Johan Bornman

Dont waste your breath. There is no way that rim will ever work again. You're looking for 541 ERD rims? Here's some. Mavic 117 Mabic X618 Mavic X317 disc Mavic X717 Sun Double Wide Sun Rhyno Sun SST20 WTB Laserbeam and Speed Disc ZTR355 (extinct) Alexrims XD Lite DT Swiss XR30

It makes perfect sense. Nothing wrong with mix and match. And of course, there is no performance issue. The bike just sees hub. Bikes are kinda dumb in that way.

This is the opposite of what really happens in this situation. A wheel will automatically track to the major dimension in a non-linear roller. In other words, if you have a groove in there, it will want to jump the groove (the minor dimension) to the bulge (called the major dimension). This is completely counter-intuitive. A wheel that is clamped rigidly in one of those trainers with an aluminium roller, often developes a groove in the roller. Once that happens, the tyre continually squirms away from the rim in order to jump to the larger part of the roller. Although a roller set looks simple, it is quite a job to make one. I recently made a special roller for one of my wheelchair racer customers and it was a complex job, not aided by the fact that the wheels sit at a 13 degree angle from verticala nd the two wheels are independently driven. I suggest you just bite the bullet and buy one off the shelf. Are they that expensive?

V-brakes are just fine. They require a bit of cable maintenance from time to time but they are still excellent brakes. If you upgrade the pads to Koolstop (salmon colour) (from the US, buy from www.harriscyclery.com) you'll have really excellent braking with long rim and pad life.

Hmmm. Then you've never used an American classic valve. It is so fragile a butterfly can break it. We're not talking about breaking it at the screw-in cap but it snaps right off on the large threads. Real rubbish. Made from aluminium and super light but breaks very easily. I also have a customer that breaks brass ones. Dunno how, but he does.

Dont hold your breath, they're not exactly going to take the bull by the horns.

OK, sounds like you do have a problem. Since the fork is new, your quickest solution would be to get the bike shop to quickly swap the lowers with that from another new fork. IIRC, you are in Cape Town, so the agent is right there by you. It would be interesting to see how they could screw up something as simple as a bushing, since it is such a simple part. Perhaps one of the two is completely missing? JB

All suspension forks have bushing play from day one, otherwise they'll have too much stiction. I doubt that your other Reba has none. Check again. Bushings wear so slowly that they require replacement extremely seldom. I won't worry about it at all.

A 9-speed link is identical to a 10-speed link in all ways other than it's width. A 9-speed link is slightly wider and will thus very easily fit onto a 10-speed chain, albeit a bit loose. Two problems could occur: It will make a clicking noise at it goes through the rear sprockets. The 9-speed link will touch an adjacent sprocket and cause a click or even a slight skip. It can come off by itself. Since a chain link requires two movements to disengage - compressing and diagonal sliding, a loose link could compress when shifting gears and whilst straddling two sprockets, even slide open. If I'm in an 10-speed emergency and someone offers me a 9-speed link, I'll take it but replace it once back home.

Nope. The OP sounds like a classic mechanical engineering student to me. Go to varsity, study mech eng. I may be wrong, I don't know you. But Industrial Design isn't your way into the industry. Do mech eng. Go overseas, worm your way into one of the many bicycle companies either in Taiwan, Europe or the US where actual development happens. Don't waste your time and talent swinging spanners unless it is to supplement your pocket money whilst at varsity.

I mean what I said. It is a use-once only link. Taking it off destroys the retaining mechanism. All other quick links are removed by compressing the link so that the pin's ridge can jump over the retaining tab. On the Powerlink, it snaps in under force. Removing it destroyes the little centre piece and it could thus come off by itself during riding. The design of the Powerlink is COMPLETELY different to the design of other links, even within the SRAM range.

SRAM 10-speed links were designed by Satan himself. Use any other brand 10-speed link. The SRAM 10-speed link is black and branded "Powerlink". It can only be used once. Removing it destroys it. What's the use of that? You may as well use a Shimano chain pin then.

Please explain why you say that?

Simon, quite frankly, if you are not interested in the positions offered, those details are none of your business. That's between four parties - the commissioning bike shop, myself, the candidate and his parents. What is your beef? Treat this as a rhetoric question.

It's easily done and good thinking.

You read too many things into this and I sense the next thing is a Labour Act coming my way. Chill. 1) I have been asked to identify talented mechanics and train them. 2) The company will pay for the training. 3) However, no-one wants to put funds into a pot, see what comes after the honey, pay for their training and then select one or two. 4) We do it the other way around. They pay for their own course. They will be rewarded with a refund if they pass. 5) They will work in my workshop for a couple of months and get paid for that. 6) Thereafter they enter into a work contract with the employer and start working. Capish?

Free training brings out all sorts of mamparras out of the woodwork. Chancers, drifters, uncertain, bored....you name it. There's nothing that promotes honestly like putting in your own cash. Lik e I said, the employers will return the fee upon passing and qualifying etc. But I'm not interested in training a bunch of uncommitted people. How much of a stipend? That is the wrong question hence my reluctance to reveal it. As soon as a candidate opens with that question, his motives are in the wrong place.

Office hours.

Which reminds me. Point number 8: You will not wear jeans that either show your crack or underpant.

Northcliff, Jhb.

Which reminds me: 1) You will learn to make good coffee and be expected to frequently present coffee to customers and colleagues. 2) You break a tool through stupidity or ignorance and it becomes your via a line item on your payslip.

You'll find it extremely difficult to cut it. The steel is hardened - harder than your hacksaw. Perfect excuse to buy a few more tools.

Coming on here anonymously and complaining without telling the truth is a cowardly act. Louis, get your act together, identify yourself and apologise. Bicycle frames are extremely difficult to warrantee here in South Africa where we are far from the producers and the market is small. Suppliers have to stock many styles, colours and sizes. Replacing one becomes an issue. It is often practically impossible to have a replacement ready at a moment's notice. Maybe one day you'll also run a business and realise how tough it is.

I need two apprentice mechanics for training and placement at a commissioning bike shop in Johannesburg. The ideal candidates will: 1) Have matric (preferrably from a technical school) and a good command of English. 2) Be cyclists and non-smokers. 3) Be tough 4) Be prepared to work for a stipend during their apprenticeship and, pay for their own training courses. Once qualified and passed with merit, they can claim their direct training fee back from the employer. 5) Want to work in the bicycling industry. Not on a whim, but seriously think you want to work in this industry. 6) Be skilled in basic technical issues. By this I mean you will not need introduction to hammers, screwdrivers, measurement techniques etc. You will have a feel for all things mechanical and you'll have little projects you can cite as examples. 7) Understand the wax-on wax-off principle and won't skrik when expected to start in the wash bay. Successful candidates will receive training in: 1) Bicycle Maintenance and Repair. 2) Wheelbuilding 3) First-level fork and shock servicing. Should you feel you qualify and would like to take up the offer, then: 1) Read points 1-5 above and only respond if you can tick off all five points. 2) Don't think the non-smoker issue is negotiable. It is not. 3) Don't assume Standard Nine is good enough. It is not. 4) Don't expect a kind letter of refusal if you don't qualify as per the above. Now proceed by sending me a short little CV (you can't have a long one since you've only been on earth a short time) in narrative form, explaining why you would like to become an apprentice bike mechanic. Don't phone me, don't come knocking at my door. Respond to my e-mail address johanatyellowsaddledotceeodotzeda only.

Point taken. I'm now standing and no longer sitting on my brain.