swoosh1973

AWSOME! THINK I WILL HAVE A GO AT MY OWN BIKE!

Thanks

Where or who can I purchase a complete service kit for a Rock Shox Reba mtb Fork? I am based in KZN

Shaun thanks man. Soo many options. I will visit the Specialised concept store as well and go on one some of their rides as well. Suddenly It feels like I am in a candy store whoohoo!

Hooraaah, thats what I am talking about! Trust me theres always a hubber that knows a thing or two. I love this website for info. You guys have been very very helpfull! I will do a quick circuit with my MTB on the road this morning, go vote then will head off to Mavericks. Yep dont want to be breaking laws and riding where land owners dont want you. However in the Cape there are many places to ride off road without upsetting anyone and there should be no reason why it cant be the same here too! Sure pay your dues for dedicated MTB parks and trust me I do make use of them because the trails are so purpose built and flowing you get your thrills in. Considering the costs to build such trails, I have no kwarm paying. But paying for the ususal 3-4 times a week training rides or taking out an anual membership is not the way I am use to doing things. I have been doing training rides for free for years.

SPOT ON MAN. Exactly the soapy water is crucial. A floor pump has never failed me.

Thanks!

Hi There I have moved from the Cape to Drummond,KZN (please dont ask why!) Now that I am here I am told the following by work people. 1) I have been warned not to do long rides on my own in the area both off road and onroad! Everyone I know from work (mostly runners)carries some or other pepper spray! 2)For MTB it looks like if you want to do training rides you need a permit from the sugar caine company..not a problem but they only issue limmitted permits and there are NO MORE PERMITS LEFT! WTF. I can just as well go and pay to ride at GIBA every weekend. So unless I load my bike and drive to PMB I will have to pay for a training ride for MTB every time or ride my MTB on the road! Common guys thats B*ll Sh$t. This is a training ride not a race or dedicated bike park I am looking for. I can understand and except having to pay to ride at dedicated parks like Giba or for races. But for general training rides...I WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS RIGHT! I cant imagine locals who train and pay for training rides. Any suggestions would help or groups that I could join?( YES I ALSO PROMISE TO SUPPORT THE SHARKS TOO) Regards MTBiker doing road riding on tar!

YAWN Go with what feels right for you. Every single pro that races marathon rides is clipped in. Roadies clip in. But heck I rode the first 5 years with clips. I am back on flats the last 3 years(for trail riding mtb only). I have lots and lots more fun, push the envelope and take and tech things that only downhillers will try. Dont bother yourself with what others say. Unless your planning on becoming realy good use your flats to gain confidence. Note that if your use to clips you will get hammered veryhard once or twice on the shins when you get on flats again..you will learn fast. Now as for any other muppets telling you your feet are going to come loose or slip of on the bumpy fast downhills. BULLL.... in the begining yes, howevr you learn quickly and with tackies you start becoming more like one with the bike,you can make micro adjustments, never get "hot foot" you skid in to corners take jumps, fly like a star, stick to the bike because you also use the sadle between your legs to control the bike.pull the front brake hard and flip the back in side ways and much more. As a newbie you will not be brave enough to do this from the start with clips Go have fun man and stop worrying what mr "jones" has to say and stop following like a skaaap. Use your knog. Road riding...clips only Endurance marathon mtb...clips only Downhill...platform or flats Trick and tech trails......flats only Finnaly for teh trails you will fall, if your cliped in and going fast and in the situation where you miss time unclping your chance for a naasty injury is drasticaly increased. If your on flats you can control your fall. After every non seriouse fall you learn quick and no what not to do.

Strength to the family...very sory

I could not agree more. Never ridden a 29er. I trust that those who have say its a smoother ride. Right now I care only about the price. 29er or 26 er it wont make much difference in my race results. Only better quality training and eating habits will. At the end of the day it is simply marketing blb that is designed to stimulate a renewed sales drive. The rider that wins the race at the end of the day will win because of his talent and skill on a MTB. NOT BECAUSE HE RIDES a 29er!

awsome post could not agrea more!

