davem

Where and how much? Seen a few on course.

Absolutely!

One of my great discoveries at the 94.7 expo were that both First Ascent and Rocket will be bringing triathlon kit to market shortly. First Ascent has both male and female kit on display but none for sale. Talking to the staffer there, it will be in Sportmans Warehouse in about three weeks. They will have both Tri Top, Tri Shorts and one piece suit. The RRP will be R999 for the suit and the same for a Top and Shorts combo. The kit on display looked fantastic. Black and grey with a white back panel. Materials looked first class. Pockets were slim with the small panel over the opening so it can't catch water while you swim. Chamois was slim and looked comfortable. Looked similar to the Orca chamois. The gear is imported from their manufacturer overseas. Rocket had some items on display which were clearly not ready for production. Had a long chat with the lady in charge and she was very receptive to comments on what works and what does not. Look forward to seeing what they come up with. Target price for them was R800 for a one piece suit. The gear will be made locally. At last we have some local players to turn this industry on its head. Had heart palpitations when I saw Troisport selling basic Orca suits at the 5150 expo for R1950.00.

I think I went to the wrong place for registration. Got there just after 4. Queued for maybe 3 minutes. Collected two numbers. Efficient and friendly. Browsed the expo, bought a few things. Chatted to a whole lot of people. Gave plenty of smiles. Got more back. Went to get a reseed. Queued 5 minutes. Friendly people in the queue. Got bumped to C. Yay. Very helpful and friendly at the end of a long day for them. Cost R zero. Left happy. Parking cost zero. Must have gone to the wrong place. But this number looks pretty real though.

Road bike will be easier up the three or four steep bits. The rest of the time get low and aero.

They probably haven't tried but on Sunday they are going to bring Joburg to a halt for a few hours so you and I can ride around on our silly bicycle thingies in coloured costumes.

If you are targeting more than 3hrs for the cycle, use your road bike. R20k may make you 3 minutes faster. Taking one bottle of water rather than three and a pantry of food will also make you faster.

Mari Rabie won it on a road bike in 2010.

You got to do research. There is plenty of information on the web about every frame. Don't confuse groupset choices with frame. Find the frame that is right, then the version/model with the right specs for your budget. I spent over six months looking at bikes second hand and was never convinced that one was right until I saw the Slice frame on here. Did the research, believed it was the right one and purchased it. That could be any brand or model for the OP. Just do the research so you don't buy the wrong thing. It takes a rare salesman to sell you the one that is best for you and not the one he makes the biggest GP on.

The P3 has an incredible pedigree. No doubt. My point is that the OP should actually evaluate what bike is best for him. Not take simple statements like 'P3 is definitely better' as the basis for his decision.

The rear seat stays have a specific hour glass shape that are designed to absorb road vibration. Reduces stress on the core and lower back. Not necessarily completely unique but is a specific feature. Most bikes have straight seat stays.

Also a great bike if it is the right fit for you and a good deal. Those USE aerobars are a little extreme for a novice IMO.

I see no logic to the Cervelo is better comment other than fashionable perception. For transparency, I ride a Slice. Both are excellent bikes, each has its benefits. See the Felt vs Argon thread a little lower for my comments about geometry and fit for you. The value of a new this vs a second hand that is moot as you are not comparing apples with apples. Of course you will get a better deal buying second hand. If the Cannondale is the right bike for you then find a second hand one. Mine is NOT for sale! The Slice's particular design is designed to make it easier to run off the bike. It makes no claim to be the most aero. Although most manufacturers claims on aero are quite difficult to substantiate as there is no independent testing. As far as the Slice's pedigree: Chrissie won 4 world championships on a Slice Rinnie one her first world championship on a Slice Last week, Victor Del Corral biked a 4h15 bike split then followed with a 2h37m29 run (3rd fastest IM marathon ever) on a Slice (not even the new RS) 10th fastest Iron distance time ever. So make up your own mind based on whether the bike is the right fit for you.

