Zebra

Hi Robert, brilliant offer, but my Store could likely not handle more than a box, or two, due to storage constraints, but we can chat, cheers, Chris

Excellent, yes I (or my team) can accept donated goods for Kim, if that helps: Flying Brick: 8 Shropshire Street, Paarden Eiland (1 road BACK from Marine Drive Service Road)... Cheers! Chris

Hi Kim, just confirming I have the other bag of goods that another rider (Ian) dropped off, so all ready for you to collect, either immediately, else on/after the 20th...whatever suits. Cheers Chris

I had a very close shave last Thursday morning, with TWO taxi's, one unseen...: One taxi pulled a dangerous/stupid stunt at the Waterfront elevated freeway... Since Wifey not with me THAT day, and me in her car instead of my trusty van, I decided to rather 'DIE, STANDING' rather than 'LIVE ON MY KNEES' (I.O.W. bow down to dangerous taxi driving). Stupid, I know... I - in a moment of rage - used my car to teach him a proper lesson, not giving him an inch; like I said, the red mist was strong that morning... We had a REAL ding-dong battle for a few hundred meters, and I 'held my own' (crazy/stupid, I know...), and THEN a SECOND taxi came to his support - seemingly out of nowhere, and the 2 of them drove me off the road, at HIGH speed. I heard a loud noise, stopped the car on elevated freeway, hazards on, taxi's now gone, and fearing the worst (damage to Wife's car...) But instead, it was a light-weight, metal space heater that I carried into to work that morning on the back seat of her car; it had slammed into the back of the passenger seat with the extreme braking; the noise near-exactly like an impact / being 'clipped' by a taxi! My relief was huge that the car was undamaged. Lesson learned; no more 'duelling' with a taxi. I have done it (before) and 'won' it before (defending my space, as it were), but the risks are high.... (Backstory - on Wednesday evening, DRIVING DOWN Suikerbossie in heavy traffic, a taxi used the UPCOMING 'fast' lane, for I reckon 200 meters DOWNHILL, not overtaking one or 2 cars, but say 20+ vehicles, all backed up, so the red mist was high already within me the day before... Lesson learned - I will be letting them go on their merry way. Forever. If Possible.

Pleasure; I was 'paid it forward' by Prince Albert Cycles, and so the wheel turns! Pappawattrap bought one I think here in CT, of of FB Marketplace. (I was also gifted an item 12 months or so back, by ChrisL, so am looking for P.I F. opportunity. Cheers Chris

I wish to ‘pay something forward’; please let me know shipping cost of the half-wheeler , if you secure it, to Cape Town, tx, Chris 072 211 7725

Yes, a guy who put a LOT into the sport of cycling, and who helped me personally on a (cyclocross) project over a good few months - always available to take a call, and answer a question etc. You will be sorely missed, Rest in Peace. Chris

@Kimikaze i have another bag of used and unused parts, some bibs, some cleats etc, for the Kayelitsha crew from Monday onwards, at Flying Brick, if you can collect when next in the City/ Paarden Eiland? Cheers Chris 072 211 7725

Appreciated, thanks - I believe i have found a park Tool scale a t VERY fair value (thanks, Prince Albert Cycles - past customer of mine, too!), so am now going that route. thanks all, hopefully now sorted! Chris

Anyone know of a better-priced alternative to Park Tool ds-1 scale, but with DOUBLE hook? Around R1600 for the (very nice) Park Tool hanging scale; Marko and others have fairly accurate hanging scales for just R300-600, most with a SINGLE hook; i could fabricate a kind of double hook, but keen to hear collective wisdom if there is a more-affordable double-hooked scale. a bit of research on accuracy shows me very little difference between high-end and budget. thanks, Chris

You - really - have a way with words, these gave me a GOOD chuckle; well done on the ride, and keep up the excellent writing!

