Robert Lofthouse

Not sure is this helps, but a famous cyclist and his coach wrote a book about training, and the part about sitting or standing when climbing said something to the effect of: You should sit while climbing, and choose one or 2 gears lighter than you would instinctively choose - spin up the climb at a high cadence - it uses less of the energy stored in your muscles. On Steep sections, or even simply as a break from sitting, you should stand, while still keeping the same cadence. If the same cadence is not possible, gear up one or two gears for the duration of the standing stint. Bear in mind though, that the muscles you use more when you are standing are bigger (and more powerful), and therefore use more oxygen when employed - hence the increase in the HR (to supply more oxygen to those muscles), so standing should be used in shorter bursts, as it is definitely less efficient, even if is more effective. Bataleur, what I would suggest is trying to find a lighter gear when sitting and climbing, perhaps that would assist in getting into a better rythym. Also, I find that saddle height affects my pedalling smoothness as well, have you changed anything to do with your saddle recently ?

Name : Robert Lofthouse DOB : 16 June 1971Club : TCS Dope Status : Clean bru ! (Imagine being a doper and STILL not being able to do Linksfield ridge quicker than 6 kph ) kingcompass2006-10-02 04:07:49

Butterfly pig is a great place to do some good laps, it's quite technical but doable. It was opened and maintained by a guy who felt that there was a gap and a need for this kind of thing in the area. Lots of people responded and said it was a great idea, but apparently the real support (purchasing of ticket and riding there) never materialised. Bottom line, you can still ride there as far as I know, but none of the trails are maintained any more. It costs time and money to maintain trails, and if you're getting nothing back for it, it makes no sense continuing. Mail Brendan, his addy should be on the site, and get the real low down from him, I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any q's you have.

Sounds like a great plan - My little guy will be doing it too (he just doesn't know it yet). If he can do it in TCS kit, that'll be soooo awesome. Crux, we can get a group shot of the mini-TeamTCS members (how's that for an print ad pic )

gotta agree with you there ewep, my general experience is that MTBers don't stuff up the area like you find at road events. I even overheard a comment by the guys from Tony Impey's while they were manning a water table at the Walkerville classic a few years back, the comment was about how amazed they were at the almost total lack of mess left behind by the guys and gals as they rode away from the table - anything that wasn't taken with the rider was deposited in the boxes provided for rubbish. His comment even included the quote "Not like roadies" - he's a roadie himself. That being said (I did say my general experience), it is still a problem, all you have to do is listen for the outcry after major events like Sabie to realise that it's a problem at MTB events too. And yes, at times like this, I cringe when I see the total disregard for the environment dispalyed by my fellow cyclists (on and off road)

I should be able to make it, so pencil me in, I'll confirm on Mondaysmileys/smiley4.gif

Pinarello http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/tech/?id=/tech/2 006/features/tour_bikes2 or Trek ? http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/tech/?id=/tech/2 006/features/tour_bikes1 Both reckon they make Exclusive use of "High Modulus" Carbon Fibre - Trek says their's is "Defense Grade", and Pinarello say their's is "special aerospace grade".

Can't you tell it to ignore highways

Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot about that - Ok, you win - we go where you want to go.smileys/smiley2.gif

Hey Dudes and Dudettes, Sorry, I've only just got to work now (meetings and doctor's appointments) A good ride on Friday - definitely highlighted the fact that it's a long time ago that I've done anything over 60kms. Well done to all who finished on their bikes. Perhaps it was a bit psychological, but coming back along the N14, with a (very very) slight head wind, got me thinking all over again about the Nola and how I suffered on that same road into a 60kph wind. I just couldn't go on smileys/smiley19.gif. Oh well, I did enjoy it, Scotty and I had a few nice long bursts on some of the long flat sections, but 100kms was all I could manage in the end. I wasn't popular when I got home, as I pretty much expected, especially when I got home at 15h00 after talking about brunch at the end of the ride !!! A leason, I suppose, in making sure a route is firmly finalised. I agree, next time we gag ewep, and taking turns, drag him up Hekpoort if need be. Thanks Michelle, I guess it's time for the easterners to reciprocate, hey !??smileys/smiley9.gif

Ok, I'll be there smileys/smiley14.gif

Here's a POSER for all of you ... would you rather see BigH as president (he's a good politician, based on the way he blows hot air all over the place), or Jacob Zuma !!! Should be interesting to hear your replies BigH, don't bother answering, cos all we'll get from you is a frothing at the mouth ranting about how much you are better than everybody else smileys/smiley4.gif

Good point Colin ... So, BigH what's your answer ... You could also probably save a lot of unnecessary expense by walking to SA when you need to come back for whatever it is you need to come back. Don't knock it - that's how they travelled before cars and airplanes. Motorised transport is an unnecesary extravagence. You could even pick a nice loop and do the loop by walking, why buy the bike - in fact why buy anything at all, convince people to GIVE you stuff by ... how did you put it ... sitting on them and having M kick their heads in !!! kingcompass38881.7442708333

Maybe me too - I know, I know, you'll believe it when you see it, I'll confirm tomorrow smileys/smiley9.gif

Ah cr@p, BigH, why do you insist on making statements which you know full well will bring up an argument. Is your life that boring over there. You said it yourself, you are as guilty of the "Extravagent" behaviour that you are accusing the "Posers" of the board of. Why did you buy 2 S725x HRMs, are you that convinced that your and your wife's route profiles will differ on the tandemsmileys/smiley36.gif. Better yet, why buy an HRM anyway, surely a simple bike computer will suffice - time and distance, that's all you need. Twit And to echo Jason, ping couchpotato

Hey, it's my BDay too - would love to spend it riding - the only problem is the wife is apparently putting on a nice birthday lunch for me (so I hear), so I'll have to content myself with a shorter, earlier spin around the block. sp, did you know we were born on the same day. Where were you born?

Hmmm not sure if the replacement cost of a Fuel 90 would cover the cost of any of the bikes mentioned above. That being said, the Santa Cruz Superlite would fit your lightweight parameter, and I have only ever heard good things about them. From the more commercial side, have a look at the Scott Carbon FS bikes - their "Scale" Hardtail carbon frame weighs in under 1kg - and was ridden to a (South African) victory in the Caoe Epic last year (Kevn Evans rode it if I'm not too mistaken), so I would imagine their FS frames wold follow the same lightweight (and robust) trend.

Hang on, I've just checked, Saturday is the 6th, and that's when the TT is - so we'll have to make the ride on Sunday, otherwise I'll be in a REAL dilema, and would be forced to choose !!!

It's actually 3 and 5kms - I understand the current 5KM record is 15 miuntes some change - and that across some very technical terrain .... ah, what the heck - I'll give it a go :-) Do all the hills on Saturday, on my road bike - if there are any members of the mtb community who know me and don't know that I ride road as well - too bad for them, nd as one of my colleagues says (very irritatingly) ... "Build a bridge, and get over it !", then do the 3 and 5 km TT at Logwood on Sunday. I should be sore, but Happy, come Monday morning !

Hmm Sunday 6 May is the Logwood Farm MTB TT ... Decisions, Decisions

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