OldBull

I respect what you want to do. Started out at 154kg on a Macro special bike. NOT a good idea. What everybody said make sense. 1. Cycling is soft on the joints. 2. In the beginning you will get tired easily. 3. Rims and spokes are very important for bigger people. 4. For now stay away from carbon frames. 5. On a trainer your backside will hurt after about 15min and you will get bored. 6. Riding alone is not always advisable due to safety and boredom. 7. Find a caring group or club and ride with them for support and to learn from them. 8. Get a computer or gps to monitor heart rate and cadence. 9. Keep record of your rides so you can track your progress. 10. Get a Strava account to support previous point. It is free. 11. Keep it interesting. 12. REMEMBER WE BIGGER PEOPLE SWEAT MORE. USE PROPPER ELECTROLITES ON THE BIKE AND AFTER THE RIDE. 13. Drink regularly on the bike. 14. Remember to make sure to fuel your body after 1hr on thr bike. I can still remember 6 years ago when I completed my first 20km ride. I was extremely excited and had to rest for about two weeks. Now I do 120km and longer rides on a Saterday and do a 50km on Sunday. Our club have regular rides on Saterday mornings where we take the beginners out for a 20km ride, make sure they are safely at theirmvehicles and them we go and do our longer rides. If you want to PM me and I will give you more info.

Could not make it last year but must say this route is much better than the other way round. We also discussed it in our club group today and all agree with this. I had a great time yesterday and the organization was great. Thanx to the team that organized and executed this race. WELL DONE!!!!

I noticed that the spreadsheet was neglected by most members. Winter taking it's toll on this thread?

My progress is like an old elephant bull crossing the Kruger. Slow and steady progress with the occasional heap of s**t along the way. Lost another kg this month, but not 10 per month as some of the others. At least I'm moving in the right direction.

I wanted to suggest that you start by swapping the pedals with another set and ride again and then check the sound again. Was unhappy with my LBS as they could not sort out the creak on my bike and I was sure sound came from my BB. I serviced my pedals and saddle and the sound was gone. However, listening to your clip I do not think your pedals are the cause of the sound.

Interesting point. I would also like to know. How common is a cracked caliper?

Hi all. It seems like my caliper had a crack. Replaced with a new one and now my brakes are working 100% again. Thanx for all your help.

Right, I baked my pads, sanded to rotor, cleaned everything with spirits, but still very noisy and still only about 15% of my braking power. So no real difference. I saw on the rotor that the minimum thickness is 1,5mm, and it measured 2,2mm. So the thickness is not the cause. What I have noticed is a black dust like substance on the pads. Cleaned that off before I baked it. Also when I baked it the one pad was smoking a lot. And no, it was not silly grass! I also switched front and back pads and the back was still noisy and not braking. So I suspect it is not the pads. I did notice an oily feel to the brake housing. Could it be that the pistons are leaking? If so, can I get a service kitt for my braking unit. Deore brakes Thanx

Thanx all for your advice. Going to play around with the brakes this evening and will give feedback.

Sitting on the couch all weekend and not getting on your bike makes you less of a rider.

Hi all. I know this topic was dealt with repeatedly, but I still have a question. My MTB have very noisy rear brakes. went to several LBS and it is still noisy and does not perform at all. Currently using metal pads. Somebody suggested using organic pads. Apparently not noisy at all and performs well. What is your take on these organic pads?

This will be my first Emperors, or East Rand. Where can I find a route map?

I agree with you. I am well over 100kg and struggled to get weight down. Now I constantly lose weight with a couple of small changes to my live. I hope it will help someone: 1. I don't eat at all before 11 in the morning. This is the hardest part. 2. At 11 I eat 2 to 3 pieces of fruit, usually a banana and an apple. This is the second hardest part as I then crave something with sugar. 3. From here on I eat as normal. 4. I minimized, not cut out, Starch and sugar from here onwards. 5. For supper I try and avoid starch, sugar and cut my meat portions, With veggies I go mad. 6. After supper I try and not eat at all till 11 the next morning. 7. However, when in from of the tv or computer I allow myself 2 rows of dark, 70% cocoa, chocolate. This tend to stop the cravings for more sweet stuff and crisps. 8. I changed my exercise regime. Two sessions of core exercises per week, about 20min. Two sessions on the indoor trainer during the week with emphasis on HIIT, about 45min and then over the weekend one long trip of about 60km or more. 9. I told my family about my goals and got them to support me with the supper and exercise points. 10. Even though my blood type is O, I still minimizes my red meat intake. This helps with the reduction of the total size of your meal. This is what I am doing and eventually I found something that works for me.

I made my target for the month relatively easy. Must admit two days of gastro helped.

When considering a bike for your GF look at the Liv range of bikes. Specifically cater for the female riders. Good quality and value for money. What Popcorn Scollie said - "You will learn far more about bikes after you've bought one and actually started riding." I support this point. Just get one that seems good and start riding. If you don't like it you did not loose too much. If you love cycling like most of us do and the terrible insect called cycling bites you, you will want a new and better bike anyway. Then the N+1 rule will start kicking in.