PPWTF

An oldie but a goody Nothing like poking fun at your rivals when they've got no means to answer back (show us ur medals)

probably seen by most on the Hub already (hey I did the search and found nothing) so I'm posting it anyway..... http://everydayathleteblog.com/2009/08/11/i-cant-not-post-this-performance/ PPWTF2009-09-16 23:59:45

from Wall Street to Columbia - HTC in all but 3 short years.... amazing http://velonews.com/article/95106 http://www.velonews.com/article/97553/ The number one women?s team for three years running will return at full force for 2010. Columbia-HTC signed rookie sensation Evelyn Stevens. ?We had heard a little about her mid-season, and we did a little checking on her,? Stapleton said. ?We got to see her face to face in the Route de France. She?s very impressive. She?s probably the strongest up and coming American right now. Smart, motivated, extremely fit. And she can survive in Europe. That?s the big challenge for American women.? PPWTF2009-09-07 23:13:59

I'm so over the whole doping thing that I very very rarely post stuff about it anymore. This, however, is simply to staggering not to share http://www.playthegame.org/knowledge-bank/articles/anti-doping-the-fraud-behind-the-stage-891.html Anti-doping the Fraud Behind the StageThe head of research at the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI),Sandro Donati, recounts his personal story about twenty years of fighting against doping in Italian and international sport. An unbelievable story which nevertheless is true. the article covers most sports, but sadly it is a cycling related bit that made me laugh so much I wanted to cry.... The UCI started an investigation and it came out that he was being"assisted" by Prof. Conconi and his team. In 1995, Pantani came very close to death on account of a sudden decrease of the haematocrit value from 60% (...!) to below 16%.

So the Pactimo site seems to still be getting set up, you can't find pricing info even though it's there on the tool bar.... http://www.pactimo.com/pages/home Anyone any experience with these guys, is the kit pricey with the Rand / $ rate plus customs doing their thing etc.... Gotta say it looks good stuff, but is it worth the difference between say Velotex? I know the perception is that SA made (or SA branded but made in China) gear is not that hot, compared to imported stuff, but to be fair Cape Storm actually manufacture here in SA and it's pretty decent quality material and finish.

http://www.saris.com/p-377-Joule.aspx?skinid=2 The World's First Cycling Computer Designed for Cyclists Who Train with Power. Your training changes. You change. Training with Joule means knowing where you are, where you have been and where you need to go. Every ride with Joule can be as targeted and specific as you need it, giving you the precision and effectiveness necessary to perform at all times. Joule provides an intuitive and customizable dashboard for managing all the metrics needed to tell you what you're doing during a ride. At any moment you can see power, heart rate, cadence, speed, time and other basic data. Knowing what to do next starts with knowing what you have done. So Joule provides a series of eight reports never before available. All reports are created with the help of experts and cyclists like you to ensure they provide the right data and are grouped logically, making it quicker and easier than ever to summarize your rides. Each report also provides every ride in the context of how it compares to previous rides over key physiological time frames like two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, six months and even a complete year. Since the reports are available at any time before, during or after your ride, you always know where you stand. Determining what to do next is often the biggest challenge you will face in achieving ultimate performance. Joule provides a dedicated workout and courses feature making it easy to keep track of the next interval so you can focus on the task at hand. The sum of all these features is the world's first cycling computer designed for cyclists who train with power.

So check this out for what has to be the best looking commuter bike I have ever seen. Draws something from the Cannondale bad boy, but takes the style to a totally new level..... sharp, aggressive styling, stunning and unique looks.... http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/interview-brent-foes-of-foes-racing-22913 PPWTF2009-08-29 04:42:36

An alternative Friday Funny.... Bike Europe reported on the restrictions the Chinese government placed on the export of carbon frames. It was a reaction on numerous reports about broken frames in combination with lots of other stories in the European and American press on dubious Chinese products the Chinese government now insists that carbon frame manufacturers must have their products tested by government approved testing facilities before they can ship them ......sources indicate that the effects the mandatory inspections will have are limited because: ?It?s a token gesture; there?s no way most of the suppliers would let a minor bit legislation get in their way. That?s why God invented extended lunches and beer with red envelopes.?

Good exposure for MTN following on from their successful trip to the USA http://www.velonews.com/article/96857/ At any given pro bike race, there are hundreds of hard-life stories that line up at the start every day. The story of Adrien Niyonshuti (MTN-Energade), however, is unusual among them. Coming from Rwanda, where six of his brothers were killed in the 1994 genocide, Niyonshuti got a pro contract for this year after winning the 2008 Tour of Rwanda.

