inbred

Think it's a great anti hijack device if you ride in a mountain bike group. Depends if the club you are going to join has a group suited to you. It helped me.

Also have not ridden an Ellsworth but you cant go wrong with the 575. I would go Yeti all the way. The geometry of the 575 frame makes alot more sence to me - mainly the back shock and rear triangle in one line.

For my five cents worth, it depends on how good a rider you are. Look at how many of the pros ride hard tails.Yes, some of them have no say in the matter. If you can downhill as fast on a hard tail then you go for a hard tail. To me anything over 4 days - go for the full sus.

For my five cents worth, it depends on how good a rider you are. Look at how many of the pros ride hard tails.Yes, some of them have no say in the matter. If you can downhill as fast on a hard tail then you go for a hard tail. To me anything over 4 days - go for the full sus.

HI RodTi Frame of the Merlin is a 2005 vintage Crancks are old xtr Seatpost Thompson The red things a light

My Merlin xlm has the following Thompson seatpost and stem Gobi saddle Mavic rims -used to have tune hubs and light weight rims, that did not last more than a year. Fox teralogic fork. xtr crank Juicy 7 brakes Specialised bar chris king headset rest sram

I ride the on one as a single speed - great geometry and a great feel when you ride it. I can't comment about the other frames.

Once you get used to grip shifters you will not go back. Two people I ride with have just changed to grip shifts and are never going back. You will wonder why it took you so long to change.

I did Barberton a couple of years ago in the rain and tashed my drive train. Did Sani2c in the mud and trashed my eyes and had to have an eye op. My motto is nowdays, one day races, I don't do in the rain but multi day races it's not going to rain all the time. If its raiing more than a drizzle the race will be there next year.

My eyes were very bad- I needed glasses to find my glasses- I rode with contact lenses for years with no probem until Sani2c about 3 years ago with mud like i've never seen. This actualy damaged my eyes . Went for an eye op and never looked back. Now I ride with no prescription glasses, just glasses for eye protection. The eye op changed my life - If you want more info let me kow.

Other than a gate still being locked it was a great race. The water-points were almost as I remember them last year. The grass was cut as last year. Its a hard race but the name gives that away. The few course changes that were made, were for the better

Yes - steel with rigid fork, done the Crater twice on it!

well done. I lost 30kg after taking up mountain biking - its a great way of life.