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Post Your Bike Journey


Johnny Lawless

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I'm sometimes amazed/ashamed/embarrassed at just how hard the MTB bug bit and how quickly I felt the obsessive desire to upgrade my bike...justifiably so or, in most cases, not. 

 

So c'mon and show us your journey you addicts!!

 

#1 Silverback Sola 4 - Probably the 1st bike of many hubbers and with good reason...price, specs, looks. 

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#2 Santa Cruz Superlight 29 - Then still considered "boutique" in SA and that orange paint job was just too tempting to resist. I realized early on that it was about the descents for me and a hardtail just wasn't going to cut it.

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#3 Pyga OneTen 29 - Wanting a harder hitting trail bike but still a good all rounder it fit my riding like a glove...and still does. The 140 Pike makes up for the modest 110mm travel at the back. 

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#? What next - The carbon calls in my sleep and even more suspension travel most likely. 650b or 29? Your guess is as good as mine. 

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1976 - 3-speed CHOPPER, same as the one on display at CWC.  This is the first bike memory I have.  Had lots of fun with it.

 

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1978 - PnP Hypermarket sold a "fold-up" bike ... my dad thought this was the coolest thing ever, and promptly bought one each for my sister and I.  That took my through my primary school years ... HEAVY bike !

 

1982 - Raleigh Tour de France .... This was my bike during my high school years.  Commuted to school and back with this for many years, between Stellenbosch and Bellville  :eek:   :whistling:   Those 50km per day, with a heavy school case on the back, certainly kept me fit enough ! !  But it also meant I could keep my train money ... :clap:  Sadly got stolen at the the station, on one of the days I did take the train.

 

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Mid 90's the wide and I started doing the Sunday fun-ride thing.  Started with some or other 2nd hand bike, spent way too much time at Peter Allan buying spares to keep the bike on the road .... and even more time to drool over the new bikes ..... Took the plunge and bought a GIANT ATX 780

 

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1999 .... really enjoying the Sunday rides ..... and my healthy takes a turn for the worse ... knees konk out, no way to recover from this .... cant keep up with the pack, and the ego takes one massive knock.  Sold off all my bike things, everything.  and so started a slow downward spiral ....  Hit rock-bottom on 2 March 2016.  Turned my life around, started by seeing a dietitian and changing our eating habbits.  Lost a lot of weight, now down to 17% body fat, and working on the last bit of flab around the waist.  Mid 2016 I borrowed a friends bike, just to see if this was even a possibility .... Literally started with 1km per day - did not dare injuring my knees !

 

Took the plunge and bought a 2nd hand Merida Big 9 40.  This bike helped me build the confidence that I CAN do short trips, low gearing, spinning ... but it is possible to get out there and not hurt my knees ....

 

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I started commuting to work and back.  But the gearing was not low enough, and I had to walk two of the hills ... And so I started looking for something with a bit more climbing ability ..... I got a nice deal on a brand new 2016 model Merida Big 7 (27,5'') XT Edition -

 

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Yes, that is an Aluminium box on the back for the commute .. :whistling:   The gear ratios, combined with the 27,5 tires makes for a NICE climbing bike.  I LOVE this bike !!!

 

 

In the mean time I got a new riding buddy ....

 

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Surely I would need something better than the "old Merida" to keep up with this young training partner ..  :whistling: And so the Big 9 40 was traded in on a TREK FUEL EX5 

 

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Nice one Chris!! I hope that Trek treats your knees well and that it keeps you smiling for many years. Your riding buddy looks pro!

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My "first" bike - Raleigh M200X

 

1001872767_1_644x461_raleigh-mountain-sp

Photo credits: The Internet

 

Got it for Christmas when I was in Grade 4. Always stayed at our vacation house in Pearly. Funny how I thought Raleigh was the best brand of bikes.

 

During the start of 2013, I wanted a new bike, again only going to my local Game store for a new bicycling. Did not even knew about bike stores then.

 

http://img.bidorbuy.co.za/image/upload/user_images/486/1069486/160614084055_20160610_134327.jpg

Photo credits: The Internet

 

It was only a few days and I returned it to get a better one (I for one thought it was better). Got a 29er Raleigh, cannot remember the model, with a Raleigh fork and mechanical brakes. It had a white and red frame. The only thing I wanted to use it for was for doing tricks at my school. Wheeling, riding down stairs, jumping off levels.

 

Then the fork did not impressive me as well as my friend's Merida TFS 100. I did not really know what brand was good. I started watching downhill videos and saw this epic bike: "Scott Gambler". 

