MudLark

Colnago, Pinarello, Factor... all still available new in rim brakes. They work very well on roadbikes and there is nothing to be ashamed of. I have a rim brake Bianchi C2C and its a lovely bike. I also have two disc brake road bikes. The C2C is more comfortable and gets used a lot. And yes, it's still on very narrow tyres. Those also still work. Forget the trends. The important thing is that you get what you can afford and what works for you.

Thanks Jimmy. I tend not to be harsh on tyres. possibly partly because I'm getting old and I've yet to tear a lug off a Continental. I did look at the Maxxis but their rolling resistance rating is OTT compared to the others in class. The Onza is new to me but sadly also seems out of stock everywhere.

Hi guys, My preferred tyres are Conti Race Kings in the Black Chilli version. But these seem to be made of unobtainium in our world (who is the hopeless local distributor anyway?) and so I am thinking of switching brand loyalties to Schwalbe, who at least seem to have a more consistent stock availability. On my list of possible options is the Thunder Burt in Super Ground, which seems to also have a low rolling resistance and seems to be suitable for dry hard pack (the vast majority of my riding). Any inputs on the Schwalbes relative to the Race Kings would be welcome, including as to the relative durability given that I'm reading that the Thunder Burt tyres seem to have a pretty short lifespan on the centre treadblocks. I guess my other options would be Racing Ray and Racing Ralph, but they seem to have a much higher rolling resistance than the Race Kings. Cheers and TIA, ML

That link is golden. New to me.

Having seriously crash tested a few helmets already, these are the key things I look for: Firstly, structural strength. I look to see how strong the shell is and how much of an impact I think it can take while still staying in one piece. Anything that doesn't seem very strong is immediately discarded. Secondly, impact absorption. Simply, how good is the inner lining. Third, fit. It must fit very well. And I prefer a helmet that goes down behind the ears. Fourth, ventilation. More is better. Fifth, MIPS. Sixth, replaceability of sweat absorption liners etc. Seventh, eye shade (yes. some roadbike helmets also have removable ones). Eighth, price. Ninth, wind resistance. Tenth, colour. Your priority list may vary. Some would especially puts MIPS higher on the list. But all my crashes have been non-MIPS and utterly destroyed the helmet but I'm still okay (my wife may disagree). They were very strong helmets too though.

What size is the frame and what gearset do you have?

Update for those who care. I'm still riding this bike and I must admit that it has become my favourite bike. It's not for serious trails and its not for fast road races. But if you just want to go ride - just want to grab a bike and go ride for a few hours - this is it. I have a Spez Diverge (2017/7) as well that weighs a bit over 7k (carbon everything) and this bike is a lot heavier but I still prefer this bike. While the weight isn't entirely ideal and I still haven't figured out a plan around the front shock lockout, I absolutely love this bike.

They are 32 spokes. Rims are Velocity Blunt SL.

They look very strong indeed. I will count the spokes when I have a minute, I suspect that they are indeed 32s.

Interesting, I've recently picked up a set of wheels (freebie) built on American Ckassic hubs and see that they are labelled "Built by Johan Bornman". They seem to still be in pretty good condition.

I couldn't find a courier company willing to ship a 1950mwh battery - and I looked. I'd be delighted if you find one.

Ek sal heeltemal vrek hier na 3 ure as ek nie eet nie.

My spanner in the works here: For a ride of an hour or 90 to 100 minutes, I eat nothing, even if its first thing in the morning but may take a along a banana if I think I might feel a bit flat along the way. For long haul rides, I've tried Cadence, that fancy Swiss stuff (name now escapes) etc. None if it really agrees with me, I have found USN muscle fuel in my water bottle to the best option for long hard rides. For inbetweeners a conventional USN protein bar or a Biogen energy bar (the latter is good for a quick bosst when you need it and are not too far from the end). Then there is normal food too - a good old peanut butter sandwhich or similar. Spectacles, I've tried special prescription cycling specs (baie duur). Nothing has worked as well for me as my standard varifocal lenses with photochromic addition. The curvature on the special cycling lenses made it difficult to judge drop offs etc on trails. Not an issue with my standard lenses which have less curvature. Maybe just get yourself a spare pair of you can afford it. And I can see everything - computer, trail, the lot. But everyone is different. You have to find what works for *you*.

Okay, update. Garmin have quoted me R2.9k (incl VAT) to replace the entire device with a new one and to simultaneously upgrade to a 1040. I think that's fair enough. In an ideal world the batteries would be available locally and it would cost about R500 for the Cameron Sino replacement (plus labour or DIY). I'd be happy with that but R2.5k to upgrade to a 1040 is also worth it I guess. And I have had the 1030 since the first half of 2018. I think it's very fair of Garmin. Thanks to @DieselnDust for telling me to try the Garmin repair route.

Well, that could get exciting.