porky

I agree, although I doubt heavily there is one niche market magazine in SA that pays for a freelance article or photo spread - It seems the attitude here is "we will do you a favour by publishing the article / photo." Some years ago I worked as a consultant to a USA based company in my spare time via the internet, basically, I would SIMPLY answer a few e-mails a day giving advice / suggestions on certain matters relating to my profession. I was handsomely renumerated on a weekly basis for my time. Naively, thinking this could be benificial to the profession here, I contacted a few trade specific periodicals with the suggestion and my offer of FREE advice - note "FREE" - not one decided to take me up - although I must say one did suggest "I PAY THEM" a consulting fee for forwarding queries. .............but thats SA nobody wants to pay for squat, hense the poor quality of most articles in these mags.

Sounds fair to me - whats good for the goose is also good for the gander.! Furthermore - As I am running the Two Oceans this weekend, I had a quick peek at my race entry - ***Prize money is R150.000.00 for the top male AND top female - so I guess there gos the good Mrs Greens theory that Running races have smaller prize money. Anyway, lets hear if CSA comments on the time statement - I for one will be watching for a reply with interest.

Ha,Ha,Ha, - yeah I am a big fan of Bark Essay, Simon Fourie has it down pat and the mag just gets thicker and thicker every month. The local cycling magazines takes themselves far too seriously, they need to loosen up a bit, pull their G strings out their butts and get people enjoying the social activities around cycling. Oh,........... and I concur on Bicycling magazine.

Surely you need to take a slightly smaller brush when you paint all pet shops as supporting puppy mills. I am by no means saying the cause is not justified, just that, like in all instances there are good and bad eggs, to paint all pet shops with this rather large brush is ridiculous. I am also fairly sure quite a substantial number of puppies sold through pet shops have found loving and secure homes, it seems to me that by boycotting pet shops you are also condemning thousands of puppies to death who (through pet shops) may have found good homes and folk who would love and support them. There is two sides to each and every coin hot stuff - looking at just one side is disingenious - even if the good Mrs Theron supports the cause. That said, I also think taking one section of animal abuse in isolation is also not doing fair justice, millions of animals are abused and starved daily by uncaring owners who may (or may not) have got the animal from your suggested sources - I just cant see how this protest will achieve anything constructive and believe me, I love animals.!! porky2009-04-02 13:51:50

When we go out there aren't many trucks, I done the loop last Sat & Sun (while S2L was in bed) and I think there was one truck. I'll be there on Saturday but I think this week I'm going to do the long loop, you welcome to come with. Thanks, I shall maybe take you up on that sometime - I live in Bedford view so its not too far away, I often used to ride there but now I think its just plain silly and not a case of "if" but "when", just before Argus I was nearly killed by a speeding truck loosing its load of river stones en route, I cant recall how many times trucks have blown me off the road and driven so close I could feel the paint finish. However, I have hung up my bike for a few weeks and am concentrating on some running distance as I do the two Oceans (56kms) this month.

Of course when you have been found out trying to ass rape the general public' date=' a bit of damage control and well timed PR is pretty much de riguer? [/quote'] Ha,Ha,Ha, - yah, thats pretty much my feeling of the situation as well.

Well, there we go.!! Cool, thanks man, gonna go get some this afternoon.

This was main tread, not sidewall Fand, but thats a good tip - never thought of it.

...............if you slice your tyre open on a ride (road that is) with all the glass on the road these days I recently neatly sliced my tyre open so badly that when pumping up the tube it protruded right out the tyre wall. Took it all off again and put a small glueless patch on the inside of the tyre but it only held for about 10 kms and all the stones went into the tyre and punctured the tube again. Basically I think its something I need to just keep in my pocket for a get you home fix. I guess I could ask at a shop,.........................but I prefer to ask for an item at these places, not advice.!

