eitan

There is a plastic tool attached to the handle of the BB remover - use that to remove the star-thingie. The cranks only need an allen key to remove. The tool you bought is to remove the BB. The star-thingie goes in first - it pulls the cranks together to the right tension.

We also rode with some of the Exxaro riders a lot and although they did make some judgement mistakes (like all of us do) we found them to be courteous, well trained and with some good skills; especially on the downhills. They did lack some climbing ability and often started the climbs too hard - maybe because of lack of a proper training ground where they come from. Most of them also looked out for their partners and waited at the top of climbs. I also noticed that they must have had some training on bike maintenance as well because they seemed quite adapt at fixing various technical issues on their bikes.

In fact not, it did feel like a hardtail afterwards, but we deflated it to the correct pressure at the next water point and everything was fine. Remember as a tip and if anyone wins a price with it in Bicycling magazine I want 50%!

After the problems we have had on a previous Epic and Pioneer I bought a whole box of bombs (30). I carried 4 every day - we used 2; 1 to bomb a collapsed rear shock on day 3 and one 7 k's from the finish when my rear tire burped over a root... I also packed loads of snack that my kids are still feasting on - Woollies looked after as well. I took a box of Fast Fuel gels and used most of those though!

Getting sick in the 2 weeks before the epic seems like par for the course. I know of quite a few guys who are on antibiotics for some or the other ailment that they picked up in the last week or so. It is always as you start to taper off that these infections hit you - maybe some of the clever docs at the sports Science Institute can do a study on this. I drink massive doses of Vit C, Zinc, Salmon Oil, Probiotics, Vit B and whatever might help to get me well before Sunday. Also had 2 Neurobium shots this week and will go for the final one tomorrow.

Depends on where you look... http://www.yr.no/place/South_Africa/Western_Cape/Robertson/long.html http://www.yr.no/place/South_Africa/Western_Cape/Durbanville_Hills/long.html

Looks like a wet prologue and stage 1. Sal die stof lekker laat gaan le.

Us guys from Paarl will just laugh softly into our sleeves and jealously guard our secret.....

Why pay the entry fee, just wait for the bunch to cross the tar road and join in. Ek dink jy noem dit roofry.

My son turns 10 this year and is really disappointed at not being able to ride the Argus MTB this year. You have to be 12 to ride. He found the 13k race very boring last year and looked forward to this one. 2 Weeks ago he completed the Porcupine Ridge 28km with ease. I think we'll just join the race as they cross the tar road at Boschendal....

Waar was jy dan vanoggend?

PM SwartPiet.

Daar begin die verskonings....

It depends on the spec on the bike; if the bike has a Manitou R7 on any "upgrade" will be a downgrade. Mine also has SLX brakes - very good and not really worth the upgrade. I would say that decent wheels would be a good place to start.

I recently upgraded to a set of 2nd hand XTR wheels. There seems to be a cracking/creaking noise coming from the freehub. It usually happens when I start to pedal after coasting or when I apply additional power. It is almost as if the freehub and cassette slips a bit.

Dit wys jou net Squirt hou nie lank nie - jy moet dit die heeltyd opsit.

Exactly, and some of them have entire families to support - you don't want to take the food out of their mouths.

I would like to know more about it - also the categories, cost etc. Can my 8 year old son participate as well?

Use soap and water, then polish with ghrease or motor oil. I am not paying for a new boom gate......

I get motivated by the possibility of burning some extra fat when it's cold. Check out this study, gets very technical, but the basics are that cold exposure combined with exercise can be a great tool for fat loss. I'm giving it a try and will see if it works. http://www.freezeawayfat.com/science_behind_cool_shapes/Fat%20Loss%20in%20the%20Cold.pdf

A S2C night race will be even better! Then they can really cram the races in in a few days.

Jy't vergeet van die Manitou R7....

After an armed robbery at our business 2 years ago a former employee spotted my wife's phone in the hands of one of his colleagues. He asked to look at it and not only still found some of my wife's pictures, but also a lot of pics of him and his mates partying etc. The police used it to track down everybody involved in the robbery. Unfortunately the case has been dragging on for almost 2 years in the courts.

I'm up too, ride @ 4:45 am. Nothing like a "middagslapie" on a Saturday arvie for recovery. Will wake up in time to see the Stormers trash the 'saders.

:clap: