kandui

Got no make and model. This could be a chaepie bike too, no idea at the moment. If anyone had a red mtb nicked, please email me at ride@tablemountainbikers.co.za The bike is sitting at SAPS Central in town.

Coming late here, but can I please see the correspondence from PPA regarding your initial request for funding and the exact response you got? "She has approached both CSA and PPA for funding, but was told that even though she has the talent and qualifies for funding, they do not have the money to help her (YEAH, RIGHT!!!!)" This is what I read in the opening post. I am on the PPA Executive and would like to see what went down. By the way, CSA has got zero money, that I can assure you of.

For those of us not competing for podium positions, conserve yourself during the first couple of days. Take it easy on the Prologue and store those reserves for along the way. After 3 days, your body starts adjusting to the race and you reach a tipping point. Getting up in the morning and on the bike is not always fun, but after 30 minutes or so on the bike, the legs are warm and back in their routine. Your max heart rate (unless you're pro) drops as fatigue sets in, but your body seems fine with the daily grind up and down the hills. Some riders actually get stronger as the race progresses and in my, non-scientific, opinion this has 2 reasons. 1. Other riders that started out fast are now paying the price for their early enthusiasm and you are wasting no energy overtaking them. They are working for you. 2. You are in the "Stage Race Rhythm" and your body accepts the work that it has to do. After the Pioneer you will be stronger than when you started, it's like 7 days of continuous training. Assess in the first 2-3 days and consolidate. If you and your partner are feeling good on day 3, consider upping the tempo a bit. You can make up lots of positions by riding within yourself, you will be surprised. Accept that either you or your partner will have a no legs at some point in the race. Help your partner. Ride on the front and keep him on your back wheel. Communicate and let each other know how you're feeling. No point sucking it up and blowing yourself, just because you can't admit you're taking strain. Ride to each others strengths. Better climber in front on the ups, better descender in front on the drops. Keep pedaling for 10-20m once you've crested a climb. You'll be amazed at the gap you can open while others freewheel and recover. You can recover on the descent. Find a group for the district roads. Rotate and make everyone take the front for while.No freeloading. Say "Thank You" to the guys in the group who do most of the work. When you get to the finish. Have a beer or a glass of wine and relive the day. Time passes so quickly and before you know it, you're in the car back home. And, I agree with all that Deon Kretsch has said. Look forward to seeing you out there Deon!

I think Anton & Brigitte deserve some sort of prize as the only tandem entry. They come back every year to ride the Pioneer and I really admire their commitment and spirit. They even finished the Cape Epic this year, coming stone last, but never giving up. These are the kind of riders that shape an event.

Let me re-phrase. Bike is worth about 30 and 2 years old. Spend on repairs,not sure, perhaps about 6 or 7.The big ticket items are Epic 2014 and now the Pioneer entry to get him into the mood

this isn't a philosophy question, just plain arithmatic.

Less to both.

Will definitely be there for a training run. too short to warm up the old diesel engine though. that needs about 4 days!

Looking forward to seeing you in action in a couple of days time! Don't worry me! I need some more time to train up and be ready!

My mate just updated me on his 2013 spend for races. This includes Epic and Sani 2014. R82000 ! Can you top that? Or, should I ask, would you want to?

I dig this race and will riding my 4th one in a row in October. Best atmosphere throughout and the organizers literally go the extra mile. The route last year was fantastic and this year will be the same, if not better with some tweaks here and there. Very happy to be riding for Team Bridge this time around.

Hey,hey, the Good Doctor! Who did you ride with this year?

74 of us are heading out to the Country Club next Saturday, 24th, for a 40km single track ride.

correct. the race is no more.

Speak to rob booth of booth bikes. He does good deals on forks and digs Lefty's

Lefty Ultimate, the you don't have to remember which Number you have

A friend of mine lives in Grabouw and he is giving the ride a miss. I am also not going. Waiting for next weekend.

Do it quickly Hairy.

Prices are going up , so you better get in there quickly. the Scalpel already went from 55 to 58k in the space of 3 months. 2014 models will cost R65k. Yum!

Tested the carbon versions of both and went for the Scalpel 2. I didn't like the brain setup at all, the Autosag was very finnicky and had very little room for fine tuning. The engaging of the Brain at the back was very harsh too, but they say it gets softer with time as the seals wear in. I tested a brand new Comp Carbon. The geometry is great, I like a racier setup, but in the end the lower spec components and my personal opinion of the Brain made me not go for it. I also tested a brand new Scalpel 2 for a a couple of weeks and as soon as I rode it, I knew it was the bike for me. Racy geometry, the Lefty is without a doubt the best front suspension you can get. I tested the bikes on the same tracks and compared to my previous Niner Jet 9, the Scalpel got me further down a very technical track than I had never made it without portaging . In fact, I made it all the way down. Handling is great for a 29er, it climbs superbly and the bike is solid under you on the descent. All I changed on mine was the rear shock,from the standard Rock Shox Monarch to the Fox CTD. I took off the Elixir 9 brakes and put on my XTR brakes. Granted, I tested the more expensive models than you are looking at, but the ride experience comparatively should be the same a model down. If any of you want to test a Scalpel 2 and your're in the Cape Town area, speak to Steve Bowman at Cyclelab . He has one available. Just make sure you have the cash before you ride it, because you will want one.

Should get a warranty replacement.

6 months of antibiotics ( 1 tab a day). I forgot the name, but it wasn't a radical one. Bactroban Nasal Cream ( a matchstick size into each passage twice a day for 5 days consecutively, per month) Peroxide face wash (for heavy acne) to wash the infected area when showering. Lather and leave for 30 seconds , then rinse. Do this as and when required. This regimen sorted me out, finally. I still use the Bactroban from time to time as it does work well used on its own. The Staph bacteria love the nasal passages! How does it work? Bactroban cream and ointment both contain the active ingredient mupirocin, which is an antibacterial medicine. It is used to treat to treat skin infections caused by certain bacteria, in particular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The mupirocin works by affecting the bacteria's production of certain proteins that are necessary for their survival. It causes the bacteria to produce abnormal and faulty proteins. This ultimately kills the bacteria and clears up the infection. What is it used for? Bactroban ointment is used to treat bacterial skin infections, such as impetigo, folliculitis and furunculosis, in particular those caused by MRSA. Bactroban cream is used to treat traumatic lesions such as small lacerations, sutured wounds or abrasions (up to 10cm in length or 100cm2 in area), that have become infected with bacteria. Read more: http://www.netdoctor...l#ixzz2bGnzhMpH Follow us: @NetDoctor on Twitter | NetDoctorUK on Facebook

Ensure

One of the TMB club members also had his bike stolen in Dorp Street a few months back.Around lunch time on a Saturday.Also cut off his bike rack. This doesn't help you any, but if you did open a case, you might want to remind SAPS that this happened before in the same area. Put pressure on the cops!

R800/tyre i heard this morning.