Organic

Thanks.

Thanks. Yes, the teardrop tubes is the biggest issue. The circumference of the post is also quite a bit bigger than other saddle posts.

I'm looking for a decent rear tail light for my road bike. I currently use some of those small LED lights that take two CR2032 batteries, but I'm looking for something that's bigger and brighter, and preferably something that takes bigger batteries that don't need to be replaced as often. Waterproof will also be useful. The biggest issue is that my saddle post is a tear-drop shape tube (Giant TCR), and virtually nothing will sit nicely on the tube facing backwards. Alternatively something for the saddle (Fizik) - I have something for the saddle already, but it's small and not particularly bright. Any suggestions?

Depending on exactly how much your order is worth, how much it weighs, and how big it is, they'll automatically upgrade you to ParcelForce and you'll get a tracking number as part of your free delivery. I'm not certain what the precise criteria are. More reason to club together for orders. I had a Royal Mail delivery that took more than 4 weeks and CRC re-sent the order via ParcelForce. They're very good about that.

If it was Royal Mail it could take up to 4 weeks, but if it takes longer, send CRC an email and they'll make a plan. Also, check when it got dispatched - sometimes it gets stuck and you need to send CRC an email to find out what the problem is. Parcel Force is usually just more than a week after dispatch.

In case anybody is interested, I sent the light (Exposure Diablo Mk3) via regular mail (~R200). It took 6 days to get the UK. They fixed it in a day and mailed it back. It took just less than 2 weeks to get back (also via SAPO/Royal Mail), including the long weekend. No extra charges. So, I'm impressed with the post office, and very impressed with the service from Exposure.

Courier will cost an extra R400 or so, which is more than the VAT. So at worst I'll just pay VAT again.

An update for anybody interested: I took in my shifter (to the LBS) after the Argus, and after 4 weeks, it's back in my hands. They apparently replaced all of the metal bits inside, although I haven't looked too carefully. Cost R90 or so for transport. I still need to re-install it.

Just an update on this for others in the same position: The new charger didn't fix the problem. The SARS Customs call centre said I should get a DA 65 form, fill it in, take it to the SARS office in Cape Town (22 Hans Strydom), get them to check it, and then send that with the parcel. The SARS office at 22 Hans Strydom avenue said the call centre doesn't know what they're talking about. The post office said I just need a letter from the agents saying it was a repair. They gave me another SARS phone number. The other SARS number gave me another SARS number The next SARS number (021 534 7435) seemed to be on the ball. They said no forms necessary - just keep your proof of payment of VAT from when you originally received the light from overseas, and if the post office asks for VAT, show them the documents. How well this procedure works I'm not sure, but I'm going to try it.

Local shop wants R550 for a new charger (and they wonder why I import). New charger on CRC is R185, and I can get delivery free with a bigger order. Postage to return the light to the manufacturers is about R250 (unless I want insurance, in which case I need to use a courier, and it's a lot more). So I'm going to try the CRC option first.

I've had both the Fulcrum Racing 3 and the Mavic Ksyrium Elite. I'm currently riding on Mavics (because they came with my current bike). I'd go with the Fulcrums first though. I did 30000 on the pair I had with no problems and no adjustment before I sold that bike. As one of the other replies said, the Mavics are prone to needing the freewheel body to be cleaned out or replaced. Look up 'Ksyrium squeal of death' on Google for details. While not officially dangerous, the fright you get when your wheels start to squeal really, really loudly on a downhill at 70 km/h (and it usually happens on downhills) is enough to cause an accident. I thought my bike was going to explode. Other than that they're not bad though - I'm still using them. I had some Eastons (a different model) for two weeks many years ago, but the rear hub kept getting loose and rattling, so I returned them. I believe this is less of a problem with the newer models though but ask around at the bike shops.

Thanks - will send him a message and see what he has to say.

Ja, looking into this option too. I'm only 90% sure about the problem being with the charger, and no response from the local agents regarding prices and availablility for a new charger. The 'official' charger is the only one that tells you whether the light is charged or not - no other indication. New chargers are about R200 on CRC (so probably R300 from the local shops), so a close call whether it's worth the postage to try and get it fixed. The agents in the UK have been very helpful, but not quite to the point of sending me a new charger.

