Lounge Lizard

Thanks - glad to hear he received help in time ! He sounded if he could be dying !! Hope he got his bike back ok I had a major wipe out in Simonstown (ARGUS) and when the ambulance did not have any arrangements for my bike - I refused to go with them (they asked me to sign paperwork to cover them) But it has made me wonder how many guys are reunited with their bikes - when only ambulance staff are there - not event marshalls.

There ...tell them like it is Borrie. I say go paint that mother@#$% into those cool colours - but use a pro-painter business (who then must guarantee their paint job does not damage the frame material) In short - I think the sanding down is the risky part - if the painter is not familiar with the material. my 2c

Did not get to slide much.... he went into the cliff face... it was unclear if he hit the cliff side due to not making the turn ....or if he came down first and then slid into the cliff wall... (eina !)

Nope - this guy fell on the Hoekwil downhill - just after halfway

I carry:- - 3 bombs (tubeless sometimes just won't seal fast enough with a pump) - 2 tubes(with slime) they weigh a lot more - but at least you won't puncture again - Plugs (cut them in half because thats enough and won't have knife to trim them out on route), - instant stick patches (also good for sticking inside the tyre to seal a hole. - small bottle chain lube (bloody chain-such after 2 hours in sand or mud) - tool set with chain-breaker (fix many a fellow-riders chain) - pump, - tyre lever, - a gater (piece of an old tyre), - cell phone (for emergency) - money (once bought a tyre halway in a race !) and of course in case I see a 'lady of the night') It weighs a ton - but boy I have used them all before. Too often I have had:- - a hole (from a hard stick) or a cut, that does not seal - and needs a plug. - a plug that eventually blows out of the hole on a rocky bumpy downhill - fixed a tyre - but ran out of bombs to seat the rim. - fixed the flat by installing a tube - but too many missed thorns just re-puncture the tube. TIP - when you insert a plug, make knot in it first - this knot (inserted so it ends up on the inside of the tyre) helps to keep it in. A bike tyre is much thinner than a car tyre so not enough rubber to hold the plug.

Does anyone know how the guy is that fell on the way down Hoekwil on Sunday. Not sure what time it was. I started in AC on a MTB (which I did the Saturday race on) so I was probably a bit slower than the rest of the buch – so I guess it must have been about 10 am ? I was on my way up and stopped to help (and a lady behind me also stopped, but then hit the deck – failed to unclip in time!). So me and another guy started calling the help line on our cell phones. Just then the marshal lady from about 50 meters lower down arrived and took over the situation. It was on about the second or third last curve, he fell on the left just off the road surface and must have been doing about 50km/h – the guy was just groaning, eyes shut and holding his chest – could not get him to talk – I guess broken ribs at least. Anyone know who this was and how he is doing ?

Pappa Bear - your question is a bit vague – but I assume we must be thinking the same thing. When I imported those Snow-white blow-up sex dolls it was 40 percent

On a 9sp ultegra road cluster/hub - what is the easy cheap way to add a granny gear ? I did the Jock before with a 52/42 and 23/11 gear combinations - but found Boulders takes too much out of my legs. So, I have thought of trying to find a temp solution for this ride. I have a 53/39 chain ring now - but don't think that will be enough. I do not want to spend R300-600 on a new cluster - for such limited use. Will a MTB cluster fit the Road hub ? Will the jockey be able to reach the larger MTB sprocket ? Are cheap clusters available with something like 32/11 combinations ? Any Ideas please ?

Huh ? Don't even wanna patch tubes - Now I gotta patch my frame ?

To get the cover off the transmitter - use a thin sharp tool (Needle etc) to hook it. It has a rubber ring (and probably some dirt holding it in) I always buy my batteries at the local Camera shop - for the Watch and Transmitter - Its easy to replace them yourself - just need a small enough screw driver. (buy yourself the set (at most harware stores) - you will use them again) - and be carefull with the rubber O-rings.

In my opinion you can throw them away .... very seldom that the climbing sections are soft enough terrain.... the metal studs slip on any stones you encounter..... and it makes climbing on a hard surface a pain because your toes are too high.... i.e. the hard/stiff shoe soles don't bend and therefore you end up climbing on your toes .....or stretch your achilles to double its length ! Only suitable for soft grass

Hi Chris - thank you for the reply - sorry, but I was not suggesting that there was no following vehicle - just that I did not see it and therefore LATER realised there must have been guys still coming and thankfully slower than me ... who had the support vehicle with them (i.e. behind last person) - and that perhaps I should have waited. We really appreciate you folks organising this and your time etc. given for the back-up vehicle. Lets hope the weather is good again on Wed.

