Sydd

great to see sascoc has got themselves in gear and is planning ahead. What a pity the SA track comission is so backward, their act just seems to go further and further downhill... don't expect any track cyclists at 2012 from SA. If there are any track cyclists left in SA willing to ride by then. They're doing a very good job of ruining peoples track careers over there. But excellent for Sifiso and Burry I sincerely hope that they receive evrything that they need in terms of support etc to achieve their 2012 goals. They've both worked very hard and deserve itSydd2009-05-29 08:39:38

Carinus, Thank you for answering all of my questions, I will approach number collections with slightly less nervousness at being laughed at for professing to have applied for a licence. On the drug testing front, I have to say honestly that I have never been asked for more than my racing licence, and recall a rather large fuss being made about a competitor that couldnt find their licence at a big event to present at a drug test. As far as I am aware, nothing was mentioned about other forms of ID. However, I really appreciate having the facts nicely explained. It is such a nice difference to have questions answered without having to throw my question into the cauldron that is the hub, and wait for it to spit out some answer based on a bad experience, a rumour, or a thumbsuck. Thank you for making an effort to make things clearer to us all, I am sure that I am not the only one to appreciate it.

So then what happens if, like me, you applied and paid for your licence 3 MONTHS AGO and a month later you receive the email to say that it has FINALLY been processed, and then your name doesnt appear on that cute little list that they published on the CSA website with all of the dispatched licences. How much longer do I have to wait. And, like someone mentioned earlier on, what do I tell them when they ask for my licence at registration for a race. Or what if I get selected for a drug test and cant produce a valid licence like you are expected to? Who do I refer the kind people to??????

nothing at all. They have this nasty habit of blistering and bursting at inappropriate times. On more than one of my sets, and a number of friends sets as well. Stay away. Rather use mountain kings or race kings. They are just about indestructible

well...I only did my drivers licence 3 years ago and I distictly remember one of the questions about the traffic circle, and have just looked it up in my code14 book, and it says: yeaild to the right to vehicles which have ENTERED THE CIRCLE BEFORE YOU. So its really a case of whoever gets there first. Also, it would be wonderful if the people in JHB would : 1.Indicate in traffic circles 2.Not treat it as a 4way stop 3.Not drive OVER the circe, a common thing in Linden. On the topic that somebody brought up about "if they wanted it to be a 4way stop they would have made it one", I was recently sitting at a garage waiting area and they have tose RMI motoring industry magazines with all the interesting ongoing things. They were discussing the Arive Alive campaigne, which really only focuses on the reduction in speed, and apparently the AA put few a few proposals, some of which make sense, like making all traffic lights ambre flashing lights between 22:00 and 05:00, but they also suggested fazing out stop streets and replacing them with yeild signs. That could be interesting, and would stop a number of rear end accidents when the idiot behind you expects you to yeild at the stop sign, and continues to drive whilst you come to a complete stop infront of him.... but not much would change. EVeryone reads "yeild" anyway

Its on Sunday, at Stonehaven on Vaal. It starts at 8 I think... there's details on the supercycling online entries page, even though obviosly its too late to do online entries. I guess there will be late entries on the day

Is anybody going to do the Summer Challenge in Vanderbijl on Sunday? Or has everyone disappeared down to Durban?

Bio Anabolics makes a really good drink, Bio Cycle. Its very similar to Isodrive, but since you can hardly get that any more... And it got a team of 4 guys through Trans Baviaans... Also on the note of isotonic/hypotonic, surely if you just mix the drink with less powder then it becomes hypotonic. Physiology would tell you that.

what an aweful thing to happen to a wonderful guy. Godspeed Ben!

Always Mountain Kings! Have had awesome experience with them, they last well and are very hardy. From experience, not just mine but that of 3 other people that I train with, the Maxis cross mark wear very fast and blister terribly, resulting in blowouts when you really dont need it. The Killer bees are awesome, I was a bit aprehensive about using them since they look like slicks! But their grip is superbe and they have a very low rolling resistance on gravel, you can really feel the difference. I could'n't say how they last since I fell on my head and had to give the bike back before I had the chance to do further experiments, but would highly recommend them. But, Conti Mountain Kings always come first

Hmmm... i'm there too. fracture dislocation of my right shoulder. I was allowed back on the indoor trainer on monday but i still feel like death every time i get on, i dont seem to have got the anaesthetic out of my body yet. The worst part is I had a sponsored entry for Transbaviaans with my boyfriend, and the use of the most beautiful carbon giant hardtail i have ever seen. so every time i think about missing out on all the racing i burst into tears. oh, and the bit about having to give the bike back since i'm not racing the race. so i'm MTBless too. that parts even more painfull than missing the race

on this topic, has anyone had any problems with the quality of their assos bibs? my boyfriend has a few pairs that were given to him just before the epic so aech pair was used about twice during the race, with the assos cream and were washed in the bag with the special washing shampoo (the blue stuff) but at the back of the chamois, in the middle where there isn't much padding, its got holes in the material. do you reckon they'll fix them or replace them?

