True. Die ou wa pad can kill your whole ride. If your starting group is not one of the first two batches, then resign yourself to the fact that you are going to walk a bit on that climb. After that the road becomes nice and wide and the ride speeds up. Also, beware of the twisty descents later on (kilometers 30 to 40 I think). I had a mate who landed in the stream (3 m drop) when he overcooked the one corner. He was lucky to walk away with a few scratches, but you might not be so lucky. Take some gel or nos or something to give you a boost just before the last climb (Concordia) as this one hurts a lot. From there you'll free wheel into Knysna
There is a group that departs from the Karaglen Virgin Active at 04:15 Tuesdays to Fridays (Fridays usually coffee ride). Otherwise there is a 05:00 group that departs corner of Linksfield and Huddlepark (by the Saheti school). Then there is a mtb group departing from Senderwood postoffice 05:15 Mondays to Fridays.
This is a very busy intersection (actually more towards Brakpan) and the trucks have caused the tar to form "trenches" in the lefthand lane (far lefthand lane is a turning lane) which can be quite tricky if you want to change lanes quickly.
Pain in the inside of the knee could mean that your mtb cleats are too far in from the centre line. This means that your shoe is away from your cranks thus your legs are not really working in a straight line. Besides: running is bad for you and that is why bicycles/cars/trains/planes/skat boards/roller skates etc were invented
Try Schwalbe Racing Ralphs. The set on my 29er has done 5700 km thus far and still looks great. I tend to ride at higher tyre pressure to avoid snake bite punctures. Maybe higher tyre pressure has a positive effect on tyre lifespan
Floyd Landis' book is quite good, Tyler Hamilton's book is a b&moan session, David Millar's book is also pretty good and he is quite honest about his doping. He tells the story as it is. Cadel Evans' book is written for idiots. The grammar and story telling is definately for the American IQ Breaking the Chain by Willie Voet
There is an old case which is quoted from time to time where a shop owner set a loaded gun and rigged it with a trip wire to shoot any burglar who broke into the shop after hours. One night a person broke in, tripped the wire and was shot dead. The owner was charged with murder, but was acquitted. The outcome was that you can kill another person in defence of your property even if your own life was not at risk. However, that was many years ago and I do not think that one will fly in modern courts.
Varsity is the best training ground to learn how to balance your life. Learn quickly what is important and what is not. Know when to party (which is a very important aspect of varsity) and when to study. I managed to keep a swimming bursary and not fail a single subject. Do everything to the extreme, but not to the detriment of any of the other aspects of life. Remember, your are studying towards a career, so that should always take precedence over all other aspects.
I have ordered from CRC a few times with no issue. However, last time I ordered and paid for Giordana mens, medium bib shorts and they sent me ladies, small cycling pants (luckily Giordana). The problem was the ladies shorts was in a Giordana plastic bag with a "Mens Medium Bibshorts" sticker on it, so probably their supplier's fault. No problem, gave the cycling shorts to the GF and received a 25 pound discount my next order from CRC.
Sorry to hear about this Heino. I just think you found the wrong club and I say this motivated by the old saying of brids of a feather... If it is safe to ride on your own, go for it - I would prefer to ride on my own, but the environment I live in prevents me from doing this. Or, if you do not like riding by yourself, find a few friends and start your own group. Soon you'll have likeminded individuals joining your group and everything will be peachy! Until then, keep riding.
