David Marshall

FYI, this information is often hard to find for some reason. Technical guide V3 Provincials 2025.pdf

Sounds like a cable/housing or routing issue but as it is a bicycle it could be something else.

I don't know the bikes so can't comment with any certainty. That said if it is an air fork and specs as per the website then R6000 seems a good price. I wouldn't worry about the BB or hanger. If the fork is looked after it should also last a few years. The tyres are unlikely to be tubeless set up or even tubeless ready (unless stated on the rubber). As for the frame size just make sure that an L is not too big for your son. Good luck.

Those figures are impressive. Well done Nick. I thought I was good at 137 built for the year. Unfortunately my spoke tensioning equipment after 15 years as a pro is showing signs of wear and tear🤕.

Solomon's Woodmead had a charity bin. I haven't used it for a while so check with them if still active.

That should be a quick fix for someone who knows their way around headsets. If it is a sealed bearing type avoid slapping any extra grease onto it. The grease is already inside the assembly where it is needed. Clean the seat and the outside of the bearing and refit. If it is a cup and cone type where the upper race and the balls (usually in a cage) come apart when you loosen it by all means add grease to the lower race and cone after cleaning. A thin "earthworm" of grease where you see the balls have run is enough. Any extra is just a dirt trap. Extra grease will not migrate onto the balls. The noise could also just be that the headset has worked loose. With the bike wheels on the ground you can check this by sitting on the crossbar, engage the front brake and with your hand over the joint between the headtube and headset cap. When you rock the bike forward and back you shouldn't feel any play.

If you replace the hanger the new one will most likely need to be aligned as well. Get that one realigned with a tool. Anything above 9 speed is not easily straightened by eye.

I never found anything decent when I was last there. The N2 is bad, narrow shoulder overgrown with bush/grass and heavy traffic. You can ride northwards through Salt Rock and stick to the coast until you run out of road but that doesn't give you much milage. It looks like the locals ride very early going south on the M4 towards Umhlanga and do out and back laps. There is a popular MTB trail park.

I've had a few Avalanche road bikes and they are solid. That one should do the job but if you get "keen" you will find it lacking. A carbon fork would be preferable and that crank/cassette option will always be - well what it is! Heavy and cumbersome. You will find the wheels (hubs, spokes and build) very entry level. Will get you from A to B but not with the pack through thick and thin on race day.

I just hate when the year of the bike model listed is way off. Rather don't put a date. I once PMd a seller to let him know that the bike listed as 2014 was actually 2003. He changed the add to 2009!

Be careful of what you see and hear. Different series and speeds of derailleur have different capacities. For example Ultegra 11 speed 6800GS can handle a 32/11 cassette while the 8000GS can accommodate a 34/11. There are hacks to get around the max capacity but in my experience there is always some compromise.

If you ride 50/34, 32/11 currently the new bike won't work for you. Question is what the rear derailleur can handle and if it is worth buying another crank/cassette set up or otherwise looking at a different bike.

I have one from a Sunrace M600 crank. 170mm long. Free plus shipping.

Sorry to hear of your sons accident. I hit the Cradle tar on Saturday and am nursing a broken rib so I can relate to his pain. Sounds like a classic high speed shimmy. Can be caused by any number of factors relating to the bike or rider tension or both. Your approach is the right one - go through one thing at a time and don't expect any one else's experience to be the same.

Decathlon also stock. Not sure what widths.