daniemare

For the guys wanting to wait till November etc for better deals or to leave time for saving up. If worried about the exchange rates (especially whilst they are good now) I found 2 tools quite useful 1 - Gift cards Buying CRC (or like) gift cards for yourself essentially converts you ZAR to GBP without asking SARB and SARS 2 - New funds USD or EUR exchange traded fund You are essentially buying a share that is valued at the spot rate at the time of purhase. If you use something like easy Easy Equities is cheap to transact, get dollar cost averaging, and dollar interest. You then sell and transfer back to your credit card when you buy the bicycle. It’s not 100% cover, but will hedge if the ZAR goes from 12 to 14 over the next 6 months

Lokking at an endurace cf sl 8.0 DI2Going the frameset route gives me the H36 integrated handlebar which is $200 more than the stock bar and stem So Adding that 200 to the stock price and saving on the cheaper shipping of a frameset vs complete bike plus the 15% duty (and vat on that duty) I can build within the pricerange Looking at Starbike (german comp) for groupset - they sell configurable complete groupsets. So instead of buying stock and selling parts to replace with what I want I can get Medium cage RD 11-32 Casette Tubeless tyres either 28 or 30 (still deciding) Saddle I want Bar tape I want Bit deeper section Alu wheels I feel will look better Crank lenghts you want So in total I am witin $100 before the “loss factor” of selling stock parts to be replaced with what I want. The swing for me is that 15% duty on complete bikes. Makes the difference worth it I believe

I am looking at doing this. But all parts to be imported. I am within $100 but with better wheels and a bit of bling/colour matching I want that I cannot get from buying stock

Same boat Would have bought a Momsen GP300 if it had hydro brakes. So asked about a frameset - good luck I also like the Spez Diverge E5 but the compnenta are really a let down. So again, can I have the frameset - No sir, only S-works can be had naked. So now I am thinking of Kenesis Tripster AT frameset and build it up over time. https://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Adventure/Tripster-AT Next problem, SRAM. Sorry sir we cannot ship Big S to you anymore (officially) ask your local importer. Ok ring up Cape Cycles. No cannot buy from them directly, but we can check on stock before you mosey down to your LBS. ok great, do you have Apex 1 Hydro. Sorry sir, do not import that. But you can have Red or Force 1 Hydro at significantly more money

Yes that. When I started it was explained to me as half wheeling. And that is actually to the point, if we have more focus on bunch safety, we will all know these things, and the dangers thereof.

Some commentators here say that crashes will happen, and in every bunch. This is true, but no reason for not reflecting and making things better for next time. We will not have helmets, car seat belts, air bags etc, if we said after each crash that these things happen. Others said that this must become a fun ride rather than timed. Well with your Garmin and Strava, races will always be timed and humans will always race against themselves at the very least. I do not think that not getting an official time will slow things down any more. What I think is that the cycling fraternity can do more for bunch skills. I was in that bunch with the fatal crash (at the back at that time) and I tell you, I have never seen such poor bunch skills and aggressive riding before. And I am a frequent 2A-C rider. Like we have the "Stay wider of the Rider" campaign, we need more "internal" campaigns about safety too. For example, one guy with Nedbank "Development Trust" kit on did not know what half wheeling overlapping wheels was. He was following wheels like Peter Sagan without a lead out train. When I tried to explain the dangers thereof to him, 3 other people in that bunch also commented that they had know idea of what half wheeling overlapping, keep the line etc meant. I asked them about hand signals for road dangers etc, and they had no idea. And then the cherry, they never really ride in big bunches like this. See, their times from smaller races are good enough for that start group, but that does not mean they can ride in big groups which are typical of the CTCT and 94.7. I would like to see: - Internal safety campaigns - Illustrative "bunch skills" leaflets and articles in every cycling publication and purchase of a bike - Traffic calming at any Long Downhill stretches - Smaller bunches I am no expert and maybe some of my thinking is totally bollocks, but the point is, the cycling fraternity MUST reflect and debate to make the next race safer, we cannot just say that it's part of the sport. Lastly, again, my condolences to all family and friends that have lost a loved one doing what they loved, and helping out to make what is the best race in the world such.

If reports of the location of the incident are accurate, and my memory serve, the fatality must have been the accident involving 2B with pick up of some 2As. I was literally coming to this thread to come bitch and moan about the absolutely horrendous peleton riding by Group 2B et al today. We had 2 accidents, both which I narrowly escaped. I did not expect to read of this outcome. It is so sad. I normally ride in the 2As and Bs, and I have never seen such a bad day out from a bunch riding technique point of view That the aggresiveness of the group’s riding cost someone his life today is really sad, and I wish we all take something from this and think next time we just want to latch onto a wheel The size of groups might also need some rethink. After Smitswinkel shrunk the bunches, riding was awesome and so much better

That is how I understand it as well. PLUS - if the frame is truely made in the German factory - there is a case to be made for 0% duty as for tariff heading 8712.00.10 it is 0% if Origin is EU That will thus mean there is "only" 10% upliftment and the 14% VAT for a total of 15.4% on the Customs Value - which should include the Bike, Bike Box and Shipping.

