gogo@

Not there, but I've had bikes buzz me the same way, well over 120 as they're overtaking cars and leaving them in their dust. Seem to think it's funny - or maybe I'm prey?? If oom tjops clips me can't see how he can avoid coming down at that speed. Maybe the thinking part of "think bike" IS the bike??

Going to see you there... no way can I afford that. Make my own rides, take my chances.

Def going for 2nd... 1st was an absolute blast... Had to go careful cos of cramps from Smits (no surprise, no distance in training) but overtook LOADS after Chappies. and Boyes Drive wasn't such a big deal (no wind tho!) Did my first LSD yesterday and already further. Also in for Die Burger... If you haven't done the Argus before, don't listen to the yawns... it's really worth it, even/especially at the back! I've heard so much moaning but then I wonder if those peeps actually enjoy cycling anymore??

Sorry, no... not even a bicycle... I've had countless bad experiences of shopping for a bike with small frame - small, not extra small!! If it's not on the floor, you can't have it, the don't stock it and probably don't make it anymore... being a woman makes it worse. Talking gear ratios, sprockets and spokes helps a bit, but they still think you're so dumb you'll just try out the medium in bike X when you want Y. Easier to use sizing charts and buy blind from hubbers!! Cheaper too and I got basically a brand-new bike at 2nd hand price. Don't know how shops survive with that attitude.

To add to the above, self as guinnea pig shows cycling is waaaay easier but needs more time for similar cardio benefits... even short shuffles have major benefits... This winter I decided to try a bit of running since we had so much rain. I had a good cycling base but no running since age, uhm, ten??? So... long story short, after just 2/3 months of mostly 20min 'runs' 3x a week and the occasional hour (like 2/3 times) I got on the bike last Saturday and couldn't believe how easy the hills were! HRM proves it: didn't once go near 80%max which I would normally exceed and ave speed as good as when I left off??? Also did 2hrs where after a break like that an hour would be enough. So monday went for a run with HRM and was astonished at what it showed: basically i think i was doing intervals all winter and probably increasing lactate threshold or something like that?? It's seriously worth doing as you get more for your time. Using a treadmill also helps you concentrate on stride and foot placement. Strengthening leg muscles like this also protects your knees. I also found out I can hop on one leg at 10km/ hr (!) and that you WILL strain calf muscles if you try too much too soon!! I'm curious to see now what happens if I keep that up while getting back to normal cycling routine. AND it's great to do something you thought you couldn't...

You could have mine - not unpacked from CRC. I bought two and only use one.

OK... but I'll still be cycling to the right! :- fewer punctures, less dodging pot holes & debris, and room to move left when an idiot passes too close. AND more likely to be seen on bends, believe it or not. 1+ with FRAIL

A dumb question... this shop has to have a 2nd hand goods register - why not ask to look at it?? Is this confidential, and if so, why? How about a 'public spirited' spot-check? And if there's something special about the register then maybe just go through a couple of suspicious looking bikes to check origins. I would love to look further into this. If his register is cooked it would show up. And the cops are supposed to check it now and again. Where there have been issues like these with cops being taken to the shop to retrieve a stolen bike surely he should be checked more often. Shhhhurrrely. Or are the cops only interested in paperwork (aka personal banking)? Which is why it might be worth asking for info on where goods come from and following up...?

Why is everybody so interested in this? Not because of a set of minutes that may or may not have been accurate, or because of one meeting that may or may not have been called to 'manage' the market to certain people's advantage. Personally, I picked up on this thread because, from my limited experience of trying to afford basic cycling costs and to get access to stock that I need, it seems clear that there's something wrong (with pricing?) in the industry. Our LBS was run by some brave/mad independents and nobody got rich before they went out of business. The surviving shop could hardly be called 'LBS' as they take so many shortcuts, and I know what lengths they go to to order parts that customers can afford. So who's making all the money? And why doesn't common sense apply here - that lower margins support an expanding market and more customers buying more goods more often equals better business? There's an attitude that cycling is for the elite who have big bucks, and don't bother with the rest. Personally, with my limited knowledge, I am SURE there is a case here. So anyone who tries to show me what the facts are so we can see how it adds up gets my vote. And anyone questioning where the 'authority' to do so comes from should ask themselves deep questions about their ability to think and behave ethically. And that includes people who spends millions on lawyers to find technical loopholes in legal procedures. If you're not guilty, what's the problem with putting it all out in the open? This type of 'authority' is the right hand of fascism. Is it possible to do business ethically in this country - and if not, why not? I don't want to service my own bike and buy my own parts from overseas. I'm a customer looking for a reasonable deal and when I can see what your markup is, and that it's the same as every other large distributor, and that my local shop which doesn't have a market for 100 can't get it in, then I'll draw my own conclusions like lots of other folk have. Big vote to Tumbleweed and others like you. Here's to the next round - or do we have a 'self-regulated' market first???