Now that' date=' right there, is one seriously good looking peice of bicycle! Damn [img']https://assets.bikehub.co.za/legacy_images/smilies/smiley32.gif[/img]

if I'm honest, the speed, with kit, pretty much rules me outta the Zim ride - Gutted, but honest... Spud, I would love to take in a multi day ride mate. Think I'd have to get some kinda road trip back up for the gear / overnite stuff. I'm getting fitter, but not enough for 200km a day at that pace. Shame really, as that kinda ride is the stuff of dreams. Just to say you've done it, because it's there, and why not? :-)

Cycling?s One-in-a-Million Story Overworked Wall Streeter Buys a Bike to Stay Fit, Discovers an Elite Talenthttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574334741597350028.html Little more than a year ago, Evelyn Stevens was just another associate on Wall Street, working 50-hour weeks with an investment fund and trying to stay in shape by sneaking the occasional jog. Then she bought a bike. On Sunday, the 26-year-old former college tennis player will compete in the Route de France, a six-day race that draws some of the world?s top female cyclists. And here?s the part nobody, not even Ms. Stevens, could have imagined just a few months ago: She might just win. The story behind Ms. Stevens?s dramatic rise from nowhere to the top echelon of an international sport isn?t the usual clich? of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. In fact, if there?s a lesson aspiring athletes can take from this, it?s that it helps to be blessed with very good genes. The truth is that Ms. Stevens is one in a million: She was lucky enough to stumble into the exact pursuit she was born for. Ms. Stevens still has not gone through the complete battery of teststhat gauge athletic potential, but the tests that have been conducted on her show remarkable results. She is capable of producing a huge amount of leg power?measured in watts?for someone her weight and with her training history. With less than a year on the bike, Ms. Stevens could put out 310 watts of power for five minutes when she was tested by Mr. Koschara this past spring. Most women at her weight of 120-pounds can put out only about 220 watts, he says, while the elite professionals can produce around 350. Full length article is way to long to post in full here, but makes for amazing reading - just goes to show; there's no substitute for natures finest advantage

What is interesting is that clearly news of the Hub travels far and wide.... how else does a US based cycling forum pitch up 'advertising' itself on here. As for the advert itself Long live the hub Accept no substitute

British cross-country racer Luke Smith left locals red-faced when hewon a road race during a trip to Africa ? on his Whyte 19 mountain bike. http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/mountain-biker-wins-road-race-on-his-hardtail-22736 When Luke lined up at the start of the 75km Broadhurst Road Race in Gaborone, Botswanaon> on his hardtail with knobbly tyres he was sneered at by some of the regulars. But he soon broke away with the main bunch and then dropped them all in a sprint finish. when the opportunity came up to compete in a road race here in Gaborone I was a bit sceptical about the potential. My chances of hanging in for the 75km distance were also made worse by the fact that I only had my off-road tyres! ?Don?t get me wrong, the Whyte 19 is a very responsive frame, but when guys started pulling up on full-carbon road bikes with Zipp 808 deep-section carbon wheels, I anticipated it would be a matter of kilometres before I got dropped! ?The race started off a fairly decent pace with everyone keen to establish a good spot near the front of the peloton. I managed to work my way up front without too much difficulty, much to the surprise of many competitors as I rode past, my big knobbly tyres buzzing as the pace was wound up. ?There were a couple of guys whom some friends of mine had told me to watch ? one of them is apparently a pro roadie in South Africaon>. It was no surprise that it was these guys who made most of the attacks. What was surprising was the fact that I was able to go with them! Each time, however, we were pulled back by the main group. "As the race neared the finish some of the riders made a last-ditch effort at getting away but it was destined to come down to a sprint finish. I managed to constantly hold second wheel behind the lead rider with the pro road rider sat closely on my wheel. As we hit the finishing straight I launched my attack and as I glanced back I realised I had quickly gapped the riders. I even had enough time to make the most of the win and celebrate in style. "The crowd and other riders were shocked that a mountain bike had won a road race, especially as I was on knobbly tyres. When they later asked what was the secret, I replied Whyte ? Great British mountain bikes, they can't be beaten! To be honest though, I had really surprised myself." PPWTF2009-08-10 12:23:26

This Sounds bloody amazing Will you ride with all your gear, or have you planned support? (seems like a stupid question, but hey... someone's gotta ask) Whilst I think my wife would kill me for saying yes, I'm interested (very interested)

http://www.singularcycles.com/bikes.htm PPWTF2009-08-07 08:45:12

http://www.zullo-bike.com/products/maxsilenus.html PPWTF2009-08-07 08:44:29

http://shedfire.posterous.com/td-1-29er-rigid-ti-prototypesTD-1 29er rigid Ti prototypes Ragley project to design a different sort of endurance (24hr) race bike. Twinklydave who has been riding for ?me? for a while now only ever runs rigid forks, so I figured a rigid only bike would make sense. Lynskey made these samples ? we?re planning alloy and titanium versions. Maybe steel too for the more recreational version (steel is a bit heavy to be competitive in the weight stakes for a race bike, but nice for trail riding of course). PPWTF2009-08-07 03:22:08

1st up something not so new, but very very nice http://cotic.co.uk/product/soda bike will be ridden at Worlds in Oz http://cotic.co.uk/news/#worlds

http://road.cc/content/feature/5370-rafael-carbon-done-differently-%E2%80%93-future-carbon-bike PPWTF2009-08-07 02:54:38

PPWTF2009-08-07 02:44:07