bikemonster

A few weeks back there was a great deal of bedwetting over having to wait for an order from Marvuli (who advertise on the Hub). So, seeing as bad news stories are usually trumpeted but good service usually is not, I have decided to add some balance. I ordered a Fizik Arion saddle from Marvuli for a price that worked out at around 2/3 of the regular retail price. I got the saddle today. Yes, it did take a little longer than if I had walked into the LBS, but unless you know with absolute certainty that you will get something within a specific timeframe from any online retailer, go to the bricks and mortar store if timing matters. This applies whether you're buying from Marvuli, Kalahari.net or wherever. Emile at Marvuli kept me up to date with progress throughout. I'm a happy bikemonster. bikemonster.

My 0.05... I use an undershirt, but I laughed my azz off at the prices in the BUYcycling article. Where I can see a benefit in something, I am happy to spend like a drunken sailor with a terminal disease, but seveal hundred bucks on what is basically a vest??? Cheer me up! Hie yourself off to Mr Price, and buy their equivalent sleeveless synthetic garment in the sports section for the grand sum of R40. No grandiose claims about dubious science, just the same gloriously man-made fibres, only with a 0 lopped off the end of the price. I wear 'em winter and summer 'cause it's more comfortable than not wearing them. There may be an element of habit in all of this. It won't make you faster, won't make you appreciably hotter (in any sense) but you might like it.

...on the other hand, Lance Armstrong is heckled, jeered and SPAT UPON during the Alpe D'Huez TT, grits his teeth and wins the TdF again. Or, if you prefer, also in the 2003 TdF, Jens Voigt is in a breakaway, with a group containing Jan Ullrich behind, and Ivan Basso in a third group. Team orders are for Voigt to drop back and wait for Basso. Voigt does so, then turns himself inside out to help Basso reel in Ullrich. The next day Voigt, who is German, is heckled and jeered by German spectators who feel that he has done a dirty by helping his team mate catch a fellow German cyclist. Voigt sucks it up, although if you get a chance to see "Overcoming" you will see that he was very, very angry. This proves 2 things: 1. Hecklers are as clever as hammers. 2. Jens Voigt is deserving of hero status.

kritzinger1, have you ever heard the expression "You're bigger than that!"? Evidently Robbie Hunter has not. Point 1. If some dork in the crowd yells an insult, everybody else goes away thinking "there was some dork in the crowd". If the object of the insult responds angrily everybody else goes away thinking (in this case) RH over-reacted/has issues/has roid rage. Point 2. The general point is that I would like to think that people in the public eye have given some thought to how they carry themselves. For starters, they are representatives of the brand that is plastered across their jerseys (wich is a good reason not to ride for Predictor-Lotto). On a more general level, they have the opportunity to be role models, although that is an opportunity that RH has flung into the bushes more than once. My real fear is that RH may translate his career as a bad tempered bully into an "acting" career as Vinnie Jones has done.

I can just see it... Guy in Crowd: Robbie Hunter! You're an asrehole! Robbie: (Says nothing, but turns and flips the bird to GiC) GiC: Oh, well, my mistake, you've proved me wrong I guess. (Exits stage left.)

It's not about looking at another guy's bike with a fancier/less fancy gruppo than you have and deciding that he is or is not competition as a result. It's about seeing somebody else riding DA when you are riding Ult and thinking to yourself, "You know, self, it's DA that you really wanted..." My bike has Record because I could afford it, I liked it and I wanted it. I would be the very first to own up to the fact that I do not in any meaningful sense need it.

Popeye, it's not about fooling stupid cyclists. It's about personal priorities. And none of this is really about logic, or we'd all be riding Sora. On another thread this morning, I was rolling my eyeballs at what some people are prepared to spend on sunnies. It's their money, and if they want to spend it I am not going to criticise, it's just that I am not prepared to do it. But when the time comes to replace my Campag cassette, it's going to cost, and I will pay with a smile 'cause it's what I want. AL, racman's advice is good: do not compromise. If you buy below what you really want, you will prolly end up buying twice. That's not to say you have to buy top of the heap, just before that what you buy is in fact what you want.

You're doing it again, AuctionLamb...it's Record that you really want! I can't do a like-for-like comparison, but last year I went from 105 9 speed, to 105 10 speed (briefly) and then to Record. You won't get bike snobbery from me: over the Dec hols I borrowed a bike with Tiagra 9 speed and guess what? It worked! Over three rides and approx 220km, it never missed a shift, brakes worked, no complaints. But, I really like my Campag stuff. Once my brain had re-programmed for the different shift mechanism, I find that I prefer it. Having the thumb button for upshifts works very nicely, and the uncluttered cockpit is very slick looking, with brake and gear cables tucked under the bar tape. Course, you get that with SRAM too. =:-)

The way I see it, there are two things to consider: Desire and functionality. When it comes to functionality, there's prolly nothing in it. Hell, you most likely couldn't tell the difference with your eyes closed between 105 and DA. The Ult will give you the same number of gears, stop you as well as you would want, and just plain work. Desire is different. Desire is all about how much you want DA, just 'cause it's the best. (Or at least the best that Shimano makes, which may or may not be the same thing.) If you put Ult on the bike, will you look longingly at DA on other bikes or will you be completely happy that you made the right choice? If you find yourself looking longingly at DA when you're riding Ult, then go for broke and buy DA, 'cause if you go for Ult now and DA in a year's time, THAT is when it gets really expensive. My advice: go big and buy the super-duper wheels when you can afford them.

