dutchMan

what the heck is going on in SA, it seems every two weeks somebody is getting knocked down / killed, this is outrageous! These kind of stories are really making me upset, a very clear message needs to be sent now! No ambiguity!!!!

hehehehehe - had a good laugh reading this and i completely sympathize, i know, i have been there many times. It actually happens quite often here in Holland, mainly cos the roads are generally flat especially where i train so you can churn out some nice miles and a decent speed only to notice that you have the entire girls church choir sitting on your wheel not even breaking a sweat - how humiliating and i thought i was going quick - hehehehe i do hate those part timers that kick my butt as well - lol

Anyone come down with a sudden cold, sore throat, runny nose, congested sinus etc. It feels like you gonna be bed ridden for weeks only to have it clear enough by mid morning to feel like you could actually ride again in the noon? I was wondering because i am trying to follow my health more carefully and not over exert myself like i used to. Basically how long should one take off for such symptoms and how hard can you go when resuming riding again? I think in the past i neglected these finer / subtle points ... to my detriment

I am in Holland

Oh and PS: my gf has started mountain biking with me now so i guess it is working out even better than i expected

ouch! I think u hit a nerve there This is a topic that i think many cyclists have to deal with at some point, sometimes often. I have compromised, as i also understand that cycling, if not shared by both partners can be a very selfish sport (time consuming wise). My compromise involves me using my commuting to work as training, it has worked very well so far, i get the bulk of my training per week in just by commuting to work and back with a little extra every evening on the way home. That places me front and centre for my gf at 18:30pm sharp every evening Since i started doing this, there have been no complaints and i am still happy i get to enjoy the passion i have for cycling. The money situation is a difficult one, in SA cycling stuff is very expensive, over here it is more reasonable, but i reckon if you can curb the time away from her through some method then the overpsending might be overlooked Good luck

Hi BeOne, yeah we Europeans need to get as much Sun as we can, i am starting to go invisible with how white my skin is going. Where you staying, in Holland?

Thanks, yeah they hydraulic, the actual make is Magura HS 33 eVO 2 Hydraulic Brakes

Thanks, yeah Holland is getting colder, not looking forward to whats coming our way Looking forward to our mid winter break to SA

Well, i am not a mtb'er so when i decided to buy a mtb, it was more for practical reasons as i train all year round and that means through the harsh European Winter. Now what i learn't from last year is that snow and in particular ice are hectic to have to ride through especially in pitch dark so i bought myself a mtb for this very reason. But what i got was more than i bargained for, to say the least i am overjoyed! What a deal! Only paid 650 euro for this bike, brand new, all inclusive. I am also happy as i have the focus carbon cayo road bike so this meant i kept in line with the brand. Definately, along with Canyon, extremely good value for bargain prices!

Yip, those frames are dam nice! I am still thinking of getting one soon, trying to build up a collection. White or black, both look nice

I had a look at one of these the other day and what interested me is that it's speced with Ultegra group but SRAM cranks Yeah agreed, in fact i got that very crank, i kinda like it, i think you get a choice of triple FSA (not carbon) or Double compact (carbon SRAM).

I ride a focus This is my bike atm The whole bike (excluding the cosmic wheelset) but with Mavic Aksiums cost me 2000 euro, not sure how much you can pick up focus frames for if you can get them separate, but they excellent value for money. Another brand you could also try is Canyon, their prices are excellent, in fact i was going to get a Canyon frame, you can pick them up for about 1200 euro and thats the same model that Lotto team raced in 2009.

Yay!!! This could mean Boonen won Flanders and Herelbeek

Hi MatchStix Now i am not sure of all the different options you have when it comes to the UK, but had a similar situation to you. My gf is Dutch and i also had to maintain a long distance relationship with her until we decided we were ready to take it to the next level. My initial preference was for her to come to SA and live with me, one day that will happen, but for now we agreed that i come to her. I too, have a SA passport, which pretty much entitles me to zero when it comes to living abroad. We eventually got it all sorted on a relationship visa and through this i got my residence permit - we did not have to marry to get this. This is for holland though. When it comes to UK, perhaps you could look into relationship visa or alternatively you could marry and then by right and by evidence of a lasting relationship you will be entitled to join her. I in fact know of a couple that did indeed do just this and quite recently. She had a job in the UK and he did not, he lived in SA with SA passport, so they married and he was then entitled to join her - a bit extreme having to marry but i guess if she is worth it and you are that hard up about joining her, then it ain't such a big deal The reason why i don't mention working visa's is because it is DEAD HARD at the moment, The European economy is terrible, you will probably turn blue before finding work if you don't already have a visa to work or passport that entitles you to. My suggestion is look at the relationship options you have by relationship or by marriage - i think that is your best bet! If all else fails then i guess the real question is what is she willing to sacrifice to keep your relationship. Hope this helps

Hi Tarmac, i sympathize for you, it is hard to juggle a full time often selfish work schedule with a competitive hobby such as cycling. Just a thought, is it possible for you to cycle to work? If there are no showers present, then a work around such as this could work for you: Cycle to the closest Virgin Active to your place of work in the mornings on the way to work, shower there and then cycle the remaining few km's to work, keep your bicycle with you at the office and then cycle home. dutchMan2010-05-25 04:05:01

Snapped off a few photo's from the Utrecht stage finish Take a look http://picasaweb.google.com/118278465840466915478/Giro#

Was at the Amstel Gold today at various points. What an awesome day in Holland, Sunny, warm, no wind - i even got sunburnt. Was cycling to various points with some mates along the route and intercepting the race Snapped of a few shots. One thing i will say is that the crowds and vibe is quite something else the adrenaline pumped even tho i was just a spectator. And some of those riders looked quite buggered. We had an awesome position on the ijzerbosweg (3rd last climb). The final climb (cauberg) was too packed - you could not move The CauBerg - the finish climb - it was impossible to move here The Ijzerbosweg - Saxo bank leading (140km covered)

Isn't their some law he is in breech of with his words? Hate speech etc

I reckon some of the top cyclists that raced that group with Lance will have such an awesome memory to reflect on one day 50 years from now, think about it, be grateful for it, not many ppl can say they raced against Lance Armstrong and heck some even beat him

Well done to all of you that rode! For some us stuck here in the north pole(almost) we would have given anything to have been there, seeing the pictures on facebook - truly is such a blessing to live and cycle in Cape Town, even if the wind is blowing! Nice one!

what about Aaron Brown, last years winner, is he racing?

wow, when i see that picture, always gives me butterflies in my tummy - STUNNING! There is no place like home!

thanks to both of you, been reading a bit on the web as well, they reckon the 50 - 11 is ample, might just find myself in the lower half of the rear cassette more than i am used to, possibly wallowing in the 13 quite a bit. Yeah my talents on the hills are sadly lacking, but with the 34 i reckon i got some help, good thing they are few and far between here BG, i reckon when the hills come is when u get ur revenge

Hi all I am going to be buying a new bike soon and i know it has a compact crank on it, i don't know too much about compact cranks and their ratio's, i am more familiar with the usual 53/39 setup The compact crank in question is a 50/34 with a 11/28 on the back. Looks fantastic, but i am a little worried by the 50 on the front, won't this be too small, considering the bulk of Holland is flat, or could i still get away with it? I know for these monster walls they got in Belgium the 34 will be quite handy, but my concern is over the 50. Any of you racing flat races with a compact, how is it going? Thanks