Speke News Letter January 2006 Speke Nuusbrief

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Speke News Letter January 2006 Speke Nuusbrief
Editor/Redakteur Michael Borgstrom
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Boodskap van Speke Voorsitter Cor de Geus

Dag se aan jul almaal. Hier is ons alweer in n
nuwe jaar 2006.Voorspoedige nuwe jaar aan jul
almaal.  Hoop dat julle die fees sysoen geniet
het,kom ons pak die jaar met alby
hande.Hoop julle het lekker geoefen gedurende die
vakansie en fees tydperk. Die eerste resies van
die jaar die B.M.W. by Bundu Inn het mooi begin
en dit was lekker om so opkoms te sien. Nou is
dit ons beurt met die Echo Link Makelaars
Cycle Challenge by Que Sera Caravan Park.Speke se
eerste wedren vir die jaar,kom ondersteun
ons CLUB en sorg dat daar n goeie opkoms sal
wees.Dit sal ook goeie oefening vir die Hyper to
Hyper wees so kom ons sien jul daar.Onthou tog
ook om julle lidmaatskap te hernu.Daar sal julle
ook verneem van die Cyclo Sport ,en vol
Lisensies.Ook n groot welkom aan die nuwe
SPEKE lede,hoop julle sal dit hier by ons geniet.
Dan dink ons ook aan Annetjie en Piet van Wyk met
die afsterwe van hul PA. Ook baie sterkte met hul
Moeder wat ook baie siek is ons dink aan
julle.   Baie dankie.   Vriendelike fietsry
groete.   COR.
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Fietsry Nuus
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The Cape Argus
THE BIGGEST CYCLING EVENT IN THE SOUTHERN
HEMISPHEREFrom those humble beginnings, the ACT
has grown into a major international event,
billed as "the biggest cycling event in the
southern hemisphere". Last year, the organisers
set the cut-off at 25 000 but a flood of entries
forced them to up the limit to 27 200. Still, 1
600 disappointed cyclists were left without a
race number. And consider this for growth. Twelve
years ago, 1 440 litres of Coke was enough to
refresh all participants and officials. Nowadays,
over 10 000 litres and 27 000 cans are needed to
do the trick. According to Whittaker, modern
technology has contributed to the cycle tour's
phenomenal success. "In the past, changing gears
and repairing tyres were arcane tasks. With
todays equipment, everything is easy and it's
more enjoyable to cycle. But the greatest
drawcard is that it's the world's biggest cycle
event where every participant is individually
timed." This task falls squarely on the head of
Brad Geyser, director of Digitron. "We are
responsible for all the computer processing, time
keeping and laser printing that goes into the
Argus," says Geyser. "It's a fortune of work and
a massive responsibility but we have to get it
right. I mean, you can't ask 25 000 cyclists to
go round again. "Shimano gears and time
certificates aside, the real reason behind the
ACT's popularity is quite simply the route.
                    THE ARGUS GOES
INTERNATIONALOne hundred and five kilometres of
energy-sapping spectacular climbs and
mist-shrouded coastal roads that wind around the
dramatic Cape Peninsula. Names of beauty roll
smoothly off the tongue as the kilometres click
by. Smitswinkel Bay, Misty Cliffs. Long Beach.
Chapmans Peak. It's easy to understand the Argus
addiction as you free wheel down the final
stretch towards Maidens Cove. In recent years,
the ACT has gone truly international. With
aggressive overseas marketing, and rave
recommendations from the likes of international
commentator Phil Liggett, 402 foreigners from 37
countries entered last year. No Miguel Indurain
just yet but included were professional teams
from, amongst other countries, America, Russia,
Finland and Kazakhstan, featuring names like
Steve Bauer, Scott Mercier, Serguei Ivanov and
Thomas Liese. The professionals ride the Tour
as the last leg of the Giro del Capo, an arduous
four day event hotly contested by South Africa's
best and 17 foreign teams. For TV commentator
Liggett, the Argus has become something of a
yearly love affair. "This is the fourth Argus
I've been here for and eventually I got to ride
it instead of just talk about it," he smiled,
stepping down from the stage after prize-giving
last year. "My time? About 310, but it was just
wonderful to finally ride the beautiful route."
For most of us 'grafters' in the cheap seats,
the ACT is a fun ride. A challenging way to view
the beauty of the Peninsula from ground level. To
others, it's a strategically planned quest for
cycling's Holy Grail. No leisurely sightseeing,
just an all-out race to break their Personal Best
- come hell or the south-easter wind. Everyone's
doing the Argus these days. Even our sports-mad
politicians are getting in on the act. Previous
Free State Premier, Patrick "Terror" Lekota put
his legs to the test in 1996 and Sports Minister
Steve Tshwete, after watching the last Argus from
a helicopter, promised he would be on his bicycle
at this year's start. The success of the event,
and the exposure Cape Town receives from the
Argus will certainly enhance their prospects of
staging the 2004 Olympics. But even before that,
the lucrative spin-offs from the ACT make for
impressive reading. Satour estimates that
R15-million worth of revenue was generated by the
Argus in four days more than R1/2-million was
raised for charity cycling is now sponsored and
promoted in less fortunate communities. And when
you digest that at a conservative estimate,
R54-million worth of equipment lined up for the
start, it's clear that cycling is big time
business
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Cycling Tips
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LOW BACK PAIN Low back pain is a common problem
for cyclists. If this is a new and severe
problem, the first question to be asked is
whether it could be a herniated disc. If there is
any question, see a doctor as a slipped disk
would be made worse by increased exercise. If the
problem is muscle imbalance, read on. First, a
little background. The back, or more properly the
abdomen, is definitely the weak link for many
riders. Cyclists have huge leg muscles but dont
have the torso strength to support and resist the
tremendous forces which those big legs can
generate. Any force directed into the pedals also
goes up into the torso. If the torso is weak,
that force DOESN'T go into the pedals but is
dissipated in flexing of the torso. Look at tired
riders - every stroke generates an "S" curve in
the back, and it is the constant effect of the
power of their legs that causes fatigue, and
eventually, overwork and spasm of low back
muscles. And as a corollary, a rider will never
get stronger by pushing pedals alone as long as
their torso continues to absorb the force
generated by the legs. Our evolution has given
us musculature designed for quadripedal animals,
and the muscles which could support a hanging,
horizontal spine can't easily stabilize a
