Sephton

Also remember to consider the quality of suspension, not just the travel. The Trance 2 has entry level Evolution series CTD while the Anthem 1 has Performance series shock (mid range) and Factory series fork (top of the range).

Both bikes have Fox CTD so if you want it hard just flick the lever. But with the shock open I find the Giant to have less bob than the Scott. With my Spark I used the Twinlock lever quite often, with the Anthem I just leave it in "Trail" all day long.

If you shop around you will be able to get an Anthem X 29er 1 for around R25k which is great value. As an ex Spark rider who now rides an Anthem I have to agree, the Maestro suspension is a better design.

I think we're talking equivalent ascent in meters, not actually riding up the mountain. I did a Kili hike two years ago, there's no way you'll ride to the summit on a bike.

Funny thing is, there was an interview with Colin after the 2002 SBK season where he said he would retire at 30 (he was 28 at the time) to spend his time with his family. But I guess you don't easily say no to a MotoGP ride.

So I entered for my first ever Enduro, hope I don't break a leg with my marathon bike...still have the 60km to do on Sunday!

Before I bought my 650B I had a 2011 Spark 40. It really was a great bike. If you can get it for around R18k or less I would say go for it. You won't find a dual suspension bike with with the same drivetrain and suspension spec for less. Some 29er fans will probably tell you to rather buy a big wheel hardtail but in this price range they are heavy and slow, and with budget components compared to the 640.

The 2014 Sparks come with Fox Nude CTD with remote twinlock. Should be a simple retrofit on 2012/13 models if you can find one.

The Spark 940 is a good bike. The Spark 740 is a great bike.

I must say the tread on the Conti Race King and Ritchey Shield looks VERY similar. I wonder who copied who?

Would you say RR Snakeskin would be more robust than the Shield? I already had a snakebite on my normal RR Evo. This would be for my racing wheel set only though, I train with heavy tyres...

A bit off topic, but I'm thinking of replacing my Racing Ralph Evo's with Ritchey WCS Shield. Anyone tried these before?

Please don't use "er" when referring to 27.5" wheels, it sounds gay so it only suits 29er's

Here are my thoughts on this race. I mainly do small races in rural KZN, usually with less than 100 entrants, so obviously I'm not quite used to waiting at obstacles. Seems the Jhb guys are used to this and don't really mind too much. The thing is, with these small races the organizers/route designers put in lots of effort to make the route enjoyable with a nice flowing track. They build bridges over river crossings and dongas, sometimes even floating bridges over dams, and perfectly manicured singletrack for a modest entry fee of R120. Sure there are technical sections too, but if you have proper skill you can ride most of these races without ever getting off your bike. So it just irritates me that organizers of a big race like this couldn't care less about the condition of the route. With almost 1000 people paying R350 entry surely they could afford to build some kind of bridge at that crossing (and some others too)? Especially considering that they knew about the problem from previous years. Either they are just in it for the money, or they think mountain bikers have a special fondness for wet shoes. As for seeding, dunno how you're supposed to improve it if they only use big events like these where you stand still half of the time. Okay, rant mode off, I'll just avoid any big races in the big smoke in future.

That's probably why the bike shops aren't too keen. Like the others said, it's probably still possible to convert but it might take a while, up to 3 days apparently for the sidewalls to seal. Going with the Snakeskin eventually is definitely worth it though, I had a pinch flat on that tire pictured and replaced it with a Snakeskin version. It feels a lot more substantial but is only about 50g heavier.