Thanks Ronelle. I saw those rollers when I raced overseas, the Chinese teams arrived with so many sets of them it was scary. try wiggle your way into the centre of the track and ask, Id like a pair too!!!

any news on the keiren?

Personally i think anyone on an mtb in a "secluded" (ie there are not 150cars per minute going past!!) area like the spruit is mad not just a security point of view, but health and safety. on monday i went over that cool ramp thing heading towards sandton in the craighall park area on a new bike i had ridden but once before. fortunately, my boyfriend (who egged me on enough to accelerate over the sand heap) was with me. I caugh what was, for me, big air (read about 1.5m ), had a slight panic, bottomed out the shock, pulled the tyre off the rim, dispersed the sludge all over the ground, reseated the rim and then planted my elbow into the ground hard enough to dislocate my shoulder and break the larger tuberosity off the head of my right humerus. Had i been alone, my broken arm would still be lying there, no doubt picked dry of all its meat. instead, i am sitting at my dear friends house,(who has had to do EVERYTHING for me short of wipe my @ss) tilted at a 45 degree angle typing with my left hand and trying to releive the pain from the stitches, the plate and the 8pins. so please, never ever ride your mtb alone

Heres the story. I was unaware of the crack in the frame. I made him aware of the fact that the frame had been resprayed BEFORE I bought it and rode it for 2 years. I was aware of the paint bubbling but couldnt see the cracked carbon. I was riding on it as it was. How do you think I feel now about having ridden it in that state. I can be totally honest and back up the fact that I never once crashed off of that bike. I am not aware of anyone having crashed it before me. But maybe I wasnt given the whole truth? I am a casual worker. I cannot answer my phone at work. Its unprofessional. I am a student. I cannot afford to give him all of his money back at once. I asked my uncle for help because he has more experience in life than I do and I needed his advice. It was unintentiuonal. And I am paying to buy the frame back. Please can you all stop being so excited. I am not the type of person to take someone for a ride.

Hi Cois, Thanks for posting all the pics, could you see if you have any pictures of us? We were the health worx team, 188 Dr Kruger, 189 Buksie and 190 Sydd Thanks very much

Better than Zipps? Never. Better than 303s, 404s!!!! Anyone got some Zipps for the track for me?

On the same day that you do your sprint work on the bike, go to the gym in the morning. Power cleans, squats, leg curls. On the alternate days do plyometrics, get a good medicine ball programme. The plyometrics helps phenomenally. Keep the weights light, and do fast, controlled efforts to keep the benefits of the workout without bulking up. And yes, do track. Nothing teaches you how to sprint like the track. I have a frame for sale if you want

Gary, do you know what the programme looks like. Order of races is great, rough times even better!!! Thanks!

So who's coming to race? Still, I think we should petition to get rid of the elimination for the ladies and ride a scratch instead. It is, after all, a world championship event. What you think??

It depends if she has bacterial meningitis or viral enchefalitis. She probably just has enchephalitis because a bacterial infection makes you violently ill, very fast and I can guarantee she wouldn't be back at work. Enchephalitis isn't really contagious per se, normally what happens is that one would have a virus, most commonly pneumonia but the common cold can cause it too, and the bacteria hang around in the top of your naso-pharynx. There is a plate between your nasopharynx and your brain, that has holes in it to allow nerves to pass through it, and if it becomes inflamed because you have an infection in the area, the bacteria move into the skull area. One doesnt have much of an immune response in the skull cavity and so the virus will spread quickly. Anyyway, to cut a long story short its unlikely with enchephalitis that she will sneeze on you and you will get it. She seems to have a mild form if she is back at work, it can cause anything from dizzyness and vomiting to decreased level of consciousness. However, if you doscover she has meningitis, the herpes virus is the most common cause in adults but again she would be sicker. Or, she could have pneumococcal meningitis in which cas stay very far away and have her contained in the Edenvale hospital where they will prevent an epedemic!!!

What about the track riders???