I'll pay R12K if I can win the national pursuit champs on my wife's mountain bike. With son-of-bikemonster riding in the kid seat.

Just about every pair of sunnies that you pick up will have polycarbonate lenses. Polycarbonate blocks UV and does not shatter. So even the cheapest pair of sunnies will meet the functional requirements. Whether you like the look or fit of a pair of cheapies, or are prepared to pay for the style points of e.g., Oakleys is another matter which only you can decide.

Minty, everybody KNOWS the devil made Hansie do it.

Wow! I just bet that's the first time that a race was bought and paid for. Well, maybe just the first time that evening.

Hi rock Don't what the "other guys" are called, but try google "race case" site:.za and you should find them. IIRC they are also the local agents for Gu.

This is way too sensible a thread, so let's see what I can do about that... First, nobody has suggested Hutchinsons? Second, staying with Conti, what about the Attack/Force combo?

I have not ridden the Michelins, but I have used the GP3K's (predecessor to the GP4K's) and the GP4K's and I like them. The sidewalls are somewhat fragile, and although there is supposed to be a "Vectran breaker", which sounds like a baddie from a Sci-Fi movie, beneath the tread layer, the tread itself is quite soft. Good for grip, good for being cut up too. My tyres have a few nicks and cuts in them, but have been pretty good as far as puncture resistance goes. The GP3K's convinced me that not all tyres are created equal. They are light, so they spin up nice and fast and the road feel is excellent. If you puncture a lot you may want to look at Gatorskins, but I have only good things to say about the Conti's.

Connex make a removeable link for 10-speed chains. I have used it with Shimano (briefly) and Campagnolo (for thousands of kms).

The 'EP' in EP90 is 'Extreme Pressure'. EP oils are intended for use in diffs and gearboxes. If you want to use motor oil on your bike chain, just buy the cheapest SAE30 or multigrade you can find. But WHY????? You can put Spray-and-Cook on your sandwiches (or your bike chain for that matter), but that's not what it's for. You can wash your hair with Sunlight dishwashing liquid, but why would you? Whatever you do in life, do it right. For bicycle chains, that means one of two things: Either clean them regularly and use a bicycle-specific chain lube as per the manufacturer's recommendations or... Use a motorcycle aerosol chain wax and live with the wax buildup. EP90...shakes head in horrified disbelief...

Copy-and-paste...not my own work: UNCLE AL: Ceramic Bearings<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> When a roadie asked about the merits of ceramic ball bearings, I said to myself, "Self, how hard can the answer be?" After nearly three weeks of research, I may as well have been trying to get the lowdown on the latest super-secret weapon the military is working on. There is not much hard information, just claims made by manufacturers. They say ceramic bearings (silicon nitride or Si3N4) are superior to typical steel bearings for a number of reasons, such as: ---They're harder. But to be honest, I've never really wondered if steel balls are hard enough. ---They're 60% lighter. A 1/4-inch (6.35-mm) steel bearing weighs about 1 gram. A Dura-Ace rear hub uses 18 bearings that size. 18g x 60% = 10.8g, a savings of 7.2g. Not bad. ---They withstand higher temperatures. Ceramic bearings can handle heat up to 2,552F degrees (1,302C). That's important if your sprint is so hot it can melt steel. ---They're rounder. Grade 3-5 ceramic balls mean accurate roundness to 0.00003-0.00005 inches. The standard Grade 25 chrome steel bearings used by Shimano and Campagnolo in their best equipment are accurate only to 0.00025 inch. Check this with your tape measure and you'll see. ---They withstand high loads as well as high speeds. One manufacturer actually compared this feature to the ceramic tiles of the Space Shuttle upon reentry. I think it means you may need a fireproof suit for that next big descent. ---They reduce friction by at least 40%. That's a pretty impressive figure, but I could not find proof of it anywhere. ---They last 3-5 times longer. If you overhaul your hubs every year, this means you need to replace the bearings 3-5 times less often. Sounds good to me. Interested? Oh, I forgot one other thing -- ceramic bearings cost 48 times more than Grade 25 chromium steel balls.

Geez, Marius, your hills are MUCH smaller than mine, but you were only slightly faster than me!

My Polar clocked it as 1,085 metres last year. Has that much erosion really taken place since then?

"new efficient ways of pedalling". Lovely!

Opinions will vary. I ride (and like) Ksyriums. There are good deals to be had on K-ES's and K-SL's, but really, any wheel you buy for that sort of money should be a good wheel. American Classics are prolly worth looking at too, as are Eastons and Rolfs. You pays your money and you takes your choice.