As a matter of interest. I have a story regarding "stretched chains". Firs I must give a story. I have ridden the same bike for the last 4 years. I never change the chain, neither the rear cluster. I have however changed the middle 32 hain ring 2wice and the 22 chain ring once. I have done a few thousand km worth of riding in very hilly terain (mtb) and NEVER CHANGED THE CHAIN. YES I KNOW BAD MAINTENANCE Now I have moved my whole drivetrain and all compnents to my old HT MTB whilst I have the dualie prepared for spraying and I have ordered a brand new X9 Group set and wheels. Since I have moved my old components to the HT I decided to replace the chain, brake pads service shocks bla bla bla. NOW I PUT A BRAND NEW CHAIN ON THE HT WITH NY OLD DRIVE TRAIN AND IT DOES NOT WORK!!!! After setting both front abnd rear deraileuers the chain shifts perectly in front and rear FD. However when I get on the bike and start pedeling hard I find that on all but 3 gears in the rear cluster the chain "slips over the teeth" without jumping gear. So i battled and battled. Put my old chain on and No slipping. The old chain is very very badly worn yet works perfect with the old cluster compared to the new identical 9 speed chain. How badly worn? Lets just say that for the same number of links for the whole chain compared to the new chain it is about 12mm longer! Please explain. I now have a new theory regarding "stretched" chains which arn actualy stretched just worn. The chain and rear cluster wear at a rate in relatio n to each other. Only the worn front chain rings need to be replaced because as the teeth start "shark fining the chain slip and skips" SO THIS WHOLE STORY OF REPLACING CHAINS MEASURING BLA BLA IS WHOLE LOT OF MARKETING CRAP!!! ONLY REPLACE THE CHAIN RINGS AS REQUIRED. By the time the rear cluster is stuffed well then you might be in to year 10 so forget about chain checkers and other gadgets for robbing you of your hard earned cash. I am b

I am busy upgrading my bike. Like my Specialized XC pro dualie so much decided to respray and get a new Groupset and wheels. Not sure what to choose. Please help before I lay out hard earned cash. SRAm says you dont need more gears because their drive train gives exactly the same power to effort ratios as 3 x 10 providing that you choose a 12-36 cluster in the back. Shimano lovers say when the climb is steep and long you will wish you had more gears. Guys whats the facts here. Please help me choose!

I jave a 2008 Specialized XC pro MTB.Very happy with it. I have stripped it bare and I am ordering a new groupset and having it repainted. I have put all my old components on my Silverback HT and riding Attekwas this comin weekend on my HT. Whilst i wait for the spray and components to arive.Must say I still get better control on my Specialized with the rear locked out compared to my silverback on technical trails. However I find the silverback far more responsive on non tech trails compared to the locked out Spez and for fast times the silverback beats the Spez hands down. The spez looks better and rides more comfy when locked out.

Ok so yur a brand man then?

Well its just very interesting. I was just curiouse to get insight as to why people buy one bike over another and also interesting to hear reasons why pros ride brands. What would be even more interesting is to hear what pros make in cycling in SA versus overseas besides for their winnings. I know some triathletes like Rynard Tissink had to rely purely on money made from winning races as well as being sponsored his equipment by the manufacturers. But is cycling the same?. All I can see is that you get a bike but what else do the pros get in the package deal? Anyone know? Note that I will ever come in contention!

Well for current and local riders my first choice has to be Yolandee Speedy. She is a beest with sheer power and determination. I have done races where the top riders start after the funriders. 3 years ago at the Mabilingwe Lion man she came past me on the hill that takes you passed the tower like I was standing still. Its actualy not the fact that she passed me. What impressed me was the intensity that she rides. Its sheer determination and its like she rides at her max ALL THE TIME!. Its like she does not have a lactate threshold.

Oh yeah and you forgot to mention modesty as well Greg Minaar se moer

Ok thanks for the insight. This has become way clearer to me. But that applies to the TDF and road bikes. Brands do count so yeah..I will accept what you say. But what about mountaine biking, Downhill riders, and the other cycling disciplines. Woul that also aplpy to those pros like Greg Minaar,Kevin Evans, Max Knox, Bury Stander etc? If they had a chocice would Kevin realy still be riding a Raleigh or would he switch to Specialized and vise versa?

Ok that makes sense. Though I am quite certain many Pros ride or have components that would not always be their first choice...They are proffesionals and no dog bites the hand that feeds it.

It would be interesting for me to hear your comments.

The Specialized shop in Melrose arch. Are they the actual specialized distributers or are they just another LBS?

It should be dry and hardpack...with perhaps less than 10% of the route being hardpack with very fine loos sand but not so you could loose contol.