dave303e

ya I would say that is a good plan, but just be aware if you have any slight issues now, when you start to ramp up distance come Feb/March you will be needing that shot a long time before the race. If you going to stick with this plan, get to the physio now and start working on loosening it up and strengthening the imbalance causing it and hopefully you start in time to be able to last long enough to have the shot just before the race. But good luck with it all and let us know how it goes.

Honestly, you need to back right off running, do the physio work and sort your hip flexors out( I will put money that a good masseuse will make you cry with a well aimed elbow to the hip flexors). Remember the cortisone will help for ~6 weeks, then you will be back at square one and the second one doesn't work near as well. I was very aggressive and had surgery for an ITB that got so bad I couldn't walk across a mall without it hurting. It was what I thought was best for my personal position back then, if I had it now I would take a few months off and do the work because you have to do the physio and bio work for months anyway. The surgery was 100% success for me, but that is my case and operations are always to be avoided if possible. My 2c, comrades will still be there in 2025, take a few months with very minimal running and maximal bio and physio work. Spend some time on the bike(often the bike doesn't aggravate it at all) and then re look at upping distance when it is sorted. My doc explained to me that the ITB is like a steel cable, you don't sommer just stretch that puppy out quickly, it takes time. If all else fails, go chat with Dr Barrow the knee surgeon, or Dr Barrow the Physio, you should come right between the 2 of them.

Something to think about with pepper spray, pepper spray paintballs, knives and batons and any other non/less lethal weapons cyclists and general population are being sold. Don't waste your time, the odds of you being hurt are higher. If you going to carry something, make sure the thing you carry will 100% end the confrontation like a legal firearm in well trained hands(big disclaimer - in well trained hands). Because when your pepper spray doesn't quite hit the mark, their knife/gun will and they will be extra aggressive- case and point above. Thankfully the cyclist is still alive above, they were really lucky... If you are going to carry a weapon, you better be well trained and competent in using it and all above board legally. Otherwise carry nothing at all, hand the bikes over with no fight and save the fight for dealing with insurance the next day rather.

saw a video the other day of some guys that stole our cattle(we recovered the cows from them a month back, that is another hard to believe story). Anyway this guy got off lightly, the cattle thieves stole the wrong madala's cows and lets just say it looked more like a soccer match and I won't be surprised if they are not buried somewhere after that. But these videos do make you realise that karma sometimes does work wonders...

what makes longer rides worse(and even worse if you are an adventure racer) is that you usually end up carrying more, which leads to heavier packs and more weight into the saddle...

Top class bibs that fit well do a lot of good and for anything up to 100km mtb/gravel you don't need bum cream. But start stretching past 200km mtb rides and you will be reaching for the bum cream. Get through that 500km zone and you will be raw without it.

Used to be a squirrel's nut butter ambassador, that contract is long gone but I still use their products left right and center because they do work really well. Chafe cream for running, chamois cream for long rides(9 hours+) and foot cream for big runs... I have to agree with OP and smells though. Mycota foot cream for athlete's foot makes me literally gag.

We get small batch roasted from the farmers market in Silverton Pretoria, couldn't tell you the name off hand to be honest...

So what are everyone's thoughts on decaf coffee... For medical reasons I am limiting caffeine intake to pretty much 0. I have the odd coca cola after a big run. The first few weeks were hell, very sleepy most afternoons and just felt flat, but after that it came around and I feel 100% again. In fact I am off all reflux meds and am generally a lot better with minimal reflux in my life. But it was a big change. We have a bean to cup machine, I usually drink americano with a little warm milk. We drink raw dairy swiss milk so milky coffee gets very rich very quick. I must say being on decaf I still drink as many cups, if not more, but it has really changed my life for better. It does really show the routine addiction though, still wake up and dive for that coffee machine...

