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Found 18 results

  1. I've worked in the high end cycling industry as a technician for more than 25years so the opinion I'm about to enumerate is deeply held and backed up with lots of personal history and pain. It's understood that opinions will differ but if you have one on bicycle frame material, I'd expect that you've done your homework.. I have and I'm very definitely a steel man. It needs to be recognised that there are a very wide range of steel qualities used in frame construction, starting with high tensile tubing and going all the way to titanium. Not many shops offer their clients anything like decent steel framed bicycles and very few make after market frames available .. there are good reasons for that but I'm one of those guys who just hates new ****. My bikes last, steel bikes last ! There isn't a single bike I've ridden (and I've worked in Dubai, on the most expensive bicycles in the world) that I would take over my old single speeded chromoly Kona .. which is why bike builders use STEEL. Maybe some of the people reading this recognise the bike, I've had it up for sale on this site before but no one was prepared to pay my price so I kept the bike .. happily, because I believe in intrinsic value and this bike like my Bridgestone has intrinsic value. It will also outlast pretty much any overpriced latest, greatest bike out there.
  2. Hi All Please note we will be riding this weekend on Sunday from Ground. Meeting at 6:45 for 7:00 departure. Distance around 30km Spped from 20 to25 in various groups. Let me know if you would like more information
  3. I couldn't find a thread dedicated to these bikes, so here's one. I've just purchased a Hansom track bike and can't wait to get my hands on it and post a few pics - then decide what to do with it.
  4. I found this classic in a storage unit at a retirement village (don't ask what I was doing there). Fixed it up, serviced hubs, derailleurs, headset etc. Removed all the rust and put it back together. All the parts are still original, except the chain, which was rusted beyond saving and the spokes. Specs are as follows: Frame: Du Toit Columbus 531 Fork/Headset: Du Toit Columbus 531 Pedals: Gipiemme Dual Sprint Derailleurs/Shifters: Campagnolo 980 6 speed Handlebars/Stem: Fiamme Dallas/ Cinelli Quill Saddle/Seatpost: Selle Italia Anatomica Brakes: Modolo Speedy Gold Front Wheel/Hub/Tire: Mavic GP4/ Campagnolo 980 Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire: Mavic GP4/ Campagnolo 980 If anyone's interested, Here's my modest collection: https://www.pedalroom.com/members/MrFocus
  5. I am currently aquiring parts and components to build myself a Touring bike. Today a very good friend from my LBS donated a fairly bent fork to me as I requested believing someone should be able to mend it for me. (see photo) From what I can see, it seems only the one end of the steerer seemes to have bent. Any frame builder or some skilfull fellow in or arround the East Rand area of Gauteng that can get this fork sorted for me? Please kindly advice. ....Or am I on a lost course with this pugsley fork? I hope am not All advice will be seriously appreciated.
  6. So this bike actually belongs to a friend of mine, but he'll be moving to Germany in Feb, then it will be all mine! And we figured it would be a fun build project for now. I don't really know where this frame comes from or what year it might be or what it was used for, so if anyone can shed some light, that would be massively appreciated. There's a lot of rust at the moment, but rest assured, she will be lovingly restored. Le Turbo steel frame Mavic hoops with Suntour Superb hubs. (if anyone knows what rims these are, please do share!) Cinelli Pista bars and stem [url=https://postimage.org] [url=https://postimage.org]
