hansolo

Umm, I still have alot of life left in the Knards... I'll start shopping around for some Chronicles, very happy with Maxxis on my other bike.

I have a Surly Krampus (29+ with rigid fork) as my N+1 bike. Once it is up to speed, it keeps speed really well and it's not too bad for most places I ride. 650B+ could work for you as "normal" 29" wheels will easily fit on the bike and suspension forks is readily available. Has anyone tried 29" for front wheel and 650B+ on the back, I think it would be a good mix. Not so sold on the Surly Knard tires though..

I have a Rocky Mountain Instinct, it may be more of a "medium" travel trail bike with 130 mm travel front and rear. I'll be putting a 140 mm Pike on it shortly, 130 mm 29er Fox 32's is not ideal. Really awesome and very versatile bike. 2018 Altitudes has been unveiled, 2018 Instincts might be worth the wait. I'm 1.9 m tall, weight way too much and ride an XL...

Interesting topic, I can see where you are going with this. I must admit, there is certain brands that are inherently more "cool" than others. I’ve had a Nishiki, a Univega, a few Konas, a Giant, a GT, a few Ragleys and currently have a Surly and Rocky Mountain. My buying decisions for most of these bikes was based on value (I was lucky enough to get a few deals along the way) and this trend will probably continue in future. I cannot really warrant spending the same amount of money on a frame vs. a complete bike (or in some cases a set of carbon wheels). I don't really have a LBS so this does not really influence my buying decision. I think it’s good that brands like YT is shaking up the market a bit, let’s hope the “cooler” brands also bring out better value bikes… To answer your question, I would change brand if I need a new bike and I can get a really good deal on a well specced bike that is (hopefully) a bit futureproof. I might consider getting a complete bike with a really good frame that I'm able to upgrade as my finances improve.

Sorry for the late entry to this thread... There is no I in TEAM BUT there is a ME.

I would squeeze every last bit out of that budget to get a Yeti SB5.5c or SB4.5c. http://cdn.bikemag.com/uploads/2016/09/BIKP-160800-BTST-03.jpg

I do agree with you, if it was a top spec bike for R50k it would be a good buy. There is some 2nd hand bikes that might still need some upgrade. Personally I would spend that amount of money for a bike with a Fox32 and no dropper post.

I'm constantly amazed at the price of some 2nd hand bikes advertised here. Not always the latest model, sometimes with a carbon repair (rim or frame), a few years old and sometimes upwards of R50k! They do come with nice stories of service histories and groupsets with so many kours/km's on them. I would rather spend the money on new bike with a bit less bling (and a warranty) than buy some of the "higher end" second hand bikes advertised here. Do these bikes actually sell or is sellers just trying their luck? Willing buyer, willing seller I suppose...

I'll also continue to support the likes of CRC (at my own risk) especially considering that local distributors are playing nasty by enforcing export restrictions. I've had my ups and downs with CRC, but in general they are not too bad. I had a Ragley frame that cracked and they gave me a warranty after I sent in photos of the crack and later the destroyed frame. Local support is also a myth, the ratchet on my locally bought Shimano shoes stripped and Shimano does not seem to carry these parts. Even local bike shops takes the piss sometimes, I bought a roll of Gorilla tape for tubeless the other day. Bike shop charges R130, the same roll goes for R80 at the locals Builders Warehouse! There is alot of arguments for and against buying local, our local online shops is really not too bad for tires and general parts. For big purchases I'll continue shopping around for the best deal.

Bamboo bikes is an interesting concept but one I will give a skip... Metal (or Carbon Fibre) is more uniform and has been around for some time so construction methods has been refined. No doubt bamboo is up to the task but I wouldn't spend my well earned cash on a bamboo bike. I will admit I'm jealous of your endeavor though, best of luck!

Nice to see trails I started to ride on (and helped to build in some cases) here, brings back great memories! Think I should plan a weekend to the old hometown soon. Keep up the good work.

Close to a R17k price difference on the cheapest model compared to Europe. You could almost justify a quick European holiday to make up the difference!

Looks like a great event! The link to buy tickets seems non-responsive.

While the world is speculating who Die Muishond is, he is busy with KOM's for trails/segments still to be built... His legacy will live on long after the man/legend. As soon as a new segment opens up he will have the KOM by default.

I think we should get him on Segment Hunter as "Die Muishond", he could set a time for other riders to beat (in his fullface helmet and fireproof suit). Some say he is the MTB equivalent of the Stig...

I've a GT-R Type CX for quite some time now, really like the concept. I mainly use it on the road, it's got some Kenda Kwick Tendril 35's on. I will definitely go the same route again if I'm buying a "road bike".

Interesting topic this (sorry but I haven't read the whole thread), there seems to be growing trend towards bikes like this in the States. Alot of bikes is for touring (29" based) and "gravel grinders" (700c based). I'm sort of tinkering with the idea to convert my GT CX bike to something along these lines, but a new frame, wheels and disks is going to cost a pretty penny. Some cool examples: Salsa Fargo Trek 920

Running a 120-140 mm fork would suggest 100-120 mm rear travel? Should be a nice bike if the price is right....

Alan This event was amazing. Some of the best singletrack i rode in along time. Is it possible to get a GPS download of the route from you? I live in Lephalale and want to go ride there again with some friends from Gauteng. Regards Hans

Dumbo is fine and luckily insurance is sorting him out. It still sucks and I hope justice will be served. There is a special place reserved in Hell for people like that...