JJDT

The road to Hekpoort is dangerous (Road narrow) and add a bicycle to the mix it would mean possible accidents waiting to happen with some drivers. If you ride alone (training) it is your choice to face the danger. I know there is an indemnity from the organisers that you compete at own risk but the choice of route. You can ride in the cradle and still make up the distance. You will be faced by congestion because of other training rides but it will be a safer bet IMO.

My 2c about medical aid. It goes beyond just doctors and hospitals. You also need to look at medical devices as such. Just a recent scenario: the guy whose leg was munched by a shark a few weeks ago. His doctors, specialists, hospital bills were payed(even just on a hospital plan) but now he needs a "new" leg to stand on . These prostetic devices are not cheap and the medical aid will cover most if not all of the costs. I currently use hearing aids and my daughter as well and these things are expensive, a basic Phonak hearing aid is about R19k. Without medical aid I simply can not afford these devices, I do not have full hearing loss but 50% to 60% and these devices sure makes life easier. So during the last 4 years I have used about R70k on these devices with only minimal expenses from my pocket. To summarise these days a medical aid is just a must.

My few cents? Are you a pro racing for the winning purse or just a "fun rider"? Fun rider in the sense that you do it as a sport in amateur status. You may beat your PB or your mates but you will gain nothing but bragging rights. Will you still say it is "THE ARGUS" if you are unable to enter or race for whatever personal reason if it was the original route and everything was normal? Maybe, but you will accept the fact and just enter for next year. Treat this race us such, if you are in CT enjoy the short route and maybe just don't race hard and enjoy the scenery that CT has to offer right now.

Thanks for the replies, should've stated JHB area.

Where can I go to have minor paint scratches repaired without a complete frame respray? During the past weekend my son participated in the SA Schools Adventure Racing Championships and during the transit of his bike to the next point the paint got damaged. In short my fault(somewhat bad planning- a long story for another day) and now I'm looking for someone who will be able to assist me to get the paint repaired. Damage:

Let us call in the real experts to deliver the verdict.

Used to cycle everywhere when I was in high school. When I was in matric most of my buddies had bikes and I used to tag along with the bicycle, I was very fit at that stage. Program mostly looked like this go home after school, dress in the athletics, rugby or cricket clothing back to school, after practice would join my buddies at their house and finally go home again. Cycling was mere my mode of transport as opposed to a sport these days.

To sum it up...free marketing for Cyclesure... just had to at this statement "All our personnel are cyclists, so they have the product knowledge and understanding to deal with these claims very efficiently," Maybe we should point IOL to the cyclesure thread....

Seatpost is about 1/2 way out, first thing I checked when I saw the crack. @Aaron_B no I'm not the original owner, bought the bike about two years ago privately.

Refer to my topic regarding the shifting, now I have an even bigger problem. Yesterday afternoon while cleaning my bike saw this crack on the frame. Can it be repaired? Was this basically the weakest point on the frame?

I hope they see this topic. I'm struggling for the past few races now to get them to load my correct number. I have send quite a few mails to get my number corrected as I only bought one number. The last time they said everything is sorted and my details are correct. Received my seeding mail this morning and saw that nothing has been corrected still the old number with the seeding. I'm not to stressed about the seeding as I'm normally in the middle of the pack and I will never even get a top 10, 50 or even 100 finish. Rant off

I do have this weird problem and thinking it is a possible shifter problem. Bike is a GT with a Deore LX crankset and a Deore casette. When I'm riding and find a climb that I need to shift in the low gear (1st) and putting in effort to climb (standing) the chain slips on the middle chainring (feels like it need to shift down to the crawl gear but it stops between the two chainrings). If I engage the shifter to shift to the large chainring as to bring the chain back there is nothing feels like a shifter with no tension at at all. Release the shifter and shift again then there is tension again. Only does this in the low gear the rest of the gears is fine even when pedalling hard in those gears. I have replaced the casette, chain and the chainring with new parts.

1/2 cent R1 from the note to the coin.

Nothing because the Jury members are required to set emotions aside and just look at the facts. In this case it was an individual riding the correct line and not in the middle of the road. Your thinking can come into play if the taxi crashed into a bunch of cyclists and the defense brings up the behavior of cyclists for defending his clients action.

This is my gripe also just playing for money. If you want to earn a few $$$ from rugby you need to play outside of SA. I do not have a problem if they retire from local rugby in order to fill their pension fund out of SA and they make it into those teams. But if you opt to play rugby outside of SA and earn your $$$ you need not to selected for the national squad, their is enough talent in SA to fill the shoes of those who left. If you always rely on the same players overseas to play we will come into a situation that there is no backup. This is happening now with the current locks, we did not grew the latent on lock position enough, the current locks are all injured and now we have to rely on these players. The message is clear for the younger guys play overseas earn your $$$nand if you are good enough their you will be selected for the boks.

Opted for this event instead of the USN MTB race. Did the 30km and enjoyed it some good technical sections, awesome single track and a nice long climb (maybe on par with the Monster climb). It was very cold to start of at 7:25 the car registered a -4.5 outside temp. Very nice event and not many riders = to nice open track even if you start way back in the field. Anyone know where the results can be viewed?

Be patient they do take their time to sort it out, if you do not receive feedback after 3 days mail them again. I had the same issue during their last 3 races and it took them about a week to solve the problem. Contact them after every race because the "fix" was not permanent the results were rectified but after the next races back to square one. The next race I will go to their table and verify if all is correct before I start because I know if I do not do this I will end up again with a DNF.

Agree on this stage we do have a problem with locks because of injuries. The scrumhalf you mentioned imo I think Reinach deserves a naming because he was plying well last year and this year as well just before his injury, choosing Pienaar who is not up to par... What about Brussow he is currently the best no6 in SA? Surely there are better fullbacks than Kirchner.... Goosen who was rushed to play for the boks is having an injury nightmare...Steyn on the other hand is struggling with injuries...Catrikillis and Boshoff should've been rewarded to be in the squad.

What about a gift for Hollard for making work of Carpet's claim...Nick could do for some gifts....

Have to agree with 'Dale on the bokke. Not into the racism debate but with the "expats" playing. The guys at home in all provinces or franchises to give their best in order to be selected. The coach on the other hand is more interested in the "pensioners" or who turned their back on Bok rugby to play for $$$. Surely it is their right to make up for a pension and to be chosen for their respective clubs for matches. Well you need experience but there is quite a few guys at home with experience to coach the "noobs" in the squad. Basically saying to the guys here no use to play for the bok squad because it will be a fruitless effort.

Is there a route profile somewhere?

Gen will your hubby comfort you when you will start with your withdrawel symptoms Let those wounds heal properly before you ride/race again.

These two races are next week Saturday. I have done 3 events at Red Barn and no issues with the track. Never did the Konka. Both venues are about the same distance from home. Should I venture in unknown territory or stay with what I know? Have Recovered from a nasty cold/flu so will only do the 30km.

Thanks for the replies. @Off da brakes the nut is still in the headset cap so will not work. Meezo how diffucult is it to fit a new nut, do just knock it down from the top. Will the "arms" of the nut not expand further if you knock it from the bottom to get it out.

Can the starnut inside the steerer tube be knocked out. Recently bought a new handlebar and stem and when I fitted everything I saw that the headset cap bolt was a bit to long. My son by not realising that the bolt was a bit to long tightened it and basically tightened it to much. Bought smaller bolts today and now when I try to remove the bolt it seems that either the thread has stripped or something else is loose, the bolt just turns without comming out. The only thing is basically to try and knock it out from the bottom if possible. Any other suggestions. I need the bike seeing that I have enterred for the monster.