Rigardt@Scott

Maybe one of those slightly lifted Polos, but lets not go as far as SUVs...

I just can't buy into this... rather wear a full face!

I've got some socks with the same quote, pretty sure I don't look like that when I wear them though...

If only you and I got in touch earlier haha, I wanted a large! Sentinel vs Following - a little bit unfair to compare the two since they are so vastly different, and I do need more time on the Sentinel to give fair comment. A more fair conparison would be Smuggler vs Following or Sentinel vs Wreckoning. But, in short - the Following was much more versatile than the Sentinel, much more playful, and the rear suspension was hands down better - suppple off the top and very progressive. Like you said, a bmx with big wheels! I will probably regret not having bought a Large until the day I have money to buy an Offering. The Sentinel - wheelbase is 100mm longer, reach longer, and STA much steeper. In short - confidence, confidence, and more confidence. It's a heavy monster truck, which has already given me the nuts to clear a few rocky lines I have not done before. It's harder to throw around corners in the beginning but once you get your head around the fact that you must weight the front wheel, it has immense grip. And I think this comes down purely to it being the right size for me - but it climbs better than the following, not faster - but much comfier seated position. The Sentinel is the bike I need right now - I want to progress on the steeper stuff and really want to do Kingdom Enduro next year - and I believe it will give me the confidence I need to get there. In a perfect word I would want one of each though - the Sentinel to monster truck, the Following as an every day bike.

Great shoes. I recently got the cliplite version with the Boa dials - best shoes I've ever owned.

Or maybe he is just an extremely successful dude who has cool toys like most of us would in the same position? Haha or he is compensating - I don't know the guy.

I know the owner of USN has a few of these (I've only ever seen one next to his Ferrari at their Centurion offices). Don't think these belong to him though. Those things are enormous. I parked next to it in my bakkie, and felt like I was in a dinky toy.

In that picture, yes, you're on your own 6 wheels Mercedes G Wagons are much more droolworthy than any Scott!

Helderberg Shuttle day. Turnout was a bit low, but that meant no waits for a shuttle and an all round awesome day!! Xavier really organised a lekker event. Hopefully turnout is better for the next one so these days can keep happening.

I've tried the stem cap mount - looks very tall, so not for me. The out front mount backwards - had it on like that, took a tumble and knocked the garmin with my knee - broke the little mounting ledges on the back of the Garmin straight off. Weird that the Garmin itself broke and not the mount. Anyway, long story short, on the top tube looks good (to me), is easy to see, and is out of harms way.

Where else? On a bike with a short stem it's the only option besides from the handlebar which always lead to the gps coming off somewhere.

More of a river than a stream though

Dunno why anyone would want to take part in this, even less why anyone would want to watch it.

Hands down the best all round bike if money is not an object to you. Extremely versatile bike!

Ja, julle is 'n klomp skollies! Maar gelukig het julle my gewys wat lekker fiets ry is!

I Would say the longer travel craze in some areas can be equated to the marathon bike craze here. It is what is considered cool/the bike to have, but just like marathon bikes are probably not the best option here, the long travel bikes are not the best option there - they just do overkill in the other direction as Saffas.

The Camber is probably one of the best when it comes to an all rounder - you won't regret it. I've got a friend who rides his to top 50 in the Epic, top 5 in 36One, even managed a win in W2W last year (not the one with pro men racing); and then on non racing days he changes the tyres and puts a dropper on and rides the hell out of black rated trails - even considering doing Kingdom Enduro next year on it. A marathon bike will never give you that adaptability. So ja, buy what's going to give you the ability to ride the trails you want to ride. If it's a bit of everything you made the right choice, if it's just marathon - then a marathon bike would probably be best.

South Africans are marathon bike verskrik. A 120mm travel trail bike is probably the best all rounder option for most people - you can do a few stage races, ride some lekker trails, and do it with confidence. Sure, there is a pedaling efficiency trade off - but there are other trade offs with a marathon bike. Modern short travel trail bikes offer in my opinion the best of most worlds - they are good at everything, and horrible at none - but that said they are not as good as a long travel enduro bike on descents, and not as good as marathon bikes at covering distance. Most won't notice the shortcomings though, because most people do the type of riding that falls squarely in a short travel trail bike's intended use.

Haha no I get that, not planning on becoming a full time crossfitter - but yoh, what some of those guys and girls can do is impressive! And it carries over nicely to other sports... If it's the same online thing I'm thinking about, ask PhilipV here on the hub, he has been following one of those programs which sounds pretty rough.

Hahaha he was asking what works! But touché

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but coming from a gyming/bodybuilding background I picked up crossfit from the start of this year. I am much fitter and stronger on the bike now than I was last year, even dropped a few kg too. Last year I was putting in (not consistently) around 100km per week on the mtb (no other exercise), this year my schedule looks something like this: Mon: Crossfit Tuesday: Crossfit Wed: Mtb Thurs: Crossfit Fri: Mtb Sat: Longer mtb ride I'm not that consistent with following it religiously, and I am not the right person to be giving advice on fitness, but I must say that for me this has made a massive difference, esepcially on longer descents and short hard efforts. But I digress, there is actually a dedicated thread for this.

My biggest issue with plonking a 27.5 wheel on the back of a niner frame or a niner fork and wheel on a 27.5 frame is what you will be doing to the geo of that bike. In essennce you will slacken out the HA, STA, and lowet the bb (in the case of the niner frame). So the bike is going to pedal like crap, and have a ton of rock strikes while descending. So to remedy this bike manufacturers will make 27.5 frames with geo dedicated to this setup. In which case it will "work". But it will mean new frames for us. Playing around with that on your current frames will cost you for a new rear wheel if using a 29er frame, or a new fork and front wheel in the case of using a 27.5 frame. All for something that resembles the new concept but isn't quite it. Then add to that people shortening travel on their forks to address a bike that is too slack, and then some new cranks to adrress the bb that is now too low (let's say 165mm ot shorter) which will mean even crappier pedaling. Not worth it IMO. Maybe in 6 or 7 years I will change my tune when it is the new norm and bikes are sold like this out the box. But I am not gonna be the guinnea pig for it...

Anything to make more money - in other words - yes. There may be something to it, but I am sure the benefits will be blown out of proportion by marketing departments to sell us yet another standard.

Use a chain checker to check the stretch on it - the coating has nothing to do with the lifespan of the chain. From all accounts you should be getting many more km from an XX1 chain.

That's the thing - on hills he (the unfit one on the ebike) must wait for her - that is how much of an advantage an ebike gives! Everywhere else (where power/speed is not involved) she must wait for him.