Griffin

Check that your new frame has a tapered or straight headset...so your fork will fit. Check your frame size by measuring, cause frames differ from make to make. Check brake calliper compatability wrt mountings on the frame/fork. Check mountings for cable lugs on the frame. Check BB size. Check seatpost diameter. And then double check everything again.

The 120 is a great looking bike...amd well specced to ! But...have a look at this... http://www.rideghost.com/za/asx-5500 R16999.00

MorewoodMad..you got some good suggestions there and I tend to agree. Doing away with late entries will make things for the organisors much easier. By allowing late/on the day enties, there are a lot of variables that cannot be predetermined, and this is why the "penalty" of a late entry fee is applicable. I was a little shocked to hear of the late entry fee for Karkloof though...R140 for the 20k ride! I have entered for the 40k..and was early enough to be one the lucky ones to get a riding shirt. The cost for the 40, with this added product, was still reasonable.

Singletrack and drop offs..I stand/sit depending on what the terrain is like.Even then the "stand" is more like a "crouch".. Standing to climb had advatages and dis-advantages. You def. get more power transfer by standing, but you also unweight the rear wheel, which can cause it to loose traction. So..stand and power up the not so steep climbs..but sit and keep traction on the steeper stuff (or a combo of both lol)

I also think Actionphoto is a rip off. In fact, I had almost exactly the same discussion with a few mates of mine and NONE of us think the price the ask is justified. To put it in pespective..I have been shooting now for about 3 months (yeah ONLY 3 months!) and have met 2 of the best photographers around at various events..to the extent that we happily work together and pass on tips. The one is pro and makes a living from photography, the other is still studying but is so good that he has a commission to shoot the whole Aquelle Mudman series. Neither of the 2 charge anything close to ehat Actionphoto asks Actionphto does mass photography...they sit in one place and shoot eveything that passes by, regardless of the quality and composition. It sucks !!!

Ok..so I have got as far as the payment options on the CSA site, but now see the only option is to pay bt credit card !!! Is there no other way to do this ???

Best moment....just having it back and hearing the internationals talk about SA in a positive way ! Worst..hmm..TSA but only 2 of the Provinces ?? Cmon...we got so mush more to showcase ! Yeah I understand its hectic logistics/time/distance wise..but its possible to extend the Tour to more of SA instead of just 2 Provinces.

Hi Guys Really great to hear you all enjoy the work and effort that goes into the trails at Karkloof. Grant at Adrenaline Cycles is planning on holding regular outrides from the Karkloof Country Club (KCC) so please just phone him for details. Also remember KCC offers breakfast/light lunches at the club as from 4 Dec 2010. Trails are currently being marked, but if in doubt I do have some gps routes available for download. Just PM me. Also please remember that there is a R20 trails fee per rider, as well as compulsory Indemnity form to fill in before you ride.

Its easy. Look out for rocks. And trees. And the occational cow. Goats too. Unless you a roadie. All you need then is a shower cap

Head out to Lake Eland....there are some really nice marked trails through Oribi Gorge. I did the Lake Eland Super Classic out there and was very impressed. You could also head towards Clearwater Trails, but its further on (Port Edward side)

Thanx for all the suggestions, help and comments. this will be my first Sani Frontier ... kinda intimidated by that climb ! Just gonna go out there and have some fun...those views look worth it ! Will take some pics and post them here afterwards (great excuse to stop and take a breather !!)

Thanx wchampion..will check it out

Anyone know where I can get hold of a recent .gpx file or route profile of Sani Pass ? I am doing the Sani Frontier Epic in early Dec and would like to start getting mentally ready ..lol

I can understand the roadies being tarmac..umm...challanged... But the Mountain Biker...now thats just not acceptable ! Firstly..what was he/she doing on tar..and Second...I wanna see a support vehicle follow them through some singletrack..now that would be good for a laugh !

Now those look nice !!! Pity thay dont come in 180mm..but I think I will order a 160mmm so long for the rear. Amyone know where I can get a 180mm in the same colouring ? (red)

Hi Guys I got a friend who is currently looking to upgrade from HT to FS. His budget is max 10K, which limits things a bit but I think its still possible. What suggestions would you have for him ? Preferably a new bike, but 2nd hand would also be considered.

Faceplant...if you are thinking of the 'berg just let me know and I can point you in the right direction. Have some good friends there who will happily take you around and show you some behind the scenes rides. One of them also owns self catering corrages so would be easy to ride from where you are staying. Or camp if you want. PM me for details

3 months into riding clipped in... 2km into MTB ridee.... I stop and wait for Jnr to catch up...and instead of unlipping I pull up to a handy farm gate to place my hand on and maintain balance.... Looking smug and confident I reach out...grab the top of the gate...lean to compensate..and the freaking gate opens !!!! Needless to say I fell over...legs up in the air and looking like a flightless fly ! Think the forest echoed with people laughing

I rode a lot of MTB events last year..and have made a point this year of only going back to ride those that I really enjoyed (and a few new ones). Some of the entry fees really are rediculous. This past weekend it would have cost me R90 to ride a 20km event with Jnr..so R180 for the 2 of us. Excluding petrol.

Always good to have some local knowledge and local riders with you..there are some secret spots that can only be accessed if you know where to go

Way to expensive. As the replies here say, we can get better quality frames/components for that price . The other thing to condiser is that you would be offering HT. You mention that the target market is casual with no real experiance/knowledge. I would think that they would be swayed to getting a full suss then, since these are also easily available in the price range. Selling a HT to a customer who has already heard of FS (at a price equal too or less than yours) is like trying to sell a CD instead of of a DVD...market advertising and other riders would already have influenced them to rather try full suss.

The GT Force 2 is a really nice looking bike that is very well specced..and like you say...the price that Omnico was offering them for made it an very very nice deal. I saw them on offer and seriously condidered getting my self one too...just couldnt find anyone to buy my sound system lol Whilst there are bikes that offer better "all round" capabilities, I cant think that you have gone far wrong with this buy. The savings alone make it worthwhile. Getting something that was more suited to your end goal would have put a serious dent in the bank balance. Also considering that you starting out now in the longer distance/stage race events, it makes sense to start with a bike thats more practical than aimed towards this catogory in particular. If the stage race bug bites, and if you deciede to concentrate on that kind of race, then by all means upgrade later. If not, and you revert back to the more common form of mountain biking (or a combo of both) then at least you got a steed that will handle both with confidence. Guess you could also swop out the fork to something more applicable, but that seems over board and might spoil the geometry of the bike too.

I would think that you would be best off using a slick on a roller..same as if on a IDT. The tread pattern of a MTB tyre just isnt suited to a roller and will affect the grip. Depemding on the type of tyre you are using, it could cause some extra wear and tear..especially if using a soft compound tyre.

Really sorry to hear that Chris..hope the bastards get saddle sores that never clear up ! Do you havethe frame numbers or some pics so that we can keep our eyes open ?