  7. Hint # 01: basic frame specs alluded to in the topic title..
  8. For reasons of early midlife crises and a light dose of work burn-out, I started thinking of an "extended" break from work to clear the head. I settled on 3 months in Europe, cycling the big Cols of the Tour de France, some monuments of the Giro d’Italia, emerging Spring Classics (read: Strada Bianche route) and exploring new countries if time allows. To make the money stretch for that long, there'd be a lot of camping, and some home-cooking to boot. Finally, I’ve decided to be on a holiday and not a pilgrimage or crusade. A joyful heart, sore legs and double-espressos, if you will. The decision on the nature of the trip set some key parameters for equipment: 1) I need a bike. 2) I need to carry stuff with it. 3) I need to love looking at it while I’m doing it, as well as when the trip is over. Since there will be a lot of climbing (and I guess descending too) I realized I need racing geometry. With good brakes. My notes kept returning to “Cyclo-cross Tourer”. It certainly makes for a niche machine, but jury is out on the “beautiful” part. That was until I started hitting Google with intent, and stumbled upon Mr David Mercer, an up and coming local frame builder. His work got featured every so often in local magazines. Seeing his personal tourer online, something stirred inside... http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MercerBikes-300x160.jpg (Photo courtesy of MercerBikes) I delayed the necessary phone call, knowing if the price was right the deal would be done and the option to turn back, well, gone. And so it happened. On an ordinary day, using an ordinary phone, from an ordinary location, something with promises of extravagance and artisanal beauty was born. David named his (approximate) price and deposit requirements. I thought about it for a moment and counted on my ability to breathe under water. It became a bit of a timing deal, I guess. Waiting longer to commit would cause hassles given his order book and my envisioned departure date. In the end, we settled on delivery early April 2016. Again, so far off, it seemed almost unreal. The key specifications were: Disc brake ready frame and fork700c/29” wheelsAmple clearance for cyclocross/MTB tiresThe frame would be built in steel, with a Columbus carbon CX fork. The good thing about the extended timeline was that I had lots of time to research and procure components for the build. I also saw our local currency loose its **** twice, while I was sitting with wish-list orders on various bicycle part supply sites. It was obviously great being able to wait these things out a little... I’ll do the write-up in chronological order, to share the agonizing process of waiting with a bleeding credit card in hand. The frame is covered. Ordered 1st and expected to arrive last. Like it should be. I should name this frame Hitchcock for all its suspense. Here's a sneak view of some of the details..."Artisanal" http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Cameleon_LuggedDelight.jpg (Photo courtesy of MercerBikes) Gearing / braking up next At the time of the build, hydraulic disc brakes for road bikes was just approved by the UCI for use in the pro peloton. Not that I would race at that level…this year…or ever…but…it meant product options started trickling in from SRAM, Shimano and other players. I knew I wanted disc brakes and from previous experience with a touring tandem, I knew I was looking for a hydraulic setup. Both Shimano and SRAM have just launched fully hydraulic setups, with shifters housing the fluid reservoir driving pistons much as we know from the MTB world. A super-sexy setup no doubt, but also rather pricey. Other options included cable/fluid combinations, which would allow me to decouple the groupset/brake setup options. I kept this in the back of my mind as I filled my trolley online, comparing options on price while reading as much as I could about pros and cons either way. In the end I figured: I actually have to start with the brake set up, since everything else would hang off this backwards. Buy Shimano and I will have to go Shimano road gearing. Ditto SRAM, but at least there I would have the option of mixing road vs. MTB parts. This then went the direction of gearing. I’ll be hauling approx. 35kg of kit up 20km passes at 10% ave. grade. That requires MTB gearing at best I thought. Options, options. 1x10, 1x11? 2x11? 