buckstopper

Check http://www.ciclicasati.it/english/foto_laser.htm# Casati Steel frame "Laser"

Last year's u16 tour had 14 girls (6 juniors, 7 u16's and a 19 year old.) Only 1 rider stayed with the boy's bunch on the 1st stage (she fell at the start of the 2nd stage). I don't think the Junior Tour is the right place for the girls, but I understand that the purpose was to build them up to World's standard, and a tour like this - if it doesn't break you, will make you stronger. Personally I would like to see the girls ride with the u16's, but start separately. (Junior Worlds is only 80km for the girls). To build numbers it could possibly be opened to Vet Ladies as well. The pre-event marketing last year for the girls was almost non-existent from the organisers side, although to their credit they did have a pink jersey. If run alongside the boy's event a lot of the costs will already be borne. At least this way the girls can race without the boys. The only danger is that the standard may not rise, although the true racers will emerge.

It's very sad that some hubbers will take a swipe at a 16 year old girl who is the 2007 SA tt and road race champ. Equally annoying is that others jump on the bandwagon, declaring 'disqualify' etc on the basis of a very unclear photo and someone else's comment - a rumour. Michelle is a seriously talented and tough competitor who deserves the benefit of the doubt - indeed the law presumes innocence until proven guilty, not the other way round. What Michelle achieved in that tour was way beyond my predictions. She deserves encouragement, not execution without trial. Well done girl!

It looks like there is a kerb in the background - which is where the crit is held. Also if they were trying to "cheat" why would the Mr Price guy be pulling her next to where a car is parked?

Breeze, I agree that Development is not getting enough attention. Are you implying that you would stand for nomination? If so, what would you do for the youth, boys and girls and of course there's transformation?

On the CSA website, under track calendar, I found an entry for CG track and road carnival, organised by the LPCC, whoever that is. There seems to be no energy to market these events. I saw a little post on the CGC website for CG road champs, with typos and no closing date. I went to enter at the new offices and queried why they hadn't put it on the Cyclelab entries page. I was told that it cost too much and that it seemed no-one was interested in riding. Does the blame lie with cyclists for not riding or with the provincial body for not promoting the sport?

Exactly the reason for my post. I am wrestling with this issue right now. I wonder if it has something to do with taller riders doing better at TT. I believe the purpose of the law originally was to avoid riders adopting the Obree almost prone position, an ill-considered knee-jerk reaction type law, perhaps. I am surprised so few people supposedly in the know, either don't know, are deliberately quiet, or haven't raised the issue.

The 50mm law is referred to under the road bike section of UCI regs. I could not find it expressly stated in the TT section. They enforced it at SA's last year (although I suspect not entirely thoroughly). With the angles of TT bikes being what they are, for anybody under a large size, the 50mm law is going to become an issue. What it means is that a shorter rider becomes geometry compromised when compared with the taller rider - as the saddle goes higher it moves further bac, giving the taller rider this unfair angle advantage. I'm setting up a small Giant TCR for my daughter at 73cm seat height, with a neutral (no setback) Thomson seatpost I have to set the seat (a short seat at that) behind the centre marking on the seat rail to conform. This on a road bike. How does anybody with an inseam of less than about 80cm enter the TT, riding a TT bike with a Fizik saddle,say, conform? A well known cyclist and TT boff I spoke to says (perhaps being a bit vague) that so long as the nose did not protrude past the bb that it should be ok. Last year at SA's we were compromised by this law and had to move the seat back 40mm on the start line! There were no rules published prior to the event. The question is well the enforce what is really not a fair law, that would give a Cashandra Slingerland an advantage over an Anriette Schoeman, for example.

Don't you mean strength? You can get stronger riding an IDT by riding with more resistance, and doing intervals in bigger gears. Unless you're racing during the winter, twice a week an hour at a time, would be plenty to keep ticking over and doing the big rides on the weekend. Rather do base and then start building (climbing) August. A big aerobic engine is a great platform to go and do strength training on

No personal experience with tubbies, but this was recently sent to me by a friend. http://www.analyticcycling.com/CycleOps/PowerTapSLAlps.html

What does this mean for the a. recreational b. licenced/elite cyclist?

That's it. Jinxed................they call it commentators curse

Well done Cherise. We're very proud of you!!!! Off to Italy to ride the Nova Coli (5000m climbing) in May? Ps those 2 incidental DiData riders were the 2 Benekes I think.

