Fabian46

Had my bike at a LBS recently for a service and left there kinda cheesed off. Booked my bike in the previous day for a service and couple of adjustments....get there the next day....and nothings been done. So i wait there....for a couple of hours... while i watch the owner working on a couple other bikes first...so i dont bother too much....then he pulls in his own personal bike in and starts servicing it. at this point im quite irritated but keep my cool. So firstly...i was a paying customer...so he wasnt doing me any favours. secondly, i took the bike there the previous day already. I really want to support the smaller establishments....but this okes priorities was way off! I dont think im being petty when i expect the same kind of service from a big or small establishment. He should maybe service his own while no one is watching....

Yes and no. I think they see the bigger picture. Marathon type riding is big in SA and growing, and anyone can get into, and do so with minimal risk...which generally means repeat sales. You cannot expect a LBS not to go the route that makes them money. It will cost them money to push the less mainstream stuff. You cant blame the LBS for that. Harley Davidson had a similar issue with Buell Motorcycles. They had to pump millions into getting Buell on the same level as Harley Davidson, and in the end they just binned it and stuck to what they did best....Harleys. Erik Buell then started up Buell on his own, and now has somewhat of a cult following. The price and reward for being different. I personally would not recommend a first timer to get into DH or "Enduro".

Yup....on the money. The problem with these kind of threads is that you get DH and "Enduro" guys mostly commenting on these threads. Its already been determined what the 29er is good for. The other thing is that most new MTBers will lean towards a 29er because they often start out doing less technical type riding, and then end up asking valid questions on the Hub and get hammered(especially on Fridays....hehe) But like you said...theres alot more to it than JUST wheelsize

Did a ride last week with a mate, and both of us were on 29ers, his a Titan Carbon Race, mine a GT Zaskar Pro. we then swapped for a bit. Compared to mine, his steered like a donkey and was lank uncomfortable! My Zaskar is as nimble(for my style of riding) as my full sus 26er. built mine from the ground up, so i have the parts on there that i actually want on there. If you think that when you put the 26 and 29 together, and you apply the same power to the crank , that there'll be no difference, then you've confused yourself. The "just get stronger and ride more" statement is also getting old. If you dont ride or like 29ers, theres really noting wrong with that. Its got nothing to do with buying into the "bs marketing". My money....my time....I determine how I enjoy riding, what i enjoy riding. Period. 26...27.5....29....it doesnt really matter....just enjoy the ride....whatever you choose.

Agree with this. Also, what would help is previous finishing times...with maybe an average estimated finishing time over the various distances. For me, this helps with planning nutrition for a race. Great idea!

This is the comparison(or pretty much...not my own info...but from a website): XTR - X0, XX XT - X9 SLX - X7 DEORE\ALIVIO - X5 Any spec lower than that is irrelevant. Mid spec goodies are more durable but heavier, with high end goodies being lighter(negligible) but not as durable. So X9\XT are on the same level and generally the way to go if your not trying win races. To win races all you need is a 29er jokes I run X7 shifters, X9 crank, X0 RD.

Sounds good! Keep us posted.

Hi, not sure if this was mentioned, but the guy actually mentioned on the radio that he had veered off the proper route as he missed one of the sign boards. Irrespective...he had the right reaction. There was a thread a while back regarding self defence while on the bike...and this is a perfect example of how taking Krav Maga(or whatever classes) for 6 weeks would give you a false confidence in thinking you can defend yourself against any assailant....and then out pops another 2 assailants....and there goes whatever skills you think you had from couple of self defence classes( i however think everyone should learn some sort of self defence)! best defense is to get away! I've been shot before in a similar situation, however...I decided to wrestle with the assailant, instead of giving the assailant my cheap ass cellphone...a football career was ended. Best defence is to create distance between you and the assailant...period! Well done on staying calm Mr Malcolm!

I suppose each to his own hey.....but if we're so fortunate to have so many different trails around us....its almost a sin not to enjoy as much of it as possible without worrying about people. I dont ride for other people....and couldnt care if someone doesnt greet me on a trail. I'll make sure i greet tho...but thats not the point though. Enjoy the trails we have at our disposal...simple as that!

I see Cape Union Mart have a K-Way 2L hydartion pack for R299( no space for anything else really), and then a bigger one for R399! And they'll deliver free of charge(3-5 day delivery) Im getting one today!

I hear you!

So even with all the proven technical advice and manufacturers instructions....you still seem to be in the dark on this one. All good...to each his own....

This is different, as its pointless pulling a ton of them every 10mins while your riding. after a ride, its a another story... IF all else fails....read the bottle....

no offence...but this is the opposite of how sealant works in a tubeless setup

If you leave the thorns, with riding, the thorns move around in the rubber and can stretch the whole a bit. the "foreign object" needs to be removed for the sealant to harden. Leaving the thorns will cause the tyre sometimes to slowly lose pressure.

That's awesome man!!! Carbon seatpost and flat bar and ur "A" for Away!

Its a good deal whether its 2012 or 2013! Good luck bud!

They are awesome bikes! Good on the starights, longclimbs as well as singletrack. i have a carbon bar and seatpost to try give it a bit of flex as the frame is quite stiff which is great for speed. That is a good price for a 2013! there was 2012 for sale about a month ago on here for R10500 i think. Only thing maybe to upgrade would be the wheels depending on what it comes with. Nothing really to watch out for as the alu frame is pretty solid.

I have a 2012, and there's apparently a slight difference in the frame. also, my 2012 is straight steerer, and i think the 2013 is tapered.

Are you sure its a 2013?

Squats & lunges, and get creative with it(no weights needed). Variations of quick pushups to keep the heart rate up, slower reps will cause you to build muscle quicker, so if you're training for endurance, opt for faster reps.stay away from the machines, rather opt for body weight excercises or free weight as it will build your core. Skipping...dont knock it till you try it(there's a reason boxers do it). That's what I do. Come from a background of weight training and Mixed martial arts.

Hi, Suntour Epicon is the best out of that selection. Between 2800 and 3500 depending on where you get it from.

Wow thats a ton of info....good stuff MTB ker!

Hi, very good question...so Im going to throw a slight curve ball. I have a GT Zaskar Pro 29er, but also have a Jamis Full sus 26er. Had a choice between a Silverback and the Jamis...Jamis won hands down for price and spec. I know this might not be what you wanted to hear....but believe me...its worth a check. Bike Basement in JHB were the distributors\agents. The prices were very good when bought mine.

hahahhaha....im bleeding and u only telling me now!