porky

For a normal 100 odd km race you dont need to carbo load, actually carbo loading is a bit of "old school philosophy," and even frowned upon in many circles as having no benefit whatsoever, I think its fine if you rather just eat normally, as you would on any other day. A lot of folk make the mistake of just eating carbohydrate a day or two before an event, but dont forget the protein, its just as important and make sure its included in a balanced way in your meals. Remember what you old gran always told you, meat, potatoe and two veggies - eat that in moderate quantities and you will be fine.

The "everyone needs to make a living line" is just silly, it holds no water. It assumes we "OWE" a business a living. We dont. A business (any business) survives mainly because they are competitive, priced correctly, offer something we need and do it efficiently - no other reason. I owe nobody the favour of shopping with them so they can "make a living" - however, I will support them if they fulfill all the requirements of a purchasing need I have, if they dont, I wont support, simple. This dos not apply only to the cycle industry, but to all business operators, I spend 30 hours a week quoting on contracts, nobody owes me those contracts so I can make a living, I need to be better than the opposition or my customers will go there - same in cycling.

the only other detail i can add are these lines from a sapa brief: Former South African veteran road cycling champion' date=' Kim Trezebiatowsky, died on Sunday evening from injuries sustained when she was hit by a car while training on Sunday afternoon. The 47-year-old mother of three was a member of Cycle Lab Supercycling Club and was cycling on Seaview Road in Port Elizabeth when she was hit by a car. Details of the incident aren't yet known. Trezebiatowsky has won veteran national and international titles in both road and track cycling disciplines and was a prominent, popular member of the Port Elizabeth cycling community. [/quote'] Dos'nt say if it was a back,side or head on impact, do you know? Just wondering.

Yah, enjoy, eat lots of cake, especially the creamy bits.

Hmm, didnt even know of her, but any fatality in any sport, at any time, in any place, is one too many, sorry to hear. When did the accident happen, I didnt see anything in any newspaper or any blog / website until now.?

HaHaHa, - isnt love great.? Dont know, but you could conduct your own test - just make sure you DO actually go ride sometime.!

Would somebody not have to bring it to their attention Serendipity, I doubt they read this forum on a regular basis.

Only one?

Sound like "The Tail wags the dog" if an importer is forced to cut you out of the supply chain due to a bigger dealer threatening them.

Ah-Ha - all makes sense now - my comment is moot then cos its just dealers and not the public involved.?

And? Ever heard of the term "loss leader"? Anyone who's ever analysed Wal-Mart's success knows that Mr Walton attributed getting to $1 bilion largely to this strategy. Everyone I've ever known who's been really successful in retail (I'm not talking bike shops here' date=' think a little bigger) understands that selling things at cost (or even at a loss!) can work wonders for traffic. It's each individual's capitalistic right to offer and/or ask for any level of value trade they feel fit, and have the market decide whether it accepts. Oh wait, I forgot, some people think Marxism makes sense.[/quote'] Quite correct. Although I must say I dont have a clue what the OP is on about as its all rather vague, I will assume a retailer (Henlo??) sold him an item for substantially less than RRP, and now the distributor is threatening to cut off the retailers stock flow?? Before I make further comments, I just need to know if this is the OPs point.

Ha,Ha,Ha - Swiss, thats classic.! Naa, no connection, but some of my clients are huge pig farmers, abbatoirs and related operators - I often read the magazine at their offices. What Da Loco said about not been so farming intensive in SA is true, but costs on farmers are rising daily and they, like all of us end up cutting costs - sadly, this impacts on the animals and pigs seem to bear a huge portion of this brunt.!

the fact that most processes involved in producing a "green" product' date=' are more harmful to the environment than the normal product. Yes, then end product might be greener, but the nett value of the whole equation (procuring goods, transporting them, assembling, packing) far outweighs the streamlined processes of brown products[/quote'] I know the argument Fan , I was just seeing where you were going. Its a moot point I think, the argument that transport, diesel fuel, emmissions etc started with a spat between the cities of San Francisco and Houston - SF is very green and Houston isnt - Houston put up the argument that been green is expensive and defeatist due to transport, diesel fuel, gas emmissions, labour intensive etc - and this argument has sort of filtered down the ranks as a sort of "put down" to greenies. It has its merit, but its only half a story, been green means no harmfull pesticides are used, no steroids to raise cattle faster which impacts on meat texture, flavour and taste and is harmfull to the animal, only fresh natural water is used, no rivers are diverted, no harmfull run offs into rivers and streams from by products of poisons, etc,etc........you are intelligent enough to know the story. I think theres room for both, certainly in SA the general population (I wont say "Saffas" in case Da Loco gets worked up again ) probably can not afford free range or organic products on a regular basis due to the higher cost, but internationally its becoming more popular, people are getting involved and want to be part of the solution to global warming, climate changes, saving the planet, recycling, animal rights and so on - it all gos hand in hand really. Now if Saffas sorry, South Africans can just get more involved.!

and while we're on that topic' date=' most "green" products are more harmful to the environment than their brown counterparts. [/quote'] What do you base that statement on.?