3xwhatever. It became so confusing, I spent days in the fetal position in a semi-catatonic state. Safe word was “Simplification”. I decided to decouple the braking/shifter/speed dilemma by going for a cable-to-hydraulic option from TRP (they call it Hy/Rd, pronounced "High Road"). This allowed me to make the groupset decision later, while being able to look for good deals on standard equipment. http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TRPBoxSet-1024x768.jpg Sold as a single caliper, it ships with a 160mm rotor (6-bolt) and adapters for direct and IS mount. Interestingly, with the TRP setup, the hydraulic fluid is housed in a reservoir on the caliper assembly. This makes for a bulkier brake and requires some consideration to limit heel-strike.Its a hefty little unit, with the reservoir located on the caliper body itself - the shiny plate is the cover: http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/TRPUpclose-1024x768.jpg Additionally, TRP and several others recommend running compression-less brake housing to minimize drag and create a more direct braking feel. Some research pointed to Yokozuna brake housing, in the league of Nokon, but more reasonably priced. My credit card cried tears the shape of dollar signs as it gleefully gotten itself whipped and abused. The set arrived with brake and shifter housing, promising an improvement in already-sweet shifting (from the experience of my all-Campy set up on the road bike). Back to shifters/gearing then. A chance discussion with my local Campy dealer opened up a whole new can of worms…what about using a triple Campy Record crank up front? This can be run with a standard 10 speed Campy shifter set, since the front shifter has enough trim positions to cover all three blades. As luck would have it, I was running a Record 10 speed setup on my road bike. All I needed was a reason to upgrade to 11 speed on that bike…eventually. The plan was thought over and then committed to. I picked up the triple crank for next to nothing, and had a triple front derailleur and long cage rear derailleur thrown in. The latter not top-of-the-line stuff, but certainly adequate for my purposes... http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Der-768x1024.jpg Of course, one needs a bottom bracket too...I picked up a matching Record BB in the right size. Unfortunately no pictures since this has been dispatched to my frame builder along with the crank. To check clearances, you see... Voila, gearing was sorted (for now)! While the classic alloy Record crankset is something to behold, the theme of the bike turned into black/cream/gold/copper with very little silver/chrome. After some consideration, I found a local anodizing shop and commissioned a "mirror-black" finish. They refused to anodize the blades, which thus still leaves a bit of silver splash in the wrong place. To be sorted. (More at http://mudcakedface.com/build-projects/mercer-cx-tourer-build/)
  9. Ever wanted to revive a beat-up old classic to restore it to its former glory? After years of being off bikes in general, I decided to create a piece of “functional” art fit for our living room. It started with an advert on Gumtree: “Steel Bianchi for sale, excellent condition. No Wheels. R 1,000 ONCO”. This is what “Excellent Condition” looks like nowadays: http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1150.jpg Several small touches revealed her heritage though...Stamped seat stay caps, proudly bearing a “B” for Bianchi: http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1156.jpg What is more fun than spending a weekend with paint stripper and a wire brush, turning an old hag into a naked canvas? http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1163.jpg I loved the little bits of copper brazing you can see where the joins are exposed. Artisanal. Lots of pondering, resulting in a final call. The entire shebang will be chromed, fork ‘n all. Finding a shop to do the job was a mission, but I happened upon a place close to home. After weeks of waiting, the result came back… http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1262.jpg A couple of blemishes in the finish, with some rough patches, but nothing terminal. I added some mark-ups to show where decals should go, and where the paint/chrome transitions should be. Next stop, CycleArt (Webpage here), with a brief: Make it classic please. On one of the most beautiful days of my life, I stopped at CycleArt’s shop out South of Johannesburg to collect the mystery package. Little did I know what was in store… Drop outs more stunning than the day she was sold: http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1282.jpg Tube-to-lug transitions to make you shed a tear: http://mudcakedface.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_1284.jpg I could have done better with the stickers (will definitely recommend airbrushing in future). Sadly, the project hit a massive pause here as priorities changed, what with moving house and all that. I guess in a way, I realised this wasn’t going to be a quick back-yard build. All parts would have to be sourced carefully and strictly within the increasingly narrow confines of what my mind’s eye was starting to see. No more Internet shopping for parts, no siree. About 6 months later, I stumble upon Whippet Cycles in Maboneng district, Johannesburg (Website here). Innocently, I bought a set of handlebars. Week later, I bought a set of wheels…the project was on again! (from my blog at http://mudcakedface.com/build-projects/bianchi-single-speed-build/)