That guy fell right in front of me. I had to wheely over his wheel. He went for his water bottel in anticipation of the neutral zone while the barriers were funneling people into a tighter bunch for the timing mats One hand and no access to brakes = crash

I remember succinctly that the ST last year attracted a lot of moaning as well on this forum. Then the problem was lack of ability to pass and how this keep the "technical superior" people up. You just can't win it seems Mass participation requires a good balance between technical abilities, numbers and safety. Yes, maybe this year there were not enough ST, but then accessibility for these numbers are also a challenge. I for one found all the climbs tough and the lack of ST less problematic. But that will not keep me from enjoying a well run event in my backyard. Want more ST, there are other events in Elgin etc. Want less climbing, I do road as well (and why I stay away from the 60km ;-). Plan your year and enjoy the many "different" events we are privileged to have in this area.

Did my third 42 (call it 40) yesterday. I have attached the section between the 2016 and 2017 Strava details that were different. This difference excluded a fair bit of single track (only real ST - 2016) and added a severe additional climb (2017) that took you behind the forest where the single track is. There was also and a fair bit more tar road to connect the decent after Helshoogte with this climb, behind Idas Vallei. I guess a farmer did not open his/her farm this year and they needed a slight reroute. For me this change made it really tough compared with last year

Import clothing or shoes at your own peril! I have only waited long on imports when clothes are involved. Plus, clothing and shoes are really the only thing (general comment based on what most people here will be interested in buying) that attract ridiculous duties. You will pay those regardless of using Post Office or Courier. Post office will charge you R22-46 for clearing whilst Courier is north of R150 for that service. Also, there is a difference between Post Office hold up and SARS Customs hold up. I am not a crusader for the Post Office, but lets be fair. The courier will however nag on your behalf and the PO won't. I imported a pair of hand made shoes from Spain (Luck). The seller was so nice as to change all docs to only state Cycling Equipment (therefore no duties). SARS however read the bloody sticker on the box with the Corporate Logo of the Company - i.e. Luck Shoe Company. The SARS sticker on the box is the tell tale sign of them cutting it open to inspect - I was out of luck , but even with the 35% import duty (as it was from EU), it was still cheaper than most shop shoes here, and that for hand made on a personalized last.

local joy on availability maybe, but heart ache on price. Example - ISOGel Plus Caffeine - Local R635 for 25x60, CRC R284 + 15.4% (no import duty) and if ordered on its own + R100 shipping. I cannot understand why a local distributor cannot at least match a retailer from another country. Jeez, what deal do they have with the manufacturer

For non-clothes and shoes shopping: GBP price converted at SARS exchange rate at time of processing Multiply by 14% for VAT Multiply the VAT amount with 10% (effectively making it 15.4% as stated above) Plus clearance fees that will be dependend on the shipping channel chosen. The last time I ordered using the cheapest option, it came through the SAPO and I paid R25 for the clearance

Really, which law will you be contravening? You might be in breach of a contract between you and CTCT, but illegal, I doubt. Maybe someone with a law background can infrom

2:59:05 on Racetec, from F. First one. Extatic. Johannesburg is not flat, not flat at all. This Stellenboscher did not expect that. Well organised and I enjoyed it. Well done to all involved. Can't say I have a lot of experience, been cycling only 3 years, but this felt tougher than Argus. (I have never had a windy Argus though). What do you experienced guys think?

Cape EPIC Outback EPIC Death Valley EPIC Siberia EPIC etc Then when its saturated Drakensberg Half EPIC Rocky Mountain Half EPIC Whelsh Midlands Half EPIC Maljorca Half EPIC etc. I hope, like Kona (Hawaii), Cape Epic can be retained as the official World Champion event to which all the Pros aspire to. That will be cool, and economically benenificial to the Country (tourism)

From PPA website: To this end, all PPA members who are paid-up as on 15 August 2016 will be offered the chance to secure an entry on opening day. You will be notified of your successful entry within 24 hours. From e-mail: The general Entry Application for the CTCT will open on Wednesday 18 Aug 2016 ... So I am not reading Guarantee, I am reading Chance. So my membership bring me the advantage of knowing within 24 hours whether I am successful or not. And yes there were no guarantees last year, but there were 2 opportunities to enter. Maybe its all just badly worded press and e-mail statements

I am a bit cheesed (unless I got it wrong) So, I belong to PPA. One of the main reasons is to have two bites at the cherry. Like last year, there was a PPA lottery, and if unsuccessful, you could join the main lottery that followed. Now from the communication I just received, it appears that there will be no PPA lottery. So the only benefit I get is a potential R30 (5.88%) discount on the entry fee. Unless I missed something, what is the value of my PPA membership then?