Saffas is a derogotary term used by the English to depict South Africans..... The type of battery farming seen in Europe is not the norm here...mostly because there it is matter of not having enough land to farm on the bigger scale. With the farming methods changing in Europe' date=' the price of all meat has shot through the roof. I have personally constructed building sets for intensive pig and cattle farming on the highveld (Kanhym near Middelburg) and here in KZN, and the conditions you describe for Europe has not been the case here. My cousin is actually a section manager for Kanhym. Chicken farming here on the other hand has advanced to European levels I fully agree with you though, if we start seeing those conditions in intensive animal farming here something should be done. In general I do not disagree with you porky, but we are not at that level of animal abuse in intensive farming yet, and probably never will get there due to the abundance of farm space. Free range is still basically the norm here in South Africa. Woolworths and others are preying on our natural instinct to care!![/quote'] In part I agree with you, chicken farming is at highly intensive levels here already, and pig farming is gaining ground quickly, read the magazine SA PIG FARMER (a pig farming trade magazine) if you want to know the levels it has increased to in certain enviroments. However, my point was to illustrate a level of abuse of animals, which I feel strongly about, not to get involved in an argument on demographics, which are largely irrelevant, abuse is abuse, be it here, Europe or Scandanavia - at no point in my statement did I mention pig demographics - you just read that in.! Anway, why, I ask, should something only be done when we see these levels of farming here??, - should something not have been done about the plight of chickens 20 years ago?, its too late now, again, in general, we dont care, waiting for pigs to start growing two heads in a highly controlled, light secured, wooden boxed human enviroment is a bit like "closing the door after the horse has bolted". I am all for retailers keeping the pressure on farmers to treat animals in a humane and natural way, they need to live in natural enviroments, roll in the mud, scratch for worms, sleep in the grass and bake in the sun, and if my only buying free range keeps that pressure up - so be it! - which was the crux of my point anyway.!! Saffas is just a term, stop been so touchy.

That unfortunately is the problem with Saffas - we dont care.! ...........and that is in itself sad. I think in general there is a differance between Organic and Free Range, the former generally referring to vegetables, fruits, eggs etc, the latter referring to living creatures like pigs, cattle, fowls and sheep. The green, organic, free range movement has caught on big all over the world, except here, why, - we simply dont care.! I will give you one example. Tesco, a very big European food chain tried selling free range pork in their stores, it didnt do too well as customers just looked at the price (higher) and bought the regular battery raised pork. So they tried something differant and started educating the consumer, they showed pictures of pigs in abysmal conditions in pigeries, they showed how battery pigs had deformed feet due to walking their entire lives on unnatural floors, usually wood and mesh, never even feeling mud or ground, they showed how pigs living in cramped unnatural confined conditions literally went crazy, chewing wood, and occassionally becoming canabalistic, eating injured or dead pigs. The public went balistic, battery raised pork sales in Tesco plummetted, battery pig farmers were forced by simple economics (Tesco stopped buying their product) to become more pig friendly and convert their pigeries to free range or loose these customers, today 70% of their pork sales is free range, and undoutably we have a much happier pig population. Thats the power of a consumer who cares. Think we will ever reach that stage?, I doubt it, but I live in hope. I am not saying everyone must buy organic or free range, its a personal and sometimes an economic choice, but I personally would like to think that these animals at least lived their short lives in reasonable, natural conditions - hense where possible, I too buy free range products - its not a greenie thing,.............. just an animal thing.! porky2009-05-20 13:21:30

Oh, without question.!

People can say what they like, coming from a running backround, I was astounded at the ineffeciencies of CSA when I started having to deal with them a few years back and thats just in a personal capacity - nothings changed, I only got my license (after 3 months) cos I phoned and swore blue murder, maybe I didnt need it, but I paid for it and I want it - finished. Agreed, were I to take a clients money for 14 days and not even provide confirmation never mind the service, I would close my doors in 6 months - but thats private business - bureaucracies like CSA have no incentive to perform, unlike private business they have the luxury of sitting back and collecting funds without delivering a timeous service.

I dont know, I personally think Gators are over rated, over priced and over used. ..............but I have an issue with Continental right now, so I may be biased.? Naa, I am not,.................. Michelin is a much better tyre in my view.

HaHaHa, yah, that crossed my mind. Really it was a childish display of petulance. These are professional athletes paid to do a job. According to some blogs I read, after the first lap LA called it "an unsafe route" and instigated the stop and the neutralisation of the race, along with some other teams, notably LPR, according to the blogs, Highroad, Saxo and Lampre were among those who wanted to continue racing but there was a lot of pressure from some other contenders to show solidarity and "join" the protest. The irony of the whole thing is, they raced the last two loops with no incidents, so people are now asking what was the issue?? All times were nullified so those that wanted to ride slowly like LA and others could have, those that wanted to race should have been left to do so, unfortunately it would have looked bad for LA and DiLuca had the racing peleton lapped them twice so they put extreme pressure on the riders to join in. Childish,Childish,Childish. I expect sulking kids to do this, not well paid and supported professional athletes.

There are other ways to do it where there is no risk to either party, but there are costs. Depending on the amount involved, if its substantial, the first method is good, if not so much, the second method is fine. The first is to go to an attorney and arrange to have the buyer pay the money into the attorneys trust account, there can be a basic buy and sell agreement whereby the attorney releases the money to you on the strength of you producing the couriers waybill, or the buyer advising the attorney he has recieved the product. Of course there will be an attorney cost. The second is you send the goods via courier but with the instruction that they are to HOLD the goods at the delivery depot and not to release for delivery until you give the authority to do so (ie) the funds are cleared. Because this is a lot of paper work and a bit of a hassle, some couriers wont do it, but a few do and charge a few hundred extra for the service.

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