NGM

I've definitely got some cables and cable housing lying around in my spares box. Will be in touch. I'm in stellenbosch and often pass through Somerset west.

This is really trivial but I'll mention it anyway... In the "Discussions/Active Discussions" pane, the forum version of the website lists the total replies to an active topic, whereas the "normal" version of the website lists the total number of posts. So alternating between the two versions results in an increment/decrement by 1. I doesn't matter though.... is what I keep telling my caffeine fueled OCD.

For sure, I'm actually watching/following now more than ever. I was riveted on sunday and for the most part I think the best guys are still winning, regardless of what they choose to have for breakfast. But if it all turns to BS, I will defer to Bill Burr: Our roided-up guy beat your roided-up guy. I've watched this so many times and I still LOL when he gets to the Oprah part.

Oh I'm sure they were all indulging in "La bomba" in Merckx's era. Coppi openly admitted it (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fausto_Coppi#Doping) because it was almost expected of cyclists (Same with Anquetil) , but by Merckx's era it had become secretive and shameful to do the same thing. Anyway, that's not really what this thread is about. Although seeing those guys slug it out yesterday may me realize that I do still watch with one eyebrow raised because of what they are able to do over 280km.

What a race. Glad MVDP won, but it's become clear that the cycling world now has a cannibal 2.0. Has any GC rider since Merckx wanted to (and been able to) win every race they start, instead of targeting one or two one-dayers while generally saving their legs for their preferred Grand Tour ?

I had to google this to get the joke and ended up reading far too much (expletive) written by whatever the star wars version of a trekkie is, explaining how han solo's claim was physiologically impossible: https://www.wired.com/2013/02/kessel-run-12-parsecs/ I guess it's my fault in the end that I kept reading but I partially blame you.

Hey that's pretty big news!

Unless @ouzo beats you to it!

I might keep repeating this to myself. I've got a few friends who are a solid level above me and routinely crank out 40kph in $/&/@ groups. Joining those ranks could put things beyond doubt even on a bad weather day but I think I'm a little short on time and talent for that. I'm definitely weekend warrior category, but I'm happy to be on the fringe and just wait for a good weather day! Makes it exciting.

I've done lots of other 100km events at around the 36kph mark so a sub-3 CTCT has always been a target. But geez it seems like fate has other ideas! I can now add "solid rain for 90% of the route" to the list of things that happen when I decide to train for this event. Before sunday it consisted of fire (2016?), protest action (2017?) and severe winds (2019). To rub salt in the wounds I'd also entered the 2018 CTCT but at the 11th hour a friend organized an overseas trip with free accommodation which I couldn't turn down. Cue up the perfect weather. I skipped 2020 and it goes without saying that I rode last year's perfect weather from 4E with my partner riding her first CTCT. Anyway, I had a flipping brilliant time despite all the rain, and I'll keep coming back. And if any of you are squash fans, I plan on taking up the Ross Norman approach; a kiwi who vowed that he'd keep playing the unbeatable Jahangir Khan because "one day he will be be slightly off his game and I will get him". Norman eventually beat Khan in the 1986 world open finals, ending his run of 555 games unbeaten (a world record in any sport). Hopefully it doesn't take me that long but I'll keep showing up!

If a company makes a wet weather lube in a purple container and calls it anything other than Purple Rain then I will not support them.

Sensible changes - you don't want to leave that win up to chance. I think it's in the bag now though.

The ride on sunday has its good days too.

OK thanks - Will give Cool Heat a call. Ya I just wasn't finding one in any online shops and cool heat hadn't answered (possibly because it was 5pm on a friday).

I'm looking for a replacement for the bracket axle unit pictured below, it came from an 11 speed deore xt rear derailleur. I'm not having much luck local finding it locally. Thanks!

I got Covid on Christmas eve and it was over a month before I felt "normal". The main symptoms were not bad at all and were gone in a few days. But (being a cyclist) a knew what my heart rate was supposed to be going up a certain hill at a certain speed, etc - and that aspect took a good while before I felt OK. My heart rate was way too high the first few times I got back on a bike (dizziness too), it was only in February when I felt like I could give 100% up a hill and not be stressed about what my HR would do. So I wouldn't worry if I were you, but I also wouldn't ride. Bummer about the CTCT but it will almost certainly be horrific and windy. I know this because I have a good seeding and my last 5 weeks of training have been fantastic and I'm quite fit again.

Mountains over kylemore before sunrise this morning.

Thanks chaps. The bike is coming with then.

Hi All, Despite living in stellenbosch, the only time I've ridden around Cape Town has been for 2 x CTCT and one very early morning group ride. So the roads were obviously quiet. I'm in Noordhoek for the morning on saturday and wanted to do an easy ride around there, including chappies. The catch is, I will only be able to ride from 9am-11am. Traffic-wise, what is it like at that time? Too busy? Rideable? I don't mind a bit of traffic but there isn't much of a shoulder on chapman's peak if I remember correctly. Thanks

Exactly my experience too. He went beyond normal levels of customer service in fact. I was undecided about some handlebars, so he sent me both to try out in good faith and I sent back the ones I didn't want, and only then did I pay. He actually sorted out all of the shipping too. But... yes, @Comrade J just hold out for communication. When you reach him he's normally really helpful. I got the same impression as Morne, might be a side project.

These guys put the "ry" in "rivalry". The person who wrote the title just needs to follow suit now.

That makes sense. Thanks.

Can someone please clarify something from the CTCT emails: "Plan to arrive at your Transition Area no more than 10 min before your start time." And then... "The Grand Parade is quite exposed, even if the breeze is light and for most the wait in the start chutes will be an hour or more, so don’t forget to pack a lightweight wind-cheater, to stay warm." To me this implies that if your start time is 7:00, you must arrive at the Transition area at 6:50 (or later). Then you are likely to spend an hour in the start chute, so you actually start at 7:50, nearly an hour after your start time. To be honest, last year was a bit like that. But I just thought that was a stuff up and an exception. So have I miss-understood something, or have they provided conflicting information, or do you generally end up starting quite a while after your official start time?

Classic. Simon and Garfunkel once listed the track length of one of their songs ("Fakin' it", ironically) as 2:74 because radios only played songs under 3 minutes.