Eugene

I notice a lot of forks have a number on the side, usually a 32. What does this mean? Is it the travel in inches?

There is a much more comprehensive thread on this topic with lots of good advice. The thread is rather large though and much of the good advice could be lost in the ton of posts. Give it a look. Insurance is rather complicated and what's good for one person is not necessarily good for another. I prefer to stay away from these direct marketing type of insurers. Those that phone you up and promise you the earth and still offer you reduced premiums. There is a reason they are cheap. As mentioned many times, I want to work through a broker who only work through your old, mainstream, established companies like Santam.

I had a similar problem on my mtb. I checked every thing I could, took it to the bike shop and same reply. They could not find anything. In the middle of the night, I had an apiphany. 2am, went to my bike and checked under the saddle. There it was, a big crack. New saddle and problem solved. Don't write off saddle and seat post issues

You just have to roll with the punches when advertising on any classified sites. For every 10 responses, 1 may have genuine interest.

My niece recently passed away from cancer. The church organised the whole thing through Facebook live.

Bikes are a very personal thing. Some you love, some you hate. If she gets him something he hates, he will be stuck with it. Maybe she should throw around hints to find out what he likes. Maybe ask his cycling buddies what he talks about. That can give her an idea. Imagine the surprise of a brand new, shiny bike under the tree

Really sorry to hear about this. Condolences to the whole family

Nice buy, the only thing left to finish off this thread is a picture of your new bike

Lots of things to consider before anyone can give you a serious answer. Price, age, condition, specs etc. As mentioned previously, two totally different bikes.

Considering your age, the intended use and your budget, a 26inch will do just fine. If you can find a 29inch duel suspension under R10k, it will likely be a piece of junk. You may, if course, find that once in a lifetime bargain, but everyone else is also looking for that. What you need to consider is size. An incorrect size bike may do your back more harm than good. Also, 26inch FS bikes are getting old. Numerous parts can be pretty worn. If you can take someone with who knows bikes and can check it out for you.

Oh... I thought it was the frame he was drilling.

Same thing happened to my Shimano rear wheel (on a Tarmac) after 2 weeks of riding. Was replaced very quickly by Shimano, but with a different model and different colour scheme. I was told to accept as is.

I know you said it was a 2018 model. Did you buy it new? Drilling anything on a new frame will void your warranty. If it was second hand, then you won't have a issue as their is no warranty to lose.

I met this crazy character a few years back. We employed him to entertain at our water points at the GZT. He truly was a legend. I have been trying to upload a video of him, but it won't work. RIP Carel. Thanks for all the laughs you gave to a bunch of not so boring accountants.

That bakkie is long gone. I couldn't keep up with the fuel bill. (2.4l Nissan).

If they are prepared to pay me for advertising their product on my bike or car then yes, if not, a definite no. I once took my bakkie for a new exhaust. The exhaust place put a sticker on the tail gate. Some weeks later, took the bakkie to have some rust removed and the tail gate resprayed. The panel beaters left the sticker, masked it off and sprayed around it.

What you have here is a 2014 BMW vs a 2018 Mazda. You have to decide whether you want an older premium bike or a newer mid range bike. I would probably go the Schwinn route too if all else is equal.

First off, welcome to the world of skinny wheels. 1. I stay in PE so cannot answer this question. 2. You can wear what you want, but cycling shorts are recommended. 3. There is nothing pretentious/elitist about road cyclists. For most part, they are a great bunch. Now that you have moved into the world of smooth surfaces, let's hope your old mtb friends don't consider you pretentious/elitists.

Jip... It's a pipe dream. Most cyclists in SA seem to prefer risking their lives on busy roads than using the cycle paths.

Ja.. Was worried about a shock. My plan was to build up a cheap bike. I can't use much from my hard tail as it is a 650b.

I've built plenty bikes in my time. I kinda wanted to treat this as a project of sorts. I was just worried the frame may be beyond its useful life. Also, I do have spares of all sorts lying around.

I don't have a picture of it, unfortunately. Its R500, with a really stuffed and not worth mentioning Suntour fork that will probably end up in the bin.

Wow... Awesome looking bike. One of my favourites too.

I've never owned a full suspension bike before. I've been offered an older Axis frame for a good price and was thinking of building it up. What must I look out for? I would imagine the most important thing are the pivot points if they are worn. I would think bearings/bushings are easily replaced. It has no shock, so I would have to get that.

As a beginner, the best advice I can give is to ignore all the technical jargon. Most of it is hype any way. Just visit a few shops, tell them your budget and that you are starting and let them recommend a bike. For R8k, a hard tail is probably your best bet. Try to get Hydraulic disc brakes. Best bang for buck brands are Axis, Titan and Silverback.