vertical one subjected to all the impacts and
forces our upright posture dictates. However, we
have potentially quite strong abdominal
musculature to provide stiffness to the entire
torso to support and reflect the force of the
legs, whether pushing away against the ground in
quadripedal running, or pushing against the
pedals in riding a bicycle. Riding with
undeveloped abs is something like riding a bike
with a cracked frame - all the energy gets
dissipated in flexion, and doesn't get you down
the road. Here are a few tips from David
LaPorte, U. of Minn. (david-l_at_microbe.med.umn.edu)
. It's been estimated that about 80 of low back
pain arises because of poor posture. Posture
problems occur when we stand but are even more
significant when we sit or ride a bike. We tend
to round up our low backs, stressing the
ligaments and tendons which lie along the spine.
It is the irritation and inflammation of these
ligaments and tendons which leads to most low
back problems. Posture. It is important to
remember that back pain results from the sum
total of ALL the stresses your back experiences.
Even if you only experience pain when you're
riding, poor riding posture may not be your only
problem. For example, you may be sitting poorly
at a desk all day or lifting boxes poorly. Since
posture is the problem, it is also the solution.
Those of us who suffer from low back pain need to
be constantly vigilant. We need to maintain some
arch in our backs as much as possible. Sitting.
is a particular problem. Most chairs, coaches,
car seats, etc. provide little low back support.
You can buy low-back support pads at some drug
stores. Try them before you buy them because they
are not all comfortable. Alternatively, you can
fold a towel and put it behind your low back. The
key is to maintain some arch without being
uncomfortable.
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LOW BACK PAIN CONTINUED position on the bike is
also important. Get your bike fit checked at a
shop that you trust. You should also work on
maintaining a flat back when riding. One way to
achieve this is to push your belly button toward
the top tube. Try to do this by rotating your
hips rather than by contracting your low back
muscles. Stretching. Stretching is an important
way to achieve flexibility and improve your
posture. A very useful stretch is to place you
hands on you butt and push your hips forward
while standing. You should feel this in the front
of your hips. Tight hip flexors prevent an
upright posture. After a few seconds, arch your
back and slide your hands down the back of your
thighs. This movement puts the arch in you low
back. You can do this stretch many times a day.
It is particularly useful to do it periodically
when you have to sit or ride for an extended
period of time. A more potent stretch that can
be done a couple of times a day starts with you
lying on your front. Using your arms, push your
shoulders off the floor. Don't lift with your
back. Keep your low back as relaxed as possible.
Let your hips hang down, staying as close to the
floor as possible. This is a powerful stretch and
should be started gradually. Otherwise, it can do
more harm than good. However, done properly, it
can be enormously helpful. Over a period of
weeks, you should gradually increase the height
you achieve and the time you hold the position.
It is also less stressful to do this stretch for
short periods with a little rest than for a long
period (for example, 3 X 10 sec with 5 sec rest
rather than for 30 sec straight). Once your back
starts to heal, you will probably need to stretch
it deliberately. This is apparently because of
the scar tissue that built up during healing.
Keep it gentle, especially at first. You could
easily reinjure your back. Here's a good one lie
on your back with your legs straight. Pull your
knees up, grasp your thighs by your hamstrings
and gently pull your knees to your chest.
Stretching the ham strings can also help relieve
low back pain. Tight ham strings tend to pull the
pelvis out of line. This can stress your low
back. The problem with most ham string stretches
is that they also tend to stretch the low back by
forcing it to round up. The most appropriate
stretch I know requires the use of a doorway. Lie
in the doorway with your butt near the wall.
Gently slide your foot up the wall until you feel
the stretch. Two ways to make the stretch more
gentle are (1) bend the lower leg, keeping only
your foot on the floor or (2) move your butt
further away from the wall. To make the stretch
more intense, loop a cord or towel over your
raised foot and gently pull it away from the
wall. As with all stretches, this shouldn't hurt.
Exercises. Another key to preventing low back
pain is to keep your abdominal muscles strong.
These muscles help support the back. Do abdominal
crunchers, not sit ups. Sit ups emphasize the hip
flexors, not the abs, and can be hard on the
back. Crunchers are done by lying on your back
with your knees bent. Press your low back into
the floor and curl your head and shoulders off
the floor. Hold for a couple of seconds, then
lower back to the floor. Repeat until you can't
get your shoulder blades off the floor. Abs can
be worked every day. Strengthening the low back
muscles can also be helpful. To start, lie on
your front with your arms and legs extended in a
straight line with your body. Raise your right
arm and left leg. Put them down and raise your
left arm and right leg. Put them down and
continue. As your back strength improves, try
raising both arms and legs at the same time,
arching your back in a "reverse stomach crunch".
There are, of course, more powerful back
exercises, but they are also more stressful and
shouldn't be considered until your back is 110.
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Speke Nuwe Lede Haartlik Welkom
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Cycling quotes
"This is not Disneyland, or Hollywood. I'll give
you an example I've read that I flew up the
hills and mountains of France. But you don't fly
up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a
hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get
to the top ahead of everybody else." - Lance
Armstrong
"The best rides are the ones where you bite off
much more than you can chew--and live through
it."--Doug Bradbury
"Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind it
requires the same effort of the brain that it
takes to balance oneself on a bicycle."--Helen
Keller
"Perhaps the single most important element in
mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is
experience. But once you have the fundamentals,
acquiring the experience is a matter of time." --
Greg LeMond
"Ride lots." -- Eddy Merckx
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Race results 2006

