michaelbiker

The problem with high protein in your diet, is that in the absence of carbs, your body will go through a process of gluconeogenisis (mentioned somewhere in this thread). To oversimplify the process, the liver converts protein to glucose in the blood. This becomes counterproductive if you are insulin resistant and are trying to lose weight. The diet is low-carb, high-fat (medium protein). A good guideline is about a palm-sized piece of protein at mealtimes. Bonking goes away once you've passed through fat adaptation phase. Your body is basically craving carbs. This can take between 2 and 6 weeks depending on how hard you train. I remember really suffering in the first few weeks, but got up to 4 hour rides without any issue really quickly. I now never take food with me and only ride on water. If it's a really long ride 5+ hours, I mix a pinch of salt with a bit of coconut milk and water.

Jura if you can afford one. They are bullet proof and very consistent. Delonghi is also good and almost half the price. That being said we use a Bialetti manual milk frother to make cappuccinos. I consider the coffee we make at home better than the coffee from the better coffee shops using the Delonghi and Bialetti frother combo.

It's actually really nice to eat. Similar to broccoli. They sell it all over Italy when in season.

Not really from today, but its raining outside and I am bored, so I thought I'd post a few pics from Saturday, taken on an awesome ride up to a tiny abandoned village in Italy called Scoppio.

Lol! The photo was taken literally an hour after I got the bike home.

Cannondale Scalpel Si 2 Eagle. Posted in the Cannondales thread, but felt I had to post it here too!

Pair of brand new Scalpel Si 2 Eagles with an Italian hilltop town in the background. Life couldn't get better.

+1 for Welvanpas Black Route!!! Best singletrack hands down...

There aren't too many places in the world that have better riding in such convenient locations

I forgot to mention that he sells the pigs by the half. So you can purchase half a pig at a time. Best is to phone him and see what he has available. I just bought another half a pig this week. Total weight for a whole pig is roughly 60kgs. Now to find a smoker, gonna make me some bacon!

Anyone looking for organic, ethically raised pork, I know of a student farmer in Tulbagh that has 6 pigs available for purchase at R65/kg. The meat is absolutely incomparable to the stuff you get from the supermarket. Since part of the LCHF diet is to eat as clean, organic food as possible, this is an amazing deal for anyone that's interested. The pigs have only been dewormed, no antibiotics and are raised mostly on grass and vegetable scraps (potato peels, carrot tops etc) in large open fields. He will deliver anywhere in the areas around Tulbagh, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl. His name is Matthew and you can contact him on the following cell number if you are interested: (072) 730 5559.

I think e-bikes are great. The more people on trails, the more likely we are going to have new trails opened up, which benefits everyone. I don't really see them becoming a nuisance, it will mostly make the sport more accessible to people who are deterred by the big climbs. I was lucky enough to spend 6 weeks riding in northern Italy at the beginning of the year where residents are given a 30% refund on their purchase of an e-bike - making them cheaper than a lot of normal bikes. There were a lot of people on them and not once did I see a bit of "abuse" of the trails or feel as if they made the trails unsafe.

Thanks guys, I will message him.

Does anybody know where I can get a hollowtech BB bike stand locally? Here is an example of one: http://www.sepeda98.com/2012/04/tasco-bike-stand.html

If I am in a rush, I put together a quick "fat shake" which can consist of a combo of double cream yoghurt, coconut milk, butter, cream, marscapone cheese, half a banana (good source of potassium), flaxseed oil (omega-3s), blueberries. I then whizz it all up with a stick blender.

Check this article out, it explains the link between cholesterol and food quite succinctly: http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Cholesterol-Rich-Foods-Raise-Blood-Cholesterol.html

This is excellent advice. One thing I can add is to put about a 100ml of coconut cream in your water bottle and a pinch of salt. Coconuts contain a high level of MCT oil, which put simply, is the easiest fat metabolised into energy. You could alternatively, have a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil before you go to gym or on a ride. I also noticed, that it took me about 3 weeks for my body to become accustomed to the diet and the cravings for sugar and carbs and weird mood swings to stop completely.

I've been on the LCHF diet since the beginning of the year. Lost 4kgs, I now weigh 67kgs and I don't need to eat on rides any more. Never felt better.

Ok great. Thanks for the info. Do you by any chance have distances or maps for the trail you rode? I am struggling to get an idea from their website.

I am going to be in the cradle area in July and was wondering if there are any groups or anybody that would be willing to show me around a few routes on an MTB. Where it's safe to ride and whether riding on your own is a good idea or not. It seems there is a cradle trail under development but it's hard to figure out how much of it is open and what the route is.

This is a cool idea. Maybe we could post a schedule here and see how many people would be interested. I for one would love something like this as I ride a lot on my own.

Yeah, I saw that. Went out for a road ride yesterday afternoon and drivers seem to be a little more aggro than usual now. Hooting and making comments. Not sure if its from all the cyclists on the roads before the Argus or as a result of that incident.

So I've been reading week after week about cyclists getting attacked on the road and on the trail, and while its not always feasible, it seems the best thing is to ride in larger groups. Some people carry pepper spray and I was thinking about doing the same, but before I go out and buy a can, can anybody here comment on its effectiveness? I mean if someone attacks you on the trail, its unlikely they are going to just slowly walk up to you, knife-in-hand and give you time. The would most probably jump out of the bushes or knock you off of your bike. Has anybody here successfully chased a would-be mugger with pepper spray before? What was the situation?

I just got back from working in the US and am looking to get back into cycling shape. Is there anybody in the Southern Suburbs or City Bowl looking for a riding buddy or a group that rides on a regular basis? At the moment I am doing fairly average length rides in Tokai (30-40km) and up the Wagon Trail from Hout Bay (40-50km). Oh and I work for myself so I have flexibility to ride pretty much any day of the week.