Clinton1

Caerus, I think you totally misunderstand the reason for the snigger. Your opinion is fine, we are all entitled to them and I would never snigger at that alone, but you seemed to be arguing that it costs more to leave a pre-existing trail flat, as it was, than it is to then build jumps on that trail. I simply cannot agree with the economics of this and hence the snigger. I still argue that from an economic and cost perspective it would be much easier to kill two birds with one stone on each trail. As far as I am aware, and I battle with the names of the trails, there are some sections where a jump will be slightly off centre on a trail and can be jumped if you so desire. In fact on the "cat" trails referred to earlier there are sections where the path momentarily forks and you can either jump or take a sweeping bend. Makes far more sense.... you see I am not stating just cater for me but suggesting options that could please all. I think it is possible to please all the people. Except of course the lazy downhillers who want lifts to the top of the hill...

That's the thing with the cost argument. The flat trail was there already and the jumps had to be built. Most of them are fairly wide jumps so they could have been made a little smaller and built more to one side and the "chicken run" could have been left at no additional cost. Anyway I like the section of the new trail past the broken down white house. I also love the Cat (?) trail as it still provides those fast swooping bends I enjoy. There is still definitely something for everyone but I just don't want to see them ruining all the trails with jump overkill.

As made quite clear by myself in my first post on this topic, I was merely adding my opinion. I would not want to see jumps on every available downhill section. If enough "jumpers" made noise then Giba may make an assumption that this is what most riders wanted. A jump adds absolutely no value for me personally. I prefer free flowing trails so I would prefer not to see jumps all over the place. In my opinion, no it has not been improved with the addition of jumps but we all have different desires. I'd be interested to find out whether Bizhub did in fact specify what they wanted or whether they merely put money into a trail for naming rights and advertising. I personally have no idea.

I see with you Caerus it is my way or no way. Fair enough. Your cost and budget argument did make me snigger.... leaving it as it was would surely have cost less?

As pointed out all groups should be catered for. The fact I am not a jumper does not mean I am limited to baby steps. Some of us prefer to get our thrills from fast sweeping bends rather than jumps. Each to their own. Just because you prefer one thing doesn't mean we all do so as stated I'd prefer if they didn't put jumps on every fast downhill section...

My opinion.... as long as they don't go putting jumps on every stretch of downhilll trail! I really used to enjoying the fast sweeping bends at the bottom of the blue trail but now there are jumps every few metres so the fast sweeping bends are no longer fun for me. Some may be jumpers but I am not. I personally think they should have allowed riders to miss the jumps altogether by having a flat path for those who prefer sweeping down the hills. Giba needs to remember that there are all types who are members there and should avoiding catering to just one group.

Interesting. But what is even more interesting is the following which more or less shoots down your argument : "There is evidence that one of the main factors influencing the individual safety of cyclists is the number of cyclists using the roads, commonly called the safety in numbers effect. Cycling facilities increase the perception of safety, leaving aside the evidence supporting or detracting from their actual risk. Cycling increases on routes with cycling facilities, particularly if they are separated cycle tracks.With greater numbers of cyclists in relation to motorists the safety in number effect is seen. A wide ranging study by P L Jacobsen found that as cycling and walking increase, the chance that a given cyclist will be struck by a motor vehicle actually decreases. This pattern is consistent across communities of varying size, from specific intersections to cities and countries, and across time periods. Jacobsen found that doubling the number of cyclists on the road tends to bring about a 1/3 drop in the per-cyclist frequency of a crash with a motor vehicle. By the same token, tripling the rate of cycling cuts the crash rate in half." So based on your assertion there should be far fewer accidents in the UK!

I just posted about a stolen bike on the notice board but thought I would raise an issue with the Thule bike racks here. The reason for posting here too was because the stolen bikes post did not appear in the "what's new" list for me and I wanted all to be aware of this. Notice can be found here: http://www.thehubsa....ands-cape-town/ I often chain my bike to my Thule Hang On bike rack but just realised (and yes, in hindsight it may seem obvious but hindsight is after all an exact science) that it only takes an allen key to remove the whole top section of this rack and walk off with the bike, locked chain and all. This is presumably what happened here. Be aware of this next time you leave your bike "securely" chained to your Thule bike rack.

