Cranky

Thanks. Will do.

Anyone know where I can find Time ROC ATAC pedals in Gauteng? Cranky2008-10-23 09:09:47

Stainbank reserve is also a great spot with good route, indigenous bush and lots of birds. Take a picnic along. Cranky2008-10-22 09:02:06

46% is not high. These are normal ranges: At Joburg: Men: 43-55, women 37-49 % At sea level: Men: 42-52, women 37-47 % Raising all to 50% would not level the playing field. The risks of blood doping are far too high. Taking CERA is much safer, but still a bad idea.Cranky2008-10-09 04:17:24

The Brain is not a shock. It's an inertial valve.Cranky2008-10-08 06:04:07

I have now had 3 mountain bike services at Tony Impey Cycles and have to report how impressed I am. The shop doesn't stock my bike make, but each time they've done an excellent job. It's clear that the bikes get proper test rides before being returned to the customer, so the customer gets a 100% functioning, sparkling clean bike and also feedback on any potential future changes to the bike. After trying several other shops in North and East JHB and being very disappointed, I'm pleased to have found a very reliable and well-priced service centre. Cranky2008-10-08 01:00:38

We stayed at Rocky Mountain Lodge in a big log cabin. It was 5 min drive away and very comfortable at a good rate. www.rockylodge.com There are many similar farm stays in the area.

Wazza - first you wash your bike, then you fetch your black crate, find your tent, unpack and shower, then you eat and drink, or snooze under the trees (too hot in the tents) to your heart's content. At night you get an awesome meal and entertainment in the form of highlights of the day's ride. Last year we even had stand-up comedy. It's a great experience.

The best way to be a better climber is to lose weight and practice hill climbing. So hill training will help. There are some long, but not technically difficult, climbs, particularly on day 2. You'll survive just fine with a good general fitness, but better conditioning will obviously allow you to enjoy the ride more. Cranky2008-09-30 01:14:18

Do regular 2-3 hour rides now. Do some long rides nearer the time (Nov to Jan) and a few races. Take it easy in the two weeks leading up to the race, but try do some exercise in hot conditions in the month before, to heat acclimatize. It was cool last year, but it could get very hot and humid in the valley on day 2. A week training in the heat will have huge benefits.

2nd day of the Natro Berg and Bush Impi (a must-do race), near Spioenkop Dam in KZN. It just flows and flows and flows.

There were energy drinks last year, brownbear, although I carried some of my own powder and mixed it with water available at the water points. The water points were excellent, well-stocked with food and drink.

You'll also need cash if you want a massage. So carry a few hundred in your camelbak. You'll be given huge amounts of awesome food and drink (just not alcohol). You can make sandwiches at breakfast but you realy don't need to. Last year there were hot McCains chips, Nandos burgers and many other yummy treats en route. You don't even need to carry 3L of water as they advise, unless you plan to go off route. There are big trucks with fresh drinking water too. Unless you're careful, you'll gain weight over the 3 days!

I've had great service at Knysna Cycle Works and The Bike Shop in Plett. No need to stick with Action Cycles only. Can't agree more on the Harkerville routes. It is worth doing red and yellow together, for a longer ride. Be careful after rain - the routes get very slippy. I've also ridden in water about 50cm deep, on the trails, after heavy rains.

I was pleased to get my copy of Ride yesterday - with a black, local (and hugely successful) rider on the cover, and with lots of local content. Nice to see the editor giving feedback on lots of races. It took me a couple of hours to read, as opposed to the 10 min for the latest Bicycling.

Hi Dickie. Energy bars usually provide slower energy release than gels, and more carbohydrate (about 50g, vs 25g in most gels). You'll need about 50-60g carbohydrate per hour, so one energy bar per hour is fine. Gels are useful for providing a quick burst of energy (simple sugars, rapidly absorbed) for about half an hour, particularly late in the race, when the gut is less able to digest complex carbohydrates. But you need to take a gel with about 200ml of water to avoid gastric upset. Gels also often contain caffeine, which has useful benefits in increasing alertness and possibly also improving glycogen saving. Cranky2008-09-22 11:23:37

I agree Dirtbreath. The latest issue's editorial starts off with complaints about the longest winter ever. What? There has been so much happening on the cycling scene, and South Africans producing their best performances ever. We waited two months for the latest issue and there's nothing of substance in it. Seems like the Bicycling team were hibernating through a great few months of cycling. Cranky2008-09-19 23:57:02

Never mind the local guy - Arthur Duncan, I think - who took up mountain biking at 60, and was 72 or 73 during Sani2c, Dusi Mfula etc this year. It was inspiring to see him finishing Sani2c on day 2. The one good thing about aging is that endurance ability generally increases.

Agreed. And the online versions of MBR and MBA are cheaper than hard copies of Ride and Bicycling. But I'd still like to read more about the local cycling scene. At least Mountain Biker Magazine is a good local effort and well worth supporting. And there's always the Hub! Cranky2008-09-18 23:29:51

I've been very disappointed by Bicycling too. The latest issue also has almost nothing (just a few ads and photos) on mountain biking. The promised Mountain Bike mag has never really got going. The font is almost impossible to read, there have been lots of errors lately, and of course, there's little attempt to make the American content relevant, or to convert American units into English (e.g. pounds to kg). Then there are junk sections like Style, and wasted full pages with arbitrary photos of events. It's been a big downhill slide since Sean passed on the editorship.

I got the XT wheels at a great price (R3200 new) a few months ago and absolutely love them! I'd happily pay more! My bike seems to fly!

You need to impose stresses (mechanical loading) on the bone. So while mountain biking, particularly on rough terrain (mountains not needed), is better than road cycling, running (rather than walking) regularly would be even better, especially for the legs, spine and pelvis.

Take up mountain biking! Bone. 2002 Jan;30(1):281-6.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Bone mineral density of competitive male mountain and road cyclists. Warner SE, Shaw JM, Dalsky GP. Department of Exercise and Sport Science, <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0920, USAon>. s.warner@m.cc.utah.edu The purpose of this study was to compare the bone mineral density (BMD) of two types of trained male cyclists (n = 30) with recreationally active men (n = 15), aged 20-40 years. Sixteen of the cyclists regularly trained for, and competed in, cross-country mountain bike races. The other 14 cyclists trained and raced on the road. The cyclists had trained an average of 11 +/- 3 hours per week for 8 +/- 4 years. Fifteen recreationally active men volunteered as controls. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to assess BMD of the proximal femur, lumbar spine, and total body. Anthropometric, muscle strength and power, aerobic fitness, and sex hormone data assessments were conducted on all participants. Mountain cyclists were younger and weighed less than road cyclists and controls. BMD at all sites was comparable among the three groups (p > 0.05). When adjusted for body weight and controlled for age, BMD was significantly higher at all sites in the mountain cyclists compared with the road cyclists and controls. Some anthropometric, physical fitness, and sex steroid variables were predictive of BMD, but of these variables, only total body weight, total body fat, and aerobic fitness were different between the groups. In conclusion, endurance road cycling does not appear to be any more beneficial to bone health than recreational activity in apparently healthy men of normal bone mass. Higher BMD in the mountain cyclists suggests that mountain cycling may provide an osteogenic stimulus that is not inherent to road cycling.

Thanks. I'd prefer to be near town because there appear to be festivities after the race. But a farm stay also might be good for a ride the next morning, if we're up to it! Aristata looks good, thanks.Cranky2008-08-25 06:33:19

Lucky you! How far from Ladismith? Any web site address? Thanks.