My 2c and unprofessional opinion. I have done less and furnished a 100 miler. It was not pretty but I have that belt buckle and cherish it. I took my mind to many dark places that day and the finish time was not something to be proud of. If you just want to finish, you will be ok. Just be ready for a long really tough day out...

you also have to understand that mtb helmets are also inherently flawed, but you would not buy one if it wasn't flawed. Air vents, you wouldn't buy a solid helmet like a motocross helmet for XC/Marathon. To this day you ride past fences with droppers or race route markers on a dropper in the ground. A dropper through the air vent means you could take the full impact on a 1cm diameter area. Makes you think how safe you feel because you have a fancy helmet on...

it is not just about fitness and going fast... Take a 25kmh side impact where you hit with your shoulder and your head whips sideways. You now have an extra 70grams which at 25kmh- now your neck is stopping and extra 500grams momentum. It is quite a difference. Also your neck has 70grams less to support when you are hammering corrugations or gnarly trails all day, less fatigue while riding

That is one of the beauties of electric derailleurs. You can analyse your gear usage and use it to decide on what cassette/chainrings to run.

This is exactly what I thought is happening, someone sitting here on the hub reading about guys getting their stuff stolen while they sell stolen goods right here on the hub. You can be certain there are 3 or 4 others doing the same. If the deal seems to good to be true, it probably is...

So I have a Cypher RS Carbon Pro. I bought it May last year. SO far so good, loved the bike and it has not let me down. I have done a few 100mile rides and cullinan to tonteldoos comfortably on it without issuue. I have also done a few adventure races on it where it has been boxed, hike a biked and generally abused and it has not missed a beat. So far it has been general wear and tear mostly, I broke 1 spoke which I think got damaged when I was hit by a motobike at C2T. That is my mid term review. Confidently taking it to ARWC next month.

looks more like poor casting and not wear to me...

There are plenty strava segments in SA on Freeways There was also a skateboarder in CT who was in how water for speeding... I got more fines for wheelies as a lightie than for speeding riding a motorbike to school.

Like I have said many many times, our stolen goods are being bought and sold by cyclists all around us. Disgusted by the reseller, no way in hell he does not know he is selling stolen goods

Living rural this is a reality for me- 8km dirt road to the nearest tar. On the odd occasion I take my bike in for a service(usually DIY) I used to hate rocking up with a dirty bike for a service, to me it is an insult dropping off a dirty bike. Tailgate pads are better than bike racks if there is mud. Neither are great for dust. Caravelle/kombi/transporter van is the best bet( just don't let the anti big car thread hear about it) If you re travelling long distances and what not, then a van gets even better, you can secure the bike over night fairly well and not be worrying about losing it off the rack or unloading it into a hotel room each night.

Bit of a pointless graphic complaining cars are getting too big when the reality is that our rail system has all but collapsed( so bad major mining companies are taking massive production hits). So our roads are overloaded with massive trucks left right and center. SO the size of a golf or ranger is really nothing compared to the HGV's that are all over the place.

That being said, if I was a serious triathlete I would def have oversized jockeys with unobtanium bearings just because they look cool AF, I have drooled over them for a long time now. Unfortunately I am too uncouth to have nice things

I call bull dust, powerbalance bracelets, fad diets and the R21 000/liter chain lube are exempt from science...

next time you tinkering with front wheel. Hold the axle(be careful to keep the brake rotor away from fingers) and spin the wheel and then try turn the wheel left to right. Then remove the tyre and do the same thing spinning it at roughly the same speed. It is quite a difference.

With the weight advantage. Remember a bike has 3 types of weight. 1- Sprung weight, this is all the stuff above the suspension travel. It is usually the least impact on performance. 2- Unsprung weight, this is weight that moves with the suspension( fork lowers, rear triangles, brake calipers etc) This does have effect on the performance a bit more that unsprung because your suspension has to work against it so it does hamper the suspension a little. But it is still not the worst thing. 3- Rotating mass, this is fairly self explanatory and it is the worst type of weight. The inertia is the killer here and the further from the point of rotation the worse it is. So tyres and rims are the worst place to have weight. You can certainly feel the weight drop there. The wheels are easier to accelerate and brake, the bike turns easier and so on. I didn't believe you could feel the stiffness but actually you can, especially in the rear and especially if your tyre pressure is up a little. So even through the flex in the fork neck and the flexing of the tyres you can feel it. Especially if you have come from light weight alloy rims.

it is silence but there are a few considering offering a teaspoon of PPC 42.5N on the side...