Hi guys, Tank Lanning, a rugby journalist, reported on Twitter that his bike was stolen off his Thule rack on the back of his car earlier today. I thought I'd share it here in the hope that if someone came across the bike they would report it. I do not have Tank's details but he is on Twitter @TankLanning. Tank, if you read this I hope you don't mind me posting on your behalf. This was an eye opener to me because, as obvious as it may seem in hindsight, I often chain my bike to my Thule Hang On bike rack but now realised that it only takes an allen key to remove the whole top section of this rack and walk off with the bike, locked chain and all. This is presumably what happened here. Please be on the look out for someone trying to sell this bike and be careful not to become a victim in this way yourself.

I see the Suntour air forks mentioned. I have the Suntour Raidon Air on my Silverback Phoenix. I'm sure it is an entry level one but I am not at all impressed. No rebound adjustment (do any air forks have these?) and seems to do very little even after trying to let air out, put back in etc.

Hold on, you changed the scenario dramatically there.

With a "C" please Read my previous post as I tend to be in full agreement with it being idiotic to cycle on a pavement "full of pedestrians". There are pavements (central Durban) and then there are pavements (residential areas). Although I do seriously call crap on your assertion that I could possibly kill a pedestrian based on my riding habits when on the said pavements. Injure for sure but to kill would take a "lucky" strike. If I am heading down hill, and my speed is likely to increase, I will ride on the road for that stretch. This is partly to do with the safety of pedestrians at this higher speed but more to do with me being able to avoid obstacles that are present (bumps/steps etc at each driveway for example) and said pedestrians. But anyway, this is all besides the point. I was responding to the individual who stated that he saw MTBers shooting red robots. I offered a reason I might be spotted appearing to do the same.

Oh dude, if you want a fight then just come right out with it and say so and we can let rip, this beating around the bush looking fro something to fight about is just tedious. You can twists my words all you want but it is tiresome. I ride trails. Most of the time at Giba Gorge. On occasion I will ride to the said venue. In doing so I will often stick to the pavements, as discussed above, as I am fully aware of the dangers of the road and feel it is up to me to look out for myself, no one else is going to. The said pavements are NOT in the centre of Durban, they are pavements in residential areas. I can often be on these for 30 minutes before coming across a pedestrian. You will also find, if you ever rode on said pavements, that they are rather wide, often with an even larger grass area on the one side next to the properties. When approaching a pedestrian there is more than enough space to pass and as a result of me being on an all terrain MTB, and not being one of the discussed arrogant cyclists, I'll take to the grass area to pass. No harm done to anyone. I also choose not to do my training on public roads so I am never travelling particularly fast when on the pavements. It is about getting where I am going rather than trying to break the bicycle land speed record that some seem so intent on beating (usually on substantial downhills so I don't really understand the benefit thereof?). But well done on your assumptions and, as stated, if you are keen to argue about something just say so and stop trying to nit pick what I say.

There is nothing wrong with the roads besides what has been discussed on the preceding 5 pages. I feel my chances with a pedestrian head on are far greater than with a truck! But in this instance reference was made to MTBers shooting red lights, I pointed out that the poster may decide I am doing this too when in fact I am on the pavement and hence following the pedestrian lights.

I'm in much the same boat as you in terms of being fairly new to this and made my first "proper" bike purchase in November. I am fully aware of the fact that it cannot compete with some of the bikes mentioned on here but then it was never my intention for it to do so. I do, however, sometimes wonder while riding with others, who have far superior bikes, how much of an advantage this is giving them. My bike gets me around but is it requiring a lot more effort from me? I see them flying down bumpy single track while my bike shudders and bumps it's way down. I seem to have to be a lot more choosy of the line I take while they just gun it. Obviously over time rider skills develop too but they must be getting some advantage. So yes, like you I do sometimes wonder to myself whether I should look at upgrading certain components but then I wonder how much difference it will really make. Now, taking into account my novice status, in your specific case can your fork not just be adjusted to prevent it bottoming out. Surely it should be able to be?

If I am riding on the pavement on my MTB, as I often do, then I look at the pedestrian lights when crossing...

