Seems to have been a 5 odd days of heat and no rain?

I'm going over to visit my better half's family in South Africa for a few weeks in the new year. Where they are (Western Cape - winelands) there are awesome trails. I am weighing up taking my own bike or just hiring one over there. I'm not overly concerned about the extra weight or extra bag more just is it worth it for the whole having to pull the bike apart and put it back together factor?

Now... although Manly Dam is closed I've been contacted by a photog who's looking for some pictures of riders in a bush setting with lighting.

This is a rather urgent requirement as they are looking to take some shots tomorrow evening (that's the Dec 8th) at dusk. I'm assuming that would be somewhere around 8pm.

I think this is something to do with an advocacy campaign so would be in riders interest to help out. Although I understand what a PITA it would be to kit up and get out there not to be able to ride was hoping some locals wouldn't mind taking a little time tomorrow to do that.

On the weekend I installed a brand new XTR bottom bracket and XT crankset into a new frame. Before installing the chain I was interested to see how freely the crankset would spin. To my surprise I found that the crankset could not maintain momentum as soon as I stopped turning it.

I've taken off similar components on other bikes and never thought to see how freely the crankset spins. Has anyone tried this themselves and had different results? If so, any suggestions on why my set up seems to have a lot of friction.

Before people ask:

- I greased all the parts that need to be greased.

I feel like such a putz so I'm looking for reassuring words. Am I the only one who didn't realise you can use a Shimano trigger shifter like a SRAM? i.e. you can change up by pushing with your thumb as well as the 'traditional' Shimano way of pulling with your finger.

Hi guys. New to the world of MTB, having just purchased a 2009 Giant Yukon dually. The only problem is that I cant find a tow bar mounted bike rack that fits, due to the oversize bar. I have taken it to my local bike shop and they had nothing that suits.
Anyone know of a bike rack that suits such larger frame duallies.

AMBC is floating the idea of moving our Trailbreakers course from Manly Dam up to OUrimbah on Sunday (5/12/10).

Normally you'd have to hold me back from any opportunity to ride up there. But given the recent amounts of rain, I don't really want to be party to moving the problem of trashing trails from the now-closed Manly Dam onto somebody else.

Would appreciate some current information on the state of the trail.

Thankyou!

Hi Team

Just a quick search for advice and experience: how hard/technical is it to service your own forks? Rather than paying someone else to do it on a regular basis is this something that can be tackled by a competent home mechanic? I'm assuming a regular service would be seals, oil and a general clean-up, is that right?

The forks in question are Rock-Shox SID Race

thanks in advance
danny

The organisers of a sporting event in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains say the day proved there is overwhelming support for more bicycle trails in the region.

Around 1,000 people gathered for the Lake Jindabyne Community Trail Day at the weekend.

Full story here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/30/30...

If you ever felt like you needed a gee-up in the morning, watch this...

http://vimeo.com/17085115

Ready to race now?

p.s. obviously was a cold morning

For those curious of what eventuated from the forum request for junior team riders for the spring fat tyre festival...

We managed to get a team together made up of my son his friend and two others from the NoBMoB forum. Under the name "Agent Fox" the kids rode brilliantly all day to come away with a win.