Witkop

I am from a progressive sect, which believes some comfort and trail side repairs are allowed (although suspension should be for saddles). We are not all luddites, brother.

An item is normally worth more to its owner than any prospective buyer. So what would you pay for your stuff? Subtract 20% off that and you should have a good starting price. Also remember second hand will always be less (up to 50%) than brand new.

But I want to make a holy crusade of it. You can only go to heaven on a steel framed bike, with a coil shock and one gear. Once you have seen through the illusion of the weight weenies, you can happily buy a leather brooks saddle with dual suspension and dampner coils. It only weighs in at just short of a 1KG. HOWEVER if you want the latest and greatest stuff(without having to pay for it), then you better get training and winning races. No team offer = no sponsors toys. A different heaven and a different reality.

I have been reading the book, the upside to irrationality. The author shares some research he did in Israel. They basically tested a number of injured ex-servicemen to determine their pain thresholds. THe finding was that the more painful their injures, and the more painful the recovery and the more succesful their recovery, the better they were able to handle the pain that they experienced. The experimenters got the subjects to hold their arms in near to boiling water for up to a minute. All the servicemen who had suffered extremely painful injures were actually told to remove their arms from the water, where those who had sustained minor injures pull their arms out within 30 seconds. The conclusion is that cyclists that have recovered from major injures often come back stronger as they have a higher "pain reference point", and therefore can push their bodies further in a race. Now kids don't go throw yourself in front of a truck to get this edge, but rather use this to help you focus on recovery after fate has done the dirty to you.

Why am I done with road cycling: Motorcars. Somehow I always seem to be playing chicken with on coming traffic. On the way to a Rooiwal race cars passing other cars simply did it without any care for un coming traffic (me). Having to squeeze past potholes and a broken shoulder of the road, just to survive was stress enough. Other cyclists: It is amazing that full road closure is not forced by law in South Africa. Cyclists think that if it is a road race then the entire road(both sides of the road nogal)belongs to them. having guys cycling over the solid white line (snorting the white line) is just too freeky, especially when there is oncoming traffic over the blind rise. Other cyclists performance enhancers. THe days of a stiff double brandy (or rum and coke) on the start line are long past. Now there are energy sachettes, designer supplements, after race proteins and the mythical drug called "training". It is all too much, how can anyone have a job, family, friends, watch rugby AND cycle competitively? I know that in order to compete you need to prioritise, but "training" "riding in the ice cold morning" "gym with my cycling buddies", "cycling on the rollers" and "racing" just are not as important as family, friends, WORK, and eating fatty foods.

Dangle, I love it when I meet a guy who takes a gun to a knife fight. keep up the good work..........

Cyclists are the Juju's of the road. Think bikes relationship with road cycling has been a largely one way relationship, with thinkbike giving and the road cycling community taking, all the time. The first meeting (years back)between representatives between Think bike and the road cycling community basically started (and ended) with the cycling representative thinking that it would be great for think bike to marshal the cyclists around all saterday and sunday morning, at their own expense. The idea of cyclists taking responsibility for their own safety and cyclists joining thinkbike or advocating road safety was very quickly dismissed. Not much has changed, and you might have guested that Stranger was the guy from thinkbike that initiated that meeting at a coffee shop outside a woolworths (and paid for the coffee).......... So guys stop attacking the man, he has done more for you than you (and cycling) could ever do for him (and thinkbike or cycling.) Stranger thank you for being the cyclists friend even when they don't realise it.

Okay, on 24hr racing, you get my point, winning a 24hr race is cool, but for most they are there for fun, so if you take yourself too seriously during the event, you will probably be alone. But yes it is cool to race it, to win it, but as a mid fielder with a dodgy team? NA not worth the stress. When you race and OVER ESTIMATE your ability, you should be sucking for air within the first few km. If you still persist with this stupidty, then it is best you stay off the route. THe problem is that people take THEMSELVES too seriously. Hell, there are guys that enter races, come in half way down the field, and still have enough energy (after the race) to fight about who was wrong on the jeep track, and then post their rants on thehubsa for the next week. That is an insult to racing, and these people are not takig racing seriously, but rather taking themselves too seriously. (remember the whole idea in a race is to come first......or for the rest to do the BEST you can POSSIBLY do) There is definitely more fun to be held out in the WILD. This is the fun side of the island, where racing is the Jersey side of the island.

Some suggestions for venue: Sun City/ Pilanesberg. Great hotels, and wild life Groenkloof/Fountains: Easy access if the Gautrain actually works by then, lots of accomodation, great venue, lots of wild life. Oudsthoorn-Herold-Knysna: There is the cave, hel, ostriches, wine farms and a brewery and hops farm in Herold. (also you have the montague pass to George, Wilderness and Knysna) Sabie: Lots of up and down, and no wild life, but lots of trees.

