The Drongo

Well there is your problem exakkery. You have to lie down to let him take the win! You are a bit of a bully, but it's really below the belt to pick on Hubbers willies. Unless they are for Somerset West! "un-competitive" - my bad, for a moment there I read that as un-cooperative. And what's a Bi-polar? A polar bear that swings both ways? Must be global warming!

Man was that a sweet piece of trail. The DOWWWWN after was also Bliksem? BTW, what were you stopping for?

Better get JB back from holiday! That looks like a Ti bike, WITH a Lefty! Toooo much of trouble there.

Hard to tell if it is a 160. If it is it is going to be bloody useless! Kinda like putting GTi disks on a Range Rover.

Dialed in on page TEN here. What's the argument about? It can't be 29'ers, as The Explosive One would be arguing elsewhere! Chess? or what?

Oh, boy. Here you go ya pack of girlguides! I've even come across people lost in shopping malls! Strewth!

Yes, I can see that ending well.....

same Mokia

Mokia N97

:lol: 2 dogs, a lead, a skateboard and a photograph. No wonder you are always arse-over-tip. EDIT: Classic shot BTW

Now I am going to be the Devil's Advocate here (so flame away, I only take it personally if you don't share your turkish delight with me), however, let me begin by saying that the cowardly driver of the motor vehicle should be thrown inside, and allowed to watch as the key is ground to powder! Firstly, the ER24 report was logged 05h00! The actual accident occurred approximately 30minutes before that ie. 04h30, and already the cyclists were half way up Field's Hill. In the dark. (we shall come back to that.)And in the mist (as in two days ago) Now let me describe the geography for those far removed. Besides being notorious for vehicle accident, Fields Hill westbound (UP)has three lanes, narrowing to two at the upper end. The left lane, for almost two thirds of the entire climb has a cliff face on the left. For almost the ENTIRE length of the climb the road margin between the yellow line and the 'gutter' is about 800mm wide max and impossible to walk (let alone ride) in. There are at least 3 blind corners. One severe. To the extent that driving a car around same corner, at between 60-80kph, requires emergency braking if one should encounter an 18 wheeler wheezing it's way up the hill at approximately 5-8Kph (another debate entirely). I would not WALK up Fields Hill in broad daylight. Now back to the 04h30 issue. Not too early to ride, sure, not too late either. We start at 05h00 to 05h30 and have to ride 5.5km of fairly narrow tar to the bush. 5.5 km that I cover with a BIG flashy red light at the rear, and a bright flashy white one on my lid. 5.5 km of hyper alert, either way. And still drivers cock up. This morning it was raining. 50% had no lights on. One shot the stop sign in front of us. An Armed Security driver played silly buggers because he could not engage his brain fast enough, all this whilst I had constant eye contact with him, but admittedly was attempting to merge in a way that he likely could never comprehend, so, shared blame there. So we have to acknowledge that a significant number of drivers are just not able/willing to cope with something small and visually static (we will come back to that too) in their path. Now let us add to that already sketchy scenario. To get to Giba, we drive (it's too far!) at early bells. In the dark.(b.) You can not believe the number of lone cyclists, road and MTB, who are spinning on the tar with either NO lights, or one of those ridiculous single LED Knog excuse things! Or the number of large group rides; road, who come barreling along, full lane covered, skirting the center line. Some with light, others without. I'm a cyclist, in a car, and I have to be hyper alert for cyclists who obviously have (a) no regard for their own well being (B) are willing to lay the responsibility for their irresponsibility at my door and (3) still have the temerity to cycle 1,5m or more into the lane. It works both ways people. The 'other' thread about road hog group riders bears this out. Combine these two factors, and there is only going to be disaster. As cyclists and drivers we have to change our attitudes, and face certain realities. Here are two: 1. At 04h30, most drivers on the road are either (a) still waking up (b.) pissed as farts (3) both. 2. At ANY TIME OF DAY, a cyclist, moving ahead and away from a driven vehicle can appear to be a static object ie. read street pole or similar, particularly if the driver is not paying attention, or glancing ahead because of other distractions. This of course is in a scenario where clear forward vision is possible, and bad light, mist, or blind corners are not involved. That perception changes completely if a rapidly flashing or reflective device is attached to that object. So, whilst I wish these folks a very speedy recovery, and am glad they survived this accident, I also sincerely wish that they learn from it. It just is not worth it, really. Who's fault it ultimately was will not bring them back when cyclist versus car. Last point: Cyclist. Use the bloody flashing light! A REAL one. It only weights a knat-fart anyway. Driver. If visibility is bad PUT YOUR BLOODY LIGHTS ON! It will not flatten the battery. Edit: I have no idea why the last part is all bold. Only parts are supposed to be, so pay attention.

