http://www.giant-bicycles.com/images...s/models/zooms
you coulda bought another road bike :cry:

Good choice. Don't recall what we sell them for, but certainly a good choice.

how r you gonna put racks on it for touring?

There is plenty of dirt in NZ to ride so should be good for that. :)

He's only got one choice for racks. Topeak makes one for disc-equipped frames now. I just hope he has the threaded eyelets.

lol. I don't ride the one I've got enough.


Well, the thing has eyelets down the back near the dropouts, but nothing up the top near the seat tube so I was wondering the same. But the bike stop owner said you just rig it up to the seat clamp. Said he'd done it heaps before. Guess I've got to trust him. Seems like it might work okay.

As for the front, he rekons the Surly rigid fork he's getting me has eyelets for a front rack, but I had a look at the Surly site and I can't see any disc compatible forks that do. There's some with mudguard eyelets but not both. Unless you can run mudguards and racks off the one eyelet? Meh, I can see this is going to end in tears. :(


Eh? Don't I just bang my old $40 iron jobbie on it?

BTW, if you get time, find out what you sell them for so I can see if I did get a deal, or got gouged. ;)

Your current one won't work with the disc brakes, only V brakes. Retail on the Topeak is $60, which is very reasonable. Then you just need some clamps from Bunnings to attach it to your seat stays. Don't mess with your seat clamp area. There's also a front rack designed for suspension forks. It uses clamps that you can probably rig up to your Surly. Don't cry.

What, is that because it's wider down near the rear wheel or somethink?

Clamps to my seat stays will scratch my precious. Can't have that. ;)

I'd rather have everything hooked up properly without having to rely on clamps. But it's good to hear I wont be screwed if worst comes to worst.

And I never cry! I just get bugs in my eyes! :p

The rack mounting hole is just below your disc brake. Those little arms on the bottom of a regular rack will interfere with your brakes. The Topeak is wider, and has a mount that ends up protecting your brake as well. The clamps are coated so they don't scratch too.

Ah, excellent. I'll have to hurry up and have myself one then.

So tell me, swapping forks. I take it that it's a fair job? Not something that should be done regularly (touring one week, mtbing the next)?

Ouch! http://www.primidi.com/2005/05/09.html

Remove wheel, undo brake. Remove topcap, loosen clamp bolts on stem. Pull fork out. Buy spare headset of same brand/model, so you have same race on new fork for easy swaps. Slide fork in, put stem on. Use top cap/star nut to set preload. Tighten stem clamp bolts. Install brakes on new fork, reinstall wheel.

"Although capsaicin does not actually burn -- it fools your brain into thinking that you are in pain by stimulating nerve endings in your mouth -- some medical experts believe that it could kill an asthmatic or hospitalise a user who touched his eyes or other sensitive parts of the anatomy."

so basically, do not take a leak after using it - could be nasty :eek: .... May make you ride faster though......

Waat? That easy? I thought people crapped on about cups and crap when putting forks in? Any special tools needed? From all that, sounds like maybe not?

Cups are part of the headset. The only part you need to swap is the race on the fork. Get a spare, and you've got no worries.

The initial setup makes for a bit of extra work, as you'll need to have the steerer cut. Have the shop install it, and have them put the spare race on your Rock Shox. The hardest part will be setting up your brakes, but even that's not too difficult.

headset is not hard but you do need some decent tools to make sure you get it right. If it's out of alignment you can damage the headset easily and make the job worthless. For the amount I change a headset I let the pros take care of it.

Sweet. Thanks for that Expat. What will we do when you're not an Expat no longer? :(

Saccy, I'll always be Expat to you guys.

Climbo, I got the headset remover, and the press. Neither works with my Cannondale, but they make life so simple.

yeah, they do make it great, i've used in a shop but never bothered to get my own, one day....

so, are we making on a deal on the helmets or not? I may try to sell them to some mates back in the US if not.

Oh, sorry about that. I don't need any more helmets. 4 is enough.

so, should i be posting my mtb race pics in the "show us you posing on your road bike" thread?

43 degrees out on the roads of SA today....ther'll be some cooked Euros.

43? fark. better them than me....

just checked BOM.....alreaady 35.7 in Strathalbyn.

43, jeez ! Choco's going to be Double Choco by the end of the week.

that'll go down well, let's see it :)