DrRichard

Hi I am busy with the same issue - converting an old Specialised rear hub to Qr - and have been reading and investigating - the more upmarket ones - will have their own converters - such a Lyne and stand etc. it depends on what the "endocarps" look like - if they can be removed and replaced with a QR version or you need to use a converter - the challenge with he converter is that they add width to the axle - 2mm flange each side to end cap so might not fit if not proprietary or you have to machine down the axle end caps to make it fit. am busy with my own conversion - have machined the new converter - but now need to take off the 2mm of each of the end caps - so a bit of a mission - but doable. basically you need 155mm rod with a 5mm hole down the middle that comes in two bits - one for each side - or one long one to go all the way thru (most drill bits are not that long so not that easy to machine

I gave up buying pro kit - when my choice of team (Motorola,Deutch Telekom, Discovery channel) all ended up having doping issue so my willingness to wear it, period, evaporated!

sorry to hear - god you are safe

My blood pressure is fine and still enjoyed my ride It just made me think ( and laugh about the Pitstop guy not being able to break in time) about if I would ride differently if I was not in branded kit- or if wearing a shirt that identified me to something would change what I do - but I guess from the comments it generally does not. I think we forget sometimes that we don't live in a bubble - how many pro /sponsored athletes have been sanctioned for stupid / insensitive comments and the sponsor is left with a PR mess to try and clean up.

I had two interesting incidents on my Saturday ride - both with riders wearing team/club shirts, and it caused me to think about how we behave either incognito, but also when "branded". We should all behave on the trails - but I wonder what recourse clubs have with riders who bring their clubs into disrepute, or shops who sell branded clothing and have riders behaving badly... The first was a group of two riders who I overheard saying: "there is a shortcut down to the green belt" and promptly headed down a clearly marked - 'SANBI - do not ride' path below Top Gate Kirstenbosch. The front rider - non branded jersey, the second a pure Savage rider... No complaint about pure Savage - but just thought that it was not a good image for the club to be portraying - or even if the rider was a member/ borrowed the top or if the club has riding rules and standards? the second was more ironic than of disrepute - but nearly got run over by a guy in a Pitstop jersey, screaming down a blind gravel corner above Kistenbosch and skidding to a near halt just missing me! Not good advertising/marketing for the actual company/ but also not good for the club. If cyclist wear manufacturer branded tops and ride badly - we often just dismiss them like we do with BMW drivers who cut you off, as a sign of the brand... but when it comes to clubs/teams or corporate wear, I wonder if these organisations have any control over their rider's behaviours. I often ride in a university affiliated jersey, and would get hauled over the coals by Management if I was involved in an incident that they were made aware of, bringing the university into disrepute, not that a short cut would get their attention - but illegal riding maybe?

thought you might need some inspiration (I am not doing DC but have been reading the thread) - a little ride from Buffelsjagrivier to Barydale this morning - enjoy the pass!

Is our previous E-Bike world Champ Alan Hatherly riding? or stuck in SA?

Rode on Rhodes drive single track (Rhodes Rollers and Sweepers- left hand side below the road) up to Southern Cross. Somebody built two bridges over the two very muddy "rivers", 10000 points to the people who built it! thanks to whoever you are!

the only problem is that you just have pips and not MIPS protection if using half!

rotational weight= wheels - 2 kg of belly and 2kg of frame weight has no impact on rotational weight - 2kg lighter wheels = rotational - raising a 15kg watermelon up a mountain requires more force than a 8 kg one - no rotational weight. both at play on a bicycle

I want to look at this the other way round: for the road, the bike makes a huge difference (to a point) simple weight/resistances vs. power output - the curve is very flat at the top but steep at the bottom - 5k to 15k (20kg to 8kg) will be huge 15K to 175k (8kg to 6.123kg) not so much. For the mountain bikers - the bike makes a big difference - to how fast the rider can go - not should go. I think the expensive high tech dual sus allows an average rider to ride way to fast over stuff they should never go - on the other hand spending 100k on an epic is better spend on a 30k bike and 60k of diet/ trainer/ skills etc. 10k left for coffee and beer

not my medical opinion as I work above the diaphragm- but last ride before you start taking the prep. once on bowel prep - above advice holds stay close. Once scope done (depending on what they do/find) start riding when you feel 'normal' and bowel function is ok. the bowel prep is designed to get you cleared out without dehydration. As always, if you feel cr@p - you should not ride

Roeland Schoeman - banned for a year? south-africas-2004-olympic-champion-roland-schoeman-gets-one-year-doping-ban-42230168 not sure how you explain how GW501516 gets into your system when it was an experimental drug now no longer being developed? If he did indeed take it intentionally - a lousy way to end your career.

I wonder if shaved vs. unshaved legs impacts on sock length choice/ style? mid calf if shaved/pro look, ankle if unshaved? In any case if the guy behind you has time to think about your socks, you are not going fast enough

DD now NTT... hope they start off the new year with a few wins - otherwise we will be continuing this thread for another year! New recruits look promising (but then so did they last year) Hopefully less illness and good race choices - would be nice to see a few of the boys on the front - especially LM - Giro?TDF?Vuelta?

have full 9 speed dura-ace - took off my bike last year to change to 11speed semi compact - taken apart to clean up (no rebuild in sight yet!) - all working perfectly - let me know if you want me to send you pics

Q10 also works - as apposed to Q20 - be generous!

Kestrel

Here is a medical 2 cents worth on the helmet debate: https://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459 There is no evidence that a parachute saves lives as they have never been tested in a proper clinical trial: one group jumping out of a plane with and one group without and see how many survive.... all anecdotal that they save lives.... Irrespective of what the science tells us - it remains a good idea to have something on your head to come between your brain and tar/gravel/tree/car! good common sense and science aren't always in sync.

Surely we have moved beyond the: "I was test X million times and that proves I am innocent?" I for one, do not know the details and the circumstances of the races/tests etc, but using the: "tested negative = clean" argument is not a good starting point in disputing doping charges IMO. I forget how many tests LA passed and also used this as "proof that he did not dope". Remember a negative pregnancy test - does not 100% mean you are not pregnant! It just might not be detectable... (Yet)

https://www.news24.com/World/News/british-mountain-biker-shot-dead-by-french-hunter-20181014 not sure I know what to say to this- first world country - low on criminals...

Ruan is a rock star - used to be at the bike shop at The River Club - then emigrated to the northern suburbs- huge loss to the South - and just too far to take my bike to him - but the nicest guy and a superbly solid mechanic and salesman.

With a slight 'hack' you can turn them into key rings - for your house doors, your bike rack and lock keys, your shed lock etc etc - I am sure the ratio of medal to key/lock is huge but at least you get to see the best ones and make some use of them rather than them hanging around collecting dust or stuck in a draw. Boston marathon is my bike lock, old cross country medal is back shed!

What size fork / head set 1 inch or 1 1/8' inch?

Horrible scenario - but amazing to see a community of people rallying round to try to find out what happened - hope he heals quickly and the answers are forthcoming