Straight Line

A flat tyre will squirm on the rim which can result in severe friction between the rim crotchets and the tyre sidewall just above the bead area. Check this area of the tyre (inner and outer) for material sidewall damage, normally long cuts in the fabric just above the tyre bead. Sidewall damage further up the sidewalls to the shoulder are could also result, usually evident as diagonal casing threads being visible under the rubber film og the casing. Trash the tyre if any of these is evident.

Conti's new generation Shieldwall Cross Kings and Race Kings are also worth considering. They've now got reinforced sidewalls and bigger volume. Handling is tops and they're a lot cheaper than the Protection Conti's. Fitting was a breeze with just a hand pump needed to seat and seal the beads.

There are guys spending over R100,000 on bikes. Puts that ancient Peugeot and the rest of his equipment into a different cycling perspective. When the Africa Games were staged in Joburg a few years ago I saw a bike from Morocco or Sudan or some such that had a derailleur which had been welded in two places. The owner said changing gears was "a bit diificult"...

If you have no luck getting a replacement check with an engineering or machine shop. They should be able to straighten it.

A bit of 94.7 history. In 2006 Team Konica Minolta were unable to get sponsored tyres from the importer of the specific brand they were using due to shipping delays. Team owner John Robertson found a few entry level Continental Ultra Sport wire bead training tyres in his garage and they were fitted to the bikes of Martin Velits and Yolandi du Toit in last minute desperation. Velits won the Elite men's race and Du Toit won the Elite women's race of the 94.7 on these low cost tyres ahead of all the fancy pro race tubbies and high-tech fold-ups used by the riders who finished behind them. Says a lot for the brand...

In this day and age one would expect CSA to at least have the courtesy to post an auto reply message so cyclists know where they stand regarding their requirements.

Patchelicious is almost certainly right about bike and shoe set-up. For the doctor try this man who is a cyclist and knows what he's doing: Dr. Dion o Cuinnegan Tokai Medical Centre Tel. 021 712 9367

Low the tyre pressures can have benefits in the right conditions. But if pressures are too low and terrain changes from soft to harsh, a couple of negatives emerge. 1. Increased tyre movement (tread/sidewall squirm) will reduce tyre life 2. Potential damage to tyres and rims in the case of impact on rocks etc is pronounced 3. Increased puncture rates on tread and sidewall areas Find a happy balance at the hardest pressures you're comfortable with and use these as much as possible. May feel strange initially but your riding style will soon adjust to higher pressures. Tyres will last longer, and downtime will be minimised.

Just take note that fitting wide tyres on narrow rims will mean they compensate by higher profile so frame and fork clearance could be issues.

Can't argue

Spot on with the observation that performance is dictated by tyre pressure. Tyre sidewalls flex (distort) progressively more as pressure is reduced. This gobbles up rider energy and increases rider fatigue which is exponential in long rides or difficult terrain. It's also destructive for tyre tread and casing. Work on the premise that if you increase your tyres pressure from "too low" (ie. below 1.5 bars nominally) to the hardest you're comfortable with, you'll conserve energy and be able go faster for longer. Do it incrementally and give each pressure enough riding time to get used to the change in handling. You'll eventually find the "Sweet spot" DieselinDust is talking about. You'll ride better and your tyres will last longer.

Nope. Nice try!

Run the highest pressures you can within your comfort zone. Tyre casing distortion increases progressively as pressure is reduced. The net result is a higher wear factor all round on tyre casing and tread. Tyres with reinforced sidewalls and/or bigger air volume are almost mandatory for any rocky surface riding (ie Cape Epic, Cape Pioneer, Attakwas etc).

Cheap tubes are more expensive in a cents-per-kilometer basis. There's a lot of movement between the tyre and tube at the tyre contact patch and this chafes tube rubber away. The cheaper the tube the quicker it wears and thins out resulting in high puncture rates. Good quality tubes (Conti is probably the best in the local market) are made from butyl rubber which is more elastic and more durable so movement in the tyre minimal and the tubes last for ages.

3 puncture in 3 rides. That's heavy. Try Continental tyres with Protection sidewalls They can take serious punishment especially in rocky terrain. They're expensive but they last and handling is top notch.