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Hello hubbers, My bike, Scott Genius 750 (2018), has the ability to switch between 27"+ and 29", and now I'm interested to do exactly that. The reason is mainly because my bike has quite a low BB, and I believe 29er will be able to just add a few needed centimeters. I just want to know if it's possible to trade my current 27"+ wheelsets for 29ers? I have the following: Rims: Syncros X-30s, 32 hole, 30mm Hubs: Front - Shimano HB-M6010-B CL, 15x110mm Rear - Shimano FH-M6010 CL, 12x148mm Tires: Maxxis Recon 2.8" I also have a Shimano CS-HG50-10 speed cassette, which I believe is not compatible with Sram XD hubs, but in the future I'd probably want to upgrade to Sram SX/NX and I don't know if XD hubs and Shimano cassetes are compatible for the time being? What can I expect to get for my wheelset aswell? Thanks in advance!

Hi Hubbers! Our LE TOUR SALE is now in full swing! New products are added daily. Head over to https://www.evobikes.co.za/le-tour.html to see what is on sale!

Turning to TheHub wrench oracles... Helping a friend build a gravel bike. He has bought a pair of second hand Force 1 shifters/brakes. They came off a small frame - his bike is a large. So we need to lengthen his hydraulic brake hoses. This in itself isn't a problem. Thing is they came with junction connectors in the hose. I've disconnected/reconnected these in the past but never actually had to replace them or re-install them on a new hose. To make things slightly more complicated, I don't know which brand/make/model the connectors are and as such can't find any info regarding parts/spares for them. It looks like the shifters are all original factory installs - so I would imagine they are a SRAM product? But I see nothing on the web about them... Anyone seen these ones before? In a pinch I can always swap them with shimano's version - but I'm not sure if they will handle the DOT fluid? If you know the brand and where I can info regarding where to pick up spares would be great (bear in mind im in the USA, so online stores would be best). TIA