 

I went onto Scott's website and browsed through their bikes. My eye caught the Aspect 640. "That will be my next bike," I said to myself. Saved up some money for a year (also sold my 29er Raleigh) and bought it new at City Cycles.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HTznu0z.jpg

A photo of my bike before selling it

 

From there on I was introduced to Meerendal and Bloemendal. I rode the bike for two years and boom wanted to upgrade again.

 

Cannondale F500 (custom)

 

Got "semi-serious" about MTB'ing. Joined the club and went for rides but maybe once over the weekends (track-wise). Used it more for transportation between friends and when we went on holidays. Did not really track my rides. Later on, I discovered Strava. Started to record some of my rides. Sold the bike at the end of 2015 to switch to photography.

 

http://i.imgur.com/4cenct6.jpg

 

Then end of 2016... My friend nagged me to get into cycling again. I sold my gaming PC to fund my new bike. I wanted the same bike model as him, but I knew it would be impossible. I only had R10 000 to spend. Checked the classifieds daily (Gumtree, OLX and the BikeHub) and one morning saw an ad for a Scale 940. R8K. I was like, I need to buy this now! Unfortunately, there was a major issue with the bike after purchasing it. The fork, it was toast... Luckily I did manage to find a Reba RLT and installed it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dQVTQlV.jpg

 

I can confidently say that from the beginning of 2017 I started to cycle seriously (after purchasing my Garmin and renewing my membership). As for today, I have 772km on my bike with 13,804 of elevation. My first recorded activity started on 14 Jan 2017.

 

MTB'ing isn't my hobby anymore, it became a passion!

 

#noshortcuts #rideyourbike

Edited by Andrew_Smith
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Nice one Chris!! I hope that Trek treats your knees well and that it keeps you smiling for many years. Your riding buddy looks pro!

 

Did the blue route of the Hermanus Trails today. :clap:   :thumbup:

 

Struggled to get any rythm going for the first few kilometers ... constantly in the wrong gear ....  settled down and got some rythm going before getting to Plaaskombuis.  Had a some coffee with the wife - dropped her off there before starting the trail.

 

On the way back I got the hang of it (well mostly).

 

GLAD I was on a full suspension bike !  No ways that route can be "nice" on a hard tail !!

 

 

 

I will get the Sunrace 11-40 cluster .... just for those short steep sections ....

 

 

 

need a few more of these trails to gather experience to be in the right gear before a steep up or down section .... bet that will up the fun factor !!  :clap:   :w00t:   :clap:

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Some or other red BMX at first . . . .  had it  for ages and then made a "chopper" out of it by cutting the fork legs and welding in angle-iron extensions,  ( I must have some redneck blood in me)

Don't know what happened to it.  

 

NO PIC   sorry. 

 

Then a baby blue Raleigh Bomber in high school when all my buddies has racing road bikes.  It got stolen. 

 

NO PIC sorry.  

 

 

Rode a Diamond Back Ascent all over Stellenbosch.  Bought 2nd hand with my student loan.

(sold it, currently trying to buy it back)

(had to Google a pic of the same one) 

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Then after a long hiatus a Giant Athem X1 got me back riding again. 

Frame still in the rafters, rest of the parts on my Dad's bike I built him. 

(pic from Google) 

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Then the 29er came along. Scott Genius 910. Love it.  It sports some Renthal upgrades.  

(pic from Google)

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Then the 2nd hand Steel  bug bit me,  so I got my Salsa El Mariachi. (Frame bought on the hub)

Was my  SS, but  now it's 1x11 gravel/grinder/tourer.

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Then I needed a new SS,  and got Contraband Rogue 853 (Frame bought on the hub)

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Then some vintage SA-steel. Got this Le Jeune as a barn-find

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Edited by IH8MUD
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  • 2 weeks later...

Reverse order:

 

Most recent was a 2009 Trice Q recumbent tadpole trike, set up for touring, day-tripping and commuting duty.  Sold it in the Philippines prior to returning to RSA.

2 x 27.5 litre 'banana' saddle bags, rack for tent etc, wide-range gearing (10.9 / 112 gear inches, chain rings were 22 / 36 / 48, rear cassette was a 9/34 with 20" 406 wheels all round).

Lights front and back, mirrors on both bars, computer, GPS / phone mounts, rear isolastic suspension.

 

I was riding this last in the Philippines, after buying it in the USA.  The gearing worked great for really steep hills, I could spin the rear wheel climbing a few of the hills to my house.

 

We had a store that was 30 km from the house so I used it to check on that, also did a weekly milk run of 75 - 90  km into the mountains, coming back with 12 to 18 litres of milk.  Plus a weekly coastal day or lunch ride of 105km to 180 km.

 

Set up to spin, so as to minimize knee and hip damage (not that I had major issues there once I was fit. Bare weight was about the same as mountain bikes, but carried a full set of tools, spares, spare tubes, snacks, and 2.5 to 5 litres of water (tropical climate).

