Topwine

It is stupid isn't it? I also looked long and hard to find a light bike for my 10 year old son, that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. There is definitely a gap in the market for a far lighter spec 24" MTB . Compared to these kids weight, the current bikes on offer is way out of proportion. In the end I found a cheap Spirit Surge at a LBS for R 1200-00. The complete bike weighed around 12.5 kg's, the same as my Anthem X1. It was an 18 speed though which made hill climbing very difficult for him. I then ordered a new back hub, 8 speed cluster , chain and shifters from CRC together with an order of mine, and rebuilt his back wheel. I don't think I paid more than R400 extra. Now he has a decent "light" and very affordable 24" MTB and he flies on it!

Well, I'll advise you to go and look at the statistics. The top guys in extreme sports like kayaking etc, all either die or get seriously injured if they continue to do what they do, the way they do. There is a saying in the financial world: You get bold traders and you get old traders, but you don't often find an old, bold trader ! This you can extrapolate to extreme sports as well.

Wow, you call yourself an engineer and then argue the way you do ? You are obviously young and naive. I don't have a problem with that, and it looks like nobody will convince you anyhow. You are in a defensive mode and your mind is not thinking clearly. One day, when you are older and wiser, you will reason differently. Just tell me this, if you have a degree in engineering, did they teach you something about safety factors in designing ?

You are wasting your time with them PaarlMTB. People like Willehond and Bikemonster have no other way to debate the issues or facts at hand. Normally when they have no arguments left, they revert to attacking the person instead of the argument, to try and make the other guy stop or go away and hide their own incompetence.

OMG, do you have an IQ of 1 !

If you don't want to wear your chip, that's of course your own choice. But I don't think PPA has the right to make that choice for all of their members. And please, tell us WHY PPA can not display at least all of those that chose to wear transponders?

I understand your point, but how do you know what is the wish of PPA members? I as a PPA member want to have all the participants' time displayed, as a service and benefit to ME, to compare how I have performed against the whole field. What was the point otherwise of buying a chip, or even of timing the event for that matter?

SA-MTB is the division of Cycling South Africa that is directly responsible for mountain biking in South Africa. SA-MTB, together with Road and Track, BMX and Recreational Cycling, form Cycling South Africa (CSA). SA-MTB Contacts # Name Position Mobile Phone Number 1 Andrew Nicholson Director 0824956276 2 Johann Wykerd High Performance 0828573735 3 Richard Durrant Technical 0834000620 4 Grevile Ruddock Selectors 0827813551 5 Antionette Harding Border 0834411108 6 Charl Joubert Eastern Cape 0720812802 7 Charles Roberts KZN 0833232222 8 Sam Nienaber Southern Cape 0833013375 9 Christelle le Roux Western Cape 0827825338 10 Brett Coates Mpumalanga 0827745821 11 Derek Palmer Gauteng North 12 Retief Frysen Gauteng North 0833766771 13 Terence Casey CGC 0722243536

Agreed, for cheapest option though, relocate to the WC ! This is optional though, not?

Cheapest option to take part in Funrides/races in the future for individuals? CSA license = R75-00 ROAG club membership = R50-00 Looks like R 125-00 a year atm. This is reasonable I think. I would want to see family discount options as well though. Now this is what I would want CSA to do for us in return for the money paid to them: 1. Get a countrywide central database of cyclists. 2. Get a standard system and fee for all online entry companies. Preferably, I would want them to administer this, or outsource to a single 3rd party, because I don't want to register my credit card deatils with 10 unknown event companies and/or online entry companies that have doubtful security measures ... 3. Have a standardized, universal chip system in place for timing purposes, so that no matter where or from whom I buy a chip, it should be able to be used at any event. 4. Universal access to ALL results of ALL events for ALL CSA members ! If I have left something out, please add. These measures should do a lot to lower the costs of admin and event entry fees, which should be to the benefit of all members. Then only shall I feel that they are doing something sensible with all the money they get from us.

I totally agree. Not showing ALL the competitors' time is not only bad service for the visitors and non PPA members, but also rude to me as a PPA member. Surely I want to see everyone's time! I paid for that. They must start treating participants as true customers of a business if they want to stay in business. In my opinion PPA actually made some big business blunders by acting in a monopolistic, capitalistic way. They actually encouraged other timing companies to start providing services in competition. I also bought a Racetec chip and am now sorry I did, because there are now so many other good MTB events and races that are not hosted by PPA and not timed by Racetec, that I rarely use the chip. They let a good opportunity slip by being greedy. As an MTB only rider, they also host too few worthy events to really justify the subs. If it was not for the CSA license, I would drop them in a heartbeat next year.