Two groups - that is the best news I heard all week. Last week I was at the 4way crossing when the main bunch was two thirds up malanshoogte ! I did not have a very good headlight - so was not going to try and chase them down the other side - decided to turn back and take Visserhok home. I did not see a following vehicle ? - but there were 2 guys behind me and another about 2 km back who had broken his chain. I now assume there must have been a slower group much further back ...with the following vehicle ? Anyway - For others thinking of joining - don't forget your week-end MTB tires at their 30psi ! like I did - I will remember to pump them moer hard this time !

Like Bornman said - The name stuck from the good old days when we had real chamois pads. They were fantastic ! After a wash, the leather got hard and dry and you had to soften it with a cream. Cream will not make your bum harder or any easier to sit on a saddle - that comes from time and a good saddle fit (and standing up as often as possible). The benefit was that the chamois stuck to your butt and there was zero chafing. With the new fabrics most riders eventually get a spot that chafes. The main benefit therefore is not for the chamois any longer, it is for your butt. I have the same costs complaint as you ? the Chamois Butter, Mark II cream.. .etc ..etc are all cycling gimmicks (like Johan said) to make money out of us. But I agree, than one needs a cream to prevent the chaffing, and you can get perfectly good results from other creams. The Milko balm (at most pharmacies is the cheapest and best) but it does break down with water ? so if you get very wet (sweaty) like me, the cream will eventually break down and the protection reduces. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Unfortunately Vaseline and other oil based creams are hell to wash out of the chamois (in case you were thinking of trying them.) However, for longer rides ? 3hr and more I find I must put something on my butt. I rub a little anti bacterial cream or one of the baby nappy rash creams or vaseline into the spots that always chafe ? then apply a good layer of Milko over that. Note ? its all about the chaffing ? not the sore butt from sitting on a narrow saddle for hours. No cream is going to make the sitting part easier. Yes the real chamois was in my opinion the best (i guess that shows how old I am) ? but some of these new short ? with the crazy protruding seams and poor material choice ? can be made to work with enough cream. That could get me started on another subject?.the prices we pay for some really badly thought-out padding jobs?? aaaaaaargh ! And saddle sores......try to prevent them at all costs...... wash... wash ....wash... as soon as possible after a ride - if any chaffing occurred... rub a little anti-bacterial cream on after the wash. By the way...... if you do ever get a saddle sore - as soon as possible...while it is still a lump under the skin... apply "Polysporin" ... it is the only cream I have ever found to work properly - after many years of trying everything under the sun.Lounge Lizard2010-05-24 09:18:34

Forgot to mention - I have Shimano Deore XT Will I do them (or the rotor) any damage if I pss on them to cool them down ? i.e. will the rotor warp or weaken ? (not mention the smell !!)

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I am pretty certain its a heat thing - because it only starts after a lot of downhill (hours into a ride) . On a different note - I have seen many web posts/articles that say Mineral Oil and Dot fluid are 'the same' as far as MTB discs are concerned - except that DOT has a higher boil point. Others say the Shimano 'seals' will be destroyed by DOT fluid. Is this just one of those 'use only origininal parts' warning to make you spend on their stuff only ? . Whats the truth - can I use DOT 4 in Shimano Deore system ? What/where are the Seals ? Who sells seal replacement kits ? what do they cost ? can I fit them myself ? . (as you probably could tell from my earlier post - I am old man who generally s....ts himself on the narrow technical rocky single track downhills - so not really in favour of total brake failure)

Anyone got some advice please ! After about two hours ride (during the vigne a vigne) my back disc started to shudder on a steep downhill. I tried various ways to figure out what was wrong but nothing made sense. - Even when I did not brake at all, the shudder started as soon as I got upto a good speed on a the bumpy dowhills. - On flats (or on the downhill) etc where I am pedaling - it stopped. - I could stop the shudder / vibration briefly by locking the back wheel, but it starts again a couple of seconds later. - As I say - it even started without braking - and somehow stops if I start pedaling hard again. - I had the same happen a few weeks back, then it suddenly stopped one day and I forgot about it. - I changed pads recently. - I don't know if its relevant, but I have a problem with spongy feel on the brake leaver - and have bled the fluid - but somehow I eventually - after much pumping - get a bubble again showing in the bleeder tube, so I do think the brake fluid still has some air in. Possibly a seal problem. (Anyway the brakes work fine - so not too sure about the air) - I think I can feel a little play in the wheel bearings. - I even thought the disc or pads could be overheating - and tried a squirt of energade - lots of steam - but it did not stop the problem just added a squeal (sounded like a duck being strangled) - As mentioned - the problem only started after about 2 hours, so I don't think it was due to not 'settling' /breaking-in the new pads. HELP !