Konaman

I don't think i agree with his advice. It is Interesting however to a see a different perspective. It is so easy to always accept what the "experts" have to say.

i saw this article link on twitter and found it quite interesting. What do you think of it? http://www.bikejames.com/technical-skills-training/are-bike-fits-worthless-for-mountain-biking/ A bike fit is extremely overrated for mountain biking. So I’m going to piss some people off with this statement but I feel it needs to be said - I know that they have a place in some cases but for your average trail rider I think that they are close to worthless. First, bike fits usually just help you maximize your dysfunctions, which may result in a short term performance gain but does not really make you a better rider. Second, I strongly believe that seated pedaling is simply bad for the body in the first place and should be minimized, not fortified. Lastly, bike fits rarely take the technical skill side of trail riding into account. Maximizing Your Dysfunctions If you are performing a bike fit on a rider who does not have a clean Functional Movement Screen (2s on everything with no asymmetries) then you are no better than the doctor who prescribes pills before trying to get the patient to make the lifestyle changes needed to fix the real problem. How can you “fit” anything when someone can’t even touch their toes or perform a half-ass bodyweight squat without falling apart? The only thing you are fitting is their dysfunctions to the bike. Allowing someone to lean even harder on bad movement so they can go further and faster is not really helping the situation. The fact that no one ever gets a fit that lasts forever should tell your something – since the fit did not fix the underlying problem of bad movement habits the body eventually develops pain in new areas. Fix the movement issue first and then see what needs to be done. Seated Pedaling Should be Minimized, Not Fortified A bike fit only “works” as long as you are sitting down – as soon as you stand up all the precious measurements go out the window and you are no longer benefitting from your investment. The problem is, as a trail rider you should be spending way more time standing up and only using seated pedaling to get ready for your next standing effort. Standing up naturally takes care of any “fit” issues as it forces full knee extension, fuller hip extension, a straighter spine and less strain on the neck. Sitting down to pedal places your body in a jacked up position and a fit is simply trying to make the best of a bad situation. The less you are laying down hard efforts when sitting down the less you have to worry about your seat being 4 mm too low or some absurd thing like that. On a side note, this is why singlespeed riding has gained the reputation it has as a way to “train” for riding your regular bike – it simply makes you stand up more and push a harder gear instead of clicking down and keeping your 90+ rpm spin going. It shouldn’t take a singlespeed to make you stand up and be a man on the trail. Sure it’s harder but mountain biking is not about seeking the path of least resistance. On the trail, standing up more is the mark of a strong, confident rider and it also naturally takes care of “fit” issues. The Technical Skill Side of Trail Riding Trail riding requires a large degree of technical skill, which is something that most bike fits don’t take into account. To maximize your trail riding your want to outfit your bike in a way that will allow for maximum skill and efficiency – which means prioritizing the bike, not the rider. For example, in order to corner effectively and feel confident on steep pitches you need a stem that is 60 mm or less – period. A longer stem makes steering sluggish and makes it tough to keep your weight back as the trail gets steeper. Switching out to a longer stem because your hip mobility sucks (see Maximizing Your Dysfunctions above) and the bike fit formula said that an 80-100 mm stem would “fit” you better is actually screwing up your trail riding, which is probably not what you wanted to spend money on. On the trail you need to select your tool based on its ability to do what you want on the trail and then fit your body to that tool. Don’t force an inferior tool on yourself when what you really need is some good ol’ mobility and strength work. I always have to bring some perspective back to the argument so people don’t think that I hate bike fits and that you should go get an angry mob and some torches and go get the guy who put that longer stem on your bike in the name of a “better bike fit”. Like I said before before, at the highest levels stuff like that does matter. Once you have a clean Functional Movement Screen then a bike fit can be helpful, especially if you spend a lot of time in the saddle. However, they are a Q4 method for Q4 athletes (check out my article on the 4 Quadrants of Training (link to post) if you don’t know what Q4 means) and, like clipless pedals, can quickly become a crutch being sold to desperate riders who really need to re-evaluate how they ride and how they prepare for riding. Most people will always look for a magic bullet and I know that this will mostly fall on deaf and defensive ears, which is fine. However, if I can get a few riders to scratch their head and think about the points I’ve made then I’d happy. -James Wilson http://www.bikejames.com/technical-skills-training/are-bike-fits-worthless-for-mountain-biking/

Thx SwissVan. I think the issue here is Nino is a pure bred cross-country rider. Maybe the 26er suits his style of riding better. Kulhavi is i think 1.86m, and a bigger bike probably fits him like a glove. That is why he can handle it so well in XC. At the end of the day, its the legs that count!

