ewep

I had me one of these. AWESOME AWESOME bike! Would buy one in the same livery again without thinking twice. @delgado, do you maybe have an "after" pic somewhere?

Latest

Here she is (NOT my IDT Hi-Fi ok!!)

Oops, pic doesn’t upload.

Very true. Bought my Scalpel at a “small” shop here in the Vaal. They had what I wanted and, although they’re not big or flashy or in a laadie area of Vanderbijlpark, their service levels go above and beyond what is to be expected (bought the bike at 12:00 on a Saturday. Although closing at 13:00 I walked out there at 14:00 after a full check, help with setup, tubeless conversion, etc done). When reading the comments one would never guess, when walking into the shop, that Omnico would supply such a premium brand to this shop. And, to crown all, these guys can get any ‘Dale you want, at a reasonable (within limits) price! As for the Makro bikes, personally I won’t buy one. The service, advice, chats, laughs and correcting issues I received makes up for the money saved on the bike’s price. Please note, I don’t ride top of the range bikes. Can’t afford to fork out that type of money. But all the Cannondale LBS’ I’ve had interaction with makes me feel like their most important customer.

Busy with that. A local company is assisting.

Gummi we need to meet up for a beer that Monday!! I got one of those mails as well. Paid and going!!

Steve does a brilliant job. I joined the Jhb group (at that stage) for my Durban 70.3 and it helped. I would've suffered (more ) if I didn't start out with a group.

I see you're in Slaapies. Maybe try and get hold of Steve at Embark Training. They have groups, etc. down there. If you prefer online training then MPG, Rynard Tissink or Lynette Cronk. I have no experience with MPG but I can recommend Lynette! <EDIT> And if you can consider attending a triathlon camp. It makes a HUGE difference!!! I attended a DBT (http://www.debruintrain.com) camp and it was AWESOME. Don't kid yourself, it's TOUGH, even for the more experienced and stronger guys/gals. But I also saw what I could do and it was a huge motivating factor. And it's nice living like a pro, even if only for 4 days.

As my coach said, this is a journey, a lifestyle. It's NOT a concert ticket! Sjeez!!! So I seriously need to get off my @ss The gatvol part is quite easy. Problem is that the events are quite expensive, so you can't just "quickly" enter for an event. I have however found that my OCD (Analysis Paralysis) does help. When I get gatvol/lazy I start tracking my TrainingPeaks graphs (premium edition though). This really helps! @Disylizzy, just START!! Get a reputable coach to help you as trying to do your own program is quite tough. Then, and I know most of us back markers sukkel with this, stay CONSISTENT in your training! You will see the change in your times on and off the bike and in the water.

Barry, dude, thanks for being around in my life. Even though we only spoke electronically the last 18 months or so it was still awesome getting the chirps, etc early in the mornings. You were "mensch" my friend and you will be sorely missed! Rest easy, and know that you touched a lot of people's lives. To Kevin, Mary, the 2 boys and the rest of the family, take solace in the fact that Barry, although gone, is still living his "larger that life" way in all our hearts.

IM organisers should have considered the Vaal Triangle (Abrahamsrust). Nice river swim, decent roads for the ride and a run through Vaalpark. The Vaal hosts the Prestige Ultra/Sprint that is organised by Spectrum Sport and the old Energade Series was also hosted here. The Prestige might not be as fancy as IM, but it works and is an awesome event!

That's the one Shaper!! Also look at Xterra suits.

This was my second one. I knew the swim was going to be "busy" when I saw the number of people at the start. And yes, the wetsuit is the best!

Swam with my wetsuit for the first time before the Sun City sprint in the Valley of Waves. Just make sure it fits correctly!

Rent or buy a wetsuit! But get one. It helps with buoyancy and against the cold. The only issue I had was taking the bloody thing off but there is a trick to it. If you get one and you close to Klein Kariba on race weekend (or the Vaal before) I can show you what I was taught. And don't forget the lube! Hey, guess what, a finish is PERFECT!! I've come to realize that triathlon is the opposite pole of cycling! I purely race against myself. I don't race others. And a finish is a huge win!!

So I think I've lost my mind. Entered for Bela-Bela and then the Midmar Ultra in November. Slow ramp up to Midmar, which is cool. Currently a few issues. Bilateral breathing, what's THAT? I'll just have to start training and working towards it! My cycling is okish. I do need to work on power vs cadence vs HR though. And then, my running SUCKS. Period. But hey, I WILL finish!

My baby.

Same here! My 947 is not on anymore. I'm on a training course so the bunch of people in a closed, A/C'ed environment and the dust due to the heat is killing me.

.

SV (both 650 and 1000) are AWESOME bike. Lower top end compared to the other bikes in class, but the torque and MAN the sound!!!! EISH. And the pillion seat is not too shabby. I rode the NC750. Very nice bike but also found the gering a bit weird. The Hornets are short, comfortable nakeds. If you are however planning on doing any riding over 150km then I would advice against it. To give you an idea, lie on your back on the bed, shoulders on the edge of the bed and neck and head hanging off. Now make short, sharp movements with your head. O ja, add 1-2kg weight to your forehead. That's a naked at speed. The Versys is the same as the NC. Personally, SV (1000 if you can), NC750 and then the rest.

One-eyed Eric in Edenvale. Brilliant craftsman. Number to follow.

Horses for courses MB. I rode the GS and never had issues. Honestly, BMW's services are the same as other bikes (except the bloody RR!!). The GS' service cost about the same as 2 mates who respectively rode a Super Ten and a Triumph. On picking up parts, having issues, once again, depends on where you are, and who you are with! My issue with the KTM's are the same as yours with the BMW's, parts pricing. But I also think that this depends on your dealership (I wanted a 990 Adventure, but was told I don't have it in me to ride one). As I said before, what do you want to get out of your bike? Technical stuff, KTM and the ones you mentioned. Long distance touring only on tar, Kawa GTR or BM 1600GTL, etc. O ja, I'm a brand whore! If it has 2 wheels I'll ride it, even a Bajaj!! Beautiful, but untested. And that is my issue with the Twin. Give it to the second generation (just like the GS LC, KTM and Super Ten) and we might have the best bike around!! *edit - Spelling

100% Kransie.

Kransie, what exactly do you want to do with the bike? Here are my feeling on this, and a lot of people will disagree. Please also remember that I rode the pre-LC 1200 (2011 model DOHC). Power corrupts! Period. You will always want bigger and/or faster at some stage. The 800 is more balanced in thick sand and mud than the 1200. For long distance touring (tar or plaaspad) I will not think twice about going 1200. The 1200 is easier on your pillions ass. You can carry more luggage at speed on the 1200. The 800 is comfortable at 140, but who wants to sit at only 140?! If you want to doBotswana, Kalahari or Namibia deserts (not the roads, the bundus) then the 800 is your baby.So it all depends on what you want to do. O ja, your build as well, as the 1200 GS and GSA are quite heavy when loaded and standing still. Personally, 1200, no question asked! Also look at the Triumph Tiger (800) or the bigger 1200. It's like a Merc vs BMW car thing. I prefer the BMW's over the Triumph, but there is nothing wrong with Triumph. But, as I mentioned before, BMW service is head and shoulders above the rest! A completely different story if you want to go further into Africa though. Let me know and we can chat in private. (And no, I don't work for BMW. I am in IT)