I think I must add on this topic. There are different purposes to cycling: Racing: This is essentially the "first across the line". These events are organised by third parties (essentially for profit). If you entry, then you race, if you enter races "just to ride" then you are stoopid and "a fool and his money are soon parted". "racing": such as Single speed champs, 24 hr races, Argus ext. Here the emphasis is away from "first across the line" and includes things such as teams, mass participation, alcohol and heaven forbid FUN. If you seriously race these then you are stooopid. Touring holidays: Not to confused with race tours. These events are mostly organised either by the participants or some charity, and are mostly under the radar and by "invite" only. The objective is to go on holiday WITHOUT the car (and wife...........). Cycling is both the means of enjoyment and means of transport. Riding: This is often confused with training. The purpose is freedom of expression, and may or may not be done according to some training plan. Essentially more technical and challenging but without the pressure of racing. There is some small amounts of evidence that roadies sometimes "just go out for a ride". But it is mostly done by the renegade mtbker. Commuting: Getting from A to be where A is not where I want/need to be now and B is where I need/ want to be shortly. It is often done with a motorcar, where a bicycle is not available. I think Sean's plea is to get people to realise that racing is not riding, and you can be a cyclist without having to race. It is a small assumption that road cycling developed from the need to race and therefore is more geared for that mentality. Where going off-road was first a "Act of War"( Spanish civil war and Anglo Boer War) and then a hippy deviation, and finally an escape from the road. Therefore to be a complete mtbker you first have to master the skills of the art before you get caught up in racing. FINAL WORD: If you enter a race, you should race. If you are not planning to put it all out on the route, then rather save your money and time by not entering. There is more fun out there in the WILD.

Groenkloof is about R550, so we can deduct that there are more rich people in Jhb

The rule seems to have two parts, the first is about competitive edge. THat being no cameras d

Did my first bike park ride. First reflection is that the bike park does require a few hours to dial into. THe berms are way to big and the flat trails have no berms but only walls. THe grading system is interesting, but the "technical" challenges of the black routes were less than expected. It seems that if there are short uphills, a possible hairpin bend and a drop off then is is black to uber black. Okay some more crazy descriptions is that the MTN bike park is like drinking decaffinated espressos. Lost of whatever but no edge. The comparison between Bike park and Groenkloof is that the Bike park is like downing two tots of grappa, and groenkloof is like drinking a magnum of Pinotage. THe first will be fast and intense and you can walk afterwards, the second takes more time but you know that you going to pay for it. Groenkloof is cycling with rocks in it......

take the front wheel off the bike and slide the bike upside down onto the back seat the of car. Cons: chain lube on the seats. Cons: you may have t take both wheels off if you want to put two or three bikes on the bak seat. Pros: the kids cannot come with......... grabs hat and coat and runs for the door

Fudge you need drugs.

Rocky maintain hammer and on-one inbred both have panier bosses. However the old trek 1000 road bike also have panier bosses. THere also a number of hand made touring bike available from the USA and Europe (UK) which can be sourced at a reasonable prices.

UCI rules forbid them. When Cippo tried to wear a full length body suit, the UCI insisted that he cut them off at 4 finers above the knee, and the socks were only allowed to go up 4 fingers above the shoe, ie just short of the calf muscle. Also answering why Euro pros wear their socks the way they do.

fench fries (slap chips) steak rolls (without the roll) COFFEE the real stuff not instant pancakes with cinnomon sugar chocolate milk (Shake) muffins (chocolate) a shot of brandy bar one and coke (last resort) pizza?! basically anything with protein, carbs, caffiene and chocolate. If that fails anything with alcohol comes a cose second.

yes, and its the steel brother of the scandal

rather go for the on-one inbred. with slot drop outs, then you have the most versatile bike around. IT can take a shock with travel from 100mm to 140mm, it can do a single speed as well as gears.

sorry to say you can only ride it up. It is sort of an unwritten rule in groenkloof that you should ride in an clockwise direction only. There are too many people going the wrong way on many of the jeep track climbs because they don't want to do the rocky decents. as far as I know there are no mtb sign pointing down onion hill, just as there are no hiking signs pointing runners onto the mtb trails and visa versa. However if you want to go down climbs instead of up then the onus is on you to keep out of the climbers way, and in cases where there are two abreast (for what ever reason) you as the decender should always find the bush to land on. THe same goes for using other peoples trails, if you have to cycle on the hiking routes then you have to give way to the hiker, and if you run on the cycling routes then the runner must give way. Finaly, never ever ever ever go the wrong way on the single track. ever.

What do you want to do on a mtbike? If you are going to ride the gravel, then bigger is better, if you want to ride the singel track go for the 19" frame. How old are you? what is your riding experience? Obviously if you are a just for fitness and fun type of guy and cateyes scare you then a 29"er wheeled carbon dual suspension type of bike (10 speed) is your thing. However, if you like risk, taking a fall and pushing the edges then consider a steel or ti frame, with a retro fork (possibly a rigid carbon) single speed play thing. There are many boutique brands available, like coptic, on-one, singular ext. If you sit in the middle then anything will do.

just go to groenkloof. you will find someone who will take you under your wing there.

Ok I have a single speed and am running a 32x16 gear ratio on a 26 inch wheel. on the flats I am running out of gears and on the climbs I have to stand to pedal over the hills. What should I do? a. change to 32 x 14 an push harder on the hills? b. change to 32 x 18 and free wheel on the flats? c. learn to ride with increased cadency on the flats and more power on the hills? d. Buy a 29er 10xspeed dual suspension carbon fibre bike to bolt onto the back of my luury 4x4?

wow a shock for a road bike. Amazing. No wonder they make road frames so light, so that they can get a shock on the bike under 8kgs. Maybe Hincapie (or another American) will use it on the Paris - Roubaix