What I like after looking at the site: Maybe more triathlons to do. What I don't like: 1 Dec conflicts with Midlands Ultra 15 Dec race shows as 8 Dec in several other places on their site, calendar clearly not confirmed You have to hire a chip in addition to the entry fee. BS, give us a price, don't play silly b*ggers trying to make it sound cheaper. Why not use Spectrum, most of us have have. Oh, you will make less money, silly me. First thing on the home page, they call themselves 'AN OUTDOOR EXTREME EVENTS BRAND.'The rest of website is very self centred, like they are trying to convince themselves that they are good. Don't specify which events are Road and which are MTB. Not going to get too excited yet.

For spares, I carry 1 tube, levers, two bombs, adapter, self adhesive tyre patches, chain breaker, quick link and a spare bolt in a tiny soft bag with zip that goes tight under the seat with a velcro strap. There is very little that will stop me finishing the course with that. I also have a tiny Lezyne multitool that has a neoprene pouch which velcros in front of the base of the seatpost just above the top tube. No aero penalty and instantly accessible.

Old man?! I am going to set my cat on you.

Bottle cage between the bars with cables ties. It is steadier than the XLab system and 99.95% cheaper. Spare cage on the seat tube. Don't use it unless very hot. Pick up a bottle at the top of the hills, discard before the hills.. Nothing behind the seat. Learn to take a bottle from a volunteer. It always amazes me at guys carrying three bottles full from the start of a race having spent thousands of rands to get a slightly lighter bike. At IMSA you kick into the first and really only climb of the lap almost immediately. Why be 1.5kg heavier than you need to be?

Happy birthday Garf!

My internal GPS in combination with my arm fatigue meter said it was at least 2500m but I will submit to your superior technology. If anyone has a map plot of their swim course, please post. In the 40+ group it looked like the group swam in a massive arc on the first leg. I started inside and think I swam reasonably straight. Will be interesting to see if my perceptions are correct.

Absolutely. Correct me if I am wrong. The refs are actually from TSA and are not under instruction or training from the race office. Perhaps an email relating your situation to the head of referees at TSA would be helpful to not repeating in future.

The issue the organisers have to answer is that their race format seriously inconvenienced motorists to the point that the general public disobeyed and abused the traffic officials. The traffic officials were doing the best they can to cater for both parties. In doing so, some of the triathletes got pretty miffed too. I was bleak (but certainly not abusive) at having to stop four times, but it was obvious as to why the traffic officers had to do so. Respect to them in managing a very difficult situation. I believe it demonstrates poor planning by the race organisers to the realities of the area and the time of day. It was also a situation which could have been avoided.

My suggestion for the starts: Pros 6:30 18-29 6:33 (They should not catch the Pros) 30-39 6:40 40+ 6:47 Ladies 6:54 Teams 7:00 Get the swim the correct length. Almost all swimmers out by 7:30. Will be through 30km, the critical bit by 9:00. Problem solved. Pity someone did not go out on a Sunday morning and observe the traffic volumes crossing the route, would have saved the lady a lot of pain. I think the race office have some serious questions to answer, Person who hit her is in for some serious k@k as to be on the course, he/she would have had to deliberately disobey the instruction of a traffic officer. That will not be regarded as an accident but probably assault or even attempted murder.

Like a tomato. At least I am back to being a triathlete from being a cyclist, tanwise anyway.

Road closure was a complete nightmare for the cops. Heard the Metro Police were pretty unhappy. They really need to move this event earlier to solve this problem. I see no reason why the first wave can't leave at 6:30. Smaller gaps between the waves will also be better. You can have every one off past the 30km mark before 10am. That is when the proverbial really hit the fan.

Swim was really good. Long but water was awesome (believe it or not) except for the first and last 30m. Cycle was fast, also frustrated at being stopped 4 times. Having a cop stop you when you are trucking at 50kmh felt like I was being bust for speeding. Run was a lovely jog in the park. Note to self, do more run training. Now frustrated at not being able to see results. Didn't even get my final time as I stopped, instead of lapped my watch as I came out the swim.