Newsletter February-March 2015

GERMISTON WHEELERS CYCLE CLUB
.
PO Box 820, Isando, 1600 - Club House situated at Mr. Porra, Rand Refinery Road, Germiston
Website
Blog address
Twitter handle
Email address
http://www.germistonwheelers.co.za
http://germistonwheelers.wordpress.com @germistonwheel
info@germistonwheelers.co.za
Greetings
From the desk of Miss Communication
The first few months of 2015 are now behind us, which means the days get shorter, the early mornings start to get a
little chillier than before and before we know it, we’re digging around in the cupboard looking for arm warmers, toe
caps, full finger gloves and OBS.
Judging by photos and comments on the Whatsapp group, the members that did the Argus, or rather the Cape Town
Cycle Tour as they like to call it, had a great time despite the shortened distance. Hopefully you get to ride the full
distance again in 2016 – diarise 06 March 2016, which happens to be the 1 st Sunday of March and not the traditional
second Sunday.
During 2014, we introduced planned rides with the hope of getting everyone up to speed (on the bike, and via modern
communication tools like Whatsapp). Short-cut routes were introduced to give the slower members chance to ride the
longer route without fear of being dropped from the faster bunch. In 2015, we’re hoping to introduce long, steady
distance rides (120-150Km) once a month, as well as a Friday night ride. Both events have gone down well with members
and we will continue to host these rides once a month – refer to the calendar for more information.
The Annual General Meeting was moved from November to March/April, as it gets rather chaotic at the end of the year,
as well as the months leading up to our race. The 2014/15 AGM will be held on Sunday, 28 March 2015 at Majestic (the
nursery on the corner of Webber & Cachet Roads, Lambton (entrance in Cachet Road). We will have a short 70Km
medium-paced ride from 06:30, to be back in time for breakfast at 08:30 for 09:00. More specific details in the weekly
newsflashes.
We have ordered the new club kit, which will be available in April. A page dedicated to the club kit will remain in the
newsletter as permanent fixture. Prices will be updated in the next newsletter.
Are you able to finish a 100Km cycle race in less than 3 hours? If yes, the race team has agreed to start in the EL group
for the Emperor’s Classic (12th April), with the hope of controlling the pace of the group. We also have a plan to show
the lesser experienced members how they should be riding in the bunch and how to tactically ride a great race. If you
are interested, enter as normal, but then join us in EL on the day. We will also be cycling to the start from Merv’s/Mr
Porra which will give a 140-150Km ride (distance depends where you start). More about this on page 2.
Our technical stuff makes a return this month with a look at road tyres – while not half as complicated as mountain bike
tyres, there is a difference between various types of tyres. Page 3 & 4 explains the basics of road bicycle tyres.
One last bit of news requiring your attention this month – Rob Twigg is confirm accommodation for the Kremetart Cycle
Race in Louis Trichardt (174Km race, held on one day, over 4 stages). Accommodation costs R350pp. For more
information, please contact Rob – accommodation must be paid and booked by end-March.
Happy reading and riding – see you on the roads.
Regards,
Gerald
Up and Coming Events
29 Mar
06 Apr
12 Apr
26 Apr
25-28 Apr
13-Jun
Club AGM at Majestic (Mustard Seed) in Lambton - more details closer to the time.
143Km, Long Steady Distance (LSD) ride on Emperor’s route
Emperor’s Classic – group ride from batch EL
Tour Durban
Panorama Tour
Kremetart (174Km, 4 stage race). Book accommodation with Rob Twigg by the end of March (latest)
1
Emperor’s Classic - a long, steady ride
We have decided to combine a race with endurance training – how is that possible?
The race team have decided to give back to the club, in the form of on-the-bike race training. The Emperor’s Classic has
been targeted as it’s a relatively flat route (one minor bump at 42Km – for 2Km long) and then back to the “flat as a
pancake” route. The race takes place on 12th April 2015, and entries are available at www.cyclelab.co.za - we will also be
cycling from Merv’s to the start and back again afterwards (20Km each way).
The route is as follows:
Start/Finish
Mr Porra
Merv’s
Minor bump
Merv’s
Mr Porra
Start
Bump (2km)
Finish
Merv’s
Mr Porra
We will ride the entire route on Easter Monday, 06th April to ensure everyone knows and understands the route. It will be
fresh in your mind.
For those wanting to take part in the ride/race, we will be riding a tempo pace (35km/h, perhaps pushing it up to 3738km/h average). If you’re capable of riding a 100Km race in less than 3 hours, then you’ll easily manage this ride. The
important bit is that we ride as a club and have the stronger guys doing the pace work with a few coaching the less
experienced cyclists.
