Chris Hornby

There is a nelspruit based shop called Valencia wholesalers with some rad specials. Site is vbike.co.za Has anyone bought from them?

I like to support my LBS as much as I can - but sometimes an online store has end of season specials that are just too good to resist! Which online retailers are safe to trade with?

@Lone Two We actually stayed at Dragon Peaks over Easter, which also has some great single track cut into the hillside - check on Strava. All good out in that valley though - beautiful part of the world, though slightly lacking in O2 on the hills ...

Thanks for the comments Roxy, I agree any wheels will get you there, but I must say that for the same weight and component spec, 29" certainly rolls a lot easier over the rocky rooty trails we mainly ride. Bullet77 the man to speak to is Iain at Mountain Splendour - he is checking with Giant on availability for me today; http://www.mountainsplendour.co.za/ they run an awesome camping spot, and even have some of the world cup soccer tents for a luxury camping weekend. Anyway, with lower overheads he seems to be able to do insane prices.

This weekend I took a 29er hard tail for a ride, what an amazing machine. It was a low spec, entry level bike and it just flew over rough terrain. Didn't feel any different to a mate's 26" full-sus Merida, though his shock would be a little hard for my weight, so probably not 100% fair comparison. Nonetheless, 29er is a revelation for me and puts all the arguments to rest in my mind, especially when I realised after researching that 650B wheels are actually more like 27" and not really 27.5 ... meaning they don't give you halfway between the two in terms of rolling ability. Just need to test out the Anthem to decide between HT and soft ... And since I have found an Anthem X4 for R15'999 new ... with Giant's lifetime frame warranty ... starts feeling like a bit of a no-brainer ...

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Firstly, you get BEER at your LBS?? I think I need to upgrade my shop ... Consensus is pretty much what my gut was telling me - if I want a full susser, then man up and buy one. Otherwise get a decent hardtail. And yes, I would probably regret going 26" - not opening THAT debate, but purely at 6'2" a 29er will be a better fit, I think would be same fit as someone 5'8" riding a 26 ... Now 650B is an option like the Talon ... Maybe I will try get a 29er to test this weekend instead. Enjoy the long weekend, hope you all get time to ride.

Thanks. Yup I look here a lot hunting for the elusive L frame Anthem 29er ....

Hey SwissVan, Thanks for the quick reply. Yes the brain is on the left outside the main frame - kind of close to the spokes of the back wheel. It has hydraulic discs. LBS is letting me try it this weekend in the Berg. Has your 2004 model given any hassles? Need to see if I am in for new shocks etc any time soon.

Hi all, I am looking for some advice on buying a bike. I do mainly weekend trail rides at an intermediate level, mainly single track, Karkloof, Howick and the like. I currently have an old Avalanche 26" hardtail which has served me well, but I would like a little more control and a bike I could upgrade a little. Since I am doing Dusi2C this year the idea of a full susser appeals, but my budget is around R10k, which I KNOW is too little for the 29er Anthem I would love to get. I was looking for a 29er or 650B hardtail when I came across an 2007 Epic 26" going for R8'000 ... XT components and shocks will be serviced. Does anyone have experience of buying such an old bike - is it a viable option or am I just opening a black hole of expenses here? Thanks ... Chris