In my first post 'For the love of bikepacking adventures' I wrote about my love for bikepacking and the freedom it offers to explore. In that post I mentioned my main bikepacking race for 2019, The Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR). Like I said then it's no ordinary race. It takes both physical and mental strength to complete it. Preparation includes long saddle time, lots of climbing and even hill repeats off the bike. Yes, the hike-a-bike sections are not trivial. There are tales of competitors scratching (DNF'ing) as a result of 'unexpected' injuries caused in part by extended pushing and pulling heavy ladened bikes for 6-hour stretches. To that end, I've been testing equipment in simulated conditions, like hill reps with a fully ladened bike, and my sleep system in my garden. (more of that in another post) Image: There is a lot of hike-a-bike sections on the SRMR Careful selection and planning of equipment for both on and off the bike is crucial. With so many factors to consider it's both exhausting and fun. In this two-part post, this part focuses on my bike and its components. Part two will focus on other bike equipment, like luggage, spares, and contingent bike clothing. PART ONE Frame and fork My first task was figuring out what type of bike is best suited for this challenge. It wasn't an easy decision, and I went back and forth many times. Last year's SRMR competitors suggested using a hard trail mountain bike, although many did use beefed up gravel bikes. And by beefed up I mean using titanium or steel, big volumous tyres and appropriate gearing. It would be hard to convince me otherwise, my head was set on a titanium frame. I've owned a titanium bike (DeKerf Ti) and I just loved the material. I enjoyed the balance titanium offered - lightness, compliance and raw beauty. Titanium just feels right! I'd seen photos of local brand Calculus bikes; I liked the look of them. And, I liked that they're made to measure, so fully custom. I reached out to Millar, owner of Calculus, for help and to use his experience to build the perfect machine. Convinced, I took my bike fit measurements (done by Jos le Roux's, at Revbikefit) to Millar. We agonized over angles, bolt-ons, sizes, reach, etc. After a couple of weeks we had a design and ready to start building it. As I write this, my Calculus frame is in its final production phase and should be in my hands soon. (pics to follow) Image: My frame measurements We designed the frame to coupe with the SRMR conditions, so for that I decided to use Curve's GXR carbon forks. These work for my frame geometry and can handle big wheels - 650b and 700c - wide wide tyres. Plus, they look great. Image: My new Curve fork - race, ride and seek Wheels, tyres and drive chain For SRMR, I want strong and lightweight 650b wheels to handle the rough conditions. It's tempting to run bigger 700c wheels for speed across the 1700km route, but a large majority of the route is on rocky and technical terrain... I'd rather avoid technical mishaps than be fast. I've gone for a set of Curve carbon wheels with Cure hubs from The Ride Guys. They're beautiful and the rear hub has a beautiful sound too. I'll swap the front hub with a SON28 dynamo hub. The dynamo hub will generate the power I need for my front light and power bank. To help me get over steep climbs I'll be running a 10-42 cassette for gearing. Image: my Curve wheels My current gravel bike (a Giant TCX Pro SL 2) came with a SRAM Rival chainset, and it's been perfect. So with no need to change it I'll transfer it to the new bike. The crank arms are 172.5mm and I'll replace the chainring from the 40 tooth to a 36, again, this should help me get over climbs, especially considering I'm carrying a lot of stuff. That combination will leave me with a 36 x 10-42 one by setup. To keep that turning I'll use an 11 speed chain with breakable link adaptors, and a spare. My tried and tested Shimano XT pedals will give me that safe and reliable contact point. Image: SRAM Rival cranks (172.5mm with a 36 tooth chain ring) I'll be staying with my favorite tyres for the SRMR, the Panaracer GravelKing SK 1.9" tubeless wheels, front and back. They just make sense... they're hardy (tough rubber), easy to get on and off the rim and provide great rolling resistance with reasonable traction. I have to confess I wouldn't mind more traction but happy to trade that off. And, of course my tyres will have the classic tan wall. Nice. Image: Panaracer GravelKing SK - tan walled 27.5 tyres (650b) Bars, brakes/gears, stem and headset Never have I done so much comparing and contrasting as I did here. Apart from wanting good looking, reliable and compatible components, I was also looking for good prices too... ended up being a bit of a game and I had fun. Eventually, I found Chain Reaction Cycles to be my best bet, and used a business trip to the UK to make my purchases. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep it all with one brand, I broke the consistency 'code', but I think you'll agree with me it's a good compromise. As a minimum they are all black anodized and look great. For bars, I've gone for Easton EC70 AX 44cm aluminum bars with a 16 degree flare. They look great and have a moderate flare, so not too wild, but has enough width to fit my Apidura backcountry handlebar pack between the hoods, and provide me with better control on the bumpy descents. Connecting the bars to the bike I bought a Easton Haven stem with a 0 degree drop. These stems are super tough and look flippen cool. They're proven themselves over the years and are still one of my favorites. Image: Easton EC70 AX bars I won't say much about my brakes and levers. They are my trusty SRAM Rival 1 x set. They're not complicated and comfortable when on the hoods for extended periods. No need to change what ain't broke. Something previous competitors have mentioned is mechanical brakes, in favor of hydraulic. Hydraulic failures in the middle of nowhere would spell disaster. I'm not going to say much more, just hoping nothing goes wrong there. Navigation and lighting Once we depart from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, access to power outlets is scarce. My goal is to be completely self-sufficient in this area. That means I won't need to rely or worry about batteries going flat and loosing navigation and light for night travel. Other powering options just wont' work. I've researched this area extensively and concluded that the german-made SON28 dynamo hub sets the standard in performance, so should keep me charged. Of course slow moving up climbs probably won't help but I think the flats and downhills should make up for that. As back up I'll be carrying a Anker Powercore 13000 mAh rechargeable power bank. The SON28 has the ability to charge both lights and power bank at the same time and keeping my power bank fully recharged all the time. Image: SON28 dynamo hub for all my power needs Again, research in this area has told me the best dynamo-powered light on the market is the Sinewave Beacon. It's a simple light but pushes out an incredible 750 lumens when powered at speed. The killer feature, in my opinion, is its ability to run a cable directly off the light unit to charge my power bank, Wahoo Bolt head unit or mobile phone. No additional wires needed, it's that simple. Image: Sinewave Beacon dynamo front light Image: A Wahoo Bolt Element will keep me on track Right, that's enough geeking out on equipment for now. I can't wait to show you photos of my complete bike built up and race ready. Stay tuned. Other photos of selected bike kit for SRMR Image: Fabric Scoop titanium saddle Image: Thomson Elite in-line seatpost Part 2 to follow in my next post... Bike specs Frame - Calculus titanium customer gravel monsterForks - Curve GCX carbon 100x12mmWheels - Curve carbon 650b 28Dynamo (front hub) - SON28 28Tyres - Panaracer GravelKing SK 27.5 1.9"Drive chain - SRAM Rival 172.5mm 1x11 (36 x 10-42)Pedals - Shimano XTHeadset - Cane Creek 40-SeriesStem - Easton haven (100mm)Bars - Easton EA70 AX (44cm)Bar tape - Fabric siliconeSeat post - Thomson elite (27.5mm x 350mm)Saddle - Fabric scoop titaniumCages - Titanium x 2 - still need to sourceFork cages - Blackburn outpost cargo x 2Front lights - Sinewave Beacon (dynamo)Front lights - Knog rechargable (DC 2019 issue) GPS - Wahoo element bolt

