Shifty Problem
Lately my rear deraileur will not shift into the largest sprocket at the back. Although if it does - the gears just jump and skip non-stop whilst I am pedalling. What can I do?

The jumping could be due to a number of reasons such as a worn chain or cassette or even faulty shifter at the worst. The most likely case however is that your cable tension between the shifter and deraileur has slackened - and therefore cannot pull the deraileur all the way up to the biggest sprocket. Try turning the barrel adjuster to add some more tension, or try turning your high adjustment screw half a turn to allow the deraileur to move upwards.

Retina detaching
Which is better suited to my riding style? I weigh about 85kg and ride a full suspension bike - the sort of riding I do can be descibed as trail mixed with the odd bit of DH. I want to upgrade to some disc brakes as I find I am wrecking pads on my XT V's. Any ideas or should I just keep what I have?

Common question this one. Disc brakes have evolved enough these days to warrant being on a bike that gets pedalled uphill - another bonus is that the prices have rally come to the average joes pocket. I would recommend some discs for you - as you are what we call a freerider. Easier wheel changing, better braking and less arm pump are a bonus thrown in with the extra power you will gain. Ask your local shop to order you a set of Formula Evolution 9.0 brakes. The full setup, excluding hubs will cost you around R2500. RST makes cheap hubs.

Creak creak
Help me please! I am about to go mad! My cranks will not stop creaking when I pedal. It sounds as though they are cracking. I do not think its my pedals.

This is a major headache of many mountain bikers. Thanks to the environment we lug our bikes around in, we also expose the BB area of our bike to all the elements. But, the square tapered BB design also loosens as we ride it. Take your cranks off by loosening the bolts (you may need a tool for the actual removal) and wipe the now exposed BB arms. Scratch any black residue off the inside of the crank hole with a pocket knife or screwdriver and then reinstall the crank arms. Tighten the bolts as tight as you can. Voila! Also remember to make sure your chainring bolts are as tight as possible.