Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

VERY good price for an awesome fork. And it really is an awesome fork. LOVING mine...

Exactomondo.

I think the Trance is a VERY versatile bike. 120mm travel, good geo and a very nice bike. If I were to buy again that would be on my list.

ah, yes - those ones! Nought bro, need to grow mine a bit larger before I attempt those!

those ones on the top of Vasbyt? if so - start on the lower one (small tabletop) and the top one (with the treestump as the kicker) and just start rolling over them, faster and faster. That's how we all started. That bottom one is a perfect starter jump. Small, short and everything around it is flat. You can hit that one at about 15kph and be sailing it, if you hit the take off properly.

Didn't know they made dual susser road machines!? Anyway - my choice - rather the Dual Susser. More comfort goes a loooong way, and can easily outweigh the weight savings of a racing hardtail. Plus, do you want to "play" with the thing? Then the dual susser is the one to go for. Maybe have a look at something with a bit more travel than your XC only machines, as it seems that you value your comfort over all out speed. Plus, you're the same weight as I am, and I knwo I'd be uncomfortable if I had to sit on an all out race machine for 4 hours every ride. I'd far rather be going slower, but more comfortably. Plus - the heavier bike will make you train faster! BTW - one of my mates is doing the Epic next year. He rides a Giant Reign. He's fit. He's fast. And you know what? I think he'll have FAR more fun on that than if he was doing it on a 29er HT. Why? Cos he loves the rough stuff and WILL be looking for things to jump off and on to.

That's why the guys have looked at different ways of layering the carbon, in order to make it strong in real world scenarios as well as the test lab scenarios. Have a look at the Santa Cruz in house testing vid for their Carbon frames. You'll see that the strengths of carbon far outweigh those of alu. As for the clipping a tree issue, either way your bike may come off 2nd best. But it'll be able to take more punishment if it were a carbon frame before it fails. Yes, when it fails it fails catastrophically. But then it fails at 50-100% higher stress levels than alu, so that argument is effectively moot. If you subjected an aluminium frame to the same forces that cause a carbon frame to fail, you;ll see that in fact alu (or steel, for that matter) is also a dangerous material when pushed beyond its boundaries..

I wanna get it, I really do! I see it coming towards me, slowly, slowly, slowly! But! Huh? What's that! It's too high! I can't get it! I missed it! Whooshed right over my head, it did!

Oh yeah - in the case of road bikes, without a doubt. I remember when I changed my alu bike to a carbon one. Yowzer, was there a difference! The thing is, in road biking you want to be as stiff as possible in order for all your power to transfer to the road, and it's under completely different forces to MTB. But remember, the new gruppo & wheels would have contributed to that "enlightened" experience as well... As for the OP, why didn't you SAY it was the Santa!

okay - I don't know enough on the subject of wheels to go further on that, but in a nutshell is it due to the overall tensioning role that the spokes perform on the circular construct of the wheel?

No, it won't make any real perceivable difference in the way / speed that you ride, nor is it worth shelling out for unless you were going to be upgrading anyway. In terms of bump absorption etc, yes carbon is "better" than alu. But there's also only so much a frame can absorb in place of a good suspension system. In terms of handling - all things remaining the same (geometry, head angle etc) then they will be the same. Carbon may just be a tad stiffer, so will respond faster to your pedal inputs (by faster, I mean that more of your leg power will transfer into the wheels as opposed to into the frame of the bike) If it were me, I wouldn't. Until my frame broke, that is...

Yeah, it's a sad sad situation. But seriously - the average Joe doesn't know that there may be weight limits on wheels etc. But if you go to an LBS to buy a bike, and ask their advice, they shouldn't just tell you to buy the pink sparkly one 'cos it's pink and it sparkles. More should be asked about what type of riding they do, and what they plan on doing with it. Sadly, this isn't done as much any more.

moer of a fast! Seriously though, quite fast. I reckon 30kph or so. But it's also all in the take-off. And I have yet to get the balls to do one at least 1/10th that size!

Send them to Enticement. He'll know what to do. Pfft. Thing is, you're right. But also, certain bikes are sold with a certain expectation of the type of rider that is going to be riding them (weight etc) and therefore are specced with certain wheels. It is the LBS's responsibility to ensure that, as the provider, the correct bike is being sold to the client. That includes the wheels / tyres that are fitted as well. That is if the guy doesn't come in and say (a la Little Britain) - I want THAT one!

Johan, in this example, surely the stresses on one area would be in compression whereas the other side would be in extension? EG - if I hit a 4ft dropoff to flat ground, and hard... would the bottom most spokes not experience forces in compression (ad yes, therefore be under less tension, but only due to the compressive force experienced when landing) and would the top most spokes not experience MORE tension (as a result of the downward gravitational force of the bike and rider)?

oh, here we go. The classic dodge. I asked you a simple question. Yes, my post assumed the athlete (cyclist) was an MTBer. That was perhaps the only error on my part. Advice on choosing a bike. Pay this oke. 'cos he really really mist have some supernatural joo-joo that makes it impossible for anyone to give advice that is as relevant and to the point as his!

