Ncayi

Goodmorning Hubbers I would like to shorten the straps of 2 of my bibshorts. After exploring various alternatives it seems finding a local seamstress or tailor is my only viable option. But I don't want to use any random person as i don't want a botch job. I would appreciate any recommendation and I am based in JHB.

Since moving to JHB I have had 2 opportunities to do this race and opted not to on both occasions. It just doesn't really appeal to me for some reason. I'm a big guy but I can get over hills just like the next guy. But I feel like it's a lot of elevation to pack into 90kms. Especially for people who don't ride consistently. I know it might not be a fair comparison. I bet more people travel from other provinces to Cape Town for the CTCT than travel to JHB for this race. This year I just chose to skip this and travel to Cape Town a week before doing the DC.

I generally don't have high expectations regarding logistics for most of the races I enter.My approach is getting there an hour early, having enough nutrition as I don't really make use of the waterpoints and I don't just rely on marshalls to have a safe race. But I have seen my fair share of 💩 shows though. My biggest gripes though are: 1. I am not aware if there is streamlined communication framework that is followed by the players in the space. I don't think it would be too difficult to coordinate and curate an annual database of races. I am not aware of a single platform one can use to get info on all races happening in a calendar year. Compiling a race calendar has been a mission for me since moving to JHB. 2. A lot of races don't publish route files which is such a simple thing to do. This is very important to me when preparing for races as it impacts my pacing, nutritional plan and just knowing where there climbs are. 3. I feel elite and pro riders are just not treated seriously enough. Don't ask me to provide evidence (this is the internet after all) but I just feel more could be done for all entrants but especially the elite racers. An aside! Strava is actually and under uterlised medium of communication and not just by race organizers but cycling clubs as well.

Bike hub pay is the best option in my view.

My order was logged on the 25th of June and it arrived 2 months later.

Definitely. That is the timeline we set unless something drastic happens before then. But for now it feels like money well spent.

Yeah when I first saw how much my saddle went up I was a bit sceptical at first. I even had a rouge thought that I would drop it when I get home. My fitter reassured me and I decided to trust the process. I also double checked with MyVelo Fit and it confirmed that I was within the correct range. It feels great though. Yes he mentioned that it would take some time to adjust. My one sitbone was painful for 2 days and now no pain. Reach still feels longish but not painful. And that's probably just a flexibility issue that will get better with time. And if it doesn't we will make adjustments. Keeping my rides short and flat for now to get used the fit, new shoes and also rebuild my engine after being off the bike for a month.

So I finally saw my snake oil salesman (insert sarcasm font) and boy did I get a shock. It turns out what I thought was a dialed in fit was not even close to where it needed to be. 1. Saddle height went up by 4.5 cm. 2. Moved from a 142mm wide saddle to a 155mm. 3. Setback, yeah it moved back a lot. It's still early days but the results are as follows. My knees are tracking straight and I can feel my hamstrings and glutes working instead of just my quads. I feel stable on the saddle and I can feel that I am sitting on both my sitbones. I'm sure we will make a few tweaks over time but my position on the bike has changed a lot and feels weird in a good way.

Before the injury I was averaging between 78-83. Post injury I've been managing 80-82. But I want to get to 87-90. I know it's not just about slapping on a dinner plate and poof problem solved. I will do some cadence drills and strength work as indicated by Frosty.

Thanks for the feedback and I take your point. When I used a 50-34 in Cape Town the bib would barely last for more than 8 months. But I didn't really link the premature wearing with the size of my crank.

Affirmative! I currently weigh 108kg but aiming to shave a lot of that saw a nutritionist to support on that front. So far so good. This was pointed out by a Bio I saw so I will be starting with some work at the gym from September but baby steps as I am coming back from a knee injury.

Yes the website I used has a similar conversion but to be honest I'm not sure I understand that any better. I know the is a difference between riding at 20km vs 22km at different gears and same cadence. What I lack is perspective in the grand scheme of things in terms of what those differences mean. Does that make any sense?

Northern JHB suburbs mostly. From my place to the Cradle and back is like 110km with 1500m of elevation. Throw in destinations like Haarties and I easily rack up 2000m over 140km. And And I am unit of a cyclist. Every now and then I venture to the south of JHB when I feel like a flat route.

