Dr. Watt

Yes a 29er is an MTB with wheels of roughly 29" in diameter - larger than a conventional 26" bike. The issue of whether 29ers are better than 26ers is a contraversial one and it's also not a matter of black and white, as there are some relative advantages and disadvantages to both types. Two facts can't be denied though: Firstly, the percentage of MTB riders using 29ers is growing constantly (this is reflected in the rapidly expanding range of commercially available 29er products) Secondly, if you dismount from a 26er and get onto a 29er you'll be amazed by how different the feel of the ride is. This is in large part due to the fact that the larger wheel rolls over obstacles more easily. To me the concept of a 29er seemed such a no-brainer that I ordered mine without ever having ridden one before. In retrospect I definately made the right choice. My only concern is that you may have difficulty finding a new 29er in your specified price range. The second hand market may prove more fruitful. Try one and after just a few pedal strokes you'll see what I'm talking about.

These points are merely an opinion: - If you're looking at getting back into the sport remember that cycling requires more than a bike. Once you've bought your helmet, shoes, kit, etc, the price can end up to be significantly higher than you'd budgeted for. - Give serious consideration to a 29er. They are fantastic and growing in popularity by the day. I ride one, and regret not having bought it sooner. - Also think seriously about buying second hand. In that way the depreciation on the bike that you realise when you upgrade may be minimised. - Most people would agree that dual syspension is a better option, but a decent quality dual-sus rig may be a bit out of the price range that you've specified. Hard tail would handle the terrain that you've described quite well. A 29er hardtail - by virtue of its larger wheels - lies somewhere between a 26" hardtail and a 26" dual-sus in terms of comfort. Looking forward to others' comments.

Maximo Adrian from the PowerTap agents here. If your wheel is making a noise, I would have a look at the point where the spokes are crossing eachother. On one previous occasion, I have seen a wheel where the friction between the spokes caused a small "notch" at this point. This causes one spoke to rest in the notch in the other spoke. If the spoke tension is too low, then when the affected spokes are placed under load, the spoke bends and will slip out of the notch in the other, causing a noise. The solution to this may lie in: A) replacing the spokes B) checking the spoke tension C) binding the spokes at the crossing using conventional methods. I'd suggest just having the wheel rebuilt, by a skilled wheel builder and with the correct spokes. If you've already had the wheel rebuilt and the problem persists, then you'd have to look at the PowerTap hub itself. A) make sure that the hub cover thread is dirt free and correctly tightened. B) take the wheel to your LBS and have them remove the cassette and inspect the freewheel mechanism. The PowerTap axle assembly is physically seperated from the power-measuring electronics, so it can be user-serviced. They should pay particular attention to the pawls. All PowerTap parts (especially in the axle assembly and freehub) can be replaced easily. Please feel free to contact me directly if you require further assistance with any PowerTap matter. We would gladly inspect the wheel for you, if you like. adrian@bicyclepower.co.za 021 462 2205 Looking forward to helping you solve this problem.

This is the latest version for bike computers with uncoded heart rate. Reloading the firmware can help to fix a bug in the firware - even if you are reloading the same version. Given how rare firmware related problems are (and I'm talking statistically here), it's more likely that this is being caused by CPKs. Either way, both potential causes should be investigated.

Hi everyone (and happy new year) Adrian from Bicycle Power Trading here, just dropping in to clarify a few points about the PowerTap system raised in this thread. Thanks for the heads-up, Windbreaker. It's usually a good idea to keep these programs updated, so all WKO+ users out there should check this out. Finally, to return to Jason's original post... Jason, if you have a PTap or WKO+ problem, you are always welcome to contact me directly, without hesitating. The problem that you have is almost certainly a software/firmware problem (the major clue being the raw data in the CPKs file, and the fact that the extra time is exactly 3 hours). BikeMax was correct in recommending that you download your files for a while through CPKs and PowerAgent, so that you can determine whether the problem is being caused by the bike computer (firmware) or by CyclingPeaks (software). Please do this for a few long rides on the road, and mail the files to us. If the problem is apparent in both sets of files, then I recommend reloading the firmware on your PowerTap computer. I'll assist you with this. If the problem is with CyclingPeaks, then upgrading to the latest build should help to solve the problem. Let me know how it goes. Thanks and regards Adrian

