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I am absolutely exasperated by the service I have (not) received in attempting to locate spares for my Northwave Aerlite MTB shoes and Thule bike carrier, ant trying to buy a Giant Trance! My tale of woe starts some months ago when my Thule carrier decided to dismantle itself on a road in the Cederberg. One "click-lock" knob later and my bike was hanging behind my car! Was advised that the agents for Thule resided in Olympic Cycles so I contacted them and was told the parts were on order but that I would be contacted when they arrived in a couple of days. No calls of course but I followed up as I realized they may be busy. Then the runaround started.......no the parts were missing from the order etc but they would arrive soon. Some weeks later I again followed up. No parts. Now getting pissed off dismantling bike to travel. So I placed an actual order. Needless to say 3 months down the line still waiting for the f@$#ers to actually come up with the parts! So I have a little accident and break the micro ratchet strap on my NorthWave shoes. Ok shoes cost 3k so I'm kinda keen to replace a R50 part (available on Amazon,but not to SA) so I go to Trail and Tar where they were purchased and after begging to be served they agree to contact the agents to locate spares (did ask for agent details but not forthcoming but fair enough they are running a business). Obviously it would be too much to ask to actually get a call back from a Cape Town business so a week later I decide to go to Cycle Lab to have a look at a Giant Trance (yes apparently they are the agents now) and am pleased to learn that they also sell NorthWave and they will contact the agents for the spare part. Two weeks later and I am still riding with insulation tape to keep my shoe on! Oh and just for information CycleLab did not have a single Giant in stock but I could buy one from the catalogue!! (Jesus wept!) But wait.......Google is your friend........Hullabaloo is the importer.....so a quick email ( followed by another 2 weeks later after no response) and I am settling into a winter holding pattern with taped up shoes, a non-folding bike rack and an aging 26' Silverback begging to be replaced. So in order of priority I am imploring the Hubber community for suggestions as to where I can get parts for NorthWave shoes, Thule carrier spares and finally a Giant retailer that actually carries stock!!

Hi Guys, I'm looking at getting into MTbing, particularly like the idea of stage races (W2W, Sani etc.,). Any advice regarding the following bikes would be greatly appreciated: 1. Momsen Vipa AC 2. Giant Anthem 3. Scott Spark 940 Thanks

Over the past couple of months, I have become very interested in the range of mountain bikes available for women. This developed as a result of trying to find a bike that fits me comfortably. I tend to fall almost exactly between a men’s small and medium size frame, leading to uncomfortable compromises on many frames. I therefore jumped at the chance to test the 2014 Liv Intrigue 2, which is essentially a women’s specific adaptation of Giant’s trail staple, the Trance. Click here to view the article

I just want to give a thumbs up for the great service I got form Cajees Boksburg and Giant. On Saturday I broke my frame when I was out on a ride, after the ride I took my bike to Cajees Boksburg and they handled the warranty process for me... On Wednesday my new frame arrived and rebuilt bike was ready for collection on Thursday... Now how awesome is that, I didn't even miss one weekend of riding

I have an old set of 26" Giant wheels that came with my Anthem (maybe from the USA). They run on no-name 24 hole hubs. Front wheel is still perfect, but on the rear the freebody is shot; it slips. My LBS (small town) told me it's unrepairable because spares are not available. Is this really the case? I'd love to use that rear wheel on my indoor trainer. Thanks guys!

The Giant Anthem SX is a slacker, plusher and friendlier variation on Giant's cross-country war horse. Click here to view the article

A week ago I had to buy a bike in a hurry after cracking my 3rd GT frame in three years. Of those three bikes the one that lasted the longest was my first one, an entry level Karakoram 3.0 trail bike. With that in mind I started looking for a new bike Since I would buy the new bike on debt I wanted it to cost as little as possible, my requirements were simple : large frame 29er with disc brakes. The Giant Revel 0 29er fit these requirements perfectly and the LBS less than a kilometre from my house had one at the right price, they retail for R6895 but I got some discount. First impression in the parking lot was positive except for the Tektro HD300 brakes. Having used Tektro Draco II brakes for more than 10,000km on my GT's I have come to expect more from Tektro, the HD300s are usable and functional but a little too soft for me. This was the only part I changed on my new bike and it was replaced with 9 month old Deore brakes from my old bike. The next day I took it off-road for the first time on the 53km Hex Valley Autumn Splendour ride. It was my 4th time on the ride so I had a good idea of what to expect from the route. The bike feels very solid on all surfaces, even in loose sand and gravel it feels surprisingly in control for an entry level trail bike. This is most likely due to the weight of the bike, with tool bag fitted it weighed in at just under 20kg. Dealing with the first climbs on the ride was very hard for me, I was used to a lightweight 6069 Aluminium "Speed Metal" GT Zaskar with Raidon X1 air shock. The Girant required plenty of effort to get it up the hills. The 9 speed Shimano drive-train could just as well have been an 8 or 7 speed because it only goes from 11t-32t. I found myself working hard in granny gear on a few climbs. A Deore 12t-36t cassette was promptly ordered after the ride. On the single track this bike is sure footed and gives you some level of confidence to take on switchbacks at acceptable speeds. The Suntour XCM travels the full 80mm as claimed but it is a chubby fork and you do feel the weight of it when manoeuvring fast turns. The stock Giant tyres offer acceptable levels of grip, more than enough for the novice or beginner riders which this bike is aimed at. The seat is comfortable and you will often find yourself having to sit down firmly on it as you pedal up lose gravel roads and the rear wheel spins without grip. At the price the Giant Revel 0 29er is a very good bike and while it is easy to complain about the heavy XCM fork it does an honest job. I took it over a fairly long section of river rocks on the North bank of Eersterivier and managed to ride the entire stretch with ease. Coming down the rocky path at Coetzenburg was also a pleasure and I did not have to use the brakes too much. If you are looking to get into mountain biking and have close to R7k to spend, this is what you want. Even if you have been riding for a few year and want a backup bike that won't break the bank I can recommend this Giant.