  10. When we are kids, we don’t know the value of things. We also have no idea, the direction our lives may take. Some people claim they have everything planned to a T, but I certainly am not one of those people. Spending days and weeks during holidays at my best friend’s house, I was certainly aware of the bicycle in the study, we were expressly told not to touch it. It was carefully moved occasionally when we wanted to use an extra chair to play King’s Quest and later on Lesuire Suit Larry on the PC. That was as much involvement I had with the bike in the study. I knew it was of high value at the time, but I did not know how valuable it is to me, there’s no way to know at the time. Without going into too much detail and my whole life story, we rode BMX’s as our main mode of transport, after school in groups between the houses where we live. We explored areas of the neighbourhoods in which we lived and it was an integral part of our lives - It was a means to an end. Fast forward, a whole number of years, and cycling once again forms a strong part of my life, but not for the same reasons as the BMX at the time. After having conversations about cycling, and enquiring If my mate still had his cosmos bike that he and his dad had built up through Westdene Cycles at the time, he mentioned that his dad still has the bike that was in the study. He offered it to me. I very excitedly accepted. After some time, and logistics needed sorting out, getting the bike back to Joburg from the coast, I finally got my hands on it. While driving home last night, and seeing the bike for the first time in 20 odd years, my mind was flooded anew with lost childhood memories, of my mate’s father, times my mate and I spent together and a general sense of happiness. I had this silly smile on my face all the way home, this morning when I took some photographs, and every time I think about it. Thinking about cycling in my life currently, and the happiness it brings, and it being enriched by this piece of history has really made quite an impact. Keyz, when you are reading this – Thank you for 32 years of friendship and memories. It certainly has been 32 good ones because of it. Enough with the soppy stuff, down to business: The Bike is a Zeus, manufactured in Spain. Zeus being reportedly, one of the better Campagnolo copiers out there at the time. What set Zeus apart was that they manufactured all their own components, under the Zeus brand. Only items I can ascertain that are not OEM are the brakeset and the shimano FD. A complete bike, with restored decals and fresh paint are available on E-bay for about $600. Not that I am planning to get rid of it.
  11. The Hungry Monkey 2 is a semi-production mountain bike from Mercer Bikes. Made by hand in the Mercer Bikes workshop in Cape Town, it is available in three sizes – M, L and XL. The Hungry Monkey is a relatively lightweight but long travel 650b trail bike based around a 140 – 160mm travel fork. Click here to view the article
  12. Event Name: Tour Of Ara 2015. When: 26 September 2015 - 1 October 2015 Where: Cederberg, Western Cape Category: Road www.tourofara.co.za The Tour of Ara, named for the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Ara, is a prestige race that is ridden on vintage South African-built steel bicycles in the proud tradition of the early Italian multi-day stage races. Open to only 35 racers, this second edition - 26 September to 1 October of 2015 - will take riders, predominantly over hard gravel roads, from the tiny village of Die-Dorp-Op-Die-Berg over the Cederberg mountains to the settlement of Algeria - the next morning will be spent with the local community before heading off to Clanwilliam. From Clanwillian the route climbs north to Calvinia, and then turns south to the little hamlet of Middelpos. Next is Sutherland, after which the last stage will be a race to the finish in the heart of the Karoo at the famous Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein. It's a race against the clock, and stages will be very difficult and challenging, predominately over varying quality dirt roads, with the longest day being about 150 km. Riders will encounter soft sand, corrugated roads, loose stones and sharp tyre-shredding rocks, and possibly even rain and snow. Tour of Ara is completely independent, and paid for by the entrants ; there are no sponsors or patrons, and no prize money - we aim to keep it that way. This race is ridden entirely at ones own risk. You cannot hold anybody but yourself responsible for what might transpire during the Tour of Ara. So don't come crying if you get a flat or lose a finger. Prepare, train, and know your abilities and limitations before entering.
