BergForce

At that price a Silverback might be good choice for a new bike, but try to get a Giant Trance2 secondhand, I actually know someone that might sell his for 10k cause he is going 29er and does more xc than trail.

Where can I buy a 31er? Me wants iit

I would go for a 29er dually, I have one and I`m always waiting for everyone up and downhill, km after km, through rivers and dongas, up and down the mountains always waitng for those 26ers hardtails and duallies, but damn in that one 30m section of singletrack the the 26er dually is a little bit faster.

I also like to ride with my front locked out and my rear shock open, I find this setup work best for when I go downhill backwards....at speed.

But my bike goes to number 3

I ride the Anthem 29er and I am very impressed with the Maestro suspension. It seems to be bottomless, I have never managed to bottom out, even with very low air pressure. Another thing I prefer on the Giant is that the front and rear shock is set independently, and I like to ride with the front open and rear propedal on - I think with the Scott both front and rear is always the same. But then again the Scott has remote lockout shock adjustment on the handlebar which is nice. I don`t like Gary Fisher 29er because of the weird geometry and I think the Giant and Scott is faster. I would guess the Maestro suspension with the Fox RP23 shock on the Giant will be unbeatable, but damn I like the look of that Scott a lot.

Bling is for gangstas I`ll take the Scott.

Maybe you should call them?

For versatility you cant beat the Giant Anthem 29er . It does have a low bb though.

Trail riding het groter klippe en sand korrels as xc.

Get a cheapo 29er hardtail.

I think I`d rather do the same 35km route on the Sunday after for a wopping R20. The longer routes will be fun I think but I`m still recovering from cracked ribs.

It`s because many Saffers buy from CRC, so they use it as a channel to sell to the suckers, the SA consumers. Walk into any local LBS and you`ll find boxes full of crossmarks, yet the far superior Ikon is nowhere to be found, and the Aspen 29er also not available.

Had a 29er crossmark on my rear and a racing ralph on the front. I had about 10 punctures on the rear and one on the front. When I had an aspen on the rear I had no punctures. Maybe the 29er UST crossmark is better with punctures, but it weighs like 850g.

My top 3 xc choices are the Aspen, Ikon and Racing Ralph. The Aspen rolls the fastest but has less traction, volume and cornering bite. I will use it on the back. The Racing Ralph just beats the Ikon in grip and rolling resistance very slightly. Its my 1st choice as the front. If you want a less bumpy with more traction rear the Ikon is best, and it lasts the longest and could be used front and/or rear. The Racing Ralph is also a great rear but will wear the fastest.

Here is the evidence...

Aspens and Ikons 29 are not available in SA cause there is big international demand for it and SA is the dumping ground for Crossmarks. If Maxxis release the 29er Aspen and Ikon in SA their Crossmark and Monorail manufacturing machines will become worthless overnight. The Racing Ralph 29er is a great front tyre also and is available.

Here:

Yes but my opinion is scientific fact. You don`t see the pros mounting crossmarks or monorails, nope. They mount the new improved breed of tires - Aspens or Ikons. I have also used these tyres myself.

The Aspen and Ikon are superior xc tyres to the Crossmark and Monorail, in fact I would say the Crossmark is deprecated. SA is the dumping ground for Crossmarks.

Can`t be right the Aspen rolls noticeably faster than the Crossmark and Ikon. The Aspen is the rear tire to have for dry xc, paired with a RacingRalph or Ikon up front.

I know someone doing the 30km, why do you ask?

Don`t really want to sell, the promise of some mud, pain and glory is too good to resist.

If you want pedal harder cause you`re worried the rim will ding then just change the Crests for Arches and Revolution spokes from 1.5 to 1.7mm.

I`ll sell my 42km for R499 and my 30km for R399. The weather looks good for Saturday, gonna get some rain before then so maybe just enough mud to make it even more fun.