2
Technical Stuff
Tyres for road bikes can appear broadly similar but there are varieties in sizing, construction and performance that are important to
take into account before making a purchase.
WHICH ROAD BIKE TYRE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
You will need to consider the day-to-day conditions in which you ride in order to choose a tyre that will serve you well, as well as
considering the correct balance between comfort and performance.
High-performance tyres designed for the rigours of competitive racing are built with different criteria than those designed for
commuting duties or winter training (e.g. light weight at the expense of durability), so automatically buying the most expensive tyre
may not be the answer. There is always a trade-off between durability, weight, puncture protection and rolling resistance - many riders
will therefore opt for an all-round tyre that provides the optimum performance balance for their needs.
ROAD BIKE TYRES: IN-DEPTH
Construction
Road bike tyres are made of three constituent parts:
Beads:
Two strong hoops of steel or Kevlar which hook the
tyre into the rim of the wheel to keep it in place.
Steel-beaded tyres (often referred to as wire beads)
are the cheaper option – Kevlar beads are lighter
weight and fold for easy storage and transport (so
Kevlar-beaded tyres are known as folding tyres).
Carcass: The body of the tyre, made from woven fabric. The
number of threads per inch (TPI) used in the
construction of the carcass is often an important
indicator of the quality of the tyre. The higher the TPI
number, the thinner and more flexible the tyre fabric
is. Thin-wall (high TPI) tyres tend to be lighter and
have lower rolling resistance, but they are more prone
to damage.
Rubber: The exterior of the tyre which covers the carcass. The
thick rubber on the part of the tyre that comes into contact with the ground is called the tread, while thinner rubber covers
the sidewalls between the tread and the beads. Tread patterns and rubber compounds are important considerations when
choosing tyres (see below).
Tubular vs. clincher
Tyres designed for road racing bikes - as opposed to commuters or touring bikes – are divided into two main categories, clincher and
tubular (tubbies).
Clincher tyres are by far the most common type,
consisting of a beaded tyre which hooks onto the rim
of the wheel and is used with an inner tube.
Gatorskins are (probably) the most recognised tyres
on the road.
Tubular tyres are sealed units with an inner tube sewn into the casing of the tyre. They are designed for rims which do not have the
hook for the bead (and so are lighter), being glued in placed with tubular cement or secured using special tape. They can be inflated to
a higher pressure than clincher tyres meaning they run faster.
Tubular tyres have long been the choice of the racing
professional who values their performance advantages –
lighter overall weight, better rolling resistance due to
higher inflation limit, round profile aids in cornering – but
for leisure riders clinchers are generally considered the
better option due to their availability, affordability and
ease of repair. Developments in tyre technology including
Kevlar beads have meanwhile narrowed the weight gap
between clincher and tubular tyres, while the difficulties
in carrying a spare 'tube' while riding mean that they are
impractical for riders who are not supported by a team
car.
NOTE: Sizing for tubular wheels is different to clincher wheels with manufacturers still using imperial sizes (26” equates to 650c and
28” to 700c). In order to be certain of sizing when choosing new tyres you can use the five-digit ISO number printed on the rim to
pick a matching tyre. This number gives gives the tyre section (in millimetres), followed by a dash, followed by the tyre diameter
at the bead where it sits on the rim.A 700c rim, for example, measures 622mm in diameter. A tyre with an ISO number of 25-622
therefore is equivalent to 700x25c .
3
Sizing
Road bike tyres come in a variety of sizes with the most common diameter being 700c (for most
adult road race bikes) and 650c (smaller racing bikes for juniors and ladies, some highperformance time trial and triathlon bikes).
Tyre width depends on intended use. Many racers will opt for skinny 23mm tyres (or even 20mm)
which can be inflated to a higher pressure for maximum speed. However increasing numbers of
riders are choosing more comfortable 25mm tyres for everyday use, winter training or sportive
events, as they find the extra cushioning worth any sacrifice in overall speed. Some events or
surfaces may even call for 28mm tyres – the classic Pavé (cobblestoned) surfaces of European
races such as the Paris-Roubaix being a case in point - but check that your rim is wide enough to
accommodate these.
Tread
When it comes to tyre tread, a deep tread pattern is
generally unnecessary for road racing bikes, as the surface of
the road is rougher than any tread and provides plenty of
traction. Some tyres for all-weather use may feature a
shallow tread to aid in shedding water or to provide extra
grip on the shoulders.
