EdoardoBianchi

Only rode there once & took a tumble on the slick sections where the wheels have hollowed the road. Caused a guy to write off his car going into the rear of a truck trying to avoid my spill in front of them. I will never ride there again.

Which route, SH? Some are scary and should be avoided at all costs. The one from R55 to Harties past Hennopspride is death...

Thanks for the update, Pedal! Hope jnr recovers well and does not suffer serious long-term repurcussions (except maybe some sort of taxi-phobia?)

I've sent the PTA maps to Shaun for the following routes: 1) Roodeplaat dam from the FH Odendaal robot up to the RDP Nature Reserve gate 2) Klapperkop, including the R21 section from Monument Park (maybe we should also do Fountains circle?) 3) Eeufees from Fountains up to Rodger Dyason and through upper Voortrekker Hoogte 4) Botha Avenue from Fountains to Irene (both directions Shaun?) I don't have maps for the Boschkop loop, if anyone can help out with this?

Sooo, how're the plans coming on?

You mean, apart from the fact that he's NB and can probably beat the best in the world at Norwegian slalom two weeks after the Comrades

*Tut-tut-tut* There are ladies and children around...

nice wheels, Christie. What's it cost to bring those in shipping-wise?

Hey, you make me sound like a bike snob! Any bike will do, as long as the passion is there...

Good man! Shaun, is there a way hubbers can get involved with this? I'm not exactly talking giving a whole month, but something like an activity here/there for a couple of hours over weekends or what not? Erecting signs, admin, etc? Scanning pages from map books

Awesome stuff guys! Nice travelogue, Niterider. Damn I need to do another trip...Anyone been to Spain? We're thinking Northern Spain, Andorra, France end of May - mid June

Whom of the hubbers have done self-sufficient bicycle touring? Where to, how long, etc? I've managed to convince Mrs EB that we need that kind of experience in our lives and we've subsequently done a trip through Italy on a tandem in '05 (described in detail at http://www.bugbitten.com/blogs/Europe/Default/Tandem_Tour_Italy_05.html ) The next one is coming up (er, next year sometime...) and we need to start picking a destination.

Add 1 for campy. PTA maps to follow...

I'll source the map over the weekend and think of a way to determine the best spots to put the signs. This will probalby come the hubbers' way in the form of a poll or series of polls.

Dunno where I stand on carbon bars: Was considering an "upgrade" but someone mentioned that in a crash (which you seem prone to ) carbon snaps, leaving jagged edges in the way of you forward-moving flesh. Nasty sh!t. Alu either cracks or bends, obviously avoiding this kind of issue. I do still think carbon looks fantastic and aesthetically is the better option. It's also (reputedly) stiffer, making the bike feel more reponsive on climbs and when sprinting. Compact cranks: now there's a product for sissies. Kidding. The new direction is somewhere between comfort and spinning and ct cranks will give you that. I personally don't like higher cadences, prefering a decent-sized big blade and spending most of my time in it.

Racman, I'll forgive your errant forray into the possibility of succumbing to the temptation of the S-world. Resist, o brother: From the advice above it seems like Campy wins? And within budget? IMHO the carbon parts on Campag takes it over Shimano any day. You also get the new Ultra Torque cranks which are fantastic. You're going to have a GREAT bike! Christie, I'm sending my speccing tasks your way - great research!

Any suggestions, Wolverine? Klapperkop, Lynnwood rd eastern extension? Boschkop? Something towards Harties? The rest are fairly safe or have viable alternatives, I think.

When you're in the hunt for a bargain, also try Westdene. They offer 20% off on gruppos without you asking & then their initial price was market-related to begin with. Also don't make you feel like they're doing you a favour by giving you the discount. I have a couple of good-service-stories about Cajees (4-ways), so don't write them off completely... Might be kinda hard to face your LBS-dude with your shiny new bike/parts on the next group ride!

Whatever you do: DO NOT THINK OF MECH DISCS! I almost lost my life (and/or partner) with these on a long downhill...

Dude, bad news & so soon? Hope it pans out ok! Keep us posted... On my SSC's I had a situation where the freewheel would "freeze" up and fail to rotate freely - happened above 50km/h when freewheeling & normally in cold weather (less than 5 degrees). Remedied by what Mud - Dee said...

What Mampara said... But those cranks are way too beautiful to resist, right? Another alternative is to try & pick up a 2nd hand bike with Campag on, build everything you need over and flog the extra bike with the Shimano (good riddance...?). This way you get the really expensive stuff (rear mech, Ergo's, brakes) at a bargain price compared to buying seperately and you'll have an extra bike you can sell to recoup cost (or upgrade to Record - *wink*) Just check compatibility of BB (English/Italian thread) and front mech type (clamp-on vs braze on, althought the latter can fixed with a bracket). Either way, these are relatively low cost items. Good luck and welcome to the Campag camp...

Sorry to hear, hope you get sorted soon...BigH, you there? I've managed to strip the thread out of tandem crankset once - one day before leaving for a tour of Italy...Some frantic sourcing still saw me getting it wrong (I think the thread is reversed for the stoker-side pedals) And only discovering this on the first day of the tour. Ended up reversing the cleats for the duration of the trip. Fun. Or as they say in Italian: "Merde"

Get Times...You'll also be able to compete in the sprints without pulling a foot out! Silicone oil? Or silicone glue spread thinly?

What KonaFan said. ShaunH, I owe you guys a donation and will do so tomorrow.