130 I fall off the indoor bike; 120/35 off the road bike. Anything between's great!

GoreTex works best... with a wicking baselayer in winter it can handle sweat build up nicely. Works ok in summer but not if too humid. I used to use my hiking jacket, until it was lifted by monkeyburglars out of my upstairs room while my dog snoozed downstairs... If I could afford it, I'd go for a 2-ply replacement. Paramo is a nice alternative, but gets a bit hot. www.paramo.co.uk

It's really worth watching your resting HR. if that goes up+- 5bpm or more, you really should be careful, go slow/ take time off. Also, watch your HR while riding cos if that is higher than it should be then something's going on. All kinds of viruses can affect your heart but not all cases of flu will and you don't even have to be that sick for it to happen. It's your immune system that gets confused by a virus so that it starts to target heart cells which leads to myocarditis. It's possible that you don't realize how badly your heart has been affected and if you exercise the result could be permanent damage, or worse. I went riding with a 'mild' dose of myocarditis and managed a new HR max on an easy ride but I was REALLY lucky. it's like having a strained muscle (your heart is muscle!) but it literally flattens you. I'm not sure what factors affect your chances of your immune system and a virus interacting like this, but in my case I also rode when I started feeling a bug coming on But went home early cos i wasn't up to it. I'm almost sure that had something to do with it, but nothing I've read makes that link. Take this seriously cos even if you're 'lucky' and don't land up in hospital it's not fun. And my last 2cents, this stuff about head or chest cold doesn't mean much. That might affect your breathing, but a sore throat is enough of a sign of the kind of virus that can affect your heart. The only way to have an idea of what's going on, rather than being completely neurotic is to watch your heart rate and if you have the aches, don't ride! A long post, but I still can't believe it did happen. And when it did, I struggled to find good info on what was going on or how to handle it. It also stuffed up my training but, really, there is (??) always next year. Hope this helps!

Cold I can handle. Rain I can handle. Wind (u guessed). But dark? Never had a problem with that either until Thursday evening coming back from a stunning ride only to get squeezed on fast traffic and blinded by oncoming headlights on a bend... could NOT see where I was or how far from the drop off and couldn't slow down either! Yay. I love winter. great sunset, specially as it was nearly my last!! Mantra: those who cycle know when they get to outpace the bad stuff. Mostly. I think? Corollary: cycling at night in traffic is not the place to find new mantras.

Envy your commute! Thanks for advice - I hadn't thought of keeping to 8 speed because the shifters (integrated) is where the problem begins. Bike is 10 and even though well looked after, it's time for a change. Will reconsider but do like the cruising possibilities on Deore along with the rep for durability. What wheels work well with your Vs? Is there anything special about the braking surface on Mavics??

Thanks - useful advice! I've found with the 9 spd cassette I hardly use gears in the lower range for same reason but wondered just how much I'd lose. But easy enough to correct later. I'm really not sure where the 'disk only' issue comes from - I get cynical & wonder if these guys think you're a sucker until you prove otherwise! Will buy local if price is reasonable but have found online shops seem to be targeting high-end gear at related prices. Looking at CWC now. Would support LBS more but have had too many problems there.

Advice/experience requested on this? I want to replace wheels & 8spd drivetrain with robust long-life components so thought to go for Deore. Not sure +- wheelset. Considering Mavic crossride but want to stay with v-brakes. Any suggestions for a value wheelset and where's best to buy? I would prefer to do this thru LBS but they still use 3-in-1 'lube'... plus next closest BS told me as my frame won't take disk brakes i can't use Deore shifters cos they're being made for disk now??? Doesn't look that way to me from specs online. How difficult is it to do this upgrade yourself? or should I find a mechanic? how much difference is there between 22:32:44 and 26:36:48 chainrings? and if you go for the higher gearing what for the cassette? 11-32 or 34? I'm going to use the bike for L(S)D on dirt roads and jeeptrack mainly and for touring. Finally, where's the best source for parts, and what's the etiquette for working with a mechanic on this (assuming I don't do the LBS thing)? Thanks to anyone who can share advice Gogo@

I used the calculator on competitivecyclist.com which requires a range of measurements including to sternal notch, forearm, arm besides the usual. If you use the results of the calculator and check the frame geometry, stand-over height & all that carefully for whatever model you're looking at, you really can't go wrong. Minor adjustments for comfort follow!

