Brighter-Lights

I also want a IFP schrader valve adapter - price? Thanks http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mPZZD4om2qZ8eE34InWk5Iw.jpg

Not tried any Spez saddles but I don't like the Gobi. My personal choice - any Selle Italia SLR - once rode almost 450km in 24hr Solo on SLR 135 with not a mark down there - used cream though.

+1 Swat

So the cassette and chain are both brand new? How are the front chainrings? Slippage like you described normally happens with new/worn drivetrain components mixed together - IF everything else is aligned and adjusted properly. Could also be ghost shifting if it's a suspension bike.

Check out Superstar Components as well. http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/

Re UPS as mentioned earlier: Quote from a recent email: " Please note that UPS charges a disbursement fee of R105.00 or 4% of the advanced amount whichever is greater per shipment. The Vat amount payable is also based on the declared value of the goods. This is calculated by customs. I hope you will find the above in order."

I've been sending 4 emails in 4 days... no reply yet...

I used MDS Collivery on a regular basis. Got to know of them when stuff I bought on Buycycle.co.za arrived with MDS. R130 for a fork R220 for a wheelset R500 for a complete bike in a bike box I like them because I can schedule a collection online without having an account with them, just need to register on their website and get billed monthly + have 30 days to pay. +1 for Post Office EconoParcel if you don't care to wait a few days.

I hate Stans for several reasons – the biggest reason is the mess it creates inside the tyre and most recently the rubber ball inside the tyre 3 days after I fitted the tyres. How well a type of sealant works depends on various factors: Rims: 1) Real UST rims like the Mavic CrossMax SLR type 2) Tubeless rims with a proper bead hook like Stans or American Classic 3) STD rims fitted with a rubber rim strip like Stans or Eclipse kit or ghetto tubeless 4) STD rims sealed with insulation tape – used since 2005 but type 2 above is much more reliable. Tyres: a) Real UST tyres like Maxxis LUST with very thick sidewall. (UST bead) 600-750g B) UST compatible like Schwalbe EVO Pacestar or Geax TNT (UST bead) 500-650g c) STD foldable tyres (some seal very well, others leak through the sidewall) 450-550g d) STD ultralight tyres (most leak through the sidewall) 380-450g Sealants: x) Water based y) Latex based All the above combinations can work, but some seal a lot better than others and is more reliable. The best combo for me for training is: 1/2 – a/b – x/y The best combo for me for racing is: 2 – c – x The worst combo generally is: 1 – c/d - x So depending on your tyre choice and tubeless setup, you may require a sealant that reacts quicker or one that’s more sticky. From 2004 I made my own latex based sealant and a 5L latex was R95 and lasted 5 years with many tyre changes. Latex based sealant creates a sticky mess and while it’s ok if you never change tyres and don’t care about weight, it’s just one big mess if you quickly want to fit your race tyres if you’re not fortunate to have 2 wheel-sets. This made me try other sealants incl. Stans, but most of them create some sort of mess and glue to your tyres and the tyre bead. I like tyres clean when I take them off for storage or when I only want to fit a set of tyres for a specific event. Then I discovered the Midas sealant at R35 for 250ml diluted with ready mixed antifreeze. Cheap and clean, no mess, easily washes off with water – tyres stay like new on the inside, seals punctures just like Stans, but it’s not as sticky as Stans and react slower with air so when using a tyre of type c or d above it takes longer before the sidewall seals. So I’ve been using the Midas / antifreeze mix for a long time successfully and recently while travelling saw a bottle of Stans in a shop and thought ‘let’s try this stuff again and see if they’ve maybe improved the formula since I’ve used it in the early days’. I now have 2 wheel-sets and fit the race tyres the day before the event and take them off after the event again. I thought the Stans won’t create a mess as I’ll wash it off before it gets hard inside the tyre. What a mistake. 3 days of Stans in the like new wheels with brand new tyres and already have white stuff glued to it and a rubber crystal ball inside the tyre. Stans work but I hate the mess it creates and at that price, the Midas sealant diluted with antifreeze totally beats it.

Stans suck

I've also raced rigid hardtail for a while - and I can tell you that a light weight full sus saves your body big time compared to a rigid hardtail, and that energy saved by far outweighs the minimal pedal induced bob ppl talk about - really it's not noticeable if the suspension is set up correctly and once you've learned to pedal in proper circles - because legs pumping like pistons WILL make anything bob... that's just what I felt when going full susp. - forces you to work on proper pedalling technique = almost zero bob.

