L'Bie

I guess falling some time or another is part of cycling! I had a wonderful ride into town today. I was enjoying the clear weather after the very wet and windy cold fronts that swept over Cape Town, but I guess I was enjoying it too much. I work at the port control building in the port and I cycle through the port crossing the railway lines. Today they were wet. I knew it was, but it still caught me out. Ouch!! Thank heavens for my helmet. BTW somebody want to sponsor me a new helmet? Now O have to get home. Ouch!

Why do you want to upgrade. I had a perfectly well sorted V brake system and without thinking it trough upgraded. It cast me a lot more than I actually could afford and it saddled me with a whole new set of problems. 1. The old Vbrakes could stop me on a penny (I weigh a healthy 90Kg) 2. The new Shimano hydraulic brakes with a 160mm rotor couldn't stop me in a residential block. And believe me when I say, I bled them, I stripped and rebuild, I had the LBS look at it, A 2nd Bike shop looked at it too and still the power was lacking and it continuesly rubbed the rotors. 3. I eventualy upgraded to a pair of Juicy5s with a 180mm Rotor in front and at last I have a system that equals the job of the old V brakes. 4. The Juicy is exelent brakes, but it too needs to be aligned frequently. The V brakes just required new brakes and the removal of the metal plinters after a rough ride. Stick with the V brakes. They're lighter and they do the job just as good as any disk. O ja. Riding a disk brake bike in a cross wind requires a whole new skill level. The wind acts on the front and when you're tired it may have an further unplanned effect on you.

Why do you want to upgrade. I had a perfectly well sorted V brake system and without thinking it trough upgraded. It cast me a lot more than I actually could afford and it saddled me with a whole new set of problems. 1. The old Vbrakes could stop me on a penny (I weigh a healthy 90Kg) 2. The new Shimano hydraulic brakes with a 160mm rotor couldn't stop me in a residential block. And believe me when I say, I bled them, I stripped and rebuild, I had the LBS look at it, A 2nd Bike shop looked at it too and still the power was lacking and it continuesly rubbed the rotors. 3. I eventualy upgraded to a pair of Juicy5s with a 180mm Rotor in front and at last I have a system that equals the job of the old V brakes. 4. The Juicy is exelent brakes, but it too needs to be aligned frequently. The V brakes just required new brakes and the removal of the metal plinters after a rough ride. Stick with the V brakes. They're lighter and they do the job just as good as any disk. O ja. Riding a disk brake bike in a cross wind requires a whole new skill level. The wind acts on the front and when you're tired it may have an further unplanned effect on you.

Why do you want to upgrade. I had a perfectly well sorted V brake system and without thinking it trough upgraded. It cast me a lot more than I actually could afford and it saddled me with a whole new set of problems. 1. The old Vbrakes could stop me on a penny (I weigh a healthy 90Kg) 2. The new Shimano hydraulic brakes with a 160mm rotor couldn't stop me in a residential block. And believe me when I say, I bled them, I stripped and rebuild, I had the LBS look at it, A 2nd Bike shop looked at it too and still the power was lacking and it continuesly rubbed the rotors. 3. I eventualy upgraded to a pair of Juicy5s with a 180mm Rotor in front and at last I have a system that equals the job of the old V brakes. 4. The Juicy is exelent brakes, but it too needs to be aligned frequently. The V brakes just required new brakes and the removal of the metal plinters after a rough ride. Stick with the V brakes. They're lighter and they do the job just as good as any disk. O ja. Riding a disk brake bike in a cross wind requires a whole new skill level. The wind acts on the front and when you're tired it may have an further unplanned effect on you.

What would be a good price on a 2005 Gaint TCR2 with full Shimano 105 kit. The frame has no scratches I could see and all the mechanicals appear new.

Not sure about the strapon' date=' but the first time you hit a low flying bridge you'll remember my advice... If I must be serious for a minute, even though it's Friday, bite the bullet and get a towbar and a ride-on. It'll work out about the same money as racks and a roof carrier, and IMO is a far better solution.[/quote'] I have to agree with Droo here. Towbar mounted is waaay better. Rather go for the Euroway than the Ride-On. http://www.thule.com/Thule/ProductPage____82732.aspx They are quite expensive but worth every cent. Had one of those square tubing pieces of excrement that caused more damage to my bike than I did.I have the costly experience to share with you. Towbars are designed to carry just 60Kg. That is 60Kg on the ball. Add three bikes with a lever action roughly a meter from the ball, you get way more than the 60Kg spec jumping and jiggling over our exelent South African roads. The weakest link goes and it was in my case the towbar itself. Trailer gone, Bikes gone! No thank you, the Bones any day for me.

Received her questionare and its completed and returned. What are we waiting for? It is that easy to help others.