Tried my sample and I'm hooked. Best 'cardboard' taste ever so haven't even tried other flavours yet. But don't try a ride/long morning on it... I don't get this glycaemic thing too well cos a bowl of oats doesn't go as far for me as 3 slices of toast - ?? Maybe it helps if u don't chew! Anyway, I'm convinced this stuff helps keep immunity up - so u can knock off the cost of some vitamin supplements too. Have passed on some sachets to some friends to try as well.

best thing you can do is watch your heart rate. if (resting)it's still up, take it easy & be VERY careful. Also, lots of bugs cause lots of nasty symptoms but they're not strictly 'flu. does that matter??? a bunch of viruses that have nothing to do with 'flu can cause myocarditis where your heart muscle takes serious strain. the only way you'll really know that this is happening is if you monitor your pulse - both when you wake up first thing and ALSO while you are exercising. there's a lot of rubbish out there about what myocarditis is and how it affects you. just waiting a week after you've had an infection isn't actually enough. you HAVE to watch your heart rate carefully whether you're worrying about something like myocarditis or just about recovering properly!!

If I'm blind, drive a car (!!!) and hit someone, what will happen to me? If you overtake and can't see, what's the difference???? Isn't it time people tackle the law so that there's a difference made between a genuine accident and stupid, reckless, risk-taking? If you feel intimidated by this - don't. Keep going out there, and take your friends, and their kids... The more people who cycle, the better chance we have. The more kids who cycle, and keep cycling, the more likely there'll be better drivers out there with us... meanwhile, just be careful peace

SA PO has a wierd way of dealing with the change in tracking numbers but if you ask them nicely, at your PO, they will get the new one for you... don't bother trying to phone their 0860 enquiries number though. Not that I've got my CRC order yet, mind! Because the original thread here is CORRECT -- customs is staffed (stuffed?) by "some" morons. I've just laid eyes on my parcel but can't TOUCH it because CUSTOMS sent the WRONG MANIFESTO... so another poor sod out there has the same problem as me... or - mmmm - has paid less duty than they should have?! The staff at local PO have been fantastic and have been trying to sort the problem out before I even found out about it, but the right papers have yet to be found... The ones that came with my parcel had no details on them whatsoever, other than a pund value that doesn't look right... ??? CRC order was dispatched last Friday, arrived JHB Sat am, parked at customs (te dum te dum te dum) and then arrived at my local PO on Wed (te dum te dum te dum)... so now I wait. more. how about Mfani Gamalam puts his name on the paper work so when he does a krapp job we know who it was??? because Mrs Ntinti, Mr Mtetwa and Mr Marais have done a fantastic job but get the irate customer blowing up in their faces!!!

so what is it then if everyone sells at the "RRP" - recommended retail price???

QUOTE=Mud Dee]You'll be surprised to know that bikes shops make a very very small margin on Polar products. I'm not -- but that's still price fixing - by the distributor... I don't know about this stuff but to me it would seem they need to be hammered - not CWC, CL, FPC (etc) - or my LBS which died because the recession turned the taps off... what are the big bike shops/chains doing about this? I asked one and was told "yes, lots of people ask us that" but that's as far as it went. cough up or shut up. until somthing changes, people WILL use CRC or similar - I don't like shopping "blind" over the net, but I don't have much option either - it's 120km to the nearest retailer and then, 9x /10 they don't have my size or the item in stock. where's the vision to grow the cycling market? some people have it, but many more seem happy just to grind a hole in my pocket

so why is it that if you want to buy polar stuff the price is the same everywhere - and so much more than overseas (not just CRC)?? is that not price fixing? why do LBS go with this system? and why has there been such a massive increase in prices over the last 4/5 years? it's not just the rand, otherwise prices would have gone up and down more... am I just dense or is this not chopping both feet off your market?? who decides polar prices in this country - and if it's just the distributor and there's no room for competition, then... ha ha ha - we need a Free Market expert to comment here!

Doing some homework on a possible purchase:-- what do the decals look like on a rc6000 of 2005 vintage? can see the rest on raleigh website... was this bike black and white??? What would the colour scheme be for a 2006/7 bike - just as on website, or is there a black & white option? Rookie needs help! Anyone know?? And if it IS 2005, what would you pay for it now, if it's in good condition?? Thanks!