mr-orange

any close-up's of the Rapha team. i want to see their bikes.

i bought it a couple of months ago. it's okay. not as good as rouleur though. not even close...

This is from http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/ Belgium Knee Warmers Defined For many professional cyclists the Spring campaign is the toughest of the season; it means training from October until March in the worst, character-building weather conditions Europe can dish out. This weather and the suffering that is bicycle racing breed characters known as "hardmen". Select cyclists tackle these conditions in shorts, long sleeve jerseys or short sleeve jerseys with arm warmers, wind vests, and shoe covers. A true hardman opts to forego the knee or leg warmers and instead chooses an embrocation to cover the knees. The liniment provides warmth for the legs and keeps the blood circulating and muscles supple. Embrocation and the sheen created is affectionately known as "Belgium knee warmers". The hardest of cyclists will sport bare legs in the most ruthless of conditions. Belgium Knee Warmers are indicitive of the many subtleties that make professional cycling so enthralling.

wow, nice bike those cranks are sweet. it looks better on the bike than the record cranks would.

Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but are those Shimano bar hoods with a Campagnolo crankset?

Anyone know what crankset this is. It looks sweet, I love the thin crank arms. (This was used by David Millar in yesterday's killer time trial in the Giro, it's a 30/54. He also ran a 11-27 on the back. With 24% gradients, I wouldn't be suprised if someone used a triple wheel crankset)

Okay, I feel like an idiot. I wasn't fooled on 1 April by any of the fake stories. This caught me completely off guard. I am going to go to my corner and sulk.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/reviews/april1_carbon_wrapit08 Looks like the carbon craze has gone over the edge. You can now wrap your aluminium bike with a carbon weave. Not only does it promise improved stiffness and a more responsive ride, it also claims to reduce the weight (??????). If this really does work, I am buying a kit, and wrapping my girlfriend in it. This reeks of a marketing scheme, pouncing on gullible cyclists with big bank accounts and even bigger egos. What's next carbon wrapped carbon bikes?

Thanks Bruce and Bikemax It's odd that many people still preach the LSD training principle. I attended a POLAR training workshop a month or two ago, and I got the impression I would crash and burn - hard - if I didn't follow it. Is this change in training philosophy only witnessed in cycling, or is it across all endurance sportds?

How does the idea of doing base training fit in with a power training programme? All of the heart rate based training articles I've read, insist on setting up a good base with lots of LSD rides and keeping ones heart rate between 60 and 70% during this phase; while high intensity training should only be done in the middle to latter parts of the training programme. I don't know much about training by power and perhaps I am misinformed, but it appears to be all about sustaining maximum power over a set time period, and generally higher intensity training. For those that train by power, how do your heart rates zones compare to those set out in a typical heart rate based training programme?

Anyone know where one can hire a MTB in Cape Town. I want to do the Tokai Challenge on Friday, but don't have a mountain bike (yet). I know Downhill Adventures offers a bike hiring service. Any other places???

I live in the southern suburbs, so thats why I am looking for a group in the area. Also, the rolling hills in the northen suburbs kill me; I suffered like a dog in the spring rides. Much prefer longer climbs at a decent pace. I contacted Club 100. Will be joining them on one of their rides this weekend.

With winter approaching, my motivation has taken a serious dive. I haven't been on my bike for the last 3 weeks, and the guilt is killing me. (Its odd how I can justify not riding: too windy (hardly a breeze), too little sleep, bike needs a clean, even bike is too clean... the list goes on) So I am looking for a training group. Does anyone have a list of training rides in Cape Town? Are the club rides exclusive to its members? If I am going to have to join a club, what are my options. The only ones I know if are CycleLab, Club 100 and The Outriders. The Outriders is not really an option, looking for something in the sothern suburbs. Thanks