Longbarn Killer

Ryd All Over. They are primarily motor bike transport, but I know that in the past, they have done specific trips for the CTCT. http://www.biketransportsa.co.za/

How did your wife end up with a 1 x 8 drivetrain? If you converted a 3 x 8 to 1 x 8, just put the old crankset on. It will give her her the climbing ratios she needs.

There are a few things to consider which may not make it as cheap as you think. Rather get it to a bike shop and get them to confirm. I'm not sure of the exact technicalities, but smaller chainrings often have a smaller BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter) which means it may not fit on your current crank. You may have to replace the whole crank. Also, a smaller chainring means more "chain slack". You may also need a longer cage derailleur to take up that slack. Also bear in mind that drivetrain parts generally wear with each other. So depending on how far your current chain ring has worn, you might need a new chain if you are going to put on a new chain ring. A new chain, might depending on how far your current cassette has worn, might require a new cassette. Maybe some of the technical guys on the Hub can tell you if you will need these new items.

It shouldn't, but some less scrupulous insurance companies may use it as an excuse not to pay you out. Just contact them and let them know what your plans are.

In the days of 26ers, I remember reading an article in either Bicycling or Ride magazine that hardtails were going to become obsolete. Then 29ers were born. The first 29ers were hardtails. People were saying that full suspension bikes would die as the larger wheels on a 29er had the same effect over bumps as a 26er full suspension. 10 years on and neither the hardtail or full suspension are gone. Both seems to be alive and well. The same cannot be said for soft tails though. Other than the BMC, I don't know of any other soft tail on the SA market.

Yes....rugby was huge when I was in the army. The SA Defence Force team would often play provincial sides. I can remember being trekked from Kimberly to Bloem to watch matches. I was never a good player, but I did play a little in the army. We once played a team whose wing was a Natal player also doing national service. I had the distinction of being the only guy to bring him down in a tackle. I managed to prevent the try but it still took about 5 mins to realise where I was and who I was.

It was a tongue in cheek comment.

There was a helmet manufacturer that made a helmet with a rear view mirror. Cannot remember who made it or if it even took off

Or it could attract some of the locals. Maybe the army has a few cyclists.

So am I........

Maybe they are trying to attract entries. I would imagine the number of people willing to travel to Hoedspruit is limited, so reduce the distances to get more people involved.

Bar ends are like saddle bags on a road bike. No matter what the benefits are, people don't use them because they are seen as "uncool."

Titan is the only brand that I am aware of that allows the warranty to transfer to the new owner.

When you say "a tad over 25mm" does that mean 27.2mm? If so, its a pretty standard size (although larger diameter ones are becoming more common place) and should be easily available

Isn't this the reason we buy any carbon part?

Now that you have got the list going, I will add some more Bikehub etiquette to it 10. A soft tail bike and a full suspension bike are two different things. Don't confuse the two 11. Specialized owners seem to get more flack than anyone else, simply for owning a Specialized. You can tease them about it. 12. If you sell a bike you have to take a photo of the bike on the couch. 13. The old rule was never ever rant about CWC. This rule seems to have relaxed somewhat since CWC was taken over by Cyclelab. There could be some people living in the past though. 14. You've already learnt your lesson about Bogus.

There is no such thing a etiquette on Bikehub. No matter what you say, somebody will have a pitch fork waiting to stab you in the back and hit you over the head with the bloodied end. For every guy hitting you, there will be another guy fighting for you. You need a thick skin here. Today someone will hate you, tomorrow that same guy will be your friend. It's what happens when people hide behind pseudonyms. Post away.

The difference between a mtb and a proper road bike on the road is massive (really massive). The cheapest road bike will still be better than the best of mountain bikes. 90kms (70.3 distance) is doable on a mtb, but really, a road bike is just going to make it sooooo much easier. It could be the difference between making the cycle leg cutoff time or not.

If you want one bike for both, you have no option but to get a hardtail mountain bike, but you are going to struggle on the 70.3 with a mtb. 90kms on a hardtail mtb is doable, but far from ideal. A road bike is just sooooo much faster and so much easier on the road than a MTB. You need to save as much energy as possible for that 21km run. With a budget of R10k, I would suggest buying two bikes of R5k each. You'll get a good road bike for R5k and an acceptable hardtail for R5k on the second hand market. In terms of bicycle sizing, I disagree with Wil6. With an inseam of 78cm and height of 164, you are looking at an Extra Small or maybe a Small.

Although I am on your side with the replacement thing, I'm just curious as to how many people will be able to feel the difference in ride quality between an original frame and a repaired frame. I don't think I'll feel the difference. After 2 years on a carbon frame, I built up an aluminium frame and expected to feel the difference. I couldn't.

This is precisely where the problem comes in. An insurer sends your frame for repairs. How does the insured know the quality of the work? Unless there is a wall with certificates of competence and industry accreditation, the insured will never know if the repairer is the best carbon repair guy in SA or if he is a self taught repairer using repair kits bought of eBay (yes these are available to anyone who wants to try their hand at repairing carbon). In fact, how does even the insurance company know how good or bad a repairer is? Then of course, it's human nature. Everyone would want a new frame rather than a repaired one. 10 years back, I was hit by a car. My Specialized Tarmac was only 6 months old. Only the frame and saddle was damaged. New bike back then was R18k, new frame plus parts swop was R14k. Sanatam replaced the entire bike with a new one. Times have changed.

As Tim said, it was a Peugeot Rapport. I wanted one when I was a student. They were R599 at OK. My friend had just started cycling and I wanted to join him, but I decided to keep that money to buy a car. I eventually got my Peugeot 10 years later, but it was the Mirage. Lightest bike I've ever owned. Bought it from a second hand shop for R350. Then it was stolen from my bike rack at the Herald Cycle tour. A friend has a brand new, unridden Peugeot Rapport. He was quite a cyclist in his day. His dad bought it for him new and had it sprayed in provincial colours as a gift. He never got to ride it and it still hangs in his garage. I tried to get him to sell, but he declined.

They can still repair it. There was a Hubber (cannot remember his name), his frame was in 3 separate pieces. He wasn't insured, so he paid for it to be repaired. Crazy, I know.

Are they? Didn't know that.

If Suntour forks were good enough to give Gunn Rita-Dahle (I think thats how it is spelled) all of those world titles, it should be good enough for us. Then again, she probably weighs about 30kgs and has them rebuilt after every ride.