stratus5

Speeding up your whole group will make the race look to easy and the beta will be harsher ... cant win. All the regression is done against the Argus 2010, which was hard because of the wind, which spread riders out more than usual. If the 2011 Argus is easier, with fast times, then the fun rides will look harder statistically and our seedings will improve, which will mean that PPA will have to make the ghost rider go even faster Lots of riders are still using times from 2009/2010 to maintain their seedings. I am guilty as well, as even though I am way fitter this year, some of my 2009 times with a 5% age penalty applied are still better than my 2011 results. Only just ... I have enough 2011 seedings to keep me in G. There are definitely riders ahead of me who get towed along in their faster bunches. E.g D riders who would finish mid group if they started in H. I know this as we often race against them in Die Burger and 99er etc where they dont use PPA seedings. I dont know how you could push the reset button? Perhaps something really harsh like everybody seeded A-J will start in J UNLESS they do two PPA sanctioned time trials over a set course before the season starts again. WIth GPS technology the course could be defined and then you can do the course on any day and only have to send in the track log. Some of the file formats for GPS storage cant be fudged easily. Some twit would do it in his car though

Argus depends on your start bunch to a great degree. After a similar training regime I got a 3:15 out of H bunch in 2008. I then trained really hard to start C bunch in 2009 ... only to get a 3:26 ... stupid sport I also bonk at Ocenview ...

Current SA champ gets a fine B seeding of 6.3 % for the 99er B is from 4.5 to 9%. So the winners of Burger and 99'er both only good enough for a B. I think the delta they used for the race is 0.93 ... Argus is 1, so 99er is considered 7% easier. PPA really trying to thin out the CAT1 and CAT2 bunches, but they are clobbering some of us who have trained really hard to try and race Vets for example. I cant qualify even though I came 16th in my age group for example, having started in A. My 3:04 gives me a G seeding.

There's a trend, but its bloody hard work. Frustrating when a hard weeks work does not translate into any measurable weight loss. Jumped .8kg this week after doing over 300km. I know I drink 3 liters or more on race day. Saturday I had 1.5 liters on the bike. Drank at least 3 cups of coke/energade after finishing, plus a recovery drink (750ml USN) and then a guilty red bull. More water at home etc.

Was 103kg on 1 October 2010. Now 92.2 Want to be below 90 for Argus. I have been tracking my weight a little to closely, but has anybody else noticed that their weight spikes on a Monday ... after a race or hard training session on the day before. My Lightest day is always a Thursday ... Monday is the heaviest.

I guess the idea of a swingers bike party is totally out of the question? ... We all take our bikes and get to try each others out, or perhaps watch somebody else trying out your ride LOL

Some of its malicious. I have seen clumps (heaped piles) of duiwel dorings placed in the lane. I now tend to use the road reserve on the stretch between Sunset and Dolphin beach as there are less thorns and its easier to negotiate the left turning cars that dont indicate. The council idea of clearing the thorns is to use a weed whacker! Sprays the thorns all over the damn place.

Thanks, that is a kind considerate reply. I wish you all the very best dude and may you always find happiness.

Yeah, I know ... burn the bastard at the stake etc. http://www.fairnessproject.org/Religious_Addiction.html When Religion is an Addiction I remember hearing popular psychological speaker and writer John Bradshaw say that the “high” one gets from being righteous was similar to the high of cocaine. As both a former monk and addict, he knew the feelings personally. As the religious right pushes its anti-gay, anti-women’s reproductive rights, anti-science, pro-profit agenda nationally and in state capitals across the nation and wins, that high is a sweet fix for the addicted. It gives them a comforting feeling of relief that they’re really right, okay, worthwhile, and acceptable. Like all fixes, though, it doesn’t last. So, the addict is driven to seek another and another – another issue, another evil, another paranoiac threat to defeat. It can’t ever end. Like the need for heavier doses, the causes have to become bigger and more evil in the addict’s mind to provide the fix. etc

I had a look at my Cape Cobra stats for this stretch, which I did in the Cat3 group ... There was almost no wind. The Boyes drive distance is roughly 6.8 km (we did come in at the Westlake Golf club though, not from the main road) Start height was 33m ASL. Heighest point is 95m ASL. It feels much higher! Our group took 12:30, which is an average speed of ~32.6 km/h The main road distance is slightly shorter. I would guess 6.5km? Somebody might have more accurate figures. This stretch used to be very fast (~40km/h+) if there was no wind. You could also get sucked along and recover a bit if required. At 40km/h this would take ~9:45 So Boyes Drive adds about 2:45 to the course, which is much less than I expected. I dont feel so negative about it now There is however a large energy cost as you have to work much harder. The climbers will try and break you on this piece so you cant wheel suck all the way to Simons Town. In the last two Argus's our group © fractured on this piece. It gets exponentially harder as the wind speed picks up.

