jonami

Both bikes are very similar. The Raleigh RC range has been around for ages, its a reliable well known and well used roadie for an entry level cost. They are constantly trading and seldom drop in value, however R6000 is too much, that price is up because its the Cape Town Cycle Tour and roadies are in demand. You can realistically pay R4500 for it. The Giant TCR is worth the price. It is also a known bike and has exceptional street cred. Take the Giant and you won't be sorry. The geometry on the Giant will be slightly updated compared to the Raleigh and will afford you more riding comfort and performance.

Good Afternoon: Please note we are starting to experience an escalation in attacks on cyclists within the Langebaan area. 1) Monday 18 April 2022 at approx 10:15 a female cyclist was accosted by two males on a tarred cycle path off Oostewal Road (main entrance road) outside Seaview Park (commonly known as Hopland). The cyclist refused to hand over her bicycle and was assisted by another cyclist and a motorist. The perpatrators ran off and could not be located by local SAPS. 2) Male cyclist was accosted and assaulted on Langebaan entrance road near Engen One Stop, by a single assailant. The perpetrator made off with the bicycle, but was apprehended by SANPARKS rangers and a motorist who stopped to assist. The cyclist has been seriously injured. The perpetrator is in SAPS custody and a formal docket opened. The bicycle was recovered. We are currently experiencing an unsettling crime spike within Langebaan. I would like to caution all who visit our area to please keep your items safe, cycle within the West Coast National Park, the Langebaan Country Estate or make sure you are cycling in numbers. Many bicycles have been reported stolen, few have been recovered and the new attacks on cyclists is very concerning. We are trying to give it priority attention with our local law enforcement agencies and government as well as our Neighourhood Watch, Team Langebaan Neighourhood Watch. Kind Regards Jon Amira Cycleworx Langebaan

Also depends who fitted it? Incorrect installation will dramatically affect the life span of the part. Dependant on the conditions of the use of the part as well. And finally a big component to affecting the bearing, is how the bike is cleaned. I am just assuming here, but making the statement that GXP PF doesn't last, one has to consider the above mentioned factors. 2000 km over three months is a lot of mileage and is far above the usual mileage of the average ride, you obviously and advanced rider which is a lot of usage on the part as well.

Silverback is definitely not an entry level brand. They are a fairly new brand (if you consider just over 10 years of trading to be new compared to Scott, Giant, etc). Silverback has come a long way, their head office is based in Germany, their brand is officially global - check their website - their after sales service is exceptional and their bikes are incredible value for money. As for being strong enough for a 1x setup, this is a common mistake. You don't have to be fit to ride 1x. 1x is an ultimate trail setup, you never lose torque, power or cadence when shifter as you would from a 2x or 3x when you shift in the front and have to make it up on the rear. 1x provides constant pedaling and a full use and the range of the gears on the cassette. Having said this, Silverback team that made it to 2nd overall on the Epic were riding SRAM Eagle 1x, so therefore its also just as good as for marathon riding. The Silverback team spend a lot of time in research and development and if they set that Sido up as a 1x, you better believe that you will get the best out of it. Lastly, I'm currently riding a Sido 1. Ridden a Sprada for a while as well. The Sprada is an awesome trail machine, more travel in the suspension, slacker head tube for trail riding. The Sido, is fast, its nimble and very precise, you won't be sad on spending the money on it.

The width. A 10 spd chain is slightly narrower than the 9 you can Google the dimensions . This is because the 10 spd cassette fits on a the same freehub size as an 8/9/10 speed freehub. Each cassette is more compact to fit an extra sprocket, thus the 10 spd chain is narrower. The tooth size on the sprockets and Crank rings are broader hence the tendency to catch. Spacer widths (From Shimano tech docs) 8 Spd: 3.00mm9 Spd: 2.56mm10 Spd: 2.35mm (1.0mm for lower spacer) Cog/Tooth Width (From Sheldon Brown) 8 Spd: 1.8mm9 Spd: 1.78mm10 Spd: 1.6mm Chain widths (From wikipedia)* 8 speed - 7.1mm (all brands)9 speed - 6.6 to 6.8mm (all brands)10 speed - 6.2mm (Shimano, Campagnolo)10 speed(Narrow, Direction) - 5.88mm (Shimano CN-5700,CN-6700,CN-7900) *These chain widths are the standard widths, which I assume are recommended. I wouldn't go wider, but a narrower chain will probably work as some chains are cross-compatible.

