greatwhite

I have had many 140mm stems and I can assure you they were never custom. I can also tell you there are a few 150mm stems available too. As for the seatpost - plenty of long MTB posts about which fit the bill. I ride a 58cm scott, am 1.95m tall and have no spacers under the stem (in fact I have a very low profile headset too). As a rule, a smaller frame is better because: 1. it is lighter 2. will flex less 3. is more nimble Lance is a bit of a funny guy though - he shunned the slopping top tube although logically it was always the right way to go - even Trek knew this and implemented it when he left. If he shunned the logical frame, why worry too much about the size - maybe he really is trying to prove its not about the bike.

Psuedoephadrine is common in many medications. Ephadrine not so much, but hardly uncommon. Ignorance is no excuse, but it is a mission to make sure you avoid all the banned items. Also, many meds are still in your system long after the illness is gone, so racing is possible. Thing that annoys me is this is the easy stuff to bust folks for - the fancy stuff with masking agents etc is a lot more difficult and as a result costly, but it is also the stuff that you know the guys are cheats when tested positive.

You guys should be contacting the agent at least about this. get it in writing there in nothing wrong with the cracking sounds. otherwise, it fails outside warranty but the problem started when new and you loose out. My guess is the agent will want to see the bike themselves and investigate

Dude, I've just emailed calabash - if there is any spare space, Noeleen and I are there. Also asked Eldron to get accom for us to. I'll take the 4x4, so if you need some extra stuff carted, let me know (eg Booze - so you only have to do the short loop..... LOL)

Bikerboy - Which Scale are you looking for Carbon Or Aluminium? Both awesome frames. The carbon is 0.5kg lighter, but the ali will handle rock impacts and falls a bit better - which is why I have and ali scale frame (that and the price tag of the carbon frame)

The wheel is carrying part of the truck, sure, but when wheel and truck part ways the wheel is 40kg (as it was before it parted from the truck) and the rest of the truck still has a mass of 2460kg. Momentum is a function of the mass. i.e. no change As for the reduction in downward force (weight if you prefer), this will cause the tyre to bounce up (but not a great deal I suspect) as the strain energy is released from the elastic components of the wheel, but not forward i.e. 90? the original force. (remember equal and opposite reaction) The above has got me to thinking of another possibility (again a stretch): If the wheel bounced up and something rigid on the truck struck it, it could act like a ball getting hit by a bat.

It can accelerate if stored energy is released. No additional energy is added. Wrong! The stored enegry will gradually be 'eroded' by losses (friction with air and ground) and by change in potential energy (going up or down hill) but it can only accelarate if energy is added.greatwhite2008-11-17 09:11:28

Energy is the confusion here. If no additional Force is added to the wheel' date=' then it cannot accelerate. Energy is a another matter. You can add energy ie heat, that will not result in acceleration. So you need to define what energy and where it is coming from. the quantity that has the most direct bearing on this discussion is Force, which is not necessarily energy but it could be the result of energy, ie the the tyre heats up and the tyre ruptures at a point where the stored energy release is converted to a force which propels the wheel.[/quote'] Now you are getting picky - correct in so far as the force being the main method for adding energy, but the question still remains: Can the wheel accelarate if no additional energy is added? (Y/N)

OK Guys... Bite size pieces..... 1. Can the wheel accelarate if no additional energy is added? (Y/N)

Whos maths book did you steal? Try some easier calculation 1st: 1 Taxi + 4 wheels = Happy JB 1 Taxi + 3 wheels = Nervous JB

But still no definitive answer, no substance, just: yes they are better from those that already have the latest bling. When I have killed my current tyres then I'll consider it in the mean time snot tubes and liners will suffice even though there is a clear weight penalty. How much does it cost to do a convertion (incl the hidden costs) anyway?

FYI - tomorrow junkmail http://www.junkmail.co.za/content/PvtIcon.gifFor Sale http://www.junkmail.co.za/content/region1.gif JohannesburgSting Ray Chopper Schwinn: Black and red, Springer fork, thick back wheel, disc brake, great cond. Can email pics. Sandringham R 3500 083-XXX-XXXX http://www.junkmail.co.za/content/delad.gif

Ditto, caught them and had a chat with them for a few minutes on a flat and down hill (they aren't that slow on the downhills) while waiting for some friends.

1. Fulcrum (read Campagnolo) state in their operating and maintenence instructions for Fulcrum Zero wheels (which are similar in a great many ways to Ksyrium SLs) that you should put a certain grade of loctite on the aluminium spoke thread - this might be to help in part deal with galling/seizing. 2. Although I personally believe the aluminium spoke is not ideal engineering practice for a number of reasons, the Ksyrium SL isn't an especially bad wheel other than this - but they have so many on the road, the number of folks with failures is bound to be high - I speculate the Sys-R wheels will have similar rim failures and sooner as will most other aluminium rim wheels in the sub 1.6kg catagory - the lighter the more rapid the rim failure. I expect the XTR wheels JB holds in such high regard to also have rim failure eventually too. BTW GoLefty: I've killed 4 mavic open pro SUP rims with fatigue cracks just like these (along with many other rims), so don't get too excited about them either. 3. When I saw JB a few weeks back, he gave me a strange look when I said my view on most high performance parts was that they were sacraficial. Engineering obselensce into a product is common in many industries, not just mavic or cycling. Longevity if often sacrificed to achieve lighter/faster etc. Extreme eg FIA F1 engines have only to last 2 races (and even that only because the FIA were trying to stop the upward spiral of cost of new motor per race), but they are able to achieve huge power and minimal weight. Market pressure in many sector also means many manufacturers make smaller products running at higher speeds to make a more cost effective option, but they know it will fail sooner - it a achieves 2 things a) they get the initial sale & b) they get to sell more (spares or completer replacement units) later which is when they really score. The best case of true planned obselescence I've seen is printer cartridges that have a chip in them to tell the unit to stop working after 50000 prints or 3 years which ever comes 1st. 4. Propriatory parts and the captive market: also common. Again look at the motor industry - many parts can only be bought from the dealership and the are very expensive. I have no idea what the number is now, but about 10 years ago, if you built a car from spares it would cost you 8-10 time the price of the complete new car. My gut feel is that now that number is higher.

Guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, 'cause to me that yeti is a fugly as the gruesom 4some in speedi's 2nd post

Any one considered the mechanical aspects? Compact is lighter - smaller sprocket, chainrings and shorter chain, but longevity is reduced because forces are increased and there are less teeth to take the increased forces If you're strong and have no bucks, std is the way to go. If you are not so strong and you have excess cash for spares, then compact is the way to go

Eldron, this is getting out of hand (or in?) - no wacking anybodies jobby on the hub....

Thanks Johan, I'm aware of that. The centre to centre distance between sprockets largely determines the maximum outside width of the chain - what I was addressing was that some sprockets are themselves different thicknesses - this would determine the inside width required of the chain - as it would happen, shimano 8 and 9 speed sprockets are 1.8mm and 1.78mm thk respectively - 0.02mm is unlikely the cause of the problem. e.g. an extreme situation: an old suntour 8 speed has 2mm thk sprockets and new shimano 10 speed is only made to accomodate a 1.6thk sprockets - problem....