BigGuy

Also keep in mind that...

Here is a subtle hint...

I am still looking for a Peace 9er in large or XL. If I do not come right soon I will have to settle for the Air 9 carbon.

I just love the intro "Hello My Dear", especially if said with similar tone as the green goblin in spiderman carnaval scene.

I have only had good results with Octane. Cherry flavour is awful though ;-( It does stain if left in the bottle for too long. It contains protein peptides so the label recommends fresh preparation, iow do not mix the evening before as it will get a life of its own, rather mix an hour or 2 before you use it. Price-wise I do not find it too bad compared to other similar types of drink, although the recent price hike from R200 to R230-240 is a bit steep me thinks. I used Hammer Perpetuem before (also with good results) but switched to PVM recently because of local Hammer agents' "could not care less" attitude. It is good to vote with the wallet.

Yes it is a bit rough, Magalies Monster goes through there. Next time I am wearing Mountain Kings 2.4. Only Clarens has given me more shakes per km LOL.

Haven't been there but drive past a lot. Riding in that area looks to be quite nice with all the hills. It is on my to do list for 2011, probably around April / May.

I suspect it is best to use a dedicated IDT tyre; yellow (Conti) or blue (Tacx) are the ones I know of. I have only used the Tacx one so far, it works well and it seems to last well, as I am still on the first one. A slick tyre will work as well, but it makes a mess with the rubber bits flying off. It also adds a thick rubber layer on the IDT roller. I guess this is due to the heat build-up; the proper IDT tyre runs a lot cooler and thus lasts longer. It is the least hassle to use a dedicated wheel for the IDT, but cheaper to just buy a cluster / centrelock rotor tool + chainwip and then you can swap clusters as you wish.

Hey WW, we go to Dunkeld lodge every now and again, it is situated at the back of Dullstroom on the way to Tonteldoos, basically where the gravel road starts. It is a nice downhill ride towards Tonteldoos, with a few side roads to be explored; and there are some nice long drags around that area. And of course all 4 seasons while you ride! I remember this September coming back from Tonteldoos and having to brave a 40km/h headwind in the rain going back up that neverending hill, with almost zero visibility. Nearly froze to death. And when we set out early morning the sun was shining, no wind, beautiful spring day.

I have found that most Maxxis non-UST works OK, but I have only tried the folding bead type.

Amen brother!

Sorry for the hi-jack, but just got to share this. I was fortunate to get a good deal with extending the Volvo Motorplan from 100000 to 140000. I paid about R3500 for that. What was really funny or maybe not was that at exactly 102000 the radiator went south. Phoned the dealership to come tow me and first thing they asked was how much on the clock. I said 102000 and they said "then you realise it is out of warranty, it is going to cost you to come fetch and repair". To which I said "whatever". To cut a long story short they also found a problem with the turbo, which did not exist 2000km prior at the 100000 service. I just said replace whatever you have to, do whatever is needed, make it 100% again. The bill was nasty at the end of the day, around R25000. So I said thank you very much and took the keys to drive off, but I was firmly grabbed by the arm by security. Sorry, had to pay first before I could leave. Informed them about the extended warranty and then it was all hustle and bustle behind the computer. They could find no trace of the extention, so I presented them with the warranty booklet. Back to computer and then they came back with the story that when I took out the warranty they forgot to enter it on the computer so it has expired now, I still had to pay. Which was ridiculous of course. Fortunately the dealer principal was on hand to resolve the issue. The really funny thing was at the 120000 service it was a repeat of the whole story again. My being reminded that warranty is finished etc, cambelt must get replaced, spark plugs, battery etc etc. LOL. And let's not get started with the 140000 service story...

The dealers are not selling so many cars these days, so they make up the shortfall from servicing. My Volvo recently needed the same treatment, new discs and pads all-round. Dealer quote = R12000 (with discount ), private Volvo mechanic = R4500. Exactly the same OEM parts. And somehow he could get the job done in an hour, whereas the dealer quoted 2 hours labour. Then shortly after I had to get new front shock strut mounts. Dealer quote = R5500. Private mech = R1200. He did the job while I waited, roughly 30 minutes. The dealership quoted 3.5 hours labour, explaining how complicated it is to remove the front shocks. Which was not the case. Go figure. My wife's Mazda Drifter is much cheaper to maintain, maybe I should make the next one a bakkie as well.

Sorry to hear about the mishap. It happens so quickly. Good luck with the healing.

So it stimulates the lungs and burns fat... 2 areas I definitely need to work on without working on it. Who, where, when, how much?

Considering that I have not touched the bike since 3 Towers it went fairly well, except for the cramps, which set in at around 35km. The mind was willing but the flesh could not respond, except at the bike wash! Yes, that was the best part of the day for me. I ventured over there after failing to find the CycleLab hospitality zone. Did anyone else find it? Two small complaints only (regarding the water points): I need to drink a bottle every 30 minutes or else I dehydrate. The 50ml (or was it 100ml) water saches did not do it for me when trying to mix the bottle. Took ages to carefully open and pour. No water jugs or containers. The other thing was that there was no Coke. I only mention this as it is printed on the race briefing that there would be some at every water point. It would have helped for the cramping, at least mentally. Actually I wonder why they cannot put 4 water stops in place that would rival tomorrow's? I am sure with the amount of entries funds should not be the deciding factor. If only they will visit Forest2Falls to see what a water point should be like!

Might be real, BUT No Bloemie would give out their number as +27..... Come on... gmail? In Bloem? Come on... .com? In Bloem? Come on... skype? In Bloem? Come on... Ons bel mekaar of gesels by die kerk / mall. Regina Pittman? In Bloem? Come on... ek verwag iets soos Sarie van der Merwe... Ad in English? In Bloem? Regtig?

The 1420g is for the v-brake SLR edition, the disc is 1520g, and that's without skewers. I would recommend the American Classics as they are 1/2 the price with similar performance. I have not broken a spoke yet, and I weigh 105kg.

Atkins diet can work but you have to do it right otherwise it is more bad than good. The full health benefits are only realised after 3-6 months of careful eating. Getting the correct mix of vitamins and minerals is difficult. Also only works if you are in very good health, kidneys and liver takes strain on this one. You can cycle on the Atkins Diet but only low intensity, iow keep heart-rate below 120bpm. So probably not a good idea if you need to keep fit, but for rapid fat-loss it can work wonders. Forgot to add; not everybody responds well to this diet. Ideally you need to have regular blood analysis done on cholesterol, blood sugar, triglyc levels to keep you on the straight and narrow. Needs physician supervision, which is the way Atkins intended it to be.

I have had good results this winter from riding only 2/3 times per week (never 2 days in a row, and only late afternoons), and for only 1 hour at a time, balls to the walls (eg zone 5, RPE 9 or 10). Not pretty or comfy but it works for my time schedule. No overtraining, no dehydration, no injury. Also tried to get enough sleep each night. Not good for weight-loss though.

You did what?!

Another incident behind the chicken farm. I used to ride there often, mostly alone. What I do now is to drive to Gerardsville and park by the monastery on the hilltop, then I go downhill to the R511 and back up again. A bit repetative but relatively safe.

Nobody understands the caloric requirements of the IT profession. This is a high intensity game, needing regular feeding. I am lucky to be part of it.

Where can I get this stuff, I need it for Mankele 3 Towers.

Yes, but only from Sept to Nov, and then only those that do not know that the cradle residents are out to get them.