Remco GOLD, Ganna SILVER, Van Aert BRONZE…

with all this talk of rainfall, here are some RECENT stats: *WESTERN CAPE RAINFALL 1-10 JULY 2024:* 293mm Ceres 289mm Grabouw 254mm Paarl 250mm Jonkershoek 170mm CT/Observatory 160mm Bellville 158mm CT/Oranjezicht 158mm Tulbagh 150mm Wellington 150mm Algeria Forest Station 148mm CT/Kommetjie 147mm CT/Belhar 144m Elim 136mm Citrusdal 133mm Worcester 125mm CT/Airport 114mm Atlantis 114mm Langgewens 101mm Malmesbury 100mm Robben Island 98mm CT/Yacht Club 98mm Struisbaai 93mm Geelbek 88mm Hermanus 83mm Saldanha 81mm Caledon 71mm Porterville 59mm Swellendam 56mm Cape Agulhas 51mm Cape Point 49mm Clanwilliam 45mm Langebaan 38mm Redelingshuys 33mm Robertson 29mm George/Heather Park 29mm Vredendal 26mm Stilbaai 22mm Laingsburg 22mm Riversdale 19mm Beaufort West 19mm Mossel Bay 18mm Lamberts Bay 11mm George/Airport 10mm Ladismith 9mm Oudtshoorn 6mm Plettenberg Bay 2mm Prince Albert

…(many)tandems are built with the two cranks offset by 2 teeth. One gets the other over top dead centre… .and… …It has been suggested that tandem riders offset the pilot/stoker crank alignment by up to 6 teeth to offset this and give smoother pedaling… (source: Google-Fu), but i have heard about this before. Chris

But G-l-u-h-w-e-i-n for the w-i-n ! 😋

I am an unashamed fan of INNER bar ends (medically-developed SQLabs…), and they help with a very road-ish ‘hoods’ position on an MTB (I have them on 2 MTB’s), which means - for me - a less ‘cocked’ position, obvs once bike fit taken care of. This then gives me TWO hand positions; would be keen to hear why they were not for you? Road bikes often give THREE ‘real’ positions, where MTB mostly only ONE, I find inner bar ends another great hand position, on gravel/tar, esp. Chris

Hmmn, could work, VERY grateful for the offer, real pity to remove my beautiful Magura calipers (gloss black, just saying!), let me see what else is suggested, and then revert soonest? Thanks! Chris

...anyone?

Very comprehensive, Andrew - appreciated! Chris

I am converting a 29"er over to a Monster Cross / Gravel Bike, with dropped bars... 1. I have Magura MT (2-piston?) calipers, and need to get them to work with drop-bar levers? 2. My drivetrain is Deore XT 10-speed. 3. Would ideally like to buy 2nd-hand 'brifters' that will work with both Shimano Deore XT 10 speed AND Magura MT calipers... 4. Then, looking for an Alu 42 - 44cm Gravel (flared) bar, if anyone has one to sell, again 2ndh hand ideally , proof-of-concept stuff! I-F anyone has a Surly-style CORNER bar, then would happily buy it, to see if it will work for my project... thanks Chris

I am converting a 29"er over to a Monster Cross / Gravel Bike, with dropped bars... 1. I have Magura MT (2-piston?) calipers, and need to get them to work with drop-bar levers? 2. My drivetrain is Deore XT 10-speed. 3. Would ideally like to buy 2nd-hand 'brifters' that will work with both Shimano Deore XT 10 speed AND Magura MT calipers. 4. Then, looking for an Alu 42 - 44cm Gravel (flared) bar, if anyone has one to sell, again 2ndh hand ideally , proof-of-concept stuff! thanks Chris

...on some of the older Alpina's (such as mine), you can fit a 28mm front and rear without running into clearance issues; I fitted 28's for an Eroica ride, and they were noticeably better than what was on previously. There are one or 2 older (relaxed) steel frames that will take 32mm, so I have heard. that is a pretty good width. @Buff would likely know...

I think as Buff says, likely not worth a lot, b-u-t, a now-rare bike, with cool saddle, lights, mudguards AND that flip-flop (or Dual Drive?) hub, have seen a good few ‘regular’ flip-flop hubs, but only with a SINGLE cog at each side, and not a CLUSTER on one side, and single cog on the other side! Maybe remove the tires, store them, fit fresh rubber and take a ride! Cool bike, perfect for Eroica 2025!

I think people should worry less about RESALE value of the bike, and think more what you can get out of a perfectly good bike, with some minor, even cost-effective mods, if you feel you can live with it! Case in point, although I own a full carbon 29”er, i have HEAPS of fun on a converted 2004/2005 26”er, in the year of our Lord 2024! My Eroica steel bike (1992) cost R1500 5 years back, spent another R1.5k on it,3 or 4 Eroica’s and MANY trips around Cape Point loop with it, HEAPS of fun, for little (added) money. Something to mull over!

I actually MISS Thomas Voeckler, from a previous decade; he was either in a solo breakaway; else coming last!, but never a dull moment; and the last few days, have been watching out for Jonas Abrahamson, not so much to see if he is retaining the Polka jersey, but rather to see him join breaks - great entertainment!