LeTurbo

There's this, of course. The world's fastest all-wood bicycle!

No, it's fine, you're OK to enter races etc. Just contact PPA.

This is all incredibly hectic stuff. Hope your parents are OK and recovering well from the accident, thanks for keeping us updated on the Hub, and for your interest and concern. My thoughts to Chris and his family: get well guy, keep fighting.

According to one of the big parking companies, the number of cars passing through Chappies annually (2 800) is a quarter of the number of cars parked at Canal Walk on a Saturday morning. So they actually don't need any of the structures they have there. But then the idea of a "pass card" was mooted, which means you'd need one for MiCiti, for this, for that ... what is it that every company is so card be*** these days? My wallet is only so thick ...

This quotes from the comments deserves a mention. I wonder how true it is. "Unfortunately, for many families the consequences of this may be far greater... Based on feedback from emergency services personnel, in the period after such cyclist-hate commentaries, they pick up far more cyclists off the roads as a result of far more aggressive drivers... We will be using the official Crash Stats accident data to statistically determine the relative excess of cyclists (human beings) maimed/ killed post this high profile outburst."

That's the one. Perhaps the ugliest, nastiest, most unnatural piece of uncivil engineering you'll ever come across.

Nice! It inspires me to get my Corsa-01 frame (from Heartcoppi!) out of the cupboard and build it up soon (money would be helpful). I had no idea 9kg was coinsidered heavy...

The whole "team" thing does put me off. You haven't always got a buddy who's up for it or fit enough; too many things can go wrong and then your whole race goes south.

Something to think about perhaps, talking about bucket lists. http://www.ted.com/t.../ric_elias.html and here's another one I like ... a great magazine http://bicycletraveler.bicyclingaroundtheworld.nl

Tour d'Afrique would be pretty cool.

Now we finally begin to see what a "cockpit" really is.

Careful now. From some of the pics Kamikaze is posting, I don't think he does see the need for a saddle either.

But seriously now , Raceface, try PM MonkeyboyCT. He might have something appropriate in his shop (Woodstock Cycleworks).

From 1971 ...

Interesting.

Ferrari is made by Fiat. Maybe it's the upmarket version of that Palio ad?

I don;t see anything wrong with that cassette apart from a really serious case of OCD.

Touristvisa and TinyK, sorry I missed you guys! I'm like that - I zone out completely. I couldn't tell you any of the bikes or kits I was with or anything we passed (except the cows and horses - I always say "hello cows! hello horses!"). 'Dale, sorry I missed the Cobra warm-up., I only got your PM this year.

So last night I think, "Hey! The red Colnago's never done a race!" so pumped the tyres and packed the bag (why does it take so long). Remembered my timing chip at the last minute. Get there, for the first time, in plenty of time. I decide on the 72. Start nicely after 3 pees. Hels? Tralalala! Up she goes; small ring, middle of the 8-speed, "stand on the pedals, keep a smooth pace, play piano on the bars". Drop the start group. Perfection. I have a good lead. "Goodbye everybody, I've got to go, got to leave you all behind to face the truth," I sing to myself. Join up with a fair-paced group, a bunch of H,I, J, & K (unlucky me is only seeded M, but evidently with good reason). "Good. Great. Lovely. I like being pulled along like this, thanks guys, the view from the back here is fine, carry on what you're doing and I won't bother you." A few catch-ups necessary occasionally, but nothing rabid. Well, not until the 3rd waterstop. Wham! Bam! Thank you, Le Turbo. Nothing left in the tank. All dead. Battery just goes "woer-woer-woer". 2 Cokes, a banana, fresh water, ice ... oh, and another pee ... but still nothing. Plod along at what feels like walking speed. Watch everyone I'd dropped on Hels come past, chortling happily. I wonder if there's a sweeper van. Resort, finally, to a sluk of GU (I still have the empty sachet in my pocket, please note). That provided enough to get me to the end. Just. Dribble-dribble-dribble over the line - then it seems soooooo easy all the way back to collect my glorious medal, the symbol of achievement beyond all odds. (One surprise: an 80s Rolls saddle isn't too bad. My bum goes as numb, at the same distance, on the more modern ones.) Why in hell do we do this to ourselves? Any research been done on the mental and emotional relationship between Sado-masochists and cyclists? (Edit: well, just looked - my goals been to try for top third, so 2:32; position 110 of 383; gender 99 of 297 .... but only 22 of 41 start group. Grrr. But I'll go have myself a nice cup of tea as a reward/consolation. And the rest of you racing snakes, stop laughing at my results.)

Moses, what a process! Matt, I suggest you just try self-flagellation in future. Much easier (though I don't speak from personal experience).

Big H would be disappointed: there doesn't seem to be a "Report this topic" button for the Mods. (Howzit Slowbee!)

If you do go second-hand, try Avron at Cycle Traders, 268 Main Road, Woodstock. Phone 021 448 0812. Email casirin@mweb.co.za Don't know if he'll have 29ers yet though ... but I got my Ti roadbike from him for a damn good price and have been immensely happy with it. Do not go near Neil's Wheels in Plumstead.

What did the old one look like again?

Amen Stephan! (But let's not get into that now.) Ect, ect.

True MacDaddy! Looks even better in real life ... and now I know who MintSauce is.