Chap. It's a bicycle for crying out loud. You can snap it by jumping on it! Putting a vehicle through it is a case of no contest!

cool. My question exakkery!

just need a new headset. EDIT: There you go. So now: CRC. Google.

And them petals???

Roadies. The cluster on the right all drive BMWewes. Bet'cha!

if you are into retro cruisers. nice try. next!

No passport, no climb. Lots of trail up there on top. Take a GPS if you are not familiar with terrain. Weather changes quickly this time of year, usually storms in the PM

Strange chap. If you are going to do Shakespeare, then speak English !

S E N S E. As in 'sense of fear?' And No. Never had.

Click on the REPLY button below right on the post you wish to comment on / edit.

Thanks for pointing out the error, and discussing the advances in understanding of pressure bandaging. 100% agreed, and I have edited my post.

No worries chap. Not looking to fight, or disagree. We are looking to give people the right advice. Besides having said, possibly mistakenly, that you have hours to spare with a mamba bite, I have pretty much said what you have i.t.o pressure vs tourniquet vs getting medical help fast. In terms of Hubbers interests,if there are specific assertions with which you disagree, please state what they are by quoting and correcting. Thanks. As previously stated, I side with advice given from qualified medical practitioners who are experienced in this field. As it is unstated, we are not sure of your qualifications as yet. As I stated, my own experience holds no qualification other than personal interest, and experience. Again, as stated, individuals will react in different ways to envenomation. Friends I know who have been bitten a number of times by highly venomous snakes have to be careful of hypersensitivity. The only recorded death of an individual bitten by a Berg Adder was put down to death induced by shock, and not the bite itself. In terms of my own experience I have been bitten twice by Rhombic Night Adder, once by Natal Black snake (no apparent envenomation) and once by Mole Snake (non venomous) but still damn sore. Whilst working on the Inanda dam project I encountered many Black Mamba, but fortunately never had a close shave. Two workers did die after being bitten by Mamba however. The first, bitten whilst in the enclosed cab of large plant died of cardiac arrest due to shock - 15 minutes by eyewitness account - (as per the coroner report and inquest)and not as a result of actual venom. The second died, a day after being bitten, as a result of not reporting the bite, or reporting for first aid. The reasons for him doing neither remained unclear at time of inquest. Yes. Snake bite is common. Fatality not so. As in any medical emergency, if you are unclear about what first aid to administer, it is best not to. Get medical help as soon as possible. Treat all bites as serious.

