Ncayi

With winter approaching and the numerous muggings of solo riders in the city of gold I have decided to get a smart trainer. I am not a complete novice when it comes to the concept of indoor training, so my questions are quite specific. Tacx: R10 000 vs Think Rider: R8 000 The Tacx has a better grade simulation 10% to the 5% of the Think rider. How significant is this difference in the overall training experience of indoor training? The Think Rider does not have ERG mode and the tacx does. So is erg mode an absolute must-have, or can one do without it and not compromise the training experience? How advisable is buying a used smart trainer? I am aware of the obvious warranty issue and the potential of buying a unit with undisclosed defects. What reasonable measures can one take to ensure that a used smart trainer has no issues?

Hi Brendon I am no expert bike fitter but what I have is some experience with a frame that was a bit too big for me. So take my comment with a pinch of salt. I am 180cm tall and when I started cycling I unknowingly bought a bike with a 57cm top tube and my troubles never seemed to end. From lower and upper back pain, neck pain, knee pain etc. I reduced the stem and the handling was too unstable. When I played around with saddle height my knees would suffer because the crank was too long. So I sold it as soon as I could afford to buy another bike. I am a huge Giant fan and through my search for one I have learnt that their frame sizes are quite big. I know the pain of buying a a bike and trying everything to make it work, it can be expensive, disappointing and more importantly lead too a lot of injuries. My advice, at your height you are better off moving that bike.

This is no expert opinion but my humble opinion. I’m no economist so my logic could be flawed. Short answer: relative to my position in the socio-economic landscape, bicycle tyres are expensive AF including most things associated with the sport. Proceed at your own risk Long answer: Requires a bit of patience. There is a scene in The Wire that sums up the cycling industry for me. For context The Wire was a show based on the drug infested city of Baltimore which explored how the drug industry influenced and was influenced by other social issues. During the show Stringer (a drug lord) is having a conversation with DiAngelo (a minion) about the good thing about selling your product to less than rational customer base that will do anything to satisfy its need for a high. In this scene DiAngelo is stating that you can’t sell a weak product and expect your customer to not notice and when they do , still buy it and not complain. Stringer proceeds to explain that even if the product is weak a dope fiend will still buy it. Even if you double the price they will still buy it. Furthermore they will by more instead, as they need a higher dose to try and satisfy their need for a high. The implication being that when a customer has an insatiable appetite for your product and limited options they will buy it. So Stringer is basically saying, when you sell an in demand product that has a relatively limited life span at an inflated price you make more profit. What does this have to do with cycling you may ask. We are to some extent “dope fiends" who will pay what ever price to satisfy our need for a “high". There is absolutely no justification for a bicycle being worth R200 000 a cycling top being R2000 etc. But our drug dealer is smart. He dangles the concept of the customers being able to use the same products used by the pro's as a justification to essentially loot our wallets. As I wait for my overpriced helmet to arrive

Cycle lab can bubble wrap, box and ship it to the recipients house or a cycle lab branch for R750.

I actually had the same question but I was too shy to ask it. Dan Laubscher had a cracker of a race and I think he should have won. But, the break leaned on him (or he allowed it) way too much. Everytime he came for a pull in the front a gap appeared immediately indicating two things, either he was way to strong or his effort was way higher than that of his breakaway mates.

Someone once said to me the best road tyre is one you can replace without flinching when you have too. I would second getting gatorskins as they last for ages but like you said they are quite pricey. I have also used Continental Ultra Sport 3 with no issues. And they are similar in price with the tyres you mentioned. With regards to puncture protection. I have learned that as long as your tyres have enough tyre pressure relative to your weight you shouldn't have too many issues. For reference, I weigh 100kg and ride 8.5 bar at the back and 7 in the front on 25mm gatorskins. I'm not worried about rolling resistance, contact patches etc as I am not gunning for for any podiums.

I recently moved to the Vaal and I have to say it's a paradise for doing zone 2 work. But yerrr I have to agree, there are a lot of potholes. If you are in a bunch with poor riding etiquette things can go south very quickly when riding at 30-40kph on open roads.

Not a thread hijack! I am in a similar boat with the OP as I also want to lose 20-25 kg. I have managed to lose 22kg on my own without following any specific diet but just riding a lot for the past 2 years. However, I have hit a major plateau in the past few months with the midsection and posterior proving to be the most stubborn. I have also noticed that I seem to be gaining a significant amount of muscle and just not losing weight. Does anyone have any recommendations for any nutritionist (ideally one who accepts medical aid) based in JHB? I ride a lot so I need someone who can help develop a nutritional plan that will not compromise my riding.

