Spoke101

Jeez that impressive. There is a hill in PMB that if conditions are right with a slight tail wind you can hit 100km/h on a road bike. Been 97km/h on the MTB before down a mine shaft of a tar road in a local valley, that defiantly was a uncomfortable feeling.

Just looked at my second lap 79.6km/h with 77.0km/h on the first the exact same places as yours.

Well done!!! I got 77 km/h. HB Kruger (one of the pro's) got 90km/h and after crashing going into Kyalami averaged 51.3km/h around the track behind the team car to get back to the bunch.

Starva's estimate will be way out due to the drafting. It calculates power based one solo rides, so if you rode the whole route on your own and wanted a time of 2:52 you would have to average 229w.

I did a 2:29 form A. Weight: 60kg Avg power: 209w Max power: 694w Max Avg 20min: 231w NP: 225w IF: 0.902 TSS: 204.2 Had a fairly easy ride overall. Here are the winners stats: at about 68kg

That could work. I wouldn't recommend it as a long term solution but to to get the bike moving it should work just fine. I can't see any major danger as long at you ride with in the limits and don't push the bike too hard as DH bikes take a pounding. The only issue I can foresee it the bearings wearing faster due to the reduced ball size. A roller bearing will help spread the load but not sure if you get in those specs.

Very true. Have also sat up with 500m to go in my last 2 elite Shova's

Just had a quick look no bicycle headset bearing in those spec's

That sounds normal. Racing Elite's is not for the faint at heart. It's a combination of things: Inexperience, speed, stupidity, testosterone, team managers orders, 100 riders and a limited amount of road, etc... You learn very quickly bumping bars and rubbing elbows is constant and very normal, you have to hold your ground and if you touch the brakes you loose 20 positions. You learn very quickly that if someone in the middle of the bunch points, flicks there head or even looks to move out you make a gap or else you will end up on the floor. You should try a race where there is a big bunch sprint. Yesterday will be tame in comparison. Have a look at this for some incite:

Nice report, seams you suffered out there. Interesting looking at your IF and TSS, either you rode on the absolute limit or you slacking on your FTP tests.

Didn't race elite yesterday as I'm still recovering from a bad crash. It is normal and racing through the streets doesn't help matters. There is normally at least one crash in the elite bunch every race. just look at the TDF and how many guys normally hit the deck in the first few days.

Think you right. I got caught sleeping on Witkoppen so didn't see the move go or the pace lift but had to ride through the whole bunch pretty much. Malibongwe was hard but not crazy and yes the pace up Cedar was slow, think everyone was saving there legs for Steyn City. When I saw that climb I quickly made my way to the font and was about 10m back when the attack went. I went to the front with another guy and then I jumped across was sure there was someone with me but when I looked for some help after the traffic circle there was no one there.

My second lap avg temp 31°C max 36°C

Was great to meet you and have a very short chat. Managed a 2:29 form A batch. Little race report. (My memory is not the greatest) Started right at the back of A after having to take a nature break 15mins before the start, so had to dig deep up the first climb to get to the front. From then on to Kyalami was in the gutter thanks to Anton. Decided I would prefer to be the first one into Kyalami to make sure I didn't end up in a crash so put a little effort in over the top and down to the turn. From then it was a fight to try stay out the wind on the M1 and what was left of the bunch split in half as we made the u-turn off the highway. I managed to jump across the gap with a few others and we had caught the front by Mandela bridge and a few others scrambled across the gap as well. The rest of the bunch caught up a few km's later. Ryan put in some big pulls heading down Jan Smuts to discourage any would be attackers. There was a big attack up Witkoppen and I had to dig deep again to make the split just for it all to come together again. As we hit the top of the hill on Mailbongwe about 4 attacks went off the front which all got pulled back except for one lone ranger who evaded detection. As we entered Steyn City the pace was hot and an attack went as we started the climb, I decided to go all or nothing and slowed across the the 3 attackers. We then put our head down and worked well for the next few km's. As we hit the final climb the looking around started to see who would lead it out to the line. I decided I rather lead it out than have the shame of getting caught by the bunch with the line in sight, so the other 3 came over me in the sprint for the line just for us to find out that the lone wolf who attacked 20kms further back had held on to a 20sec lead. After a quick recovery and refuel it was onto the second lap starting in MM with the Qhubeka charity riders doing there second lap. We rode a nice steady pace and along with pushing a few of the weaker riders up the hills offered up the slipstream for anyone who jumped in behind us. Finished the second lap in 3:18 after a massive pull along Malibongwe, Lion park and Cedar by one very strong KZN rider taking it easy for charity. After a great day on the bike it was time for the 600km drive back home and a very well deserved sleep.

Hahaha, I've been out of the shops for a year now. Greg does bring bikes in directly from SC to sell in his shops. Future expansion seams logical but not to sure what the agreement is with Dragons. Yes it is.

He's semi retired. ie: not training as hard as he used to.

6k for a saddle!!!

I agree somethings are best not made public.

Would be interesting to know the contents of that mail.

His Shova finish is very fishy, considering he finished on his own in between the first and second bunch 59sec behind the first and 21sec in front of the second. I know a lot of the guys in the first bunch and they would have told him to bugger off had he tried to jump in on there break.

I'll drop back from elite to A batch for 94.7 this year, as I'm still getting back to full speed and training has gone to pot the last few weeks.

Hahaha. because when racing is in your blood you don't stop. To be honest it wasn't that bad, with my leather feet it felt like a paper thorn.

As a laaitie I could run flat out over that stuff without even blinking. But then I didn't know what shoes were let alone wear any, plus ran cross country 3 times a week barefoot. my feet where permanently stained black. Sadly those days are long gone and I not have the feet of a pansy. It you fancy pain try running a few km's with a drawing pin stuck in the ball of your foot.

Well do Ryan!!!

In other words, you've been living under a rock.