Madala

Any update on this?

Hi. I used one of these SPOT Gen 3 trackers on a Beit Bridge to Cape Augulhas Ride earlier this year. As I was travelling alone and mostly on roads/tracks with little or no traffic I felt it was worth having for the peace of mind. It worked flawlessly and is a very rugged device. Battery life is exceptional so it becomes a "carry and forget" device. I also used a cell based tracking app on my phone but coverage is a very real problem. We have a very false sense of the coverage as most of the major towns and freeways are covered but you will be amazed at how quickly you get out of coverage if you travel off the major routes. With the SPOT tracker if you can see the sky you will have coverage. If you are wanting to be sure of getting help if you need it then there is only one choice.

Are the XL carbon frames still guaranteed to break at the bottom of the seat tube?

For Shimano about 20 000km, 2yrs or the first wash with a high pressure hose. Whichever comes first! The reason that the left side bearing fails first is that the right side bearing is protected to some extent by the chain-rings and does not get a direct hit from the pressure washing.

Am I missing something? Seems to me that even if you did manage to nominate someone for one of these board positions it would then be up to the board to actually decide on the successful candidate. Just seems to be a very closed shop if "the board" did not want any new blood.

Hi Found a water-bottle type spares/toolkit on the Dagga-Pad trail out van Gaalens way on Sat morning. PM me some identifying features if you think it is yours.

No brainer - Fox - durability and serviceability.

Do what is right. Go tubeless!

Not going to debate this one but willing to offer 1000000 to 1 odds that the world won't end 21st May of this year. Any takers? Settlement date is 22 May 2011 Should score at least R1 ;-) or is there some other "reason" to hide behind?

Hi Other threads seem to indicate that the world is ending quite soon so think the day licence route will give the best long term return.

From the Sapim Web Site:- A survey of frequent incidents recorded by our laboratory research team and race mechanics. When do spokes or other wheel components break? Spokes in a correctly built wheel only break as a result of normal metal fatigue after years of intensive use. * At the end of its life, the material has lost its original cohesion and elasticity. * If material is forced while lacing the hub, the spokes can be pulled over causing material weakness. The original bend angle of 95° should remain intact. * Most wheel or spoke breakages occur as a result of insufficient and/or irregular spoke tension. * A spoke breaks when metal fatigue passes a critical point. Good assembly can increase the resistance to breakage. The art of wheel building is to create an equal increase in the tension of all the spokes individually and at the same time to make sure that the rim stays round and true. When a wheel is built, bring the spokes to a final equal tension. A perfect wheel does not run out of true when it is used; instead it actually helps to prevent metal fatigue in spokes, rim and hub. * Weight is a factor: 90 kg (200 lbs) on loosely tensioned wheels will always cause them to ovalise. Constant flex within the wheel will cause premature fatigue, especially in spokes. In other words: the wheel should retain its original shape as much as possible. Where and when does a spoke break? Normally just before the bend (this is fairly standard after many years use) * The rim has been damaged - even the smallest dent can be the cause; * The use of non-compatible components; Irregular tension on the spokes; * A gap exists in the spoke-nipple alignment; * Is it possible to replace 1 or 2 spokes or do you have to replace all the spokes and re-spoke the wheel? If you do not re-spoke the wheel, the replaced spokes will have to be very tightly tensioned if the wheel is to be round and true. Do not forget when the first spoke breaks, all the other spokes suddenly have a different tension pattern! Also the rim structure goes out of line. If you only replace 1 or 2 spokes, you can expect these or the spokes next to them to break again. It is best to re-spoke the entire wheel and to replace the hub just in case the hub holes are damaged. It is possible to re-use the hub by mounting the spokes in the opposite direction (i.e. not in the direction of the ovalisation of the hub holes). The spoke head breaks off (this is unusual) * Bad positioning of the head in the hub (e.g. a slant position puts all the pressure on one side of the bottom of the spoke head. As a result the head snaps off, the so-called "bottle cap effect"). * The hub flange is too thick and is not suited to the length of the spoke bend (i.e. all the pressure is on the head, which will be excessively stressed and rip off). * If the wrong cross pattern is chosen, e.g. cross 4 on large flange hubs, the spoke bend can rub against the adjacent spoke head. This should be avoided. The spoke thread breaks in the nipple * This often occurs as a result of nipple/rim and spoke mis-alignment. * If spokes are used which are too long, new threads in the nipple will be made. Under heavy pressure the spoke threads will be stressed too greatly. * Spokes which are too short may also break at the spoke thread. When the thinner middle section breaks (on single or double butted spokes) * Any object striking a moving wheel causes damage (sometimes only visible with a magnifying glass or microscope). * Top quality manufacture will safeguard against damage. Lower standard processes will produce an inferior quality. SAPIM draws wire in such way that no change in molecular material structure occurs. The spoke does not twist much when it is built into a wheel. * Aerodynamic, elliptical spokes, such as the SAPIM CX-Ray spoke, are best fitted with a special CX-Ray key. This will prevent the spokes from twisting during lacing and centring.

Did the 80km (actually 85km) Mabalingwe Lion Man race on the weekend and loved it! Second part was a lot harder than the first part! My only comment to the organisers would be that it would be nice to have a Grand Master age category in the long race. While I do accept that there are not many competitors it would be fine to have a clause in the rules that said "if there are less than X competitors in any category then the prize money would fall away". That would be perfectly acceptable but it would be nice to be classified in the correct age category. There was a Grand Master category for the short race but not for the long one. By having the category it would encourage more Grand Masters to do the long race. Even the oldies get a bit competitive at times . Just my 2c worth.

As you cell phone will probably go along with your bike take a look at this:- http://periodic.phonelocator.mobi/ It is a free service and looks ideal. Will ry it out and report back.

Hi Have to agree. Bought an XTR middle chainring and XTR disk brake pads from my LBS (R903.95 and R199.00 incl VAT) this week for less than the advertised price on CRC (R929.29 and 179.47 but excl VAT and clearing charges) or (R1059.39 and R199.15 incl VAT). Both these are consumable items so good to see. In addition I get a "loyalty" discount at the LBS which made it even more attractive. The message is clear - support your LBS and importer when you are given a fair deal - hopefully the entire playing field will be leveled. I do not believe that the LBS has been the source of the problem but rather the importer or possibly the manufacturer having different "export prices" for different countries. Just good to see that the free market system is working and clearly the importer/manufacturer is seeing that it is now a globally competitive market. Great! Watched day 1 of Joberg2c today. We are very privileged to have events of this calibre! Simply awesome organsation! Well done guys - we are very proud of you.

Interesting weight info from the Shimano Site:- For XTR:- Model Number CN-7701 Series XTR Chain Type Super Narrow HG Cassette Compatibility 9-speed Pin Link Plate zinc-alloy plated Roller Link Plate zinc-alloy plated Average Weight 304g (116 links) FOR SLX as no chain is listed for XT:- Model Number CN-HG73 Series DEORE LX Chain Type Super Narrow HG Cassette Compatibility 9-speed Pin Link Plate gray Roller Link Plate gray Average Weight 304g (116 links) Seems the big difference is the colour!