Best vehicle for bikes

[LazyTrailRider]

15 hours ago, buckstopper said:

Avoid low profile tyres if possible and high-speed rated tyres. They wear so much faster. Do some research...I would never fit a higher speed rating than H (I don't drive a sports car). My son had tyres fitted with price being the main concern. The tyre place put W rated tyres (safe to 270kmh or something) on a car that maybe saw 160 on a quiet road on a Sunday once or twice. They lasted about 10 000 kays. I'm a stickler for good tyres on a car. I put A set of good value H rated Kumhos  on the car and they're still on the car after nearly 50000kays.

This is unusual, I haven’t experienced reduced mileage with high-speed rated rubber.

Mileage of 10k km means one of things:

- Rubbish quality/brand tyres

- You’re hooning a machine with 300kW+

I replaced the previous set of 225/40/18 W-rated Pirellis P7s on my GTI at 35k, and sold them with 40% of the tread remaining. Even the P-Zeros I had on before that (albeit 225/35/19) managed around 30k, and that’s proper supercar-capable rubber.

Edited February 12, 2023 by LazyTrailRider

[Jewbacca]

59 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

This is unusual, I haven’t experienced reduced mileage with high-speed rated rubber.

Mileage of 10k km means one of things:

- Rubbish quality/brand tyres

- You’re hooning a machine with 300kW+

I replaced the previous set of 225/40/18 W-rated Pirellis P7s on my GTI at 35k, and sold them with 40% of the tread remaining. Even the P-Zeros I had on before that (albeit 225/35/19) managed around 30k, and that’s proper supercar-capable rubber.

Have you ever seen how Rhodes students drive? Coupled with the state of the roads in the Eastern Cape and you're lucky to get 10k km out of a car being driven by a Rhodes Student, never mind just the tires!

Grahamstown..... What a strange place. 

[buckstopper]

52 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Have you ever seen how Rhodes students drive? Coupled with the state of the roads in the Eastern Cape and you're lucky to get 10k km out of a car being driven by a Rhodes Student, never mind just the tires!

Grahamstown..... What a strange place. 

On the tyre issue, generally higher speed rated tyres have softer tread for improved handling. Which tend to wear faster, ask Brad Binder.

Lol, have you seen how many students drive, not just Rhodes ones.

And you're right GT is strange. The people are friendly, even though they talk slow. Imagine that.

Oh and the cycling here is amazing, pick your weapon and from the cathedral you're 3km from a brilliant or in the country road, gravel or trail ride. No traffic or road rage stuff, or driving 30km to the start of your ride. Just leave home and wend your way through the cows, donkeys and potholes. Not much flat roads though, so you better enjoy climbing. This morning I took the dikwiel out to the Kwandwe game reserve gate. The turnoff from the tar on the Bedford Road just 16 km from my home in town. Not bad, you'd think. The guard at the gate didn't think I should go through the gate with buffalo and lion there. 

No traffic jams during loadshedding, or ever for that matter. 

And we're strange too. No one in their right mind could possibly want to live anywhere other than in the Western Cape. Strange.

Yawn.

Which is why we like it here. 

 

[LazyTrailRider]

1 hour ago, buckstopper said:

On the tyre issue, generally higher speed rated tyres have softer tread for improved handling. Which tend to wear faster, ask Brad Binder.

I’m very aware, but 10,000km? That wasn’t just soft compound magic at work…

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, buckstopper said:

On the tyre issue, generally higher speed rated tyres have softer tread for improved handling. Which tend to wear faster, ask Brad Binder.

Lol, have you seen how many students drive, not just Rhodes ones.

And you're right GT is strange. The people are friendly, even though they talk slow. Imagine that.

Oh and the cycling here is amazing, pick your weapon and from the cathedral you're 3km from a brilliant or in the country road, gravel or trail ride. No traffic or road rage stuff, or driving 30km to the start of your ride. Just leave home and wend your way through the cows, donkeys and potholes. Not much flat roads though, so you better enjoy climbing. This morning I took the dikwiel out to the Kwandwe game reserve gate. The turnoff from the tar on the Bedford Road just 16 km from my home in town. Not bad, you'd think. The guard at the gate didn't think I should go through the gate with buffalo and lion there. 

