Witkop

that would be the roadie

cool that means mine will be here next week. How was the customs handled by the folk at TNT?

How long did it take from dispatch at on-one to delivery in RSA. Mine is in the post......(so I am very jealous of your delivery)

Me, whippet is on her way. Now the long wait. She was dispatched last week.......

Solomons in PTA North? There was also a Cyclefix or Something near Wolmer.

Now what they do is to go to a shopping centre, and find a similar car (same make and colour), and then they steal that car and put on your number plates. As you have not reported your plates stolen, and the stolen car is not using its own number plates, the Police are stymied as to what to look for. You better report your plates stolen (I think the law does provide for this, it is a must not a "if you like"). ps, what make and model is your car? The law now makes provision that all new cars sold after 2010 must have their number plates secured to the car by rivets on to the number plate holder AND the number plate holder must be secured to the bodywork (behind the bumper) with self locking bolts.

An interesting take on all of this: When you are involved in a "fringe" activity everyone tends to know of everyone else, so smiling and waving may be the shortest rout to a post ride/race beer. Also when out there on the fringe (bleedingedge) it is useful to have allies/ friends to help justify your madness. See them as your support group. You help the other guy because you will meet up again and Karma will be balanced. The rules of the group are easy to learn and easy to apply. See it that the "Lazarus effect" will occure very often because when the pool of available mavericks is small, the wheel does not just run it spins. However, as an activity becomes more popularand the "Space" over populated, people don't take time to learn the "lore" and worst of all they don't want "more people" involved. Also it has been proven that the chance that someone will feel obliged to help you is INVERSELY propotitional to the perceived number of people available to provide that help. The more witness to a mugging the less chance the victim will be helped. So Mtbking may have past that weirdo friendly stage nd those who want to get it back will have to devise some fringe extra extreme version of the actvity. Anyone up for cycling tourism?

and here is some ideas from Scotland: http://www.dmbins.com/files/Do_the_Ride_Thing.pdf

It was become apparent that municipalities in Joburg, in a more of infinity wisodm, based on the insatiable greed they have, have begun cancelling "grant to aid" to community organisations such as schools, churches, Boy Scouts, Voortrekker, Lions, Rotary, ext. This will mean that these non profit community service organisations will have to start paying rates and taxes on all land that they own, rent or lease. As these organisations are non profit, and run projects to uplift the community, it means that a. there work will have to be cut back to pay the rates, b. money generated for charity projects will be haned over to the municipality c. membership for these organisations will increase dramatically. The implication of this is that the fabric of society (its cohesion) will be dramatically eroded and societal (or civil activism) security will be destroyed. This also will mean that children will lose the opportunity to participate in social responsibility activities, but rather rave the streets as "feral kids" later turning to crime or computer games. I don't think the government is fully aware of the long term consequences of its actions.......

From on-one Friday: Status: At the front of the bike build queue - Your order is in the bike build queue

we have all been through this over and over gain. If you want to "cheat death" (which you can't really) you will by defalt have to "cheat" at competitive cycling. So it is a choice you have to make, cycle competitively or take stuff that may or may not make you live longer. It is ONE or the OTHER. You cannot have your cake and eat it. Also as someone on the cusp of 40 I think you are over reacting about the aging process (you sound like a old man already). Get over it, you will eventually die, either by a muggers bullet, a gangsters blade, a car bumper or old age.

Concept. Travel for three to four days on a bicycle in any what direction (preferably on dirt roads). Rest at random guest house, B&B and self catering. Slack packing, travel light with paniers on the bike to carry basic clothes, supplies and credit cards. Guidelines: Start and finish should be near rail heads, bus stations, or homes of friend or family (to facilitate concentration at start and finish, and safety of vehicles and stores). Distance to be travelled in one day will be between 60km and 160km. Mountain passes are good. Must travel at least 80% of each days distance on isolated gravel roads or single track. Routes must be proven to be crime free. Overnight accomodations should be pre booked (meals either included or available in close poximity) THe route should include places of interest (breweries, wine farms, historical landmarks ext). Suggestions? Option One: Queenstown to Cradock and beyond Option Two: Klien Karoo. Option Three: Sabie Pligrims rest and environs Option 4,5,6?

