crasher

Hi guys/girls Getting another bike next week and it has an XT (WH-775) wheelset and tubeless WTB weirwolf tyres Can you recommend from experience which brand/make of sealer to run and also tyre/puncture repair kit I should buy I will only get bike Thursday next week and want to ride it at the Nissan Series on Saturday so my idea is to buy the stuff I need this weekend so it would be great if I could know what works best so I dont waste money. Cheers Crasher I

176cm 78kg

I have already had 3 punctures and only been riding 2 months Firstly ran without slime and got a flat from a tiny thorn size of a splinter Put in slime tubes next was a snake bite on the rear that the slime couldnt seal but I did catch something hard that I did not see so thats my fault Fitted a specialised no flats or whatever they call it tube as replacement 2 rides later got a nail through the tyre both sides of tube and through the rim/spoke liner So in a short time I have not been too lucky on tubes. I ride slow!! I am hoping to get a mercury 2 in next couple of weeks that comes standard with XT tubeless rim set and hope to have more luck with tubeless

Didn't survive the monster but next year I will back!! wiser and with more spares Feel better now as if faster = more punctures I should get none Cant wait as it would be great to actually reach the finish of an event Once you go past Zambesi How much longer does it take to get to the lodge I am driving through from little falls so just want to make sure I leave in time

This thread is scaring me STOP I am going to babbas on the 16th never been there before Please dont tell me I am going to suffer numerous punctures and hardship This is only my second ever entry my first being the Monster that did 1400 rands worth of damage to my bike 4km's in so I was really hoping this would be a more easy trouble free event to enter Maybe I will just ride around the car park

Anyone got any links to decent guide on set up and adjustment of rear derailleur The instructions from Shimano are not the best My LBS has fitted a new one for me but I would like to study up on the exact way of going about fitting and setting up and adjusting it so that I can do it myself should the need arise so a good guide with understandable pictures and explanations would be great Sorry this is for XT Shadow Cheers

Yes I just found the same I destroyed my rear derailleur and hanger at the monster I had a standard XT derailleur my LBS fitted a XT shadow for 900 rand RRP at CRC is about R970 they have them on sale at the moment for I think 750 so at 900 rand fitted was very reasonable

These DCM threads have created alot of emotion and created sort of a battle between all the guys supporting Tiger and those trying to back up DCM or the riders or their management and none of us have all the facts from both sides The way I understand it Tiger was Hired he did the work at a pre arranged fee per bike/rider per day. As far as I can see no one is questioning his work or the quality of the service he provided so can I assume DCM were happy with Tiger maybe Brandon could confirm the team was happy with Tiger After this Tiger gave them his invoice Months down the line all this is going on and Tiger does not look he is getting any closer to getting his money. That is wrong bad business bad publicity bad evreything and its not defendable to not pay someone when they have provided a good service. If Tiger did a crap job ,overcharged or is out of line with paperwork or any other pre requisit of him getting paid then why have DCM just not stated this. IF not its really time to pay up and then this can be put to bed

Dont worry just enter

Howling dog I am a type 2 I have only been cycling 2 months been monitoring my levels with different strengths of energade over a 3hour/ 45 km ride For me on a normal strength mix I would be about 8.9 after the ride Diluted to a 3rd (3 litres water to nomal portion of concentrate for 1 litre) dropped this to 3.9 after the ride Now on a 1 litre portionof concentrate mixed with 2 litres of water gives me about 5.5 which I am happy with. I normally have 3 slices low gi bread with a slice or 2 of ham 20 minutes before ride and do not eat anything else during ride which is prob not ideal but its still early days for me so I hope to fine tune this with time. There is alot of info online but you will need to work it out for yourself as everyone is diff its a bit time consuming but just keep notes take your test kit and test every hour and you will soon find a happy ballance

Any one on the hub owned or done some mileage on either of the above. If so it would be great to have some thoughts feedback on the bike (more on the 1 if poss) Thanks Crasher

Mine arrived yesterday from CRC I got the mule NV paid about 1030 rand cheapest I could find it here was 1800 Rode with it today very comfortable its my first one and I am so impressed with the quality I filled in only 2 litres of water and 1 tray of ice cubes and my ride today was 3 hours 20 minutes and those last sips were still drinkable The storage pockets are very nicely organised as well fits all my junk with space to spare

Hi Mad Dog I am just over the hill in little falls I am keen to join you guys but I have only been riding a couple of months and dont want to hold you up so once I get my pace up a bit I will be there Also doing the Magalies next week (45KM) just to try and finish Cheers Crasher

Good point Flea...I am riding a medium When manufactures make weight claims do they give the weight of their middle of the range size or would they give stats on the small to gain a bit of a lower figure How much diff in weight would you expect to get between a small frame and XL How accurate are manufacturers claims and why do quite a few not give you the weight of the bikes on their sites But it does seem then that around 12kg give or take a couple hundred grms would be right for that price range

Hi just wondered when looking at a dual suspension bike what would you look for in weight this is for alu frame. I know lighter is better and there seems to be a threshold you hit when it starts getting really expensive but lets say if you had between 20 to 24K to spend on a aluminium dual setup what should a target weight be for this price is 12kg realistic or way off? I am interested to know what you would expect your dual to weigh when on a budget of 24K Thanks Crasher

If you go Silverback I would say chuck in the extra 400 rand and get the Reno its a much nicer bike for the extra 400 bucks My wife is riding one she does not do any rough stuff on it but loves the bike I have only ridden it once for about 4km but it rides nice the V brakes work well its a real nice starting out bike and at under 3 grand is good value The Alpine would give you more upgrading options but depends on what you want to spend