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before...I did search and could not find any posts on this on the site. So if its discussed elsewhere, please direct me there... Anyway, on to the question: I have been sitting on the fence for long enough to have look at whether this 1x12 thing SRAM started was gonna turn out to be a fad, but then Shimano joined the fray and I think I may be getting to the point where I am convinced there are merits for me to move from 2x11 to 1x12. What would I need to be able to go from 2x11 XT to 1x12 (either SRAM or Shimano)? I have heard that I would need to change to a XD driver body for SRAM (not that I actually really know what that means???) and I assume I would need to do somethin gsimilar for Shimano 1x12. Does changing a driver body mean also a new hub (i.e. a complete wheel rebuild)? I also know that there are aftermarket etsups or conversion kits, but I only want advice on what I need to do to go from Shimano to SHimao or Shimano to SRAM fully OEM and without "'n Boere plan". Thanks in advance...

Could we be close to seeing SRAM’s wireless groupset get an extra sprocket? https://road.cc/content/tech-news/251253-sram-red-etap-12-speed-coming-soon

Although there are more reviews and articles written about SRAM RED eTap than any other product in SRAM’s history, there are many features unique to eTap that are still relatively unknown. In this article, SRAM reviews 11 of these features to give greater insight into eTap’s capabilities. Click here to view the article

ShockWiz is a suspension tuning system for air-sprung mountain bikes that combines high-tech hardware with an intuitive smartphone app. Click here to view the article

Super Deluxe allowed us to ditch old design constraints, and simply focus on building the best possible rear shock. And with that old thinking no longer holding us back, we began to wonder why coil-shock performance had to be limited to purely downhill and enduro applications and why there should be any pedaling compromise associated with a coil shock. Click here to view the article

SRAM introduced the first ever 12 speed mountain bike groupsets in March with the announcement of their Eagle XX1 and X01 drivetrains. While the Eagle X01 drivetrain is suitable for all riding styles up to and including Enduro racing, the Eagle XX1 is geared towards cross-country with the use of light weight materials. Click here to view the article

In review of 2016, Iwan Kemp looks at the best bikes and gear that he rode last year. Click here to view the article

Heralding in a new era of speed and precision, the highly anticipated and widely regarded SRAM RED eTap wireless drivetrain has finally been given the green light for South Africa by ICASA. This according to Cape Cycle Systems, the authorised importers of SRAM products into South Africa. Click here to view the article

The facts and figures behind Mitch Ropelato’s last-minute bid for the King of Crankworx crown are staggering. But beyond the measurement of gate drops and vertical feet of descending, the number of high-fives and blasted berms, or even his Crankworx hair bleaching, you’ve got one solid common denominator—fun on a bicycle. Click here to view the article

SRAM introduced the first ever, purpose built 1x drivetrain, and is the absolute leader in 1x technology and innovation. We have manufactured, tested and ridden hundreds of thousands of SRAM 1x drivetrains, and have capitalized on the lessons learned from our experience to create all new drivetrains with Eagle Technology. Eagle drivetrains provide unparalleled performance, enhanced toughness and durability, and the freedom of a 500 percent gear range. Click here to view the article

