attiec

@TALUS - Makes perfect sense and more or less what I expected, but I was just surprised that there is so little on this on all the sport science stuff out there. @Rouxtjie - Been 'ignoring' my HRM for training for years. Being older, I only use it to indicate level of fitness, onset of illness, verifying my perceived effort and monitoring my old ticker for egine trouble. .

Since my 40'ies, I've noticed that my max hr drops during the training season as I get fitter. I would also notice a dramatic drop in my aerobic limit hr (at same effort) during the same period. As I get older my max hr is dropping, which is to be expected, according to all literature around this....BUT The question that I have never really got an answer to is - why would my max hr drop significantly as I get fitter. This is supposed to be genetically fixed and most articles only point to slight changes when cross-training in other disciplines (Eg. running vs cycling) It is not a question of it just being easier because you are fitter either. After many years of cycling (age now 60), I know when the body is telling me when I'm working close to or at max. The other day I chased a youngster on a road bike, while I was on a MTB. Got to absolute max effort whilst doing >55kph on fairly level road. My max HR for this effort was given as 171bpm by my HRM. Earlier in the season I regularly saw 185bpm. This is a 15 beat drop!! Anybody that had the same experience or can point me to literature that clarifies this phenomena??

Got myself an MTB just because I would never go for long holidays as I would get totally freaked out if I could not get on the bike. Never raced the thing and don't intend to. It is just so I won't find an excuse NOT to go on that bundu holiday... Time you spend on the bike also depends on age and aspirations. I used to do 450-500kms per week some 10 years ago and would have no life ouside of the bike. Career and family life went downhill. Unless you want to be a pro, decide how much time you are prepared to spend and adjust your cycling aspirations. The only way I could eventually find a balance was by commuting. That was 2x Chappies and 2x Suikerbossie every weekday (78km round trip). Did sub 2:40 Argus's etc. Now I'll be extremely happy if I just finish with the bunch. By the way - if you manage your weight and do about 250kms a week (with some intensity training), you should be able to survive in the all but the Elite leagues.

1) Laws are made to protect, structure and organise, but they can also be totally wrong and misguided. (I'll only refer to Apartheid laws to make the point) 2) A cyclist is NOT SAFE in a complex multi-lane intersection - and the road regulation in these instances do not come close to giving guidance on how to safely pass through such intersections. The same applies to 4-way stop streets where cyclists may be TOTALLY 'INVISIBLE' to motorists. 3) Our cycling bodies do NOT lobby for changes in traffic regulation to accommodate the different types of vehicles and roads are normally not designed with non-motorised traffic in mind. This leaves the cyclist with only one option. Follow the law where it is safe to do so. If the law forces me to behave in an unsafe way, I will NOT obey it. I can pay a fine or live with abuse thrown at me by other road users, but NOBODY CAN GIVE MY LIFE BACK TO ME. If I therefore decide that the safest time to go through an intersection is when all lights are red for pedestrians to cross - I will do so. If I smack into a pedestrian whilst doing this - I should however expect to get the law thrown at me...

BM, Thanks. Been in touch with Peter and it seems they can help. Now I only need to find a day or two when I can live without my baby!

Bought a piece of land next to the road this past weekend. No damage to body or bike other than a nasty scratch on my Scott CR1. On inspection it does not look like the frame has been compromised, but how do I get my baby nice 'n shiny again?? (The scratch is too deep to just buff out). Anybody have some ideas on where to get this sorted (in the W/Cape)?

172.5 is "standard" for 99% bikes you see on shopfloor. Anything else is normally out of ordinary. Longer cracks work well for climbers or weaker guys that need the extra levarage. Track bikes normally shorter cranks because the guys have enough power and need the speed that the shorter cranks would allow them to spin at. (Also helps not to touch the banking ;-) I would not worry too much about fit unless you really feel uncomfortable.