cst68

I hear and understand all you have said. Consider that each rider at the Olympics is arguably the best his country has to offer. Also consider that each of those riders win in their home countries . Added to this each of these riders ride the best of what their manufacturer/sponsor has to offer. In the mix of all this best of the best ....the best rider wins if all other factors go perfect like....good/bad start.....mechanicals etc.aside.

In the absence of real scientific facts, the facts and experience is that a stronger rider will triumph over a weaker rider no matter what wheel size he/she/they are on.

Cape Town is the tik(chrystalmethamphetamine)capital of South Africa. Tik addicts will steal and sell anything,particularly bicycles and sell them to "dealers" for a couple of hundred Rand. The "dealers" (whether legitimate or not) start selling them off as wheelsets,cranks handlebars etc etc. That is the problem and no one really has a working solution to this problem.. The "dealers" on the hub(whether legitimate or not)can easily sell their "goods" at lower than real market prices for obvious reasons....they "purchased" them for a couple of hundred Rand remember. The problem as far as buying and selling on the hub is that many hubbers surf the classifieds.The market on the classifieds then seem to indicate for example that a Rock Shock Reba was sold recently for R1000.Now we all know that that is not the value of a used Reba. The problem is , that buyers now try their luck with lame offers on the "regular seller"....the regular seller being average Joe who has for example just upgraded his bike by buying a Rock Shock Sid world cup from a dealer(like a legitimate LBS) and now wants to sell his legitimate Reba at a fair market price. So the buyer wants to pay ever less looking for bargains.....my opinion is everything has a reasonable value....You cant expect to buy a 2011/2012 Reba for R1000. If you as a buyer have done your homework and are happy with the sellers credentials and are still buying a bargain ....well good for you ....remember "caveat emptor'....let the purchaser beware. Of course this warning goes as much for the "dealer"(whether legitimate or not) and also the hubber surfing the classifieds looking to make below market value offers and buying bargains......they may misfire on you! Remember that if you are in possession of a bike part that was "stolen" and you "legitimately" bought it from a hubber who "legitimately" bought it from whoever,you have no recourse against the original legitimate owner(bona fide owner) from whom it was stolen. The bona fide owner is entitled to recover the item from you. You in turn will "try" to recover your money from whom you bought the item(if you can find him).

....I believe the marketing....we believe the marketing

Not so long ago mountain bicycles as regards weight, materials ,geometries and technologies had reached a point where manufacturers(arguably) were unable to bring anything really ground breaking. The marketing gurus know the psychology of the buyer. The result seems that the marketing people realise that 2 new wheel sizes will be the new ticket to selling more bicycles. A demand gets created.The consumer gets "told" what he "needs". Bicycle manufacturers need sales to make profit.The obvious easy way is make the old wheel size redundant and start a whole new market on bigger wheels.Its good for business. Manufacturers put sponsored riders on the new wheel sizes and they win....WOW...thing is they would have won on any size wheel.So buyer thinks that new wheel size must be "better". Fact is its marketing wether we admit it or not....and if you really "believe " that you are faster/better/smoother/enjoy your ride more then that's great....its called sports psychology....if you believe its better then it will be ...if you believe it will make a difference between 1st and 2nd place then it will.....its bullsh#t and everybody loves it. My deduction out of the XC Olympics was that its the rider that counts. Kulhavy rode a heavier bike than the other riders....remember he opted for a dual suspension....yet he won....why...the wheel size?...the brand of bike?....the softer ride of the dual suspension?.....the colour of his wheels?...... No he won because he was the strongest rider.....

I was under the impression that dual suspensions were not that appropriate on a XC course for being among others heavier etc . The rider clearly makes the difference. Kulhavy is 1.87 m tall and towards the heavier side 76kg.Still he got gold ....on a (heavier)dual suspension bike.

Clever conclusion

Correct

Also saw that.

