Rick

When i started training I couldn't ride long on weekends and doing base building during the week is tough because of traffic and time etc. I used to take my iphone with a kindle book on it and sit on a free spinning bike at the gym for 2-3hr. I used a hrm strap which i think is essential if you're not in a class and the spinning bikes at my gym have the screen which displayes heart rate and cadence so you can maintain a perfect base heart rate and also do pedal drills. I found this to be hugely benefitial and although I have a tacx, i often prefer the gym just cause there are people around and the whole thing doesn't seem so tedious.

Yeah, I specifically chose the DA wheels because they can handle training so putting the powertap in them was my first instinct. I also agree that having race data to look back on would be useful. That Quarq is hugely tempting, but I couldn't find one on a compact crank, I'm sure they do it, but perhaps not CRC. I can look around a bit, but yes, they are pricey. Thing is I would be quite happy popping the powertap in the DAs and that's it. Maybe that is still what i'll do. Tough one.

Yup that was me I live in Noordhoek and I bought it from Olympic. I gotta say the wheels are awesome awesome, you will love them.

Probably doesn't sound good, I haven't decided but I think it might suit the bike, taste issue i guess:

Hi guys I have a set of dura-ace 7850-c50 and I was going to put a powertap in them. Many people who i have spoken to suggest it would be much better to get some solid training wheels for the powertap and save the carbons for racing. I think there's a good argument to the boost on race day so I'm now looking at options for a nice set of training wheels. As far as I'm concerned it's probably better to get something pretty heavy and solid so that it feels even better when i hit the race wheels. The one criteria that I have is that they must look nice, preferably white. Any suggestions please? Ta

I have the wheels mentioned in the subject (love them by the way, great wheels). I'm thinking of adding a powertap one of these days and I just wanted to check about compatibility. I couldn't find much on the net except one forum where a guy had succeded doing it and mentioned that a little lateral stiffness may be lost due to the narrower hub. Can anyone confirm that it would be ok and wouldn't compromise the durability too much?

My 2c... I have been through 9 saddles now. I have used the spec phenom and it's a great saddle. I need a cutout otherwise I'm numb for a week. The saddle than I have ended up with is the selle italia slr and I really really love this saddle, no pain.

Ok great, so for me the consensus so far seems to be that more is better, be prepared etc. I'm happy with that. So the final question then is why would you not use a saddle bag? It seems like a logical thing to do and it's at least 5 things that you don't forget to put in your shirt on race day. Also, I'm wondering if a multitool with chainbreaker isn't going to feel awkward in the back pocket, maybe a little heavy or just dense. Is there a practical reason why guys don't like saddle bags or is it just bike aesthetics?

Awesome feedback so far, very interesting. If I can just clarrify one or two things about my question: Please think only in terms of race day - let's say Argus for argument's sake. For training I carry everything, but not for a race maybe. The two major decisions I am facing is: If you carry 2 tubes (or 1 tube and repair pads) + 3 bombs, then is the pump necessary? I guess this depends on the reliability of the bombs. Then, if you say yes to pump, would you carry only 2 bombs (or 1)? I have never punctured in a race and never twice in one training ride. Then the chain-breaker: I always carry it training because i broke a chain last year and swore i would be totally prepared in future. Thing is that when i replaced the chain I realised how stretched the old one was (far overdue for a replacement). So the question is, if your chain is well maintained, well lubed and replaced regularily perhaps the chain breaker is not needed on race day?

Hi guys I'm sure this has come up many times in various forms, but I'm trying to plan and finalise my ideal race day kit list and I need some opinions on what people are taking with these days. Please bear in mind, i'm thinking strictly of a race, not training, when training i usually take the camelbak coz it's packed and i can put plenty of stuff in. Firstly, I have just bought a CO2 dispenser because it strikes me as an obvious time saver. Question is, do you then also take a pump? If so, why. How many tubes and how many bombs? Do you take a chain breaker and quick links or do you clean and inspect the chain before racing and trust it? Are guys using saddle bags? I see many forum posts implying that they are somewhat out of favour these days. Many guys are saying they put stuff in their pockets, but I have this nagging notion that you're trying to get weight OFF your body. I can't say I have ever had a saddle bag that rattles or makes a noise, rather i find the opposite in that i can't fit everything. Obviously if you get a massive one then it's an eyesore, but a sleek saddle bag to me means you don't have to pack at least 4 items each time you go racing. Please share your thoughts Thanks

did my polar wrist HRM myself, they also said i must send it away, but the extremely obvious slot on the back was begging me to stick a 5c coin in and twist, so i did. No problems.

I may change my mind later when i'm stronger, but I must say I am enjoying the compact with a 12-25. Ideally I would have liked to go 11-25, but losing the 16 makes for an uncomfortable gap when shifting. So far I don't find an issue with spinning out on the 12, I am quite confortable at 90-100rpm so maybe that's why. Having the close ratio changes is very nice though. Like I say, I'm no 'A' so maybe when I get there, I will need the 11, for now the 25 is nice for the bad hills and the close ratio is extremely comfortable and consistent.

