Eugene

I did it 3 months ago and there are 100s of people doing it from all corners of the globe. At no point did we ever worry about our safety from a crime point of view. But there were lots of spots one could fall and injure yourself if not careful. When I was in the army in Cape Town in the 90s, one of our Staff Sergeants lost his son on Table Mountain. He slipped and fell somewhere and both he and the adult he was with died

Interesting stats. Whats also interesting is that this was posted 5 hours ago and I am the first to respond.

To answer your question as to what is wrong with Makro bikes. A friend of mine bought one from Game, against my advice. Both wheels were out of true, the fork was on backwards, both pedals broke within a month, the gears never shifted properly (even a bike shop could not get it right) and the chain kept falling between the chain rings and each time we had to remove them to get the chain out. Rust started to appear within a few months. Having said that, Makro sells a bike called a Raleigh Pro 1 and a Volcan (they are identical). They are semi decent and do their job.

I didn't realise the SL6 came with rim brakes. Personally, I think rim brakes are fine and do the job just fine, however, discs are the rage at the moment and maybe discs are the way to go. The Cannondale is a good bike. Also, look at Titan as someone else mentioned.. You can get a new bike, with a warranty, close to your budget

I would scrap the Scott 1. It's an older model 2. The condition is not so good 3. It's too big for you. The Cannondale looks good and comes a close second. I would go Specialized. You mention it's in mint condition and you are getting it from a bike shop. At least you know it has been serviced etc and you have recourse if something goes wrong.

Looks like it is a type of auction and he just put in a value. Looking at the description, just trying to figure if they are tongue in cheek comment or aggressive comments

Ive been watching YouTube videos and I found a couple where you use another wheel to line it up and bend it using the wheel

Did you say 25-30km winds? That's a light breeze for us in PE. Fortunately, we don't have the heat at such early hours of the morning.

Huh?

Its already been mentioned, but I'm placing my money on a worn drop out. Someone mentioned dishing your wheel. I don't think that is the issue here, but dishing may actually help. With time the dropout will wear more and you'll be back where you were. You don't mention what the dropouts are made of, but carbon dropouts have a reputation for wearing.

Just looking at the Axis sizing chart, it seems as if your son would need a large frame. Not sure what the size of the Axis he has shown you. Personally, as a 16 year old, I would also prefer the more modern 29 inch as well.

R2000 sounds about right, assuming the shifting issues are only due to it standing and not more sinister. If tubes are needing to be replaced, factor in some tyres too as they could also be perished. You don't mention the age or height of your son, but an XL is a big bike. Are you sure that it is going to be the right size for him?

Thanks..... I'm still 2minded if I should give it a try. I suppose if it doesn't work I'll have to cough up a few hundred bucks for someone to fix my mistakes. If I take it to a bike shop, I'll have to cough up a few hundred bucks anyway. But, I don't want a cracked rim

In principle, dishing a wheel sounds quite easy, but how difficult is in in practise? If I tighten/loosen each spoke half a turn, will it have the desired effect or will it destroy the trueness of the wheel? I want to try it myself before it gets sent off to a professional.

Having been here so long there are a few things I miss. One is the membership. There was a time that anyone and everyone in the cycling world was a member. From importers, distributors and manufactures to professional cyclists, mechanics and team owners. These people gave us unique perspective and were on hand to settle any arguments.