The chain will eventually catch and cause chain suck. Whether or not it works for some it won't work properly for long and you will wreck your chain quicker. I am a bike mechanic and deal with these matters every day at my workshop.

10 spd chain won't work on the 9spd front Crank rings. You can't mix 9 and 10 speed. 10 speed is slightly narrower than a 9 spd system. If you change the cassette and chain you can try find 10 speed Crank rings that will fit the Crank, however you need to change the shifters and most likely the derailleurs as well. Best to leave as is or buy a complete 10spd system upgrade or sell the bike.

http://youtu.be/L7W8UU9kXzs

"FOR SALE: Still under guarantee / warranty"... Be aware of ads such as these, no matter how new the bicycle or bicycle part or accessory is, the original guarantee is intended for the original purchaser ONLY. Guarantees and warranties cannot be transferred unless under written agreement and acceptance of the manufacturer or licensed distributor that they will transfer the guarantee or warranty over to you. If you purchase a product second hand under such pretense you could be in for a world of disappointment when the company turns you away. Attempting to make a guarantee / warranty claim if you are the second owner is a fraudulent action and can see you being charged as a criminal. Avoid bike shops that will help you "sneak" in such a claim as they are rotten to the core and this is a perfect representation of how they handle their business. Always approach the company directly or have a bike shop do it for you and obtain written consent from the manufacturer or licensed distributor.

Giant is a better buy over the Spec, you'll pay more just to ride the name, Giant has as long a history as Spec, its bullet proof, its the underdog, just when you think you've had enough, it'll surprise you. If your look at the specs on paper, Giant gives you XT shifters, Spec gives you SLX, score one for Giant. The Spec fork, Rockshox Reba SL is a good fork, as is the Fox on the Giant, yet the cost to service the Rock shox is almost half the service cost on the Fox, score 1 for the Spec. Giant gives you an XT crankset, Spec gives you a SRAM Custom, I'm a SRAM fan, but you can't fault XT quality in build or weight, score 2 for the GiANT. I'm with the Spec on giving you a SRAM chain, Giant gives you a KMC, score 2 for the Spec. Spec's mix of SRAM and Shimano is probably the quest for ultimate performance, whereas Giant is staying with Shimano and Fox on this brand and next year will probably jump to SRAM and Rockshox as they tend to swop every year. My opinion, take the Giant, slightly better bang for your buck, but dump the Shimano chain and put a good SRAM 10 speed on, the SRAM chains, are very hard wearing and will doubtless outlast that KMC chain. Seems someone else had a similar problem... http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/giant-anthem-x-29er-1-vs-specialized-epic-comp-alloy-831618.html

Apologies for the poor quality

At the parking area on the farm, there are a couple of liability notices and you can't miss the box its right there. note there are no ablutions at the parking area, so you'll have to be creative along the trail

In the West Coast we have a severe lack of decent trails, however we managed to locate this little gem, Wolwefontein, just outside of Darling. I've done jonkershoek (nothing ever compares) and many other cape trails, but Wolwefontein really is gem. Loads of single track, switchbacks, ramps, climbs descents etc. The farmer very kindly allows cyclists to ride with a payment of R30 in an honesty box. Go check it out.

Please be on the lookout for a stolen Morewood dual suspension MTB, 650b. The bike is red and white, size is large. Was stolen from clients garage on Sunday 25 May 2014 in Vredenburg. If you see an advert with this bike or know anything that could lead to the recovery, please call me immediately. Jon, 0737344098 Cycleworx Langebaan

@flymango, I should imagine trying to co-ordinate 30000 cyclists can be a bit chaotic. I found this year's organisation better than that last couple of events and the marshalls very helpful. I guess its a matter of communication and we are all responsible to read and understand the letters and instructions we are given in our race packs. I should also imagine most guys don't bother reading them and just try follow the rest, this is where the confusion comes in. I would also suggest arriving at least an hour before to get yourself to where you want to go, half an hour is too little time especially within that crowd. @Tomik - I agree.