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. A prosperous 2008 to all on the HubSA. Adrian

Another thing... While the sponge under the computer can do no harm, the sponge (or any suitable cushioning substance) should actually be under the shark fin-shaped receiver. It's the vibration of this part that can cause "data drops". I see something under the receiver.... a cushion, perhaps? Bye the way. Sweeeeeeeet ride!

Well well well, I could get used to this online troubleshooting thing! As far as the pictures reveal, your set-up is good. Let's see what the battery change does. I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Perhaps you could e-mail me your data files for analysis? Thanks, Adrian

Hi everyone <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I?d like to clarify 2 matters raised in this thread. Moisture and its affect on PowerTap hubs: The release of the PowerTap SL in 2005 heralded a significant improvement in the PowerTap hub's water resistance. Especially if sealed properly, an SL hub should be able to tolerate heavy rain without problems. However, I will admit to having seen a few exceptions to this. In cases where water had penetrated the hub cover, leaving the hub to dry solved the problem more often than not. A few months ago, all PowerTap hubs were redesigned to incorporate a new waterproof seal over the internal electronics, which now makes them impervious to water. So much so, that our suppliers claim that they operated a unit successfully for quite some time while it was filled with water! Water exposure is no longer a problem as far as the subsequently manufactured hubs are concerned. Because I'm not sure which version Jason has, I figured he'd have nothing to lose by letting the hub dry overnight. Vibration and its effect on PowerTap hubs: (Note that this does not apply to SL2.4/wirless PowerTaps) It has been noted that on certain bikes where the PowerTap SL (and new style PowerTap Pro) are used, the vibration of riding on the road can cause intermittent disruptions to the transfer of data between the hub and the receiver that is mounted in close proximity to it on the frame. This problem leads to "data drops" where power and speed are lost momentarily. We have found that mounting a small cushion (e.g. high density foam) under the receiver helps to minimise the vibration transferred to the receiver and can often resolve this problem completely. Where data are lost for extended periods, this is not the result of vibration, but another cause, such as incorrect receiver position or dying batteries. Christie asserted that ?I also think that the battery pack rattles in the hub, depending on the manufacturing tollerance of the pocket it fits into. If you are lucky, you get one with a tight fit, but if you are unlucky, you get a loose fit, which works fine on smooth road, but rattles on rough road.? This isn?t correct. The design of the PowerTap?s battery cartridge (and the cavity into which it fits) prevents it from any significant movement, even under bad road vibration. Furthermore, the part that plugs into the battery cartridge penetrates so deeply that it can only be unplugged when removing the cartridge by hand. Having said this, I was aware of this concern and was recently asked to investigate further with the PowerTap manufacturers. They said that they had never before seen the problem with the SL style hubs, and regarded it as ?highly unlikely?. I suppose it may be possible to experience vibration-related problems from the battery cartridge if it has an electrical fault or if it/its batteries are not correctly inserted. Jason?s Problem ? to summarise. For the benefit of anyone reading this who may be encountering similar problems with their PowerTap, Jason?s problem (as he reports it) is almost certainly not related to the effects of vibration on the hub. The most likely cause would be low battery strength (usually indicated by a flashing transmission icon in the top left corner of the screen) or an incorrectly positioned receiver. An intermittent fault could also be occurring in either the hub or the wiring on the bike. When PowerTap problems occur, the best place to start is usually our troubleshooting guide, available at: http://www.bicyclepower.co.za/PowerTap-Troubleshooting-Guide-Basic.pdf Jason, I look forward to chatting to you tomorrow. Adrian - Bicycle Power Trading

It's called "The Bike Shop" It's in Main street (#26, if memory serves me correctly). Call them on 044 533 1111. Speak to Kevin Evans or Tyrone Kindness.