I just thought of this scene when I read your comment videoplayback_001.mp4

Hi Robert, I just moved to this scary place s my sense of geography is very poor. @alroymargo@gmail.com perhaps this could work?

Dm sent

Evening hubbers I have a team mate from Cape Town who has a race tomorrow morning in Gauteng but forgot his pedals in Cape Town. Does anyone in an and around JHB or Rustenburg have any look pedals to lend him?

Try John O'Connor Cycles. They had the best price in Cape Town (same as Evobikes) when I bought a 105 chain last month. A lot of shops don't have stock and some of the few that have stock understand the leverage they have on the market.

1030 plus?

I am not sure this has been mentioned before so I will say it. The taxi association(s) could be an ally in this situation. If those who have been victims of this "taxi gang" have any basic descriptors (stickers, accessories, make of the taxi etc) of the taxi(s) in question. They could find out which taxi association(s) use the robbery sites as part of their route. Then reach out to them directly or through the PPA and see what comes up. As chaotic as the taxi industry is, those guys know each others taxi's. I mean to the level of knowing who has a busted left rear light, who has a dent next to the passenger door, a bunny dangling from the inside mirror. You mention something and they can tell you that's so and so's taxi. It might be a long shot, but maybe something meaningful may come up.

Hi I have never done the 94.7 but hills are hills no matter where they are, in my humble opinion. The downside with moving from an 11-28 to a 32 or 34 is that the jumps between sprockets are much more noticeable when you go up the cassette. With that said, a 32 or 34 is always a good safety net to have when you have not ridden in a while. If money is not an issue and your derailleur will be compatible with a bigger cassette, get those granny gears. Your knees will be greatful. Just my 2c.

Sure thing man, I thought I would try my luck and see if you still had the entry. I'm new in town (province) and I didnt budget for this race.

Sorry about your injury man. Quick question when you say give up your entry, do you mean you forfeited it or did you give it to someone else?

I gree with Du Toits being littered with trucks and motorcycles and I only ever do it from Paarl side then back down. I'm not sure if you will be rolling alone or have company, but if the latter you could do this loop which is probably +-180km We recently had a race through there and the roads were not busy at all. I'm not sure about general safety (skollies and all) but with company I'm sure you would be fine.

I can't really speak much on the other items, but Barry is right lube is one of those items where it boils down to personal choice. I have tried a lot brands but eventually settled on Max Wax. And in my limited experience in the sport I have found wax based lubes to be the best. I've managed to do just under 12000km on my chain with no issues.

That's a fair point. Thanks! I discovered that the rings are interchangeable across the range. So I'll probably start with the 52-36 combination, just so I dont play myself. I can just increase it later if it's to light. I'm also running a R7000 powermeter so I'm glad there are no compatability issues with R8000.

Greetings Hubbers I will be relocating to the South of Gauteng (Vaal Triangle) and I have a 2 part question I need some help with. The move coincides with me having to refresh my drive train. I am currently running a 50-34 and 11-28 combination, which has worked well for the terrain in Cape Town. However, this combination has resulted in me wearing down my big blade very quickly as I mostly ride on it. As a result of this context, I am considering changing my gear ratios to the following: Option 1: 52-36 paired with an 11-28 Option 2: 53-39 paired with an 11-34 or 11-32 I am just north of 100 kg (yep I am a unit) and have an FTP that is just shy of 300w just to give you an idea of the mass I need to move and the resources I have available. 1. What would work best for the generally flat terrain I will mostly be riding on? 2. How easy is it to change the name on a Shimano crank arm? And can an R7000 left crank arm work with an R8000 crankset?

On the straight before that curve and last hill as you come towards the golf course. But luckily the police were on the scene and EMS arrived as well.

I actually rode past that scene this morning. One guy was really banged up and laying in the grass but he was moving and talking. Another was lightly bruised and laying on on the road and he was doing a lot better. The bakkie had a banged up left front light indicating that the was some force in the impact. That was also confirmed by a totalled bike. As curious as I was I thought it would be in poor taste to ask what happened in that moment so I don't have any insight as to how it happened.

Hi I have used Triptych to courier 2 wheelsets from JHB to Cape Town with no issues on both occasions. You can look them up, they come highly recommended by a lot of people on the hub. In terms of boxing them. I'm a believer in bubble wrap and a wheel specific box. You can easily get a wheelset box from a bike shop for free usually.