Falco

He found a way to get off ~ good for him. In the eyes of Joe Public, all is well and not all cyclists are dopers. That's great. I'm happy for cycling. But in the real world, a pharmacist (possibly) has a trace amount on his hands, then (possibly) contaminates empty capsules which Daryl then handles further to fill with bicarb, then takes a couple and tests positive? No. Sorry, I don't believe it.

I'm a gun enthusiast, I enjoy using them and I know how/when to use them to protect myself. To me, the issue of actually carrying and concealing the gun is a minor problem, easily overcome. The real problem is what happens when you get confronted. A person blocking your path is a potential attacker, but your life isn't in danger at that point, so you can't simply blow him away. If someone knocks you off the bike with the intention of stealing it, there is possible disorientation which could lead to a delay in drawing the weapon, and that could easily be life threatening. The only time a gun is effective, is when you have enough time to use it properly. At any other time, it may be a hindrance that could cost you your life.

Campy this, Campy that.... wada wada wada Fit Shimano, mix and match as you like between levels, never look back. Love them or hate them, the Japs lead and the rest try to follow. Unsuccessfully.

To test a specific make before buying one ~ possibly. To replace an outright purchase for long term use ~ no.

I'm very suprised about this, we have often been passed by the Harley group, in fact they passed us on Saturday near the Caves. No issues with them before, ever, and I always ride just outside the yellow line. Maybe it was just one of the marshalls having a bad day. One things for sure, if they try that crap with me I will tell them where to get off.

If you don't like riding in the wind, it's probably because you are too skinny. Only weight weenies bitch about the wind, the rest of us just ignore it

No difference in my opinion. I was using BB30, just recently changed to using Shimano cranks, purely because I prefer to have a complete matching groupset. Was never keen on the mismatched crank. Changing from BB30 to Hollowtech is easy, there are adaptors available. I've found the one that works best for me is Wheels Manufacturing ~ remove the BB30 crank, press in the the adapters, fit the Shimano crank, done in minutes. I've had no problems with creaking etc, but then I do service my bikes regularly so everything is generally clean and grind / creak free.

For me, it's very easy. I'm a typical brand focussed consumer, and very loyal to the brands because they have never let me down. Tyres and tubes ~ Continental. Groupsets, drivetrain components, pedals ~ Shimano DA and Ultegra. Wheels ~ Shimano, sometimes Mavic. Seatposts, bars, stems etc ~ Ritchey. Saddles ~ Fizik Electronics ~ Garmin. Frames ~ Cannondale. That's what I buy / fit / ride / break / crash / replace on an all too regular basis.

I reckon that's the problem . Never mind, Merlin and CRC are very happy to take roadie money. After two bike builds this year, they've already relieved me of over 100k in 2014 alone. I would have preferred to spend that money locally, but price is price, and they have the stock ready to ship.

I've never ordered from Easybike before, but yesterday they advertised a Garmin 500 bundle in the classifieds for R2999 ~ great price, I have been using one for a long time without issues, so I ordered one for my daughter. That was at 2.37pm yesterday. It has just been delivered to my office at 8.37am. Total turnaround, from supplier to Midrand ~ exactly 18 hours. It's just a pity they are so mountain bike focussed. There's not much else on their site for an old roadie like me to spend my money on.

This often happens if you use water on the belt contact points. Use conductive gel, not water, on the contact points ~ it will more than likely sort out the problem.

True

Two laps of SBR for someone who has never been there is going to be a baptism of fire. Be prepared for some pain. Serious pain.

That frame is toast.

Jeez, these are great. Well done.

As far as I can remember the Gatorskins are about 100g heavier than the GP's. They definitely have a much higher rolling resistance.

Gatorskins for training, GP4000S for racing Not forgetting the new GP4000S11, supposed to have a slightly lower rolling resistance than the old one. I use both, can't say I can feel the difference

Welcome. The spelling and grammar Nazi's are going to love you. :devil:

Just wondering, does anyone here balance their road wheels, and if so is there any noticeable difference between balanced and unbalanced? I've never worried much about it, but recently got some 50mm rims, so obviously a longer, heavier valve stem as well. When these wheels come to rest, it is always with the valve at the bottom. Putting the magnet on the opposite side doesn't make much difference ~ it is too light. Internet searches indicate most riders just ignore it. I can't help but think that at speeds over say 60kph, a balanced wheel will roll smoother than an unbalanced one. Anyone tried balancing? What was the outcome?

If I had to choose between the two, I would go with the Di2 ~ personal preference only. If, however, I had a third option, it would be Dura Ace 9000 mechanical ~ same price as Di2, lighter, no worries about electronic failure ~ I have been using it for a while, and it is absolutely fantastic. Only had limited testing time on the Ultegra Di2, but I can say with all honesty I prefer the DA 9000 mech.

It's simple. Ask questions, even dumb ones. Don't take things so personally. Learn the meaning of HTFU. Use paragraphs. Don't waffle. See? It's easy.

Reading all this makes me so glad I'm not a techno geek, to be honest I don't understand most of it and don't really want to. My Garmin tells me what I need to know, I couldn't care less if it's out by 10 metres, or 100 metres for that matter. I just go ride and enjoy myself, even if the trip is a km longer or shorter than NASA would calculate.

This too. it assumes that the rider is able to power the gear.

A compact (50):11 will be slower than a standard (53):11 on flats and downhills. The ratio would be 4.54 vs 4.81

Your current setup of compact and 27 is ok if you do a lot of climbing or are unfit. On the flats the 50:11 will put you at a slight disadvantage over a rider on a standard 53 crank. Imo it comes down to profile and fitness, nothing more. Most riders with 3+ years experience would easily be able to ride a standard 53:39 with a 25:11 for most conditions. One other thing you need to consider is whether you like to spin or grind. If spinning is your thing, stay on the compact and 27. If you like to grind, go to a standard with a 25 or even a 23