As a recent mountain biker and non road cyclist I can only agree with that perception. Unfortunately it is the arrogant cyclists you tend to remember and not the courteous ones so this is the perception that sticks. I have all to often come across more than one cyclist riding abreast of one another on a narrow road. Of course, it gives me no right to knock them down but it does make the chances of this happening more likely. I also find, obviously as a result of the thin tyres and the existence of debris and glass etc, that road cyclists do not like to ride in the yellow lines but prefer to straddle the lanes. As a MTBer I again cannot relate to this as I make certain I am as close as possible to the road edge at all times when I do need to ride on the road. I will add that I find it interesting that the letter writer does not mind commuter cyclists but is opposed to recreational cyclists being on the road. How do they differentiate? I presume if you are not wearing cycling kit they assume you are a commuter. And why are commuters cyclists less of a hazard?

I'm in agreement here too... why limit any discussion relating to 29" or 26" to one thread? Why not just lump all MTB or road posts into one thread then? A 13+ page thread is not appealing to open either.

I have to admit to being in Rob's corner, only this time, when it came to interpreting your post, Andre. It seemed you were ridiculing 26" as old fashioned. Old school can, by definition, mean something from a while ago that is held in high regard but equally it can mean old fashioned, out of style and uncool. Your post seemed to imply the latter. Again, my opinion but you obviously weren't very clear...

One concern with lack of good signage at Giba is people riding the routes the wrong way. Flying around a bend on narrow single track and coming wheel to wheel with someone coming the other way is something I always fear on the busier days....

Reading through this thread again and it irks me every time when I hear people telling others to stop complaining, or raising awareness of issues as I prefer to see it. Surely that is the precise reason for a forum such as this? This section is after all called RANT 'n rave, not just rave. I appreciate people sharing concerns they may have, and so should any serious business owner.

One of the main reasons I ignored all advice to buy 2nd hand and went new. At least when buying from a physical shop it is a lot more difficult, if not impossible, for them to do a runner.

Ah, but you see then there are some of us who do not throw copious amounts of money at the sport but do it bare bones just for the enjoyment of it. I still ride with takkies on, much to the disgust of all and sundry who insist I MUST gets cleats. Yeah, so I am losing a few percent in efficiency but does that really matter when I am just doing it for fun? I am not trying to win any races. No doubt a few of you will say that being opposed to this just stems from jealousy that you cannot afford it. I can but I seriously feel the R400 can be put to better use elsewhere. But then again I am not pounding out 100s of kilometres every week... Now, no one who has suggested I pay for a bike fit has ever taken this usage pattern or my lack of cleats etc into account when insisting I MUST get a bike fit done. So again I will say that it is not the no brainer that so many are insisting. To me it differs very little from the newbie pumping huge money into the latest shoes/bike/gear because they want to be faster. Just get out there and ride I say. I'm still seriously interested in how this bike fit, with possible 4mm adjustments to my saddle height, is going to prevent me from crashing. Or more accurately, how not getting one done is going to dramatically increase my chances of having said wipeout. And, if we aren't talking about a bike shop, do these "experts" advertise their services? I have a few friends that I bounce ideas off but as with this forum each one seems to have their own opinion on things. I really fail to see how this differs so dramatically from anything I read online. Here too you find opinions. It is for you to be intelligent enough to realise which advice is worth taking and which to ignore. I can honestly say that I do not for one second believe that not getting a bike fit done will make my mountain biking experience vastly more dangerous.

And just to add that we seem to be discussing two different issues here and understanding the article differently. I see it to be saying that for the majority of weekend warriors they will benefit more from some stretching and fitness exercises than a bike fit... unless they have some money to waste.

So you're telling me that all the advice you get from your LBS is guaranteed accurate? Reading this forum seems to show this to not be true. In my experience just because someone at a bike shop says it, does not mean it's true. I will never follow advice offered by one source online but if numerous sources offer the same advice I tend to trust it. And I'm interested in how those 4mm adjustments on my saddle height are going to hurt me or my children? Seems like the usual dramatic sales talk. I disagree. It isn't at all if you ride within your limits. I don't shoot down hill on the trails at 65km/h as it is unlikely to make me any fitter but adds dramatically to the danger. You may say I'm boring but i know my limitations. As I get older, something you brought up, I am no longer lured by peer group pressure so I won't do what i don't feel comfortable with..... yet.