Eugene

R3k, for a full carbon bike? You either got a bargain, a lemon or the aluminum RC3000 version.

R18k actually

That's a 2008 Raleigh Team. There was a problem with the 2007 carbon models in that they were cracking at the chain stays. This frame, in this colour, was brought out specifically as a recall replacement for the 2007 models. It is made by Dedacciai, who manufactures high end frames. Personally, considering what you pay for bikes nowadays, I think the price is reasonable. You are getting a full carbon frame, which in its day was high end and an Ultegra groupset.

It's normal for this to happen on a new bike. Just a few small adjustments as mentioned and you are good to go. Considering the crazy prices from Sram, Shimano and Campag, brands like Ltwoo are becoming more relavent. I replaced the Shimano shifters on my daughter's bike with Ltwoo. Half the price of Shimano and they work flawlessly.

Guys like Ltwoo and Microshift could (or maybe they are already) capitalise on this. Their products are easily available and much cheaper. Quality is getting better by the day. I replaced the shifter on my daughter's bike with L Twoo. Half the price and they do the same job.

First Trek, now Specialized. Is the soft tail making a comeback (albeit in a different format)?

If I were a buyer at R100k, I would rather buy new and get a warranty for my money. That's just me though. 2 questions. 1. How long will it take to move a bike at R100k? 2. Do you want you R100k sitting in your garage for a couple of months when it could be earning/saving you interest.

It's there in the classified.

I am going to come under fire here, but Raleigh has a hardtail called a Pro One. It doesn't look that bad considering it's price point.

My daughter is not a cyclist, so I bought her one of these Totems, so she had something to ride on the odd occasion with us. From the word go, the brakes were useless, as in no stopping power at all. You could squeeze them as tight as you could and you could still push it on wet grass without the wheels locking No amount of adjustment helped. Tried every trick in the book. Eventually I banned her from riding it until I could source a set of used Hydraulic brakes. The bike is not that bad. It handles her daily commute on campus and the odd off road excursion. In 5 years, the only issue she had was a bent chain ring and punctures. Having said that, I would take the other's advice and spend your money on a used, better quality bike.

https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=colnago+c68+build

Was watching a YouTube video. They were building a Colnago with Dura Ace. The chain that was fitted to the bike was covered in a white powder. I've never seen this before. Is it a new type of lube? The mech made no attempt to clean it off, other than wiping the residue off the derailleur.

Don't fall into that trap that because it's more expensive, it has to be better quality (or because it is cheap the quality is bad). Nothing wrong with Titan as a brand or their quality. The fact that their warranty is one of the best in the business is testamony to the faith that they have in their product. Merida and Giant are also good options to consider.

A friend of mine was retrenched, he put food on the table by buying and selling bike stuff, most of which came from here. I guess, for him, his family was more important than the sense of community

Isn't this the free-market system? The fundamental basis of capitalism. The freedom to trade. How does one go about limiting the markups these 'dealers' are placing on the goods that they are buying for resale? Price controls? Banning them? Shutting them down? None of these options are legal. This is South Africa, not North Korea. If somebody beats you to that bargain, so be it.

It's the shop's word vs the customer. Maybe the shop told him not to use it like Namgear and and he misunderstood and thought they said use it like Namgear. Just put in an insurance claim and be done with it.

I am going to give that a try right now. I'm too scared to take them off incase they split or tear. I'll see what I can do on the bike.

105 5600 series. I've heard that Tiagra 4600 will also fit. Thanks

The hoods of my Shimano Stis are getting old and have become old and sticky. I am getting black, sticky residue all over my hands, gloves and bar tape. I have been trying for ages to get new hoods, they are just not available. What else can I do to get rid of that sticky residue? I've tried talcum powder, but without luck.

Brilliant to hear

I can't give much advice on the MTBs on your list, but I wouldn't sell your Raleigh. You will get very little for it and if you ever decide to hit the road again, an equivalent new bike will cost more than a small car.

You are like me, I hate any type of scratch on my bike. After Googling Cerakote, that seems to be your answer. Would love to know the pricing. Things like this tend to be expensive. I am pretty sure that somebody handy with spray paint, could fix that too.

It's my pet peeve too, along with people who refer to cycling shoes and/or pedals as cleats. Then again, we all started somewhere.

You don't say what you want to upgrade, but if you want to go 10speed, it should fit your hub, you'll just need a spacer (10sp is actually narrower than a 9sp). You'll need new shifters too. I am not sure about the chain though. Considering your chainring size, I wouldn't go with a cassette bigger than the 28 you currently have. Someone already mentioned how easy your current ratio is

Don't be afraid of a small car. My daughter has a Hyundai i10. She has made numerous trips from PE to varsity in Bloem and it handles the road well. She folds down tbe seats and packs her bike in whenever she wants to transport it somewhere. Just removes the front wheel.