• Speke

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BMW Challenge Bundu Inn 85KM results
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BMW Challenge Bundu Inn 57KM results
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Bundu Inn top 20 85km
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Bundu Inn top 20 57km
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Advertising Space 2006

• FOR SALE SPEKE ADVERTISING SPACE
• Do you want to advertise your Bike or anything
  else related to cycling?
• Contact Michael Borgstrom on 0724433339 for
  further details

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Race information2006 GNC Calendar
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2006 Speke Executive Committee
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Executive Committee

• Chairman Cor de Geus 0824103654
  mwdegeus_at_mweb.co.za Vice Chairman - Licence
  May Beukes 0827874922 ysterv_at_lantic.net Vice
  Chairman - Recreation Elize Kaszas 0832762911
  kaszase_at_eagleottawa.com Vice Chairman -
  Mountain Bike Johan Beukes 0824941417
  johanmb_at_lantic.net Vice Chairman - Legal and
  Development Tommy Tshabalala 0829234749
  tommy_at_kayamail.co.za Newsletter Michael
  Borgstrom 0724433339 mborgie_at_mweb.co.za
  Treasurer Cornelis Blom 0834488326
  c.blom_at_telkomsa.net.

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Executive Committee

• Secretary Angie Engelbrecht 0823313948
  angie.engelbrecht_at_sanlam.co.za Social
  Hostesses Ansie Seymour 0731899596
  ansies_at_tshwane.gov.za Kobie Marais 0732122373
  kobiem_at_gpg.gov.za Water Point Co-Ordinator
  Piet Enslin 0836071024 cycle_at_telkomsa.net
  piete_at_hla.gpg.gov.za Starting Block
  Co-Ordinator Eddie Enslin 0836345985
  ronnyr_at_jhb.franki.co.zai Membership
  Co-Ordinator Angie Engelbrecht 0823313948
  angie.engelbrecht_at_sanlam.co.za Additional
  Members Christo Pieterse and Fred Seymour