Popped by my post office on the way home asked at the counter if anything arrived from UK for me Guy went and checked and came back with my 2009 sweep Race do you need id I asked..No do I owe anything No Thank youI said and left Total cost R1164 plus R107 postage It was sent last wednesday so was exactly a week to arrive which is pretty sharp considering the holidays etc thats only 4 working days crasher2009-05-06 11:16:57

I tried to buy a bell sweep XC wanted a medium in black and carbon Tried 6 shops no one had stock tried 4 others by phone also no stock They did all tell me the same story that suppliers were out of stock and it would be a 3 to 8 week wait. Also that the new stock would be the sweep R 2009 with visor and price would be higher Prices in shops on the XC's they did have ranged from R1550 to 2050 which was a bit of a surprise at such a variation. I bought the new sweep 2009 from CRC fro 1150 and should have it this week I want to support the local industry and build a relationship with my LBS's as I enjoy chatting to people in the shops and I like to look and see stuff before I buy. But there is a trade off at how much extra you have to pay a hundred rand here and ther I can live with(surely this is a trade off for all those little favours and valuable information and knowledge you get from your LBS) but when things get over double its a bit much. camelbak mule is another example 1300 rand here about 820 at crc I will get one in june when I go over as again its a big saving maybe there is no right or wrong here as each person decides what they are willing to pay based on the variables involved with the purchase. Just my newbie perspective on my observations so far

Lots of good info here I must say the option of going tubeless does sound alot better esp as it means not having the weight of the liner and then losing the tube as well WheelsWheelsNovatec Sealed Disc Hubs,WTB Disc Specific Double WallTiresWTB Motoraptor 26"x2.1 I have the above rims on my bike the stickers on them say WTB SX24 aluninium alloy 17-559 would these be ok to use for the conversion I am originally technician by trade so I am quite happy to do it myself and I would prefer to do it properly using the best kit / components taking the above into account what would I need to buy to do a good conversion is it just 2 tubless tyres and a kit and if so please give me a couple of brand recomendations I will be in europe next month meeting my dad from the uk as well during this trip so I could get all this stuff whilst over there if there or get it sent to my dad and collect it from him when we meet up so CRC becomes an easy option to source stuff etc Thanks

Thanks guys Iwas at my LBS today they showed me the tubes with removable presta valves unfortunately they didnt have size I needed but will shop around now for new tubes with these valves then put some slime or whatever in them I also picked up some tyre liners which look like a pretty good option as well although its more weight again into the wheels but they would of certainly have prevented my punctures

I have not been running any sealant in my tubes After suffering another punture today from a small thorn that would pale in comparison against a splinter I suppose I must use something or get used to changing tubes rather than riding Can someone give me a few pointers on what product to use and any pro's or cons associated with the products use esp ease of getting it into tube with these small valves and then maintenance time periods of renewal etc good practices Thanks guys

Hi Lori I just started a few weeks ago Here is my experience so far After the bike I bought pedals and shoes at the time of sale Helmet could not find the one I wanted anywhere so Bought one on net still waiting for it to arrive (but that would of been number 2 purchase) Next I got gloves (good investment after 5 falls all minor except one over the bars)hands still perfect (sore wrists though) Then I needed a water bottle Then I needed the carrier to hold it on the bike Then I needed a computer so I could see my speed and how far I was riding ( this was a want maybe not need starting out) Then I needed a pump spare tube and tyre levers AAhhh but then needed a little under saddle carrier to stick this in Then I needed chain lube got some squirt after prowling posts on this forum thats roughly about R4500 As finances allow I will get shorts next and then a couple of tops and hopefully I will be ok with that for a while...unfortunately I have been infected with a virus that the only cure seems to be regular visits to bike shops to bloody buy stuff!!!!! But im loving riding my bike so its all worth it Cheers Crasher

Hi guys me again Can anyone recommend a computer for me I dont need heart rate etc as I have all that on my watch I am looking for basic info such as ave speed dist traveled time riding etc and I dont want cables it must be wireless Will I get something to do this for around the R500 mark? Cheers

Thanks for the replys and help After lots more shopping chatting and many more hours of reading I got the Silverback Dakota it just fell into what I wanted to spend had a pretty nice spec for the price Collected it today only got to ride for 30 mins this afternoon but first impressions of the bike are really good I am happy with the front shock the weight is pretty good didnt hammer the brakes as want to bed them in shifting was good and I really like the bike and that is what counts the most I suppose. Only negative is how unfit I am but lots of riding should soon fix that Cheers Oh yes and I never fell off

Hi guys new to site looking forward to gaining some knowledge and advice Looking for some advice before getting a Mountain bike for my wife and I We are casual newbie riders looking to ride for enjoyment and fitness/exercise My wife is pretty set on the silverback reno and to me it looks a pretty good value for money entry level bike any comments on this bike or equivalent models in its pricerange would be gladly appreciated. I have looked at so many bikes for myself and cant decide I will tend to ride harder/rougher terrain than my wife who will and is very conservative rider and will prob crash alot if history is anything to go by. I have not ridden for a long time time now but would like a bike that I can mess about on etc without it dropping apart I was looking at a mongoose tyax elite then saw the otero elite with the dual suspension but I also like the silverback phoenix and today looked at the dakota Any advice would be great esp on if getting a dual susp is worth it or sticking with a hardtail I except these are entry level and will have their limitations but I dont want to spend 20k plus on a bike when I am starting out. If the bug really bites I can upgrade in a year or so cheers