Yes, it makes sense. It seems then that it pretty much depends on the intensity firstly, and then secondly for how long this intensity or race/training is going to last. This would seem to explain how in MTB racing which is very high intensity, expecially steep climbing on uneven terrain, demands so much more energy and depletes muscle glycogen stores so more quickly than regular cycling?

Sure, send it. I was hoping you would comment on the fact that above 75% VO2 MAx intensity levels, the energy burned from fat is negligible ? That surely would imply that you need, carbs, and a LOT of it at high intensity levels of training or racing?

Read the image then, dont know why you cant read it.

Did you scroll down to it? I just tried again and can access it.

Hi Mark What would your comment be after reading this research here: page 156 Fat oxidation and exercise intensity http://books.google.co.za/books?id=ul-UlX5F84sC&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=rebound+hypoglycemia+jeukendrup&source=bl&ots=wftrAyz30O&sig=Xi9j6re_ARkieWjIjJ4ehZrgda0&hl=en&ei=DUyiTNX5EcWVswaokZmKBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

For a very easy to understand explanation of the different sugars, their metabolism and the roles in our body, this link is a definite must read, Sugars4Kids

I on the other hand was not referring to fructose on its own as regards to absorption rate. You are confusing the rate of absorption with the amount of available energy. Fructose CAN be used for energy, its energy does not get "lost". It just gets absorbed very slowly on its own, and also then have to be converted into glucose first by the liver before its available in the blood. Actually, fructose taken together with glucose, as is the case with sucrose, the absorption is much quicker. Do you agree that even 32GI, when broken down by enzymes in the digestive system, also consists of 1 molecule of glucose for every molecule of fructose. Another thing that I would like to know from you, is whether you guys add any extra fructose to Palatinose in your product to either sweeten the mixture or lower the GI index ?

Hi Mark You are probably right on the GI index of Fructose being closer to 19 (even better !) but 1 source I saw had it at 32. You are however not accurate by stating that fructose cannot be used for energy, as nearly all fructose is converted into glucose by the liver. Only a small amount of fructose is being used directed by some cells like sperm etc. Even the energy of 32GI is half glucose and half fructose, the same as sucrose.

Hi Bikemonster I also train on Game for the same reasons as you, and while Mark and I have debated this issue via private mail and largely agree, lets see what he has to say later. In the mean time, I'll give my thinking and understanding of this matter Physiologically. I invite anyone to differ with my understanding and to contribute to my knowledge! Your body can use 3 sources of energy: 1. Carbohydrates (in various forms, 1.1 monosaccharides ie glucose, fructose and galactose, 1.2, disaccharides, example(sucrose or sugar) which are made up out of 1 molecule each of glucose and fructose)and 1.3 polisaccharides, further more complex carbs for example starch. It is important to note that the body can only absorb simple sugars like glucose. The other forms have to be broken down by the body's digestive system into glucose, fructose and galactose first, before it becomes useful to the body cells. 2. Proteins Proteins can be broken down into glucose to feed your muscles in the absense of enough carbs. This is of course undesirable for most athletes trying to get stronger. 3. Fats Fats is an important source of energy for the body, but it is NOT glucose ! Fats are broken down into fatty acids and gliserol and then further converted into energy source for the cells and muscles. However, certain body cells can ONLY USE GLUCOSE as energy source, like the Brain and red blood cells as examples. This is important, because that is why you cannot only use fats as energy source , even though 1g of fat has 37.8 kJ of energy compared to 16.8 kJ of 1g carbs. Secondly, fats are only burned efficiently if burned together with a small amount of glucose. So to summarise: You need glucose and fats as energy source. Each individual is different and the min amount of glucose needed will vary according to athletic condition, cell genetics , exercise intensity, duration etc. This is a complex field which probably can only be approximated by personal experience and training. As Mark says the object is obviously to train the body to burn more fat for energy and training increases this effeciency of the body. However, there is a min amount of glucose needed for the activity and intensity levels required. This brings us to the sources of this glucose, which is probably the centre of this debate. Over the course of your activity or event you can either eat food, or drink a sports drink, or do both. Mark's product, 32GI, has a GI of 32, which incidently is the same as fructose ! This means the glucose equivalent in the product will be released in the blood stream over a longer period compared to sucrose and glucose based products like our GAME for instance. This does not make GAME or any other sucrose (dextrose) product inferior or bad. Mark is advocating that for most people consuming high GI sports drinks will lead to a spike in blood glucose levels, causing an insulin response which will lead to reduced fat burn and thus reduced energy production and the dreaded bonk. This is however not proved in independent studies and must be viewed in terms of who are making these claims. For a very good explanation of the Glycemic index concept and how it relates to performance in endurance events, see the link here, http://www.cptips.com/gi.htm To quote, "Some athletes and coaches have speculated that altering the GI of the training diet or pre race meal might influence their performance with a low GI pre race meal conferring an advantage (less insulin surge and blood sugars remaining elevated over a longer period of time post meal). However, controlled studies have failed to demonstrate any advantages of a low compared to a high GI pre-race meal." So yes, I also use Game as a cheap source of glucose and I also use Milo as a cheap and tasty recovery drink ! But I think I can probably make my very own sports drink even cheaper, because Game still costs over R40/kg and simple sugar costs R7 kg ! 32GI costs way over R200 /kg ! You pay for the luxury of being able to buy it easily and not having to do your own blending.

