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eala

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Posts posted by eala

  1. On 3/25/2024 at 2:37 PM, tubed said:

    Just been sitting next to 6 Chinese riders at the *Waterfront who obviously rode, then there are the other obvious foreign riders milling about. Point being, with the currency where it is at, I can't see why a profit making company like the Epic wont do everything to make sure it cant maximise the spend from those with hard currency and promote the event to that audience.

    Also seemed to me to be a very large Spanish speaking contingent, supported by the number of enthusiastic posters in the Youtube comments, they seem to love the race. Maybe some Hermida wackyness in the race commentary booth would be in order, he could comment in Spanglish alongside Sabine who was great.

    On the patriotic side - Matt is the best Epic rider in the world. Candice is of the best Epic riders in the world (just needs a stronger partner choice, which is also a skill of Matt's).

    *Edit: context

    The riders come from places that people do ride like south america and Spain .One year there were many Belgians and in 2019 there was a big team from Colombia  

  2. 2 hours ago, robert124marx@gmail.com said:

    At Jonkershoek I do 1052m in 21.51km, but these not a flat section in sight. And I also still het cramps on suikerbossie 😅

    Muscle fatigue plays a major role .Nobody cramps in the first hour ,even if you burn your legs in the first 30 minutes .My son is a super fit waterpolo player ,but at tournaments when he plays his all out against good opposition he would start cramping in the latter part of the game .He is the fittest in the team but the only one that cramps regularly .The type of muscle plays a role .Like mesomorphic body  type . I rarely see any of these thin body type people cramp . It is often the more muscular people that i notice cramping 

  3. 2 hours ago, Remington said:

    I have taken everyone advice to heart and have a bike setup booked for this week. I had my bike setup when I bought it 2 years ago. I have never changed any settings but I agree a revisit is a good starting point.

    I will reassess with  another ride this weekend taking all the advice regarding hydration and nutrition and see if there is any improvement. Also taking into consideration a slower pace. I will plan a similar ride  on the same route with the same elevation.

    Looking at the riding conditions this past weekend the average temperature was 28C and peaked at 37C. There are so many factors in play here but I do think the main culprit could be something has changed with the bike setup or my positioning. I don't know if my cleat position is not optimal. Since my original setup I bought new shoes and cleats but they were never setup on the current bike. The shop owner set them up on a  jig. I never have had knee problems with the new cleats and shoes but anything is possible

    I will give feedback next week after my . Hopefully this can help someone else

     

    The brand and the effect from carbon and nylon sole shoes can cause saddle height differences .Cleat position can change with new shoes .A saddle can drop slightly without you realizing it .Even riding position changes as you get fitter ,stronger ,or you have weight changes .You have to reassess regularly .I am very aware of my comfortable riding position .When i notice something is off ,i stop and change things with the tool that should be on your bike .I have never had a bike setup.It works for me ,but i am probably the exception 

  4. 11 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

    I have two takes on this. 

    One, which is usually the case, is you aren't fit enough for the effort you're putting out, so you basically go until you blow. 

    The other involves what you eat in tandem with the above.

    As an anecdote, I know I can run 10km comfortably in 40 minutes. If I decide to run the same 10km route in 33 minutes, there is a very real chance my hamstrings or inside quad will twinge during the run and cramp afterwards.

    The sustainable effort vs above threshold is usually what causes the cramps in shorter things.

    Longer things it can start being dehydration, required salt etc, but the short stuff as per your examples it's training and/or lack of fitness.

    The science guys will start going into sodium levels and all sorts of glucose inputs etc but in reality you're over exerting yourself for your fitness level 

    From a 55 year old cramp champ . Genetics are real . I have three children that also cramp badly . Diet makes very little difference . Above comments are correct .I cramp at three hours in .Biggest factor is higher effort than you trained for .Heat, not dehydration per say .I almost never cramp on cool days . Cramp tablets help if you take plenty ,like six at a time .Ride lighter gears if you know you are not fit .Use different muscle groups in a ride and stretch on the bike .Bananas and Game work as good as any product .Saddle height is important to balance your leg muscle efforts   

  5. 19 minutes ago, Paul Ruinaard said:

    There are those that have owned Campag 10 Speed Record and then there is the rabble that will never know what a proper shift feels like. Its like coming home when you engage the shift lever and theres no mamby pamby ratcheting around but rather a solid thunk as it shifts. And it alwasy does it and its always accurate.

    #justsaying

    Like being colour blind .You don't know what you are missing , and i thought campagnola was an italian salad dressing 

  6. 21 hours ago, LazyTrailRider said:

    I'm both a semi-roadie and a trail rider (and have been all the other types except cyclocross over the years).

    I love riding on the road, the way you can smoothly put watts down is something you don't get on even the best flow trails, and definitely not while pinning it through the gnar in full #enduro mode.

    But here's the thing: I never do group rides on the road, because I can't handle how roadies in general behave. When I'm caught by a bunch or manage to catch up to one in traffic, I purposefully change my pace to avoid them because I don't want to be part of anti-social behaviour.

