GuyP

Or maybe the new steel is much thinner than the old stuff?

Aah, load of bollocks? My 20 year old steel frame still has plenty life in it, having survived cobbles and the worst Europe could throw at it. However, could it be that the nouveau steel is not as good as the antique stuff? Strange

HaHa, unbeatable!

Do you know what the carrying weight ratings of those wheelsets are? I'm not sure, but at 105Kg, have you considered a custom build maybe, something like Mavic A719 on Shimano HB-HF08 hubs with butted/aero spokes, for durability?

I know the feeling, especially the sentimental bit! A whole history lives in those bikes! Very sorry to hear! Some consolation is that it wasn't violent - mine was, with a pistol in the eyeball

Thanks Wheelsuck - will keep that in mind! How did it get stuffed up?

you can get stuff for that too, just not at a bike shop

Still on, normal times, Mon to Thu (unless there's motor racing) - 17:00-19:00. R10

Maybe we should be happy that's it's not whole bikes/boats that are going missing ... or are they?

Sadly sounds the way to go Flea - but best lock them even when there's no bikes on!

Sometime back I lost one of those knobs due to my own carelessness (not tightening the knobs on unused bike bays). So I bought a few spare from Thule, one to replace the one I lost, and another just-in-case, although I'm sure I won't repeat my mistake. So today, two mates and myself meet at my house, and we left for some fun at Teak Place. We got there, took the bikes off, and went and had our fun. Then we came back, and as I tried to put the bikes back, I noticed one of the knobs missing. Not on the ground, not anywhere, just missing. It was there when we arrived at Teak because I had to loosen them all to get the three bikes off! I think what's annoying is that I suspect of our fellow cyclists that took it! I can't imagine anyone else without a Thule walking around and suddenly deciding one of those knobs would make a nice momento! What to do now - the only thing is to take those freaking things off in future and to lock them in the car to prevent this from happening again.

Good article, giving insight into why the settings could change over time too...

Getting puncture-proof tyres also help depending where you ride - getting a puncture a day riding past bottle stores and various informal ranks doesn't help the cause much. Besides, the extra rotating mass is good training for the weekend rides, oops, races!

Fantastic job monkeyboy. Excellent setting!

Never been there, but the comments seem to make the place a 'must visit'...

Commuting is great if the roads can handle it. I would love to commute the 82 Km to work and back daily (I work in Halfway House cycling from Little Falls), but leave that pleasure only for December, when the traffic is slightly less, and I'm more flexible time-wise, i.e. when I can leave the office before peak hour. Hope there's a shower Good luck, it's an awesome way to start the day

Classic ad Mampara! Nice! You couldn't run that ad today though lol!

Looks like you've got a following already! Well done!

yep, needs a bit of work. I am hoping the stuff was out-of-date because of a missed printing schedule given that it's the 1st edition rather than by design

Hey Jolandie, I just had a look at your FB page - are you riding Africa on that Giro, the black bike, or something altogether different? Was Linden Cycles a sponsor? I love those shoes!

Nice one gongmech!

Jolandie, are you perhaps thinking of adding a fund-raising component to your adventure? A friend, Christina Franco, recently did a solo trip to the North Pole, raising awareness and funds for a medical condition during that arduous journey, besides the fact that it was her life dream to conduct that adventure.

Yep, nothing bigger than a 14". My daughter is about 1.5m, and I bought her an XS Raleigh Sahara which is a WSD bike. As far as bike weights go, it's in line with bikes in the R4k-R5k price range, and I would estimate in the 13Kg range. Actually, it suits her well, although the wheelset could do with some work if she gets going with cycling. On the latter, that's probably true for all bikes at that price-point. My wife's friend is also a shorty, and given the trouble with finding decently specified small bike, I built her one. I also built one for a colleague who I think doesn't even make it to 1.5m. As you point out, sadly there seems to be a bit of a gap for proper XS WSDs with decent parts, eg with proper wheels and a shock that isn't made out of cast iron! Good for you for giving cycling a shot!

To be honest, I'm not sure whether it's lunacy or heroism - although gut feel tends heavily to the former - especially for a woman going solo through Africa, but best of luck to you! Otherwise, you seem to have the legs and the spirit which means you're almost there!

Bummer Dazz! Been there! The cr@ppy feeling about it doesn't go away either.