Minion

...and by extension, does it really mean that only 40-50 Hubbers have actually been rated?

Sometimes the effectiveness of a bike fit comes down to small details. My old bike fit measurements were within the range of values give by Competitive Cyclist, as are the new ones. The new ones, however, have eliminated a number of persistent, but painful niggles.

I don't think it would be too much of a mission to swap the cranks over. I suppose it would depend on how often you change bikes.

Zipp make a set of carbon/carbon brake pads that you can use on both alu wheels and Zipp carbon ones: http://zipp.com/support/maintenance/brakepads.php They may not necessarily work on other brands' wheels though.

What happened to MTN?

Probike should be able to help: http://www.probike.co.za/contact-us

It seems to eliminate 95% of the spiking issues: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/04/garmin-forerunner-610-in-depth-review.html

DCRainmaker to the rescue: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Wo8yCZ1eTVw/THXyq6fY18I/AAAAAAAAgiQ/Hxyv8HRC23c/IMG_9568A_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax=800 http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Wo8yCZ1eTVw/THXysCo0R3I/AAAAAAAAgig/7Ymwmb7jHb8/IMG_9570A_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800

They also don't have to pay for their own bikes.

Look closely. How're you going to make it move

That particular bike's gonna be difficult to ride.

I've only heard good things about the Cannondale Alu frames. Not sure how much they cost, though. The Dogma is also seriously chunky for a such a pricey frame. My old 57cm Bianchi 928 T-Cube carbon frame etc. weighed in at 1659g for about R17k. A Scott CR1 costs a bit less than that and also weighs about 50g less IIRC.

This is a big benefit of 2nd hand. If you can find a good deal (even on a R20k bike), there's a good chance you'll be able to resell it and recover most (if not all) of your costs if the bug doesn't bite or if you want to upgrade soon.

CAAD10 frame + fittings, 54cm - 1248g CAAD10 fork - 406g CAAD10 headset - 138g Total - 1792g http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=80660 Dogma frame + fittings + fork + headset, 46cm - 1720g http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=630663#p630663 The 54cm Dogma is reported to weigh over 1800g.

Here's a pamphlet with some info on trainer power curves: http://www.cycleops.cz/files/trainers.pdf

Uphill yes, downhill not really. All current trainers, aside from the Lemond Revolution, stop pretty quickly once you stop pedalling. They don't have a very high inertia so you don't freewheel much.

It depends. I think an IDT is better since it allows you to use exactly the same setup as you would on your normal bike (or even use your normal bike on it). It also takes up less space. Indoor trainers do resistance in various ways. Some have a variable resistance that you can set. Others have fluid resistance that gets more the faster you ride. Some just have a massive flywheel and fan.

What is their source for the durability info? How is it measured? I'm a bit sceptical whether the durability would become a problem over the typical life of a frame. I was reading a journal paper on the carbon footprint of CF parts (vs. natural fibre composites). I'll see if I can dig it up. Edit: I misremembered: they were comparing E-glass fibres to natural fibres.

Mapmyride is currently causing me a major sense of humour failure, so no more uploads, I'm afraid.

Have a browse through the classifieds. e.g. here's a 2010 Bianchi with full Campag Chorus for R17k https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/10124-2010-bianchi-infinito/

1.) How each frame feels depends way more on the tyres and frame geometry than the actual frame material. I think the choice comes down to how likely it is that he'll want to upgrade over time. It's easier to upgrade components in a piecemeal fashion over time as good deals crop up and cash becomes available. A frame is an all-or-nothing upgrade. If he's going to upgrade over time, carbon with cheaper components may be better. Otherwise, alu with good components would be better. 2.) A crash that will destroy a carbon frame will, in all likelihood also destroy an alu frame. Carbon might snap, while alu might buckle, but in both cases the frame is toast. For lighter dings etc., both should be pretty durable (unless you're going for super lightweight stuff). 3.) Second hand is way better value for money. The rough rule-of-thumb is that a good condition 2nd hand bike will go for about 50-60% of the price of an equivalent new bike. New has the advantage that you can get the size you want and the components you want right now, rather than waiting for them to come onto the market.

It doesn't. It only happens when the RD's not adjusted properly. The disk is there on the outside chance that it might happen and then the owner would try to sue. Much like those lip things on road bike forks.

I've also got a file for that one. It's not so bad - you spend more time fearing for your life in the traffic than worrying about the gradient

Going past the townhouses, that one's nasty

Here's last year's Race for Victory: http://www.mapmyride...s/view/46139016 A training route up two sides of Northcliff: http://www.mapmyride...s/view/43506098 All of Suikerbosrand: http://www.mapmyride...s/view/43505588 and Magoebaskloof in Tzaneen, the hardest road climb I've done: http://www.mapmyride...s/view/43504768 The average gradient is a bit misleading. The SBR climb is also about 4.3% average, but starts off slow and then get's very steep. Northcliff is steep at the beginning, levels out a bit and then gets steep again. Magoebaskloof consists of two 3-4km stretches at 9%, but because they are separated by a 900m stretch at 2-3%, it 'only' gets a 6.5% average. I've got ride files for the Argus and the Dainfern drag on my other computer. I'll see what I can find this evening.