, go 29er dually, if you want to be a few seconds faster on climbs, go 29er hardtail.

On Saturday I saw Scott 29er front-end flex out from underneath the rider on a downhill causing a bad fall and destroying the front wheel.

American Classic 29 Race @1419g with weight limit of 95kg or to play it safe: American Classic 29 Tubeless @1600g with a weight limit of 107kg

Stick to Shimano, check out this bike: http://www.silverbacklab.com/2011_website_SILVERBACK/sprada1_13.htm

How much play is there in those seatstays?

Ritchey 260 stem KCNC Scandium seatpost KCNC Scandium handlebars