beanz

Where do you get the funnel and/or the other bits and pieces needed for a bleed?

Thanks guys. I guess my home track is the spruit (he say's coming out of his burrow). But it's only a 20 min drive to thaba so I go there from time to time and I really like it there. I think I'm going to have a bit more fun on Thaba blue. Last time I went it seemed more rocky and eroded than before. I'm also keen to find out. It was a significant cost saving over the other contender, the Pike, which seems to be all the rage, and by most accounts it's at least nearly as good. The biggest complaint seems to be the lack of compression adjustment on the fork. That doesn't bother me too much. It's apparently pretty dialled out the box. It does apparently take a few hours of riding to break in properly. I'm going to Durban over easter, so I'm thinking my first proper ride might be at Giba gorge - that's your neck of the woods not so?

I got it directly from the importer - Gravity Imports. You can also speak to the guys from The Bike Shed in Contermanskloof, I think they are business partners. http://www.thehubsa....forks-seatpost/ I ordered it back in November, they were doing a good deal on pre-orders and the exchange rate was better. I don't know what it would go for now.

Thanks, will do!

Here is my Pyga 140 650b build with which I am well pleased. Rockshox monarch RT3 200x57 shock (comes with frame) Xfusion sweep RL2 fork, currently set to 140mm XT crankset, rear derailleur and cassette, Saint shifter Raceface NW 34t chainring XT brakes with icetec rotors (180 front, 160 rear) KS LEV seatpost Nukeproof warhead stem and bars ODI rogue grips Hope hubs, WTB frequency i23 rims Hans dampf 2.25 trailstar front, 2.25 pacestar rear Spent much of the weekend putting it together, did pretty much everything, with the exception of stuff that requires special tools, like pressing bottom bracket and headset, installing crown race and star nut, and cutting steerer. This is my first build - It's been a nice learning curve and a rewarding experience. Managed to swap and shorten the brake cables without needing a rebleed, though the rear brake could do with one. Being the klutz that I am, I dropped the spare insert and it bounced off somewhere. I gave up looking for it after an hour. Fortunately I was able to drill off the olive and prise out the old one. Yet to take it for a ride (apart from down the driveway). When I'm finished admiring it I might just do that, but right now I'm reluctant to get it dirty. Still to do:- would like to get rid of the gaudy Nukeproof graphics on the bar. Might cover them with vinyl covering.

Some problems you don't mind having.

She's gone in for 3M bodywork protection treatment. I've got all the bits and pieces lying about in waiting. I'll hopefully be able to do the build next week, probably over the weekend - will post again when it's done. That's the plan! The yellow frame is really stunning in the flesh. I'm going to feel like a very average looking bloke with a supermodel girlfriend.

Just arrived this afternoon...

Anyone in JHB going down interested in sharing a lift? Thinking of going on Saturday early morning, come back after racing on Sunday.

Yes, I'm doing it. I can't understand why this one isn't more popular. It's a truly spectacular route.

Just as well it's not on my bucket list! I'm happy to watch the guys suffer on the telly. Coming back to the Berg and Bush, it's great riding & a nice vibe. Only done the 3 day descent, I'm sure the great trek and 2 day are considerably more chilled. If you think you think you can manage the 3 days I'd go for that rather. The descent off the escarpment is special. It also seems like better value to me. It does concern me they're increasing the field size this year. But anyway not planning on doing it this year - going to try the 3 towers which is more or less at the same time.

Then you better start saving big time because next year's epic is R53.7k

With you on the blues Nico. They look steep enough for me. At my age injuries seem to take a while to heal as I'm currently finding out with a broken pinkie finger. As for going around to see a few towns by bike, there's the Portes de Soleil MTB tour. http://en.portesdusoleil.com/portes-du-soleil-mtb-tour.htm Though I wouldn't exactly describe this as a rest day, 90km long with 1000m climbing and 7000m descent! I don't get the impression that rest days are big on most peoples agenda.

Ibis have one for $5 http://cdn.nexternal.com/ibis/images/FD-Cover-24-400.jpg

The brakes are for scrubbing speed. The flick is for looking cool!

I'm talking about the basics but yes it's the same principle in action. The flick gets you into the lean and you rail out of it. One day I'll hopefully be able to do that!

No worries then, lets agree to agree (which I think we probably do, just in different words) or agree to disagree, whatever the case may be. My point is you won't see it but you may feel it, so filming it won't help. I'm sure you are instinctively doing it right. But for someone who isn't aware of the mechanism it can be helpful to experiment with it in a visible way to just to get the feeling for it. Once you know what countersteer feels like your cornering skill is transformed, whether you know you are doing it or not.

It's a subtle thing that you are probably doing already without noticing. You definitely won't see it, but you may feel it. When you say you lean the bike instead of turning the bars, thats exactly what you are doing. Think about the physics of it. There is no other way of leaning the bike except through countersteer. e.g. http://www.obairlann...ersteering.html but I agree it doesn't really apply to turning at low speed when climbing.

One thing that may be useful to try apart from all the above mentioned. When you want to turn to the left, try initiating the turn by turning your front wheel to the right. Just a slight movement, hardly noticeable, but it will result in the bike leaning to the left. The once this happens, as you lean with it, the front wheel will straighten by itself and like magic you will be turning to the left. And you'll be railing it. Slightly counterintuitive, but it does work. The problem is you can't initiate a turn at speed to the left by turning the front wheel to the left as this throws you off balance and the front wheel will want to slide out. You might find that if you are turning much better to the right that this may be the missing move you may be doing without even realising.

Not soon enough!!

In fact you could probably buy it, have it shipped to a friend in France or switzerland, ride it around the Alps for a couple of weeks, bring it home in the nice box they give you and still have some change left over.

All the right bits and pieces such as: Pike, Monarch Plus, Reverb stealth, X01 for 3499 euros. Same with 2x10 x9 for 3299. For 4k you're getting x01, BOS fork and shock, and yellow Mavic enduro wheelset. Even at 15 to 1 that's pretty amazing pricing. You'd be into the really big bucks to build that up here.

YT Capra - 170mm rear travel carbon 650b. http://i62.tinypic.com/2mg9mjn.jpg

That would be most appreciated..

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