Croglet

Yup, I've done that before 🤦‍♂️ Mauled a brand new tire in one road trip, but that lesson was learnt and I did not make the same mistake with this one. 😁

Just been to speak to the guys at Cycle Lab... He reckons it's fairly common with Maxxis tires (Crossmarks in particular) when you're sealing them with Stans which delaminates some layers of rubber. He said the tire would have been covered by the warranty if it's less than a year old and had been sealed with Joes, but they won't replace them if you're using Stans. Didn't mention other brands. I usually use Enduro or Dr. Sludge with no issues but I think the place that recently serviced my bike probably did use Stans. He also said that I could poke it with a blade and let it seal up and it should be fine, which I did and it looks okay although I have noticed quite a few very small spots of moisture all around the tire which can only be sealant and probably means that it's on its way out. There were few comments about the tire looking a bit knackered - looking back through my records I see that I bought the tire from Cycle Lab 10 months ago, so not sitting in the sun at the shop, and it has about 3500km on it now, mostly trails and a bit of road. That might explain it? Bike isn't exposed to the sun when not in use. It's 29". I'll probably ride this one a bit more but I ended up buying another Rekon while I was there. Never had issues with the first few I had and I find them to be really good front tires, although I will have to remember to ask the LBS not to put Stans in it when I get a service. Anyways, thanks for the comments and suggestions, much appreciated 👍

I usually just use Enduro or Dr Sludge but the sealant in there atm is whatever the LBS put in when I had a service a few weeks ago, so most likely Stans I guess.

Sup Bikehub, I noticed a bubble on my front tire after a ride today. The tire is a Maxxis Rekon, tubeless at about 20psi. Any ideas how that happened? Certainly not normal wear and I've never seen it before on other tires. Must have happened quite suddenly too. I couldn't find much online but I did see a few comments saying that it's no big deal, stick a pin in it and it's good to go. Is that good advice, especially considering it's on the front? 🤔 It's not the end of the world if I have to ditch it but I'm not going to toss it if I don't have to since it's only a few months old and these tires seem to be hard to find.

Think I've answered my own question. One is steel the other is cold forged aluminium which is slightly lighter but also slightly less durable. Really not the end of the world.

Hi, I picked up a replacement chainring on the classifieds that I thought was the correct part for my mtb but now I'm not so sure. I was looking for a 32T X-Sync2 3mm offset for 12-speed Eagle GX. Which I think is what I got but they certainly aren't the same thing. From what I can tell the difference is that one is aluminium and one is steel? What difference is that going to make? Is it a weight thing or would one wear faster than the other? This is what is on my bike right now... And this is what I got to replace it...

Bike Addict sorted it without any hassles.

I ordered from Bike Addict. Easy mistake to make I guess, but after looking at the T&C's it looks like the decision has been made for me. 15% handling fee and they don't cover the courier fees so I guess 2.25 it is.

I ordered the tried and tested Vittoria Barzo/Siguaro tyre combo all the way from Cape Town. 2.35 Barzo for the front and 2.25 Siguaro for the rear but both tyres that arrived are 2.25. Is it worth sending it back? It probably doesn't make too much difference but I'll most likely be using it for the next couple thousand km and my current Maxxis Rekon is a 2.4 and has me sold on a bigger tyre up front.

Sorry dasilvarsa, should have added that I've already tried both GPS Locker and Wakelock with no joy.

Anyone else using an Android phone to record Strava tracks? I'm all out of ideas trying to get this working properly. My old Sony used to work perfectly for this years ago, it gradually started having a tough time recording tracks and I needed a new phone anyway so I specifically went for a Ulefone Armor 8 with Android 10 for cycling/paddling etc since it's pretty much bulletproof and has a nice big battery. The GPS connects instantly and the tracks seem to be quite accurate but almost every ride it disconnects/loses signal and I'm left with long straight lines in my tracks and many lost km's. It's not only Strava that does this, OSM Tracker and a few other apps I've tried all record the same messed up tracks so it has to be a phone/GPS issue. I've read some troubleshooting guides and I can't think of anything I haven't tried... Location is enabled. Strava/OSM Tracker have permission to use location. Battery saver is off. Battery Manager is off. Strava/OSM Tracker are not optimised in Settings>Apps>Special App Access>Battery Optimisation. Is there anything I'm missing? Edit: Also tried GPS Locker and Wakelock apps

Apologies for dredging this post up from the dark ages but I thought it may be helpful for anyone who might be looking at the same bikes. It took a while but I ended up going for a 2019 Scott Spark 940. Haven't ridden it too hard yet, still getting back into it after a few months break but so far it seems to be a winner and I have zero complaints. Everything is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Shocks, TwinLoc, Sram 1x12, dropper etc. are all awesome! Thanks for all the advice

Very helpful, thanks Exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear. What are the 1x12 setups like? I guess there's no front derailleur to maintain. And no front shifter so you can have easy access to the TwinLoc and a dropper controls but is there a lot more chain, chain ring, cassette wear and tear? Do you find yourself running out of gears?

