andydude

Have you read my posts?! What I'm saying is exactly the opposite in the sense that stealing a loaf is NOT the same as hijacking an armored cash van... But the Epic is saying that it is exactly the same.

It's not excuses, MooToo. It's called reality. Read my posts again. I would venture that 99% of pros and amateurs have 'doped' or 'cheated' if you want to enforce the rules as strict as it was written. Why can teams get outside assistance last year, wheel one day and rain jackets the other, when it's against the rules and they know it. Slapped with a small time penalty. Another rule gets broken, life time ban. No consistency.

No, left lane. They are referring to lanes when they say left. Not left itself. Makes no sebs for a vehicle to ride in the left of the lane. In the middle. Cyclists have full right to ride in the middle of a lane. It's the law.

I agree with you completely and don't get me wrong, I'm completely against doping. But you have to be realistic. Obviously steroids and EPO are blatant cheating to get an advantage, but cough syrup or contaminated supplements with some or other obscure element with no performance enhancing capability? We probably can't have different rules for pros and amateurs, but on the other hand it is difficult to treat them the same and to the same standards. For one it is his job, the other his hobby. The one has a manager and team and resources, the other basically nothing except the internet and the hub.

Not just to you, but to everyone throwing the law argument. The law is simply not relevant for cycling. Do you ride in the yellow lane? Oops, and I quote you, "It is against the law. Period." What now? According to the law we should ride in the middle of the left lane. Both hands on the bars at all times. No standing. Let's see how far you get before a car runs you over. Use your common sense. We are extremely condiderate in trying to stay out of the cars' way. Hugging the pavement on the left. Yes, sometimes I go over a red robot. But nobody seems to understand what it means. It's NOT crossing while other cars are crossing. Only when it's safe. And yes, it can be done. Like I said, stop throwing the law, because then everyone is breaking it. Use your intuition. My primary concern is my safety and secondly I think how can I be as little trouble to other road users. I haven't heard about any cyclists hurting a car driver (except maybe that van!) while every day we hear about cyclists in hospital or being hurt.

Sorry I wasn't sure what 'track log' meant. So I can set it up so that I still have speed and distance, but it doesn't save the actual track/course? I've read the supposedly reasons, but some of these Epic rules are just stupid.

Do you also believe life is black and white? Should every crime be punished with a life in prison? Only in theory is this black and white, but practically it's grey. Can't find it now, but there was a study showing 25% of one manufacturer's supllements were contaminated with illegal substances. Boom, one quarter of fun riders doping. And did you know they make different batches of supplements for pros and the mass market? And no one can guarantee their supplement is clean?

Cool man... and big up for apologising. Like Dale said, you are frustrated, as we all are. If we can't even have a open and civilised debate between us cyclists, what are the chances of bridging the divide between other road users. I'm of the opinion that if you want to see change, start with yourself whether it's cycling, driving, walking. Let's try to be considerate towards others. Not doing the least that's required, but doing more. Show compassion.

Well, I'm riding with my Garmin with GPS enabled, because that's the only way I can get speed and distance since I don't have a magnet on the wheel?

Why are you so confrontational? Why the attack? Legitimate questions were asked by Rapunzel. Have you seen the police report, statement, photos, etc.? People say the car drivers are rude and doesn't care and are aggressive, but it's not them and us, but only us because most of us do in cars what we moan about on bicycles. It's sad whenever somebody get knocked down. But do we have to be so hateful?

Doping is a grey area, as is cheating. And you can't apply black and white rules to greay areas. Did you take the corner two meters early? That's cheating. Did you have cough syrup for your sore throat? That's doping. If they want to be as strict and ban for life all doping and cheating offenses then there would be no Epic riders left. As in law, your punishment should fit the crime.

Easy to say ban them for life, but I would guess most funriders have 'doped' somewhere in the last few months leading up to the Epic by way of medicine and/or supplements etc. I'm just highlighting the practical side although I'm completely against doping.

Not me.

Saw the crash on the TV just now. Don't think you can blame the tandem. It was a small group for a change and should've been incident free. But sometimes life happens.

Congratulations and respect to everyone! The Argus remains a beautiful race.

They were on the ice, six days a week, busting their feet... oh wait...

Has anybody questioned whether the Ladies, VA, VB, VC and A start together as one group? I want to ask them if that is so and whether they think it's a good idea since you could have one big group sprinting for five different categories.

These are the stats comparing the starting groups on the y-axis and the seeding index on the x-axis. Obviously it makes sense, although it doesn't talk to whether the seeding is correct in the first place, but I believe it's more correct than wrong.

Tongue in cheek, but would you also pay R75 directly to Zuma for Nkandla even though R5 might go to the general social welfare of the country? I'm not saying the CSA is corrupt and I'm not saying that they are not.

Do people really believe pro athletes are clean? Or perhaps clean "legally", meaning the new doping methods haven't been discovered yet by anti-doping as was the case of EPO in the 90s?

Where's that link again with all the hubbers and start groups?

No sms. Edit: Received my message five minutes after posting no sms!

I'm actually very interested in how this pans out. Would be nice to do that comparison of different times and finishers in each group in percentage terms last year (posted on a previous page on this thread) and then after this years Argus.

Injections are illegal, not the actual vitamin B. In any case, it hasn't been proven to actually work over and above eating vitamin B.