We were excited to see that the local industry is slowly recognising the demand for longer travel bicycles at the Africa Cycle Fair this year. Along with the increase in trail bikes on display, fair visitors voted for the Pyga Oneforty650 as their Best Bike in Africa, despite an impressive selection of cross-country bikes. We've put together a collection of our favourite trail travel bikes from the fair. Click here to view the article

In order to give you better sales and workshop service we have moved to bigger, better premises. We can now be found in Peter Park on the corner of Montague Drive and Marconi Road in Montague Gardens. It is just down the road from where we were and for your convenience all our contact details stay the same. We will have our grand opening soon, but for now pop in to say hello ( we won't make you carry boxes!), drink a coffee and stock up on some gear. As always we are open Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm and Saturdays & Public Holidays from 9am - 2pm. CFS Team (021) 552 8285 | sales@cyclefactory.co.za | www.cyclefactory.co.za A = Where we were B = Where we are

Hi All, I've placed an order for the 2015 Giant Anthem Advanced 29er @ R40,500. Could I get it at a better price? http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_generated/_generated_za/bikes/models/images/800/2015/Anthem_X_Advanced_29er_Comp-Blue.jpg Also, could anyone please confirm the exact Fork version. The specs on the Giant website show: "Float CTD Factory Kashima, 100mm travel, 15mm Thru­Axle, OverDrive Tapered Steerer" This doesn't say whether it is the model with or without the trail adjust!? link to Fox fork specs: http://www.ridefox.com/filter.php?m=bike&t=forks&f1=series&v1=Factory&ref=topnav Any help would be appreciated!

There is just too much to show from the 2014 Africa Cycle Fair. Here is part 1 of the day three finds with a few Shimano Di2 equipped steeds. Click here to view the article

Black XL Giant XTC 29er Stolen from Stellenbosch University Gym Red handle grips ZTR rims Contact - 082 563 0722

These two bikes were stolen from the Spur MTB Classic at the Post House Vineyard, Somerset West/Stellenbosch (28/09/14): 2014 Giant Anthem 1, baby blue with American Classic Race wheelset and X0 derailleur. 2010 Giant Anthem 1, polished aluminium/blue with Raceface crank and X0 derailleur (among other upgrades). If you have any information, please let me know on 082 883 6910. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Giants 27.5.pdf

Not sure if it is the right place to ask... (moderators are welcome to move it to the right section). I have a Giant Anthem 4 which I want to sell / trade for a Giant Talon (27.5) but I am not sure about what price I should ask for it. Here are the specs: Giant Anthem 4 (year: 2011/12, not sure) Wheel Size: 26" Frame: Large Rims: Alex Rims Tires: Maxxis Crossmark Rear shock: Fox Front shock: Rock Shox Full XTR components (except for the crank which is XT) Stem: Ritchey Carbon Back Derailleur: Ritchey Carbon BBB Grips Shimano M520 pedals Regularly serviced at Dirtopia shop (Stellenbosch)

Hi hubbers Am torn - looking at a giant propel advanced 3 or a felt ar5? Leaning towards the giant because it reads excellently, but the reviews are not keen on the rims... What are your thoughts?

Hi, so I've ordered a Giant Anthem 27.5 1. I ask my LBS not to build the bike as I would like to this on my own. Will I need a torque wrench? How complete is the bike in the box. From what I've seen on the net, I'll just have to put on pedals, the front wheel, the handlebar already has the shifter and brakes on, just need to connect it to the stem, and lube the chain. Will probably also need to adjust pressure and sag in fork and shock.... Am I missing anything?

The seed was sown on a particularly bumpy trail ride on my Nukeproof Snap, possibly the stiffest possible ride you will experience bar rigid bikes. It was time, I needed a bike I could throw down a trail without worrying about my poor body being bashed up by the vibrations. And so it started, my search for a hardy trail/all mountain bike had begun. Click here to view the article

I bought a Giant Anthem Advanced X 29er last year from my local bike shop (2013 model). Last weekend I bent the front wheel and according to the local wheel building specialist the rim should be replaced... no problem there. This Anthem uses the Giant P-XCR1 wheel set. The problem is that the local suppliers has no stock of this rim, or a replacement wheel for that matter. To make matters worse they can not commit to this rim being in stock in South Africa in the next 3 months. How can the parts availability be so bad for a company as big as Giant? So my options are: a) wait three month (with no satisfaction guarrantee) b) Fit something like a DT Swiss rim and run unmatched wheels (even if is just the decals) c) purchase a complete replacement aftermarket wheelset. Either way Giant owner's beware since OEM replacement parts for your bikes might not be available.