The Doctor

Screenshots are looking normal on Safari, Firefox, IE and Chrome this side. What you using V12?

Hi V12. Please give me a call on 0833266911 to give me your list of corrections as you suggested. Thanks, Jeroen

Anything else you can find that we can change? Please feel free.

Hi Celler, Thank you for picking up. The site launched yesterday and some of the content was corrupted and reverted to old data. As Burry's former coach and friend and Cherise's ongoing coach and friend, I would certainly not be wanting the content to come up as it did. We have corrected it and welcome constructive feedback. V12. I have no idea what you are referring to regarding logo's being blurred and content areas being without reference. Feel free to be specific. Your comment seems to come from a rather negative motive. Or are you always like that? Lots of love to the hub. Jeroen

Please feel free to leave it open.

Not enough and not often enough.

Always a pleasure.

Hi Everyone, To clarfiy: 1) I am a selector for MTB SA only. I am not involved in any other selection panel. MTB selections are predominantly by performance relative to the highest standard. In XC this is based on % of the riders lap time in comparison to the winners. There is a very objective selection process in place and it is not based on any subjective viewpoint. This process is open to review by any person who wishes to assess the selection process. As a panel we regularly consider changes based on feedback from any individuals who wish to comment on the process. If there is any bias (intended or otherwise) this can and would be exposed easily. If you find any bias in the selection, please provide details. 2) I do not coach any junior or sub-junior athletes at present. 3) My involvement with Cadence Nutrition was to ensure that there was an ethical, scientific product choice available and the product represents the highest standard in terms of quality, efficacy, transparency and contamination risk. We pride ourselves on this and if you have any concerns, please provide us with feedback. 4) My work for SAIDS is as a doping control review officer. We review cases post analysis that are coded and completely anonymous. We do not have the ability to decide who gets tested or when they get tested. We therefore have no ability to bias the outcome of any cases. I trust that the above clarifies my position.

You can have an ErgoFiT done at Design in motion cycles in Morningside or at Active Physio in Alberton. CYCLELAB Fourways will be up and running in a few weeks too.

Too true.

Gareth does a great job.

A very cheap potshot taken from an anonymous position. Perhaps you should be more open and disclose who you are and your motives. For the record: ErgoFiT is a 2 step process. The first is a predictive report based on 8 years worth of data on over 3000 individuals and an advance regression analysis of key variables that affect fit (not averages).These include age, sex, training history, training volume, flexibility and the standard static measurements. There is no other system anywhere in the World that is even close to ErgoFiT's accuracy in predicting fit. BG fit does not have a predictive component. The second step to ErgoFiT (dynamic component) is similar to BG Fit. However, where BG fit relies on subjective interpretation and the experience and expertise of the fitter, ErgoFiT removes subjectivity and uses defined reference ranges. The ErgoFiT includes foot alignment and varus / valgus correction. It also incorporates a key variable that BG fit ignores - Hip angle. ErgoFiT allows for accurate fitting which largely removes the experience level of the fitter, allowing stores to provide a superior fitting without necessarily going through a complex learning process. In addition, ErgoFiT uses training volume and history to determine saddle setback, rather than the widely used plumbline method which would result in the same setback position for a "newbie" or an elite professional of 20yrs (providing stature and femur length are the same). A method that has absolutely no scientific merit whatsoever. Dr Pruitt has massive experience and has had the privelage of working with many of the top teams and athletes (largely through his alignment with Specialized). However, Dr Pruitt is a podiatrist by training, and not an exercise physiologist, sports scientist or medical doctor. Likewise, we have had the privelage of working with and continue to work with many of the World's best cyclists. For a more objective review of the scientific credibility of Dr Pruitt or myself, head over to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ or www.google.com/scholar and do a search on either of us ("Andrew Pruitt" or "Jeroen Swart"). Peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts = 1 (Pruitt) vs 18 (Swart) at last count. Thanks once again for your input "Fitter".

Hi Guys Centres offering ErgoFiT and ErgoMAX: Western Cape: Sports Science Institute of SA Olympic Cycles Renay Groustra - Epic Cycles Jaco Van Loggerenberg - www.ride-right.com Circle Cycles Complete Cyclist Paceline Cycles Gerrie Berner Biokinetics* John O Connor The Tri-shop* Willie Engelbrecht* Cycleteknix* Cycle Factory* Helderberg* Line Griffiths / Chris Willemse Cycles Bridge Cycles* Gauteng: Active Physio - Alberton Cyclelab JHB Design In Motion Cycletech* Northcliff Cycles* DBN: Gareth Harrington PE: CycloPro* Those marked * use the system but are not using the product regularly enough for me to be confident of their technique

I don't think Dirt Girl will come and see me. I might accidentaly stick a skewer in her eye.

