Icycling

A slightly different note - it seems their are quite a few inconsiderate people in RSA. I see it while riding my bike, but normally do not have the opportunity to say anything. But a the 10 items or less Q in supermarkets in RSA when people are inconsiderate enough to be Qing in this Q with more than 10 items I have the opportunity to say something and I do! Maybe 1 day these people will realize the world is not only designed for them, but for all the population! The adjective used in both these post on character of persons is inconsiderate - which seems to be a characteristic of many South Africans! I personally find this characteristic undesirable!

If the motorist is not trying to pass then he understands the law and that is the roads are for other road users also including cyclist and thus been on a public road he can expect held up! Be it bikes, slow driver, trucks etc - so where lies the problem, unless this motorist is just trying to be difficult and inconsiderate to other road users who has the same right as this motorist. Yes a cyclist may ride in the middle of a lane (even if cycling alone) if the cyclist feels it is safer, possible for argument sake because of bad road condition on the side. The law that applies here is vehicles should stay as far left as "possible". When a cyclist is on the side of a road it is only because the cyclist is been considerate and not because the law says the cyclist has too! But actually it is motorist who seem to break this law the most and yes manly on road where cyclist should not be i.e. the freeways by driving in the fast lane and not overtaking in the fast lane! This is once again a true sign of how inconsiderate people in RSA get when they get behind the wheel of the motor vehicle! I am sure that due to the inconsiderate behavior by motorist on the freeway, built up road rage which is caused, and when they finally are on the secondary roads and now maybe late they end up taking the frustration out on other road users - as now they trying to make up time! That's just my theory!

Currently the laws are been changed to make it legal to ride inside the yellow line. 1. If 1 cyclist is inside the yellow line i.e. not on the road and the other abreast outside the yellow line on the road - I don't see why a motorist should have a problem! The cyclist inside the yellow line is currently illegal. 2. A cyclist has the same right as motorist on the road they both are classified as vehicle. My understanding is a vehicle may not overtake on a solid white line - so why is the motorist trying too? In Europe where we has taken these road rules from motorist would wait believe me!

I am not a MTB rider - but 50km seems like the right distance. As for racing if finance affords it it could be as often as once per week. More importantly at this stage is bike set up and well at least in road riding gear restrictions. Naturally most importantly of all is the kid is having fun!

Membership Benefits Some of the benefits that PPA offers its members include the following: FUNRIDES Some 70 events - from road funrides to off-road events, including an annual overnight tour - are organised annually under the PPA umbrella around Cape Town, the Peninsula and the Western Cape. PPA's event co-ordinators ensure that funride organisers are fully briefed to put on an event that conforms to PPA's standards. Safe cycling is ensured at these events by the presence of traffic officials and the PPA crew, while medical assistance, sweep vehicles and water points are standard at PPA events. PPA NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR PPA members receive a weekly email newsletter with the latest funride updates and general PPA news. PPA members also receive a regular printed calendar with details of events, venues, starting times, dates and distances and general event information through the post. Printed copies of the calendar are always available at the PPA office and from the PPA Mobile Office at PPA funrides. EASY ENTRY TICKETS Members can purchase ?Easy Entry? tickets from the PPA office or at the PPA info table at the end of the funrides. The tickets give members a saving of some 30 % off the late entry fee and can be used at all events on the PPA calendar where the standard PPA-recommended fees apply. No standing in long queues! No filling out of forms at the entry tables! Easy Entry tickets are valid for a period of eighteen months. All old ?pink? Easy Entry tickets ceased to be valid after December 2006. Note: While the majority of funrides use the standard recommended PPA entry fees, some funrides do charge slightly higher prices to increasing costs. Please check the calendar to see if an event will accept Easy Entries. SEEDING PPA members are automatically seeded and receive a free funride seeded number. This number is posted to PPA members living in the Western Cape. Members living outside the Western Cape (living more than 500 km from Cape Town) can request numbers should they be coming down to Cape Town to participate in a funride - funride numbers and membership cards would not automatically have been posted to you. Paid-up members are re-seeded every year in July according to their finishing time in timed events. Funride numbers for the new season will be posted to paid-up members. Members can also apply for and pay for a new/upgraded seeded number on a monthly basis, should they qualify for and want a new number. See the ?seeding? section on this web site for more information. PPA members who have never done a Cycle Tour nor one of the Cycle Tour seeding series events, are placed in the PPA seeded categories for the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour ahead of the ?open? seeded groups. TIMING All members can purchase a personal timing transponder which can be used at all events timed by WINNING TIME, including the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour. All PPA funrides are timed and you can research your cycling history on the PPA website. Timing allows you to be re-seeded if your times improve at these events. No need to wait for every year! PPA members pay a discounted rate for their timing chips. Please note that the results of only paid-up PPA members are displayed on the web site. If your results are not showing, please contact the PPA office to check your membership status. Please also note that you will only receive results for an event if you wore your personal transponder (?timing chip?). No chip - no time. Times cannot be added manually if you have forgotten your chip at home... OVERNIGHT TOURS From time to time, PPA organises highly popular informal recreational tours, where the emphasis is simply on relaxing and having fun while using the bicycle as a means of transport. We find a nice venue, cycle there, camp overnight and generally just enjoy spending some quality time with like-minded people. See the OVERNIGHT TOURS section on our web site for more information. LEAGUES PPA caters for league races at certain funrides for those cyclists who qualify. The categories are: scholars, elites, sub-veterans, veterans, masters and women. Please see the LEAGUES section on our web site for more information. MOUNTAIN BIKE EVENTS Organised, timed mountain bike fun-rides are arranged at off-road venues around Cape Town. These venues are often not open to the public during the year. RECREATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKING PPA is instrumental in managing trail maintenance projects in the Western Cape, helping to make single track riding possible at several popular riding destinations. Amongst others, the PPA regularly pays for single-track sections to be created and maintained at Grabouw, Jonkershoek, Lebanon and Tokai. COST BENEFITS PPA members save in the following ways (July ?08 ? June ?09): Pre-entries: For most events, PPA members pay only R60,00. Non-PPA members pay R80,00. Easy entries are sold to PPA members only. Books containing five individual tickets (single-use entries) cost R300 (ie R60 per ticket). Family easy entries cost R600 for a book of five (R120 per ticket), and can be used by three or more family members as per PPA family membership. Late entries: For most events, PPA members pay R70,00 while non-PPA members pay R95,00 (plus R5,00 for a temporary number) Transponders: PPA members can buy personal transponders at R80,00 each, while non-PPA members pay R100,00 DISCOUNTS Cape Storm: PPA members qualify for a 10% discount on Cape Storm apparel and 5% discount on non-Cape Storm apparel at any of the Cape Storm Retail Concept Stores, on presentation of a valid PPA membership card. Reeds Motorgroup: Reeds is the official vehicle sponsor of the PPA for 2007. Contact Mike Powell at Tygervalley Reeds on mikep@reeds.co.za / (021) 910-7660 / 083 656 9940 to organise a test-drive of one of their great vehicles or to chat about your PPA discount. Cycle dealers: PPA members qualify for a discount at several cycle dealers around the greater Cape Town, upon production of a valid membership card. Enquire at your friendly local cycle shop!