As far as I know, you can specify ESCROW payment on Alibaba, where they don't release payment to the supplier before you confirm delivery. I did this once for sunglasses and when the supplier did not ship, the money was paid back into my Paypal account. I am not sure if all suppliers on Alibaba agree to escrow though, but it would be safest to specify this before purchasing anything !

Hi Mark Can I just start by saying that I highly respect your knowledge on nutrition and enjoy and value the contribution you are making on this forum regarding nutrition and fitness training in general. Reading your FAQ document however, as well as the info on your website, I have a few more questions on 32Gi if you don't mind. 1. You state that 32GI actively promotes fat store tapping. You also says that "32Gi™ is known to oxidise as much as 28% more fat than competing products." Could you care to explain how 32GI does this actively? 2. Looking at the graphs of blood glucose levels provided in your FAQ and also the website, why are the graphs different for 32GI's curve? In the one on the website there is a definite gradual decline after reaching a peak, but on the one from your FAQ, there is sort of plato reached and the decline only starts much later. 3. Looking at both graphs, and comparing the area under the graphs which in essence represents the amount of energy available in the blood, it would seem that either 32GI have more kJ available per unit mass, or there is more energy available from other sources. Could you maybe explain this kJ difference? 4. Why are you not willing to make public an independent test(s) done on 32GI to verify all the claims? Many people have previously on this forum asked for public information on tests done, and so far you have declined to oblige. 5. Then lastly, is 32Gi a sort of "Magic" formula or potion (Asterix fame) , or can the benefits be achieved by other competing low GI energy drinks or even better, the generic form of carbohydrates used in 32GI called Isomaltulose ?

Thank you so much for this link Michelle! I have been wondering about something and have been meaning to ask Mark about it. From the Gifoundation website: "There is no such thing as a good or bad carbohydrate food. All carbohydrate foods can fit into a healthy diet”) – it all depends on when you eat it, how much you eat and with what you combine it. For example, although low GI food is usually the preferred choice, a high GI sports drink is perfect during and after running a marathon, as a low GI drink during or after intense exercise could, in fact, can result in hypoglycemia and insufficient replenishment of carbohydrate in the muscle and liver." I wanted to know from Mark, that surely you can't overindulge in a low GI sports drink. Surely you need to determine your energy needs during a race/training and then fuel your body accordingly, either by moderate amounts of low GI energy sources in longer time frames or smaller amounts of high GI fuels in shorter time frames? This would fit in with what is said in the above website as well as what IanJ has said in this thread. I also would like to ask Mark if their product was independently tested according to the internationally accepted procedures and maybe have an GIFSA endorsement ?

Do you know how tight a tractor can turn compared to a Toyota Corolla ? You'll be pleasantly surprised, the corolla does not come close !

I agree whole heartily ! I am seeing this MTB industry becoming more fragmented by the day. New races all the time (a good thing), More and more event organizers (not necessarily a good thing) Every event organizer has (wants) it's own online registration and payment facility (Bad thing, I don't want to give my credit card details to every Tom Dick and Harry) Race results not available on a central database. (bad thing, prevents 1 central seeding system) Certain race results only available to certain club members etc, etc. (bad thing) I could go on, but I think the picture is clear.