What law would that be? I agree with linnega on this. a Bycicle is a vehicle in terms of the National Road Traffic Act' date=' 93 of 1996. The same rules apply for you as for any other vehicle. [/quote'] the one that WILL be coming into force soon (hopefully) mistake, I admit... There has been no change to legislation regarding pedal cycles as vehicles since I have been cycling, except for the stupid amendment regarding helmets. Haven't heard any rumblings about new road traffic legislation either, probably more a case of misinformation in the public domain than any actual planned changes. Pretty much a bicycle is a vehicle and a cyclist a driver. The exception is that bicycles may overtake other bicycles without changing lanes, an option that is not provided for in the law for other vehicle types (except motorbikes). So when you get hooted at for occupying your lane, take the time to educate the moron behind the wheel that he change lanes if he wants to pass. Hmmm, not sure that is very "sound" advice. I dont think this is about "the letter of the law" this is about getting home safely. Most of the roads cyclists use here are small and heavily congested with speeding cars and heavily loaded trucks, I defy any cyclist to occupy a lane or educate a truck driver barrelling down on you in a 36 wheeler heavily loaded with bricks to change lanes, and still get home safely, they will be scraping you off some flatbeds windshield before the day is out - frankly I cant see any cyclist stupid enough to try. Most cyclists use the same route on a regular basis at regular times, as do truckers who have schedules, showing a driver of a horse and three trailers the finger or any other gesture is going to get their attention for sure - unfortunately not in the way you hoped. Truckers and motorists do not expect cyclists occupying lanes (even if we have a right to do so - its plain stupid) they expect cyclists, runners etc on the left or left of the yellow line and possibly look for them there - the law is fine and well, but in the real world, its just about survival on the road, from my experience keeping as far left as possible and keeping both hands on the bars at all times is the best route to accomplish this. porky2009-03-30 04:47:32

We have often wondered about the huge discrepency between our heart rates' date=' If riding together, same workload, he's always a good 15 beats faster than me. As I said he does seem to have massive short burst acceleration but no real endurance. This guy is a multiple comrades runner as well, untill the high impact running got to his joints.[/quote'] Interesting Roders. I wonder if your bud has ever had a heart sonar? Maybe you could ask him? If he has, what was the prognosis? Please understand, I am NOT a doctor, but from my experience I am going to make an assumption and I would be interested to know if its right. I am going to say you bud has a significantly smaller heart than average (which in itself is a good thing) and its not that unusual, however what is unusual, is that it appears due to the demands he has placed on it in the past, his heart has adapted to run at a higher resting and max BPM than normal for your age group (I am also 50 and max out at around 175 which is very similar to you) - I could never attain 200. Again, I am not a cardiologist, but I have chatted to one or two about this kind of thing as I also have a heart defect in that my heart skips a beat every 4th cycle - its never bothered me but obviously its something I keep an eye on. Everyone bases there standards on the norms BP 120 OVER 80 / normal pulse of 72 etc,etc, but there are so many variables involved and the body been the magnificient machine it is - just adapts. Maybe you could ask your mate and let us know - I think its really interesting.!

I am not doubting it - but at 50 + ?? - thats some doing.

Keep in mind that some people (especially newcomers to sport) dont have the experience to know what type of training to do and when to do it. Using a HR monitor (or other gizmos depending on the sport) and the related basic theory that comes with them helps you to learn and understand your own body a bit quicker. Do you keep a training log and how do you update it? Fair enough Swiss. ..................but.............(theres always a "but" eh) what about your mental state?? Too many people think that the bodies ability is purely physical, its not - the mental componant is huge (and differs) - I feel its far better to train yourself to understand your mental and physical emotions and abilities on a day to day basis and train accordingly. I used to keep a log (a small book which I copied from a running mag) but I stopped some years ago - I still train according to a "loose" programme (I juggle it around to suit my ability on the day) which has served me well, but, after so many years I just "know" what I have to do to accomplish my goal and I just judge my physical and mental state every work out and train accordingly.