Wimmas

Sjo! If I have to go by the book on hours/km's I would be broke. All I do is the following: 1. Properly clean ALL greasy parts with parraffin (and I mean properly, with a toothbrush etc) at least once a week and relube chain. 2. Clean upper tubes of fork after every ride. 3. About every 2-4 weeks feel if bearings are fine, feel for vibrations and listen for unusual noises. 4. If cables stretch out, ONLY TIGHTEN THE CABLE, DON'T FIDDLE WITH THE SCREWS ON THE FD/RD. 5. Take the fork for a service about twice a year. Doing this my bike always looks spotless and rides like a dream. But I guess it depends how much you ride, what type of riding etc. If you're permanently in the dirt, bouncing the fork from 3m drops, shifting 30 times in 2 mins, shifting while chain is under severe strain, riding a low cadence etc then you'll need a new bike every week.

The Silverback Spectra is a 26" not a 29er. Any brand or at least most are good. Find a bike that suits your measurements/geometry and you also need to feel comfortable and confident on it. The only reason I said AL329 R type is that you get a set of R6000 rims on it which is also favored when trying to sell, you get a set of snakeskin tyres which also saves you R1100 and you get an air shock, even though it's entry level that's where you can now upgrade. Get any other brand for around R11k and you'll need to get the R6k rims, R1.1k tyres and if you're lucky you'll get an air shock. It's give and take, trade-offs one needs to consider. Just do your research thoroughly before buying otherwise you're going to end up selling it quickly to get something else.

Ok here's the deal - get a 29er. They sell easier if you don't want it anymore, they are really taking over the bicycle market and you'll be happy with it. Walk into any LBS and what do you see - 29ers everywhere. Secondly, there is no better value for money bicycle than the Momsen AL329 R type. It's future proof and has a lot of room for upgrading in the future. The standard AL329 is definitely not a bad deal, but I can't see why not spend R2k more to save SO much more.

Budget R8000. Looking for a Momsen AL329 or maybe something similar.

What about the Axis A30, tapered or not? A30 has double butted frame and A10 tripple butted, whatever that means. http://www.axis-bike...dtail/a-30-29er I've looked at the momsen but the AL229 isn't tapered and that blue is'nt attractive, the AL329 however is a different story!

So the Bergamont isn't a bad bike for it's price and leaves a lot of room for upgrades. Whjy haven't I heard much of Bergamont or do I live in a cave?

Ok now that I know what tapered means. How do i identify whether a bike has a tapered fork/head tube? For example these bikes: http://www.bergamont-sa.co.za/29er-hardtail/revox-5-3 http://www.vbike.co.za/scott-aspect-920-2013/

Well future proofing is what my next buy will be all about. Come to think of it I think the most recent bike I had, had a tapered fork and head tube. Compared to my first MTB which did not have a tapered fork, I must say that i definately felt a difference in stiffness/satbility or maybe the first MTB just a a real crappy fork

Hi peeps! I'm currently in the market for a new or used bike and doing a bit of research. I have a question that I think would be quick and easy to answer for most hubbers If I understand correctly it's better to get a bike that has a tapered head tube as it provides better stability/stiffness or whatever. I see that the cheaper 29ers aren;t tapered. Now I saw a 2011 Momsen AL329 that I might buy and on the spec sheet where the frame is described it does not state tapered, hoever the fork that's on the bike is a RS recon silver air, taper crown. Does this now suggest that the head tube on the frame is also tapered? Here's a link to the specific bike I'm speaking of http://www.momsenbikes.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=134&Itemid=663 If I also understand the following correctly, it's better to get a bike with a tapered head tube as it's easier to upgrade the fork in the future as there are more high end forks like the Reba available to replace the RS sivler recon etc? Please give a noob some clarity on this matter. Much appreciated

Momsen IMO, but try and save for the AL329 R, best value for money ever. Air shock plus ZTR Crest rims.

Yes that's the problem, I've actually never been at a LBS where you can test drive 29ers to feel which one suits you (size and comfort).

