SB_CT

BMC quoted me R280 for basic service, R450 for major (ex parts obviously). I called Epic after that and whoever I spoke to sounded a lot more interested and sincere than the person at BMC. Epic guy quoted about R395 but obviously it's dependent on the bike and what needs doing. My gut feeling goes with Epic, also because it's not too far from where I am. As much as I'd love the DIY route I don't have the knowledge, time to learn it, or space to do it right now. Hopefully with some time I'll get there.

Thanks for all the info. I think Epic or BMC it is. On Sunday I saw the Getafix van parked in the Tokai car park but can't seem to find any details on him.

We're looking for some advice regarding a good place to send our bikes in for a service in Cape Town. The bikes we're looking to service are 2010 Trance X1 and X4. Olymipc would be closest and most convenient, but I've read mixed reviews about them in terms of price and workmanship. Other options would be Crown, CWC, Cycle Factory and BMC. Any opinions or pointers to similar threads would be good

So I went to Cycle Factory and had a look at a Silverback Mercury 2. Nice bike, took it for a spin and liked it. Expensive though as it's out the box, R15,200. I mentioned to the salesman (who was extremely helpful) and told him I was undecided about old vs new. He told me some horror stories about ppl buying used, and the risks involved in terms of expenses when having to replace and repair components. He also agreed to the flip side that a great bike can be had at a good price second hand and showed me some things to look out for. To cut a long story short there was a Trance 2010 X1 for sale in the classifieds here for a few grand less than the Silverback. I went to look at it and it has hardly been used, in beautiful condition. Took it for a ride and instantly fell in love - like riding on a dream. Really, what luxury. Comparing it to the Mercury 2 and GT Sensor I tried earlier in the week made them feel terrible, even though they are great bikes. So the X1 is mine and I'm very chuffed, all has worked out well. Thanks for the advise during the process

Any advice on what to look for/how to test this? Apart from looking for significant signs of wear with the eye. I suppose a test ride will show up any serious issues?

Thanks for all the replies thus far. I'm not convinced that I need a new bike, after all the comments and looking around I've done it's quite obvious that a very decent 1 or 2 year old bike can be had for this amount of money. I'm keeping my eye on various classifieds. New would be nice, but actually makes the least sense. Thing is, I wouldn't really be able to decide, on paper, between bikes that I would find in classifieds. A Trance X1, Anthem X2, Specialised FS, the only way to figure it out is to go and ride each one. I'll still head to cycle factory later today in order to get some more advice and possibly take something for a spin. The more information I have, the better. Do you really lose THAT much efficiency on the climb with a non-lockout FS bike, even if it's setup correctly?

I'm going to look at the Silverback Mercury 2011 range tomorrow at Cycle Factory, see if anything tickles my fancy.

Hi to all, As you can see this is my first post here. I've read a lot of other posts but decided to create my own hoping for some advice. I've had a cheapie Giant Boulder for a few years for messing around on, but recently did a stint at Meerendal, the Lourensford Spur event, and a few others, and the bug has bitten. Have been out on a trail of sorts every weekend since and really enjoying it and feel the need for a decent bike. I'm not wanting to spend more than about +/- R12,000 After having a go on one or two FS bikes I'm pretty much decided I want to go FS over hardtail. However still open to advice/opinions. Obviously it depends on what/where I will be riding most. These winefarm-type trails with some singletrack I really enjoy. Some of the options for new bikes I can find currently: TRANCE X3 (2011) R15,500 TRANCE X4 (2011) R9,900 Merida TFS 900 (2012) R9,999 GT Sensor 2.0 (2010) R12,000 Would really like some advice, or questions, to help me make the right choice. At this point I've only ridden the GT and X4. I'm on the shorter end of the height bracket so a small frame is what I'm after. Weight about 65kg. Cheers.