No traffic jams during loadshedding, or ever for that matter. 

And we're strange too. No one in their right mind could possibly want to live anywhere other than in the Western Cape. Strange.

Yawn.

Which is why we like it here. 

 

I spent many years of my life in Grahamstown. I know how it works. I love the Eastern Cape.

I wasn't being serious. 😋

Edited February 12, 2023 by Jewbacca

[OVERDRIVE]

4 hours ago, LazyTrailRider said:

This is unusual, I haven’t experienced reduced mileage with high-speed rated rubber.

Mileage of 10k km means one of things:

- Rubbish quality/brand tyres

- You’re hooning a machine with 300kW+

I replaced the previous set of 225/40/18 W-rated Pirellis P7s on my GTI at 35k, and sold them with 40% of the tread remaining. Even the P-Zeros I had on before that (albeit 225/35/19) managed around 30k, and that’s proper supercar-capable rubber.

Still have the Pirellis on. Love them. Thinking of trying out their MTB tyres next. 

3 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Have you ever seen how Rhodes students drive? Coupled with the state of the roads in the Eastern Cape and you're lucky to get 10k km out of a car being driven by a Rhodes Student, never mind just the tires!

Grahamstown..... What a strange place. 

My Sister went to Rhodes. Its...different. 

1 hour ago, buckstopper said:

On the tyre issue, generally higher speed rated tyres have softer tread for improved handling. Which tend to wear faster, ask Brad Binder.

Lol, have you seen how many students drive, not just Rhodes ones.

And you're right GT is strange. The people are friendly, even though they talk slow. Imagine that.

Oh and the cycling here is amazing, pick your weapon and from the cathedral you're 3km from a brilliant or in the country road, gravel or trail ride. No traffic or road rage stuff, or driving 30km to the start of your ride. Just leave home and wend your way through the cows, donkeys and potholes. Not much flat roads though, so you better enjoy climbing. This morning I took the dikwiel out to the Kwandwe game reserve gate. The turnoff from the tar on the Bedford Road just 16 km from my home in town. Not bad, you'd think. The guard at the gate didn't think I should go through the gate with buffalo and lion there. 

No traffic jams during loadshedding, or ever for that matter. 

And we're strange too. No one in their right mind could possibly want to live anywhere other than in the Western Cape. Strange.

Yawn.

Which is why we like it here. 

 

🤣

24 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I spent many years of my life in Grahamstown. I know how it works. I love the Eastern Cape.

I wasn't being serious. 😋

Lol...we know. 😎

[OVERDRIVE]

@Rgans made a choice yet? 

[buckstopper]

2 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

I spent many years of my life in Grahamstown. I know how it works. I love the Eastern Cape.

I wasn't being serious. 😋

Announcing to family and friends of our move from 'FOURWAYS, CAPITAL OF THE FIST TRIANGLE' (Alberton, Boxburg, Kempton and Fourways) to this crumbling outback dorp drew some incredulous looks from some established folk. Other younger types (some of them RU graduates), said 'Ah coool' you gonna love it there so much'. We came here knowing some things and with some hope for some other things, and also with a plan, to a modestly good business, and with our glasses at least half full. We've drawn the 'Why Grahamstown' comment from some including locals...

I digress. Did the OP ask about good universities? I forget

[patches]

On 2/10/2023 at 4:50 PM, Eugene said:

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. 

For about 3 years I had a 2006 Opel Corsa Sedan, which I often had 2 of my bikes in at a time.

Big towel on the back seat, with 2 bikes (wheels off), facing in opposite directions. One down near the footwell and the other on the seat. Wheels and riding gear in the boot, also with various layers of towels to protect everything. Kinda ghetto but for 2 bikes and no bike rack, I found it easier than folding seats down.

That little Corsa served me well for that time, so yeah +1for small cars.

 

[patches]

Also...

 

SA seems to have an obsession with sedans and SUV's. When I first moved to NZ I was surprised that sedans were in a minority and many kiwis opted for a station wagon version of most cars (especially Audi RS4 and RS6's... Auckland is teaming with those)

So I jumped on the wagon (pun intended) and found myself a cheap, 2nd hand (Japanese import) 2007 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro. I chucked a roof rack on top and it was great! Space-wise, he bike could fit in the back with seats folded down and without having to remove wheels.

