Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

I don't think "decent deal" and "mech discs" could be uttered in the same sentence, IMHO, but you raise an interesting point. Mind you, which bike now DOESN'T have Disc mounts embrazed ont he frame? The cost of upgrading is not that steep, if you go for a bargain basement set of wheels and discs... I've seen a set of Alex TD20's and a set of mine own Tektro's go for under R 2k... Not bad for a prety bombproof (but OH SO HEAVY!!!) set of disc specific rims and hyd discs... I'd rather shell out the extra and pay for a half-decent bike with hyds, or an older bike with v's before I took on a mech disc behemoth. Chances are, the mech discer will have the ultimate in k@k list parts, so won't be worth getting in the first place.

I have bargain basement Tektro Auriga Comps. But I've changed the pads & discs - pads = Swisstop, discs = Alligator Windcutter & another wavy type of alligator. Only problem I've ever had is that they squeal like a mutha***** when cold. But damn, do they bite! Running 160mm front and back due to me not having bought a post-mount adaptor for the 180mm yet...

my *** that's a helluva conversion rate (or lack thereof)!!! The qc on the conversion process must be helluva high to enable it to convert without too much loss... Efficiency se gat, is what I say...

Hosing? WTF... Hoses. Sorry guys...

unless your name is peg-leg pete...

And took 1.5 to lose all its resale value...

1 word... ***! steer clear of mech discs. All of the disadvantages of hyds (weight) none of the advantages. Rather get a GOOD pair of V's, or go for Hyd discs. "bad" discs can almost always be made better by upgrading hosing, discs and pads... Go for the hydraulics, mate. For sure.

We all have that problem, Jarek... Although I must agree with some of the things said above, I firmly believe that down should have ROW. However - whoever is tackling the rocky technical section at the time of convergence has superiority. No use vloeking someone coming up/down when they're thrashing a hugely technical section / drop and they're halfway through and you want to get up, or vice versa. You can always back up and have another go, whether that be UP OR DOWN>

shot bro... I'm going to be based 2km from Tokai at my new office, so the temptation is going to be huge. As is the potential for a good 'ol thrash on a *** day. The bike was 5k new.

lekker fiets, Andre... Here's mine after the "update" and after a wet Tokai session... Seat is down low for the descent. So much better when wet! Upgrades - Reba RLT @ 100mm (changing to 120mm soon) 9sp deore shifters, fully enclosed cable kit, new cassette & chain, tubeless conversion. Saved 1.6kg with the fork upgrade alone. Next to come is a new crankset, then a smaller stem and finally better rims. But only when these ones funk out. Crankset is currently in the process of funking out, and will need a replacement soon. This thing descends pretty well for a 100mm HT. Slacker head angle than most xc hardtails, and heavy heavy welding. Helluva strong frame.

lol... stadig gaan is seker gaan... in my shocking soutie grammar

I think there is one with approx 60km of ST... heard about it a couple of weeks back. Can't remember which one it was though.

That's a good enough reason to buy one all by itself...

Hey Breezer, just a bit too slow! He's just bought a Merida 120 800D.

what can I say... I have a single track mind...

I've seen the Intense bikes, and I almost had a crisis. Having said that though, there is something about a Morewood Shova's innate simplicity, with its big, box-section tubes, gnarly welds and Single Pivot glory that just takes me over the edge. Timeless. And saffa-made.

lol... okay, I think a bit more categorization needs to be implemented... Fire Road = access for vehicles of all types, generally considered as a dirt road and therefore not classifiable as true MTB. IE: You can ride your road bike on it. Not technical at all. Jeep Track = 2 single lanes, side by side, that could be traversed by a jeep or some such similar high ground-clearance vehicle. Can be considered as minor technical, due to the generally run-down nature of the roads. However, most technical it gets is normally A rock in the middle of the road, or a slight degeneration of the road due to erosion etc. Wagon trail = moerse technical, wide-ish single lane, historically used by ox-carts to traverse mountain ranges. Littered with rocks and very technical in that you need to choose a line very carefully, otherwise you see your pip. Example - rocky section up near Silvermine gate. Single track = 2 types. Technical vs non technical. Non-technical ST = Can also be referred to as "flowing" but then "flowing" applies to technical ST as well. Non-technical = faerie garden in Tokai. Flows nicely, and you don't have to think when you place your front tire. Another "flowy" section would be the whole of Mamba. Not too technical, unless you want it to be. Technical ST = lots of rocks & $h1t. You have to pick your line, and commit. Examples of this are: Top half of Vasbyt. Some sections of Mamba. Any DH route. Snake Eyes. That pic that is on yonder page 1 with the okie going down a pretty steep descent next to a tree. Anything wif a rok what can be frown at yoo. Good track has a combination of the last 2, and maybe some wagon trail thrown in to boot. If I could ride ST all day, I would die a happy man.

It's gonna look sooooo much better with some mud on it! Get goin, liiiiightee!

I've got a 26" Hardtail. Will probably keep it, turn it into a (slightly) long(er) travel bike, and buy a 26" FS descending MACHINE like an intense or Ibis or Morewood... In my opinion, I'll learn alot more about the correct line, speed & angle of attack on my 26er than I could on a 9er, due to the way it is just that much more raw than the 9er. I reckon that a BMX might be the perfect thing for MTB though...

You are so right! Jeep track is off-road on-road!

Still like a bucking bronco at the back, I would assume... not comparable to a 6" FS I reckon, purely down to how the back doesn't absorb the bumps... AWESOME bike, though...

Yeah, Cape Town Cycles have been around for AGES. Mostly dealing in 2nd hand, and makes Avron's place look like a kiddy day care in terms of amount of parts & bikes etc. Well worth a look.

Well, the obvious answer is... Yes. You can put 26" wheels on a 9er, due to the extra space built into the frame/fork that allows for the larger diameter tires. You MIGHT be able to put 9er tires onto a 6er frame, depending on the clearance front and back. The question is, though, WHY!!!???

My hat... It's worth getting some of those bicicletta just for the gruppos...

look at Cycle Traders - AKA Avron's - in Salt River. He normally has some good stock of 2nd hand bikes. Alternatively, browse through the classifieds here or on gumtree...