Zula

Never a problem in the RSA

I have watched this topic with some interest because I was also in the market for a new pair of bibs. I came to the conclusion that bibs are like saddles, a very personal choice and what works for one may not work for another. I own a pair of assos as well as a pair of capestorm nitros. In all honesty for me the capestorm are far more comfy than the assos so I opted for a new pair of nitros and took them out for a 4.5 hours ride on Saturday. Those shorts are the bomb, I am so happy with my purchase. The chamois is fantastic and the workmanship is as good as the Swiss Competition for less than half the price being R995 which I think is great value for such top end stuff. For me its capestorm nitros all the way, but like i said above, its a very personal thing. Good luck to everyone in their quest for continued comfort on a saddle.

What is an accepted cadence?

I want to, I really do. Lemme see how jailbreak and 70.3 go and how I feel at the end. My limiting factor is my running which I have to say is coming along nicely at the moment so maybe by April Ill be good to go. As for the finances, I can afford it but hell next year I've entered 70.3, Sani2c and potentially full IM. Not including all the other races all over the show. That's over 20k right there! These sports are not cheap, but they sure are fun :)

It always horrifies me how cyclists jump red lights. If anything a cyclist should be more obedient to the rules of the road given our vulnerability. Sometimes it is safe to go through the robot but rules are rules and we must all obey the rules.

Good luck dude. That race is gonna be TOUGH!

It is if you train hard enough. Im no super athlete but the run is pretty flat. It only has 1 hill in it, ok its a big hill but thats it.

The cradle is perfect. Lots of rolling hills and some buggers every now and then. Its also very peaceful and probably the best place to ride a road bike in jhb. Just get your distance up to 100k's and you bang on target.

Generally uphill on the way out with lots of rolling hills. On the way back my average was almost 20km/h faster. There is a bitch of a climb toward the end.

The guy is a machine. Every so often the world is graced with the presence of a freak of nature who defies limits. Tiger Woods was the same (sex scandal aside), Schumacher, Ronaldo, Federer, Nadal. These guys up the ante so to speak.

Don't forget T1 and T2. I landed up spending 11min in total in transition. Must admit I was just trying to enjoy everything and not get too caught up in the race against the clock. Still managed sub 6 with a 2h07 run. My point, just go out and have a blast. The time will take care of itself.

I'm entered for my 2nd 70.3. Its such a lekker event. Would recommend it to anyone who thinks they would enjoy it. Hopefully I learn the lessons from the k@k run I had last year.

Also debating what to spend the rebate on. Not sure I'll enjoy IM as much as a park tool workshop stand. Stranger things have happened.

damn thats funny ja.................

NUTELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in a similar position to you at the beginning of this year. I opted to sell my entry level road bike and went with the Felt AR4. I think I made a fantastic decision and I absolutely love my bike to bits. I did 70.3 on the Felt and it went like a bomb. The course is designed in a such a way that a road bike doesn't disadvantage you as much as you would thin because there are plenty rolling hills which require standing out the saddle from time to time etc. As for setup, I have only used my bike in the normal road setup. I do however have a tri saddle and clip on bars for TT, but at the moment I'm pretty comfy using it asa road bike only because of races like argus, 94.7 and DC. TT setup is a totally different position and will require alot of practice and commitment when the time comes. My sights are only set on 70.3 next year. If they change to full IM then Ill swap to TT. All in all its a fantastic bike and you wont be sorry. As skaap says the major difference is in the wheels. Personally I love the ultegra, I find it flawless and easy to setup and adjust. have fun

That may be possible, but like you said then work on your speed and you'll get to the top quicker. Another point to bear in mind is that you want to arrive at the top of a climb as fresh as possible so that you can get back into your normal pace as soon as possible. Its all about recovery when you get to the top.

Read the latest Lance Armstrong book. In there he describes exactly how he became a better climber. Sorry to tell you this but the best climbers in the world don't stand when they climb. Yes they do alternate between sitting and standing but generally they will spin up a hill in a lighter gear with a high cadence as opposed to mashing up a hill in a big gear. Lance got this advice from a Mr Indurain. Me thinks that between those two guys they know what they talking about. Its true that different strokes for different folks but after I adopted the sitting strategy my climbing improved 10 fold and now I can hold my own generally. You have to stand every now and then but I only use it to break up the climb into sizeable bits. So pedal seated for 50 strokes then stand for 20 etc. Don't forget to drop a gear when you stand up and the opposite when you sit down.

That isn't cross training dude that's called a brick session where you do more than one disciplne after each other. The benefit of a brick is for those who participate in triathlon. For example running after cycling would be considered a brick so as to re-create the feeling of jelly legs after cycling. Come to think of it what you described above is more of a super set than a brick, designed to get your heart pumping like a steam train. When you refer to cross training what you actually mean is doing running to supplement your cycling. For example running 10k's a week is a great way to cross train if you are a cyclist because cycling is not always possible due to weather etc. See what I mean?

how about a pedal wrench?

Hey Sweat Bastard how about you send me one as well?

Thanks for the reply! No the rattle is from the cable housing which is touching your head tube. I put one of those little rubber anti scratch things on there and it sorted it out. I just spoke to a LBS and they said the housing is pretty straight forward and all you do is push it into the frame. I'm sure my housing is still ok so I will just change the cables. Apparently you cant go cheap on the cables for some reason the setup doesn't like that.

Good morning everyone The cables on my Felt AR4 are starting to look a little frayed and are in need of replacement. Being a budding mechanic I am keen to give it a go, but my concern is the internal cabling housing of my bike. Any advice on re-cabling the gears and not damaging the internal cabling housing? I have read on some forums that guys replace the housing whenever they replace the cabling. Just want some views on this before I stuff it up totally. Cheers

Yeah the build up is very important. But you have to keep an eye on urself during the event and force urself to take in liquids and solids even though you may think you dont need. As for cramping, there is no answer. My suggestion would be to keep well hydrated the week before the race, eat a bit more salt and hope for the best.

You have to get in some extra carbs the day before. Energy drinks like 32gi work fine for this purpose. Drink 2 bottles throughout the day. Have a pasta dinner the night before and a low GI breakfast the day of the race. Say 2 slices of toast with jam and some coffee. You can sip an energy drink on the way to the race as well. Being a running race you cant take energy drink with you and the ones provided will spike your sugar levels. Take some gels,bars or even better some baby potatoes. Drink water and some energy drink on the route. Leave the Coke for the last 10k's.