I don't know if I'd recommend this exact car for students as it was pretty thirsty, and could cost a fortune to fix if anything goes wrong.

But yeah.. STATION WAGONS! Worth keeping an eye out!

[Frosty]

29 minutes ago, patches said:

 STATION WAGONS! Worth keeping an eye out!

it doesn’t show SUV on the vehicle licence documents, it shows station wagon.

I told the wife, “do you know know that your car is a station wagon, not a SUV?” 
She didn’t think it was funny, and refused to accept that it’s a fancy station wagon.

[patches]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

it doesn’t show SUV on the vehicle licence documents, it shows station wagon.

I told the wife, “do you know know that your car is a station wagon, not a SUV?” 
She didn’t think it was funny, and refused to accept that it’s a fancy station wagon.

An RS6 wagon is my soccer-dad dream car. Sadly I think it'll never be as those suckers are about R2.5m equivalent here.

Was chatting to a friend-of-a-friend a little while back. He works for Audi NZ, and said that NZ sold more S and RS models per capita than anywhere else in the world, and that 25% of all new Audi's sold are S or RS models. the German HQ couldn't understand it.

Kiwis are a strange bunch. They're either driving around in a rusty old '92 Toyota Camry without a care or they're dropping the big bucks in RS wagons with the same nonchalant demeanor.

[buckstopper]

Isn't the speed limit in NZ like 100? And Kiwis will dob on you (report you) to the cops if you speed. Where would you go to 'clear the carbs' in an RS? Or am i missing something?

Is it like arriving at the coffee shop on your SL7 when you're at 2.5w/kg?

[Jewbacca]

1 hour ago, buckstopper said:

Isn't the speed limit in NZ like 100? And Kiwis will dob on you (report you) to the cops if you speed. Where would you go to 'clear the carbs' in an RS? Or am i missing something?

Is it like arriving at the coffee shop on your SL7 when you're at 2.5w/kg?

From what I remember It is 100 in very select areas. In most of the country it ranges from 30 to 70. You don't drive 75 in a 70 zone, you drive 65. 

In 2011 we arrived to oversee the extension of Eden Park for the World Cup. I had 2 other South Africans in the team who collectively accumulated 12 traffic violations in the first 4 days of being there, just between Mt Eden and Eden Park (which is about 2 to 2.5 km).

There is also the common courtesy rule that says if a car is turning right and you are turning left, the car turning right has 'right of way'. This caused some confusion at the start.

The roads are heavily monitored. You just don't speed there. You will get caught and you will get fined. 

I used to do the stretch between Auckland and Helensville to ride at Woodhill and the Helensville trails often and there was about a 15km stretch of road that was 100 AND unmonitored. Everyone still drove 95. 

It was rad. 

While I lived there I drove an ugly as sin Toyota Avensis Station Wagon. I would lose it amongst the myriad of other ugly as sin Toyota Avensi in any given paring lot

Edited February 13, 2023 by Jewbacca

[The Ouzo]

9 hours ago, patches said:

An RS6 wagon is my soccer-dad dream car

for me its a V90 T6 or T8 Cross Country.

We had a demo T6 with Polestar tune when I was still at Volvo. Sleeper car of note, but would make you giggle everytime you put your foot down.

Loaded with luxury, loaded with safety and MASSIVE amounts of space.

Edited February 13, 2023 by The Ouzo

[patches]

11 hours ago, The Ouzo said:

for me its a V90 T6 or T8 Cross Country.

We had a demo T6 with Polestar tune when I was still at Volvo. Sleeper car of note, but would make you giggle everytime you put your foot down.

Loaded with luxury, loaded with safety and MASSIVE amounts of space.

When we were at the Volvo dealership for my wife to spec and order her XC40, I did try pretty hard to convince her to go for one of the 2 V70 Cross Countries they had on the showroom floor (sadly we don't get the V90 here).

I'm a big fan of the Scandinavian station wagons. (Realistically I'd be over the moon with a V70 or V90 and don't need an RS6 for my soccer-dad-dream-car 😉).

I also read an article a few weeks back that stated that the V90 was the ultimate luxury station wagon. It took the design, performance, space, features, and luxury of the car all into account and said that overall it far outclassed the German rivals in its price range (many even above).