Rapunzel

holy #$&@ am I going to take strain - also starting in E. Hopefully my legs make up for the lack of style because I'll be on a GT with an old 8speed group set, very old wheels, olympic mtb shoes,.... maybe I should just put my camelbak on to finish the picture

It's not racetec's fault - they provide an automated timing system and it is up to the event organisers to monitor the route and the finishing chute. When I had a problem on the Wellington Gravel Travel, the marshals had been instructed to remove the bike board of anybody taking shortcuts or retiring. Alternatively they need to put timing mats on the route but I'm not sure what the implications are surrounding that.

she certainly didn't come past me at any point!

crumbs - some stressed out people up north! Been on plenty of group training rides (mtb mostly) here in cpt and there are so many gentlemen. Particularly our night ride bunches tend to regroup regardless of the gender of the people who've fallen off the back.

Just finished off my first Geax barro race - don't recommend these. They're not very durable (virtually no tread left on my rear tire after about 500km) and traction on climbs isn't great. Going to replace with Specialized fasttrack 2bliss which work well on my 26er in dry western cape conditions.

Also doing Sani. Will be doing all training in cpt northern suburbs and Stellenbosch.

Training certainly becomes more intense when time's at a premium. This is good for intervals, hill training and tempo rides which are all great for conditioning the body but one important element is missing - the mind. You remember when you started cycling and you went for your first 30km+ training ride. You were poked afterwards and you never thought that 50km would be possible until you'd successfully done it. I find that constantly training for shorter periods makes races of 4+ hours a mental challenge to complete. So long rides are important for conditioning my mind, but also great for getting the butt, neck and shoulders used to hours in the saddle. That said, it's pointless putting in stacks of junk hours and logging up impressive mileages. If you want to be competitive, your shorter intense rides are going to give you the edge.

the olympics have worked well for me too but the only problem is trying to find mtb shoes locally in smaller sizes (have to wear 2 pairs of socks to get my olympics to fit properly but then it takes on stacks of water if there are river portages /rain)

That Giant is a beautiful and good value for money bike. I recently purchased a Felt Carbon (upgraded wheelset to ZTR crest and changed saddle an replaced riser with flat bars). The bike is definitely faster on the flats and rolls better on rough terrain but I still descend substantially faster on my dualsus 26er. Where I do find the 29er tough is on steep climbs where it feels as though there is some threshold speed under which you suddenly battle to keep momentum. I've raced twice on the 29er and feel that it is definitely faster but the 26er wins the comfort category hands down. What many people claim to be a weakness in the 29er is it's handling on tight turns - I'm coping fine with the switchbacks on hillcrest, contermans and meerendal (go figure )

you'll have to be picky - many of the races don't fit the requirements for seeding (too short, too few competitors, route cut short for whichever reason like the argus mtb 2010).

thanks soooo much fitter - worst case I'll put the ruby on my anthem and jett on my hardtail.

... sounds like they were describing meerendal or contermanskloof.

I'm using a specialized Jett (equivalent of Phenom) on my dual suspension which is comfy. I've been lucky enough to get a hardtail 29er and have temporarily put a Specialized Ruby road saddle on (equivalent of the Toupe). The road saddle is more comfy than the Jett MTB saddle and I'd like to hear from people who aren't going to financially benefit from my decision: is this a "no-no" and what are the chances of an sub 60kg rider bending the rails on a road saddle.

I was rather disappointed from a prize perspective. Lucky draw prizes were great but position prizes were dismal. The 108km had plenty of prizes and over R25000 in prize money but only 2 prizes overall totalling R550 per event(no women's prizes at all) for the 64km and 35km mtb.

I was running at the time of #1 and #2 arriving but I'm sure the same principal applies. had c-section with both which needs a longer recovery but started power walking within about 10 days and running within 2 weeks (racing in 5 weeks). time is the biggest challenge: changing my goals to shorter distances at higher intensities paid off with better performances than before the children arrived. Does sport and motherhood really work? depends on your support system (I always joke that from a logistical perspective I need a wife and not a husband ). Get your priorities in order and use them as a guide when making decisions (mine are God, Husband, Children, Me/bike)

it's an excellent route for a short and intense workout and the views from the top really make the climb worthwhile.

I took the opportunity to commute while the kids are on holiday and the roads are quiet. This picture was taken from the top of hillcrest shortly after 7am. We must live in one of the most beautiful corners of the world

popcorn is a winner - got one of those hot air popping machines and I spray a touch of oil on afterwards to get the seasoning/salt to stick. Agreed also with the high GI stuff - if I eat something sugary it starts a craving for even more. Good luck to you all with your new years resolutions to get more in shape

I don't know if it's urban legend, but when it was exported to Australia it had to be classified as a nutritional supplement instead of a cereal (presume due it being so fortified) It has more protein, less salt, more vitamins and minerals, fewer unecessary additives and more fibre than most other cereals. Only snag for me is it has milk solids in it so I tend to mix it with water to keep my milk intake down.

she's about 5 foot tall - not likely to scare much off. We normally ride with mace (for what it's worth) but will have to find some male company next time

A friend and I arranged a day's leave to get a long ride in. So we head to stellies and up the old helshoogte to find that it is closed for an initiation/circumcision camp until the 27th of January. I know the road isn't exactly a throughfare to anywhere but closing it under these circumstances appears a bit daft.

Try putting the saddle very low and taking both the pedals and training wheels off. This way they can use it as a push bike and it will help them get their balance. Once they've mastered that, put the pedals back on but keep the saddle low enough that their feet can reach the ground without having to tilt the bike to the side. Before you know it, they'll be cruising the neighbourhood with you.

can you give us any idea on builds and prices for the carbon 29ers?

I can't get used to mine either so I tend to not wear it too often. Also find that the wearlink strap for the polar just doesn't work - it doesn't pick the pulse up reliably. Maybe I don't have a heart

also remember that a pint donation is going to affect a <60kg rider far more than a >90kg rider. I've reduced donations to twice a year and make sure it's more than 2 weeks before races.