Thanks. I'll look into that. Was going to send it via the post office, but will check with the courier to find out what they'll charge.

Thanks - that was what I feared. I'm just a regular guy, not registered for VAT etc. I may give it a whirl without paying too much attention to the details and hope for the best, and consider it a learning experience if I do get billed again. Even if I do get billed VAT a second time, and even including the postage, it'll still be cheaper than having bought the light locally.

Thanks. The light is worth about R2000. The postage costs are going to be about R220. I gathered there was an official way to avoid getting re-charged VAT, but I'm just not sure how well that works with the local customs people.

Hi, I've bought a light that needs repairs in the UK. What are the odds that I'll get charged VAT again when the light gets sent back to me after repairs? Does anybody have any experience on this front? I'm trying to calculate whether it's worth returing, or whether I should just replace it. I suspect that only the charger needs replacing, but the dealer has asked that I return the whole thing. Thanks

The price to watch is the price in Pounds - that's what CRC charges to your card. Your bank will determine how that gets converted into Rands. The value that CRC uses is just an estimate using a recent exchange rate. Different banks sometimes charge different rates.

I recently (just this past week) had an order that came via Royal Mail that took 4 weeks. After 3 weeks CRC sent a replacement via ParcelForce, and the original and the replacement arrived on consecutive days. (I rejected the replacement and it got returned to sender). If you want it in a week, use Parcel Force. If you qualify for free delivery, I think the extra payment for Parcel Force is only R150 or so, which is worth it. Service from CRC was top-notch. I imagine it's SA post office that's slow. It would be nice if CRC could get hold of the SA parcel tracking number though (for Royal Mail deliveries).

The Shimano rep, via the LBS, has kindly agreed to repair the rust after the racing season so that I don't have to spend two weeks without a bike. I'll follow up once that's done.

I can't comment on the SRAM stuff, not having used it, but I have the Ultegra 6700 stuff with about 20000 km on the clock. The two comments I can make about it are: - That the cables and cable housing - rear shifter cable and housing in particular - will need to be replaced roughly every 8000km to keep it shifting smoothly, depending on how much shifting you do. - That the shifters are somewhat prone to rust. Maybe I've been unlucky, but there are other stories on the net. A friend with DuraAce has similar shifting problems on the back, although none of the rust issues. Regular cable and housing changes keep it running well, but the previous generation of Shimano stuff was less maintenance-intensive.

Check the cost of replacing the inner sponge bits when they wear out / disintegrate. The Rudy Project sponge inserts cost about R300, the Specialized about R100 and the Giro about R50 as far as I know. If they only last a year (as in the case of my Rudy helmet), it could get quite expensive to maintain.

Thanks for the replies. The bike is only used on the road, and very seldom in the rain. I don't use it on a stationary trainer. As for the guarantee, the bike shop tells me that the agents are unlikely to replace it. They will try once the agents are open again on Monday. Even if they do replace it, I don't fancy spending a few weeks without riding while I wait for the replacement, although I'll see if I can convince the shop to give me a stock part while they wait for the replacement. I would have thought that they would use a more rust-resistant steel alloy, but apparently not. I never had even a spot of rust on previous generation Ultegra components.

I've developed quite a nasty rust spot on my Shimano Ultegra 6700 left shifter - see the picture attached below (hopefully). The right shifter is not affected, although it has some very minor spots in other places. Is this a common problem? The shifter and the bike on which it came are just less than 2 years old, and I kind of expected more from Ultegra components. The shifter will probably last the rest of the year before the rust spreads to more important parts or rusts through the lever, but in the mean-time it's quite uncomfortable - like having sandpaper on my finger when climbing. Is it worth replacing with another 6700 shifter? Are the latest generation of 6700 shifters more rust-resistant, or is it just going to be more of the same? Are the Dura-Ace 7900 shifters also prone to rusting? Thanks