carelgrundlingh

is there reruns of the show during the week?

CRC normally reply to email the next day or in some cases the 2nd day. Best option: phone them from a telkom line, something like 62c per minute!!!! And you get your answer right away, for only R1.80 is (a 3 minute call).....cheaper than phoning a bud from your cellphone to his cellphone when you are a block apart!!!

It should look like this eventually. It only becomes SAPO's (Intl mail centre) responsibility when it has been received at EMS. Until then it's parcelforces responsibility. So best take it up with them or CRC itself Looks like your's is stuck between Ireland and Heathrow...maybe dropped over Isle of Man to evade taxes!! carelgrundlingh2010-01-14 03:43:32

Phone Zelda Kekana (also goes by Monni Kgekana) at the International Mail Centre. She is a super lady, been very nice and appreciative of her prompt service after my first CRC experience. SInce then I phone her everytime, and she helps within minutes, even phone me back if info is not at hand. Give her your parcelforce no, she'll give you a local tracking no and the exact amount of Vat to pay. 011 961 6000/1/2/3 - just be patient, they don't always answer TOO quickly!!!

Rather phone them, it's actually dirt cheap - R1.30 per minute from telkom to their landline - bussiness hours

Also looking for Swiss stop carbon pads....anyone know?

So it was just for the between holidays shipping....yeah....back to normal! @mark ellis: Just 14% tax and R20 handling fee for SAPO. You pay when you collect from SAPO. (except full bicycle)

Have you guys seen the change on CRC website: Increase in free shipping threshold! Damn! Hope it is just because of expensive Xmas shipping?!?!?

Just to bad there's no smiley with a tongue in the cheek, would have loved to use it in previous post. @Techguy: Hope you see the humor in my post as well, was intended purely as such! That is kinda the pitfall on forums and IM's: when spoken verbally out loud your responsee can see your face, body language and see your joking, serious, offended or whatever. On forums what you say is purely evaluated on what is written without any non-verbal queues. The use of smiley's might counter it a bit, but it can also just go as far. So Techguy, no harm, no foul.

Techguy, rhetorically you're not making the cut. Follow the conversation. @Mr Mulebar - I find it absolutely amazing how many incompetent people there are working in LBS workshops! hence the next post in reply @carelgrundlingh - That's why, if I lived in Gauteng, I would've definitely done one of JB's courses, that way I never had to trust a LBS with my bikes again!!!! In elementery rhetoric I would have rephrased it as follow: Mr Mulebar I agree. I wish I knew how to fix everything on a bicycle myself. But I don't. Therefore it would've been to my advantage to attend a course/workshop on "How to service your own bike". But unfortunately in the Limpopo province, where I reside, to my knowledge, such courses don't excist. Had I been living in Gauteng I could have attended a course, for I know of at least one guy, one Johan Bornman, who frequently teach such a course. Mr Mulebar, there might even be some other upstanding bicycle mechanics how run such a course, but I do not have any knowledge of them. If you, yourself teach such a course, please do not feel affended that I do not have any knowledge of that. Johan Bornman have served me with invaluable advice in the past, some at inconvenient times, thus I do trust him with issues pertaining to bicycles. @Techguy - you're also valuable to all the hubbers. We do apreciate you. We really don't want you to feel unimportant. You are important to us. The hub is a safe place. Here you can just be you. We will like you for you. You don't have to compete with anybody - we will just like you, because you are you. PS. JB's advice is almost NEVER gospel!!!! That I promise you - euangellion means good news. When I ask for JB's assistance its more often than not bad news for my wallet, my bike or my pride, so rest assured, no Gospel from JB! carelgrundlingh2009-12-09 05:46:05

That's why, if I lived in Gauteng, I would've definitely done one of JB's courses, that way I never had to trust a LBS with my bikes again!!!!

Thanks for picking your brains again JB

@JB: so it is crucial that the compression nut is expanding at exactly the same position that the stem are tightened onto? Thus the compression nut's expanding bits prevent the steerer from being crushed. If it is not in correlating positions (stem and compression nut) then you'll end up with deforming where they don't correspond in position?

Just applying my VERY limited knowledge Lizard Hence the question for JB in the same post. Thought that might be the reason why the carbon gets misformed, and he advised on getting a plug thingy for bar ends on MTB's. So I thought the compression nut will counter the deforming in a carbon steerer.

Might be a stupid question: Do you have a compression plug in the steerer (similar to starnut for ally steerer)? @JB: Would/Could you have the same problem (deforming of carbon steerer due to stem) even with a steerer compression plug?

@ Elroy:

Overuled by guys who REALLY do know better!! But sticking to my guns on: 1. Taking it back and demanding a replacement and 2. "Ouch! How's the groin" - it had to hurt - and nobody will make me change my mind carelgrundlingh2009-12-07 02:13:55

Ouch...took that one on the chin...

" I know this because I was out of the saddle climbing like a madman when the crankarm came right off!! " Ouch! How's the groin then?

O ja....plus the edge of the spindle would probably be worn in the same manner than the crank arm, meaning the to parts of the arm and spindle that is not worn, i.e. the parts that didn't have any contact wouldn't "line up/match/seat" when spacers are sorted ou. Thus the not worn part of the spindle will sit/fit onto the worn part of the crank arm, and the not worn part of the crank arm would fit/sit onto the worn part of the spindle = no grip!!! Hope it make sense? carelgrundlingh2009-12-06 12:43:47

Dude, your crankarm that came off is busted!! The green part is fine, that shouldn't have any teeth. But the yellow part should look the same as the part that didn't make contact with the spindle! So even if you get the spacers out and fit the crankarm correctly, it will probably come off again because it only have half the grip it should have. I say take it back, without fiddling yourself and demand a replacement crank. It's their fault after all. carelgrundlingh2009-12-06 12:43:13

So this is what the STI's looklike before: And this is afterwards: Using this clear coat, bought at a automotive paint speciality store (used for car mags): I did the sanding and spraying the clear coat onto the levers, while still assembled as a unit, just masking everything else. Hears BAD stories about guys trying to disassemble their STI's so I stuck to masking. But Edman's are the best!!! Next time I'll try and just get the levers off. But 'till then this'll have to do

Hi Guys I've read numerous threads where some of you guys used clear coat on you bikes and some weird places. In all those threads there where remarks on types of clear coat to use, and NOT to use. Which clear coat is the best? My STI's had some nasty scratches on the levers. I sanded it down with 600grt water paper to get to the ally part. (I actually thought it had just clear coat on, but it's, i guess, greyish tainted clear coat). It does look quite nice being just alluminium, nice and shiny. But the shine won't last without clear coat. So I want to clear coat the levers.....so which clear coat?

Bontrager Aeolus Carbon 5.0 Are these wheels any good. Sure, they look nice, but I've read some reviews saying it doesn't stay true for long, it feels cheap etc. Some local input please!!