NotSoBigBen

http://www.33smiley.com/smiley2/love/hearts1/8.gif I guess B will be just cashing in on the long list that he has made over the past few months, lucky bugger! MichH hope you're up to the 'tasks' for that weekend!

Markie Mark: I can sympathise with you as I'm in the same situation of only being able to ride in the morning, hope your flu symptoms are temporary! I know that this doesn't work for everyone but after rides like this morning I take a Cal-C-Vita with immune booster straight after the ride and will take another tonight before bed!

http://www.33smiley.com/smiley/everyday/26.gif Yip went out, first time with the road bike in the morning for sprint intervals since the end of May some time. My knees just about froze up, struggled to walk normally when I got home! We normally, up till yesterday that is, ride MTB on cold mornings as it isn't that fast and therefore not as cold! Guess we're back on the MTB tomorrow till it warms up substantially.

Saturday - 100k road ride (sorry mate!) - through the Suikerbosrand nature reserve. Pretty windy on the way back but after the vets tour my boet and I are quite used to the 2 man time trial thing! Sunday - 20k MTB through the new trails at Rietvlei Zoo farm - got a quick MTB technique training session from Byron! Won't help much I'm still just as slow on those technical, twisty, rocky downs!

SP: Not sure that amateur would like her seeding to go down that far!

I think the Specialized one you can only buy with the tape and everything (quite expensive as I recall). However I saw at Cajees (can't remember if it was Fourways or Eastgate) that RavX sell just the gel pieces separately for you to put under your existing tape. I use the Specialized one and it did make a difference!

DR - I would put it this way (I did not have much mud myself to be honest!), it depends on your priorities. For those whose concentration is on speed and the need to find the most 'efficient' route (minimizing any possible harm to one's drivetrain, state of your legs etc.) it is best to take the 'high' road so to speak. This is the mantra of a true Dirt-racer. On the other hand for those for whom it is more important that it looks like you went fast and spent hours out on your bike (i.e. you need to show off that you actually used the bike for what it was intended) your priorities may well be different! Despite the fact that you may just have potted about in the mud for an hour or 2! But more important is the fact that hey they will all have gone away from the day having had a great time despite the differences in thinking!

From myself and Byron thanks a stack to all the guys and girls that made this ride great fun. Nice to put names to faces. Byron commented that he realised today that you don't always have to be riding on the limit to have fun. Now that's something! Hope to see some of the photos soon. BTW got to lunch at the outlaws at 12:15, they hadn't dished up yet so they were happy!

The guy taking the photos is Byron's best mate from school. He is interested in photography. Almost all the photos on the Flatdogs website were taken by him. He took loads more which I will publish tomorrow night. Why you not joining us tomorrow?

Thats what happens when you buy a Specialized roadbike, can't stay off it. In my case having a road and MTB Specialized it's a bit easier!

Yip it's true the famous (infamous?) Scotty racing MTB XC at Northern Farm this past Sunday! Nice Merida mate! uploads/BigBen/images/2006-08-08_151750_Scotty.jpg

MichH you have done a sterling job so far, I'm sure it will be a great day out tomorrow! Can't wait. Dissapointed we can't make the breakfast but hey I'm happy to at least be riding with you guys. My better half is also happy that we are making a good attempt to attend my out law do! Everyone happy!

SP - done deal, you have the other! The chocolate milk iis stilll on though.

1 20 unit card is yours free, gratus and for nothing, I will take the world peace option if that's ok? should no one else want the other (DR, Scotty?) its a'so yours!

BTW - anyone interested in entry cards for LogWood? Byron won them at the TT some months ago (remember when he broke the collarbone?). 2 of them available with I think 10 entries each, free to a good home! Logwood isn't really in our area so we won't be going there soon, seems a waste them lying in my car!

SP - consider it done!

Thanks SP! Will a Supe M chocolate milk make up for the ride back to the gate?

Just thought I would let you know that I fell as the Afrikaans would say 'n helse skoot at Northern Farm yesterday at the interclub race. Those who know will understand - it was that sharp 'little' up with the root just before the drop off into the tunnel. A strange looking cyclist was just ahead of me (from the fun class I assume!) with a full track suite, running shoes, beanie pulled right over the ears, lock around the seatpost, helmet that looks the same either way round. As he went up he very professional looking hopped the front wheel over the root, I coming along at 30 and God knows how fast, thought great he's going over but to my shock and horror as the back wheel reached the root he braked hard and got off. I now unable to stop and in my attempt to not injure the poor soul ride straight into the highest part of the root and stop dead. Straight over the bars, left thigh just above the knee straight into the bars (bending the SRAM X9 shift lever up and my right knee straight into the root blood pouring as usual!), bike slams left into the ground (somehow moving the rear disc brake caliper). He says 'are you aaaallllriiiiiiiight' as he thunders down the hill to the tunnel, not sure what he was going to do if I said no! I get the bike and myself untangled and get over the top, rear wheel partially locked, stumble through the tunnel and then have to get tools out to move the caliper around till it loosens up! later find on the long lekka downhill that I can't shift to the big blade cause the levers too bent! By now my left thigh and right knee are aching like hell but hey believe it or not I still had a blast. It's still flippin sore today, if I sit down with it bent and then stand up it hurts like hell. But no this aint no copping out of Wednesdays ride, I'll bring out the trusty Fuji hardtail for some fun. I have managed to bend the SRAM lever back to where it was, needs to be tested and I'll have to get my engineering mate to 'press' my rear rotor straight again so that the 'red rocket' can be back up to speed.

Hey SlowPoke, so can Byron and I get in on one of your 'tickets'? We will be there early no problem! I will then re-imburse you there and then!

OK maybe a different tack on this gate entry thing - for those of us that have never been there needing to pay (always raced there only!) what do you need to do to get just one entry?

Would it not be possible for someone to organise the tickets for such an amount of people beforehand? Maybe someone that has been there before and knows how it works? DR perhaps?

Can the farm accomodate all of these?

OK Byron and I are definitely in for the ride! Unfortunately not the brekvis. See you all there. BB

Hey MichH, just snuck out of a senior management workshop (I'd rather be riding my MTB in the rain in winter than be there!). At the moment I think we will be there for the ride but probably not for the 'brekvis'. I will confirm 100% on Monday, either way don't hassle to 'cater' for us as I am pretty sure we will have to get back to go to this 'out-law' do with lunch etc.!