The expat cyclist

Net as jy dit bedoel.

I just woke up...for the second time today...Guess I am taking the rest of the day off as w...wait, it is 16:40 allready....Back to bed.

O darn! I might even be...you!

How is this for irony: Hubbers are concerned weather small h is a female... Uhm, this is the internet. No one is ever who they say they are. For all you know, I could be bald, fat, and black. Sheeeeeeeeeeeet, I might even be a nice person in real life.

Yah but with that 29'er on the back, you can't see it is a Golf.

TWAK! Sean is just looking for an excuse to be average. I am a mountainbiker. Nothing else. I want to go fast because to me that is fun. I enter races and not rides. Yes, I do go "riding" with my wife on weekends for MORE fun. To me a mtb'er is someone that: 1. Does no wear white. 2. Does no mind to get dirty. In fact he looks forward to it. 3. He does not bitch and moan like a girl if someone does not "hold his line". He HTFU's and overtakes the idiot for good! 4. He drinks beer. Not "whine". 5. He drives a truck.

Nou wonder ek waar plak mens 'n numberboard op 'n unicycle? EDIT: Nevermind. Unicyclists - it will be funny. Untill one gets run over by a proper mtb'er.

My definition of a tjop in cycling terms: Last year at the D&D race, this tjops arrives with his s-works in the front seat of his BMW328 cabriolet. Now that is a bit much.

Well then he left his pants at home too. Plus, the clipless pedals on the bike had those plastic platforms on the other side. He was surely not planning to ride with cycling shoes. I saw him at the start and never again.

Was it just me or did Kulhavy's bars seem really wide?

On saturday I saw this oke in the A batch of the 40km. Bike was a Merida 96. Guy was in tekkies - Nimbus 12 nogal. He was wearing what looked like just lekker normal pants ie. no cycling pants. But he was in batch A. Me thinks the real owner of the bike gave his friend his bike to ride on the day. I also think that should not be allowed. For safety reasons of course. If this guy gets hurt during the race, they will have no idea who he really is. I really don't see why you would want to freeload a race. You won't get a result so you will have no proof that you even did the race. So what if you beat me - you will still get a DNF and I will move up one place.

For me rest works like this: I hang the bike in the garage and I don't even look at it. I go to bed early, I dont sit on th couch, I lie down! I bath rather than shower. I find the closest parking spot to the store. I ride the escalator and avoid stairs. This for the first week. Second week. LSD's. 1 hr rides max for the first 3 days. 90min for 2 days, 1 day off, 1 day 2hr. And then some low volume high intensity stuff in week 3. It works for me.

You took 2 weeks off to rest you say. Define what you mean by two weeks off to rest? I am asking as people think different about what rest really is...

Dunno - can you keep up with me on good day?

Uhm, it does not matter what bike sauser rides - his age counts against him, not his bike type! That is why he is doing better in the longer stuff than in the XC stuff.

Kulhavy would have won even if he was on a 26er. He is not good because he rides a 29er. He is just good!

Uhm, I beg to differ. You see, having bigger wheels alters your riding style. Burry seems to be "slower" in the technical stuff. Which means he now seems to over compensate and thus seems to fall off a lot more. And falls damage equipment ie. handlebars, RD's etc. Bigger wheels need more leg juice to get them turning. Again, I think because of the bigger wheelsize and the new gear ratios on a 2x10 coul possibly account for broken chains/RD's etc. Burry just looks more at home on a 26'er. I am not saying 29'ers are wrong (Although I think 29'ers are just marketing mumbo jumbo) - I am saying 29'ers are wrong for Burry!

Tough one. Tyre choice depends on a lot of things: Rider weight, rider style, rider ambitions (are you a racing snake) amount of rideing and are you a weight weenie. When I started, my GT came out with non tubeles Kenda Karma. One month later I had 2 snikebites and went tubeless. Everyone told me the Maxxis Crossmark. My verdict on this tyre is not great on any one thing but good on almost everything. Downside: Weight. Slippery when wet. Not awsome in the grip dept. Not lekker low rolling resistance. Upside: Lekker thick sidewall. Durabillity. Good tyre life (mine lasted 2 years but if you hate them you are stuck with them) I had the GEax Mezcal (front) and the Suguaro Rear). Mezcal is very prone to punctures (5 in six months) but it grips like baby poo on a wooly blanket! Awsome in the wet. Light. But the punctures cost me plenty so I have chucked it. The Suguaro I used as a rear tire. Awsome grip in wet and dry and mainly going around corners. Great durabillity. I had a sidewall puncture two weeks agowhich cost me in the race, but I will replace it and get a new one for the rear. (The Mezcal is 2.1 and the Suguaro is 2.0 running at 28psi) I wife has Michelin Dry XC2 on her bike. No punctures. Rolls awsome. Grips great as long as it is dry. She has one 3 races on them so far this year. 1.9 front and rear at 27psi.

Worst wipeout I had was at Suikerbosrand race this year nogal. Went round a corner way to flipping fast, front wheel lost traction, and down I went. Took Jules with me! Broken KCNC bar end. Torn grip - it was 1 day old. Bashed RD cable - was stuck in one gear. Arrived at the start all bleading and bruised, just in time to say good luck to my wife as she was about to start the 35km race...And to add insult to injury, she won the 35km... I still have some nice scars from the crash...

I am not so sure about the mountain king...I know to many people who had to many punctures with that tire.

Now this is a true gentleman! If he takes a wrong turn by accident during a race and he stands to gain from it, he has no problem in getting himself DQ'd when he crosses the line! So it was no real surprise when on Sunday Jules comes flying past me (leading singlespeeder) on his 29'er singlespeed with rigid fork, where I was trying to fix my bike, and he stops, asking if I am ok! GIVE THAT MAN A BELLS! Even if he was riding in the colours of the "other side/site"!

I had the MAXXIS before - Crossmark, but the GEAX beats them in grip! Hands down. And I know they are tough but I also know there are grippier tires out there! I like grippy! Thinking of Rocket Ron front - race king rear Geax Barro front - AKA rear (I know - GEAX AGAIN???) Monrail front - Small block 8 rear (Larsen TT maybe) But I might even just go Barro front - Suguaro rear. Hmmm...

This Sunday at Sun City I got my first sidewall cut in 3 years of racing. It was right next to - even just below the rim. I had to deflate the tire (after I bombed it and realised where it punctured) and the when it did not seal, I had to plug it. It cost me dearly! 6 plugs in 6 months. 5 in the front and one plug in the rear wheel. Light tires in my opinion is a waste of money! (PS: I don't have lightweight tires - I am just saying) The GEAX i have punctures easily enough and they are TNT UST type tires so... So it is off to the LBS to prowl the tyre rack...SUCKS!

He does not impress me - at 2:05 he WALKS up the stairs carrying his bike...Pffff... Wonder what is his take on 29'ers?

Nee nou ruk julle hande uit!!! WAGTER! Rekening samblief!