DaleE

My experience is that you will be lots better than 7% faster .... I'm usually around 15% faster on road than MTB with slicks - this is on my own in timed training rides. The difference is exaggerated in a race once you get to the quicker bunches, the problem you have on a MTB is not keeping up on the hills, but rather on the flats and downhills where the MTB runs out of gearing. 3:34 should get you round L/M group - remember that last years times were unusually fast due to the perfect conditions.

Thanks Gents. Always good to hear first hand experiences. Regards, Dale

Morning all, Can anyone tell me if these 2 forks are roughly equivalent, or one better than the other (and why)? Rock Shox SID 29 RL Air Fox Float F29 RLC FIT Have been shopping for a 29 HT, and Giant / BMC have the Fox, Scott / Silverback / Specialized have the RockShox. Spec. version is modified with 'brain', so possibly not a good comparison. Have looked at their respective websites, but not found a reasonable comparison of the 2. Bike will be used for mainly XC / Marathon. TIA, Dale

Try Jason Suter at Constantiaberg - is a sports doc. 021 7624914 No idea of what they charge for this sort of thing. BTW: I did a bike fitting with Renay Goustra (uses Jeroen Swart's formulation) and it made a noticeable difference to climbing ability. Dale

There is very little single track on the front of the mountain - most of it is gravel roads with some loose rock bits and some fairly setup decents. 3 main access points are Rhodes Mem, Tafelberg road and at the end of Deer Park Drive. Simplest way to start exploring is take Tafelberg road (past the cable station) ... go till tar ends, portage round the green gate (locked to keep cars out, not bikes and hikers), the road goes down for a while and then takes you round to the blockhouse. Its pretty easy to find, just follow your nose. from there you can decent along any of the paths- the ones running East will bring you out near Rhodes Mem, the ones running West go towards Deer Park. Make sure you don't go alone. It can be pretty busy during the weekend, but quiet in the week and there have been muggings - especially round the top of Rhodes Mem.

Not sure about the others, but Tokai is as safe as houses ... lots of women ride there alone. Dale

Chappies from Noordhoek (excluding little chappies) is 2.35km, climb of 103m, so average gradient of 4.38% .... lots less than most people think. Remember that its not a constant gradient, steepest bit is 8.1% Suikerbossie is slightly steeper average 6% for 2.1km (from the traffic lights) and is much more constant than Chappies Just remember both of these have short sharp climbs preceding them - Little Chappies and the bit from Hout bay circle up to the start of Suikerbossie. Let me know if you need more info. Dale

I can't comment on the 29 ers but have ridden 26inch Stumpy and own an 26-Epic They really are very different bikes (more so than the stats would suggest). I could never get comfy on the stumpy - always felt too upright and on steep inclines the front wheel would lift. Could not seem to get the power down properly. The Epic has more of a natural cyclists feel to it .... A bit lower over the bars and subsequently easier to ride for longer. I believe epic is definitely faster - even on the single track Try ride them both .... You will see the difference after 5 minutes.

loverly!! How many arms and legs do I need to donate for one of those?

Many thanks for all the replies and info - nice to hear that Chorus is worthwhile. Yup, has taken about a month to narrow it down to Tarmac or Roubaix .... and then along came the BMC to confuse me Looked at BH, Trek, Giant, Scott and Cannondale. Spec and BMC stuff just seems to be better quality (purely subjective) and I really liked the internal routing of the Spec models. Roubaix is probably the technically correct choice for an amateur vet, but the BMC has an attraction that is hard to define and is about 1kg lighter!. Not likely to win the Argus anytime soon, but spending about 11hrs a week on the bike, so looking for something a bit better than a Makro special Thanks, did look at this, but even with the discounts, once you add the shipping, taxes, etc. they are only about 8% cheaper than the local dealer, so think I will support the locals. Dale

I'm looking for some opinions . help from those who are know the Campag range of products .... The problem is like this: I am in the final stages of buying a new bike ... original plan was a Tarmac SL4 or Roubaix SL3 with Ultegra bits. THEN, like a twit I had a look at the 2011 BMC Team machine .... and now am having a problem making up my mind :0 The biggest difference is that the BMC comes with Campag Chorus 11spd (and BMC SA does not have framsets so I can build one with Ultegra). Only other option is a Di2Ultegra option on the 2012 frame; but there is a R15k difference! So..... Is having Campag an issue? - reliability, easy of maintenance, shifting quality, etc Am I correct that Chorus is Campag equivalent to Ultegra? Price wise it falls between Ultegra and Dura Ace. Lastly, any comments on the frames - other than the fact that they will obviously 'feel' different on the road? TIA, Dale

I have had and used one for about a year now ....my thoughts as follows .... They are good if ... : 1. you want to do a specific type of training that is hard to replicate on the road - e.g. constant heart rate or constant power rides, 2. you are on a rehab program of sorts that requires constant pedal speed 3. the weather is so lousy you really can't get out there 4. you want a quick spin without the hassle of putting all the kit on (just shots, shoes, music and you're set) 5. your wife goes out and you have to babysit They are not good if .... 1. you get bored easily - without music or a TV, they are mind-numbingly boring!! 2. they do nothing for upper body strength - really only applicable to MTB'ers Some other thoughts, - get one that is quiet. some of the magnetic ones are so loud you cannot watch tv while on them - check your bike will fit on it - not all will. - MTB's are too noisy and the roller will chew the tyre - rollers do not eat up road tires (contrary to popular belief) - I prefer the fluid type (cycleops, kurt kinetic, etc). - without TV or music, this is the most boring form of exercise in the world!! This is why God gave is Super15 .... for watching the game while getting some exercise on a trainer - Good ones are expensive - around R3000. cheap ones not worth the money. - most decent ones will have a pre-determined power curve. It's not perfect, but gives an indication and the resistance is logarithmic as you would expect to find on the road. HTH, Dale

Thanks folks .... so as long as I don't crash the thing, there does not seem to be any reason not to go carbon Regards, Dale

Greetings all, After a couple if years on an TCR Giant, I'm toying with the idea of a carbon steed .... Spec Roubaix or BMC or similar. Before I go and shell out a good chunk of cash, can someone please advise on the following: 1. what is the expected lifespan of a carbon frame? I'm not expecting 'forever', but have heard some stories that they only last 3-5 years and then need replacing. For a R20k frame, that does not fill me with happiness 2. Why do people say that carbon wheels should be kept for racing? Are they really so fragile? And if so, why do so many folk use them? 3. Do carbon bits need an special care (other than cleaned and lubed)? And then, in general, is there any reason NOT to buy carbon? TIA, Dale

Only problem is there does not seem to be an importer in SA. If you're looking for a fluid trainer, cycle-ops seems to be the only brand that is available.

There's usually a reasonable amount of traffic there on a Wed afternoon (after 4:30pm) and on a Sat or Sun morning about half hour after sunrise. I've also ridden there in the dark, and never seen anyone around. Probably not ideal though. Also, if alone, try to avoid the heavily wooded areas (e.g. the climb directly above the TMNP offices). Dale