Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

Agree with NH on that one. The saddle height has alot to do with descending capability, purely because you can get FAR further back with a lower saddle. If your current "AM" machine is actually a trail bike (5 inch) then consider upping the travel on the front or shelling out for a sixer. Also - shorten your stem.

teaze...

don't know of anyone personally who has been a victim. I have had 3 bikes stolen, but one of those was in the UK and the other 2 were at my current home. I suspect that my previous garden boy had something to do with that.

+1 otherwise it's a biased poll and has no proper statistical base from which to work - it only has a positive response available.

A bit of both, I reckon. But as Mamps says - comfort first, performance second. Only in DH or FR disciplines was the suspension linked directly to extra performance in that people could go faster & higher. For the rest of us, it's a comfort thing. BUT it increases how fast we can go, so the performance vs comfort thing is one and the same. Suspension makes us more comfortable, therefore we perform better. But also, the bikes perform better becauuse we are more comfortable with more suspension.

more pics please!

PoS, I'm seriously with you on this one. Illegal trail building just takes all the good work we do and slams it in the sh1tter. As does illegal riding (riding on roads marked no cycling) - it's all bullspit. Dude, any trail building day (or personal health insurance on a protection-from-over-exuberant-trail-users standpoint) gimme a shout. You know I'm keen. I'm not afraid to throw my (not inconsiderable) weight around. As you know. Any of the trail users who gives you ****, as our official go-to guy and gatekeeper, does not know what he / she is endangering by being so belligerent. We must seriously get control of the trails and make sure that they stay in the shape that they're in (as well as continue to improve) and ensure that access to and maintenance of said trails isn't scuppered by the (claimed) ignorant few. After all, it only takes one bloke with a spade and with no authority to dig, to dig in the wrong place, and it ruins it all for us. And that, we cannot have. Guys - as a plea to all considerate(and inconsiderate) souls out there - please take to task the illegal rider, the illegal trail-maintainer, the illegal digger. If just one of us does that on one of our rides, and remains vigilant, then the chances of this happening again are reduced. Report it. If they're bogus, we as the proper trail builders and maintenance okes will thank you for strengthening our cause. If it's us that you report, we'll let you buy us a Mitchell's and then recruit you for the next trail maintenance day, where YOU can have a direct input on the maintenance and enhancement of the trails that we, as Capetonians and Tokai-ites have come to love. /Rant off/

Nothing wrong with Lycra. I use it to protect my man-bits when I'm in the saddle. And I'm on a HT to boot.

Tonguey Bwahahahahaha!!!

Not to mention that almost everywhere else in the world, it's the long travel bikes (140mm plus) that outsell the XC bikes. Purely for the fun factor, I'd imagine. We're one of the only places where XC outsells everything else...

Kung Pow! My word, mate - I need to see that again! It was awesome in it's suckiness! English Dubbing awesomeness! And the Kung Fu cow... Hahahah!!! But in terms of investing large sums of money into the keg - you're preaching to the choir here, mate.

Best bit of advice so far!!!

Hmmm... Hard to tell, because you might have gorrilla-like arms, which would suit a longer top-tube, but then again you might have short arms and torso, in which case it wouldn't. I remember riding my mate's medium EX7 and thinking that I'd need at least 2 sizes bigger. And I'm 1.83m tall. So yeah, the 21 sounds right for you. Just ride it though. If it's not for you, you'll know very quickly.

What, Point of Sale?

As in "Betty Boop"? Bwahahaha! Oh - and fantastic. Works much better with my schedule to have it next weekend.

Dude, do you have to ask? Of course we are... And next weekend as well? Woooo Hooo! I'm in. I really agree with the views voiced above. There needs to be gap jumps and tabletops of various levels and difficulties to help everyone progress properly. At the moment, there's just 2 types. Biggish gap jumps (think the 3 gap jumps on Vasbyt) and then 2 tiny ones (tabletop next to the 3rd gap jump on Vasbyt, then the gap jump on My Roots) If we make sure that most riders will be comfortable and can take a different line according to their skill level (at least on the jumps) then that's 1st prize. Personally, I think the dropoffs should be like the boxed ones shown above, to minimize the dreaded erosion, and to facilitate the progression from weenie to DH guru. After all - the easier you handle dropoffs, the easier jumps become! This weekend's session still on?

As far as I understand it, it also came down to the limits on the amount of travel the rear could have had on a 9er. However, looking at the pic on the previous page, that doesn't seem to be an issue. I just think it'll come down to whether the guys accept them or not. I mean, can you imagine a 9er shod Demo 8, or a 9er M9 FRO? I sure as hell can't.

Dudes... I might be out of this session. The wife has a pretty damn important squash match that she's playing on saturday. It's for provincial selection, so I'll get divorced if I don't support. Will try my damndest to be there, even if I have to make it in split sessions and arrive there all sweaty and dirty! I hear the girls like it dirty. But seriously - game is at 11. So smack bang in the middle of the farking day. Any idea what time we're gonna be doing this thing? If we start at approx 8am it's a definite shoe-in for me. Or I could just come after 12 if that's when the work's gonna be done? PoS?

Sorry flowta, but that's Fkn ugly... if it were 26 / 26 or 29/29 then it'd be fine. But it just looks like a... I dunno what it looks like, really. Just doesn't turn me on in the slightest. I guess it's like that saying goes though - only his mother could love him.

Roger.

Hell yeah! What time? I've got something planned late afternoon/evening, so can't be as late as last time (not that that was late)

In no way whatsoever. He's just a hater. There is nothing wrong with Silverback's frames. Yes, they may be a bit heavier than their competitors' frame offerings, but they're built solidly. And extra weight shouldn't be a deal-breaker unless you're one of the top guys. The Silverback range, like Merida, offer a VERY good value proposition. They spec their bikes very well, and from what I can see here, they are by far the best in terms of spec. I think the poster is just being a bike snob. Nothing wrong with Silverback.

For 10k you'll get a very reasonable hardtail. Should come with SLX gruppo and at least a Recon front fork, sometimes might be a Tora though. In terms of used bikes though, you'll get a LOT more for your 10 gees than what you would get for the same amount if you bought new. For new, best value is generally Silverback or Merida, but there are others that will fit your price very well. Just compare the parts that they all come with, and buy one that YOU feel is right for YOU.

+1

104 is seriously scary, believe me... Clocked that speed down Fields Hill & the m19 hill towards springfield in Durbs whilst tailing some random truck. That was in my wilder days...