I have not seen the pic of the rider with broken spokes - but they probably the Mavic Rsys wheels - which may still have a full recall for this reason! The problem with them is they have made the spokes ridged and resin does not like to be put in compression and cracks up, it enjoys tension. As for JB argument about spokes braking and the treaded part been the weak point - this is what makes the Spinergy wheel PBO spokes far better than a steel spoked wheel as the spoke actually breaks. If the Spinergy allu nipple thread part should break as it enter the rim - which I have only seen in 7 years been done when the wheel is been trued - the PBO fibres are still intact and thus the wheel will stay more or less true! Look at JB pic and you can see the fibres going all the way through the Allu treaded sleave. As for looks well that all a matter of tast.

Have any of you paid over R10.00 for a 500ml Coke - yet at Pick 'N Pay it about R5.00 same applies here! What I have noticed since I put my DA groupsets at R16 995.00 CWC droped his price from off the top of my head R19k plus! On the plus side I had have been told I will get a better price on DA next week out of Europe and I paid a while back when the euro was closer to R11 to the euro! I suspect that my new DA price will be round R15 995.00 taking all these factors in consideration!

Spokes 8 times stonger than steel - because of a flexible spoke far more comfotable!

In the not to distant future you will need to send it to CRC the why the hub population seem to not want to support the LBS!

Of yo travel often you can get blanket insurance for luggage. Mine I thick cost R5000.00 per year up to R300 000.00 per trip and R2.5 million per year.

As said in my post check these prices out versas CRC - I am not keen on the LBS closing but if it going to happen due to CRC we may as well try and still keep thing on RSA soil so thus this post: Due to the over whelming response to this ad and the number of request for individual items. I have decided to try my best to get individual items at better than CRC price. This will take a little time but I expect to have items in RSA within 4 week. These price will be ex Cape Town but still including 14% VAT. Please email your request to myself on phwheler@iafrica.com . I should be able to get most Shimano part lose, but please remember if your order is about 70% of a complete groupsets the individual items may come up to a complete groupset price - as my supplier will only be able to offer me after market prices on parts. If their any special item that you not able to find in RSA, and you looking for them, let me know, I maybe can help - on special items I will probably ask for a deposit. Regards Peter Wheeler

A time frame surely is the best just because I sold the item a week later for argument sake, then its 1 or 15 year warranty still is in place for the new owner.

I am sure Probike will do the warranty - in this case. But I still have an issue with the use of the term "lifetime warranty". I as a customer would prefer a 1, 3, 5,10 or 15 year warranty on any item - non cycling related also - I purchase depending what the manufacture offers

"lifetime warranty" - I have an issue with this type of warranty! Surely the product is warrantied and not the person who own it? Now what is the products lifetime? To me that is until it life is over i.e. cannot used for the task it was made so when you need the warranty it has just expired! I think this was successfully argued in a European court some time back and thus the like of Cannodale went to a 5 year warranty as a "lifetime warranty" was deemed worthless.