There's very little flex in the Anthem's suspension, it's a very stiff frame. With correctly set up suspension it feels like a XC bike with endless travel, but the Spez is a harder riding bike - the Brain gives it more platform than the Anthem - but an Anthem with correctly set up suspension does everything perfectly - the RP23 or Monarch RT3 gives you endless tuning options. If you like more of a hardtail feel then just ride with propedal in #2, depending on the factory tune of the shock, but most are MM

Giant Anthem is one of the best working suspensions ever - barely any energy loss (IF the suspension is set up correctly) - best feeling suspension overall - can't beat an Anthem. Scalpels and Merida's have a harder feeling to them which is great for XC racing but the Anthem does everything and does it very well.

I suspect that the type A.B and C packs, most def A, had a weak cell. Discharging them on a balance tester would immediately shed some light. That one weak cell drops and bring the overall voltage down to trigger the protection circuit cutoff. I've tested many china batteries and most were around 4000-4300mah for the 4 cell packs not bad for the price - but quite a few were rather disappointing. This test seems a bit biased. Maybe test 5 batteries from each supplier/manufacturer - from the many many many batteries I've tested results like above were not a frequent occurrence. If you want quality get something with Sanyo, Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung cells...

Great to hear. I had similar service from ASG regarding Rudy helmets and Rydon Lenses - replaced no questions asked. With service like that one can buy with peace.

Forces fork dealing with while riding are much greater than should it hang on a wall.

Giant bikes said they might discontinue 29er in 2 years depending on market feedback... and with almost their whole 2014 stable being 650b you just know where it's going...

Chains are long due for replacement...

Anodising will change the dimensions and possibly to a degree that will ruin the part depending on how long the part is cleaned/etched and which solutions are used to do so etc. I've anodised various parts before and when it comes to areas with critical dimensions I silicone those areas first and once the silicone has fully cured I strip the part and then start the anodising process. So threads or bearing surfaces remain like they were and in 95% instances they are also not visible when the part is installed.

There's a reason most top 24hr solo guys ride Ergon grips...

Get a top spec 26er full sus for cheap and put 2.25 tyres on ;-)

LOTs of times parts can be sourced cheaper than CRC on ebay and other online bike stores. I used to order a lot from CRC but they're no really cheap anymore...

What I do is check seller/buyer feedback and posting activity on the HUB before dealing. Then, when listing something for sale, I don't incl. the email or phone option... PM only... buyer has to contact you through the HUB. If I'm not at ease I will suggest that we swop out copy of ID's and proof of address but even this can easily be faked. Recently bought something here from a Hubber that's been registered for a while, no friends on his profile, no posts. Wasn't sure how real the add was. Asked him to deliver the goods for cash at a friend of mine in Centurion - all worked out good. I generally trust Hubbers with feedback or other regular HUB activity.

I'm a big Giant fan and would probably like an Anthem Advanced 650b if I had to buy a new bike, but what they're trying to say now is that 29er are not so great and that everything will go 650b - back to small wheels... "27.5 TECHNOLOGY: Three reasons to believe Lighter Weight • 27.5-inch wheels are only five percent heavier than 26-inch. By comparison, 29-inch wheels are 11 percent heavier than 26-inch. (true for top of the line wheels yes) • Overall weights of 27.5 bikes also trend closer to 26 than heavier 29 versions of the same series. More Efficient • 27.5 wheels accelerate much like 26, outperforming the more sluggish feel of 29-inch wheels. (Saying 26" wheels accelerate quickly and 29ers are sluggish) • 27.5 wheels roll over obstacles with much more control than 26. That translates into more efficient cornering, acceleration and braking capabilities. (Why then is the majority downhill bikes still 26"? because they handle quickly and doesn't seem to have too much of a problem rolling over the rough stuff - you decide...) Better Control • The larger the diameter of a wheel, the greater the contact patch of the tire. A larger contact patch results in better traction—which improves acceleration, deceleration and cornering. 27.5 wheels provide a contact patch that is similar to 29-inch wheels. (depends on rider skill, enough grip on my 26er to ride on the front wheel when braking hard) • The larger the wheel, the larger the frame dimensions must be—and that leads to unwanted flex. A flexing frame causes sloppy handling and slower acceleration under heavy power. A 27.5 frame flexes less than a 29 frame, resulting in better control. (Saying 29ers are flexy)

I like this one: 'That said, if the market progresses the way we believe it will, 29-inch will be phased out in approximately two years....' Some time ago in a 29/26 discussion I was flamed when I said 29er is mostly a marketing thing and that ppl must watch as 650b will be the next thing - I was just wrong with the time frame, I said see in 3 years... it happened much sooner. I'm not against 29 or 650b, for new bike buyers it's a nice choice, but upgrading from top spec 26er to 650b is a really small difference no matter what they try to make you believe.