Lotus

I believe that bicycle tyres do leverage the technology that goes into them. I think they all have certain characteristics that make them suitable for a particular purpose. Some do have great rolling resistance, while others have puncture resistance or wet grip advantages. The ones that combine a number of characteristics at a higher level of capability than the average tyre will earn a premium selling price. You need to decide if those features matter to you. I've been riding for a long time on Continental Gator Skins, as I liked the puncture resistance they offered (and believe me, in that department they are tough!). I had a pair of Continental GP4000s in the garage for ages, thinking I'd keep them for races. Recently the Gator Skins wore out so I put the 4000s on - no sense in wasting money in these tough times. Totally different tyre - quiet, positive steering response AND puncture resistant (well at least until last Sunday). The thing is, I can see why these tyres are expensive compared to the Gator Skins. I don't think the tyre degrades before it's worn (unless you leave it in the sun all day). These are no longer old-fashioned rubber, but highly specialised polymer compounds. The structure of the tyre includes reinforcing like nylon or Kevlar, and this (as well as tyre pressure) determines side wall strength. For me, when it develops a ridge it's time to go. I tried to stretch that once, and I got dumped on a wet corner. Never again!

I also found that rubbing candle wax on the contact area between pedal and cleat eliminated this noise. Also found that new cleats got rid of the problem when above didn't work.

That's why I though the article might give some clues - even if it's a different type the principles are similar. One user complained that the headset had caused his frame's steerer tube to go "out of round". That's something you need to check by careful measurement. "Eyeballing" it probably won't show a problem. Other users mentioned cracks in the lower cup - you'd probably have noticed that, but worth having another look. Lotus2009-10-29 03:26:04

Thought I'd check and see if anyone else has issues with this headset. Not good news, reading some of these reviews. Some people have problems with the bottom cups. However, it might give you some clues where to look for the problem. http://www.mtbr.com/cat/controls/Headset/wtb/momentum/PRD_352022_124crx.aspx

Two things come to mind: You said the bearings were dry when you checked them. Did you check their condition as I suggested earlier (Johan also mentioned this, but his test doesn't require removal). I found my bearings were damaged when I washed them in petrol (sorry to all environmentalists!) and held the inner cage while spinning the outer. I could feel the pitted bearings grinding in there.What kind of headset have you got and how are you tightening it? Mine is a quill which as been modified to look "thread less", so I can use an ordinary stem. If I tighten the centre bolt down too much the steerer binds, making turning stiff.Oh, one more idea. Are the top and bottom bearing sets identical? If not, you may have a bearing set in the wrong size cup, which would have one bearing set squeezed in a cup too small, and vice versa.

It seems the biking community have had a very black weekend. They have had 4 fatalities in this area, in one weekend! I really feel for the friends and family. I registered on the ThinkBike forum (http://forum.thinkbike.co.za/forum.php) to express condolences, and to thank Think Bike for the great job they do as marshalls on the weekend club rides. They were genuinely appreciative of the feedback. If anyone here feels they do a good job then log on and let them know. Just start a new thread like "Thanks from the cyclists" and add your messages. Lotus2009-10-27 07:21:14

Oh yes, the "strange noises" syndrome. Isn't it odd how they always manifest themselves on long rides, when they have the time to really get under your skin? Test ride around the house to diagnose the source - they hide! My headset (Shimano 105) has a tendency to rattle after a while, usually on a longer ride. I've packed the upper and lower bearing sets with heavy grease to stop them moving inside the cups, but I suspect the grease compacts or warms, allowing the movement to start again after a few months. Your symptom sounds as though re-greasing may help. While you've got the whole thing opened up, clean the bearings carefully and then spin then in your fingers, feeling and listening carefully for grinding which may indicate damage. It may be time to replace them (unless they can be serviced). Check out www.parktool.com for more information on this.

Agree. After going down twice with very large areas of damage to my back and legs the doctor dressed the wounds with Tegaderm (from 3M). You can get this at a good pharmacy. It adheres to any part of the body (including fingers) and must be left in place for about 7 - 10 days. It gets pretty gross in there, but it's easy to keep covered by loose clothing. Showering is not a problem for the dressing. The miracle is when it comes off. No scarring, just healthy skin. I hope you never have to try it.