So thats where everybody was the weekend. Besides the cops, how was Knysna? Hijack off The law is the law and there is no excuse not to comply. The cops started this thing with the Argus a couple of years ago and it can not be something new. The statements about the velcro and bungee cords come from fellas I believe were caught or knew someone who were. BUT, obscuring your rear indicators, brake lights and reflectors also is a non conformance to the law and if I remember correctly no form of writing or graphic is allowed within 6 inches from the number plate. It?s a distraction to the cops trying to take your number down! This was a couple of years ago but like most of the law it might still be in effect simply because the powers that be is too lazy or busy striking to do their jobs. The fines are stupid! The excuse about road safety is downright silly and an indication of traffic police's inability to do something positive. They have one track minds and they are too lazy to think. It is also incomprehensible why the cops have a right to break the law in order to uphold the law! If the number plate is obscured and it is illegal, then so is the dangerous driving AND speeding to apprehend the offender! Now who is calling the kettle black? I can rant on and on about the traffic police failing in their jobs on a daily rate, but let?s just leave it at this. When you carry bikes on the back of your car, have a number plate visible. A new plastic plate will cost you R120 and it is less than the fine. L'Bie2009-07-13 05:07:15

New Pennyfarthing!

If you re standing while pedalling and the click persists, it is the BB. If not then look at the other seat and frame related options. I replaced a sealed bearing on a MTB many moons ago to cure a click loud enough to sound over the rough terain. Bingo it worked. Just last week cured another irritation with the BB replacement. Cleats are worn, pedals are old, but the BB solved the click. Best of luck.

Willie Engelbrecht was the single individual who got me into cycling! I was located in the far northern Namaqualand and no cycling shops around, yet WE always found a way to help. The same when I dealt with John Connor. Both stand-up guys and committed to service excellence. Many of you already testified to that including CW senior. I don?t know if Willie or any of his sidekick are on the Hub or not, but I do hope that the general well being of the Life Style Centre will soon be healthy again and I do hope they get to hear the message that they have many friends out here. L'Bie2009-06-29 04:02:50

wow

I is interesting to note the different experiences you have out there with punctures and yesterday I was caught out. I have been on tubeless with Joe's assistance for over a year and this happened twice now. the Joe's ran out. It is evedently clear that the daily commuting encounter several rubber piercing events and since Joe's does its job so well, I only have to was the bike and ride it. Up to a point that is. The Joe's run out and there is nothing left to plug the new puncture with. It is not too a severe probleom if home is close, but at 18km it is a bit of a strech. No cell phone (wieght and theft) left me with no choise than to hit the wall running. I inflated to the max, hit the road and went to the max heartrate. I made it with just a couple mm to spare. What a nice ride though. A parting note to self. Concider carrying the cell despite the risks and squirt a couple of cc Joe's into the rear before the next ride.

..dont tell us..... you dream of shimano Not really... I just know something you don't

Agreed!!!!!

what bothers me is the intersections. Its very nice to have cycling lanes when everybody (cars, trucks and bicycles) move parrallel in the same direction. At intersections this change and all over CT the cycle lanes simply dissipear. WTF! This is exactly where we need protestion! What is more, Do they plan to make a physical barrier between the cycle path and the normal road surface? Painting a lane on a normal road suface is simply not good enough. Impatient drivers uses hese as a way to get past the que.

Whitewalls!!!!! eugh

Ja nee dit word nou koud hier in Slaapstat. Ek ry nou glad nie sonder die moue nie en in die oggende werk toe is die baadjie ook nog deel van die pakket. Net een ding. Met Angola so naby die ewenaar, raak dit rerig koud daar?

I sometimes go for long slow rides in town and suburbs far from home. You then come accross these locals with their ramshackle tingamaninges they call bicycles who wants to race. It just depends how far I have gone and how much petrol is in the tank, but i generally have some fun with them. We normally gets intruduced, I scold them for not having brakes and helmets and then I have somebody who generally had a little fun on the day. The choise if yo want to be part of the sudden dice is all yours. Their day is different to yours and they might just want to have some fun. Maybe it is just someone who competes only because you are there. Share or ignore, its easy enough.

It sucks dude! I 'll tell you that my experience led me to believe no Bicycle should be mounted on a towbar! Years agoi had two bikes on a rack going to Windhoek and arrived with a severely bended towbar! I know you will say "unbelievable!", but it was bend to the point where the towbar rubbed the tar trough every dip in the road. I tried to brace the jig with rope, but that was only partial succesful leaving scuff marks on my car's paintjob. Bosal towbars are rated at a maximum load of 70Kg, but remmeber that the bikerack becomes a lever. Your experience says the rest is history. Get a "Bones" rack that fits in about 5 minutes to your car and not an attahcment or get a roof rack. It is far safer!

I for one was trying to cycle along this route to work in the port. I feel far too threatened to ride these sections with the trucks and cars so close and without any escape route. Therefore a detour through the suburbs makes for a nice change, especially since the transport of choise is a MTB. The challenge is to get into Paarden Island, but up till now the sidewalk over the bridge sufficed. This morning however the contractors have destroyed the complete sidewalk! Nevermind that I am a cyclist. There is nowhere for pedestrians to cross the bridge safely between Milnerton and Paarden Island. there are even some very accident inviting open manholes! Those are illigal! I want to take this up with somebody since a waiting period of three weeks before speaking to a council memeber is too long. The contractor need to fix this by this afternoon! Can anyone tell me who to contact please?

De Noon. Stay far away from that loco.