The Saint

Lotsa salt the night before and suck Rennies, but most importantly if you are going to ride a 100km race train for 120km's

I think the problem is that there is no chip required for the MTB race, so getting the results right becomes a number to name matching procedure - can take a bit of time to do this. Race should be timed with a chip like the road race

The most unsafe bit about this race is that they allow people who have never ridden a bike before or who hardly ride to compete. Riding a 100km's in general is not easy and neither is this race - to do it when one is not fit and to allow people who are not fit to do it is looking for big trouble. I still say like the Comrades marathon people should need to qualify first before being allowed to compete in races of 90km's and more.

Least they got rid of Wear your Helmet Arnie and his stupid attempts at humor.

Well considering that Carbon is around 17.5 billion years old my answer would have to be a very very very long time.

I hear his sister is "dirty" too

Closest way to calculate your seat height is the following. Measure your inseam - push the tape into the bone between your hol and your nuts and down to the floor (no shoes on) Take the measurement multiply by 109% and then minus your crank arm length (17.5 in your case) That will give you a measurement as close a dammit from the top of your saddle to the middle of the BB. From there it is mm adjustments to get your seat height correct. Hope this helps

Dude I ride a 175 crank on the tandem and a 172.5 on the single - I didn't even know the tandem had a 175 on it until I re-did my seat height calculation - no difference as far as I am concerned.

Far as I know 15% on the bike then add your postage fee then add 15% VAT

Eish - can I get the name of the supplier for the motor in your seatpost? Good going

2:17 for me cattle grid to cattle grid, mate of mine has done a 2:09 You will get some conflicting times as people don't measure from the same spot.

I think a lot of the farmers view MTB's in the same light as moto x and quad bike riders - throw them all in the same pot and and give them all the same treatment.

Having said that training on your own will make you stronger and endure more but bunch riding is also essential to hone the skills. Training in bunches allows you to determine exactly where you are and improve on performance - you don't want to become one paced, you need to see how you perform against others. Good bunch riding skills are also necessary as this is what the race environment is like. Both forms of training are a necessary evil and should form part of your program. By the sounds of things you are new to road riding so a few tips to help you in the bunch. 1) Never overlap the wheel in front of you 2) Never look behind you 3) Always ride in a straight line - don't weave or make sudden turns 4) Stick to the outside of the bunch until you get more confident. 5) Keep both hands on the hoods and close to the brakes - feather the brakes don't grab a handful Hope this helps

The answer is really based on your own fitness. The longer you can maintain riding at your limit will determine your individual average. Generally riding in groups yields a higher average as there are more people helping in the front and there is more time for recovery - many hands make light work. On a 3 hour or 100km ride I think your individual difference may be as much as 6 - 10km's in favor of bunch riding.

I did this on Saturday -

Do a search there was a posting here a few weeks ago listing all the import duty rates. Will also try to find it for you

I have pepper spray which attaches to my seat post via a Velcro pouch - thank goodness I have never had to use it

Johan I think the point is more that I (and maybe others) am/are tired of paying premium prices for second rate work !! If I got my bike back from the LBS properly fixed (like my car from the dealership) I would have no qualms paying a premium rate. But alas far to often these days you get your bike back in worse condition than what it was submitted and are still expected to pay top dollar for a **** job.

Often I sit next to the IDT drinking beer thinking about just how much time I should be spending on it

Add to list of things I need at my local VA 1 x Decent Clock 3 x Sherman Tanks

Did my first brick run yesterday - I think that is what it is called - 1 Hour on the bike 32km's with an ass kicking head wind then a 30 min run for 6km's. Legs felt like I had springs in them when I started my run and I was motoring for about 50 meters then reality set in and I laboured for the other 5km950m K so lessons learnt yesterday are the following - too hard a ride on the bike makes for a *** run. Consuming too much fluids on the bike makes for a run full of pains in the stomach aka a *** run

Exactly this reason that I have started to service my own bikes as well as those of my friends - also found every time I took my bike in I got it back in worse condition. I felt I had paid R400 to have it cleaned.

Show me some scientific proof that it is not a good idea - actually show me one picture where a carbon frame has broken on an IDT.

Ride all the time with my carbon frame on the IDT and never had a problem, besides if it breaks there is always insurance. Carbon does tend to flex and is not completely rigid.