Trubie

Gman It seems then that the 53/39 with a 11/23 or 12/23 is a better option. I have an Ultegra 11/23 which I use for racing, and an Ultegra 12/23 which I use for training. I changed from a 12/25, to the 11/23 just before Argus, and had a breeze up Smits, Chapmans & Suikerbossie, so it seems to be ok then?

Ok then , who would use a compact, and why?

And the perceived difference? Or is it an actual difference? What would effect be if i ride eg, 53 - 23, vs 50 - 23?

Can someone please explain to me what the diff is between a compact and standard cranckset? If I have an Ultegra 53,39 - which one is it?

Thanx sarge

What does Cart charge for a paint job like this? where can they be contacted?

Dianne My suggestion is , go to Cape Argus(probably wont carry it though) and Burger, let them carry the story. It will be a matter of days , and your problem would hopefully be solved. The treatment the Tour organizers have your husband sucks big time.

Add, Teardrop JKM1 Masood Rowdie to the list.

Boss, Porky - enjoying yr fight. Let me know who wins eventually. Porky - have you ever used a HR monitor before? If not, i reckon you have no foot to stand on. One cannot base an assumption on on programme/test. It could have been the purpose of the programme to discredit scientific training?? LA was probably the first and most successful cyclist to make use of properly researched scientific training. The results are well known. (Forget for a moment the allegations of doping etc, purely because its never been proven). If you do a simple exercise such as intervals, you go all out, get yr HR to a certain level, and then recover (on the basis of getting yr heartrate back to a certain level!!) Once recovered you do the next rep. If you do not measure yr HR , how do you determine that you body is ready to go again? I'm not that smart to know when I'm ready, and you will possibly go to early, or wait to long and therefore negate the effect of the intervals. Years before HR monitors, athletes used to do a specific exercise, stop, take their HR manually and when recovered to pre-determined level, you were ready to go again. Im sure the Kenians or Europeans you referred to made use of something similar?? If you've trained this way , and there was no improvement - based on the assumption that you measured the improvement /not properly, you have a case, otherwise, please do not show yr ignorance in this manner.

Kevin You need to determine what you wanna achieve. Do you have a goal? Perhaps a 3:00 for 94.7 or something. Once you have determined that, the hubbers will be more than helpful in their advice. You need to adapt your training to that goal. Ie if you wanna ride 100k's, gotta train for it, and that will give you the answer 40/80?

In spite of my frustration I had a good race. Actually the 'fat' is more of a metaphor since there were loads of them doing this - big' date=' small, old, young,fat ,skinny, male and female. My frustration has more to do with the actual starting process with these people pushing in front as soon as the gun goes causing others to swerve, brake and all sorts of dangerous maneuvers. [/quote'] The way some cyclists behave when they get to a race, specially at the starting pens is just absolutely pathetic and very annoying. I battle to see the reason for trying to line up in the front, IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY WITH THE REST OF THE MORE SERIOUS RIDERS, but you still want to be there - for the thrill it gives you, or what I dont know but it pisses everyone who doesnt do it off soooo much. At Argus I can understand the wannabees trying to get their faces on TV, beacause that is probably the most they get out of a race anyway. Its also bad manners, to arrive late and push your way to the front, from the side - as they do, but sometimes even from behind??? We are always so understanding, and in times of need the hubbers have proven to be very helpfull etc, but this is a major concern to organizers and a bone of contention for the rest of us.

petrol will dry it out rather use diesel or paraffin, and make sure to lube after the cleaning

That certainly helps my seeding a lot Why bother with a race that was about 9 months ago?!

Why spend so much money if you already riding a Madone. Take Jules advice, invert the money wisely, do as Fan suggests, train harder and you might start kicking some ass. Getting a new bike will only make you feel faster for the first few rides, then reality will hit you - its still the same o'll me pushing the pedals.

If its your first bike, dont spend that much money. Maybe you dont even like the sport. Get something way cheaper, first become competitive (by the way we all are - that's why we ride & race), and then upgrade. Then again, if you got the cash , have to spend it, go for a ride on the options mentioned, and stick to the trek

Definitely not the crap we receive in the bag right now. The Argus bag had 3 nice/good things in: - the pamhlet with the offer of the buy one get one free table mountain ticket ? its worth R 150 - the bar one - the snicker the rest was pretty much useless. What makes it good? The free aspen socks They waste more money on the packaging than what it really means to the ave cyclist.

Gman, that's part of the problem this year isnt on yet, in my case all best races this year?! Bit stuffed right now, that's why I was given a "S" seeding for Argus...

I speak under correction, but the 94.7 is already on, but nothing after Bakwena. Its very very annoying and will certainly impact negatively on races such as Wilro etc coming up ext month. Maybe we should start sending them mails every day untill its updated.

ory A critical thing to keep in mind is that the bike can be as good as anything, you still have to ride it. If you are so good as you say you are, then a lighter/faster bike can make a diff on in a race. the flip side of the coin is, if you have got the money and you really wanna spend it do so. I wouldnt pay that much for a Raleigh though. You must shop around, chekc out the hub - there are loads of second hand , and sometimes brand new bikes around, which you can pick up much cheaper and it could also pan out to be a much better deal quality wise. Good luck with the decision, and welcome to the hub

Good question I sent them a mail yesterday, and their response was that they wait for the timing co's to send them the info. Its suppose to happen 4-8 weeks after the event. So , no one knows at this stage, and it seems no one cares, as its epic time, so dont hold your thumbs that anything will happen soon. I am very keen to get an update, but seems Im the only one

and........i'm also a size 60????

Man that Trek is serious hardware. I wouldnt mind one of those, but will let you know as soon as I pick up a "bargain". I have been fortunate so far, but it is disturbing that the expensive bikes gets targeted. Obviously the thughs know what bikes to go for, or do you think its just everyone that gets targeted. And I agree, there must be a good second hand market if this is on the increase!

Seeing as its friday , and we have loads of time to talk crap, I decided to add my bit. Kent & and the rest - we are in a dangerous sport, we know that before we start doing it. Riding yr bike as a kid, I am sure you also had mishaps - falls, mechanical probs, punctures, etc. Its part of the game we choose, whether MTB or Road. No one is safe on a bike irrespective of wher you ride, on the road there are many hazards, cars are a big danger, etc. The speed on the road makes it even more dangerous during races etc, MTB is just as dangerous if you do not have the skills, even then its still a danger. Rember Andrew M broke his collarbone last year at Sani - not neccessarily due to lack of skills, but due to the nature of the sport. Punctures come and go, if they persist invest in better(tougher/stronger) tyres. You create your own luck. If you wanna give up because of what has happened, you'll probably end up giving up whatever you try next. Its part of your character to either stick it out during difficult times, or just quitt. My advice - stay on yr bike, find out whether you enjoy road or MTB most, and stick to it.