Rapunzel

My husband spotted an ambulance and police car at the bottom of Majik forest late yesterday afternoon. Details are sketchy but it appears that a woman mountain biker was attacked and her bike stolen. I'm sure there are plenty of you who cycle there and if anybody has any information that may assist in apprehending the culprit we'd be hugely grateful.

I did the red route at hillcrest the first time a bit over a month ago. The upper reaches were up in the clouds and I nearly bailed at the first switchback - one minute there was beautiful single track in the mist and the next minute there was none

we ride on the right (wrong) side of the road when we're on the mtb - generally move to the verge whenever we see cars (I think it freaks a few of them). Yes it's illegal but then so again is riding a car inside the yellow line and killing cyclists. I think the only solution is for the law to be changed so that the driver is automatically to blame if a cyclist is knocked down. There are other things that the dept of transport could do to reduce the risk - more cat eyes at smaller intervals would discourage motorists from driving in the emergency lane and better maintained verges would allow us to ride further from the traffic with less risk of punctures. I'm not convinced that riding in a group always helps it just makes us a bigger and easier target for the drunk or vindictive driver

I'm in the same boat and was also concerned about the weight of the bike vs my power. I've found that the climbing is still comfortable (takes a bit of getting used to climbing out of the saddle) but there are technical sections which I'm able to pedal through which I couldn't on the hardtail.

if you're looking at the X2 2010 then the price is a bit heavy (about R23000) but the 2009 has lower specced components and you should be able to pick it up for about R16500.

I also just bought a 2009 anthem x2 and got a great deal (end of range). Steered clear of the women's model as I was concerned about resale value. I initially didn't like it when I took for a test ride, but I swapped out the riser bars for flat bars and lowered them and then swapped out the saddle and the setup is spot on.

interesting - I just survived the cpt winter on a set of crossmarks but clearly they're not the perfect solution. I just got my new bike last week and it came with Kenda smallblock's but they're not ust and I believe they're quite heavy. Anybody had problems with air leakage on any ust tires?

... so I'm waiting for my new wheelset to arrive from CRC but the maxxis crossmark LUST have been out of stock for a few weeks. I'm considering other tires, including Specialized Fast track LK 2bliss. I know that crossmarks are the tried and tested option, but they're also heavy. What are other people using for xc and has anybody tried the specialized fast track? (needed for mostly dry and technical riding conditions and I'm a light-weight rider).

It is out of warranty (purchased with 2nd hand bike) and it can't pick up signal from the speed transmitter. According to the manual, only the manufacturer can replace the battery in the sealed transmitter but I can't find an agent or supplier. Any suggestions? (I've checked the distance to magnet and reset the unit)

cool indeed - took one for a test ride and I really loved it. Only 2 drawbacks, the colour and the saddle (looks cool but my butt didn't like it).

sadly not fixed yet - opened up the hub last night and the cones are badly pitted and the bearings need replacing but thank goodness the rest looks perfect.

thanks so much guys!

my bike clearly didn't enjoy slanghoek as much as I did :-( There was a persistent whining noise from the front that sounded like the break pads rubbing on the disks but re-seating the wheel didn't help. I checked the hub after the race and it feels like it's seizing. How difficult is it to service and what tools do I need? (HB-M475 model)

hillcrest's single track is flowing and not technical - if you're looking for more technical stuff then the upper reaches of majik are a better deal.

try contacting the guys at tygerberg mtb for a map of majik - addresses are on the website www.tygerbergmtb.co.za alternatively, make a date and time and post it on the hub and you're bound to get a crowd who can show you around. The entrance to hillcrest is on the bend on tiekiedraai - sign in at security and get your permit at the restaurant. the route is very well marked so you won't get lost.

.... and there's bound to be more single track added before the end of the year. The tar stretch on brussel's route isn't much - about 3km each way.

... or if you want a quick one after work, try the new hillcrest route (6km loop, more than half of it on single track and plenty of climbs to give you an intense workout)

Pre-registration is a must but then the process of collecting the numbers should be better (filling in forms again after pre-entering???). For an event this size, there should be a choice of registration venues preceding the event (I'm sure that places like Sportsmans Warehouse benefit from hosting registration). Other nuisance factors that should be reconsidered is the narrow and inaccessible start/finish which was rather unfriendly for spectators as well as the muddy trek from the parking lot to the finish - I'll be there in wellington boots next year. Speaking of pedal power - surely I'm not the only one getting impatient waiting for new numbers (especially being unseeded as a newcomer)? Come on guys - it's been a month and a half since we paid membership fees!

Tx Johan - any idea of the lifespan of shocks in general? (obviously dependant on terrain and rider weight - but maybe a guideline)

I've got a fox float rear shock on a bike which was purchased second hand. The shock is losing pressure pretty quickly - is it just in need of service? Where's the best place to send it (cpt) and approximate cost?

Female participation is certainly not high enough. Equal prize money would improve the quality of cycling but not increase the numbers. I think prize money should be relative to numbers and the distance raced. What would be nice though is for women's cycling to be promoted enough to give us a better chance of getting sponsorship - what you think?

it's great to help others, but donors are not assisted if they end up with health problems relating to donating and they are no longer guaranteed free blood should they need a transfusion. They do need to put better incentives in place to get people to donate (not necessarily money, but how about something like discounts for vitamins / food supplements?)

interesting fact - they limit donations for runners (if I recall, 2 weeks before and after for a half marathon - 21km and 4 weeks before and after for a full marathon). they probably don't do the same for cycling as distances are not regulated so it's more difficult to put standards in place. I wouldn't donate any less than a week before an event but you need to consider the long term implications of regular donations. I stopped donating about 6 months ago because of feeling run down. I also believe that it takes months for anemia to develop and as long to rectify it - just not worth the hassle.

I bought an XTC2 (2nd hand bargain I couldn't miss out on) but frame was too big - swapped it with a raleigh RM7 frame 2 inches smaller and I'm sure the giant alu frame was lighter than the RM7 which has a carbon rear triangle. Not easy finding listings on frame weights :-(