Seeing that this is linked to my bike fit story I thought let me just ask it here instead of creating another thread. I need some easier gears for the numerous climbs I have to do. I currently have a 52-36 chain ring and a 11-28 cassette. I want to increase my average cadence from 78-83 to 85-90 rpm which I used to manage with 50-34. Would I be best served changing just the chaininrings or is it worth it to change to 11-30 cassette as well? If I slap on a 50-34 and 11-30 will I be sacrificing too much speed on the flat? Not a deal breaker but I still want to be able to keep up with the bunch on flat terrain. I tried to figure it out but the tables below didn't really make too much sense to me. Thanks

I'm actually gutted I won't be doing this event this year. I was planning to travel from JHB as I had a blast in the 2022 edition. If it's your first time doing it, just make sure you don't get dropped from your bunch. And if you do get dropped the faster bunch behind will drag you along and leave you in shambles. It's a long way from the great "mountain of Mordor" to Velddrif if you are alone.

I fully agree that crit racing is the future of road cycling in SA (more specifically in Gauteng) if the current status quo prevails. However, consumers typically associate value for money with time spent enjoying the said expenditure item. That's why a 100km race at R400-R500 seems appealing to a lot of people as opposed to a 1-hour crit race. Then there is the purist angle that is also at play. I remember when the T20 format was introduced in cricket, it was not popular among those who preferred a 5-day test match. I feel cycling is in a similar transition where a lot of people still want a long day on the saddle when they sign up for a "race". I also believe we are also generous when we use the word "racing" as most road races are basically bunch rides where we start together and finish together with the same people pulling in the front. While some people sit in and get the same average speed as the rest (I'm usually one of the wheel suckers yelling keep your line). With the exception of the gents who ride with no saddle bags and FTPs north of 350w.

Thats exactly what I am doing at the moment but indoors for now. I also plan to go back to a 50-34 chainring as I can maintain 85-90 rpm on any terrain. When I moved to Gauteng, I installed a 52-36 with an 11-28 at the back and I immediately noticed a drop in my cadence to 78-82 rpm. I lived in the Vaal, and it was pancake flat so there were no major issues. When I moved to JHB I kept the gears the same which was a mistake because the terrain here is less forgiving. The amount of abuse I have got from that hill from republic road to the top of Bryston has been hectic.

That's my general approach with Bike shops as well, I am what you call a loyal customer till you do something that indicates you no longer have any need for my hard-earned money.

I definitely don't take any half measure when it concerns my health don't get me wrong. I will still see a professional and pay. But apart from being a cyclist, I am a social scientist with an interest in economics and consumer behaviour. So this kind of discourse often intrigues me. That's why I decided to take the question away from home a bit. Should I still pay that plumber even though I still hear the tap dancing of the H20 as it drips from the pipe damaging my expensive wooden laminated floor? I am taking into account the numerous undertones of scepticism communicated in this thread about "plumbers"

Might be a slight thread drift so bear with me. I agree with the premise of how the process should unfold. My curiosity then would be should one pay for outcome or time spent? I know I might be opening up a can of worms that is subject to a lot of other factors. example: when you call a plumber for a leak should it matter if they stay 5min or 3 hours? or should an exchange of money occur once the leak is gone regardless of how much time they spent in your house?

I have seen one already and that's what they said. Hip imbalance, weak hamstrings glutes and quads can be contributing factors, so I am working on that stuff. The bio also indicated that it may be a good idea to see a podiatrist. However, I need to be sure that whatever treatment I pursue takes into account my cycling hence my interest in getting a bike fit. Ps. I don't want to be seeing multiple people for issues that could be addressed by one person, hence my original question. But I have more clarity on how to proceed now. What has been interesting though is the public perception concerning many "experts". Bio believes chiropractors are a scam, some people swear that physiotherapists are a waste of money and bike fitters are equivalent to "pig **** merchants" (Game of Thrones reference). So what is the average dude with a dad body and weak FTP supposed to believe?

I have realised that. I have not been doing anything else apart from just riding the bike which in hindsight I realise was a mistake. I am not the most flexible chap, but I now have a plan for that, and I will also be doing some of the bike strength work. I am also dialling in my nutrition with a nutritionist to ease the load my joints have to endure. Luckily age is still on my side so I have some time to sort things out. I have heard good things about Dr Swart but getting to Cape Town would be a logistical nightmare at the moment.

In your view would that be a podiatrist, orthopaedic or something different altogether?

Mine pronate a lot to the point that it can be noticed easily which further exaggerates my "kiss madolo", which literally translates to kissing knees.

I think this has always been my situation and they say the body is good at adjusting to less ideal positions until it cannot compensate any longer. So, what may have been a close position may no longer be the case after the injury as my body's capacity to compensate may have diminished. So, what I have gathered so far is that needing a bike fit is a relative experience but necessary in my situation. So, I will start by consulting a bike fitter and take it from there.