Hi Jason Sorry to hear of your problem. PM me your phone number and I'll give you a call. We'll get it sorted out ASAP. Regards Adrian - Bicycle Power Trading (PowerTap Distributors)

Johan Bornman While reading this thread I was really interested to learn your opinions on spoke tension meters. Forgive me if I've missed your answer to this somewhere in the thread, but do you never use a spoke tension meter when building wheels? Or do you only use it sometimes? If so, how do you decide when to use it and when not to use it? Looking forward to reading your response.

Hi Spindrift If you're looking to find out more about a PowerTap you'd most likely end up chatting to me (I work for the agents in SA), so feel free to drop me a mail on: adrian@bicyclepower.co.za. I can also give you the contact details of the various other power meter distributors in SA if you're keen. Adrian Roff

Hi Bruce How far away from Plett are you looking to ride? I grew up in the Wilderness, so I can list all of the training routes on that side of Plett if you're willing to do a little bit of driving. Otherwise, sadly, there's not all that much more than the N2, which is not the best riding choice for this time of year!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Colombian, I think you deserve the Joke of the Day award for that! I'm still canning myself!

Dr. Seuss!!! The very generous boys at Trek have allowed us to share their stand, so we don't have an individual stand covered in BikeMaxPower livery. Looks like you were an early bird who went to the expo on the opening day. Sorry I missed a chance to meet you ... again

Hi shadowchaser-d and Texas Sally Thanks very much for your compliments - much appreciated! Best of luck to all of our PowerTap users who will be riding the 94.7. I'll be at the expo (Trek/Bontrager/BikeMaxPower stand) for the latter half of Friday and all of Saturday. I'd welcome the chance to meet some of our Gauteng clients in person.

GoLefty Having read all of the posts under this topic, I am sorry to see that you are less than satisfied with your PowerTap. I was somewhat surprised, because the last time we met it seemed that you were quite pleased with its performance. In line with our policy of keeping our clients as happy as possible, we would like to offer to buy the unit back from you at a fair price. You are welcome to contact me: adrian@bicyclepower.co.za if you would like to take the matter further. On a related note, and with refrence to some of your criticisms above, I'd be grateful if you gave consideration to these two points: 1. While strain gauges (as used in the SRM and PowerTap) are inherently temperature sensitive, the PowerTap's auto-zero function allows the unit to constantly recalibrate itself during use. This effectively eliminates the problem, and maintains the unit's 1.5% accuracy. 2. I was disappointed when I read your comment about the power meter comparison. This document was created with a view to being as accurate and unbaised as possible. Its creation was a concerted effort, involving many people who are knowledgable on the subject, most of whom have no commercial association with any particular power meter. In fact, it is a more detailed and updated version of the comparison chart that is found in "Training and Racing with a PowerMeter" by Allen and Coggan. It is our hope that it will be considered as the best comparison of it's type on the internet, and we realise that if it's credibility is to be upheld, it must be unbaised. We consider this to be the case. Your feedback on any specific issues would be very welcome. I look forward to your response, and wish you continuing good luck with your training, irrespective of which PM you choose to use.

Hi guys Adrian from Bicycle Power here (SA PowerTap Distributor) The problem you are describing is interesting - one that I haven't heard of before. Just to check, are you using any other devices on the bike (e.g. Polar speed/cadence sensors) that may interefere with the PowerTap's HR function? If so, remove these (permanently) and test the bike. I support Bruce's suggestion of trying the bike on an indoor trainer. I'd appreciate feedback on such a test. I would love to get these problems sorted out, so please feel free to mail me (adrian@bicyclepower.co.za) and we'll discuss the matter in detail. Two more (unrelated) points worth noting: - Are you zero'ing the torque on your PowerTaps regularly? - Do you have the latest CPU firmware, version 2.21? If not, contact me and I'll assist. Good luck with your power training.