Velouria

Judging by some of the bikes I've seen, a high pressure cleaner seems to work well

Depends on what you're looking for. Aiming to just finish the Epic - DS. What to race it - 29 HT (and have a tough butt). Got a sponsor (or own a small European principality) and want to race it - 29 DS under 10kgs.

Attakwas on a HT is fine. First half is a bit bouncy, but the second half is quite bum friendly. My suggestion for Epic - get a bike that will last. Same goes for components. Unless of course if you are sponsored and have a mechanic rebuilding your bike each night. If you are - then go for the lightest DS 29 you can find.

Quite sad.

On day 3 we were having a hard time keeping up with that SS. Thankfully he took a wrong turn before the climb up to the water point, otherwise he would have embarrassed us completely.

I'm quite weary about some of those mixed teams - especially given our lack of navigational skills.

The Pipe is still annoyed about the exclusion of Mickey's Madness, but once again the Swazi Frontier surpassed all expectations. Race report is here

I object to your discrimination. My 29er is a MTB, with MTB gears, MTB pedals, MTB handle bars. The only thing that sets her apart are the size of her wheels. She can't help it - she was born that way.

So - following your moon landing logic, we should all be using 32 inch wheels, as this was the wheel diameter used by the Lunar Rover. After all, Boeing did spend $38,000,000 in developing the Lunar Rover. I eagerly await the 32 inch revolution.

Exactly the same thing happened to me, except the car was leaving the circle at the first exit, and I was leaving at the second. T-boned from the right. Driver claimed it was my fault, even though I had entered the circle in front of her. She just didn't see me. I'm now quite nervous about cars that are in my "space". Hope you recover soon.

First half is fun, the second half is a slog and not particularly fun at all. It's all ridable, and there is some nice technical stuff up to the burger stop. Water points are well equipped, and I have vowed in future to make better used of them.

I can't wait. Time to settle this once and for all. I think you could commercialise this idea. The scope is endless: Flat vs risers With/without bar ends Hairy vs shaved legs Baggies vs lycra ... Perhaps our local bike magazines might even pay you for some original content.

And the new trails that the Wannabees put in starting at Longridge wine farm (up the Eikendal dirt road).

Also depends on the course - if there lots of twisty stuff, your bars will often be pointing in different direction to where you'll be looking. A helmet light is good for this. Doesn't have to be the brightest thing around - just enough to see the way until your bars are pointing in the same direction again.

I've got an SL3, and that is one stiff bike. It climbs like crazy, the power transfer and responsiveness is amazing. It's just one hard ride though. It turns the smoothest tar road into what feels like a corrugated dirt road from hell. I feel more broken after a 5hr LSD on the SL3 than after an Epic stage! That said, I love it.

Damnit - I'm riding W2W with him - I can feel the pain and suffering already...

By resting, I mean reduce the quantity, keep the quality the same. Still do your hills, anaerobics and VO2's, just cut back on the longer stuff. So in a 4 week cycle: first week: 9 hours second week: 10 hours third week: 11 hours "rest week": 7 hours

Not quite sure what I am getting myself into. Two rules: 1. The mountain goat has to wait for me on the hills 2. I don't pedal faster when being sworn at All because he didn't want to ride with his wife...

Remember - it's 15 hours at it's peak - you're not doing 15 hours every week for 12-16 weeks. You should only have one or two really big weeks in that period. Recovery weeks are just as important. If you are hating the sight of your bike you're probably training too much.

I'm riding DC with James Cunnama, and already I'm having nightmares about the pain and suffering that lies in wait for me...

A real triathlete also can't ride up hills

And the next triathlete that drafts me for 50kms is getting a snot bomb or two coming their way. You're making me look bad by association. I work hard on my coolness factor on the road bike, I don't need that all undone by a wheel sucking swim-ride-runner...

I'm doing it again this year. Fantastic event, even if it rains. Some of the purest mountain biking you'll ever find. Some general pointers: 1. Don't pay too much attention to Brett's race briefing - it's way tougher and far more climbing than he lets on. 2. Bring money for beer 3. Don't admit to being a CycleLab club member. 4. Shaved legs will get you plenty of abuse, as will lycra. 5. Get used to Swazi time (things happen anything from 5 minutes to a couple hours after the advertised time) Last year's race report

As much as you might personally like an interest rate cut, I don't think you can question the Monetary Policy Committee's track record. South Africa has the second highest rating of the BRICS countries, and a rather impressive 4th place in financial market development. If anything, it's our labour practices that are hampering our economic growth (followed by lack of skills). Anyway, the Reserve Bank's mandate is inflation control (which they are doing a great job with), not exchange rate control. We simply don't have the currency reserves to prop up our currency against the likes of the dollar. A weak rand is good for exports and tourism, our two key economic sectors.

So the only criterion is looks? Not price, weight, depth, stiffness, durability etc? I've been hanging out with mountain bikers for far too long. That said - the Enve's or the Campy's look good.