Chro Mo

I agree. Brailsford is nothing if not thorough. I anticipate a good challenge from Sky, but Condator remains the man to beat, IMO. Having said that, it's ironic, and a bit dangerous, that most if us have discounted Wiggins already. I categorically stated and believed that Wiggins would not win the Tour before it started, but he did. Maybe he can prove us all wrong, and maybe Froome can do his mountain voodoo again, and wipe them all! All things being equal, I think this tour will be much more exciting.

Would that I were, i would have bought it already! i am a Large bordering on XL. Thanks for the feedback guys!

Just purchase the Shimano drop bar or Tektro levers off CRC - cheap as chips. TRP make an incredibly good looking driop bar lever as well, but very expensive. My LBS here ordered Shimano levers for me, so also possible that route. I have a spare set of Tektro levers if you are interested - postage only no charge.

Hi, Does anyone know if there is a Salsa distributor/agent in S.A? Those of you who have one: how/where did you get it? Help would be appreciated. Many thanks.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-hints-at-giro-tour-double-attempt Interesting that Wiggins would target both the Giro and the Tour... One would hope that Froome would at least be free to fly in the high mountains, and leadership will be sorted out on the road. Last year I did not think that Wiggins and Froome would both ride the same tour again, but it will be interesting to see what transpires.

I got my Luxy bars from Grant Usher. Well priced and good service. Nice guy too!

That is some nasty, cliched, zero-talent writing. Grasping at straws, and failing even at that. What did CSN say? "We never failed to fail - it was the easiest thing to do" leave him be - let him stew in his own ignorance!

When I quit in May 2009, I had been smoking of and on since I was sixteen, so a good 18 years. I was smoking 20-30 a day depending on circumstances, and weighed in at around 145-150 kg. My wife and I gave up together ( after me ragging her for 2 weeks after I quit). I quit cold-turkey, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I knew I wanted to ride again, so I got JB to build me a set of wheels that would hold my weight, and started again. The 7 k loop to Umhlanga and back from my house was about all I could manage. Net result: 35kg lost I can ride for 3-4 hours now, and never walk up even the steepest hill. I will never be in A Batch, but I don't care. I ride because I enjoy it and it makes me feel good. Moral of the story? If a fat, lazy, sedentary slug like me could quit, so can you. In fact, if I could quit, ANYBODY with little desire and some willpower can. Your head has to be right. You have to want to. Don't say you want to, just do it, if you really want it. My experience was cathartic - a liberating experience like very few in my life. I struggle to understand how I ever smoked, how I could have enjoyed it, and how it ruled me for so long. To all those who are thinking of quitting: Quit thinking and start quitting. It'll be the best decision in your life. No sermon intended. My 2c Good luck, everyone!

Luxy's are the BOMB!!!!!

Dig the "Bad-Guy" soviet bearded dude!!!! One of the cooler bicycle themed movies, I must admit.

Matthew is a stand-up guy!

My kind of riding (I wish!!)

Touring time...

Got to go to Canada, the US or the UK for any presence, I'm afraid.

R1200 or thereabouts - you may get lucky (some people like me like old Hansoms), and someone may pay more. Groupset isn't too special, so no luck there. What saddle is that?

Get JB to rebuild them for you.

+1

Those old Daccordis are the bomb!

Zinn Cycles (Lennard Zinn- of Bicycling tech guru fame) specialises in bikes for "clydesdales" www.zinncycles.com They will ship. I think a custom bike build is the way to go for you. Definitely go for a thorough fit inj the meantime, though.

Yup. He has always been an innovator, and his dogged resistance to Armstrong - for which he was vilified by most at the time - stands out with others of the era like Kimmage and Walsh. I think he would be a good ambassador for the sport, and would drive issues such as the transparency of the UCI, the independence of the doping agency and cycling's image as a whole. He was a great rider, maybe a bit flawed as a man, but who isn't. He most certainly would be streets ahead of Pat McQuaid in terms of being trustworthy, and I think he would actively pursue the removal of Hein Verbruggen from cycling forever. He'd get my vote, for sure.

I would be very, very surprised if Wiggins does not defend his title. This would be sad for Froome, but not unexpected. I don't see them following the same schedule as last year either - Wiggins will be more selective in his participation this year. Look to Froome for the Vuelta and the Giro. Wiggins will go for the Tour, and he'll fail. Froome could win next year, I think, with the full backing of Team Sky. If he and Wiggins are in the same race, he will not - this year, next year, or the year after that. The only way for him to assume the mantle of protected rider in the Tour, would be for Wiggins to crash and/or implode dramatically. If he were free to fly and in good condition (such as at the 2012 Tour), Froome could put 3 or 4 minutes into Wiggins in the High mountains in one day. In that case, Wiggins would need 200km of time trials to balance out his inadequacies when the gradient truly turns upward. I hope, against all hope, that Froome will get his chance in 2013. He is a genuine contender.

Cheers for the offer, but I am building a 29er at the moment, and between that and my CX bike, I'm covered for now. I will look at my options in the New Year. I think my next classic would have to be Italian, and a beauty. We'll see.

He does not reply to emails etc at the best of times, and i don't think he undertakes repairs anymore. we corresponded a bit over the bikes origins, but he has since gone OTG. Maybe the relaunch of the LeJeune brand has altered his focus. I'll hang onto her for a while yet, so no rush. The bikes been around for 20+ years, no harm in a while longer.

+1 - He looks a mean mofo! Great shop, too!

I did. Amazing things, steel bikes. I'm ****** up, the bike has a crumpled seat-stay and top tube, and she still got me the 15km home. Smooth as silk. Almost as if she knew she had to do this one last thing. i really do think that these old bikes have a soul of sorts. Oh well. A new journey will begin now.