Riders who do wish to improve their grip can choose a tyre with a softer compound – meaning the
rubber used in the tread construction is softer - or opt to run a tyre at lower pressure to increase
the contact area with the surface of the road.
A softer-compound tyre will give better traction, but at the expense of more rapid wear. Dual-compound tyres feature a centre strip of
fairly hard rubber for improved wear and softer 'shoulders' for better cornering.
A new foldable clincher tyre (top left), a badly worn out tyre (top right) and a damaged tubbier (bottom).
4
Club Kit
The new club kit has been ordered, from
Panda Sports, and should be available in
April (date to be confirmed).
We have ordered minimum quantities as
follows, and will place another order once
the stock starts moving:





Small
Medium
Large
XL
2XL
2
5
5
5
3
Plain black shorts (shorts or bib-style) of
your choice should be worn together with
this shirt. See example on the right.
We have two preferred suppliers of various
styles of black shorts, as well as other
cycle clothing. Tell them that you’re a
member of Germiston Wheelers so you can
get preferential treatment.

BicycleLine
Clair
Email - admin@bicycleline.co.za
Mobile - 076 232 2266

GSG (Giessegi)
Stefano
Email – stefano@puzzlepr.co.za
Mobile – 083 458 2160
The older “paintball” shirt, as Simon likes
to refer to it as, is still acceptable as club
kit, but we won’t be ordering this shirt
anymore – there are limited quantities
available of the older shirt.
The 30th anniversary shirt was a limited edition, and only available in 2014. The design is the same, and is also considered
valid club kit.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FAQ’s
When must I wear club kit?
Club kit should be worn on all official club rides, (Saturday and Sunday), as well as during a race.
What about the older shirt, and race team kit?
The older shirts are still valid, and can be worn on a Saturday or during the week. Ideally we’d like everyone to wear the
NEW shirt on a Sunday club ride.
What about winter? Is warmer kit available?
We are in the process of making arm warmers that will complement the NEW shirt. This will be available by the end of
March. Long sleeve winter jackets will be ordered on request.
5
Fish & Chips paper
Classifieds, Announcements, Training schedules and everything else.
BUSINESS
Merv’s Hardware & Industrial Supplies
Shop 1, Albemarle shopping centre
Tel: 902-2387 or 902-6331
Fax: 902-8063
Mobile: 082 412 6429
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Service is our business
You name it, we’ll get it!
CLUB KIT
Contact: Yvette Wallace
Cell: 082 887 4132
Tel: 011 902 2939
Email: info@tritonrealestate.co.za
Triton Real Estate Germiston
Professional Consultation in home sales
Obligation Free Valuations
Bond Finance Services
Lease Contract Services
Contact Yvette Wallace
Office: 011 902 2939
Mobile: 082 887 4132
Short Sleeve Cycling Top
Sleeveless cycling tops
Cycling shorts
Bib Style Cycling Shorts
Old Design
R370.00
R260.00
R330.00
R410.00
New Design
TBC
Not available
Not available
Not available
All items include vat.
ENQUIRIES
To list your BUSINESS, FOR SALE item, TRAINING plans, etc. please send a SMS to 08344205065 or an email to
info@germistonwheelers.co.za
SOCIAL MEDIA
www.germistonwheelers.co.za
Calendar, news, photos, race
reports, who’s who and a whole lot
more.
Our twitter handle is
@germistonwheel
Go to twitter.com/germistonwheel
to FOLLOW or to create your own
twitter account.
Whatsapp users can join two possible
groups (Club communications and/or
General Chit Chat). Contact Gerald
or Richard Brown to join.
We also have a Facebook page
where you can also LIKE, enabling
you to follow and chat between
members. Go to the following link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
Germiston-Wheelers-CycleClub/30965920344
Then click on LIKE to receive
messages and notifications of club
related info and messages.
Club Rides
Time
04:30
05:00 / 05:30
06:15 / 06:45
06:30 / 07:00
Day
Tuesday & Thursday
Saturday
Saturday
Sunday
SEASONAL RIDE TIMES
Summer (01-Sep to 30-Apr)
05:00
Saturday early-bird
06:15
Saturday club ride
06:45
Sunday club rides
Meet at
cnr Michelle & Jacqueline Ave, Randhart
Merv’s Hardware
Merv’s Hardware
Mr Porra
Winter (01-May to 31-Aug)
05:30
Saturday early-bird
06:45
Saturday club ride
07:00
Sunday club ride
6
Route
Winter route
Warm up ride
Club ride
Club ride
Distances
50 Km
34 Km
65, 80-100 Km
60, 80-120 Km