Skinnyone

sorry for the comment...get a black or off white handbag so your gloves match again...?

As has been said - get the results first and the funding will come...BUT read my last comment.... Having said that though Jean Spies who has been mentioned above has a UK based financial sponsor providing backing for him to race the track world cup circuit as no local sponsor has been willing to come forward with the large amounts of cash required. He does have a few backers willing to give small amounts of cash when needed...he also has many product sponsors which are always welcome and he is grateful for, however you can't pay for plane tickets with product... In terms of budget, last year alone they (he and his manager) spent over R800k in travels and the like. Sponsorship money is still not flowing in though - even being ranked in the top 20 in the world in his disciplines...so even getting results does not guarantee funding....just as funding does not guarantee results...

It is a common misconception that carbon is infinitely lighter than Alu... The Trek Emonda ALR (alu) frame was actually lighter than the entry level Emonda S carbon frame by a significant amount...A good quality alu handle bar can be significantly lighter than a "cheap" carbon bar... The benefits of carbon are that in wheels it creates a stiffer rim which handles better, in a frame you can create a unit that incorporates certain handling aspects (better vertical compliance) without sacrificing stiffness...

I find the Bontrager R3 tyres a very good alternative - I have done over 1500km of commuter km's on a set with reasonable puncture/km ratio....

I encountered a runner going up a trail - we were going the correct way down, to be told - a bit of a warning would be nice!...surely if you are opposing the flow on a tail you should be more aware of bikers coming down....?

Tbobtrap is one of my favourite channels...

Does flying models qualify here? I have had a love for aviation my whole life...

I do about 350m on my 28km in to work and just under 500m on my way home...not flat

Joined the challenge yesterday and got one ride on the board...rain stopped play for the afternoon session tho...

I have never smelt a banana peel rotting on the side of the road - nor have I seen a pile of peels on the side of the road... The dead cat that someone hit smells worse... So a tree that is there got there how? Stop and think about a bird seating the fruit and seeds - then sitting in a tree and pooping the seed out - a tree could grow there from the bird pooping - organic matter...must we now clean up all bird poop too? What you are saying is the roads must be swept of all organic matter so that we don't ride through mush - ever ridden along a road with Jacaranda trees on the side? when those purple flowers drop - that is like riding on an ice rink...

Nippers are U11 if I remember correctly, and they do a shorter, easier course than the main groups...

this is what blows my mind - you rode there with a spare tube and a CO2 cartridge - will it hurt to put the used/old stuff back where the new stuff was?

My parents live across the way, and you can see the settlement from their place...the piece of land they were moved onto had been on the market for a while - along comes a bank with an offer and buys the land, next thing is the settlers are being moved onto the piece of land from the back of cradlestone as the bank who owns the piece of land behind cradlestone obviously wants to start developing it.... there is no infrastructure in terms of water, sewerage etc - so you can imagine what it is going to be like in a couple of months...

To clarify, I have so often been tempted to do the brake fluid idea, but I know that it would cause implications as you state - so I have never done it and most likely never will...turn the other cheek and all that... As a side note tho - being an auto mechanic, brake fluid acts a lot quicker than 2-3weeks...if not removed within minutes then the paint starts to bubble...

Brake fluid (DOT) + water bottle + squirt along side of car as you ride past = mess....

I have done a 20km ride and had the brake hose rub a huge mark in my fork crown.... At the end of the day, sand/dust rubbing against paint/something else solid is going to behave the same way as sandpaper...simple concept... As for the dent - yes alu does dent if hit hard enough and the alu on bikes is typically pretty thin as it draws most of its strength from the diameter of the tubes... You also cannot compare two different brands of bikes as they will use different paints, finishing techniques, and frame materials...

Trek Top Fuel?

Chain length is dependent on the bike - a HT will commonly use a slightly shorter chain than a long travel full sus...order a 116link chain and cut to suit - there are a number of different "formulas" for it but I have never had an issue where you go big front and big rear - not going thru the derailleur and then overlap by 2 links... As far as chain brand goes - get Shimano if you are running the rest Shimano - it will just work better

Thanks Gert for the inside info, that is the side that a lot of people may not take into account - the endless hours of preparation and testing to make sure the attempt is successful! well done again and now you have me thinking of perhaps one day making an attempt myself...

According to the above article and video it works - to a degree - there is always going to be a compromise and I have experienced this first hand...the gears are not going to be reliable nor always shift smoothly

Short answer - no... The derailleur also has a part to play in the pull ratio - it is not all in the shifter.

There is a new product that I have been trying called PTS (Performance Through Science) they offer a full range and I can honestly say it is the best stuff I have used ever! - Been riding for 20+ years so I've tried a lot of stuff... PVM Octane (and all the PVM product) is probably the next best, it is VERY underrated....

Obviously he is on an outdoor track so any headwind/tailwind + Crosswind will affect him, it being bumpy also is an energy-sapper. Although the power numbers may not be mind blowingly high, keep in mind that he would need to sustain those numbers for the hour - so maybe he had some left in the tank? I don't know - maybe he was absolutely spent....try and maintain 250 watts for an hour solid.... Wiggins had a huge support team - access to the best aero testing, power testing and the like - plus he had a bike custom built (as did Jens) so all those marginal gains add up to a big gain... If I look at what Jean Spies has gone through to start being competitive on the track in world cups it is massive - and he is still a couple of clicks off...to the point where the aerodynamics of his shoes and socks gets looked at in fine detail, the lubrication on his chain and bearings. So for Gert to pull of his effort took some doing and I think the record will stand for a while yet as I don't believe we currently have enough people hungry to chase it....

Agreed - in all fairness though it is really not that bad - the grass is cut, the grandstands and surrounds are clean, yes the track is bumpy but its not like potholed bumpy.... At the moment I am there just about every 2nd weekend as my two boys have been taking part in Jeremy Maartens' track sessions as well as the league racing...i think it is fantastic what Jeremy is doing and will support him 100% - the fact that my boys love it also helps...

Yep surprisingly....also don't forget that hector norris is at altitude and barometric pressure has a huge part to play - indoors and outdoors.