NotSoBigBen

Will discuss with 'she who must be obeyed' this evening and see if Byron and I can get special permission to attend, I have heard rumours of a prior arrangement (involves the out-laws) that will need to be addressed! Should know by tomorrow. http://www.addemoticons.com/super/everyday/35.gif I'd rather be here!

That's a cool disguise Jason

It is about the bike ! Including the colour, as others have said you should like what you're riding, gives you a 'psychological edge!

newbie - cool it was an option and I hope if I'm lucky I'll get other queries from this post mud dee - must agree on the lockout, I have lockout on both my MTB's, if I do use it (very rare!) I often forget to unlock it and find myself with a rigid fork at the next major technical section and can't let go the bar to unlock it! I think for the bit of advantage it gives it is probably more hassle than it's worth for most recreational / semi-serious racers!

HFS or TFS - huh?

OK OK OK I still have that Merida Matts Sport 500 (18inch) available, so lets see:- 1) It has Deore shifters and front der (tick) 2) It has an XTR rear der (double tick?) 3) It has a Manitou Axel Elite fork with rebound and lockout (double tick?) 4) It has Shimano cable operated disc brakes (half a tick?) 5) Has Shimano M525 SPD pedals (nice extra!) 6) Has brand new gear and brake cables (also nice I guess!) All that for a mere 3000 ZAR's!!!!! PM me your e-mail for some photos if interested!

mallo - Any idea what CycleFit charges?

Scotty - so ami !

uploads/BigBen/images/2006-07-11_122833_06SWorksTransition_d.jpg Not ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

uploads/BigBen/images/2006-07-11_115205_101B3691.JPG The famous (or is that infamous?) D-R in action Sunday at Northern Farm!

Byron and I will be there and we have convinced 4 others - all Solo!

Scotty you flippin cheap skate - hope you don't use that when riding your Specialized! You know what they say 10$ head 10$ helmet!

SARA - you are so right, I do believe that some well known cyclist once said 'it never gets easier, you just go faster'.

EWEP - Summit cycles in Midrand (011-315-8311 Anton) - tell him I sent you (Bennie that is!). Then again that may not help you!

Hmmmmm ? Specialized! Unless you have one of those strange shaped heads that needs some other helmet!

I remember Ertjiesberg from Ultraman in the mid 90's, like others have said not as steep as Suikerbosrand (It's the sting in the tail that hurts most!) but still good training! As much as there is complaining about Suikerbosrand it is worth climbing it just for that great descent afterwards, no cars, sweeping corners, what more can you want? Just careful of the buck!

MichelleH - unless you got there a long time before I saw you, you looked pretty fresh to me! Definitely not someone who just managed to finish - IMHO!

ewep, did you come back past the papermills, up the steps, past the 'toilets in the veld', left after the bridge over the road (towards Panorama) and then right at zumbugs back into Swartkoppies? Bit shorter I know but the steps and that drag up to the bridge over the R59 highway can be a bit of a drag after Suikerbosrand!

The blanket is a nice touch! What happened next?

Hope you all had a blast out in the nature reserve today! You all looked very happy and fresh when I saw you at the end so I guess it wasn't as hard as you thought it may be! Sorry I couldn't stay to chat it was my daughters fiance's birthday and we were supposed to be at a braai for it by 1 o'clock! Got there late needless to say. Hope I can join you at the next one. Today was the first time I haven't had to blow my nose every 5 minutes since Wednesday, my son reckons that is because it is now empty! Cheers

Sorry guys that I have not been online and able to contribute much lately but I have really bad flu and have been booked off work. Herewith a profile of the Suikerbosrand route for your perusal (don't let it scare you off though!). It isn't the route that you will be riding from Alberton to the nature reserve and back but that 35k's or so in the middle is the nature reserve! Are you all OK with the route for Sunday? uploads/BigBen/images/2006-06-22_203353_SKBR_Profile.JPG

Don't forget the R20 entry fee to the Nature reserve! Flip you guys are making jealous with all this talk of coffee shops support vehicles etc. Might test she who must be obeyed's reaction to joining you, you never know perhaps I get special dispensation to join you.

MichelleH - sounds like a bargain to me sure they won't mind! SP - as long as it's in the south!

I use a Garmin Forerunner 201 (on the MTB) or Etrex Vista (in my car and my son's bike!). I am running Training centre v3.1.4 but created the route in Garmin MapSource. Tonight at home I'll play with the training centre stuff! Hopefully I can then export it to a file you can use! SP / EWEP - Did the pictures / word document at least help?

Ouch! OK I've mailed it!