 

In the time I had this 'bike', I dropped from 99kg down to 63kg, which also involved a move from the USA to Philippines...  Average speed went from 16km/h over 30 km to 24+ km/h over 60 km in this period., with the loads noted.

 

Superbly comfortable, really fast descending mountain passes in the Philippines as I could slide either end through the corners without losing control.

 

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z463/tshelver/Trike%20Travels/IMG_20131030_122929_zps90d833c6.jpg

 

 

Bike before was a SUN Sport AX long wheelbase recumbent.   I got this as I was finding the hypermarket MTB somewhat uncomfortable and hard on my legs after a long layoff and significant weight gain.  After I got the SUN, I realised that the MTB was a few sizes too small.

Modified the SUN gearing from standard road gearing to more touring gearing, making it significantly easier to ride on hills in northern New England (USA).

 

I should probably have stuck with this bike.  I originally got annoyed with it as I was having issues climbing hills (have to walk the steeper ones, and wobbling all over at low speed), so I ordered the trike from the UK.

While waiting for the trike, I  changed the gearing on the SUN making hill climbing a lot easier, and a combination of easier spinning and many more miles virtually eliminated the wobble.

 

It looks slow, but as a tourer with saddlebags, rack and seatbag, is comfortable and not a whole lot different to most touring bikes.  A bit slower on climbs due the weight and riding positon, but faster on descents.

 

http://www.nomadcyclespdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/DSC_7061.jpg

 

No more pics from here:

Generic Target (USA hyperstore) MTB, too small, never put on more than a few hundred km.

 

Generic MTB from Pick n Pay that I left in Zimbabwe when I returned to SA in '94.

 

DHL 5 speed that lasted me from varsity commuting (Maritsburg '76) to prior to going to Zimbabwe in 92.  Some gravel road trips that were really hard on the butt :).

Have no firm recollection of what happened to it, but I think the ex disposed of it to family while i was gone... . 

 

Raleigh single speed 'standard' that took me from early high school through to starting work. Rode it around the farm, around East London to the beach and fishing spots and so on.

 

 

Next bike?  Now that I am back in SA for a while, not sure.  Maybe a hardtail MTB, maybe a standard commuting / touring bike, maybe I will try to build or buy a short or long wheelbase recumbent.

Edited by Tigershel
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Very cool topic OP.

 

I started in 2006 with this: silver GT 3.0. My friends got me into the sport and the bug just bit. I still have it, use it as my indoor trainer bike

 

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Then "upgraded" to this in 2008:

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When my black GT got stolen out the garage I bought the Scott in 2011:

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In 2015 I decided to go for a dual suss so got the Merida:

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Earlier this year I damaged the Merida frame and upgraded to the Pyga:

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Sold the Merida so currently have the Pyga as my do-it-all bike and the old GT on the trainer

 

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Also started off with the typical hypermarket 20" bmx, nothing special

Then moved onto a hypermarket 10 speed Raleigh - black and red

Diamond back sorrento, cro-mo frame 21 speed, don't have a pic of the actual bike unless I visit my parents and dig up die archives

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4th: that's when the bug bit me, Diamond back WCF 2.1, this bike was a boys dream, also the time my parents discovered that my #carbonfiberaddiction started. It had numerous upgrades and also raced a few WP nationals on it. (many moons ago!)

(not my actual bike)

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me 2nd from the RHS at a natioanla in Tokai

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After school it was tech days and the bmx / dirt jumping period kicked in.

Started off with my brothers Trek Vert 4

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Then a Trek TR30 and after that a Vert 2 but was passed the small bike and knees next to the ears stage

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That's when Nox1111 convinced me to buy a 26" dirt jumper.

If remembered correctly I bouth my 1st Planet X bomber frame from Bos and had it build.

also received a custom paint job and decals designed by the man himself Nox111

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Next was a GT Ruckes I bought from Nox1111

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First dual was a santa cruz blur LT(26") that was custom build

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1st 29er was a trek superfly100 that also had a custom build some years later

stock

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after upgrades

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And then finally my current Silverback sesta pro - and yes, its custom build

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As for road bikes.

Had a Look KG121 - Carbon frame, shimano 105  8speed groupset and some Velocity deep-section rims. Bike is at my parents place and used by my dad on the home trainer....

 

Current road bike, Litespeed Natchez, Campagnolo groupset and Mavic Ksyrium wheels (also used on the home trainer)

Will load pics of both when I'm back in SA

Edited by dewaldsss
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My MTB bike journey is a long and winding road starting in a small town where no one knew bikes could be used for anything other than transport...

 

In primary school I went through the typical growing up bikes, small Western Flyer BMX, then Bomber, then Avalance, and then Avalanche again, and then kind of lost interest in bikes as I was riding motorbikes more.

