Musashi

I bought the Scott Spark Expert a few weeks ago and I am very happy. Overall Giant is a very popular bike and more shops stock them that's why you'll see more of them around, not necessarily because it is a better bike. That said, it is a very good bike and no-one I know have ever complained about it. As far as I know, parts (pivots for example) are cheaper for the Giant as well. I decided on the Scott for two reasons: 1. The rear suspension is great. I hate the bobbing of the Fox shock (had it on a previous bike) and prefer the full lock-out of the DT Swiss shock, especially on a 29'r where you can ride with full lock more of the time. And the remote lever is very useful as you can't always take your hand off the bar to lock/unlock the suspension. 2. There are more Giant bikes around so I prefer something different. Not that it was really that important. Tough decision so good luck!

Does one need split times? I mean, for a sub-3, average 37km/h. Adjust for a different target time.

How did it go, malcolmt? I bet Groenlandberg was a bit longer away than expected, given all the climbing to get there!

I had exactly the same thing after a 17 hour Desert Dash and it took a week to go away. Luckily no permanent damage. It is some or other kind of tunnel syndrome. If you google it, you'll get a lot of info. Bar ends and an expert bike set-up solved my problem. I'm not talking about a R100 bike shop bike set-up. I spent the money on an ErgoFit set-up (it solved my knee problems as well).

Thanks, Tiny. It will be interesting.

Definitely take the chip off otherwise you will be disqualified. But as far as I know you need an entry card to get into the chutes, which you won't have second time around.

Yip MTB season. Imagine, no cars, taxis or punctures and some awesome routes and views. There are some great MTB rides on during the winter season, especially around Cape Town. It will also make him a strong climber by the time the roady season opens again.

Yip, the organisers frown on riders doing 2 laps and you can be disqualified, even if you take the timing chip off. But still some people did it last year and I'm interested in how they managed to get in the start chutes again. I'm also staring in B and considering it.

Is anybody doing 2 laps this year?

I do at most 2 road events a year and so can't justify buying a road bike. So I'm looking for advice on tyres on my 29" MTB for road events. I heard that one can fit road tyres (as you would on a road bike) on a MTB rim, but my gut tells me it is a recipe for disaster as the tyre won't stick to the wider rim, especially through corners. Has anyone tried this and how successful was it? If not, which slicks would you recommend for a 29" MTB?

Small differences in weight is overrated (although less overrated when the weight is on the wheels). The lower rolling resistance of the slicks will make a much bigger difference. Go with the slicks. That's what I'll be doing.

Will any other Hubbers be on a mountain bike in group B?

Well, it seems PPA is getting it wrong again. Two MTB events in 2012 is taken into account for my road seeding, but not my MTB seeding. And for the one event, the winning time was adjusted from 2:04 to 1:22. Really, are they just not trying?

DIT was nou 'n lekker surprise. Wat gewoonlik 'n vinnige ride is, is skielik 'n afstand waarvoor mens jouself moet pace. Great! Aan die ander kant, my arme vrou het ook ingeskryf vir die "45km". Teen die tyd dat sy in die Paarl aankom is die marshall in Hoofweg weg. Toe ek haar uiteindelik in die hande kry is sy oppad Wellington toe! Asb, verwyder eers die marshalls NADAT die sweeper voertuig verby is.

An ice cold beer at the finish line? Now THAT would be a surprise! And depending on how many beers, I may need some legs for that.

I don't have experience of the BG Fit, but I had the ErgoFit done by Jeroen when I saw him re knee problems. The Ergofit does take into account flexibility and also how often and for how long you have been riding. And it seems everything gets measured. The only thing I had to change was my stem, maybe I was lucky the rest of the components were fine. The new position took a bit of getting used to, but my knee problem was sorted and (although it could be a mind-thing) I could swear I was faster as well. ErgoFit should only be done by people trained and certified to do so. It also uses a software program without which the measurements are useless. In my experience Jeroen really knows his stuff and is a nice guy. I had a few questions afterwards and he responded via email so there is the personal touch as well. Like I said, I don't know the BG Fit, but I have had only positive experiences with ErgoFit.

What are the chances of getting the route for a Garmin Edge 500?

My problem as well. I REALLY want to take the Spark 29r for a test ride, but they are sold before they even get to the store. Looks like I'll have to buy one and if I don't like it, sell it again. At least demand won't be a problem!

I doubt there will be much stock in the shop. The suppliers demand payment before delivery and he's had cash flow constraints for some time now. Don't expect too much in the line of bicycles and kit. But I may be wrong...

Having done the Adventure, I can understand them cancelling day 3. A lot of the terrain is in riverbeds and many (most) riders will fall off some of the bridges and seriously hurt themselves. To let the race continue would be imprudent. Also keep in mind, very little of the race takes place on accessable gravel roads. You can't ride a 4 wheeler on single track and medics will struggle to get to injured riders in good weather, even worse in bad. Don't judge the organisers' decision if you don't know the route and terrain. I'm sure it wasn't a decision taken lightly and only as a last resort.

Hi Sias You should be good for 17 hours. Last year I trained 8 to 10 hours a week and did 16:51. Rather start to focus on your race strategy. I started too fast, had to take it slow in the middle and then did the last 100km's in about 3 hours (it is flat/downhill).

Preenie, I work in STB and would like to join you when work/ time allows. Let me know when you make plans.

I was in the market for a Garmin Edge 500 bundle and after shopping around for prices, found this SA supplier that charges the same as the overseas guys. So I asked a few questions to make sure it is the product I'm looking for and received an invoice yesterday. I made payment at 16:45 yesterday and this morning at 09:00 received my parcel! This is the best service I've received in a very long time. Local suppliers like this should be supported! Thanks Matthew for the great service! http://www.easygis.co.za/ Tel: 031 8113279

Polar product: CS200 cad When purchased: December 2009 New/ second-hand: New When did problem occur: September 2011 Describe problem: An hour into a ride, the speeds stops reading. When tapping the unit, the speed reading picks up again, but sometimes the unit goes blank for a few seconds or drop the heart rate reading. Describe solution: I'll update this post when I found the problem/ solution. Cost involved: I'll update this post when I found the problem/ solution.

I thought it might be interesting to start a thread on Garmin product problems and experiences. So, using the format below, please describe your Garmin product, the problem and subsequent experience. No discussions on the problems please, start a new thread for that. If it proves useful, maybe the thread could be made a sticky. Garmin product: When purchased: New/ second-hand: When did problem occur: Describe problem: Describe solution: Cost involved: