PeterM

National Seeding is sort-of the one used in Gauteng and in some national races. It is a simple calculations that intents to show your difference to the ideal best winner; i.e. if your seeding is 30 than that implies that you are +-+-30% slower than the ideal (!!) best winner. Here in the Cape the PPA is using a different seeding system that was changed at the beginning of the season and is causing much confusion and some strange results. It seems that they went "over-board" on the linear regression; etc....

That's it. Thanks guys!!

What was the name of the company / website that took the photos at the OFM cycle race? Thanks!

My LBS told me that when they put slim into a road tyre they also put vaseline into the valve from both sides to stop the slime clogging the valve. What i also do is to keep the valve pointing at an angle upwards while it is parked at home (and waiting) so that any slime runs back into the tube. When i struggle to pump it up - all it needs is = take the pumphead (?) off the valve, push with my finger the open valve (quick and hard), air and some slime fluid will come out, then it is okay to pump again. Often i do that even before i pump the tyre - a kind of clearing of the valve throat. PeterM2009-11-03 01:03:01

Got up early to a cold but clear Sunday morning, waited till the sun was up and then headed out towards cape point. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> At <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Kalk Bay I heard a bubbling sound from the front wheel, which surprised me as my ?training wheels? had slime filled Gator Skins. Stopped and saw the yellow fluid leaking. Straight away turned the wheel to point the hole down so all the slime can seal it. But all it did was form a growing yellow puddle. Other cyclists stopped to check it out and offer help. I think, the last drop must have sealed it as there was still some pressure left (2-3bar). Now I turned the wheel and I, and the other cyclists could not believe that there was a 18mm cut across the tire and it was 1,5mm open. No point fixing it with a new tube. As I was 24,4km from home I wanted to phone to get picked up, but changed my mind and thought ? let?s see how far I could cycle with this tire. Going slow and avoiding EVERY stone/gavel/edge I kept on cycling. Well, to my surprise I made it home. Absolutely amazed that the slime and Gator Skin held together. <?: prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />

If you race and do well - you must get your reward!! Men or ladies. Last week i ceded my One Tonner entry to somone at our cycle club via email. I had too much work and studying to do. Little did i know that she (the one who used my ceded entry) went ahead and won the female section outright by more than 5min!! I asked her to which woman's league racing team does she belong? She answered: non, ladies road racing is horrible. She is just training for the Epic and DC. Could not help myself and think: What a loss to woman's road racing... Just my 2c worth

I am not a legal person but have had some legal exposure. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> As far as I understand it ? the indemnity form protects the provider against negligence, etc. The real issue is: Gross Negligence ? then the signed indemnity form has little protection(s). But one needs some big legal legs to prove Gross Negligence. Sorry to see this stupid accident that never should have happened?

Ouch! 'n Eina!!!

Great Pics! Thanks! More please.

Re-Cycled PreLoved Bikes

OK, here it goes: Apparent changes to the PPA seeding process for the new season:<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Please note: what I am now recalling is 2nd hand information to you; so there might be a few mistakes that crept in, etc. The basic calculation has changed. (old calculation = adjusted winner's time, divided by - your time ? converted into a %). Now it is: your time, divided by the winning time. This is mathematically a cleaner/neater way of doing it. Example: if your personal race time is 240min and the winning time is 200min = than your (initial) seeding is 240/200 (+convert to %) = 20 i.e. your time is 20% more than the winning time. Read on: Than the winning time is adjusted. Similar as before to take the race circumstances into account. Follow on from the above example ? winning time is adjusted from 200min to 180min. 240/180 (+convert to %) = 33,3 (your adjusted race seeding).. Now the ?spread? of the participants is taken into account plus other circumstances; i.e. front guys are racing seriously, cyclists at the back are just doing a social ride with their mates; or the stormy Argus race, etc. (There is a level of subjectivity involved) This is a type of linear regression. That adjustment might go either way - can be positive or negative!! Example - and your race specific seeding is again adjusted let?s say by 15% = 33,3 & 15% = 38,3 (your adjusted race seeding). The weighting process seemed to be the same. Practical effects: It will be more accurate overall But it will need continuous & more adjustments and fine tuning!! How transparent will the adjustments be? Personally, I think that the process was too strict and punitive for the <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Worcester race. Looking at my own Worcester race seeding - it was terrible despite that I have been training during the whole winter. But then I applied the new calculations process to the league riders - I found out that many of them would also have received a terrible race seeding and many might not have ?qualified? for leagues. This means that the Worcester seeding might have been too strict! There will be fewer races that give one an easy improved seeding; i.e. West Coast Express ? might not be the easy seeding-improving race anymore. Small races will be sidelined ? too small population, etc Bigger attended races might be better for once seeding. Tough hill races will be fairer judged and be good for once seeding. I hope that helped. Please note that there might be a few mistakes in it. Peter M?ller

Hi Vaste6 I also found the new ppa seeding process confusing. After contacting the ppa numerous times and ways ? and receiving no/zilch/nata response from them, I found the guy who does the actual calculations and the changes for this new season. He was very helpful and we had a long chat. If you want to, I could try to explain it ? but please note that, what ever I will say is only 2nd hand info, plus sometime in the future there will be an official ppa anoucment regarding it. But maybe it might help in the meantime. Let me check my notes re the seeding and write them down - will poste them later on. PeterM2009-09-25 02:08:19

Thank's Ronelle - it's a great service you do to cycling and the sport!! Quality of your pics are very good; some have a crisp contrast, and others "tell a great story". Nice to see the country-side as one does not always see it while cycling in the race. I did not realise how green it was....

Regarding seeding queries ? during the last few weeks I had a seeding query with the PPA (just a simple question to clarify something). Phoned them, sent two emails (polite, short and to the point), and popped into their office. To date PPA?s response was ? zilch! Not a single answer, even when I went to their offices. At their offices they asked me to email them... A few days ago I followed up with an official complain ? same response. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Up to now my feelings towards the PPA were somewhere between positive and neutral. Now this is changing.

Booked a self catering place this morning. It's filling up - quite a few B&B etc were already full and had to phone around!

Planning to do the OFM this year. Will be driving up from Cape Town and planning to bring along a few guys from my cycle club (a Posse). Need to do a road trip... Have phoned a few self catering places - good price and fairly close to the start. Will be my first OFM - how is the seeding done? How many starting groups? How many cyclists took part in the OFM last year?

The Argus is a great ride and race!!! It must be one of the largest carnivals in cycling. Plus the spectator support and awareness is amazing. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> It also is SA?s biggest cycling benchmark ? 30 000 cyclist ride the same course at the +-same time. About 10 000 of them are fairly serious cyclists who take their sport serious. With the Argus all cyclists from SA can compare themselves on a fairly fair bases. No more cyclists grandstanding of ?? our race is soooo much harder/technical/tougher than your race and I did so well in it?? Its is a great route too!

Great - go for it! (2010 will be my 3rd Argus. So I am still fairly new to it. In 2008 i finished 16000th on a old 'n borrowed bike, 2009 i finished 8200th on my own road bike and for 2010 i want to stick to that trend line i.e. doing some hard training ...) Training: Enjoy the cycling and aim for TITS (time in the saddle) and not speed or distance. Do most of the training before Xmas so that your body can get used to it. Join a cycling club/group and learn from them while you have fun. Learn how to ride in a group. Learn how to ride a long hill without "killing yourself". Start to do local races - start easy (30km; 50km; 100km, hill race). Do a seeding race (Die Burger 29th Nov09) Do your hardest training (peaking) +-2 or 3 weeks before the Argus; do hardley any riding the week before the race! The bike - change nothing during the last 2 months before the Argus. get it serviced before the race. keep the tire pressure high, etc. During the Argus - take it easy, start slow, join a small bunch that ride your speed, chat, NB: stay to the left of the road (so the faster riders can overtake you safely on the right) and never change your line as you might bump into someone ... Eat some energy stuff every 15-25km, have a sip of your (not too sweet) drink every +-10min - drink/eat before you become thirsty or hungry!! Eat a big/mixed/easy breakfast early in the morning, plus take some food 'n extra drink to have while you wait in your starting pen. It is one big carnival and you will be overtaken by 1000's of cyclists and you in turn will also overtake a few 1000's cyclists. Oh yes - go to the toilet before you start the race (at the starting pens)! You do not want to find a bush while 5000 cyclist ride past you and the helicopter camera zooms onto you It is great - enjoy it!PeterM2009-09-07 03:03:10

Crown Cycle - will always give honest and usefull service!!! Have purchased 4 bikes from them during the last few years. The other shops (Olympic, Bridge, etc) have a much better selection but will always try to sell you the expensive stuff, which one not always needs.

@Popeye - yeap, we just might have to work harder/smarter at the next few races! No rest for us upper-midfielders It was just that the new "figures" were strange, to say the least. My Argus2009 index worsened during last week by 46%. Argus08 index increased/worsened by nearly 95%PeterM2009-08-31 08:02:51

Also not happy - my seeding index dropped by 70% and my start group moved back by a fistfull of positions to N??? Despite having done many races and my fitness is getting better all the time. With the given info/data it does not make sense how the results were derived. Not sure how the math was done in my case? Just wrote an email requesting them (PPA) to recalculate my results. Happy to give them an opportunity to correct it...

Had no punctures for over a year on my training wheels - followed by 4 punctures in 2 month. Took them to my cycle shop and they put it in. I know there is a DIY way....

After having had a great Saturday club ride, I just had to do a longer Sunday ride. Got up early to a cold but clear Sunday morning, waited till the sun was up and then headed out towards cape point. At <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Kalk Bay I heard a bubbling sound from the front wheel, which surprised me as my ?training wheels? had slime filled Gator Skins. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Stopped and saw the yellow fluid leaking. Straight away turned the wheel to point the hole down so all the slime can seal it. But all it did was form a growing yellow puddle on the road. Other cyclists stopped to check it out and offer help. I think, the last drop must have sealed it as there was still some pressure left (2-3bar). Now I turned the wheel and I, and the other cyclists could not believe that there was a 18mm cut across the tire and it was 1,5mm wide open. No point fixing it with a new tube. As I was 24,4km from home I wanted to phone to get picked up, but changed my mind and thought ? let?s see how far I could cycle with this tire going along safe roads. Going slow and avoiding EVERY stone/gavel/edge/corner I kept on cycling. Well, to my surprise I made it home. Absolutely amazed that the slime and Gator Skin held together. See pic after i got home:

The seller mentioned 3 Pinarellos (must be a collector ) - hence my reply. Have contacted my friend and he said that he is still missing his Prince!