SeaBee

Bugger, this may very well happen: 7) Seabee Logistics problem at home with mrs Bee finding out about something she has to attend on Sat morning. Will still see what we can sort out till then...

Cool, will play around a bit with rotating the bar! Levers are properly set up, no worries there.

Pain is more on the outside, if I remember correctly - will double-check if I get the chance to go for a ride tonight. Just spoke to the shop as well and taking the bike there for the small after-sales service. raised the point regarding bars and we'll speak about bar setup tomorrow. What is interesting, though, just had a look at the website and ALL the Spez flat bars are same width (680) and backsweep (8) - which tells me... it's pretty darn standard! (Did not look at those with rise.) The other thing I did mention to the shop is I was very used to riding on my bar-ends on my 26er... None on my 29 and wondering whether that lack of variety is not what is killing my hands.

From what I understand, that's because Specialized has now changed their model and ONLY sells through their "concept stores" (think that's what they call it). Fortunately I have BMT in Stellies, because I really love their stuff. I'm advised to only ride with their shoes - and it is absolutely great! - and had one set of gloves before I tried a Spez glove, nothing else since. Found their saddles much to my liking (now ride a Phenom and a Romin)... Just don't like their helmets at all, but that's all personal preference and head shape.

Okay, I've done some searching (both here and trying to see whether somebody outside the hub has any wisdom) and cannot find a clear answer. In short - what's the deal with backsweep bars? What is their effect? (Other than hurting my hands?) Why is 8degree backsweep flavour of the month for 29er bars (a friend of mine on entirely different manufacturer's bike also came out with 8 deg backsweeped bars) and what effect will changing it to a straight flat bar have. Mine is flat, just with this backsweep.

Maybe I was lucky thus far... but Sunday in Paarl mountain was my first (offroad) snake encounters as well. One small brown with darker brown markings, struggling uphill to suddenly find the freakin branch I'n about to ride over in 5-4-3... starts flicking out a tongue! Then going downhill at a pace (for me...) around a blind corner and one big black one slithering away "dat die stof so staan". Surprised my saddle is still white(ish). It was a really big SOB. Two to many for me - I risked the cars and headed back via main road! I won't kill them, but I seriously do not like them. Of all the creatures put on the earth, they really give me the heebees.

Wondered about that a while ago, but I doubt whether there's enough space/clearance between the rear wheel for any bigger wheel to fit.

Think I'd be able to make it - unless something last-minute pops up. (A cloud does not count...) Sounds like Dee won't make it and unfortunately Mads won't make it at all.

Thought you'd be happy with y'day! Great ride, opportunistic overtake, ain't that what it's all about?! Yeeee-haaaww! Fernando must be a seriously worried man... Never looked on tha pace. It will take something spectacular for him to take this one! And let's not talk about the last time Ferrari was in the running and a championship was decided in Brazil! Then again, the year before Kimi had his fair bit of luck, coming from nowhere to steal it from both Macca's... Oh yeah, Alonso was one of them! Third time lucky for all involved?! Loved the stetsons on the podium!

Hey guys, following on the Somerset West-Stellies question: does anybody know of a (legit - I don't want to shot at!) route between Paarl and Stellenbosch? Or am I left to riding next to the roads for the most part? Bringing in my bike for service soon and want to ride it home after work, but then can also try something like this during December.

You should be able to do the above, but on the Racetec site - but only once they've actually done the seeding run. So that way you may know before they send the sms... Just checked, nothing there yet. If they know how my legs felt since that pre-ride we did, they'll be comfortable with the idea of putting in a special new ZZZ category just for me. Seems I left my cycling legs on holidays. Or as they said about Andy Schleck last year - he's hidden his good form so well even he can't find it!

Don't worry about the ego! We all started somewhere and we're all painfully aware of it. (Some just hide it better than others.) We all were the slow guy in the group at some time - and somewhere in some group where we ride, we'll always be slower than somebody else. Don't sweat about it. Just ride and enjoy it - that will help you improve. Jislaaik, look who's talking!

Hey mulmi, who's your us unfit okes...? Oh ... nervous giggle... that'll be me, then! BTW, the 24th is on a Saturday - justsayin. That's cool, Dee - the legs will return on another day! Just glad that wasn't race day.

Expect the unexpected! I still remember my jaw dropping when I saw that many people at the start... and the coloured worm up Chappies. I told the missus before my first "I'll never again ride a first Argus, so I just want to enjoy it!" - and that's exactly what I did! So I agree with what many has said. Be in good shape, be ready for it, but go out and just enjoy your first one. Talk rubbish with everybody, interact with the crowd... just have a blast! And... wait for Suikerbossie, because it's the most awesome vibe and part of the whole ride! Duck to the left side of the road early when starting to climb out of Hout bay (not yet Suikerbossie!), there's always a friendly chap with a hose pipe!

Back to eating/fueling - from what I understand your gut cannot properly digest solids at race intensity after about 90 mins. That's why I eat one bar early on (and something beforehand, for sure!) and only gels, energy drink and water after that.

Hey Wannabe, thanks for organising the ride - it was great! Lekker vibe, good to now be able to put faces to some more names... and it was good to greet the road bike again! And from me as well: thanks to Stanley, it was super to have you around! Unfortunately had to leave early, so went with Dee - and Christony (sp?) joined us later on - from Klapmuts. Thanks for the tow, Dee! I was simply off the boil - mind was not there, body apparently never woke up and it all showed! Catch you all later - hoping to fall in on the 24th again...

I've got to resurrect my bike... Hope everything works reasonably okay. This will be more k's (on roadbike) than I did in entirety ever since I said "Hooplah!" in March.

Good rules, Wannabe! Some sections really does not lend itself to anything else than single-file - and we are (it seems) a heck of a lot. Lizzy, will it be a case of "Follow me, I'm right behind you!"...? Looking forward to the ride - and to meeting you guys.

Buzzman, was thinking the same - my plan was to just stop in one of the streets nearby (like for Burger itself) and ride one block to get there. Dee, just have something on that hair of yours, otherwise we'll be blinded! Oh wait... you still have hair to begin with...

Riding into Stellies this morning I told my lift club buddy - not a breath of wind... just wait till we pitch up here tomorrow with bikes! Haha, but yeah, the predictions do look like a great day - see you all at 7!

They got him to speak English?! Ja, there's somebody that said and I'm not sure, but I think it was McEnroe (maybe google will have something on him too!) back in his hey-day. Something to the line of "A good loser remains just that" (a loser).

Any self-respecting pharmacy... has loads of Evening Primrose Oil... Personally don't see what all this fuss is about... Back to the original question - I thought you guys do both at once: pulling us along whilst having (for you) a LSD ride!

You'll most likely get an appointment quicker with Renay, though... And he really knows his stuff! (CT is the place to be for Ergofit setups!)

Hey, let's settle it this way... Face it, they're ALL a bunch of arrogant buggers. Even the backmarkers. For that matter, 99.9999999% (there may be one saint somewhere...) of all good sportsmen are. Why? Simply because you have to deep within yourself believe (KNOW!) that you're the best. Otherwise you loose. Yeah sure, off the bike/out of the car/off the pitch they're most likely a totally different person. But if you don't believe you're the best whilst doing your sport, you're going to get beaten. And that's why they come across the way they do.