Jules

That's all well and good. But it suggests the current business model needs a radical overhaul. Especially when it's possible to buy stuff off Chain Reaction Cycles, get it delivered within a week, pay your VAT, and still beat the local retail price by 40%.

Ja, the weaker currency takes its effect immediately on the rand prices on chain reaction cycles. The differences in prices between CRC and the local bike shop are sometimes outrageous. But I'm not convinced that these prices are fixed at a retailer level. I suspect that the high prices might be the fault of the importers. I for one would not like to own a bike shop. I think it's a tough business to be in.

Ask Tiger Brands, Adcock Ingram and Arcelor-Mittal if they got "soft warnings".

If you ask me, the Competition Commission has rushed into issuing a press release with only a very superficial investigation. Anyway it's great stuff that they're investigating and nice of them to give the Hub a plug. As for the alleged price fixing, if it's for real, the retailers are fools. There is more than enough scope for the likes of CWC, CRC, Kiwi, etc to bypass any cartels.

Ok get your popcorn ready: Now we have a bike cartelJules2009-03-05 08:49:07

? There are only two types of panel beaters - F*ckfaces and sh*theads. They should all be buried up to their shoulders and stoned. ? Actually I just imagined exactly what it would be like to have that done and sadly I still think it should happen. Panelbeaters are ?Exactly what I want to hear. They seem to get away with everything...Strange that nobody has ever taken them on. Actually the short-term insurers took them on not so long ago. Or rather, they took each other on. I think the panel beaters alleged that the insurers were insisting they use pirate parts. The insurers countered that the panel beaters were dodgy bastards. I can't remember the details of the full fight, but I think the insurers had the last word.

Very nice. Well done. I'm looking for one of those frames myself. I echo Holy's query about the chain.

Climbing out the saddle? Could be your saddle then. It could also be your stem or your BB.

Correct. Sastre made a point. Still wonder why they're not widely used though...Agree with you on taller riders being better suited to 29ers. Probably because they're damn expensive and Lance doesn't ride em

If I go above R300, then I'd rather get the Continental Chili compound tyres, which Solomons is selling for R390 or thereabouts.

Apparently Solomons is selling Michelin Lithion tyres (foldable) for R189. I wondered if anyone's ridden with this tyre and can recommend it. I've bought foldable (yellow) Michelins from Solomons before. They were R90 each. But the quality was poor.

Insurance only benefits the careless, the fraudulent and the insurance company. If you don't fall into one of those three categories, then it's better to do your own.

Not bad. Anyone see any decent road tyres on special below R200 let me know please.

Doesn't Burry ride twist shifters?

They're fairly well priced. I got a crossmark for next to nothing not so long ago. Weight is something I used to worry about when my own body weight was 5kg less.

? Just wondering why you say that? I have an X-Gen on my FLX team and it weks just fine ....... Ja, why do you say that? I just put a SRAM front derailer on my Shimano-equipped MTB. Seems to work fine, although it's a bit weird where the clamp sits (middle of my bottle cage).

He's saying that development cyclists are unethical, irresponsible and have poor bike-handling skills .

Ah, I was just thinking it's time for the daily Capie whinge But seriously, your post needs some clarification. There are cyclists with bad handling skills and those with good ones. Some sit in the so-called "development" camp, and some don't. And is the best solution really to "faceplant" them back ala Brandon Stewart? Perhaps the problem is that anybody can race in the elite/junior licence categories. If a more rigorous seeding system was applied, it might improve things. Your son has some mean roasties. Hope he heals fast.

Ride without tyres. You'll save about a kilo. Burry did it and he came third at Crater.

I have a book on the history of the TdF and it talks about some Frenchman who amputated some of his toes to gain a weight advantage. Ridiculous.

Same effect their using the US$ had on that currency - zip. It's not like they're going to take over our reserve bank. Mad bob has a strong incentive not to adopt the rand though. The "official" exchange rate has been a highly effective method of theft over the past few years.

Why would it be a joke? Sounds quite sensible. Although Zimbabwe has all but already adopted the US$. Everything there is priced in US$.

Am I correct in my guess that Marius is a member of the WT/PPA/Rotary cartel? Is it a coincidence that the other race with prize money issues (94,7) is also connected to this crowd?