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Richard F

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    Western Cape
  1. Done 3 rides on these so far (about 200km`s) so not a comprehensive review. Been using Darkhorse 36mm for about 4 years with no problems but wanted to change to 50`s or more to match my age! You can feel the Zipp`s weigh a bit more but nothing that makes any great difference, didn`t weigh them as I`m trying to stay away from the scales in more ways than one. Pro`s & Con`s in no particular order: They look meaty and give the bike real presence, the brakes, in the dry, make a nice noise when slowing down, a bit (small bit) like a jet engine throttling back as it comes to a stop. Not much like that in the wet though! Much braking with much screaming from firstly, the pads and then from the rider as you plummet down Kloof Nek hoping that your medical aid and then, your life insurance are up to date! They certainly focus the mind in the wet. The rear hub makes a lovely loud noise which both of my kids really appreciate as I walk the bike through the house at 7am, still, after years of crying, no sleep and all-nighter`s it`s nice to get a bit of pay-back isn`t it? Sometimes I spin the wheel at 3 in the morning just for the hell of it! 58`s in crosswinds? Got hit by them this morning going down Chapman`s, let me tell you, the only time I`ve been battered more than this was by my ex wife`s divorce lawyer! The Zipp`s are certainly quicker than the Darkhorse but, if you are looking for a 10% performance improvement then you, like my wife, are going to be disappointed! Good but not life changing. Saving the best to last: The ride comfort and quality are fantastic. Most of us have read countless reviews about wheel-sets that are made from unicorn horn and fibre`s from angel`s hair to make the best-est wheel ever! And most of us think Yeah, Yeah, Yeah but, got to say with these wheels at least, it wasn`t all ANC election manifesto. Really can`t praise the ride enough....Brilliant! Like I said at the top have only done 3 rides so hoping to get used to some of the niggles but even if I don`t I can`t see these coming off the bike anytime soon would highly recommend them.
  2. The issue here is, if you have to cover your nose as well then what will the Cape Town Super-Pro`s do? The Super-Pro has to, and I mean, HAS TO!! blow snot-rockets when they are 2 metres past you with-out ever looking as that is what being Pro-Cool is all about. How are these disgusting pricks going to able to ride?
  3. Howzit!!! Stupid question: Are you meant to wear a mask when riding now? Please be gentle with me!
  4. I wonder how many of the Super-Pro`s we have in Cape Town who think it`s Pro-Cool to blow snot rockets when they are 2 metres pass you are blowing them in their houses while on Zwift?
  5. Could Bike Hub be more pro-active in the Classified arena? I buy very little online so may well be talking from the wrong end but, I understand that other 2nd hand goods websites have a system where the money is paid in to a holding account and released when delivery has been approved by the buyer. I freely admit that I know very little about this but it is a very big issue when dealing with people you have never met and who live at the opposite end of the country. Personally, there is a frame on the classified section at the moment that I want very very badly at a price that is pretty much too good to be true from someone in Jo`burg (I`m in CT) so I don`t want to take the chance. the guy is probably 100% honest but R30k is a big risk, if there was a holding account then the scammers would have no way of scamming us and we could all do business in the right way. I would be prepared to pay a small premium to Bike Hub from the purchase price to pay for the admin. any views on this?
  6. Had a pair of 36mm on my bike for the last 3-4 years with no problems at all, I`m about 70kg`s and do all the climbs around the Argus route and haven`t felt anything untoward with flexing, was thinking about changing to 50`s and wouldn`t be against using them again.
  7. Why only black? Every shop you go in to, black, black, black what`s wrong with a bit of colour, red, white, blue, make it a bit interesting who knows you may well shift more of them.
  8. Got to the top of Suikerbosse from the Camps Bay side yesterday morning, a group of about 20 riders at the usual stopping point, all well and good until I`m riding past them as 3-4 of them just decide to pull out onto the road in front of me, not one of them looking over their shoulders to check if anything is coming nearly get hit by 2 of them, sweet!. 3/4 of the way down Suikerbosse towards Hout Bay, doing 65 at the time and a genius on a MTB decides it`s a good time to pull over from the yellow lane to the outside lane for the harbour once again not bothering to look first, seriously mate, wake the **** up before you get on your bike not when I`m having to brake and shout out. We love to slag off motorist`s for not looking and generally not giving a ****, and rightly so but, what about us?Anyone of the above could have finished me off, would it have made any difference to my family if it was a car or one of OUR!? team?
