BaieSukkel

NO!!! Can't be! A carbon frame breaking?! And a Raleigh at that!! Unbelievable!!!

Bad! This is happening so often that it's becoming "boring"! I bought myself some real estate yesterday............ A bakkie with trailer just simply cut me off in the shoulder, the trailer pushing me off the road. The gravel on the side was soft sand and the front wheel simply dug inn.......... I made sure though to take the impact so that my "rare" bike stayed off the ground. The bakkie driver simply drove off. Bruised left arm, left hip, left shoulder. Badly dented ego............. This happened half way through a 6:40 ride so by the end of the day I had other pains to wory about.......... Lucky!

Hi all thanks for reading my Rant&Rave! I didn't do the post for myself only though............. I actually picked this up from others after the race - I do share some of the complaints, like the glass on the road! (I also had to remove a nail from one of my tubbies afterwards - lucky not to get a flat!) When I finished my run there were some people still cycling, surely a bottle of water would have been nice for these riders? I hardly finished what I had with me, but there were some big "Ooms" on MTB's that weren't doing so great! After I finished the run I watched some of the people still running, some were taking strain! Two people came down hard in front of me, slipping on sand that was left on a 180 deg turn towards start/finish - those were two I know of.............. Maybe TSA will be of some help....I'll try that. - As far as my fitness is concerned..........I actually prefer the longer distances. Running is not my forte, but I did the half distance Ultra in vdBijl the week before and came off the bike placed in the first 50 - like I said running is not my game....................

Well, this is why I'm riding a Litespeed Vortex! The only thing I would still want is for it to be built by Serotta, to be uniquely mine............. Go for it!

Bee got into my helmet 40km into a 150km ride, zapped me high up on the forehead - big lump for 4 days? Looked like an alien! Still completed the ride.......... 3 of his buddies hit me a week later. One inside my top (shoulder), the other two tried for my quads - I got them first! Last week a bee tried the helmet trick again! Helmet was of in 0,00025 sec and I was brushing my head with my fingers like I was looking for fleas! When I spot ANY bug the first thing I do is close my mouth. If a bee gets you in the windpipe you're dead!

Sunday's Joburg City Triathlon...................... Started late because the swim markers weren't in place. That's a minor management lapse, but surely the bike route (4x10k laps) could have been swept before the race?! There were two big broken glass spots, and I observed more than a couple of people changing tubes. In one spot a unbroken glass bottle was right on the cycle line for all the laps, joined by a water bottle for 3 laps later on!! The marshalls never lifted a finger to right any of these....... No refreshment point on the bike - I don't mind but what of those 2 hour riders? One refreshment point on the run - water only. I got the feeling that just about everything was sponsored, and as little money as possible was spent on the race (they didn't even bother to have medals made). This was the last time I spent R180- on one of these! Now that's off my chest!

It helps on the hills, when you'll normally feel like going backwards!

Oh yes, you'll notice the lack of big flashy red & white lettering on the wheels. All very discreet. Makes the bike look like Mike Tyson with cranks!

OK, OK! Had to go look for a camera (grabbed the video cam so please excuse the lack of quality!) They were 12,5K (hope my wife doesn't read this!), bought them from the agent. Michael Bevan 0824448022. He frequents this site so I'm sure he'll answer Q's as well.

Just some feedback on my new Reynolds DV wheels. I bought these recently in the tubby & campy version. I only tried them out for about 30km before using them over the weekend in a triathlon (90KM). These are my first tubby wheels, and also my first carbon ones......... all that needed some getting used to! I used them at a tire pressure of 11bar and the ride was great! Maybe the carbon made up for the hard tires? These wheels are fast! And they don't mind strong winds at all. They feel strong and secure (and at only1250g!). While I haven't used other carbon wheels before I would certainly recommend these!

On clothing, well, everyone will have their own likes & dislikes........... Jaggad makes an exelent product, the removable pad is nice because you don't have to change a whole kit, just he padding. The question you have to ask yourself is: Am I going for a top 10 placing, or a top 3 age group finnish? If so, you'll have to invest in a tri-suit, or padded swimwear with a singlet top. If not, what do you usually wear when doing a 180km bike ride? Or a 42km run? Use the same clothing. It will take you 2min longer to get dressed but then you're going to "enjoy" the day so much more! Do not underestimate the value of fresh socks after the bike ride either! I'll let go of one of my "secrets". Bodyglide antifriction formula. Put this EVERYWHERE you expect to chafe, or sit on, for extended time. You will not believe what a difference this makes! They sell for R80 for the large container at Cape union mart. Oh yes! Have a big bottle of fresh water handy when coming into T1. This is to rinse salt water from "sensitive" areas as well as washing sand from your feet. Extra towels as well. As you can see, this race needs to be planned well, and the plan needs to be raced. Can't wait. In the mean time I'll be doing the half distance in Van Der Bijl first weekend in Feb, just to go through the motions................ Enjoy the training!