Nino just posted this on Twitter about the 26" or 29" bikes he will be using at the Olympic games.. Is there anybody out there that understand his language.Please tell us what the results is. http://www.videoportal.sf.tv/video?id=5cb07daf-5c5e-4334-a710-0faaa89855e1

One of the best pure mud tyres for mtb, is Bontrager Mud-X. A while ago i saw a rating of mud tyres in the UK, and this was tops. It is 1.8 in size, genuine tubeless and very light .It has amazing traction and shred mud very well. Your only problem is when the mud dry up. I would only use it if you expect mud throughout a race http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/tyres/mountain/product/review-bontrager-mud-x-tr-2in-9241/ "Great value grip, lightweight speed and tubeless ready too" * Bikeradar Review * * User reviews 5 of 5 stars Bontrager's Mud X TRs offer the best balance of grip and speed of any winter tyres we've tested. The square, slightly melted-looking knobs and rounded profile give consistently good grip in every direction and let you lean the bike right over in corners. While they’re not the grippiest in any single given condition, the ‘GumBi’ 50/60 durometer dual compound rubber, with little diamond centre detail, makes the Mud X TRs great all-rounders. The tread looks like a scaled-down front motocross tyre, but its simple looks belie its performance. The square knobs dig into soft surfaces and their low, chamfered profile flings sticky mud off with glee. The dual compound gives a hard-wearing and fast-rolling centre section, while the uber-soft 55a side compound sticks to all but the wettest of roots. The Mud X TRs stick consistently over roots, rocks and wet wood, and there’s no need to change your level of aggression over the changing surfaces. While racers will go for the 1.8in version, even the 2.0in is relatively thin for cutting through the mire without losing too much speed. The fact the tread stays pretty clean all the time is a big advantage on bikes with tighter tyre clearances. The Mud X TR is light in the slightly fatter version too, it cleans quickly once you’re out of the slop and it feels more responsive and rapid than you’d expect for the consistent grip, so it's a fabulous filthy race tyre. The supple carcass gives good ground moulding at lower pressures and it's tubeless ready, so a quick fill of sealant will make it even more connected. The beads aren’t so stiff you’ll struggle to fit or remove them on wet, dark nights if you do puncture. We’ve never had issues with torn sidewalls or splitting in rocky sections while the tread lasts pretty well too, boosting their already good value for money. Considering the autumn-to-spring performance and other features, pricing is excellent. The tyre's only serious downside is that it’s a little low on carcass size for big-hitting riders.

This system is still as useless as in previous years. Why do they change login's it every damn year!

Does anybody know when it will be available in SA? SRAM had newly crowned world champion Jaroslav Kulhavy's Specialized S-Works Epic 29er on show in their Interbike booth, and while the bike offers many interesting aspects, the most talked about are the BlackBox prototype GripShift shifters. SRAM was not shy about their impending availability either. While SRAM reps wouldn't offer a date, they said the new shifters will be available 'soon,' and they may trickle down the line from the XX variant, which will likely have a similar shape and look of the prototypes that Kulhavy used to win the World's. The new shifters looked quite far down the development route, but SRAM said the final models would likely feature more carbon. Shift actuation is pretty much how we remember GripShift; nice solid detents that take a decent force to overcome, but once said detent is overcome it seems to drop into gear without too much extra force needed to actually move the cable. Big sweeps across the cassette are possible, and, of course, the shifters will be for 2x10 drivetrains.

I require info about a 1x10 mtb chainring setup please. What size front chainring is most appropriate for cross-country? 36T? rear cassette - 11-36T? What type of chainguide is the best to prevent the chain from coming off in the front? Do you require a short cage rear derailleur? I heard that the rear derailleurs are prone to break easily, because of the chain tension on a 1x10 system. Is it true?

You will have to tighten it more than usual to get a proper tight fit, and this may damage your frame/seatpost if you are not careful. I would get the correct size to prevent it from sliding down.

