buckstopper

Capri that's just jealousy. When I bought my 1st new bike in 1996 the then De Rosa agent passed a comment I thought he directed at me about people riding bikes that exceeded their ability. I never bought my bike from him. I wanted a brand new bling Italian bike, I bought one from someone else. So what. Some people can afford to buy the best. Old men are the biggest group of sports car buyers. Get the picture...

Is CSA turning their back on road racing in favour of other (growing) disciplines? Judging from their site and the Road Commission's apparent lack of visible input, it would seem so.

bold logo's really cool kind've compliments the wheel graphic

The vibration may be coming from a too long chain, and emanates from the rear derailleur. Put the bike on a stand and turn the pedals in the gear you mention. The derailleur does not have enough tension and the chain rubs on parts it shouldn't. Generally while a well tuned bike should run on the extreme gears (53-23 and 39-12) it's not the best habit from a drivetrain lifespan perspective

How about comparing the heat dissipation cost in watts of the aero vs the standard helmet. or, At what temperature/speed/gradient does the aero helmet lose its advantage? This is one question that does not seem to be considered much

Phen agree 100%. Over 1200 views on this thread and less than 100 votes. Guys please vote on this. Perhaps someone wiythtime can start a thread with interested parties putting their names on a "petition". Gotta go

March - gives time for those who are selected for worlds etc to prepare properly. Also peaking for summer season (March), then for SA's (June), come July/August - no wonder our cyclists don't perfor at worlds. For the Juniors, having it early like the tour also enables kids to put it behind them and concentrate on more important issues...... like matric. Remember, Juniors is by far the biggest category at SA's every year. It is also where the future lies.

For climbing - more aero is better than less weight unless you're really slow or its steep.

Do you race for place , team or just time? Unless you have a support car, forget about tubbies for race wheels. If you spend most of your races in a bunch, forget about deep sections. It's not a straight forward question. I have a heavy set of old fashioned training wheels. They are 12 years, no 13 years old. I also have some lighter, factory built "racing wheels" and I think I go faster using them..... therefore I do. These are not your Bora/404 type wheels rather good quality clinchers like Eastons, Dura ace, Ksyrium etc. What wheels do you have at the moment and do you want 1 set to do all? How much mileage do you do? How long must they last? What is your budget?

Yankee go home!

In my book innocent until proven guilty. I'm with you ppwever

I always buy the magazine but have not failed to be disappointed. I have had the October issue for nearly a week and cannot bring myself to read it. The worst thing is the Americanisms that are so copy pasted and they sometimes use lbs/ounces etc. The above posts express my sentiments exactly. I feel Ride is more in touch with local stuff. I get Ride through the club. Would also read the overseas mags if it were not for the cost.

Check out Erica Green's website Daisyway.co.za You can get an expert fit done at Stellenbosch lab, call 021 808 2818 for details.

The top track event lasted only 9.69 seconds and there's less skill in what lightning man did.....

Pork you can add tabletennis, hockey, fencing, girls cricket, netball, gymnastics and waterpolo to that list, same era

Can this 'survey" mean anything given that only 71 hubbers have voted for the 5 brands listed?

11-21 for racing if you can handle climbing in the 21. The 18 tooth which you don't get on the other clusters makes a difference in the drags. 12-23 for training - again the 18 But then I'll also use a 12-27 if I'm out of shape or riding Beeg hills I voted for the 11-23

If there were restrictions on equipment for riders u16 and younger, making the sport more affordable to more people, there would be: 1. Less pressure on the youngsters to perform and provide wealthy parents with a return on their "investment". They would then be less likely to bomb out 2. Less pressure on parents who can't afford to provide top level equipment 3. Lower barriers to entry into top levels meaning more competition 4. The cream would more likely float to the top as weight is a bigger issue at lower power output levels For example MTB - Limit weight to say 12kg, with no CF frames or disc brakes For road - Limit weight to say 8.5kg, no wheels of more than say 34mm rims For TT - Standard Road bikes as above with clip-on TT bars, no DS or discs I don't believe that an u16 riding superior equipment would be a better bike rider in whatever discipline. GT oke finish school, get the smarts. More training or sponsorship is not the answer - train smart and you'll race to your genetic ability, which is the single biggest determinant of just how far you'll go.

Lem, so what if they stop. They stop because it loses its allure, other challenges arise. It's the same in all sport, kids are lost to sport. So what. There are opportunities for them to race, let them if they want to. What I think you're saying is that the kids start too early, are maybe pushed too hard and then leave the sport. Are you saying that competitive cycling for kids u16 and younger should be discontinued?

So Porky, what you're saying is go to Europe for 6 weeks and that's your non-cycling career gone. Cycling requires discipline. Many youngsters learn to organise their lives so that they can train and race. Some of their peers are goofing off, drinking and whatever else, while they're in bed because they're up early to race. Most of these kids that go overseas know their ability, or lack thereof, but the opportunity to race overseas is cool, and it's a fun trip away with people who have things in common with them. My daughter has a dream of racing for SA overseas. I am not going to mess with that dream. She knows that, however, to be a successful cyclist she needs to train hard. In order to be able to train, her homework must be up to date. She is doing well at school, has a social life and is successful on the bike. As she matures she is learning about her strengths and weaknesses and knows that while she may spend some time racing at the top level, her studies come first. She's 16 and knows she needs good grades to get into varsity. It doesn't have to be either or. And cycling at that level is not something you do on a whim.......

Kids go on school organised holidays, rugby and hockey tours overseas. Jill has built bridges for those who show talent and commitment, a stepping stone into the European racing scene. Remember, these are not weekend warriors, these are hardcore mini racers. If they can't crack it, at least they've given it a go - a dream they can experience.

I would be surprised if the U16's are away for so long (normally about 2 weeks). Jill has been doing this for years. In the past they have ridden the Kerry Tour in Ireland. The juniors normally race the McDonelly tour and then spend time racing the Holland/Belgian Junior circuit. It's more about the kids experiencing racing in those conditions where the roads are narrow, the riders uncompromising and the pace hard. The juniors get an opportunity to experience the scene for a bit longer to see if it's for them. A few weeks away in gr9, 10 or 11 is not going to make a big difference.

Void, Marnitz got a hiding in the sprint. Bradley timed his to perfection. There was no way he was not going to win that, taking it by at least 2 bike lengths. He was on Marnitz's wheel going to the line but went past him so easily. In u16's Toyota got 8 medals of the 12 (TT and RR, boys and girls), the rest not more than 1 each. U16's will not be allowed to race more than 80km at SA's - this is officially their limit. There were too many strong contenders that did not allow any breaks to go. There was also a headwind as you turned left after the climb, very few attacks stayed away. Hugo's was one, Michelle and Ashleigh Blackwell the other 2 phenomenal rides. Well done to all meadallists and participants.

Rather focus on intensity than speed. Doing a say, 2 hour ride at a peceived exertion of fairly easy to somewhat hard and you'd be in the range for an LSD ride. Basing your progress on your speed is dangerous, unless you're using it for a time trial test. As a training tool it's meaningless as there are too many variables (wind, route, position, gradient, etc)

LSD = Just flying along