firewolf

Ok so this is obviously a Cycle Lab plot to undermine Club 100!! Agents!!

one way to lessen the fatigue of the long ride is to train by doing longer rides. The basic principle of training is just that; training the body, through specific exercises, to produce a physiological adaption. Someone said ride one day flat, one day hilly, one day short, one day long, one day hard, one day easy. And rest as hard as you train. Train like you fight: Fight like you train.

Its a Californian company. sure, the frames are made in Taiwan - which is where most frames are made. Started in 1973 - same year as Billabong. I own a KHS flight 900 road bike with FSA/Ultegra and I freaking love the thing! Fast. Stiff. Light. Comfortable. Affordable. Sure the MTB range must rock too. And I tell people the KHS stands for Kalafornian Hot Spot - with the K in KHS being like the K in the Merc Kompressor...

average human being.. raised with less than average exposure to concept of awareness of other needs of other human beings.. 90% of the human race. Thats why I ride at the back! Ten to twenty minutes off the back! Of any given race group on any given race day! That way I stay safe. And happy. And upright. But why is it that every-time I near the finish mats some dude is always busy lifting them up? Am I supposed to like ramp over them to get a finishing time?

for interest it was in the % group, towards the end of the race, as you turned up towards the final climb. even the pro's warn other riders of hazards.

Road cones! Took me out at last years 99'r. This year I knew they were coming. But I saw a guy in front of me, towards the front of a large bunch, with many guys behind me, ride directly for one then swerve out to the right at the last moment. Everyone else was already going left. So of course the natural instinct is to swerve in the same direction as the guy in front - in this case right,, which woulda meant hitting the cone and going down. But like I said I knew what was in the road, and had already warned those behind me to watch out for road traffic and to ease left. Screw you guy who swerved right. You suc! You coulda taken a lot of people down with you.

Sorry. But. If ya got a problem with the fees. Then just don't ride. I not rich. I a Fireman. I make plans to make real my passion. So.. maybe I eat two less restaurant meals a month. I prioritize. I pay my race fees. I race. And. you know what? The therapeutic value is worth more than the entry fee. But hey. thats just me.

Airbender how beautiful was the beautiful cape today?

nice one! USN family feast.

kats201... I am a fireman with 18 yrs service. A good friend of mine once stated - "in the good old days you could leave the wife at home, now the bitch wants to follow you to work!" That is not the case in cycling though.. I have never seen more fit females that in this sport! Surfing groupies are "FIT" but in another way. Cycling woman are an inspiration. And Cycling couples to me are like stories of the couples who climbed Yosemite Peak back in the day when rope was made out of a hope and a prayer.

My first road bike was a cannondale 2.8. Just the frame then built up from there using a mix (holy **** I can hear the screams) a mix of shimano and campy super record. My first argus on that bike was 3:30. Then I went back to Trance, outdoor parties and XYZ.

The thing about a woman is... Ok so I am on my own here... I can ride my bike. Hard. It never complains. I can ride my bike. Slow. It will be with me till the end. I can ride my bike. In intervals. It can take the pace. I can ride my bike. To a place where there are other bikes. It will not hiss or spit. I can ride my bike. With Others And it will respond with vigor. I can ride my bike. Up hills and down dales, into the last crack of dawn or dusk.

eat cheese and drink wine for faaaaarks sake!

Its an interesting parallel here - between chicks and bikes. Break-up with the first, return to the second. I know I can take this thread into some murky territory here...

Ratty you make such a valid point.. Just changing focus slightly so that the ride becomes more important can lead to so many healthy effects. People ask me how to loose weight. I say buy a bike. Any bike. Then just ride. It does not matter how far/ how hard/ how high or how low. Just ride. And as you ride AND HAVE THE MOST FREAKING FUN YOU HAVE HAD SINCE YOU WERE EIGHT YEARS OLD the rest will take care of itself.

@bikemonster... I know for me what changed was the amount of cash I could spend. Then it was like.. "AHHHH DAAAAAAAADDDDDDD!!!!! BUUTTT AAAALLLLLLLL THE other kids are riding theEEEESSSE!!!" "PLEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!??????" Now it is more a case of I want Zipp 404's. I will sell a freaking kidney to get my Zipp 404's (Or what ever bling works for you) Now, wheres that damm phone book with the kidney harvesters contact numbers?

I read somewhere in the week that cycling is a very emotional experience for riders. This thread sure proves the depth of love that we have for our bikes, and for riding.

Mellow is so right! As a kid a bike was like the bestest (Sic) thing in the whole world!!!!

Remember the BMX scene in E.T?

For me it was in the early eighties - I was maybe 7 years old - and my Dad got me a BMX from the Hyperrama in Blue Route. I loved that bike. We actually had a homemade BMX track slightly above the Old Bakery in Main Road, Lakeside C.T. Anybody out there remember that? I always wanted a chromolly Diamond Back, with a kick ass Number Plate on the front, and those big, flat, shinny BMX pedals. There was a shop in Main Road Wynburg that used to stock the coolest BMX stuff. I actually fell super hard on that track trying to impress a girl with my dirt jumping skills. I ramped. I inverted. I landed on my back. I tried not to cry. And I will never forget the look on that eight year old girls face; it was like " Aha... so thats the kind of stuff I can get these monkey boys to do to try to impress me... Mmmmmmm.. I must remember that!" Bikes. From a kid's toy to a grown up's passion.

I would rather watch 30min of international than 2 hours of local road racing. Local content is lacking in depth, commentary, and the camera angles are mundane. I enjoy the Giro, especially on RAI, with the machine gun fire Italian. I enjoy the hours and hours of The Tour, with the "Phil and Paul Show"; who is going to be able to replace these guys when the time comes? They bring the tour to life!

Have you tried arm and legs warmers? I find that on cold morning using a few extra layers can definitely help. Cape winter mornings can be especially cold, even requiring ear warmers and booties, and any way to keep warm helps.

You know what? Out there is Hub land are many people. Are there no riders who have studied law/are lawyers or are active in the SAP/Traffic or in the road traffic fund, or insurance company's?

best take away food is an apple, a banana, a bottle of water, and a teaspoon of chia seed.

Today I throw a small brick. Tomorrow I am crushed by a large boulder. Take eggsovereasywithteaandtoast's advice. It is good, and makes sense, and it,s practical.