HappyMartin

Where about in Dundee is the MTB track? Nice wound by the way.

http://westcapenews.com/?p=6423 The above link takes you to an article about USN and a product that is embroiled in a little controversy over composition claims. What is interesting for me is the end of the article where Prof Noakes has a few disparaging comments to make about whey protein supplements.

Paid R15 for a very good app called LeTour. Those of you on iPads and iPhones may enjoy it. Not sure about android availability. By Banana Apps.

I don't believe you can lay the blame at low carb. Hard sessions do compromise your immune system no matter what diet you are on. It could be you are missing some essential nutrients and that is causing the problem. Perhaps with the way you have implemented the diet you are missing something. We are all different, with me the effect you describe usually comes from protein deficiency. I supplement with L Glutamine in the morning and use a recovery drink straight off the bike. Much has been said on the myth of the recovery window but I follow the philosophy that the sooner I supply my body the means to begin recovery the better and the sooner I can ride again. Of course it could simply be that you have been exposed to a tough little virus and it has nothing to do with diet or training. I doubt it though.

Hahaha. I'm chilled about it. Just a different point of view. Hardly worth going to war over it.

Reading Prof Noakes book he says that as you exercise and lose liquids the levels of electrolytes goes up in your blood. You get more salts and minerals in your diet than you need so no need to supplement. The basic argument against salt tablets would hold for this I would think. Anyway that is my gut feel. Perhaps someone better informed and educated will have a more valid view. I would be open to considering it.

Lets just agree to differ on this. I have also done loads of commuting, in fact 2 years of it at age 35 and 36 when I didn't have a car. I used my commuter bike to do the very first 94.7 and the first Spring MTB race. Still don't agree with CSA getting involved with commuting cyclists. Do you think Athletics South Africa should be fighting for the rights of pedestrians walking to work? Well it's the same thing to me.

I'll also start again. I don't see CSA responsibility as taking care of commuters and cycle lanes. That is not the sport of cycling. That is transport and should be handled by the relevant government bodies. Yes I know that it's not happening but that is a whole other debate. Your average bike commuter is not a committed cyclist. He is just going to work and if he had a car would most likely never ride a bike again in his life. I support efforts to get our young riders into international cycling. I am quite happy that my money goes on this type of thing. I am of course not happy with wasted money and corruption but we need to fix this. Not give up on the whole enterprise. And for those that call the people that license and race competitively wannabes. That's total rubbish. It's a sport like any other. We do it for fun. We do our best. It's not a wannabe thing. Do you think every golfer is a wannabe pro? Some of us just enjoy the racing and the trying. Like those efforts I see in the photo thread. I don't call all those people wannabes. They are doing just fine and enjoying themselves. So in short. I support the promotion of cycling as a competitive sport in all ages and categories. I believe we need an umbrella organization to facilitate this. I hope it can be CSAbut I realize they are not all they should be. I hope it can be fixed.

Sorry as well

Actually I bothered to read all the comments. Have you ever bothered to try to see someone else's point of view?

One thing I don't understand. Loads of people happy to pay PPA R250 a year. Not a rip off. The R75 a year for CSA is too much money? I kind of like the R75 thing. Hope PPA stays where it is. Happy with the races up here as they are. Don't race in the Cape so PPA means zip to me

And on the other side tombeej I recently read a report and now cannot find it from I think an American institute. I will keep looking but meanwhile what they said is HFCS is highly addictive. HFCS stimulates appetite. HFCS can lead to fatty liver disease and ultimately sorosis of the liver HFCS is the fastest route to a general carb resistance and diabetes type 2 First time I have read a government affiliated health report making those claims. Some progress being made. On a related issue I saw a new type of Pepsi on the market called throwback. Made with cane sugar. No HFCS.

I believe golf is a lovely sport.

Read The Life and Death of Marco Pantani some time back. In it there is a table of his hematocrit levels. Off season he was testing around 39 to 41and just prior to the Tour he typically tested around 60 to 63. Apparently the tests were done on stored samples so not regarded as definitive but still gives an idea. He was also known to consume as much as 5g of coke a day. Apparently pretty impressive for a little guy.

Top MTB riders spend a lot of time on the road training. I would argue that road riding is doing just fine. Look at Hunter, Impey, Janse Van Rensberg and all the guys in Qubeca riding full time in Europe. Not knocking what the guys are doing on MTB but let's be honest here. The real deal MTB internationally is XC and we seem to specialize at marathon events. Good to see the efforts being put into XC but don't think success will come easily or quickly.

Out of interest. What % of cyclists doing the Argus are from outside of the PPA geographic region?

That was great! Did that group in blue kit manage to hook your wheel.

Ignore it Grebel. Some people love to fight. I eat future life when going out on long rides. I find the product offerings a little confusing and no one seems to stock the full range with any consistency. I go for the one marked high protein. Not fond of the crunch. My only dislike is it is a little sweet for my taste.

After reading some of the stuff on this thread I am now disappointed that the Mayans never got it right.

Taking a side in this is difficult. Bit like choosing between bowel cancer and lung cancer if you ask me. At least CSA does something for me. When I race there is a commisair following the group and race marshals on bikes. When I fell last year in a race I at least got to speak to the commisair and make suggestions regarding safety. Don't get any of that in the Argus as an old licensed rider so I don't do the Argus anymore. Why should I support PPA in this? I live in Joburg. Most entrants to the Argus are from outside of the PPA jurisdiction I am told. Still for all the money collected by the CSA they can't even put a seeding index together. Like I said. Bowel cancer or lung cancer. Hard to choose.

No problem. You made a fair point.

Ok so I laboriously did the experiment and my specific question is so what? The bike tracks slightly left and right as you said. The faster the less it tracks left and right. So what if it is not gyro forces keeping me up? Something is keeping me up and it gets easier as I get faster. Momentum is still my friend is it not? It could be magical stickyuppy particles that are in the air and the faster I go the more they stick to me and so I stay up easier. Like I said. If you can't explain the usefulness of it all I don't really care.

I rode motorbikes for years. Counter steering is the quickest way to get the bike over. Once it dips into the turn you lean with it. I do the same on the road bike in fast corners. No idea on MTB. Too much going on and if I think at all I end up in casualty. Sometimes end up there anyway. If you don't mind Johan please explain to me, I'm not good at this stuff as you will hear, what are the practical implications of all this gyro stuff that does not work as we think it does. It still seems to me that speed is my friend whatever the physics behind it might be.

Cool idea. When you are on coke you know the answer to everything. A stuck seat post should be a breeze

Lots being said about Sky's tactics and how innovative they are. I agree it is unusual to see a team grinding climbers back but it is not new in terms of individuals. Indurain was a master at it, so was Ulrich. Sooner or later a climber will get away and it will be fun to see the scramble when Sky realize he is not being ridden back and are then forced to ride after him. So far we know what Sky and Froome can do. We have no idea of what AC can do or Rodriguez. Imagine those 2 go off up the road in the TDF and Sky have to chase them back. Could be interesting.