Dual Suspension or Hard Tail

[Yang]

Picked up something about AGE just now. Got to tell a short story real quick!

Few years back' date=' while at uni, over December I was putting in a big base period, 15-24 hours a week. I was following a training program and everything was going great. We then went on a 3 week holiday to Zim, and I quickly found the local racing crowd and joined them for their weekly training rides.

By that time, I was about half way into the 12 week base period, and I felt fit and good! On one of our rides, there was two guys setting the pace up front. One was a young guy, I think the Zim u/23 champ and the other a 76 year old bloke!
I was no pro, but I have won some smaller races in NW and KZN, so I was no beginner either. That 76 year old guy was pushing the BIG blade all the way! I often glanced over and saw he was still making small talk while in the big blade with me in my climbing gears a bit short of breath!

 

At one stage towards the end of the "race", I pulled up next to him and said: "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you're bloody strong for a man your age!" His reply: "I know!"

So, moral of the story, don't think the oldies is a walk over! When you over take one of them on a hill, make sure you keep something in the tank incase he decides to hook on the back and then through a late attack up the climb!
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I know who you're talking about. When I was in mid Moz, I used to go into Zim to race. One of my first races (had been riding for about a year) was the Masters in Harare in about 2002. I remember riding down the "stairs" towards the Mazoe turnaround and seeing this little old guy on his little yellow Giant and thought, well at least I won't come last in this race. Guess effing what. That old guy finished that race in the bunch just behind the winners, beat me by miles, and won his age category. I spoke to him afterwards and he said that in every race he'd been in since 1958 he had visited the podium. When I met him he was still working and commuted to work every day. His name is Peter Lane. I wonder what's happened to him.

 

[_Daemon_]

Something to throw into the mix...what about a 29er HT

[bduplessis]

got myself a Raleigh RM8. I did the Epic on a alu RM7 HARDTAIL.....NO PROBLEM.

[dusk123]

I think I will choose Dual suspension over hardtail. It's just that I just love the way they are and that's it. And also because my bike is a dual suspension one and not a hard tail.