  9. Oh God, just turned on the first day of the Tour and the bloody Aussies are back!! after the Classic`s and the Giro I really thought we had heard the last of them but no, not to be. 3 weeks of hearing from Matty, Robbie, Stuie, Davey and anybody elsie that you can add a Y or an IE to the end of their name. 3 weeks of hearing how Richie would be 5 minutes up if only he could stay on his bike for the first week, how any Bonza Frog Aussie within 2 hours of the leader is still in with a chance because he won a few races as a school boy and because he`s an Aussie, ditto if he`s a Kiwi but only if he`s an hour down because they don`t make `em like they do in Aus across the Tasmanian, how Calabie is a GC contender if only he could get over a mountain. And worst of all, how far can Matty get up little Petie Sagan`s arse this year before the Australian government does the right thing and makes him an Honorary Aussie because he was seen talking to an Aussie sometime ago and he`s nearly good enough to be one!! the best days are going to be the rest days. A stock market tip to finish with: buy shares in companies that make question marks as this lot use one per comment and anywhere between 2 and 6 with any question, companies won`t be able to keep up with production.
  10. Bear with here but Whitney Houston`s `I Get So Emotional, Baby`, isn`t the first thing that springs to mind when you think about cycling...or Bonnievale, either, for that matter but it was blasting out of the PA at the start line and it`s now Tuesday and I still can`t get the bloody thing out of my head. Anyway, I set off in the last group and with dogged determination and fortitude of spirit managed to get dropped by the Robertson circle, I`m not a great rider (normally middle of the pack) and I wasn`t going for a fast time (just as well) but I think it goes to show the quality of the field you attract to these smaller events. Really keen and strong guy`s & gals already to give it 6 love but really enjoy it at the same time. The fun really started at the circle, too, as we turned right straight into a headwind that cut my speed from 30 to 20kph in an instant. There was a guy walking past preaching the gospel so I shouted out to him to ask `The Big Fella` to turn the wind down a bit, I don`t think he was as well connected as he implied as not much happened. Got talking to a guy on a green Bianchi Sempre Pro and we rode the next 60kms together, great bloke (not many of us left, truth be told) and the Bianchi left me feeling a bit `Celeste` with envy (sorry!). Tell me, if you rode the race, why did it feel like most of it was uphill, how does that happen when you start and finish in the same place? I think the worst part was at the 60k mark as we went past the water station at the top of another hill, there was a lovely downhill section...at last, but as we got closer it turned out to be only for the 60k race and we had to turn right for the 95k...thank you, Mr Organiser! I was riding a Scott Solace 20: vital statistics - 11-32, 50-34, 11 speed, only used the 32 once (might be lying about that), but if you are thinking of going from 10 to 11 you must do it, the gear spread is night and day to 10 speed. The chassis on the Scott is fantastic and very comfortable. The engine on top could do with being de (Klippies and) coke(d). 70 to 80k`s went on for ever with one real Mother-in-Law of a hill, thank that Japanese Deity, Shimano for that 32! I picked up the pace at 85k`s (relative term)and with much clenching of teeth and other areas stormed across the line in a very respectable (ahem) 4 hours. At this stage I would like to give a big thank you to the organisers, the marshal`s, the Traffic Police, the girls on the water tables and also the supporter`s on the side of the road. It`s easy to pay your money and go ride your bike but it`s a hell of a job bringing these events together and making them run smoothly and safely, once again: Thank you to all involved. Finally, to Para-Phrase Arnold Scharzenegger: `Will I Be Back`?... Would love to, but firstly they`ve got to do something about Whitney Bloody Houston. Richard Fitzpatrick
  11. Hi, Need some help here, I`m riding Mavic Ksyrium Elites weighing around 1700grm, Would a set of 1400grm wheels make a big difference. I do a lot of climbing which is why I`m thinking about the change. Any views on this?
  12. Hi, I need some advice. Has anyone got any experience with Q-Rings, be it good or bad. They seem to promise a lot but are they worth it. Also, I have a pair of Mavic CXP33 road bike wheels that won`t last that much longer so I am looking for advice on what to go for. I don`t mind spending 6K or so on the wheels. Maybe there is a Cape Town bike shop who could do a deal on both the rings and the wheels? My usual ride is about 80ks including Chappies both ways and Suikerbosse so a fair amount of climbing hence, hopefully, help from the rings and some lighter wheels.
  13. I`m looking at carbon because I`m hoping it will be easier on the body, also it has an 11 speed cassette which, with any luck, will make it a bit easier on the hills. I`m not as young as I used to be, or, for that matter, as good looking so I`m after all the help I can get.
  14. Budget around R25k, Silverback has all Ultegra bits & bobs and weighs about 7.5 kg`s (according to what I have read) the Scott seems to weigh about a kg more, don`t know about the Cannondale. Am I right in thinking that Silverback is regarded as being a slightly inferior brand? had a couple of cycling types turn their noses up at the mention of Silverback.
  15. Hi, looking at a Silverback Space 1 carbon, spec & weight look very good, price ok, also looked at Merida, Giant and Trek, the Silverback seems to nail them all. I am missing anything?
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