linnega

Funny - I just noticed that this morning as well. Probably checked once a month or so, but I guess no more.

That is pretty good pricing. Equivalent to the US pricing at Glory Cycles (not the cheapest but usually reasonable). I assume the cleats will go for a little under R200? Any chance you could get a set of the bottom of the range (Quartz) down to me in Durban in December plus a spare set of cleats (15deg)? Happy to go through my LBS if need be (Leigh's). Eggbeater cleats are too flimsy and getting a bit expensive. Also seem to get fairly frequent hot foot that I am sure is purely to do with the platform size.

Have you guys got the Quartz pedal in SA yet? What RRP?

I wouldn't think that fluid sputtering out is normal and the purpose seems correct. I'm sure there must be some sort of adjustment for lever movement. Some grips would make it impossible to fully compress the lever if it is as "loose" as you are describing. Is there nothing in a dark crevice behind the lever. On the Avid's the adjustment screw is so small I struggled to find an Allen key small enough to use for adjusting it!

There were many Bridgestone's in the 80s - not many models, but many around. The cool guys that didn't want to follow the crowd and ride one of Gotty's bikes (Peugeot or Hansom among others) rode a Bridgestone. Then Cannondale came along with those oversized early alu models and everyone who was cool got one of those. As for Viner, they have been going strong for years. They had some distributor problems in the UK which is how I assume you got hold of one, as there wasn't an SA distributor as far as I know. Seems that that is properly sorted out now.linnega2007-11-02 02:22:34

Pseudo-science. Better than the science that Owen Hannie demonstrated on Supercycling. Clearly showing every how not to wear a helmet (far too loose to be of any benefit at any speed) and that stupid theory that the more you pay the better protected you are. Generally it is the other way round as you pay more for better vents and lighter weight neither of which contribute to the limited safety benefits provided by a helmet.

Never heard that before, and I don't think it would be called an urban legend. An urban legend is generally a bizarre, but plausible, false story. This one would just be a bullsh1t story. All the magnet does is count the number of times your wheel goes round - nothing more nothing less. The computer then multiplies that result by the circumference of your wheel (which you enter). That gives total distance travelled, divided by the time taken to do that gives you speed. As for the sound of tubbies and clinchers, it is difficult to isolate the two as they can't both be on the same type of wheel - so it is likely that the wheel sounds different whether it is the same rim depth or not. Also the rubber compound will be different, as may be the tread pattern, both of which affect the sound of the tyre on the road. Different hubs also sound different and different hub/spoke designs have different airflow so that will sound different. Isolate all of those and you might be able to tell whether the tubbies sound different to clinchers. BTW: Just thought I would fill in for JB - seems he's busy. Perhaps he will now counter everything I've just said.linnega2007-11-01 00:19:28

The choice is very personal, but at 75-80kg I have never had a problem with my Arione. Used it to ride the Etape in 2005 (7+ hours) and the 320km Habit ride (11+ hours) with no pain (in my butt that is). I do regularly stand though to stretch my legs and give my back a break. If you are having trouble with your saddle, just ride harder. That way your legs take the brunt of the gravitational push and your butt will be fine on anything bar a stone seat.

I pretty much do everything on my bikes except suspension servicing and wheel building (thanks JB). Road bikes are the simplest inventions known to man - especially modern bikes. Just about everything is easily serviceable and repairable. MTB's get a little more complicated with suspension - hydraulic brakes are not that complicated.

BigH has it right this time. The table is only first language, but Afrikaans is the most commonly spoken non-first language. Added to the 6 million first language speakers, it is the most spoken language in SA.

Agreed - always wear my safety belt. Pretty good evidence that they are effective. I never run red lights unless I am very sure that it is safe and that I won't negatively influence traffic flow. Passing parked cars is not an issue as they are not in the lane technically (even if they are partially in the lane). The rule simply states that no vehicle may pass another in the same lane, with an exclusion made for bikes/bicycles passing bikes/bicycles. Means that cars passing you are breaking the law unless they change lanes.