We the wholesalers and the trade were very fortunate for 13 years to have a guy like WE raise the bar. We collectively have all benefited from that. That statement not only applies not only to WE but all the staff that have work their over the years!

As a wholesalers who biggest client is - yes is - WE. I can assure you WE will do his best to try and sort out the industry as best as possible! He still want to be in the trade - so no point in having bad vibes! I don't want to doing my washing in public and I don't believe any wholesaler would - but I am sure each and every wholesaler who had WE cycles as a client will come up with an idea for WE - I know I have. We the wholesalers and the trade were very fortunate for 13 years to have a guy like WE raise the bar. We collectively have all benefited from that.

If it an excuse for you to go - definitely not! If you using miles and it more or less free even better - If you using MasterCard - Paris shopping!!!! hahaha - and for for ever thing else theirs an over draft!

Big H yup you qualify!

Capricorn - I hope my prices don't require a discount to be asked - but I have offered 1 if a frame should be purchased.

These are my offers for this month and while stocks last. All items are new 2009 and in Cape Town. The groupsets are the traditional 8 pcs groupsets - no hubs / headsets / seat pillars and pedals. I have only 172.5mm or 175mm crank and some variance in cassette from 11-23 to 12 -25 depending on the groupsets. The MTB groupsets are with gear shift levers and brake levers. I also have some road frames - not 2009 - which if purchased discounts will be offered on the road groupset prices per frame. Please do NOT go to my Icycling website as it is way out of date and in active. Shimano: Ultegra SL R6995.00 Dura Ace 7900 R16 995.00 XT R6795.00 XTR R12 995.00 Campy: Super Record 11 sp R19 995.00 SRAM: Red R14995.00 Spinergy Wheel sets, go to www.spinergy.com for more info: Road Xaero white or black spokes R4495.00 Stealth white or black spokes R7595.00 MTB Xcyclone R4495.00 Xcyclone disc R5295.00 These prices are for Southern Africa only. PM me should you be interested. You guys know - are they comparable to CRC cycles? Dealers may apply for dealer discount.

I will be posting some specials tomorrow / maybe latter today - then you guys can tell me then if CRC is cheap! But.... Guys is it fair to compare prices in UK to RSA prices? We have far higher interest rates and for retails - In the Uk if a shop stands empty the landlord pays additional taxes so getting rent free premises is possible their. In RSA one of the biggest overheads for a shop is rent - landlord in RSA do not have the same motivation as in the UK to keep premises occupied. This is just one area where they can have saving not to mention market size where the turn over is much higher thus they can by cheaper in the cycle industry!

Guys - I am not sure what industries you are in, but I am in the cycle industry! Last month I know of 3 bike shops in the Western Cape who closed! Probably about 20 SA people with no income. Their no doubt is a ripple effect as the cycle wholesalers fight for the money that is owed to them by shops closing - and start to retrench people. Now please consider this - assuming you have a job or are the owner of a company: The more people who go out of business in SA the sooner it will start affecting you directly - that not just the cycle industry. For Argument sake in the good time on a personnel level I: 1. Used to eat out quite often - anyone who know me know I was a lot fatter then I am now! So any of you guys in the restaurant and grosser industry - well you loosing out. 2. For the guys in the financial industry well this year I have closed 3 account with bank - the one I have had since I was 12 years old - so my banking fees have drop. This year is the last time I will be using an accountant for income tax. 3. For you guys in the freight industry up until last year I used clearing agents - this year I have been clearing goods myself. 4. For those landlords out their well you guys who are still fully let and getting full rent well done, but I am sure most of you aren't depending on the size of your portfolio - luckily for you interest rates are quite low now - if you have bonds on the properties, but consider this a vacant property is more risky than a tenanted property so maybe cut some slack on the tenants if they long term tenants. 5. For you guys in the motor industry I used to take my car to be serviced and cleaned - now I do it myself. What I am trying to say is by NOT supporting local in all industries, what ever industry you in, you may just not be required in the future - so you too may be out of a job - so for this topic and not to high jack the tread completely - possibly paying just that little extra for your cycle product by supporting local - may be the reason why and very indirectly - but use your imagination - their is still food on your table. Please also remember the cycle industry is also one of those industries in South Africa where the marked price is normally not the price you pay! So please ask what your LBS can offer you in terms of a discount before you put food on the table for an overseas website (once again for any industry - not just the cycling industry) - it may end up taking the food off your table!

Wishing Francois a full and speedy recovery.

ORCA - but this is http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?go=1&lang=eng&vs=1&sc=91&wj=kmh&tj=c&odh=4&doh=22&fhours=180

shebeen - I just added the rest of what you were saying! roadies = wimps but clever ones mtb = hardcore but stupid all the same