@Pronutro and Montyzuma. Well put. Your interest in the Slithery Ones is apparent. Be happy to ride with you in snake country any day. Knowledge always trumps fear. That said, all the knowledge in the world certainly doesn’t take away your initially response when you are bitten by a snake the first time. But it sure does help you get it under control! Montyzuma. Considering your use of the word syndrome, I make some assumptions that you are in either the medical field, or the field of herpetology etc. So any disagreement/differences in application I have with some of your methods are based simply on my personal experience and interest in snakes, and the necessity to understand how to deal with bites. Which I have suffered. So possibly an explanation of "envenomation" would help to put the Hubbers in a slightly better frame of mind, and assist in understanding snake bite. Thus… To the large degree most venomous snakes are able to control the muscles surrounding the venom glands. This means that they can choose whether or not to inject venom during a bite, and to what degree, or what amount of venom they inject. This all depends on the degree of threat (from their perspective), time of year, and a few other factors. What we understand from this is that not all physical bites are necessarily dangerous, bearing in mind too that there are harmless snakes which can also strike and bite you. As in the case of most reactions, the outcome for the victim will depend on a variety of factors, including physical activity, the victims sensitivity to venom (not just snakes), the degree of envenomation in terms of the victims body mass, ie: larger body mass will react less negatively to the same amount of venom injected into someone with a smaller body mass. So, envenomation means that a snake bites AND injects venom. A bite may consist of a puncture wound, or a number, or even deep or shallow scratches. All bites should be considered harmful until it has been proved by medical opinion that they are in fact not. Wound infection from the bite of a harmless snake can also be problematic. If envenomation has occurred then a puncture wound will generally exhibit greater symptoms than a scratch wound, but both should be treated as serious. Unlike sharks, and some other predators, identification of a snake from the wound is seldom (if ever) possible. So always try, leaving assumptions aside, to have a good look at the snake without further jeopardising your health. If possible try and capture a picture with the cell phone that you should have available. Also make note of the particular environment and its activity at the time. These can give some clues as to the type. The FIRST thing to do is to remove YOURSELF from the vicinity of the snake. Trying to kill something that moves quicker than you can blink is generally going to end badly for the slowest blinker! Here is the POINT: If a snake has simply warned you the first time; meaning that its initial bite was WITHOUT venom, further aggravating it will mean that the next bite will be in response to the threat, and envenomation WILL occur, and to a heightened degree. (If you have foolishly ‘killed’ it, be sure it is dead as some snakes are able to sham death until they feel they are able to get another bite in.) The SECOND thing to do is to remain calm. Like in any life threatening situation, the calmer you remain, the greater the likelihood of your survival ! A victim has a good few hours, even in the event of mamba or cobra bites, before death is inevitable, so again, stay calm. Over 95% of snakebites will not be fatal (statistically). Contacting medical aid should be your very next activity. Try and give accurate positioning, even stay connected if you are alone. If at all possible just stay where you are and let them come to you. First aid treatment is then the next step. In general this requires an understanding of the type of venom. If one is not able to identify the snake, then symptomatic response has to be taken. In other words, application of tourniquet, pressure, pressure bandage can greatly assist in reducing the rapidity with which the venom reacts, but if misapplied can actually be an exacerbating factor, and in the event of envenomation by mamba or cobras can waste precious time. In other words. If you are not 100% knowlegable as to the application, don't waste time doing it. Application of tourniquet should be done in the event of KNOWN neurotoxic envenomation by the snakes mentioned below. Basically: Neurotoxic venom will include pain at the bite, minimal swelling. Drowsiness, blurred vision, sweating and vomiting. This leads to trouble swallowing and eventually respiratory paralysis. This is where pressure applied to the wound, as well as a pressure bandage will help slow the onset of the life threatening symptoms. This method of treatment is questionable for bites by South African species, and can aggravate problems if poorly applied. In the event of a bite by Mamba or non-spitting Cobras a tourniquet can be life saving. Monitor swelling (caused by the constriction of the body part) and release for 5 seconds or so every 30, to 90 minutes max. Prolonged use of a tourniquet can cause severe tissue damage on its own. Cytotoxic venom includes burning pain at the wound, coupled with progressive swelling, and possibly some symptoms of drowsiness. In this case, do not apply a pressure bandage, as immediate and advancing swelling will complicate matters. (Some snakes venom can exhibit both NeuroT and CytoT symptoms – Berg Adder ) Haemotoxic venom will cause little or no swelling, continuous oozing of blood from the wound. Headaches and confusion are only followed much later by signs similar to neurotoxic envenomation, namely severe sweating, nausea and vomiting. Yes, I can hear you all saying – “excessive sweating, difficulty breathing!”. They are also symptoms of shock, along with rapid heartbeat, dizziness etc. So try your best, as the first aider, to assess which is which. Which means, as the victim, it is in your interests to get hold of yourself mentally, and remain calm. If you are unable to administer first aid, then the following do’s and don’ts apply. DO NOT: Cut, squeeze or rub the wound Suck on the wound Give alcohol Apply any form of medication Try any other of Grandmas recipies DO: Call for help Keep the victim still and calm Immobilize the limb, but do not elevate. Statistically, as a cyclist, you have more to fear from vehicles, accident and your fellow man than you do from snakes. Remember: We fear only what we do not understand. Happy holidays. EDIT: I have edited this post due to an error in the application of pointed out by Montyzuma (who has credible experience in this field ), and in the interests of all who may have close encounters with the legless kind!

Chap. As the blokes say, you are changing to 'external' BB. Which is included in the new crankset. It will be worth checking to see if your BB shell has been 'faced' (google it). If not, find a shop with a facing tool and get them to do this for you, before fitting. NB. If you fit yourself you will need a BB tool, and remember to follow the thread directions! Nothing wrong with the M590. Good solid cranks. For something lighter but also within budget look at SLX as well.