Kinesis is a reputable frame manufacturer. THey do good work for other brands like Kona and even have their own range.

if buying from a retailer, the retailer normally has a agreement with a courier and the buyer picks up the tab. The courier will also handle the import duties and taxes and then charge the buyer COD for this. It is easier for the retailer to organise delivery on behalf of the buyer. But the buyer should still have to cover the cost of the delivery.

Thanks, I enjoyed the ride very mutch, and would not liked anyone to have taken offence.

I was not calling anyone unskilled. The big problem with fountains is that there are few places where you can stop in large groups. Also many of the places where I would like to repeat the obstacle are not easy to get back to and when there is a large group there is not enough space for everyone to watch and learn. For the size of group, fountains was difficult as we were strung out with no place to rest regroup and get a good look at the obstacles. Luckly they group was not unskilled and we rolled through reasonably well. If there were people that were really unskilled, with the size of group we had we would still be there now. My point is that before we start we should all agree on purpose. Is it a slow and unfit, which means slow ride which may be short, with stops to accomodate the unfit, or is it a skills clinic where we will stop at various obstacles, discuss lines, point out burms and technique and then let everyone do it until all are happy. That appoach would be a slow and unskilled (and that is not implying that only unskilled people will be involved. Many are very skilled but just want to dial an obstacle). You cannot do both in fountains there is just not enough space for that approach. So I apologies if anyone took offence to my previous statement. I am the first to claim to be unskilled, and therefore would also like to attend a slow and unskilled day.

www.on-one.co.uk The on-one inbred was voted the best 29" in Britian If you don't like steel their SCAND-AL is also good in Alu and finaly you can go for the lurcher in carbon. You can buy the frame or a frame set or the complete bikes directly from them.

Fountains is no the right place to discuss skills. Groenkloof actually has a number of obstacles that can be analysed, pointed out, lines explained, ext and there is plenty of gravel roads between the singletrack to be able to go around and redo. Fountains was just too constricted for constructive skill learning. Nest time we should call it slow, unfit and unskilled. Choice two.

http://www.tourdefrans.co.za/ however try http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/ as a possible price comparison, or chainreactioncycles.co.uk

we will haggle the route on the way, maybe just a bit of Klapperkop as the single track on the southside is epic.

Ride at groenkloof in PTA lots and lots, the rest is just hot air.

Done, we can haggle about the route as we go.

de snaking a chain drive. How? what snake is that?

What is actually amazing is the SILENCE. It is very obvious to the peleton who is and who is not, but the policy is one of "it is between him and his God, until the vampires get him, then he is on is own". Rumours have been swirling between the pro, vet, sub vet and fun riders peleton regarding the magnitude of the problem, most of us have heard a droped word about x or y or z and his goosbumps at 45 degrees C, and why this one or that one suddenly is out of a team or on a new team. or who has got to the cough mixture lately. So nothing will surprise us, but we still acted surprised everytime a doper is caught. In the end, if you want to be licenced there are rules, break them and eventually the vampires will get you. But rest assured your fellow cyclist will always believe that it is a matter between "you and your God until the vampires arrive, then you are alone".

Icycling, you seem to be a very competitive track cyclist and at your age and experience you should ahready know the answer to your question. It is simple, if the treatment will alter the outcome of the race (ie any recognition, UCI points, Money, placings ext) then it will be deemed to be cheating and you will be in line to be tested. If you were only a "fun rider" and the treatment would only result in you coming 105 instead of 120 in the local timetrial or church race then nobady would care what you did to your body. but you You would be taking valuable UCI points away from another competitive. So the answer is: GROWING OLD IS NOT FOR SISSIES. If you wanted to leave a good looking corpse you should have overdosed on EPO when you were a junoir. But you did not because you were an honest cyclist and did nor even consider cheating. So why are you considering it now? Because you suddenly realised that you getting old? HTFU and live with it.