My much loved, quite old and very uninsured 2012 Fuji got stolen a while back, it's time to get a new one and any advice anyone is willing to offer up would be helpful. My budget is quite tight but there seem to be some fairly good deals on some surplus 2018 stock. Think I'm leaning toward a Scott since I'm a fan of their TwinLoc feature. I'm no racing snake but do a couple of races every year, was riding maybe 8hrs a week before my bike got taken, mostly just XC, no crazy DH stuff. This is what's caught my eye so far... There's a 2018 Spark 940 for 30k https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Scott/Spark-940,22918#frame_specs_22918 And for 5k more a 2018 Spark 900 RC Comp. https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Scott/Spark-RC-900-Comp,22903#frame_specs_22903 My previous bike had the old 3x10 setup. Is there any reason that I might not want a 1x12? I have heard that the RC's shorter suspension travel makes them more geared towards racing, but I've also heard that it really doesn't make any difference unless you're a heavy guy. I'm probably just over 70kg. The 940 is 5k cheaper, has a dropper, which I really liked on my old bike, the RC doesn't. It's also a bit heavier and it has Shimano MT500 brakes which I've never heard of tbh, compared to the RC's Sram Level TL. Not too sure what the difference is between the rest of specs, shocks, rims, hubs etc. Either of these any good? Any other suggestions?

Thanks Rory, should be good though.

Hey Rory, Ya, I'm livid. I was able to borrow a bike for a few weeks to do some races I'd already signed up for but there isn't any plan for a replacement yet. Woulda/coulda/shoulda had it insured.

Stolen: Fuji Outland 29 1.0 2012 When: 13 April 2019 Where: Randburg, Gauteng Bike was stolen off a vehicle on the field at Delta Park School before the start of the Delta Dash race. Get further details about the incident in the Stolen Bikes section

Cool, so the gps issue doesn't sound like it's going to be an issue at all. The other, far more pressing concern is whether I'll actually be able to complete it or have to call the missus and do the drive of shame to the finish line. I've never ridden anywhere near 168km. Did a few 100km rides over the last month or so and I managed 120km yesterday but I was properly buggered. How doable is this distance for someone who's hurting after 100km on a normal XC trail?

I'm considering giving this a go but aside from the obvious question of whether my legs will get me through it or not I'm not too sure about the navigation side of things. The website states that gps devices are compulsory and although I don't have one I think I read somewhere that a cellphone is fine to use as a gps device. The problem is that while you can load routes into Strava it doesn't give audio cues. So my question for the folks who have done this race before is if there are enough riders for me to follow and just keep my phone in my pack in case I get lost or does the bunch get so spread out that I have to duct tape it onto my handlebars to keep track of the route?

I also rode my first full Monster this year. I have ridden the half marathon a few times before so I sort of knew what I was in for and prepared for the worst. I should have prepared a bit more The climbs were brutal and the descents were just as bad but things were going as well as could be expected until about 58km when I entered an entirely new universe of cramping that I've never experienced before. I'm very aware that my technical skills are lacking but those last steep descents where you feel like you're re-entering the earth's atmosphere in a space shuttle and your fillings are getting rattled loose are even worse when the lower half of your body is teetering on a complete crampfest. But that's what I signed up for so I had to just suck it up and limp in in around 5hr20. I felt a bit out of my league and my 2012 Fuji probably felt the same way but I'm really glad I did it at the end of the day. Seemed to be a good bunch of people involved all round too. Good times!

Thanks for all the responses and the advice! I was warned about pressure washing and have always steered well clear but I'm sure I'm overdue for a rebuild. Still reckon I landed myself a lemon though. Good to know who the resident shock guru is, might have to send it droo's way when the bicycle repair fund is looking a bit healthier.

Hey guys, Here's my long, sad story... 2 years ago I bought my first dual sus, a used Fuji Outland 1.0 which came with a Monarch RT3, I have no idea how much mileage the bike had done but judging from the condition of the bike, probably not too many. The shock has given me all kinds of hassles - bottoming out, buzzing my tyre against the frame and leaking air. I've done about 6500km with it, sent it in for a few services and had it rebuilt last year which meant I only had to pump it up again every 2 weeks or so instead of twice a week. I weigh 75kg and have to pump it to about 190psi just to stop it bobbing too much or bottoming out, quite high for someone my weight, and yet last weekend I still had my tyre buzzing the frame on landing a small jump. Not even a jump really, my wheels just left the ground for a bit. I'm a cross country noob and don't do anything too outrageous in terms of dropoffs, jumps etc. but I still very much prefer a dual sus to a hardtail. Does any of this sound normal? Should I just go and get it serviced again or am I chasing my tail? What would be a reasonable replacement that wouldn't cost too much and it is buying a used one just asking for more grief? Cheers