TYGA

Is there a link to Yangnum PI's heroic tale? XTC12009-05-27 00:31:10

Super duper awesome I want one and I want it now.

If you run into anyone wanting to sell a Shova ST complete or frame only please send them my way.

What did your guys' built up Shova ST's end up weighing? My mate reckons his is around 15K's....nice and hefty! Would love one of those beasts....not long now....

Restore it to standard. I picked a totally original one up in the Cape Ads a couple of years ago for R250 or 300 bucks, rode it around the block a few times and then it stood gathering dust and cobwebs. I sadly sold it for a grand a while later to buy a longboard. Still got the longboard....still loving it....but when it's trashed, I know the regrets about that Chopper will be back.

How you loving the bike? I have an 08 EX8 and love every minute of it...single track loving machine!!!

I have the Fuel EX 8, 2008 model, awesome bike!!! I think pre 2008 the rocker / link for the rear shock wasn't one piece and the tail end of the bike wandered around a bit. This was sorted out by using the 1 Piece EVO link which also has a floating pivot. The Bontrager seatpost and seat QR was too lightweight for me...had to replace both. My point is basically, if you buy one, make sure it is post 2007 as I know you can pick the pre-2008 ones up from Solomons pretty cheaply.

At least remove front or both wheels if possible and you absolutely have to leave them outside... less likely to go missing if they can't be ridden. A lock or chain can get clipped very easily with bolt cutters. What about designing and having some sort of security "bar" made which can go through the frames and locked into position? Some tail end bikeracks have a system you could try and copy

Def no HP washers. I used one on my bakkie and the pressure actually removed some of the factory fitted stickers on the paintwork. You can also ask William Keith at Williams Bike Shop what happens when someone accidentally HP's your leg...now imagine adding some grit and spraying that on your bearings. Suicidal. My one brain surgeon mate decided it would be a good idea to use a high pressure parrafin gun. Don't even ask what his bearings ended up like. At least his cassette was nice and shiny....

The cargo hold of a plane is pressurised, you don't need to deflate wheels. Adding "goo" to a tubeless tire can be tricky at first but you soon get the hang of how to do it. The WWW is full of info of how to go about all / most aspects of converting / maintaining (which should be minima) but best is to polish up on the theory and then just get stuck in yourself. If you dont have a compressor an inflation bomb does the trick nicely, alternatively I have also had success with a floor / workshop pump.

Post a description of the bike...who knows where it might turn up.

stay rigid! I hear that all too bloody often...

Have you taken it offroad...how does it ride?

I have an old cro-moly Giant ATX 780 circa 1993 with Deore DX in not too horrible condition lying around at home...it still has one of the old school stems on that you tighten with an allen key from the top and currently has a rigid fork from a Mongoose Iboc Pro on it. I want to SS it and was wondering if anyone knew whether those would have a different diameter head tube to modern bikes? I have an old suspension fork I wouldnt mind putting on it and wanted to check if it would be compatible. XTC12009-03-05 03:56:26

Very nice well done...what gear ratios you using? What did you do for spacers...I've heard some guys use a piece of PVC pipe cut to the right length? You were lucky not to need a chain tensioner.

You dont need to Ghetto anything, if it is a tubeless rim you add sealant and off you go. The bead should seat fine. Search on the web, some non UST tires have very soft sidewalls and aren't recommended to be used as tubeless, you can do it with most though. Do a search on tubeless conversion on theHub or on the Web and you'll find a wealth of info.

90 kilo's, ride a TREK FUEL EX trail bike, blew out at about 2.2 bar. I ride varied terrain, lots of singletrack, the odd rocky section thrown in. Ride fairly aggressively...those tires were never suited to the bike or to my weight I guess....they lacked grip when pumped hard and when riding them softer I used to ding the rims when landing on rocks. Fast rolling though. I also damaged the sidewall on the rear wheel on some rocks in Transkei...sidewalls too weak and thin...I have a sneaky feeling that that is where the tire blew out. I think for a lighter XC rider at the right pressure they should be cool but no good for me though!

If you ride rocky often make sure you don't ride your tires so soft that you end up damaging your rims. I was marvelling at how great tubeless was and how you could crank across rocks without getting pinchflats but when I changed tires I noticed quite a few dings in my rear rim.

Went for a ride on Sat, was just cruising along a straight contour, not very rocky at all, after climbing for around an hour when the sidewall on my Bonty Jones XR Tubeless rear tire blew out...I can shove three fingers into the tear. I must have previously damaged it somewhere as I was on a complete flat section with nothing that could damage it nearby but the blowout came with no warning whatsoever. Not impressed with these tires or any other Bontrager products. Have so far bent a Race Lite seatpost, a seat post QR mechanism, and now the tire...all in a few months on a new bike.

I have noticed that some okes put the one arm of the Thule "hanging" rack through the frame at the corner of the seat and top tube, and then put the other arm in the corner between the down tube and fork, as in below the down tube. Have you tried that? If I had the need and budget for an expensive carrier it would without a doubt be something the bike stands on, wheels in, rather than hangs from by the top tube.

I found it sometimes loses pressure through the sidewalls as the Stans or whatever you are using only really covers the rolling surface of the wheel rather than the sidewalls. Make sure you have enough sealant in, take the wheel off and rotate it side to side to make sure the sidewalls are covered.

Post a wanted ad on the Hub for a used Thomson, they often pop up. Bought mine used in great condition for 400 bucks.

Weird, I bent the Bontrager Race Lite seatpost on my MTB as well...looks like these okes compromise strength for weight. I also bent the seat post quick release not using excessive force. My relationship with Trek and Bontrager has been a short and very combustable affair with not much future. PS you are crazy to ride on a cracked post. The consequences of it breaking FFFAAAARRR outweigh ANY possible benefit of hanging onto it.