Scooterza

Whatever guys. If you don't see what I mean, I cannot help you. I am not saying you jump out and beat the guy up. I am saying that it seems suspicious. That is all. Suspicion does not mean guilty. But I can see that some of you want to turn this into a racial issue and I won't go there because that is not what this is. Token Freak - do you live in Diepsloot? Or some other economically depressed suburb? You need the combination of factors to appear suspicious. If you only have 1 of those factors, then on the suspicion sliding scale you are low down. As you get more and more, so you seem more and more suspicious. If Andrew McClean comes cycling in wearing crocs - crocs are R600 anyway - I am sure that he looks comfortable on his bike - the whole picture is ok because once again, suspicion is based on a number of factors and if he isn't wearing cleats that is not enough to raise serious suspicion. But yes, maybe if I saw you wearing your old stained painting clothes and you are in a low income area, you would then be slightly higher up the suspicion scale and I might wonder how you afford that bike but so what. All I am saying is it is suspicious. All those stolen bikes - they don't disappear into thin air. Scooterza2008-11-04 02:38:09

Mallo - you aren't getting it. Isaac would be: Riding his bike properly (not pottering along the side of the road)Wearing cycling clothing including a helmet, cleats and cycling shortsRiding along a road or at an event not dodging potholes in diepsloot. If you don't see that someone riding a R20000 bike that is doing the opposite of the above is worthy of at least suspicion, then let's just say that investigations 101 may not be your forte.

Mallo - this is not a colour issue - it is an economic one. A guy living in a shanty town (yes he happens to be black but that is besides the point) is not going to be able to afford a R22000 bike is he? But if a black guy comes to a cycling event with a nice bike I think nothing of it. There is no clash between the bike he has and his economic situation. I would similarly raise my eyebrows if I see a white guy wearing non-cycling clothing and looking a bit cash dry riding a nice bike. Nobody is painting anybody with any brushes. Scooterza2008-11-04 01:54:23

Ok - you got me - I am not a aerodynamics engineer. But I struggle to understand how a large item placed on the roof of a car will be MORE aerodynamic than a rear mounted rack. I agree that a rear mounted rack would also add to drag. However, I do admit I have not done the studies and have nothing to back up my argument other than, "Ag it MUST be less aerodynamic! Just look at it." An analogy - you are in the peleton cruising along sucking the rear wheel of the rider in front of you. If you sit up, or move into the drops or whatever you do, you can feel how much easier you ride. Suddenly, by magic your bike's wheels get 3 times bigger and now you are sitting 1m above the rest of the group. Are you working harder or is it easier than before? But you are probably correct - intuition and aerodynamics may not play along nicely. It certainly SEEMS that a roof mounted rack would be less fuel efficient. Any studies or figures? Scooterza2008-11-04 01:04:27

A few thoughts on bike carriers. My personal recommendation is never get a roof mounted bike rack. Sooner or later you forget and bam - you bike is mangled by some low bridge, garage, boom etc. Not to mention your car roof plus bike rack - total cost = 6 Billion zim dollars. Oh and they add significantly to the drag on your car = less fuel efficiency. Try attaching a toaster to your helmet next time you are riding for a demonstration. If you do get the hatch back clip on Thule, remember that if your car has a rear spoiler, this can prevent the rack from fitting. Also, these racks CAN do minor damage to your car over time - a pedal slips and scratches the paint or the weight of the bikes (can carry 3) makes a small dent in the boot where the rack's arms attach. Happened to me - slight deviation where the boot lid and car body meet. If you get one that fits on the towbar, try to ensure that it is designed in such a way that you can still get into your boot. I have one (for the life of me I cannot remember what make it is - black with yellow writing) but it has 2 metal pins (thick as your finger) that slide in. If you need access to the boot, you undo the top pin, angle the carrier forward and there you go - boot accessible. Ensure that whichever one you get is easy to fit and DOESN'T require tools to fit. Invariably you find yourself somewhere without a spanner and you are stuck!Make sure that if you need to, you can LOCK the whole thing up so if you need to go to the shops, you aren't constantly fretting about your bikes. That means - lock the rack to your car and lock the bikes to the rack. Lastly, make sure that you have somewhere to store the thing. Thule makes a very nice rack that supports the bikes from underneath BUT it is very bulky and takes up a lot of room when being stored. Now if you have a garage crammed with stuff and you have to hold your breath every time you drive in with your car, you may battle to find a place to store your bike carrier. Scooterza2008-11-04 00:20:45

Ah yes, a firm favourite of mine! I was once a traffic circle ignoramus but I am married to a ex Welkom resident (she is hot ok!) and she educated me (about traffic circles!). Now I won't repeat what has already been confirmed about how to drive around one of these things but we just have to get the rest of SA to be on the same page and all will be well with the world.

I know a lot of guys are poking fun here but I have to agree. The other day I went to drop off stuff with our domestic in diepsloot and there was a guy riding a Giant road bike. Didn't get to see exactly what model but definately not a R500 game special and totally unsuited to the roads of diepsloot. Without question would have been out of the guys league in terms of buying power at the "regular" price.