droo

You can just replace the bearings on the GX pulleys. Much less cash and hassle.

I'd call it ambiguous at worst. Best sorted out with a good old fashioned handbag duel at 10 paces. OP - you could probably have made R 150 in the time and headspace it's taken you to type all of this. Send it back and move on. Seller - be clear. Ambiguity will bite you cos people will always see what they want to, not what you want them to.

Any bike shop with an Omnico account will be able to order for you, they have stock. Part code WVH0882. If you don't manage, DM me and I'll send you one.

SID you shouldn't push past 100mm, even if it says it can. Most Rebas are ok (and will have markings up to 120mm on the stanchion), and Fox 32 are hit and miss. Rather buy the thing at the travel you want unless you know exactly what to look for.

On average, a sub-20k FS will cost you at least 6k to get running properly. Just factor that in when you buy the bike. That aside, used is king when you're buying something for someone who's just starting out. That way, if it doesn't work out, you can sell the bike for what you paid for it and you've just paid running costs, and if it does work out you can do the same but buy the proper thing the second time round and have a bit of time to look for the right one. For a beginner I'd recommend something possibly a bit more trail-oriented - maybe 120mm up front and a bit slacker - as it'll inspire a lot more confidence than an arse-up-head-down race bike. The 2016-ish Spark 120, Spez Camber or similar would be my starting point.

Torn casing. 2 options - put it on the back wheel where you can't see it, or replace. Maxxis had a batch of tyres a few years ago that had this issue, and we got quite a few warranties through as a result. The best way of preventing it is to lubricate the bead when mounting the tyre. Soapy water is the standard, but you can also use tyre lube from your local Speedy if you're feeling fancy.

They're selling everything they have to the US market and there's nothing left for the rest of the world. Our local agent is pulling what's left of his hair out.

Cane Creek is not an option, there's been no stock for about 18 months. Options available are currently KCNC or Token in 44/56, and I can get Aerozine in 44/55. OP - you don't say where in CT you are, but I know William's in Somerset West have Token in stock, and if you're in the Southern suburbs I'd try Olympic, Bridge or Crown.

My internal spell checker was twitching as well... OP - if you want to spend money, just take a modern *trail* bike for a test ride. The improvements that have been made, mainly to geometry, and therefore handling, are many and effective. I could write a thesis, but I won't. If you're happy with what you have, don't start looking.

As Nick said, just rebuild the wheels with new spokes and you'll be good. If the wheel wasn't properly stress relieved when it was built, or if it was built with straight gauge spokes, the spokes will eventually fatigue and start breaking. As a general suggestion, once you've broken more than 2 spokes on a wheel just rebuild it - the rest of the spokes will follow. Find a decent wheel builder (one has already identified himself) who can give proper advice and you shouldn't have any more issues.

Sounds more like something wasn't tightened properly when it was being reassembled, or there's a spacer missing somewhere. If a bearing wears out on one ride it was either very badly installed or made of some sort of cheese. Whoever did the service should be able to sort it out easily enough.

^^ all of this. A lot of crashes happen because of crap technique learned by starting out on clips - just watch the Epic 2018 (?) prologue crash reel. Flats will teach you to pedal, jump and bunnyhop properly because you can't cheat. If and when you decide to move to clips later, you'll be far better off having learned the basics beforehand. OP - if you want proper shoes at a decent price, Etnies do a MTB range that won't break the bank.

Do you need an extra mechanic?

Proper pedals - preferably concave with replaceable pins, and wide enough for your feet. Proper shoes - stiff soles so your toes don't curl over the front of the pedal, which is a quick way to break your foot. Grippy rubber also helps. Proper technique - heels down on rough stuff, scoop forward on hops and jumps like you're scraping a turd off your shoe. Takes some getting used to. A dropper post also helps, otherwise your saddle can kick you off the pedals on bigger hits.

It's what was originally specced for that fork. The new oil came out at the same time as the MY22 fork range, so they've obviously discontinued the old, out of date, no longer good enough stuff, which should be disposed of immediately.

Cogent would be your best bet I reckon. That amount of sideways play sounds about normal though, so I wouldn't be too worried about it.

+1 for Olympic. They're Giant dealers so will have Enve stuff as well cos it's the same distributor. Also they have a massive collection of obscure parts dating back to the invention of the wheel.

Whatever you choose, just make sure your axle to crown measurement is long enough to compensate for the fact that the frame is designed around a suspension fork. A typical 29" 100mm fork has an A2C measurement of around 505 - 510mm. Took me many years of waiting before I found one. But it was for a rat bike and I didn't feel like dropping R3.5k on a plastic one.

I'll tell you on Wednesday when I've tested the new gilet they're releasing. Their products are generally solid though, so I won't imagine you'll regret the purchase.

If the shafts are gone you're on your own, usually it's just the seals though. Bring it round and I'll have a look.

99% of the time the leaky adjuster thing is just a service kit. Whoever dished out that wise advice has obviously only watched YouTube videos on air can services. The damper body may be more of a challenge, but if you get it here I'll be able to tell you pretty quickly.

It doesn't take much for the sand to stick to the sideplates and start making crunchy noises against the next cog, especially on the larger end of the cassette. Motorbike chains don't have adjacent sprockets to rub against, so the effect is much reduced.

Formula Cura. Not exactly budget, but easy to bleed and plenty of spares around if something breaks. Otherwise Shimano Deore. Spares are a hack, but bleeding etc is pretty simple.

That's an Ebay purchase. All the local ones come off old Elements and have been ridden into the ground. And no spares to be had anywhere.

Apply it properly and try again. Been doing some testing on all 3 of my bikes and if you make sure to clean off the excess on the side plates, you'll be pretty happy with the results.