Yaaawn! Mars: We really are getting tired of your questions on ethics and advertising and... Won't you please do me a favour and find something useful to do.

To answers some of the questions posted: There are a number of factors that ARE associated with cramping. These include: A family history of cramping. Infrequent stretching. Long history of running. Excessively high starting intensity in races. Races which significantly exceed training distance. Altered biomechanics which overload a muscle group/s. If you do cramp: Change to a slightly harder gear but lower the cadence significantly. This activates the golgi tendon organ and will help delay the cramping. You will eventually cramp if you continue riding. If you are unable to ride, get off, stretch the affected area continuously for a few minutes or until the cramps abate and then continue.The Doctor2009-11-14 10:15:03

Chris: If you saw the appalling conditions that these kids live in and the daily struggles that they encounter, you would feel a little less inclined to be so critical. They are wildly enthusiastic and maybe that borders on reckless on some occassions. Just like you and me and everyone else, they form a very mixed group of pesonalites. Some are anal about their equipment and some just ride and live for the moment. Next time, take the time to talk to them about the dangers on the road. You will see that they are receptive when approached in a calm and rational manner.

Perhaps they are inspired by all the "non-developement" riders out there that ride 4 abreast along all our major roads. Last Saturday I saw at least 10 groups of 20 riders or more, all over the road. I guess they are o.k. but not those damn development riders!

Dirt Girl: FYI - All universities have an ethics committee that approves research prior to the commencement of any studies. UCT requires that all studies conform to the declaration of helsinki as well as concerns raised by the very large ethics panel. You can therefore stop harrassing the various researchers. Is it just me or do you generally just look to stir?

Requirements:<?: PREFIX = O /> ­ Healthy male cyclists between age 18 and 45 Cyclists who have completed on average at least 8 hrs of training a week for the last 6 weeks What will be required of you? ­ One VO2 max test and 4 x 100 km TT tests ­ Benefits: ­Comprehensive Bike fitting by Dr Jeroen Swart Full analysis of your performance tests ­ An opportunity to get in some long rides in a warm, dry environment An 8 week individualised training program by Dr Jeroen Swart Venue: ? Sports Science Institute of <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><?: PREFIX = ST1 />South Africaon> Contact: jeroen.swart@uct.ac.za or 083 3266911

For more on bike setup please read my article in the Feb issue of Bicycling

Hi Guys Simply changing the stem length or the saddle setback to alter reach are both going to lead to compromises. Firstly, the stem length not only affects the directness of the steering but also alters the forces acting on the front tyre. Top tube length and stem length in combination with setup together determine the front contact patch loading. On a mountainbike this has a fairly dramatic effect on handling. The same applies to road bikes but requires that you ride at some speed into a corner to notice the difference. The front tyre contact patch is the area of the tyre which is in contact with the road surface after deformation of the tyre. In addition to friction co-efficients, the angle of forces acting on the contact patch determine when the tyre will break free. In addition, the fork offset and head tube angle affect the lateral loading of the tyre sidewall during cornering. At low tyre pressures and high tyre volumes (such as on a mountainbike), this can be a signifcant factor affecting the grip levels and handling. On a road bike, off camber corners and wet and dirty roads can result in either understeer or oversteer depending on the position of the centre of gravity over the front axle. Think Joseba Beloki and broken hips as an example. Messing around with the saddle setback is also not such a good idea. Saddle setback is a key determinant of which muscle group the cyclist uses to recruit force. A very large setback will result in having to push the cranks forward during the knee extension phase and as a result will recruit more muscle from the hip extensors (gluteal muscles). A short setback results in the quadriceps becoming more active. Which of these two is better? Using the gluteal muscles (the single largest muscle in the body) can result in greater force being applied to the pedals or otherwise greater endurance when lower forces need to be applied for prolonged periods of time. In addition, the body?s ability to recruit the gluteal muscles improves with time spent on the bike. This is why a number of elite cyclists and older cyclists use such excessive setbacks. However, there are a number of negative consequences to having large amounts of setback. The first is that the knee extensors (quadriceps) utilise the lowest oxygen consumption to generate a particular force. This means that for shorter duration exercise or very intense efforts, the quadriceps act more efficiently in generating power. Secondly, the knee extension cycle (produced by the quadriceps) produces forces which are more perpendicular to the crank arm, making the force production more efficient. Thirdly, the transition into and out of the saddle is easier with less saddle setback. Finally, a more rearward position created by excessive saddle setback will effectively increase the reach of the cyclist, possibly over extending the position, with all of the negative consequences associated with this as well as placing the hip joint in an overflexed position, reducing the ability to produce power. So in short, when I recommend that you buy a bike with a 54cm or 54.5cm top tube, it is for a valid reason. I don't profit from the bike industry.

I agree but then they should take that specific youngster to task, not label all of his team mates and the entire organisation.