Mountain_Goat

Theres quite a few guys that ride on the M5. I've done it once or twice and actually felt pretty safe riding in the yellow lane. You just need to be weary of cars wanting to turn on and off the M5. I've noticed that on Rosmead avenue the road isnt wide enough for a car to overtake a cyclist especially when heading towards Wynberg. Plus you need to dodge a few tree roots coming up through the side of the road surface as well.

Depends on the components. The Rc1000 is a good frame but will most probably have very old 8 speed components. Whether it is worth spending the extra 2k would depend on the components (groupset and wheels etc) of the Merida. With regard to the size of the frame, an extra centimetre or two on the top tube can make a big difference but that can be compensated by changing the stem length. It all depends on your height and reach, I think a 52cm is classified as a small/medium and 50cm classified as small. I just about fit onto a 52cm frame(Im 1.67m in height) so a frame with a 53cm top tube will most likely be too big or uncomfortable for me.

I would say try a warrantly claim but im not sure if it will be honoured given the current situation at AC.

What I normally do when buying wheels or a frame second hand is take it to a knowledgeable LBS of my choice (not the sellers choice) and have them inspect the item. They usually do it free of charge because of the relationship I have with them.

I usually dont even bother to go through the 'goodie bag'. From leaking bottles to 10 flyers and a packet of flu-gon (What am I supposed to do with that?), I just take my race numbers out and toss everything else aside. But over all, a generally well organised race this year with perfect conditions. RIP to those that have passed on.

As a last case resort, what I would do if I cant find a hanger in time is perhaps try a universal or 'emergency' hanger which fits directly on the quick release. You might not have your full range of gears though in terms of highest and lowest sprockets.

Which year model is the frame? If its older than 2012 I think you gonna struggle to find stock locally and will most probably have to order from Ali express which will take a few weeks. Best advice is to take the frame to Chris Willemse and have them take a look as they deal with TwoWheels trading. If the supplier has stock it will take a few days to arrive from JHB.

2018 Ksyrium elites currently priced at R8550. Best new wheelset in that price range in my opinion. Durable, light and looks nice. You would most probably pick up a better set of wheels for that price second hand in the classifieds though. Personally, I wouldnt bother to go Chinese if you after performance and durability. Apparently those China hubs dont last too long and I doubt they better than the Mavic hubs.

Theres lots of factors that come into play that will determine how long your components last. Factors such as regular maintenance and riding conditions all play a role in drivetrain wear. To partly answer your question, what I have found is that cheaper components will usually last longer than higher end components example a 105 cassette will last longer than a Dura Ace cassette. This is due to the fact that higher end components are usually made using softer metals in order to save weight.

+1 These days I tend to ride more defensively, slowing down at intersections even if its green as motorists often misjudge the speed of a bicycle thinking that its coming on at a slow speed when in actual fact we doing around 40km/h plus. Another thing that I also do is take up the turning lane when going straight as it prevents cars from squeezing past and turning in infront of you.

For me its difficult to really see any major performance benefits between a 30k - 40k bike and a 250k bike. Besides electronic shifting and disc brakes and other extras which might make the ride 'nicer', theres no real performance gain and at the end of the day its only a bicycle. If you dont pedal, its not going to go anywhere (Unless you have a concealed motor ????????????) But then again, if you have the money then why not? I'd feel pretty awesome rolling around on a 250k machine.

Cost of machining and going the engineer route will work out to over a grand if not more unless you know someone thats willing to do you a favour. The cost is not really the aluminium but rather the labour and programming of the equipment.

I see the Lezyne gps computers get good reviews. Some rate them better than the Garmin Edge25 and has all the basics you really need excluding power. Data gets transferred from the unit to the Lezyne app on your phone and from there onto Strava. The micro is about plus minus R1500 and the big one is plus minus R2500.

I think Tom Tom has been discontinued. I know somebody that got a replacement strap for free by emailing Tom Tom in the UK directly. Just state in the email you unhappy that there are no replacement parts available. Took less than a month to arrive. Ps: Theres only funny colours available like pink and white and orange

Rock n Roll gold. Best lube available, bit pricy though

Thanks for the response, I have seldom heard of issues from guys who own AC wheels, just wanted to make double sure. Thanks

Hi guys, I am contemplating on buying a set of AC wheels but a bit two minded now. Would it still be worthwhile purchasing a set of AC wheels if I can get them for a good price? Also I have never owned a set of AC wheels so was just wondering if there are any problems with the brand in general, and particularly with the Argent and Aero420 models? I've done some reading online and the brand seems to get good reviews. Any input would be appreciated.

If im not mistaken, I think tandem riders still get individual seedings and have to start in the group of the rider with the lower seeding. Could be wrong though.

Would also like to know why a 11spd chain has to be replaced at only 0.5% and a 10spd at 0.75%? Im assuming it has to do with the width of the chains with the 11spd being thinner than the 10spd? Currently I use the 3 chains to a cassette, and 3 cassettes to chainrings rule. I usually replace chains at 0.75 or earlier.

Quick question, everyone says that carbon wheels can melt/delaminate when doing too much decending or breaking on steep decents but I've noticed all those videos and articles ect are from Europe. Here in Cape Town however, our climbs are nothing compared to the climbs in the other parts of the world so my question is should one be concerned about the possibilty of melting/delamination due to braking on what we would consider steep/long decents here by us?

I think you need to query with the organisers or racetec. Penalties are only implemented on events older than 5 months old. That being said, I did a hill climb a few months ago and had a 15 point penalty added from the moment the results were uploaded and others who did the hill climb didnt have any penalties. Didnt bother to query though

Haha, theres some great deals in the classifieds yes. Just dont buy anything from guys like 'AVermaak' or 'Trilad' ????

Agree with the above points, service at most of our local bike stores are pathetic. I ordered a part from one of Cape Towns favourite bike shops 2 months ago, was told it would arrive at the store for collection within 2-3 working days. Long story short, I didnt hear anything from them and after numerous phone calls to them, the part eventually arrived 2 weeks later. It then turned out to be the wrong part which was then returned and the order was placed again. Was also told 2-3 working days but same story. 2 weeks later I go in to the store only to find out that apparently the guy who dealt with the order doesnt work there anymore and the order was not placed. From now onwards i'll just be doing online shopping, besides the prices are much better than our local stores in any case.