Avid is high maintenance. If you like to tune brakes very regularly - go for it!!

The local clubs must print pamphlets detailing their jail sentence, and distribute it at the entrances of these areas where the thief's come from. Spread the news!

This is not your average "dull boring" bike. It makes a statement! check out the link http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150541695274972.475971.110976734971&type=3 It is now available in virtually any colour in SA What do you think? Is it to radical?

The bottom line is that CSA is currently as unpopular, as Ghadaffi was in Libya before he was killed. Why do people hold onto power when they are not wanted? My 2c worth! Plan A Hold a referendum to see whether the cycling public wants them to continue or give up. Plan B If CSA board members have any respect for themselves and the SA cycling public, they would accept vote of no confidence vote in their ability to administer cycling for the benefit of the country, and hand it over immediately to people that wants to be there for the Riders of SA!! If not, they will run cycling into the ground, with no support from the riders out there.

Take a little cooler box with drinks and enough snacks etc for the period between noon Saturday and the evening supper, as the camp is far from everything. Mosquito spray will guarantee a good sleep because the mossies will try and have an early Christmas supper. Take note their is a nice long steady climb a few km's from the end that is going to crack you up. The 2nd day has always been more difficult to me, so don't start fast ,as you climb most of the way back home. .

Willow Koerber, one of the top lady cross-country riders from the USA (until she got pregnant at the Pietermaritzburg XC earlier this year) got married in her advanced pregnant condition. This is definitely one of the best 10min wedding videos i have ever seen. Worth watching!

Kevin Evans 1st and David George 3rd on Scott

"Scott" bikes win Crater Cruise 2011 - Men: 1 Kevin Evans 2 Jacques Rossouw 3 David George. George wins 2011 MTN National Series Watch out for Jacques Rossouw in 2012 - i have my money on him!

I had a German car which was still under full guarantee. The local dealer stripped a sparkplug while trying to remove it. 3 months later the local dealer was still waiting for the parts from Germany. I got gatvol and name and shame the mother company on a certain website. A nice gentleman from this company contacted me soon after that, they blasted the Dealership, and 1 week later the parts arrived by plane from Germany! Problem sorted! Just shows, open your mouth or hit the keyboard if you want results!

I spoke to bikeshop this morning - a detective is now coming on Monday to take it further. Will keep you posted

I am going to see him tomorrow to find out what he did

A friend of mine with a bike shop in a small town in the Eastern Cape, phoned me yesterday morning. A farmer brought in a Mavic Crossmax SL disc tubeless wheelset the previous day. Apparently this farmer's one worker is having problems in that he can't fit tubes as the valves are in the way, and he cannot get it out. My conclusion: where will a farm worker get a R10k set of wheels, for probably his dikwiel bicycle. I told this friend of mine to phone the police immediately so that they can establish the origin of this wheelset. They will probably also find a very expensive bike in doing so. He was not keen to get involved. I feel he is wrong! What would you do in a case like this?

Burry has become something of a cycling hero and icon in SA , and i suppose the world.. As with rugby or cricket, we all share his successes and disappointments. I am convinced he and his team will look at the past season, and then decide what they have to do to get the Olympic gold or Worldcup titles in 2012, whether its on a 26" or 29". (horses for courses) This past weekend i rode on a friend of mine's brand new Spez Epic ds carbon 29". Its an amazing bike and it goes very smooth over obstacles, but its not as fast as the 26" on tight single track. Maybe that is why Shurter and Absalon still stick to their weapons of choice in the important races - 26" hardtail. One other point - these top guys seems to focus on one discipline - whether its XC or marathons. Absalon even missed some of the worldcups, just to focus on the last part of the season that included the worldchamps. From what i can gather, Kulhavi also focuses on XC exclusively.

From this picture it can be seen that Julian Absalon (2 Olympic medals) probably works very hard in the gym, to have a strong upperbody to handle all the ups and downs in cross country mountain biking. How much training should be done in the gym, to be a top cross country mountain biker without putting on to much extra weight?

where can i see the results?

Has anybody on the hub got the new Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon or has ridden it? The duel susp frame only weighs about 1.9kg and apparently it is super stiff and virtually unbreakable. How does it compare with Giant Anthem and the Specialized Epic etc? Will it be competitive in XC racing? Any comments?