Gumpole

my start time (group F) is either identical or 5 minutes slower. dont think the gaps have increased. maybe you have been bumped down because the group was too slow in previous years? - assuming you're in the social tandem group

this is funny - 1 week before 94.7, if you drive around the Cradle I'm sure you can find pictures of dumb cyclists riding 3/4/5 abreast. These pictures look more like cyclists behaving 'well'

it also depends on your position in the group: in the front you end up doing a lot of work (but still quicker than by yourself) near the front you do a lot less work but struggle to hold this position with everybody trying to get here near the back you save a lot of energy when the pack is going at a steady pace, but normally the group accelerates and decelerates and you work very hard when this happens. If the group splits you get stuck in the second half (the weak and exhausted guys) right at the back is even worse than above

so the 'good' cyclists get punctures while the guys travelling 3, 4 or 5 abreast miss them

where were the tacks? in the 'cycle lane', left of the road or strewn everywhere?

Had a friend in the UK whose house got broken into by (presumably) kids. they stole some alcohol and snowboarding equipment. This was her first experience with any sort of real crime and she was terribly upset.... here in gauteng if the victim of crime wasn't murdered/ raped/ tortured we count ourselves lucky. so their answers would be the same "crime is rampant where I live" but the level of crime that they experience isn't comparable to RSA.

i think you stand no chance against somebody who has the element of surprise who will take your weapon away, and if they are feeling vindictive spray you with it! cycle in big(ger) groups or outside of RSA/ Gauteng

Why? These guys are scammers, shops dont exist.. whats the point of trying to investigate??

Club 100 - R600 + R25 for thinkbike + R75 (CGC affiliation ) = R700 get hospitality tents marshalled club rides with backup racing teams - if u're a lot faster than me! MTBing (never ridden with them myself) Track ( " " ")

these comparisons are only useful for a TT when you are working the whole way, but i think most people assume that they have tons more power than a powermeter would suggest didn't Landis average 380w when he put 9 minutes into the peleton a few years ago?

Hotels and flights are booked through the internet or agents who can give 'crazy cheap' last minute deals.. it wouldn't work for cycling. Imagine I wake up at 4am to get to a race and enter on the line at 6am, discover that I wont get a 30% discount and then go home sulking!? and if organisers give a discount for day entries then EVERYBODY will enter late = logistical problems and financial disaster on rainy days.

Why? As long as they limit the number to their capacity (water, group sizes, etc) it allows disorganized people to ride a race they might have missed & makes the organisers more money.

I agree with you, cyclists just need to keep in a 'tight' bunch and move through as one 'body' Works fine for 1, 2 3 maybe 4 cyclists. Bigger groups this is disatrous because cyclist number 23 thinks that if the guy in front of him can go through, then so can he.. meanwhile the car waiting is getting very irritated. This phenomenon can be seen on any large club ride

its to encourage people to enter oblivious to the weather conditions on the day... eg if there was a race in jhb this morning and people hadn't pre-entered, nobody would have bothered turning up = big loss to organisers.

If somebody gets hit by a car from the side, who is jumping the lights, then the cyclist will be going through the green light!

the only way to semi-accurately work out energy kCal burned is to use a power meter - otherwise you are 'guestimating' My Polar gives me about 980kCal/hour for a really hard workout and under 700 for a lazy spinning class these calculated on HR levels achieved, V02 levels (pretty old) and weight (also changes a lot)... ie very innacurate!

The frame must be aluminium then - unless it is a size 42 and you sawed off the chainstays.

i agree with douchebag, the only people who should be trying to lose weight just before ANY sporting event are (badly prepared) wrestlers or boxers that have to make a certain category, or not compete at all.

Maybe some of the cycling executives could include these guys: (annual salary, including bonuses) Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton CEO) R75.5 million Mick Davis (Xstrata's CEO) R56.2m Stephen Koseff (Investic CEO) R30.2m Julian Roberts (Old Mutual CEO) R23.9m

dont know but why dont you post it on the snake ID thread and see if you can do it again

price for the lightweight raleigh lookalike? (the only thing wrong with the raleigh is the name and weight ) price and weight for the supernova?

price??

105 is plenty good enough - rather spend extra money on frame. The synapse as far as i know has a more 'relaxed' geometry.. ie less aerodynamic + more comfortable

If thats the 904 with 105 components I think it should be around R14k... haggle with your bike shop and shop around. If I was looking for a bike with 15k to spend I would rather get a 'cheaper' carbon like merida, raleigh, silverback, felt... although a 'cheap' alu. frame will leave more money for lighter components. for the cannondale fans: is a CAAD 9 really cheap? on your original post you said 'different grades of carbon' these will not be stronger, but the bike will be stiffer, lighter and MUCH more expensive

I think running helps your cardio, like swimming, cycling, cross country sking etc.. as said before. pros: 1. you work HARD for 100% when you run, regardless of hills, speed etc. It is physically possible to work as hard while cycling but very easy to 'loaf' while drafting, going downhill, tailwind, daydreaming etc. 2. good for a 'change of scene' 3. good for bone development. 4. biathlons, triathlons are fun. 5. a good quality workout can be done in much less time. 6. easier to avoid taxis, X5s etc 7. cross country! 8. less flipping equipment!! cons: 1. the body takes a long time to get used to the pounding and jarring 2. much easier to get injuries (refer 1.) 3. longer recovery times (especially in light of 1. and 2. above) 4. muscles used are different to cyclists, so muscular development while running isn't helping your cycling much.