Truly, my brain does not allow me the luxury of childlike belief. I was removed from Sunday school at five years of age for asking awkward questions. Clearly my lack of faith was predetermined ... beyond my control ... the tears, trauma and fallout at junior school (head boy) when I stood up and said I cant believe probably took more guts than child/sheep like following ever could. But through it all I only ask questions ... I dont play the man ... Try it

"No man hath seen God at any time." (JOH 1:18) Moses has some explaining to do?

ACT 1:18: "Now this man (Judas) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." MAT 27:5-7: "And he (Judas) cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests...bought with them the potter's field." Which of the above did he say? ... Its a bit confusing ...

\LEV 11:6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. You believe the above?

Hope the link works ... http://bicycledesign.net/2011/01/picchio-carbon-bicycle-by-nicola-guida/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BicycleDesign+%28Bicycle+Design%29

Jesus did not fulfill the old testament prophesies, which is why the Jews do not believe he was the Messiah. I mean they were there for Pete's sake. They saw, felt, touched, listened and said nope, not the Messiah! It would appear that none of the above are therefore required in order to be the Messiah? Just a vote by some Romans 300+ years after the fact. Access tags are hopefully very dead/inert. The place with the most constant temperature is probably your testicles The less religious, the better the standard of living, less crime, less corruption etc etc. Dig up the stats for some of the least religious countries like Denmark and France. The bible contradicts itself in multiple places. The fruit loops who believe the end of the word is nigh believe that one day means 1000 years when reading the Noah story ... BUT amazingly the 40 days part is still forty days. It did not enter their retarded little heads that this would require 40 thousands days of rain, which would throw their calculations off just a little bit

In the front third of the pack, you can often sit to the side and behind (dont overlap wheels though) of the cyclist in front. This gives you a much larger comfort zone, than right behind him. Although a high cadence (90-100) is good on your own or whilst chasing, if you are just cruising and trying to recover in the pack, I find it helps to lower my cadence (~80) to give the aerobic system a chance to recover. The Tuesday PPA rides at Killarney (18:00) are great for getting used to bunches and leaning how to best position yourself in the pack. The second half of the ride is interval training, which definitely boosts ones power after a week or two.

If you are nervous, you may be sitting near the back of the pack/peleton. The accelerations and decelerations tend to be accentuated here, so you can actually work harder. Its often easier at about the 30% position in the pack. Also float around a bit looking for the most sheltered spot. Its not always directly behind the cyclist in front of you. Look for the tallest cyclist you can find, he should have the best slipstream. That being said if you are reasonably tall and are used to a more upright stance (especially if you are nervous) try getting a bit lower on the bike. Just a few inches makes a very noticeable difference to me. If you are a girl , then some kindly soul might give you a push occasionally if you are struggling a bit. Just smile nicely .. a lot

Can you actually buy a 25C tire and latex tubes locally?

Hi Bender If they will let you into Cat2, then your seeding will improve. Dont bother with Cat3 though. The group is mainly made up of younger riders, racing only for the hills and final sprint position. The majority of the group refuses to do any work on the flats and into the wind. This results in slow times ... We crawled out to Riebeck West last Sunday. I think the GH group races harder.

Most disadvantaged cyclist in the area use Koeberg road. The authorities have gone to an inordinate amount of trouble recently to make it as un-bike friendly as possible. It almost looks deliberate

The +1 group was catching the scratch group for the first lap or two.. AT least the tail end of scratch (30+ riders) seemed to be closer after the third lap, there may have been a smaller breakaway up front. Why dont these +1 riders ride in scratch if they are so strong? They are killing all new interest in the racing as any newbie just gets blown away by the intensity and does not bother to come back. An elite rider should not need to be in +1 ... and they are, since the bikes still have the PCS number boards on them!

Its a challenge, but on the other hand its a good way of measuring your abilities, and your improvements. Its easier on less windy days, when there is no guttering etc. Even if you do get dropped from the main groups, there are smaller splinter groups that form, so you will still get some decent riding in

The racing starts at six. The traffic on Koeberg road can be a complete pain, so you would need to leave CT at five. I suggest you actually park somewhere further out, and then cycle the last bit in ... others may have some suggestions The field is split into two groups currently. Elite and +1. You should try +1 first. Now for a gripe ... I have tried +1 a few times and I am not nearly strong enough (PPA G). The group you start with is voluntary, so you get some really strong elite riders in the +1 group. They cant win in the elite group, so they drop down and destroy the average fun rider ... We were averaging over 40 last Wednesday. Ideally they need a +2 group, but I dont think their are many riders with more than a PPA G who bother going now.

I think, with the current PPA seeding criteria/calculation, very few people are qualifying for a seeding better than a C (at least in the last few fun rides, starting with the West Coast express). I think after one year, they start to penalize old seedings with 5%, so in a few months many cyclists are going to drop a group or two, which will reduce the amount of eligible cyclists for CAT1 and CAT2. So not so much now, but for next season ...