Daxiet

On 705, press and hold Mode button.

From the sales specs the 705 is claimed to have 15 hrs battery life and I think the 305 8hrs. That could just be sales pitch. I have the 705, but find the Auto Pause/Resume feature almost unusable on an MTB. If you lock up the rear wheel it auto pauses immediately when riding technical stretches it often does the same. Simple feature, but they never programmed the device to have have a small delay if the speed goes from X to 0 instantly. Does have a delay for controlled stop.

My take it looks deliberate, but have to agree you'ld have to be an idiot to do that and take yourself down. Then again, don't know the rider, maybe he is an idiot. Actually come to think of it, if it was an accident, he is an equal idiot, what was he thinking. That picture posted on page 2 looks bad, took guts to get back on a bike and finish the stage. Wow.

Can't comment on the Anthem or Fuel in comparison to the Genius. However can say the Genius is very comfortable and nimble, having the remote lockout, TC and AT make using the bike very easy. For most of the time I ride in TC, that probably equates to the same feel as the Fox RP's give, then on descents I switch to AT. Climbs lockout if I really need to, but for the most part climb in TC. I don't think the Genuis is in the same category as the Anthem and Fuel (these are XC bikes), the Genius is more a All Mountain/XC bike, more travel on the front and rear. Ride profile is also different. The Scott Spark is more in the same category as the Anthem and Fuel. When you say RC10, that must be a second hand version, is this correct?

In an earlier post this week I was punting Anthem's, with the weekend insight I feel the Fuel needs my vote. Far too many Anthems being sold of late, don't need Giant getting the wrong idea and pushing up their prices. Seriously though test drive both properly, if it means spending a little more to ensure you get the right bike do it! Daxiet2009-04-17 07:58:58

I took my fork down from 135mm to 100mm the slight change in profile has been great, feels a little more sporty all be it my (perhaps all in the mind) descending felt odd at first. Raising your profile by potentially 15mm I can't see as being noticable.

I wouldn't go for an 08 Anthem X1, if I am correct they have the angled rear shock mount. My concern is how this affects the fitting and use of a water bottle. Have seen these with bottle holders, but looks like a tight squeeze. 09 models seem to have the vertical rear shock. 09 X1 ~R25000.00 depending on where you shop.

I have Juicy 3.5 (Scott's Avid Juicy 3's with a.5 attached). Have been very keen to upgrade to XT 775's, but am not sure, braking response on these is very good and direct. Compared to the Shimano equiv. Deore, they are much better, but they tend to rub on the disc and with age the pistons start miss-behaving. XT 775's on CRC are ~ R2300 Front and Rear.

Aerobic breads endurance, anaerobic improve bursts - quick sharp climbs, sprints and is good to do, but in moderation. If you want to ride long races or stage races you need more time in aerobic. It seems spinning is all about anaerobic based on the pain statement. Anaerobic also works to increase your LT, thus allowing you to operate in the 80% MHR + for longer. Daxiet2009-04-15 07:44:43

That's a tad too heavy for that price. My vote is look into the Anthem X1, claimed weight of 11.5kgs but you'll need to confirm that. Get the shop to plonk the bike on their scale. Trust me when you're doing a 100km MTB race and you're climbing hills coming out of your ears, you want as little weight as is possible while still having the comfort of a DS. Worst is when there is a portage and you need to push or carry that extra weight.

How much does it weigh? Long travel front shock does add weight. Other than the weight concern, it is an awesome looking bike, with very good spec components. So if it weighs around 11.5 or less kgs, take it!

You don't need to do too much just to enjoy a 50km ride. To get through it happy you will need to leave the comfort of the "flat" Northern Farms and get some climbing under the belt. Arrange with your friends to head out to Hekpoort. Follow all the other MTB riders up the back of Breedtsnek and down the otherside. Turn around and head back to Hekpoort. That will be ~60kms with some descent climbing. Do this a couple times before your race and you will be fine.

Noooooo By that stage it is too late. No grip' date=' no traction = BIG FALL. [/quote'] looking at it from a positive perspective, less traction/grip could be the makings for better training. You will learn to adjust your pedaling to prevent slipping and you will improve on your response time to obsticles because you will need more time to slow down! Just joking, I would say on Crossmarks just use the "plus" sign as a guide, when there is < ~0.5mm left on the plus sign change them. You may only at this point really notice climbing on technical stretches becomes more difficult. Braking shouldn't be too affected.

The Mercury 1 is a very heavy bike with pretty trimmings. The frame is too heavy! I think the Tata vs Toyota was well put. Silverback have excellent pricing, but their DS's are just very heavy by design. Rather go GT, or look at the Giant Anthem X1. 11.5 kgs, very descent kit. You don't need XTR, XT with an SLX crank is more than sufficient. Especially when an XT/SLX bike weighs far less than a full XTR bike.

Can't say I am a fan of GT's , but I have seen a number of well spec'd versions out there at reasonable prices. What you should look at is weight, spec, price and how the bike suites your ride profile. Brand really doesn't matter.

I try rotate my Crossmarks front to back visa versa to get as much life out of a set. First set I pushed to 4000kms, but suffered on loose technical climbs. My second set are almost shot after 1500kms. So depending on where your riding, how you are riding determines the life span. I tend to notice degraded climbing when the "plus" signs are almost worn away.

Probably the best way top put it! All bike manufacturers tend to use the same naming for their various bike types, each year the previous years range is "discontiunued", then the new spec version is released. This is normally around Sep-Nov (the revealing of the new range). RC2000 is always going to be entry level, as the increments go up so the bikes spec increases. Think generally the RC2000, RC3000, RC4500, RC6000 all have the same frame and fork, just groupset differs. As the models go up so may the wheelsets change. RC2000 - normally Sora RC3000 - Tiagra RC6000 - 105 RC7000 - Ultegra and so on.

Just out of interest, what pricing have you got on the 2 Trek bikes? Very keen to see.

Think cat-i and perp's advice is the most sound, test ride the bikes you are interested in and then make a decision. What works for me or the next guy may not work for you.

Not sure about Trek, but Giant's prices are still "ok", Scott are very expensive in 09. I think the same applies to Gary Fischer, Specialized and well Marin I know are very rare - probably pricey as well. The specs on the Anthem X0 and X1 are very good, focusing more on the X1, it is a really good off the shelf issue at "ok" price. Plus in its price bracket is one of the lighter DS's. Take the Merida HFS 3000D, weighs ~12.5-12.75kgs and is ~1K more expensive than the Anthem X1. So while price is a consideration, Giant will get a lot of attention. Would be keen to hear what the Trek's retail for.

No real insight into the Trek Fuel, but my wife has a Trance and I have tried riding it just recently. Not very impressed with the ride profile, it should be awesome for descending serious declines, but I think it must be a pain to climb with. Best described it feels like I would imagine a Harley Chopper would. Very steep angle on the front fork, with your weight very far back. If you want to compare the Trek with its true competition in the Giant stable, you would need to look at the Anthem X0 or X1. I think the Anthem X0 (R38K-40K) is over priced, perhaps has the components to warrant costing ~11K more than the X1 (R25K-27K), but still a tall ask. I recommend the Anthem X1, weighs in at 11.5kgs, is a XC machine and is designed to race unlike the Trance. Just don't go for the Trance if it is a XC racer you're looking for.Daxiet2009-04-12 13:26:04