Climate

You'll be surprised how much a rack on your towbar effects fuel consumption. I transport 4 bikes regularly, so the Thule has proved the most convenient/stable (yip, tried the local equivalent as well). But I used roof racks before that (with front wheels removed and fork clamped to rack ... before kids). Gotta say, you can at least relax when you hit the dirt roads (cluster, etc. stays clean) ... and if your QR is clamped firmly, believe me, it's won't budge. I drove into a carport with the bikes still on the rack and ripped the roof rack off the rails, but the bike remained clamped in!!!

With a view to the meeting tomorrow and suggestions wrt improving the safety of cyclists, I think it was Spinnekop that mentioned a solution that has been adopted in Holland, where rumble strips are created under the yellow lines only. This modification to our roads should not prove overly expensive, but while keeping the shoulder available for cyclists, serves as a mechanism for getting the attention of a driver who is leaving the road ... brilliant!!!

Firstly ... our thoughts and prayers for Craig's family - this is indeed terrible news. May God comfort you guys through this really hard time. Secondly ... thanks again Rick for all you've done. On the safety issue and what can be done ... I think there needs to be change from both sides, in order for any change to be accepted by motorists. We've recently been hosting some visitors from Belgium and clearly witnessed how nervous they were (because of traffic), riding on our roads. They mentioned that no motorist is allowed to pass within a metre of any cyclist ... and hefty fines are imposed when this law is transgressed. The converse rule also holds though ... if a cycling lane is available, but not used by the cyclist, his/her bike is confiscated (no questions asked) and a 500 Euro payment is required to retrieve said bike. Likewise, cyclists are fined for not adhering to traffic signals, just as are motorists. So if we as cyclists will accept the responsibility of abiding by the existing traffic rules, maybe we can claim some "space" between us and passing motor vehicles.

For weight comparisons, check this site: http://weightweenies.starbike.com/listings.php

If the tube was inflating slowly, you'll probably find you'd punctured the bomb ... but only just. Make sure the bomb is screwed into the adaptor completely.

I've got to replace my MTB blades and was considering KCNC. What are the opinions on the KCNC blades ... specifically concerned with performance (eg. chain-suck)?

If you can still get a grip on the pedal, extend the spanner with a length of pipe ... then apply pressure firmly but slowly. If that doesn't work, get a longer pipe! But remember, you loosen pedals towards the back of the bike!!!

Since your middle blade typically has 32 teeth and Jules's suggestion is the most "fuel"-proof, I'd suggest either your 16 or 14 tooth sprocket for a tour ... assuming that's road (but keep your 12 tooth sprocket handy, dependent on terrain). Enjoy!

Then you've been lucky SwissVan ... replacing a chain on a worn cluster will get your crank jumping the moment you need to apply serios pressure to the pedals. And it will keep doing it, 'till the new chain has "stretched" to match the cluster (speaking from experience). There are numerous chain wear tools out there (Rohloff make a good one too) and it's a quick measurement ... especially when the number of chains one has to check runs into double digits (yip - they're all on bikes).

You mention that shifting up (to the slightly bigger sprocket) seems to work okay ... which means that once you've applied pressure to the cable, things stay aligned. So I gotta agree with Johan, that there has to be friction keeping the cable from releasing completely (and will be magnified when you get down to the smaller sprockets, because your jockey spring may not be as active when you get to that end of the range). You gotta have a look at the cable guide that passes under your BB - it could be the culprit, due to old juice that typically leaks from a juice bottle in a bottle-cage.

Yip ... there was a flaw in the tool you used. I've made the comparisons between ruler and tool. I'd get back to Park on that tool if I was you.

Then you're not using the tool correctly TurtleK ... remember to apply tension to the chain when measuring. I also used an inch ruler for years (many of them) and I reckon I've been using tools about as long as you've been riding (I know your age - heh, heh).

BustTheSickness is absolutely right TurtleK ... typically, a chain measuring tool will have 2 tolerances indicated. 0.75 stretch indicates that you need to change your chain, but your cluster will be okay. But once you get to 1.0 stretch, you'll need to change both chain & cluster. I try to keep my chains (Road & MTB) clean, but the MTB requires far more regular attention (with a Barbieri chain-cleaner) ... I have over 19 000 km on my Road chain and cluster (Campag) and the chain is not yet at 0.75. I've got less than 6000 km on my MTB and am on my 3rd chain already!!!

That sounds very similar to an injury I suffered from some years back. Can't hurt (no ... believe me, it will) to get a massage of the small muscle just above and to the right of your left kneecap. Good luck.

The body will typically try to take care of itself, so if you're training pretty hard, but only eating 3 meals a day, it's not going to step up the metabolism markedly, since there isn't enough fuel to sustain it between those meals. Give it some time, but try eating the same total volume per day, but divided into maybe 5 meals. The body realizes there's gonna be more fuel coming shortly, so is happy to ramp that metabolic rate ... but don't make the mistake of increasing your current daily volume!

If you can afford them ... get them - rock solid!

You don't mention where on the knee your pain is ... muscular just above the knee could be simply over-use (depending on how quickly you've ramped up your mileage), and a massage may resolve. Pain behind the knee may be due to saddle being too high ... pain in front of the knee may be saddle too low.

Sometimes the pistons will retract different amounts when releasing the brake (leaving one pad in contact with the rotor and hence the squeak). So you can try a similar technique to Dick's procedure, but apply (and release) the brakes a few times (to simulate normal use). Then loosen the calliper mounting bolts just enough to move the calliper. Now, looking down along the plane of the rotor, you should be able to view a gap between the rotor and the pads on either side ... but you'll probably only see a gap on one side (the other side is rubbing). Move the calliper to allow a gap on either side of the rotor and while holding that adjustment firmly with one hand, snug up each bolt to ensure alignment is maintained, before tightening firmly. Good luck.

Gotta say that I found the latest Ride mag a really good read ... both under the Q & A sections, as well as tech articles. Took me a while to get through (which is what I expect from a magazine).

Woo - hooo, don't be concerned on the ride tomorrow, when you notice your heartrate is 20BPM above normal ... that's to be expected!

Any other pics of the Helderberg girls?

I've made purchases on numerous occasions from Total Cycling (as well as others also mentioned in this thread) and gotta say, never had a problem with shipping or content. If you need to do homework, walk the pavement locally ... the only way to justify the risk of going the import route, is finding a price that is better by enough!

Just for those interested ... not sure about the CS range of sensors, but the S720 and S625 speed sensors have a jumper on the PC board inside the unit. By default it is set to the shorter range (less power consumption on battery), but moving the jumper to the adjacent 2 pins increases the range ... for cases where you need to mount it on your chain-stay, so that you still get a reading while spinning on your indoor trainer.

If the last few weeks in the Cape are anything to go by, you can expect wet conditions!!! So just ensure the knobs are spaced wide enough apart to shed the mud.

I also thought this was a blunder ... initially, but SuperSport must have access to vast footage/photo files. So they must have done some serious searching to find a picture that's already more than a year old. This smacks of intentional?!!