Stain

Used them on the weekend from Lanseria to Durban. If your bike bag is your only piece of luggage and weigh less than 20kgs there's no charge. I had a wheel bag as well so unfortunately had to pay an additional R350 for the extra bag when I checked in. If you pay for extra luggage online 24 hours before departure its R250 (per bag). All the airlines use the same baggage handlers so if it gets damaged by Kulula it can get damaged by any other airline as well. Rather take the responsibility on your self to make sure the bike is properly packed. I bubble wrapped my entire bike and used a soft padded bike bag.

Also shopping for a light at the moment. Been doing some price comparisons and this seems like the one I'll be going for: http://www.sportsworld.co.za/product.php?id_product=575 Seems to be the best priced 3 Cree XM-L T6 monkey at the moment (and apparently has an upgraded battery).

This sucks! My deepest sympathies Bman. This guy is probably looking at our comments on here and having a lekker laugh. Why else would he not come forward and defend himself? Can we tell him exactly what we think of him...?

I've found that Chemco paste works brilliantly to clean my chain and cluster. Its in a pink tub usually with all the other cleaning products at Pick and Pay, Checkers etc. Apply with a brush when you start to wash your bike. Then leave on while you wash the rest of the bike and rinse off with everything else when done. Not only degreases but also brings back the shine! Being a paste it also doesn't run off into areas that shouldn't be degreased. If I remember its around R35 for a tub and will last you a VERY long time as you only use a little bit of paste at a time.

Paid R590 odd. So there was no reason for me to believe from the price that I was not getting the Protection version.

Thanks for your replies. Off to the store to get this rectified. I can't even hope that it was an honest mistake as the mechanic told me to my face more than once that it is the Protection version. I just assumed he knew more about the tyres he stocks than I do. You know what they say about assume...

NotSoBigBen - one doesn't really need much of an education to make that assumption. So I also assumed as much. Which was why when I went to pick up my bike and saw nothing on the sidewall I asked the mechanic if he fitted the P-R-O-T-E-C-T-I-O-N X-King and he assured me he did. I asked for the box as I wanted to "store my old tyre in it" (really wanted to make sure as I knew that on my mountain king's box it clearly said "protection" and "black chilli"). He very conveniently already had it thrown away... I'm getting more upset by the minute.

Will appreciate it if someone can shed some light on the following. After researching quite a bit on tyre choices and based on past experience with Conti I decided to fit a new Continental X-King (29er) on my rear wheel. I'm running tubeless so opted for the Protection version which I believe is very well suited for this (especially on the ZTR Crest rims I have). My understanding was that the Protection version is only made in Germany? Also that the made in Germany versions are the only ones to actually have the Black Chilli compound. I specifically asked my LBS to install the X-King PROTECTION. However it now seems the tyre battles to hold air which made me wonder if it really is a Protection version? On closer inspection of the tyre it says "Made in India" on the sidewall. Is this a give-away that they are not Protection or is there a Protection version that is made in India? It also doesn't say Protection anywhere on the tyre. As an interesting side note - I fitted a Conti Mountain King Protection to my front tyre not too long ago. It clearly says Made in Germany on that tyre. The sidewall also looks slightly different to that of the X-King. It holds air like a dream. Was I taken for a ride by my LBS? I paid for an X-King Protection tyre.

A head injury doesn't always have to be catastrophic. Anyone that's ever been admitted to hospital for a few stitches to the cranium will confirm that it takes very little to draw blood from your head. And it always hurts like hell.