EZRider

We need to justify stuff? The only person I need to justify spending big tom on a DS to is my wife and I fixed her built in cupboards which gave me quite a bit of leeway...

Last time I checked Moran was a porn star. (please don't ask how I know this) What's HIS screen name?

because they are not allowed to access pedophile websites from work. Although the reasoning ability of these kids seems to be pre school. These are boys who like to type the words **** and exakertaly and think it somehow sets them apart from the rest of society. Do these idiots think owning a car sets them apart. How do they think I get my bikes to the races? What about the fleet of bakkies I use on my farm? I pay road tax for each and every one of them. Hey, I drive Nissan. I like talk about it you ****. I drop cogs. Me smash little bicycle.

They have CAR forums? Why?

I have a GT Marathon 1.0 and it's a great bike. I know everyone thinks their bike is the best but... It's light, around 12.5 kg with great front (Fox float R 120) and rear shock (Fox rp23). Most of the components are XT except for the hubs and shifters but the LX shifters work well enough. The geometry is tight and nippy, more race orientated than trail or all mountain. I didn't like the tyres so I changed them for a set of Tubeless TT larsens. No, the frame can't take a bottle so if you really have to be XC cool and refuse to wear a hydro pack then get one of those under seat bottle set ups but then again, if XC cool is totally what you are into that space will probably be taken up by a slightly shredded tube taped to the seat post where the saddle bag should be

I am much faster on my 12 kg FS than on my 15 kg HT. Much! Not because its a FS so much but also because it's lighter and everything works much better on the more expensive bike. The gears shift smoothly and the chain doesn't leap off as much, the shock is way superior and smooths out the bumps properly and the hydraulic disc brakes give me confidence to go much faster down hill. And did I mention that it's 2.5 kg lighter? The whole package just feels more nippy and precise underneath me.

Bump. Anybody??

Thanks. In that case he will probably just keep the frames. He isn't desperate for the money and would only sell at a fair deal.

He isn't thinking about selling yet, when he does I will get him to join the hub and post pics and other info on the classifieds forum. A little history on the frames then: we both started MTB riding at the beginning of this year and had very little idea as of what bikes to buy. I bought the GT Marathon (which I love) and he bought the Force. We got both bikes cheaper as they were last years models even though they were brand new. He bought the Force because he liked the way it looked. After riding for five months we have a clearer picture of what we like to ride and we both prefer the lighter, smaller travel and generally tighter feeling bikes for the type of riding we do. He wants to build up a more "race orientated" full suss and sell the more "all mountain" Force. Hence the possible sale. The hard tail was bought on a whim because he also got it at a good price as it is an '07 model though brand new. This bike hasn't a scratch on it. He wants to strip the components off one of these bikes and put them on a new Trek full suss frame and keep the other bike as a back up. And so he was wondering, more or less, what these frames are worth second hand and if they are even worth selling.

A mate of mine wants to sell one of 2 frames but has no idea of what they are worth. I am hoping that one of you could give me a ball park figure so he can make up his mind. The first is a Trek Elite 9.9 (red) carbon frame. The frame is an '07 but was purchased new this year. And the other is an 2008 aluminum GT Force 1.0 (blue) with a Fox RP23 back shock. Both frames are in excellent (near new) condition.

Hi all, a friend of mine purchased an '09 Trek Fuel EX frame and wants to build it up as light as possible. The specs on this bikes call for a 130mm travel fork. He has both 100 mm and 140 mm fox forks. Could he use either of these forks with that frame? He may also buy a 120mm fox fork. Would it fit or does he risk changing the geometry of the bike significantly?

That's easy: tell Bob that Tony Blair said he can't and let Malema know Helen Zille dares him to!

I will never say I hate him' date=' just that I like Robert Mugabe and Julius Malema more.[/quote'] Hey Mampara, you may like him less than Boss Bob or Mad Malema but you are an anti Lance amateur compared to the guy with the "air-pistol-toting-dude" as his avatar Hope he does come to the Epic, will be fun to see him up against our own.

MTBers on tar are roadies with really slow bikes

Too true dat...

I topple over a fair bit but still haven't managed to chip the paint on my alu bike I think the whole carbon-will-break-all-the-time thing is blown up out of proportion. My friend's Bianchi alu MTB frame cracked as did another GT marathon frame of another of my riding partners. I ride a GT alu marathon frame and have had nothing but joy from it. Materials fail. There is a warranty' date=' use it if it is a manufacturing defect. My reasons for not wanting to ride carbon is, like your sig says, not wanting to be a ponce. Those swoopy, plastic designs just make me feel like I am in some kind of Buck Rogers movie. Even the road bikes now look all twisted and melted and I am told thats how they are supposed to look? They also seem over priced to me. The GT carbon is only a few hundred grams lighter than the same specced alu bike and costs 10 k more [/quote'] There are more pros then cons to a carbon bike and once you ride one chance are you will be hooked. They give a totally different feel... I agree or the serious race crowd (even the non sponsored ones) wouldn't be riding them. I have ridden a few and I was impressed. I just like the look and idea of the alu bikes more. It is just me

We measured it in my LBS and the Zaskar Pro (LX build) carbon was 200g heavier then the alu. The rest of the build was exactly the same. The carbon one was R7k more expensive. Wow, didn't know that. I was talking about the Marathons, where the alu is slightly heavier than the carbon and costs a whole lot more. Still, a lot of people are very happy with their carbon bikes. Just as a lot of people like those swoopy, twisted futuristic designs. Each to his own. It's a marketer's dream come true. I sit and drool over a new bike (aluminium) that will set me back more than 50 k. It wont make me a better rider. It probably isn't any better than my GT. But I still want it! I work hard, I make a good living and I will probably buy it soon. There is no escaping the capitalist dream... I pity people who drool over cars, motorcycles or boats, bikes are at least sort of affordable.

I topple over a fair bit but still haven't managed to chip the paint on my alu bike I think the whole carbon-will-break-all-the-time thing is blown up out of proportion. My friend's Bianchi alu MTB frame cracked as did another GT marathon frame of another of my riding partners. I ride a GT alu marathon frame and have had nothing but joy from it. Materials fail. There is a warranty, use it if it is a manufacturing defect. My reasons for not wanting to ride carbon is, like your sig says, not wanting to be a ponce. Those swoopy, plastic designs just make me feel like I am in some kind of Buck Rogers movie. Even the road bikes now look all twisted and melted and I am told thats how they are supposed to look? They also seem over priced to me. The GT carbon is only a few hundred grams lighter than the same specced alu bike and costs 10 k more

Some of the faster SA MTB riders are on carbon. I know they are sponsored so if their bikes break they get replaced but I have seen them finish pretty hectic stage rides with their carbon bikes in one piece.