Oh - and by the way - what, from what I said, was wrong?

Thanks, buddy. I live on your expectations and recognition. Really, I do. And yes, it is pretty much a black and white issue. Would you recommend a 170mm 26" Dual susser to a guy who is looking at getting into racing on the local XC circuit? Would you recommend a 100mm 29er hardtail to someone who is just looking at pottering around the trails or looking for a machine that can take the punishment that a hard day on the trails with 4ft drops would give? Would you recommend a rohloff hub to Burry? Would you recommend that I get a bio-pace crank or an indoor trainer that has full power meter functionality? As for blurred lines - they only exist when folks like you sit on them and rub them out in the hope of getting clients to run to you saying that they don't know what bike out of a Scale 950 or Anthem X0 or Flash 1 to get. Or if they should rather use their money to buy something that will do the job of standing up to the punishment that Tokai / Giba / Jonkers could give.

Yeah, exactly why I posted my diatribe. It's a lot simpler than it sounds. What riding will I do most of the time. Right. That means my options are x, y, and z. But I do this, so that rules out y. Now, which one of x & z do I prefer?

LOL. *could have. But yeah, I had a hybrid when I was in London. Commuting every day on a 53*11. Damn, that was good work! And yes, I did manual it when I needed to...

HAHAHA!!! It would have been SO out of place at Giba. The BMX would have made sense if Q'burgh & Lahee park BMX tracks were still okay and in a good state, but the MTB was the one to go for. Now - That will be R 349.95 please. I also accept beer.

ROFL. I Have Dugast.

the reference was to your scare-mongering and over-complication of the whole bike choice scenario. Buy what works for you. If you race XCO, then a 29er HT would suit you, unless you prefer the feel of a 650b (yes, it is possible to prefer how a bike feels!) If Marathon / Cross Country - 26DS / 29HT / 29DS with an emphasis on 29DS. Again, if you're racing. If you're wanting to have fun, or do more than just long distance monotony, go for the 26 DS. It will be more versatile than the 29 HT & DS. If playing on the trails / weekend warrior - 29 long travel DS / 26 long travel DS. Easy. More emphasis on the 26er due to low availability of LT 29ers. Also 26" long travel hardtail as an option if you're looking for a "pure" experience. If All Mountain - 26" 140mm plus DS. If Freeride - 26" 160 - 180mm DS If downhill - 26" Downhill machine. As for RS vs Fox vs XFusion etc X Fusion will be more value for money vs RS RS is more value for money than Fox Fox is moer expensive for the same performance as you get with RS & X Fusion Wheels Lighter is better Stronger is best Always go for a set that is stronger than you think it needs to be Most bearing systems are the same, except in the case of Shimano's old cup n cone variety which needs constant attention Brakes Personal preference really, but Clarks / Tektro SUCK! Avid need to be bled properly (ie: with patience) whereas Hope / Shimano / Formula just WORK. For DH / Aggresive trail - get 4 piston calipers on the front. Bars Wider = more control Narrower = more twitchy (less confidence inspiring) Stem Shorter = more control Longer = more twitchy (as above) Rotor rings - maximizing pedal stroke efficiency but too expensive to warrant purchase for the majority of cyclists out there, and more to the point, not worth it unless you're following a tailored training plan that includes pedalling analysis and modification at the highest level. IOW - not worth it for Joe Average. Nipples - always brass. Aluminium ones corrode over time Dropper posts - becoming a necessity as we all get more technically proficient and realize that a saddle up the arse is the easiest way for concentration to lapse. AND EDIT: Internal Gearing as a valid choice for everyone!? WHAAAAAT? The last time I looked it only came standard on some commuter bikes (inner city specific uni-taskers) in the form of Rohloff hubs and SOME DH bikes in the form of the Hammerschmidt system. It's heavy, ungainly and cannot reliably be shifted under load. Which effectively removes it from any equation until the guys develop a gearbox that WILL work under power - which still has to happen, btw. Unless they guys want a bike solely for commuting. In which case I'd recommend a single speed due to the low maintenance and ease of use. Seriously guy, it's all there. It's all HERE on this forum. Stop trying to charge people for your version of "advice" when it is nothing more than a sugar-coated info-fest. bottom line - people buy bikes that they LIKE. And what works for THEM. You'll never sell me a 100mm travel 29er DS or HT, because it's not what I WANT. And yes - people are swayed by looks. We live in a material world where appearance is a big thing.

Lekker article, Robo...

Normal reign is 6". Reign x is 6.7"