I think TNT1 put the point across very eloquently. There are no "half rules" - you can't run red lights when it suits you because you think 5am in the morning is an exempt period. The drunk driving too fast is going to hit you with a green light on his side, and you'll be the guilty (and dead) party. BTW, the 2nd light on my route is a known bike-jack hot spot. I find it's simple to time it so that I don't have to stop for red there, because that's a place where you really want to keep your momentum. I don't mean to sound sanctimonious about it, but red lights are not such a hassle. One thing that concerns me are the lessons the young riders are learning from us. Be honest, if that was your kid in the bunch riding two abreast on a narrow, shoulderless road - would you feel comfortable? And here's another reason why I get livid when I see "bad behaviour" by cyclists. A couple of months ago I was chopped off at the Broadacres lights by a taxi. I cruised up next to him and said that I wasn't happy with what he'd just done (or words to that effect). His reply - "Eish, you bicycle people always making trouble on the road!" Lotus2009-10-26 11:56:35

I'm not sure. The author says that the rider hit a car after rounding a bend. I saw an accident involving a taxi on a very straight stretch of road. The sad thing for the biking fraternity is that, if this is the same rider, they lost 3 bikers yesterday! Two more died after hitting a petrol tanker in the south of Jhb as well. That thread referenced above is subtitled "The Fallen" - it's a chilling reminder how dangerous our roads can be.

Sadly that's exactly what will happen. On the other hand' date=' if CSA (or whoever) puts them on an Offenders List (which the clubs should maybe reference when taking membership applications) then these people will start becoming aware of what's right and wrong on the road. As things stand there are no consequences for bad behaviour. We expect the motorists to treat us as rightful road users. Surely the same rules and sanctions apply to both groups? No, unless road conditions dictate it. Do you think riding 5 abreast is okay?

Sadly another motorcyclist was killed this morning on the uphill stretch between Toadbury Hall and Valverde. He had hit a taxi, but it's hard to know exactly what happened. Our thoughts are with the family. What did get my blood up this morning was a large group (about 30 - no club kit was recognisable) riding up to 5 abreast, up to the centre line of the road, on the M5/Beyers Naude Rd heading north about 2 kms past the highway (at about 7h45, in case anyone else noticed this). This group was chatting happily, totally oblivious to the cars backed up behind them. As I rode on, I came to the sad and inescapable conclusion that no amount of cyclist etiquette training is ever going to get through to these types. They are either very selfish or very ignorant (or both). However, they can't be ignored or excused, because it is this very type that are causing problems for responsible cyclists. That got me to thinking (and here's where the flaming maybe starts) - can they be punished into behaving? What if our representative cycling body (like CSA?) got together with the Metro cops (no, bear with me here) and patrolled some of the popular weekend routes and pulled these people over for transgressing laws such as blocking roads and running red lights and stop streets. Sanctions could include tickets, and even CSA sanctions like license suspension or being barred from future events. Perhaps that's the kind of wake up these people need? As I said, maybe some flames will come of this, but I really think the carrot approach is not working. Time for a stick?

Yes, head up to the Tower. It's easy! And it's okay if your brakes don't work so well on the return! (Just kidding). The nice thing about this place is you can ride until you're used up, because it's pretty much downhill all the way back to the car. Break your chain - no problem. Worst thing that ever happened to me was surprising a group of baboons while going downhill. You know what they do when they get a fright? Now imagine riding into that stuff - the smell lingers around you and your bike for days! @ Splat - thanks for posting the map. It brings back good memories of when I used to ride there in the 90s (with a group called The Lost Amigos - I wonder if they're still around?). I think admission price was R5 then, and a crowded day was about 20 bikes. Road riding in Johannesburg now - if it wasn't for the Cradle route I'd go mad. Lotus2009-10-24 02:22:08

A couple of people have suggested this, and it bears repeating: Learn to service your own bike. The best resource on the web is www.parktool.com where you'll find detailed information on repairing almost any bike or component. Seriously, it's much easier than you think, and you will wonder why you never did this before. Not only will you save a fortune on service bills, your bike will be safer and more reliable too. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a perfectly shifting groupset that you tuned yourself (especially as you hear your fellow riders mis-shifting and grinding chains going up Alpe d'Dainfern!). You don't need much in the way of tools to do most tasks (and the Park Tool site will tell you what you need for each job), so there's not much investment needed. Pretty soon you will be able to set up brakes, change chains and clusters, re-cable and generally keep your bike running quietly and smoothly. Every time you give it a wash (and you really should do it often and well, especially if it's carbon to check for cracks), you can give the indexing a quick (like 1 minute) once-over and you're good to go. In reality I find that the shifting doesn't seem to go out at all now, but at the slightest shift hesitation I fix that sucker as soon as I get home. The other bonuses are that (1) other faults can't creep up on you when your bike is in great shape, and (2) you don't have to put up with any BS at the LBS on the eve of the 94.7! As far as component prices are concerned, they are still expensive this way BUT (1) a lot cheaper than they are on your service bill and (2) on a well-maintained bike they last a lot longer. At this point the only job I can't tackle is wheel truing, but maybe one day..