JasonW

I suspect stage 3 was the stage which involved the long portage which would have resulted in a lengthy period of zero watts. Would be interesting to see Bruce's PMC and where his TSB ended up.

David George and Kevin Evans Will try post some more later ...

Hannes Genza and Jochen Kaess (placed third)

Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser

Brandon Stewart and Max Knox

I've also become a fan, but for one issue. When clipped in, there is a gap between the tread of my shoe and the pedal 'platform' (i.e. what becomes the axle). The rsult is that the pdeal sits on the sole of the shoe and wears a groove. It also means that there is play in the system which must affect pedalling efficiency. The problem can be cured by winding tape around the 'platforms' (and I see a lot of riders do this including the pros), but this is a schlep as the tape wears out frequently. Does anybody have a work-around or else a more long-lasting solution?

Yes, my heart bleeds for them (the bike brands not Bicycling) and their 2009 mark-ups. Scott particularly.

Nice report. I also went and it was an absolute blast! I agree that the Trek / GF bunch were the most organised and I almost convinced myself that 29ers are the way to go! What did really interest me is how much bike preferrence depends on perception as what I regarded as the better ride was different from what my friends thought. Would have been nice to have had Specialised, Scott and some of the smaller brands (eg Titus and Santa Cruz) there as well. Also surprised that Raleigh didn't bother given that they are supposedly an SA brand! Biggest mistake of the event was that none of the organisers used tubeless ... in Stellenbosch! I think they must have replaced about 10 000 tubes!

Ok, cancel that! Helps if you read the FAQ, link here: http://support.trainingpeaks.com/compatible-devices/garmin/edge-705.aspx

I've also successfully paired the Garmin 705 with my PT MTB disc hub and it works a treat. Problem is that I can't seem to get the 705 to downlaod to WKO+. I keep on getting an 'unrecognised device' type error. There is no separate 705 option in the drop down menu and I have just been selecting the 'Edge 305' option. Bruce, or anyone else, is this a know issue?

How about turning all yellow / line emergency lanes in urban areas into cyclist-only lanes with lots of signage. In the greater scheme of things this can hardly be a major expense. Having been hit by a car myself, I believe that the best solution is to try and seperate cars from bikes as much as possible. As all cities are trying to push for less traffic, they should be incentivising and encouraging the use of bicycles.

http://www.velonews.com/article/86511/finding-the-fit-saxo-bank-embraces-bg-fit

If you can afford one, get a power meter and focus on training intervals in specific power zones. I've found it to be really helpful. I think the most useful training for XC racing is do try do lots of 5 and 10 min intervals within a 1.5 to 2 hour session.

I had the same problem and it turned out to be a broken pivot bolt on the bottom pivot. It also only happended when I put pressure through the pedals.

Which study are you referring to? If it's this one then your statement is not correct. https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=25124&KW=

I agree that care needs to be used when building PT wheels. Having said that I own both the road and MTB (disc) versions and haven't broken any spokes yet. I've also been very impressed with the durability of the MTB PT as it has been fine through one of the muddiest Cape winters I've experienced! Lefty, you are misrepresenting the SSI study that Jeroen did. I also do not believe that a coach is a must-have either. If you are prepared to do a bit of homework and read Hunter Allen's book you can work most of it out by yourself. In my opinion the PT is very useful for marathon MTB events (more so than XC where power output is very predictable ). For example it works as a far better pacing tool than HR.

FACT: training with power is the most efficient means of improving your cycling ability. It is also the most accurate measure of your abilities. OPINION: whether you care enough about being better to spend the money.

BMC Bowmans, but make sure Shane does the job

Some rumours doing the rounds that it will be Garmin-Chipotle... Would be nice to see Armstrong ride against Contador rather than with him

Lefty, no one is forcing you to become a PPA member (unless you want to do the Argus which, even I consider to be vast capitalist conspiracy!). Point is that the majority of cyclists do benefit from the PPA. The CSA are useless. They have not even been capable of keeping the W.Cape provincial XC races going. Do you really exepct them to manage approx 100 events per year! AMA / Dirtopia have chosen (I think correctly I feel) not to focus on racing. Quite frankly I don't think they have (or want) the infrastructure.

And then what ? You offering to start a new organisation to run the majority of the races in WC and competently hold the biggest race in SA ? What are your plans ? the biggest race in thecountry is runby the CycleTour trust o which PPA is a shareholder and beneficiary. the event is organised by Rotary' date=' not PPA. PPA just takes a cut of the earning, then through a process of simple puffery, makes you beliee that the buck stops with them. Well the good news is that if PPA should dissolve, the Cycle Tour will continue irrespective. Fun rides can be incorporated under the CSA banner butthat brings with it more incompetance. With PPA gone, there would be less confusion an only one body to point the finger at. There would be transparency. Don't fear change, change is good[/quote'] I think your views are a little naive. Whilst I certainly do not believe that the PPA is perfect, if they disappeared cyclists would lose out on: 1. A seeding system. 2. A road league system (which everyone seems to enjoy). 3. Timed results. 4. Some form of quality control at races. 5. Funding for new single track. Sure, if the PPA disappeared something else would probably fill the void (although I can assure you it won't be the CSA). I do however doubt whether it would be anywhere near as competent. I'm not sure how many PPA supported races you've done recently, but there seems to be a marked comitment to finding out what the riders want and then taking this up with the race organisers. So, I'm happy to pay the PPA whatever it is they charge a year - go into a bike shop and see what that buys you!

I've had a set of the American Classic hubs for about 4 years now. With the exception of the bearings they are reliable. If you buy them replace the bearings with something else when the originals go.

The new Anthem X will only be alu for 2009. They will still manufacture the carbon Anthem advanced as their top end XC dual-suss. They will also still be making carbon hardtails. The Antem X will aparently be lighter, but I doubt that it will retain the stiffness. Apparently the reason for the Trance type design is to accomodate a longer travel shock and to reduce weight.

HR, my previous post must be seen in the context of Go Lefty being an experienced cyclist and not a newby. A DT Swiss build is (again all things being relative) a good, cheap and serviceable build for someone who wants a wheelset under 1500g. DT Swss stuff is old as the hills and obviously has its own set of known strengths and weaknesses. Johan, I referred to the HED wheels as they seem to be an interesting buck on the trend of producing carbon (i.e. expensive and fragile) rims. I'm not vouching for them or suggesting that the review should be taken at face value. It all comes down to Keith Bontrangers "Strong, cheap, light - choose two". Personally I tend to go for light and strong enough!