Psyrax

Always have and hopefully, always will be riding Gripshift. It basically comes down to what you are used to. All my previous bike have it. Still have some 8 and 7 speed gripshifters in the parts bin. People who diss it, is just not used to it. IMO, Gripshift is supperior in a few ways. Bit lighter and less moving parts to break.

Have you tried wheelchair hubs?

Basically, do whatever you can to improve your skill and knowledge. Rest of EU, I dont know regarding qualifications needed, but when I swung some spanners in London, they wanted to know if you can do it, and then prove it. And it was in two different bike shops. Cyclesurgery being one of them. Go to your bigger shop and tell them your plans and ask if you can help out when you can. Mechanics are very please when thet can pass the mundain jobs to an "intern". Even in the workshop, you will pick up a lot of tips and help out where you can. Good luck!

For those of you who are still waiting for eleventy six years for parcels, this is where it is. Good news is you can go buy it back.

Find another bike shop! They are milking your wallet. Yes you can rotate chains, but just changing to a new chain when its worn, is actually cheaper. Some quick link are ment for single use only, and the ones that you can reuse, will possibly wear out because of all the changing. Get a chain checker, and a new chain when needed. And much later on a new cassette.

Kudos for starting MTB and for asking for advise. Second hand bikes might be a better option. As stated above, you might need to stretch your budget a tad. Is your budget only for the bikex or helmets as well - as that is the most important? Also a second hand bike might give you the option of upgrading slowly. And please dont buy a bike from a retail store such as Makro, etc. You are new to the sport and we dont want you to learn the hard way. See if you can maybe meet someone from the this Hub in your area. Thats the best way to learn. Good luck and welcome.

AFAIK the Marvel brand was non labled bikes bought from the Far East long time ago by Chris Willemse Cycles, then branded as Marvel. Now there are more items than only bikes. You wont find anything online about Marvel as Marvel only exist inside CWC and CycleLab. They are budget bikes thought. Earlier years the bikes were solid bikes. I bought one many moons ago used in extensively, repainted and rebuild it. My dad still have that bike as an "around the block" cruiser.

Two things: My question is, who asked them to do this? Radially lacing should be done as in a normal 2 or 3 cross where every second spoke is threaded from different sides.

The best pics to show the shock mount!

So the shock position is closed in front with a removable cover, but open in the back (correct me if Im wrong). How much mud and dirt is going to get stuck there with no place to fall out of and ad to the weight of the bike?

Its the building industry - people do weird ****.

The problem we as trade people have is these bricks with the holes in them. Some bricks have only 3 big holes in and other a lot of small holes. That is a cavity in the place where you want to install an anchor (rawl bolt or plug or whatever). Solid bricks or concrete are the best, obviously. There are products that, when you find its a hollow brick, that you install a ceetain type of fischer plug and squirt then a thick type of epoxy into the plug so it gives a larger grip area in the cavity. But those things are expensive and really meant for guys who work with this scenario every day. So whats the best to use, a fischer plug or rawl bolt? Both have their advantage and disadvantage, but the best is to hope you don't drill into a hollow part of the brick when you don't want to.

We rode and explored a lot in the Tygerberg Nature Reserve - MANY YEARS AGO, when it was still allowed. There are only jeep tracks up there that connects Plattekloof to Majik Forest, but it's all still in the reserve with big fences to keep people out - AFAIK. The closest we got was a track that went from where the Pick n Pay in Plattekloof now is, all the way on top of Plattekloof and then it went to the masts of Tygerberg. So unfortunately the Reserve is off limits for cycling. So, not to be rude, but you are going to waste your time looking for a possibility.

Just got this from Adendorf. The quality is really good. The grease cannister is a bit bigger than the Parktool one.

The more important factor is, is the Fox set-up perfectly for you? A better fork can feel the same or even worse than a cheaper fork if not set up correctly.

So, I did a short ride yesterday. Easy trail and only 10km out and back home. Easy right? - NOT FOR ME. Have not cycled in any way for the past 12 years. Built up a new bike just before lockdown last year and only rode up and down the street. But then I hit the dirt yesterday. Yes I know I am unfit and overweight - I was expecting it to be tough and I am not scared of that. But what I did not expect was how uncomfortable and even scared I felt at some spots. Even the wooden bridges across some fences was a challenge - at first. But I saw that, even in that short ride, I got some confidence back and it will be OK. Even if it's going to take a long time. The only crap thing is, that I live on top of Jip de Jager, and no matter what direction I ride, I have a moerse hill to finish. So, if you see a fluffy guy next to Jip de Jager either riding slower than walking pace or pushing his bike, give me a hoot or an energy bar. I might not talk back as my lungs are trying to escape my chest. See you guys/girls out there. I will be easy to spot - I am the slowest one.

Just a question regarding hand tools (pliers, grips, etc). Do anyone know where one can get these liqiud rubber that you dip the handles in to form a new solid grip? Some of my older tools look sad and some newer tools' grip are not good.

Is this vice grip style cassette tool not going to destroy the soft aluminium cassettes?

This one feels realy good. This one is not a ratchet type, so less parts to brake. And with a 1/4 Inch attachment at the rear end.

At Brights Plattekloof. R105.

Found something similar this week. And its realy small. Price is also nice and small.

And then you will start to Dremel everything that does not need to be Dremeled.

So, I didn't tell my wife I was going to a tool shop and left home with only set amount of cash. Thank goodness I left the card at home. Teng Tools are some of the best quality I have seen - honestly. IMO it looks better than Gedore. And it's red. So you must be working faster too? Teng Tools are more geared towards the automotive world, but there are tools I would buy. I am looking at tools from my perspective and hobbies/occupation - self employed plumber, working on MTB's general DIY. And there tools that us cyclists would use. The hex key and torq key sets are very good - and very good priced. And yes, they are some of the tools that are expensive, but if you are the person who looking to buy tools once and never again, this is it. The previous pics from Zebra, is exactly what the shop looks like. But there are also another shop in Parow, right next to Craigs Motorcycles, 73 Voortrekker Road, so if you are coming from the Northern Suburbs of CT, you don't have to go all the way to Paarden Island.

Why oh why do you show us places like this??? I am fairly succesfull in trying to avoid Adendorf (was there last week and bought more than I should). Now another tool place. NOOOOOOOO! I will go there ASAP and report back.

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