My 2c worth.......and back to the topic. On race day the most important thing is to have a plan, and the core of the plan should be your nutritional needs. There are two "special needs" stations, one for the bike and one for the run. You can have whatever you want, put in a numbered bag to be handed to you when and if you need it. I have seen too many people missing their bag though, or receiving the wrong one, to plan on these! I use a aero drink bottle (between the tri-bars) on the bike, behind the saddle two bottles (powerbar drinks). One ready to drink, the other mixed as a concentrate so I can refill the aero bottle with water from the watering points. After 30min on the bike I eat some fruitcake and thereafter every hour a powerbar gell - I take these along. On the run, I start out of T2 with a Powerbar gell and have coke & water along the route with another gell after 2 hours. During T1 and T2 I take any suplement tablets I may need. The other thing not to forget is a proper sunblock! You do not want to be under the African sun all day with only your helmet to keep the sun away!

The heavy tires are also less prone to puncture, so you can train without worries............... If you want more resistance, just stay in the 53-11 gearing for 20min then 53-15 for 20min then 53-11 again. Keep your upper body still, stay seated and stick to the yellow line. Great core training!

I'll help stick it to them in Pretoria! Maybe we can do some "de la Rey" stickers over the OR Tambo signs at the same time?

Sad. Very sad! We often use that part of the N4 because it's never busy trafic wise and there are wide shoulders to use. Been using it for 15 years plus, from before the time of tollgates. We'll have an open place at the Ironman next year, and every year after.......... By the way it's also illegal to backwash your swimming pool water into the street and down the stormwater drain - go read your by-laws - but we all do it due to a lack of anything better. With the condition of most of our roads being what they are, and the lack of shoulders on most roads, that stretch of road will be used due to a lack of anything better. I will even contest in court that the N1, N2, N3 or N4 are freeways! A freeway in this country MUST be fenced in order to protect the area inside the fences from animals and pedestrians. If a road is not fenced it is not protected and therefore can not be a freeway. None of our N routes are fenced any more, the state has other things to do.............. Baie hartseer saak.

After lots of research for my own xmas present I decided on a set of Reynolds DV Stratus wheels, you get these in clincher and tubby versions and I decided to go for my first set of tubby rims................ The Reynolds wheels are light AND strong - people use them for cyclo-cross - and the price is half that of a set of Bora's. A set pulls the scale at 1250 grams.http://i17.ebayimg.com/05/i/06/4a/03/39_1.JPG Nowhere on the web did I read about a Reynolds set that delaminated or simply came apart - I did read this about the most popular carbon wheels........... Simply put, the Reynolds DV wheelset is the best value for money for a high end carbon wheel that gives you great strength, low weight and the aero advantage you're looking for. They sell for 12,5K for the DV tubbies. The clincher version will be more, as well as the Ultra Light version (which weigh in at 1120 grams for the set)

Litespeed Ghisallo if you plan to climb a lot, Litespeed Vortex if you want a more all round bike. These bikes are handbuild, titanium with a lifetime warantee. Simply the best.

WOW!! I read this post on page 1 when it started, then decided to rather train. I get back and it's on p25!(I'm tired now...) Good going with nothing! After reading all the well informed posts, I'm now ready to air my view........ It's pretty stupid to play chicken with a large metal object speeding towards you. It's VERY stupid to try your luck with 40 fit people, no matter what your age! Secondly. By stating "someone has taken the law into their own hands", you first have to accept that the law is in the hands of the police/state. This is not the case in SA. In SA if you serve justice, that is what they did. Nothing more, nothing less. If more motorcar drivers get sorted out by cyclists, they will stay well wide of us and keep their hands away from the hooter. I do not want motorists to think I'm a vengefull person that will harm oupa if he can't behave, I WANT THEM ALL TO BE SCARED!! If I catch them at the next trafic light they're in deep sh#!t! YOU SHOULD STAMP YOUR PRESENCE AND AUTHORITY ON THE SUROUNDING TRAFIC. THEY MUST KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO. Do not sit and wait for them to decide what happens with you, you decide for them. Enforce your presence. If they disregard you, confront them. They need to be more scared of us, than we are of them. Serve justice. I LOVE JUDGE DREDD!!!!

Genius is in the detail.

I think we should get the big name sponsors, athletes and government together and make the penalty for drug use a LIFETIME BAN from ANY SPORT. That way a track&field athlete can't hop over to Rugby to serve his 2 year ban and then back to T&F. Or a pro cyclist going for a 2 year stint in triathlon and then back to cycling. If you're caught cheating at any sport you should be banned from ALL sport. This may seem harsh but it's the only way to stop what's going on.

You can but you shouldn't. My campy record can, but I wouldn't. My shimano groupset can't, even if I wanted to. A 39/12 gives you a 3.25 ratio. A 52/16 gives you the same.

Two things: I read in the "RunnersWorld" mag that in a survey, at the last Olimpics, when athletes were asked if they would like to win gold but die in 5 year's time, 50% answered "YES". So half the top athletes are willing to use "something" that will help them win even if it kills them. Now secondly. A new product range on the market (made in Finnland?), can give you "full recovery after intense exercise within 8 hours" and a second bottle will raise your hematocrit by '' up to 50% '', this is all achieved naturally and the contents of the entire range is 100% "legal''. Interested? At what price?

Timing is everything! Just time the trafic light! It may mean that you'll need to fit a 56 chainring and go a bit faster.