At SRAM, we know that if a technological advancement clutters the experience, it shouldn’t be called an advancement at all. Because it’s a bicycle. It’s supposed to be simple. To make something elegant to the point where it removes what’s in the way... that’s advancement. And that is the standard we held ourselves to while developing our first electronic shifting system. It’s called SRAM RED eTap. Click here to view the article

Cape Cycle Systems (Cape Town) is the Sole Authorized importer of SRAM Components into the South African cycling aftermarket industry. Click here to view the article

First Look Friday is an introduction to the products that we are currently testing for review. This week we're previewing the Silverback Sphere 1 plus bike, Verve Infocrank, and a SRAM NX upgrade. Click here to view the article

Engineers behind Quarq and RockShox will bring ShockWiz to life. Dusty Dynamics’ Nigel Wade continues to work full-time on the project. Click here to view the article

In the early days of mountain biking, riders were forced to settle for products that had been designed for use on road bikes. Modifications were made, but the roots of the design were not completely purpose built, not mountain biking specific. Suspension got better and frame design improved. We began to question the conventional wisdom—challenge the old design ideas that limit what can be done to push the sport into the future. SRAM 1x technology was an incredible step forward for the mountain bike drivetrain, and has had a profound effect on not only the way bikes are designed but also the way people ride them. Click here to view the article

What you have here is a real mountain bike ride, a day in the life of a pro. Like the postal service, neither rain nor shine, snow nor sleet… Professional mountain bikers are apart from their bikes for only a small handful of reasons: travel, sickness, injury and strategically chosen rest days. When you compete for a living, travel is inevitable, rest days are a rare blessing, and sickness and injury keep you from making money. Training days are paramount. Sure, it’s the race days that pay the bills, but it’s all that time preparing that gets you to the finish line faster. Click here to view the article

If you take a couple steps back and look at the advancements in mountain bike technology that have happened in the last few years, you’ll see an astonishing amount of progress. Think about it: You don’t need many fingers to count the bike brands without carbon-fibre offerings; 1x drivetrains are the norm, not the exception; bikes without dropper posts are more or less limited to dedicated XC and DH racers; and your garden variety, solid-pedaling trail and enduro bikes are more capable descenders than full-blown downhill race bikes of the early 2000s. Yet despite the sport’s progression, frame and suspension manufacturers continued to hold on to modes of thinking that were, frankly, outdated. Click here to view the article

What matters most to hardcore mountain bikers? Performance, durability, affordability, and style. TRUVATIV’s new Descendant series serves up all of these with confidence to spare. Guided by input from some of the most talented riders in Enduro and Gravity, each component in the Descendant lineup has been built to survive mountain biking’s most aggressive riders and thrive on the world’s rowdiest trails. Click here to view the article

Cape Cycle Systems unveiled the SRAM Red eTap to Africa at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Expo this weekend. We managed to get some alone time with the display for a hands on experience with the first production wireless shifting groupset. Click here to view the article

It’s how you start that matters. Whether you’re discovering the mountain for the first time or you’re an MTB lifer searching for a no-nonsense, no-worries 1x drivetrain, SRAM NX is ready for action and ready to take you there. NX brings you a wide range of gear choices engineered for simplicity and durability, so you can focus on what matters most—the ride ahead. German engineered and proudly bearing the SRAM 1x™ stamp of approval, NX is ready to let the world know what real riding feels like. Click here to view the article

Ty Hathaway, a tall, soft-spoken Californian who co-owns a bike shop in Los Angeles, has made a life of things on two wheels. He’s been photographed for BMX magazines enough that he’s forgotten exactly which ones — and which issues. He’s been featured in clothing and helmet ads on road bikes. His Instagram feed is a visual catalogue of seemingly constant bike trips with like-minded friends. And in 2014, Hathaway re-discovered mountain biking and took on the rugged Trans Provence stage race in France, where he finished as the top-placing American. And his mountain bike jones was re-lit. Click here to view the article