    I can count on one hand the number of groups I've encountered who don't ride several abreast (always quoting that silly "it's safer to pass a short wide cycling group than a long single-file one" story) and who stop at all traffic lights and stop signs. I can't tell you how many times I've been stationary at a traffic light and seen motorists shake their heads at riders who think they have the right to skip lights because at that point they're in "pedestrian mode", only to switch to "now I have full vehicle rights" again 100m later. It's beyond ridiculous.

    You know what's amazing? That more road cyclists aren't killed more regularly. On an average 90min weekend morning ride in the Southern Peninsula, my Varia registers more than 300 vehicles passing me. Those are silly odds.

    Same here .I ride alone on the road for all above reasons and i ride alone on trails because groups 'kuier ' on their bikes and don't watch their wheel .Too many times people get hurt in group social riding .I would rather ride with a couple of others or alone 

  7. On 12/7/2023 at 7:55 AM, Leverage Corporation said:

    Event Name: The Grind Reverse - 150km of Gravel Heaven or Hell
    When: 03/02/2024
    Where: Maropeng: Official Visitor Centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site, Krugersdorp, Gauteng
    Category: Gravel

     

    “The Grind”, 150km of Gravel Heaven or Hell is taking place on the 3rd of February 2024, but this time, we are changing the direction of the route – now it will be going in reverse from the February ’23 event.

     

    And now we have introduced a 70km Gravel route as well.

    So bring your gravel bike, bring your MTB, but get there.

    Once again, it is starting again from Stone Park in Maropeng, in the Cradle of Humankind, on an out-and-back route. 

    Something fun from The Leverage Corporation. Again, this will be done in True Leverage Corporation Style. Nice and slick, friendly and classy, and an event to remember for all the right reasons.

    You will ride from Maropeng, into the Magalies region passing close by to Mount Grace Hotel & Spa, and then encounter areas that are little known to the average cyclist. Areas that are largely unexplored and that you probably have never heard of, such as Maanhaarrand, Vlakfontein, Koesterfontein, and a few more will be explored.

    Can you do it in 10 hours or less? Well, that’s up to you.

    We have tried to keep it reasonably flat, but there’s still just over 1650m of climbing.

    This time, for the 150km riders, we will have 4 water tables on the route, and rest stations.

    For the 70km riders, we will have two waterpoints:

    • WP 1 at the 37km mark
    • WP 2 at the 60km mark

    We have changed the format somewhat this time, and now you have a choice of doing 150km solo only, or 70km solo only.

    We will not be offering team rides for the 150km ride.

    150km RIDE

    Solo Ride Category – ride the full 150km on your “ace”

    COSTS 150km:

    Solo Rider – R650

     

    70km RIDE

    COSTS 70km

    Solo Riders only – R400

    WHAT’S INCLUDED

    • Race entry
    • Moisture management event shirt – Only valid if you enter before Sunday 21 January 2024
    • Medical Support
    • Well-stocked water tables
    • Race timing
    • Post-race hospitality area
    • Prizes and lucky draw prizes
    • Shower facilities
    • Race medal
    • Complimentary photographs for you to download from our Facebook page after the event

     

     


    Go to Event Page.

     

    Lekke event! Will do again 

  8. Probably just excessive sweat that irritates your skin .I always ride with a buff and on long rides a take an extra one that i swap out and dry out  over the handlebars .Use roll on deodorant on your scalp. if sweat gets into my eyes ,my ride is pretty much over .I wash my buff and helmet after every ride with me in the shower . If there is any form of rash some Quadriderm cream  will sort it out in a couple of days 

  9. I used Cadence for my first event and Sponser for the second .Two bottles per stage .Then the water table food was enough .Bananas and berries and those date cakes  . I took some Game  with , could not stand powerade anymore . Ate and drank as i felt , and kept hydrated . People make it a lot more complicated than it should be . Eat real food ,carbs and protein for breakfast and dinner .Dinner was either pasta , pizza with beer or red wine . No massages or fisio either .Rest and stretching got me through it  .Anti cramp tablets work only if you take plenty , like six at a time .

  10. On 1/15/2024 at 8:45 PM, Vaultboy said:

    Yup. In my experience, the biggest issue with a 1x is often matching the speed of a bunch. Then I'm either over or undergeared, forcing me to ride at a cadence that's just out of the comfort zone. Its not hard, but its just one more thing you don't want or need to consciously be paying attention to. This is only an issue racing and in the bunch.

    But overall, my bigger question to you guys is what about component durability? Having only ridden 8, 10 and 12 speed, I am just not impressed with the limited lifespan of 12x components. 10 speed (and therefore 2x10) feels like the sweet spot between durability, cost and gear range.

     

    I hear your concern .I have multiple 1 x 12 eagle geared bikes and my latest is a gravel bike with 2 x 11 Shimano GRX .I previously also had a 2 x 11 Shimano XT full sus bike .I have no problem with a 2 x 11 setup .In fact i prefer it over 1 x 12 .The only time i would choose 1 x again is when i expect wet conditions .The cheaper sram eagle setups like NX don,t work well .Maybe i should just go back to shimano 12 speed ? 