A couple points to note: Cycling abreast and chatting, whilst inconsiderate, is perfectly legal. Simply a lengthy overtaking manoeuvre. Motorists in general do not respect cyclists right to be on the road (in the lane), so basing your actions on how motorists will perceive you is an exercise in futility and to my mind stupidity. Breaking traffic regulations is an important part of ensuring your safety on the road. Do cycle with a flashing red light (illegal to use flashing lights) as this increases your visibility. Only signal you are turning if it is safe to ride with one hand. Run red lights where you are not influencing traffic flow - this means that you will not need to unclip and potentially get in the way of traffic as you clip in and get up to speed again. Do overtake stationary cars, as it is important that you are at the front of the queue at traffic lights as this increases your visibility. Do ride inside the shoulder where you are clearing visible to approaching traffic and the speed limit on the road is high (80 kph or higher) even though it is illegal for any vehicle to travel on the left of the yellow line. The law is clear about cyclists right to be on the road, not to mention the historical (bikes were using roads before there were cars) and moral (bikes do less damage to the environment and improved health of cyclists reduce the burden on the state health system) right. Despite this, roads are designed without any consideration for cyclists. To combat this, riding with a simple principle of MY safety first, road rules second, is necessary. As for littering, their is no excuse for any road user to be throwing non-biodegradeable products onto the side of the road. If you can't swallow it, the earth is probably going to struggle with it.linnega2007-10-29 07:06:07

H - read your tip and wondered if that could really be a tip. Never really considered any other option. Used to carry my walkman in a "Checkers" but in those days there was no such thing as a ziploc bag. Did notice at the Dusi Mfula last year though that a number of people didn't have their phones in sealed plastic bags and we had to swim the Umgeni, so not sure what they did. As for the plastic bottle mudguards? As kids we even did that for road bikes - back in the day when there was decent wheel clearance and 10 speed was the total gear options, not the size of the cassette.

Not sure that it flaunts any rules. The B sample test needs to be negative for there to be an invalid result. The test was inclonclusive, so it is being repeated using the same equipment. Personally, I hope Mayo gets off. Even on the juice he hasn't never had the right mindset to maintain form, so is always fascinating to watch.

Top photo is awesome. What flash and how close were you?

My understanding is quality of equipment required is only available at the Chatenay-Malabry lab, as WADA's premier lab. So now the B-sample is being retested there to make sure that Mayo did dope. Colonel - perhaps a little history lesson is necessary. Under Napoleon, the French dominated in much the same way as Alexander, the Romans, Bismarck, Hitler have dominated Europe. The French had their time. More recently, the French defeated the British in the American Civil War, giving rise to a great democracy, that is currently collapsing. As for the Tour, the French have won 36 times, the Belgians 18 and the Italians 9.

Because nobody else would touch him.

Roads are safer to ride on than drive on, but making them safer would be great. Cycling as transport is easy to drive - just look at what they UK have done (as an aside cycling mortality rate per hour cycled is worse than ours). Actively promote cycling as a primary means of transport, require that all offices provide employees with safe storage for bikes and shower and changing facilities, introduce a tax scheme that allows bicycles to be claimed as tax deduction where they are used predominantly to cycle to work and back. Build roads with cycling lanes and make special provision for cyclists as vehicels with additional rights in the Road Traffic Act. All of this could be achieved within a few months, it just needs political will.

Good thing you can pick up a new Campag Record set for comfortably less than half that including the crankset. The boxes are also included in the price, and shift levers come with matching cables, brake levers and spares.

Cutting edge is stretching it. Dedaccai tubing is decent but not cutting edge. Innovative in the way that it is available to be joined in whatever way you choose and branded with your name - but certainly not innovative compared to what is out there. As far as I am aware' date=' Raleigh in other countries has had LBS type bikes for longer than Raleigh locally, and what Probike have done here had been done in the UK with brands like PlanetX and some of the bikeshop house brands. Also, I believe Probike is no more than the marketing and distribution company. They have little input, if any, into the design of the bikes, and certainly don't have the R&D capability to design bikes to "[suit'] the [needs] of the local customers".

Probably, but they shouldn't. The supermarket bikes, even if produced in the same factory (which does happen), are different animals. Low grade alloys, carelessly welded together. The Elite Raleighs - even the alu alloy ones - are significantly better finished and made with the same type of tubing that we saw at the Tour de France 5 years ago.

You know what they say - lie, damn lies and statistics.

You should thank wheelsuckers as they actually make you faster. They make sure there is clean air behind you making your ride faster.

Not an unfair stir. You could take it a step further and say Springbok rugby is a business. Revenue is generated by the ticket buying public and advertising. The vast majority of the revenue generators from those two sources are white males. However, if you go down that route, there would never be change, and if there had not been change there would have been no Springbok team at the World Cup as we would still be the greatest rugby nation not playing international rugby. Just an aside, the Bafana squad for the Zambia game in September was 9% white. Not quite representative, but certainly closer than rugby.linnega2007-10-19 00:48:00