Eugene

You can get a converter for the crank and if the front derailleur does not fit, you can buy a braze on type. They are cheap enough.

There have been a lot more than a few complaints. The problem comes in when the warranty expires (unless it is life time). You will always have this thought in the back of your mind each time you go out for a ride "is today the day it is going break?" The repair bill is now yours to bear. Also resale will be affected. No one will buy a used bike that has a reputation for breaking in the knowledge that the warranty won't pass to them. Having said that, I am a huge Scott fan and would love a 650b Spark, but have heard too many complaints of their after sales service and delays in repairing these bikes to take the chance.

I used to thoroughly enjoy my daily commute to work by bike. Rave: I finally managed to cycle to work again after breaking my arm in December. It felt sooooo good. Rant: There are gale force winds predicted for my ride home.

There is a Hubber selling these. I stand to be corrected, but it could be Big Mac

You don't mention price or specs, but all things being equal, I would choose the Giant. Another good and value for money brand is Silverback. Momsen also had a Tiagra specced road bike for a while, you might still find one. They were also good value for money.

Is your front axle bent? if it is, there is your problem.

If your budget is low and only want new, then contact Solomons in Pretoria. They have a range of Axis bikes at give away prices (10 speed bikes for under R5k and full Tiagra for R6999). To my knowledge, they will post to you in Western Cape. Their ads are in Ride and Bicycling magazines. www.solomons.co.za

I cannot agree that it is the fault of the wheels. Not even the cheapest wheels should be bending to such an extent. I am willing to bet there is some or other fault with the fork that is causing undue strain on one side of the wheel. I have never seen a lefty close up, so I cannot say what might cause it, but here is an example of a similar problem a friend had. The bike shop also threw the "cheap, weak wheel" story to him. His rear wheel was also going out of true over and over again ( road bike). After spending a fair amount on re-truing, new spokes and wheel build etc, it was discovered that the one side chainstay was slightly longer than the left side chain stay. His frame was replaced under warranty. I realise that the above example is not the same as your problem, but it just highlights what can go wrong.

Have you ever bought a TV or stove at Makro (or any other store for that matter). If something goes wrong with it, Makro will not do the repair. They will send it to the authorised service agent. To be fair to Cycle Lab, they don't do Garmin repairs. I'm pretty sure they don't have an electronics expert on site to repair electronic devices. Cycle Lab would have sent the unit to Garmin,or their approved agent, for the quote and repair (and may have charged a handling fee). The 4 week delay might have been at the hands of the agent and the high quote may also have been at the hands of the agent. Before flaming Cycle Lab, it might be a good idea to find the origins of the quote and 4 week delay first.

Go to a cycle race and see just how many Scultura riders are out there. Merida make a pretty good product and if the bike is in a good condition and has standard 904 specs, R8 000 for a 2012 model is pretty good price.

Check the prototype pictures of what is probably the new Record. I'm not sure if these are the "old shifters" connected to the new stuff or if the new shifters stll look the same.http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2014/05/10/1399716618757-11h8ncgv2anmc-670-80.jpghttp://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2014/05/10/1399716570251-vchwkmqiyez8-670-80.jpg http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2014/05/10/1399716618744-4prnr4p0l0w9-670-80.jpg http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2014/05/10/1399716570315-1i1eqav5xr65f-670-80.jpg

Immagine driving all the way to Luxemborg.

Do a search on the Rant and Rave section and you will see the number of unhappy Spark owners. There are at least 4 threads that have plenty of complaints. It just blows my mind how many people ignor these complaints and still buy these bikes. Your frame has been replaced 4 times. That is insane, it speaks volumes for the quality of the product. Sounds good, getting a newer model frame each time. What happens when the warranty runs out? Considering all the problems, Scott should have a recall and supply owners with a better product. Shock problems aren't really faults of Scott, but rather the shock supplier. https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/126858-scott-spark-29-elite-frame-cracked-2-times/page__hl__scott+spark https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/130412-scott-and-pro-bike-very-dissapointing/page__st__48__hl__scott%20spark#entry2049445 https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/135538-ive-scott-a-problem/page__hl__scott+spark

Personally, I would stick with Novatech over Powerway. They are far more common and more likely to have a local agent and spares backup, although I could be mistaken.

A bike shop mechanic told me that some 8 speed hubs don't accept 9 speed cassettes (I find this hard to believe), just to be safe (maybe he is right), google your hub.

After seein the new Mclaren Formula 1 cars, I don't want to see what they have done to the Specialized.

Not sure if this has been posted before. This is the new S Works SL5 http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2014/04/28/1398710552426-1ueo3r6ste0ti-670-80.jpg

I have a friend in PE who polished his 105 shifters. Every so often when they start to look hazy (from the oxidation), he gives them a good wipe down with brasso.

I built my own bike, so do not have proof of purchase. I suppose i will be stuffed if i try to put in a claim.

R15 000 sounds like a good price. Trek is a quality brand, so I cannot seem them producing anything bad.

It is the full suspension Scott Sparks that have the problem. There are no issues (that I've heard of) with the Scales.

Buy a Titan from a bike shop not Sportsmans Warehouse. There are plenty of bike shops that sell Titan bikes too. Bikes shops are cheaper (SW is always over priced), bike shops will give a proper set up and you will get mechanical back up for the future. I once went into SW to buy a cassette removal tool. The salesman/mechanic told me that I don't need one. He told me that he removes the cassettes from the bikes with a hammer and screwdriver.

No you can't without having to have wheels custom made. Just put slicks on your current wheels.

Check out 650b Palace (do a google search), they have a list of compatable frames. If my memory serves me correct, your frame is listed there.

I can just see that concrete dustbin cutting into that carbon crank. I feel sick when I see people leaning their bikes against brick walls and scratching paintwork etc