  13. Entries open 1 June 2015 at 12:00, and positions are limited - visit the site for details. tourofara.co.za The Tour of Ara, named for the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Ara, is a prestige race that is ridden on vintage South African-built steel bicycles in the proud tradition of the early Italian multi-day stage races. Open to only 35 racers, this second edition - 26 September to 1 October of 2015 - will take riders, predominantly over hard gravel roads, from the tiny village of Die-Dorp-Op-Die-Berg over the Cederberg mountains to the settlement of Algeria - the next morning will be spent with the local community before heading off to Clanwilliam. From Clanwillian the route climbs north to Calvinia, and then turns south to the little hamlet of Middelpos. Next is Sutherland, after which the last stage will be a race to the finish in the heart of the Karoo at the famous Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein. It's a race against the clock, and stages will be very difficult and challenging, predominately over varying quality dirt roads, with the longest day being about 150 km. Riders will encounter soft sand, corrugated roads, loose stones and sharp tyre-shredding rocks, and possibly even rain and snow. On the sixth and final day, all competitors will race to a point outside Matjiesfontein, where the clock will be stopped. When all active racers are together, there will be a sprint for the finish line outside the historic and majestic Matjiesfontein Hotel. The sprint finish time will be added to their final overall time. Tour of Ara is completely independent, and paid for by the entrants ; there are no sponsors or patrons, and no prize money - we aim to keep it that way. This race is ridden entirely at ones own risk. You cannot hold anybody but yourself responsible for what might transpire during the Tour of Ara. So don't come crying if you get a flat or lose a finger. Prepare, train, and know your abilities and limitations before entering. In August 2014, the first edition saw 35 cyclists race nearly 700km of gravel in six days, from the mountains of Franschhoek to Robertson, north to Touwsriver, then south of the N1 to Laingsburg. From there north-east to the little town of Merweville, then a climb into the west to Sutherland, after which the last stage to the south was raced to the finish in Matjiesfontein. The images below are from the 2014 Tour of Arae...
  14. A custom build is always a rewarding project. Part of this is the agonising process of looking for the perfect fit of design and components. For me, the direction of the build gets locked down once the look, or in this case the colours, has been decided. Once that is done, then the hunt for a complementary build kit begins. Click here to view the article
  15. One can almost not help but to order a frame from David Mercer. He is as nice as he is enthusiastic and it's plain for all to see that he is a lover of what he does. Talking to him on the Mercer Bikes stand at the Africa Cycle Fair left me hungry for more Hungry Monkey and keen to experience the bike out on our local trails. Click here to view the article
  16. Rave about an (almost) tragic accident: For real technical expertise, Dr George (PhD) is the only place to go. Everyone had warned me about getting a roof rack for my car. Needless to say, after one month of bike transport bliss, I slammed my gold vintage Falcon (hand made in Britain) into the carport. The bike was mangled - frame bent, handle bars bent, both wheels locked and warped. A total write-off. That is, until Dr George (he has a PhD from a Canadian University) at Mean Machines bikes got his hands on it. Unlike other bike shops, Dr George has 35 years of experience and does all the work himself. My gold Falcon was returned to me after a week and I couldn't be happier The before and after pics show just how good the repair is. Before After (only a slight bend remaining after cold bending) For real technical expertise, my vote goes to Dr George at Mean Machines in Germiston. As with all doctors, its best to make an appointment: 071 656 4207 or 071 6591097 *** Updated: Close up picture of repaired bend *** -Andrew
  17. Hi All, Much excitement... I own my very first Steel Frame bike. A Bridgestone RB-2, I like the look of the geometry and the condition is impressive, she has been stuck in a roof for 10 years!!! A bit of Googling and I'm guessing this bike is a 93 model. Specs... Shimano Exage Group Wolber WTX Rims with 105 hubs. The plan... This is where I need some advice/guidance. - Replace the brake lever hoods... Where can I get these? - Rebuild the wheelset with new spokes... Who is my best Cape Town option? And what is the expense likely to be. - Clean and polish the components - I would like to put on gum walled tires - Touch up minor chips on the paintwork and clear coat the bike. The paint work is in quite good condition Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
  18. So so sad, my SOMA Double Cross Disc, was stolen last night. Please keep an eye out for me. It is an unusual bike in that it is a steel framed road bike with disk brakes. It is probably the only SOMA Double Cross in Cape Town? Here are the details: Colour: black Material: Steel Tange Prestige Drivetrain: Shimano Dura Ace Seatpost & stem: Silver Thompson Wheels: Mavic Open Pro rims , Shimano XT hubs, 32cm Continental Gatorskin tyres Saddle: San Marco Rolls. Brakes: Shimano discs Handle bar: Silver Mtb Nickle Wide It was a break-in stolen from a home in Rosebank Cape Town. I will pay a generous reward to anyone who finds this bike for me. Thanks David Malan 084 6893114
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