Trackz

I have uploaded about 80 images of the Gauteng North Road Cycling Champs on ... http://www.mihevents.co.za/Gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=762

I'm not sure hwo this will display on here but giving it a go. 31 shots making up a panorama of the start of the downhill at George.

No doubt a sensitive topic the one of entry fees, one that has been discussed over and over since I started cycling when Tshwane was still Pretoria and one that will be discussed over and over when Tshwane is called Space Station P. So how about we make this a HUB challenge ... how about a couple of us team up to put on a race for R50 and see if it's possible. We publish every minute we spend on it, the whole saga like a reality show for everyone to see. Only committment we need is from everyone on the HUB to support the race! Any takers? PM me if you're interested. Let's expose real race organization time and costs. Who's in? PM me.

new SA champ

Ronelle - little unclear on the photo but it looks like Erik Palmer (guy in the vest), a magician with the extreme wide angle! Re safety - I thought about this often yesterday. There are many spots like the ones in the pic (and others) where a crash will cause serious injury to spectators, never mind a photographer. It is a tribute to these downhillers that there were so few crashes in dangerous places. I saw quite a few crashes but funny enough on easy stretches. Some areas are quite dark and at those speeds its pretty easy to hit a root or a rock. Downhill is not for sissies!Trackz2009-03-16 09:16:59

Keep an eye on www.mihevents.co.za - there's a link on the home page. I'll upload more over the next few days. Free download of the lowres images. There are loads of nice pics I haven't uploaded, if you e-mail me your race plate number I can have a look if I got something ... photos@mihevents.co.za. For those lucky enough to be there tomorrow - come say hi. Heavy backpack, reverse cap, orange t-shirt today, tomorrow olive green t-shirt. Thanks for the compliments everyone - its lots of fun taking the pics.Trackz2009-03-14 14:11:10

Paul Cordes en route to the sub-Vets title Burry Stander flying past ... and rides away from the field

Sara Muhl down the first drop, she rode a very clever race, pacing herself smartly onto the podium Yolande Speedy, newly crowned SA Champion, going down the second drop. Cherise Taylor joined the party as well today

Fizik Gobi. Comfortable from the first day. Has worked perfectly everytime, never a saddle sore or even a serious chafe through many multiday rides, mud, rain, snow. No brainer.

Photography is expensive full stop! So we expect the photographer to just be there at his own risk & cost with equipment worth around R100,000 to get the images we are demanding? And then we only want to pay him R25 for a pic? And then after pressing the little button he still has cost to go download, crop, perhaps do some basic post processing, upload to a website that costs him money and pay a commission for online payment processing. There is no money in photography and the guys do it for the passion. It's why you don't see many of them around. I am a cycling nut and a freelance photographer. If you are looking for the action shots you want ... I'll happily do a private shoot to give you a life size poster for your wall that looks like a Bicycling Cover or a FHM spread if you are female. But I ain't doing it for R25 a photo :-)

Take the 11-34 if you're planning to climb up some really big hills, it'll let you maintain a cadence when the 11-32 big mouths have to push (eg Sabie mamba or for Adventure Racing). Also, if you do a long ride and the legs start going (which they will) it'll come in handy when the climb get's long. This all works if you ride outside the top 10% of MTB racers .. and I mean racers. If you ride in the top 10% of racers the 11-32 will do.

I have uploaded a couple of photos from Tuesday at the following link. I tried to put them here but gave up after 45mins of trying. http://www.flickr.com/photos/trackz/sets/72157608065307297/with/3027380475/

I have posted some photos of the Military MTB race here. Hope this is ok. They are a little too big to upload onto TheHub.

Thanks guys. I use a Viosport helmetcam with a Sony Handycam 96HCE? in the Camelbak. The quailty is excellent on the video (same as normal videocamera) but the compression to get it onto YouTube makes it look a bit blurry & grainy on the web. If you look at my other clips on YouTube you'll see one on the motocross bike as well. If all goes to plan I'll wear it at Babbas Lodge in a few weeks for a lap.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rCRxD8XYHcM Some helmetcam footage of a section of the awesome new singletrack at Groenkloof. Have a few more which I'll post over the next week or so. There are more MTBrs there week after week - 2 years ago I was alone some weekends now there's a crowd!

on top of the performances he's one of the nicest guys around and I wonder how many of the other downhillers wil stick with himat Sani2C or Cape Epic - he rode way up there this year. He must be one of the most talented cyclist ever in this country. PS: go check out his 2007 racing helmet at Finish Line Cycles, complete with crash marks from the Fort William incident. Its a piece of art!

1. It's called "slim vang sy baas". You can also fill a narrow valve tube with slime - little trick to "force" the knobbly valve nut out, then hold onto the valve shaft, fill up with Joe's and then reverse the valve shaft/nut process. Works very well other than the Joes/Stans makes rubber ball after a few months and you chuck the tube ... but its's cheaper than buying a slimed tube. 2. As for JB - one of the few posters who talks sense rather than dump their blabber all over the forum! Please keep posting Johan - many of us appreciate your sense. 3 As for UST vs non-UST on a non-tubeless rim with Joes conversion. I have had acceptable results with the Crossmark non-UST on Joes but have to admit I cut a sidewall on the Epic (JB: on a rocky section and I don't ride carefully) - was lucky it sealed with a plug. Fritz advised me the Crossmark non-UST (or foldable) is one of the few I should use in this way as it had a slightly thicker sidewall than most non-UST tyres.

don't be sentimental about it ... saw Epic profiles for the first 4 days 2008 ... if u doing Epic you gonna need every minute of climbing training you can get

bla di bla di bla ... if the number one lady cyclist at the country's championships get's left out of a team it can only be politics and agendas and that means the interest of cycling in many other areas will also be similarly corrupted ... therefore ... to the gallows!!!!

Polar has a very good 12 and 16 week Epic programme. Contact their Jhb office. The guys are very helpful.

I think this a fantastic project. Who's driving it and how do we get permission for more signs.

corner of Hans Strydom & Menlyn drive (Garsfontein) ... loads of cyclists on those roads every day

to quote Forest Gump ... "stupid does as stupid says"