camelman

I replaced an slx lever without having to bleed the system again. You might be lucky if you need to change them around. It is a sealed system, so in theory you should be able to disconnect and swap. This may work, but there are no guarantees.

2013 Model was terrible. Rode a 2014 on a test bike that was much better, but not my favorite. I like the firmer feel of the Rockshox. Just my personal preference.

Depending on your skill level, I would go with the one with slacker head angle. Usually the Merida's are really aggressive (had two, so I speak from experience) and a bit twitchy, thus limiting you to XC racing in general. At least with the Scott it has the chip you can swap in the rear suspension to make the head angle slacker and the BB lower. The Scott can also double up as a light duty trail bike. Another point to remember is that all the Scotts come out with the twinlock system. It locks both the front and the back shock at the same time. The Merida, I am not sure. I have seen two models with one having a Fox "twinlock" and the other a separate Rockshox lockout for both shock. Something to consider as well as confusion and clutter on your handlebar is not always great, especially when starting out. And last point to consider is the bike that actually makes you want to go out and ride. The one that speaks to you. I know the Scott comes in more expensive, but you have to compare apples with apples and most bikes these days have pretty comparable price points for the same spec. Your choice in the end and my 2 cents worth. I am not a huge Scott fan anymore, but between the two I would pick the Scott if I was a weekend warrior

I agree although that small Scale 29r was advised by a bikeshop. That was bought when woman's bikes were purple copies of male bikes. All new bikes from now on will go for the standover test with baggies as well as the dismount behind the seat. For her trail bike 650B is the maximum wheelsize she can safely stand over when getting off behind the seat. For the trail she has a Scott Genius 720. The standover there is ok and she can safely get off the back without the wheel sucking her baggies into seat tube. BTW, that intense looks super small for a medium. Good brand to buy if your pocket allows it.

Me and the Mrs are going at 7:41. Hope not to get held up on the techy stuff and downhills as that is the only place we can go fast. Might hold up the racing snakes on the uphills though

I applaud Christoph for all the work he does in the community, and I think this race is a great boost to the community. It gives the people a day where they can forget their struggles to survive and see and cheer the best in action, an oppurtunity they won't get otherwise. The youngsters also get the opportunity to look up to these riders and aspire to do better in life than get caught in a crime cycle that unfortunately accompanies many of these communities. Sometimes events like these can do much more to uplift the community than a lot of money that just gets pumped in there.

I agree with Jaaki's observation that it needs to slide in and that might be where you have hassles too. If you were to ditch them and want something with a bigger platform, try the Shimano XT trail pedals. Still the same SPD design on both side of the pedal, but it has a cage around it that would make riding with you tekkies easier. It is also a great help if you can't get your foot in and you are already on the downhill

Chuck Norris has such good skills, he only needs half a fork. Happy Birthday old timer, see you turned 74 yesterday (the real Chuck, KFM was full of Chuck Norris jokes yesterday).

With a name like stretch I guess your daughter might follow in your footsteps? My wife also has a Scott scale 29r and standover is very tight. Not super or safe, especially in an emergency dismount when you cannot decide where on the toptube you will standing over. Funny thing is it seems the trailbikes have lower standover height, although they have more travel. I guess if you are 1.7m and above male bikes should be fine, otherwise go try them out. Make sure you can stand comfortably over the toptube with your feet in front of the pedal/crankset

At that height you will struggle to find any small bike that fits. My wife is 1.60 and can barely stand over the top tubes of her bikes. Go womans specific. Not a mens bike painted purple. Check the specialized, giant and Santa Cruz(Juliana) womans bike lineup. Make sure you can comfortably stand over the top tube with at least 2-4cm to spare. Would also a recommend 650b wheelsize bike for you.

Try applying some soapy water with a sponge to the bead next time. Sometimes it works wonders. Had similar issues with my Geax on Rovals. Sorry about your tire damage. It sucks big time

\You can even go a touch lower. I run the same size tires. What you will find, is a tire with a stronger sidewall can be run slightly lower as the tire holds it's shape well. I reckon everyone over 85kg, like yourself should run a tubeless tire with a stronger sidewall(Schwalbe snakeskin/ Geax TNT/Maxxis UST). I have found that at my weigh the lighter sidewalls tend to "fold in" under itself when you corner aggressively. This is just my opinion after playing with pressures and trying different brands of tires.