I have had a long, painful and expensive journey with saddles (and handlebars actually). These are the saddles I have tried: Bontrager racing carbon thing that came with trek madone 5.9 - crap saddle Sportourer Gel flow - I stupidly thought that soft would be better, this thing made my whole but go numb after about 80km - very painful 94.7 last year. Bontrager Inform R - decided on something more conventional, not too soft, not too expensive. was ok, but got bad numb nuts. Specialized BG Phenom - Great saddle, still use it on my MTB, very comfy on the backside, but the cut-away is not effective at completely preventing numbness upfront. Specialized Avatar - Similar to the phenom but not as comfortable, too much padding for me i think. Specialized Toupe - Had high hopes, seemed like it was the right design for me - hated it, butt went numb almost instantly. Selle Italia Turbomatic Team edition - Big cut-away, nice flat profile, also high hopes. Really didn't deliver. The butt area is so short and it's convex with a slipper leather so you really had to sit slap-bang on the spot or you slip off. Didn't like it. Selle san marco SKN - Very highly rated saddle - looks awesome. Nice, but the back flairs up, so you end up sliding off your sit bones onto the perenial area. ...And the winner is... Selle Italia SLR gel flow - I got the team edition and it's spanking good looking. My measurements put me on a 143 + , but even though this is a 130 it's perfect. VERY IMPORTANT - these things need to be broken in, they will not be comfortable for the first few hours. For me I knew it would be fine though because it was NORMAL discomfort like from sitting on something hard for too long - as opposed to numbness and nerve damage etc. etc. The win with this saddle is that it's flat front-to-back, so you don't slip anywhere, if you move your but back it stays there, a bit forward - fine, so you can vary your position. I love this saddle.

I had the adidas for a while. Really enjoyed them I must say. Lost them and decided I would have a look at the Rudys this time, just because the photochromatic lens is such a winning idea. I mostly ride road, but when you mtb and the light fades or you go under trees it's a huge bonus that the shades don't have to come off. The Rudy's are superbly comfortable, look great and work great. The adidas made me feel like i had a decent pair of shades, the Rudys feel special, different class. I tried the oakleys in the shop and didn't like the look, lenses were nice (i like brown lenses), but the Rudy's were just skinnier and the phtochromatic lens is the thing...

And now I see the 808s are 19k for the clincher at cwcycles... Are these just more awesome or have I lost the plot? Had a live chat with Zipp and the bloke reckons the 808 is the thing. Apparently handles wind better, lighter and stringer than the 404. More confusion

Lol Yeah, i was sold on the Dura ace C50, but the dude in the shop said he'd give me 404s for 15k. I have no doubt the zipps will perform well, just think the dura ace might be better day to day. Tough one

yeah, these were what i was mentioning in the original post, the 7850s. They seem super. Everything I've read about them is good. I'm gonna check out the campags now quick.

Ok, the mavics are seeming like a nice option, really like the look. To answer the question about light vs aero, I'm heavy and at 1.89m i just feel i'm going to get more performance benefit (percentage-wise) from better aero than from 300g less weight. Am I thinking correctly?

I hear you but honestly, I like to play with my toys If i'm gonna spend 15k on anything i want to use it. I'd rather spend less on a pair of wheels that i can just use all the time if that's what it takes. I know this is not optimal, but i'm not at a level to justify changing wheels, I just want the best set for road racing that i can train on and love, every day.

let's say around 15k

The 7850s are a bit heavier but they say the weight is mostly in the hubs so the rims are still responsive. I'm also just trying to figure out if a deep dish is the way to go, are they amazing? For half the price of the zipp 404 i could get the 101 which looks like an awesome wheel. I'm not worrying about the price right now, I just want to know where that maximum enjoyment and performance is going to come from. Those cosmics look really great, they were actually the first wheels to catch my eye. I read they are noisy though?

Hi Guys I'm going around in circles with all the reading I'm doing and I'm really hoping you guys can put it all together for me... I'm putting together a spec roubaix sl3 pro - dura ace. Very excited and I just want to make sure everything is awesome. So for wheels I've been scoping out zipp 404s or the 7850-cl50 dura ace. Problem is, I really don't want to race and train on different wheels, I just can't be bothered and honestly I want to enjoy the money i spent in training as well. My weight is 98kg and what i'm reading makes me worry about the zipps cracking. The 7850s don't have a weight limit. I'm also in Cape Town with the pesky wind. So my question is this: What kind of wheel is going to go the fastest but also be reliable and flexible enough for all situations (training, racing etc.) All advice appreciated.

www.mapmyride.com awesome site...

So just to complicate matter, I've now been told I should go for the Giant Anthem X 29er. Any thoughts on the 29 vs 26 debate, and that bike specifically? Looks like a great bike, good componenets etc. I am 189cm and 100kg odd.

Hi I am new to MTB riding, been on the road up till now. I'm looking to get a good bike. I've had a look at various brands and bikes and I've roughly settled on the trek ex 7 or 8. There's quite a price difference between the two and the main difference is the 7 is using SRAM x.7 and the ex8 is using Shimano SLX. Any advice on these two? Someone told me I must go for XT, but those only come on the ex9 which is out of my range. I'm looking at spending 20-30. Thanks Here is the comparison: http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/compare/#/fuelex7,fuelex8e,empty Reviews of both bike seem to be rave.