Hey peeps! I don't want to hi-jack the thread but maybe someone could just give me a quick answer. I'm 1.69m tall and I'm getting a 29er HT soon. The guy at my LBS said with Silverback I'll have to go with a small and in most other brands like Momsen a medium will be fine for me. So what I take from this is that the geometry of bikes differ? One 29er small isn't the same as another brand 29er?

I would not buy a secondhand carbon bike. They tend to crack from the inside out - so you buy a carbon secondhand now, 3 months down the line you see a crack and wonder where it came from and it's likely that it's a problem that occured while the previous owner was in possession of the bike. Fish around for the best specced bike you can possibly find and don't buy from the first bike shop you walk into, their prices vary and could vary a lot. Look for the cheapest. I woul look at the Momsen AL529 - it's got tubless tyres which will save you R1400, it's got a great fork, does not weigh too much and is great value for money. The Silverback Vida 1 is also great value for money, alooy frame and weighs around 11.3kg. Maybe also look at the Merida Big Nine XT. Your choice Good luck

That bike stands on the couch, earlier I saw a thread with a bike in the bath - Next we'll probably see a pic of a bike in the front of a luxury vehicle with the rest of the family tied to the roof

Why buy tubeless valves when you can save money? Just get 2x20" BMX tyres with the appropraite valve for your rim, get stan's sealant and buy cheap rim strip or gorilla tape, that's all you need! It's literally as easy as it looks in the videos, unless you're an office boy who has never been in a garage before. But if you're one of those boys who always sat with his dad in the garage, got dirty, was beaten with a belt and don't mind working with your hands, you'll be fine.

I recently order these exact gloves from buycycle, couldn't find them at any LBS. Best is to wait until they have stock. They are worth the wait, believe me. Cheap gloves that actually work well

I reckon we should call it a poorman's tubeless conversion

Lol, a homeless tubeless conversion? Just search "ghetto tubless conversion" on google and youtube. Many articles on how to cheaply, quickly, effectively and easily convert your wheels to tubeless.

If you only have R10k, go for the Silverback Vida 2 or the Momsen AL329.

Rather save 2-3k more and get a Silverback Vida 1 R14 000 (Rock Shox Reba, Stan's no tubes ZTR crest, 11.3kg) or the Momsen AL529 R15 000 (Rock Shox SID, stan's no tubes ZTR Arch, 11.7kg) The Merida is nice, I ride a Merida, but it's definately WORTH waiting until you have 2-3k more to spend as you get MUCH BETTER components and also a lighter bike (you said you want one to race, so I assume you are also considering something on the lighter side)

Had a Stride 10 and LOVED it. Was a very comfortable bike and easy to handle

I use clean ride chain wax. I must say it kinda wears of quickly and you'll need to lube about once a week. Will try something different next time but it does keep the chain nice and clean, doesn't pick up as much dirt. Clean the chain with parraffin. If your chain has a quick link, then take the chain off the bike and clean thoroughly. This is how a quick link looks

Goeie werk. That's what I call getting every cent out of what you are paying for. I've then got another 2.1k left on mine of it also lasts to 2.5k

Maybe it's a single component causing the problems. Either have Shaun at Dingo's cycles have a look at your components and provide you with his opinion or do the following: Take a whole day an take apart all components(chain, cassette, derailleurs) , then clean thoroughly with parraffin, lube the chain once the parraffin has evaporated and reassemble. Also put on new cables for the front and rear derailleur if necessary and adjust the front and rear derailleur. Your shifting should improve a lot. If all fails then depending on the shifters you currently have you can buy a new rear and front derailleur, cassette and chain and IF necessary new shifters. My previous bike was a 8 speed and had a deore rear derailleur, altus front derailleur, acera shifters and a cheap shimano cassette and chain - it shifted just as good as my current xt/slx setup, it's not necessary or worth spending more than R2000 on a groupset for a bike that's almost only worth R2000. So take a look at deore/altus/acera components, they're cheaper and work just as good if setup correctly and well looked after. Like I said, Shaun at Dingo's cycles is a fundi, very friendly, always prepared to help and their prices are competitive. Go see him.

Me new fox gloves