Minion

What has the level of training got to do with any of the issues raised in this thread?

What do disk brakes offer on a normal road bike that rim brakes don't?

The nice thing about my attitude is that when you go and do a race like the Kremetart or Panorama Tour, the goodie bags go from excellent to truly awesome.

From my past experience with organising races, just getting Metro Police assistance is very expensive (every Metro cop you see costs around R3000 or more). To that you need to add the additional cost for full road closure..

This is what I find quite ironic about the whole thing. As a sub-3hr, A bunch rider I've never really felt the need for a massage after a race. Normally, once I've finished, I might hang around to chat for a bit and then just head straight home. My girlfriend who took 6hrs and really did need a massage at the end couldn't have one because they were packing up. They should set up their massage tent an hour or two later and leave it open longer.

What's the address of the online shop?

I've stopped expecting much from goodie bags these days, so not getting one is not a major disappointment for me. I was, however, disappointed in the complete absence of any food at the water points when I got to them (and which was promised in the race brochure).

Normally the receiver is liable for the charges, in which case you'd have to take it up with the online retailer (the CPA should help here). It is, however, possible that the retailer has an arrangement with the courier for them to pay import charges - this is what Amazon.com does with UPS.

If only it were that simple. Saddle height is a one potential cause, but not the only one. A too high saddle can be a contributing factor to ITB pain.

Great stuff. For some reason, I thought you were down in Cape Town, though. I'll get in touch with you next week when I get back from the Amashova.

I have a big bag of cycling kit that no longer fits me that I am looking to get rid of. It's still in good condition, so it seems a shame to chuck it all in the rag bag just yet. Are there any worthy charities in the Gauteng area who might be interested in this? Otherwise, I'm prepared to post it nationwide. Any idea?

Cops? Skynet? Bring on the T-800s, I say!

I was diagnosed with this at the end of last year. I've been to physios, bios and pretty much every bike fitter in Joburg. All of the recommendations have been for physio treatment to alleviate the symptons, bio exercises and setup to address muscle imblances and remove the probable cause of the problem. I haven't raced or done a hard ride since last November. I am slowly getting back to higher intensities, but my knee is still niggling and I worry that it will just come back as soon as I start racing again. I'm now working with another bike fitter. I've spent a whole lot of money and am becoming seriously disillusioned about the whole thing.

You need to get the Garmin Fitness plug-in. It's donation ware, but you can still use it without donating.

It will keep going and keep on beeping at you until you get back into the zone. The only thing that will stop the count is the Stop/Start button or reaching the end of the workout. The lap button or the chosen interval trigger will just move you on to the next interval trigger. It's a pretty powerful workout planner since you can also do things like nesting intervals with different targets and triggers etc. To give you an idea, here's a workout I made in Sport Tracks (you should be able to do the same thing in GC):

I've had a quick look at GC. There are three tabs: Type, Duration and Target. Type is just a description of the interval - it doesn't materially affect how you ride the workout. Duration should really be called something like 'Interval Trigger'. Setting it to 'Lap button press' means the interval will end when you press the lap button. Time, distance or calories means the interval will end after the specified time distance or calorie number has been reached. Heart rate ends the lap when your HR reaches a certain value. Target gives the zone for the workout. The Edge will beep at you whenever you fall outside the specified range, and will let you know when you get back into it.

But then people might wonder why he's getting skid marks on his mountain goat.

I haven't done it using Connect, but I've been using the workouts function via other software for a long time. It's one of the best reasons to own a Garmin.

This is what I'd be playing http://youtu.be/zFrDSFzlKwE

My mates have done some pretty dodgy things in the past, but attempting to lick my shammy under any circumstances would get them unfriended faster than you can say 'poo stain'.

He's been watching too many Antonio Banderas movies.

Reminds me of a quote from the film Dogma. "...even God has a sense of humour. Just look at the platypus."

The original hopes for the Vector were that it would be below $1000, but the official announcement of price and release date puts them at $1500 to be released in March 2012. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/09/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know.html The Polar/Look PM is scheduled for release in limited quantities this month or next month. The RRP will be $2200. http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/09/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know_19.html I personally wouldn't object to buying a second hand power meter. The Powertaps sometimes have issues with their bearings (which are, however, easy to replace) so, especially for an MTB power meter, I'd make sure the PM had been recently serviced before buying. I would reckon a reasonable price for a used, wireless disc brake Powertap would be around R7k.

Yip, it seems to block the signal. Polar product: S725 When purchased: 2005 New/Second-hand: New When did problem occur: After changing to full carbon bike Describe problem: Watch would not detect speed sensor mounted on rear triangle (needed to be rear-mounted for IDT use) Describe solution: Swapped internal jumper on speed sensor to increase range - no joy. Tried various different positions for watch and sensor - couldn't find a position that would allow me to easily see the watch while riding. Eventually gave up and used it as an excuse to upgrade to a Garmin Edge 705. Cost involved: None on the Polar. Upgrade cost to Edge. Polar product: S725 - same one When purchased: 2005 New/Second-hand: New When did problem occur: After about a year of use. Describe problem: Watch would not detect Wearlink HR, even after changing battery. Took it to Polar and they said the metal contacts where the HR transmitter clips to the strap were corroded. Describe solution: Transmitter was replaced. Polar tech instructed me to detach the transmitter after every use and wipe the contacts. I was told to never store the strap with the transmitter attached. I was advised to wash the strap in the washing machine every couple of weeks. The same strap and transmitter are still going strong after many hours of gym use. Cost involved: Replacement cost for transmitter (can't remember what it was).

I think part of the reason is that their frames and wheels are so light that they need to start looking for places to add weight to the bike to meet the UCI limit.