  11. I ride a HT /gravel bike with a 36 x 11,42 cassette ten speed that i have used for the Swartberg grand fondo .Worked fine except for the last 500m where it gets very steep .Recently bought a Cannondale topstone with a GRX 11 speed 2 x setup . I have several other 1 x 12 eagle bikes . I am at a point that i want to convert some of my 1 x setups back to 2 x 11 .The best ratio for all bike riding is 2 x 11 imo .I currently have two eagle cassettes that are jumping on the smallest ring while the rest is still perfect .To replace  both is the same price as a full bike with a 2 x setup .Long live 2 x 11 for road ,gravel and MTB  .I now use my gravel bike as my standard road bike and i can ride the steepest of single tract with it also  

  12. On 1/7/2024 at 7:06 PM, Yaz said:

    Beware of this man Francios Grobbelaar I dealt with him on FB. He is a fraud. Bought a varia which he never sent. 

    IMG-20231228-WA0033.jpg

    You did not buy anything .You send him money in exchange for a picture 

  13. Bought a dedicated gravel bike recently .A Cannondale Topstone with 2 x 11 GRX groupset and Vittorio terrano tyres at 38 mm wide .This has now become my road bike. 'Terrano,s are flat in the center and are as fast as any road tire i have used . I can ride most single tract uphill and flat sections . Downhill riding will cause punctures if you let go of the disc brakes . It is the first time in ten years that i am seriously contemplating selling  my road bikes ,a Spez Roubaix and and a BMC teamachine. The Spez was my gravel bike with 35 mm pathfinders , but it is not a gravel bike . I have a set of Pirelli medium cinturato that will handle any really rough tracts if encountered .I have several bikes ,but now i know you only need a gravel and a dual suss MTB .The Topstone is as close to a perfect bike i have owned in twenty years and it does not have a front suspension .My body is way happier after a three hour ride on a gravel bike than a road bike . 

  14. 4 hours ago, AndyPG said:

    I have heard of some bike issues towards Big Red Barn but from Value Mart to Wolwe you should be good - If you head out to Rosemary Hill It night be worth trying to find a group. I would err on the side of caution, especially early in the morning.

     

    What he said .BRB by car .Rest okay 

  15. 23 hours ago, Frosty said:

    If you are using Game and bananas you probably aren’t getting enough fuel in, to sustain longer workouts. You then go down another pathway that is a performance decline. Add the high temperatures and insufficient fluid intake, and you  compound the problem.

    Game has 21g (carbs) of mixed as per instruction. A medium-sized banana (Woolies info) has about 15g. That’s 36g, which for many is enough for a low- to medium-duration ride of 2-4 hours but not higher intensity activities.

    I have tried all the stuff on the market and Gu Salty caffeine works .I will eat at the waterpoint , but only fruit and jelly sweets .I completed 2019 ACE on blueberries ,bananas and the odd USN gel .I hate eating on the bike and energy bars suck .Whenever i train i only use Game and water ,so my body is used to it 

  16. 18 hours ago, Frosty said:

    I’m not an expert in this sweating and cramping matter, far from it, but I do understand the basic principles. You can easily work out how much you sweat per hour, without any fancy testing. However, the concentration of sodium in your sweat needs to be done with medical equipment.

    For the test, weigh yourself before your ride (birthday suit weight). Weigh your bottles (empty and full). Take your closthes off after the ride and wipe any moisture off your skin, then weigh yourself again (birthday suit). Make a note of the amount of litres you consumed, and the duration of your ride.

    Example (weights in Kg):
    80.4(before) + 1.65 (2 full bottles) - 79.5 (after) - 0.15 (empty bottles) = 2.4kg or 2.4L / 3.5 hours (ride duration) = 0.68L/hour.

    I’ll share a simple Excel file you can use to calculate your sweat rate. Mine is about 600ml/hour (outside), but double (indoors) on a hot day; probably because of the lack of adequate (evaporative) cooling.

    You can test this a number of times to get an average sweat rate. Once you know that, you have a guideline, for what is required per hour.

    If you know that your sweat concentration is, you will know which sodium replenishment rates are. Sweat concentrations can vary quite a lot, from 300mg to 1500mg.

    I’ll share some links later/tomorrow relating to the physiology around blood volume, blood pressure, homeostasis, and other effects of sweat loss. I know enough to understand it, but not educate others.

    Cramping has two causes mainly . Efford is higher than you trained for !!!!! . and dehydration .Both made worst in Hot conditions .Genetic propensity to cramp ,to do with type of muscle fibre you have .Not treatable .I cramp almost always at the three hour mark on any event .When hot it happens earlier .If you ride terrain that you cannot really train for like Magalies Monster , cramps come earlier .Professional riders rarely cramp because they are super fit and have trained for the effort. Salty sweaters cramp more and earlier  .Hydration and electrolytes help .Anti cramp tab's do help if you take plenty at a time , like six tabs at every waterpoint .I ride with Game and bananas  because it contains a lot of Vitamin C , salt, potassium and sugar .There is no magic fix . I have researched cramps over ten years . I have three children and all of them cramp like i do , even when they are super fit .Best way is to ride through them or even slapping the cramping muscle helps .The pain impuls overrides the contractile one   

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