 

In 9th grade, a now-good-friend of mine (OjVJ on here) moved to town from Durban, and brought along his GT Dyno and he could do some lekker bunnyhops and wheelies which blew my mind. That kickstarted my venture into BMX.

 

I found an old chrome Mongoose Supercross BMX frame/fork hanging in the rafters in a lawnmower repairman's shop and resurrected it and rode that for a while.

post-2231-0-53306300-1494485788.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

Then I was onto a huffy or the like, also built up from a frame hanging in the same gent's rafters.

 

Moved into the "big leagues" around standard 8 and bought a brand new Mosh Pro S 2racing BMX with a V brake on the rear - this thing was epic fun.

post-2231-0-22236400-1494485694_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

Started studying and met DewaldSSS (posted above), he got me back into BMX-From the Mosh moved onto a Gary Fisher Mullet Dirt Jump BMX, weighed a ton but was flippen cool (for that time).

post-2231-0-69092900-1494486365_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

The Gary Fisher made way for a Haro BMX that OJvJ (hub name) still uses as dog sled for his two pit bulls.

post-2231-0-84873900-1494486569_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

Next was a Haro Escape Dirt Jump bike - stock off the shelf. What a fun bike used for street and a bit of park - and maualling inside the design building hallway is how I met Bos - he spotted me and was like: "lekker bike" so we became friends and he introduced me to dirt jumping. 

post-2231-0-54817000-1494486856_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

The Escape snapped, and a second - next generation - Escape was acquired and built from the frame up. Awesome bike - and for some reason still the only bike I could barspin.

post-2231-0-20160200-1494486896_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

Bought a Giant AC 1 team issue in black and yellow with a Marzocchi Jnr T and an air shock rear. Dream bike on downhills, but could not even pedal on flats and forget about uphills - pushing was the only way to get up. Rode the first Urban Assault on this and a couple of the first Dirtopias and had an absolute blast.

post-2231-0-36877400-1494487109_thumb.jpg

photo credit:internet

 

Bos then got me into trails and so I bought his old Raleigh RDS 9'0 frame and built that from scratch. Snapped the frame on the Burger MTB and got another to replace it.

 

Sold the Escape and bought a DK 26" dirt jump bike in it's place. What a rad machine.

post-2231-0-10532800-1494488607_thumb.jpg

my bike

 

I was in the UK for a while and had two bikes. First a secondhand Brooklyn Machine Works steel hardtail - beat to crap by the previous owner. and then a GT jump bike.

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The GT at London Bank Skatepark

 

Out with the Raleigh and in with a Mongoose Teocali frame, also built from scratch.

post-2231-0-99248500-1494488352_thumb.jpg

my actual bike

 

Around this time I also bought a Fuji track bike, turned it into a fixie and almost died in traffic.  A couple of times.

 

Out with the DK, and in with an Octane 1, dream dirt jump machine. Every part was way too expensive but so good.

post-2231-0-01688800-1494487672_thumb.jpg

my bike

 

Out with the Mongoose and in with a brand new 2011 Giant Trance Advanced (bought new in 2014) and that was flippen legendary.

post-2231-0-32544800-1494487456_thumb.jpg

my bike

 

Nov 2016 saw the Trance go, to make space for the 2016 Trance Adv 27.5, bought as a complete and completely ripped apart, sold everything par the frame and then built from the ground up to be as awesome as it is now.

post-2231-0-30413300-1494487756_thumb.jpg

 

Currently in my quiver I have the Trance and the Octane 1.

 

And that brings me to yesterday when I listed the Trance for sale and will also be listing the Octane 1 soon...

Edited by nox1111
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Wow, what a journey through bikes. Wanted to know where you got that skills and saw BMX and everything made sense. 

Edited by Andrew_Smith
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That is a one-of-a-kind bike journey Tigershel!

 

Beautiful journey Leeubok...hoping mine ends with a Pyga Stage as well. What a bike. 

 

Dewaldsss, you're a real cyclist right to to your bones. Awesome journey. How's that Sesto?

 

Nox111, that's a lotta bikes man! Cool to see journeys from all forms of cycling. Keep us updated with the newest addition to the journey. 

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Dewaldsss, you're a real cyclist right to to your bones. Awesome journey. How's that Sesto?

 

Thanks Pyka

The Sesto is by far my favorite bike I've owned.

Like a hardtail on the climbs and a plush machine on the DH's

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Thanks Pyka

The Sesto is by far my favorite bike I've owned.

Like a hardtail on the climbs and a plush machine on the DH's

I've seen Dewald on that Sesta gunning down Boschendal, he'll give plenty of "enduro" riders a run for their money with the seatpost at full length.

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