I am the first to acknowledge "it's not all about the bike".....I realise that the bike does not pedal itself and the rider is the "machine" that powers the bike. These Volcan bikes are available even in far North Limpopo.Anyway we are 350 km North of Johannesburg and the LBS here offers full sale and service backup to Volcan bikes. This weekend at Ysterberg 40 km mtb race 4 out of top 16 riders on the race rode Volcan: The bikes were: -29" XC Volcan -26" FS1 -26" FS 2 -26" FS 1

So all the bull***t aside: ...Volcans are "good" ...their frames are made in Taiwan and are (I suppose)assembled in the South Africa using "good" groupsets etc.according to (your)budget. ...they are strong...as cross country/marathon mountain bikes are supposed to be. ...they can last...but any bike that crashes down a cliff is likely to be seriously damaged. Its nice having a "good" bike.So get whatever you want and not what you think other people want. If anything I know that no one cares about what my "good" bike is and there will always be a "better" bike. Sure ...do your homework...ask questions and opinions....and then buy the bike that "speaks to you"...the one that you "like" and will want to ride.If that does not happen you will end up regretting the purchase of that bike. I hate post purchase regrets ...........I do not regret buying a Volcan....its a "good" bike....done thousands of tough km's off road(including races)on it. I am not married to it....it is a tool that does the job well.I do know that it is far superior to the other mountainbike it replaced. The Volcan did not make me stronger/faster initially....now that I am fitter and much stronger I appreciate it even more...so it is still the rider that makes the difference.I know however that I will not want to ride anything "lesser". If its time is up and I am up for an upgrade/additional bike I will : -see what is available -check my budget -see what I like -decide on the one that "talks to me".

Volcan ...its frame is made in Taiwan....like most bikes ..its not a mainsteam brand ....or a "real" brand ? ..there are cheaper "unbranded" frames available...this seemingly holds true for any mainstream brand frame too. ...fewer people ride them....so by implication are they are not as good as the mainsteam brands ? ...no one will buy your second hand Volcan ....many will stand in line for your mainstream brand? Before the coffee gets cold ; ...ride what you like,can afford,whats available or a combination of those. ...the bike is a tool...the rider is the machine that powers it ...sports science...if you believe it right for you it will be ...marketing and hype help sell bikes....its a psychology and science all on its own. Finally its all good quality bull***t and people just love it.

Perhaps....perhaps you can have mine for nothing.....perhaps not ...I am happy with mine.

Although Volcan bikes are not seen around every corner they are available. In my neck of the woods I see them all around the place...but not in numbers like the popular mainstream bikes. Volcan bikes are not entry level bikes....they are good, strong and light race orientated bikes....and they do the job they are designed for. All the Volcan owners I know are not selling and very few come up for sale on the classified ads. Volcan bikes can handle more than what we can throw at them.

My carbon Volcan FS2 26" dual suspension has served me well.

Team orders...team sport ...the team etc. Arguably cycling is an individual sport ...surely deep down every cyclist cycles for himself (while contractually bound by what the team dictates)...given the situation of a win(even a stage win)most cyclists at heart will feel a pang of frustration at being told to hold back. No one anticipated the domestique may be as good (or better than) the leader, Its like a chess game ....the player is the team manager who controls the game.He is in the riders ear and head the whole time...he decides what you can do(or not).

Yes Froome looked strong.

Agreed

Yes he was hired to do a job...anything the the team manager wants him to do...even sacrifice himself...Froome knows that. Getting a ride on a top team or any tour de France team is tough...many want in ...few get in . In the post race interyiew yesterday Wiggens acknowledeged a win is a win ...even by one second. It may be that Wiggens is content with the knowedge that if it came to that point then the radio voice of the team manager in Froomes ear will tell Froome to apply the brakes and let Wiggens keep even a GC win by one second. We openly debate all sides of the situation....no moaning and bitching....just debate....there is no place for hissy fits.

Froome showed he has potential and has delivered big time. Its a happy/sad situation no one anticipated.I have no reason to dislike Wiggins and feel for Froome.

Hope so.

I guess you are right. It was also once said though that no one will win the tour de France seven times....that may become a fact if Lance goes down on doping charges....but that's not the topic of this thread so lets leave it that.

correction :tight leash

Team orders. Debate it in any manner you want... Froome seems arguably the (unsung) hero of the greater team cause. Wiggins is certainly a class act and after today there are 3 stages left of the tour with only 2 min 14 sec separating the two.Anything can happen. What if...just what if ....the final day on Sunday dawns and the gap is small enough for Froome to close....will Sky orders be to keep Froome on a tight lease and let Wiggins win?

Nice...you satisfied with your purchase?