My first look at this post. If that is a small Giant you could well find the seat post too short. My daughter 1.65m at 81cm inseam had the 350mm post on its max on a TCR small (circa 2000). You will probably need a 27.2mm seatpost of 400mm in length or so to give you enough for inside the frame. Quick steering bike, short top tube, setup could be quite aggressive. I would say bike a bit small for your brave Bonnie as specced.

Find an U16 to train with and then use the gears they ride in. Put a 27-16 cluster on the back. Better still do a race with them in their gears. At Carnival the u16 winner averaged over 40kmh (63km in 89 min). riding in a 52/16 at 45kmh your cadence is about 120......

Methinks the originator of this thread created it more for effect than its content. We all know its just to stir up emotions, although it does have positive reactions and many come to the defence of SA women's cycling. Perhaps this is Sernoche's real agenda after all....

Were they wearing blue or white shirts?

Heard the ladies were exhausted from their journey...... No names no packdrill buckstopper2008-02-27 14:31:07

So Crux, you seem to have the inside track on this issue. Pray do tell, why were the girls left less than 24 hours to arrive in NZ, transfer to the race venue, rest, acclimatise, (11 hour time gap after flights/stopovers of approx 16 hours), rest more, go for a ride to get the feel of the place and then be ready to ride an intense crit against some of the very best cyclists in the world in order for SA to improve its ranking. It would seem that these poor girls are being set up to fail, just so that some people who don't really want them to succeed can say "I told you so." Everything that surrounds womens' cycling in SA seems to be done on a whim and defies logic. Little wonder, then. It was not as if the girls were given an opportunity to rest on the day of departure. They raced with the super vets finishing in a time of 24 minutes faster than the other Elite ladies. I have travelled to NZ a couple of times. It takes about a week to adjust. Did CSA not learn anything from the trek to the tour of China? Or was it a case of the few extra nights of accommodation was going to cost too much. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Who there knows anything about high performance????buckstopper2008-02-26 22:54:59

I believe the concept of lap-racing (10-20km long laps) needs to be revisited. This way marshalling and traffic control will improve, as will spectator value. Road closure would also affect less people.

My previous post aside, investing in a light bike or wheels, is a fun process, and the weight is off permanently. Losing weight off your body has 2 benefits apart from more training to do so (which makes you stronger). 1. You have a smaller frame and are therefore more aerodynamic 2. Your heart has less to deal with and therefore there is an improvement in blood supply to where it matters

Losing a kilo on a set of wheels could cost you R50000 (Lew)........ Rather put in a couple extra hours a week for a month and voila....

Lower the saddle and take an easy week. Tues recovery ride 30-60 min flat hr <70%. Thursday same. Sat do 1-1.5 hr easy flat, Sunday same. If you are still tired today after last Sunday's ride, rest don't ride today. Just a couple days off will be better for you than trying to go hard. Next week go back to building. Keep intensity fairly low and use your Sunday ride for hills. You can do higher intensity rides the last 2 weeks, remember to taper.

Cookie, keep the intensity fairly (but not too) easy, 65-80% max heart rate and add some climbs for strength. You still have 6 weeks so don't panic. The thing here is to train regularly (5 days a week will do), and remember recovery. If you can, do 3x1 hour, 1 x 2.5 and 1 x3hr increasing to 3.5 you'll get the miles in. You cannot go forward unless you recover properly from your last session. With 3 and 2 weeks to go do races, up to 3 hours will do, or higher intensity than you are doing now. By now you should be a bit tired. Then taper for the last 2 weeks by doing shorter rides, remembering recovery, but keeping intensity higher. Practise bunch riding skills, learn how to suck wheel close enough without falling off. This will add 20% + to your tempo (good pace) average speed. For 3h30 you need to average just over 31kmh. You should be able to manage about 26kmh on a 3hr training ride alone reasonably comfortably to do that speed. In the last week rather go easy to let the strength gained get into those muscles without them being too tired. You should feel snappy now. Good luck!

In the Wilro Challenge 2 years ago I remember being too scared to descend Hekpoort in the bunch and did a prerace recce. I went off the front of the VB's with Jurie Krige (Tandem strongman), bunny hopping the speed "bumps" on my way down. I was focussing so hard on staying on the bike through the bends that I only noticed I hit 97kmh after the race.... There was another incident at 80kmh involving an eland in Suikerbosrand in the 2006 Vets tour on the descent out of the northern side..... well they said I was doing about that speed when I hit it...