At 95kg I don't qualify as a snake. More like a fat anaconda

Golefty sounds like those trolls on News24. Whipping everyone into a frenzy with his bizarre statement. Maybe he should go post his statement on there and check the response.

Dissapointment: Momsen bike stand. When will companies learn that painting a bike white and pink and putting a woman's specific saddle on does not make it a woman's bike. My wife was super bummed at learning its a repainted standard model. She is quite short and have standover issues on most biked except women specific. So yes, big up to Santa Cruz for having half their display as Juliana's.

I weigh 95kg and on a 29r 2.25/2.3 front Tire I run aound 17-19PSI and on the back around 22PSI (Yes I use PSI cause it gives me a bigger scale to work with. There is a big difference between 1.31bar and 1.39 bar)

Liability, that is the only reason. If you run lower it's on you. Thank our lawsuit happy friends in the USA for that info.

It is great to hear that they have responded and hopefully educated the driver. No use "nailing the bastard" or suspend him from duty as this will only cause more antagonism towards cyclists in general. Hopefully the incident in Sea Point has told us all to try and resolve these situations without violence. The only other way is to do what was done above, report the situation and let the companies deal with it as I am sure they are actually getting some systems in place to deal with it. The more this is done, the more educated drivers we will have on the road. Unfortunately this does not work for all the other fools on the road in their own cars. On the other hand, also learn to share the road. If vehicles are getting stuck behind you/ your group for kilometers, stop for a moment and wave them by. This will actually go a huge way to instill some good will towards cyclists. We don't own the road, it belongs to all vehicles.

No worries for now. Apparently they only received stock this week or last. The kit should be in the bike shops within the next 10 days, Africa time (make it 2-3 weeks on the calendar). As always nothing much new at the expo. This (ION) and the Brunox lube lube stall were new-ish. I talked to the guys at Brunox and they say they were not selling well, yet. They sell those little aerosols lubes for chains and stanchions, but I know them from the stanchion lube oil I have used in the past. As I have found out after coming back to SA, looking after your suspension is not something that gets done at all(generalising here) until it breaks down completely and then we complain like hell about the prices of new suspension parts (ask mr Droo). Days after arriving here I went to 4 bicycle shops and no one had oil for lubing your stanchions, one guy even wanted to sell me Squirt to lube it, as they have never heard of applying lube to your stanchions. So come on people show your stanchions some love, it will even improve their performance remarkably.

Check out the ION brand of clothing as you come up the stairs from the basement. Nice bright colours and good quality clothing for the baggies and backpack club. Gonna get myself a pair of baggies and a long sleeve top for the trail.

Bactroban also clears it up. No prescription needed,but you have to ask for it at the pharmacy. The cream one works best. To avoid it, chamois cream. I prefer the Mark chamois cream to the Assos one. And on top of it, it is much cheaper. I use it for all rides over an hour.

Was actually referring to Philip riding the 650b. And you are right about Nino and the 650b development. I think he might be the "boss" I was referring too .

Yep, gotta ride what the boss tells you to ride. If it puts the food on the table, you don't exactly have a choice.

I have 3 Evoc bike bags and there is absolutely nothing better. They are the best compromise between bag weight and bike safety. The one has a small tear in it, but I know my bikes will be safe. If you are a regular traveler it is a great investment. I know it is expensive, but you pay for what you get. And the plus is it fits 29r wheels in the wheel pockets too. We flew to Spain on Easyjet last year and got my Stumjumper 29r and all my riding kit in the bag and it came to around 25kg. Clothing and so on also helps to protect the bike from knocks. Just remember to remove the discs from the wheels are they are prone to bend when being bashed around a bit. Remember the following: SAA gives you a free bike allowance of 23kg-just confirm that as on some routes they don't Other Star Alliance airlines charge you $150 for a bike that can weigh up to 32kg As for the other airlines just check the websites Enjoy the travel

Ah Sorry. My fault. Apologies. Have no experience with the new ones. Was looking for a set myself too at some stage and then just went the Stans way when they were not available. Anyway, good luck