Full Sus October Issue

Wooden bikepg12

Nutritionpg19

Rudy Project Proflow sunglasses pg28

Trails - Namaquapg14

FullSussa @FullSussa

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYMOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLY

FREEfullsusOctober 2013, Vol 7

WIN

!

turn to page 8

Lying on my stomach just above A-Frame, right eye squished into the viewfi nder, my camera is

gripped fi ercely between sweaty hands. Mark periodically yells to me from the other side of the track “RIDER!”, my cue to focus and listen for the thundering of 2.5 inch DH tyres. Elite men ride hard and fast, I only get one chance to snap a decent picture. “Don’t mess it up!” Mark adds. I laugh, sort of.

Alasdair Fey, the blonde 20 year old from Howick, is on his way down the hill and I focus on the

Kathryn Fourie dodged a wayward rider, endured the questionable assistance of Mark Millah and survived her own Master’s World Champs experience to bring you the Mzansi World Championships story.

turn to page 4

How much do you know about your bike? Are you an avid tinkerer or are you at the mercy

of your local bike shop when it comes

to getting your prized possession maintained.

Seamus Allardice looked into how to

avoid getting ripped off .

ARE YOU BEING

ripped OFF?

GOLD FOR GREG MINNAR AND BRONZE FOR KATHRYN FOURIE AT Mzansi’s World ChampsMzansi’s World Champs

KATH FROURIEBicycle services are a necessity; you shouldn’t need to be told that – you wouldn’t drive your

car for years without a service, so why would you not do the same to your bike? So that’s sorted then, you have to service your bike – but now let’s get into the nitty gritty of avoiding getting burnt when doing so.

Greg Minnaar three time world champ!

As Stirling Senior wrote in his column in the August issue (“Buy your bike, buy your store”), you have to have a personal relationship with your bike shop. I went by Freewheel Cycology to get the ins and outs of bike services and Lionel Murray made the same point. If you’re friends with the guys in your local bike shop they’re more likely to discuss the issues your bike is having and you’ll feel comfortable enough to hang about (as opposed to lurking – if you’re not friendly with the LBS staff ) when your bike is having a minor service.

Bike shops don’t make a massive amount on new bike sales, their margins are in the services and on the parts, so yes there is room for sharks to rip you off but the industry is small and riders tend to talk – so very few places will knowingly provide poor service or rip you off . That being said it still pays to be vigilant, Lionel suggest you ask for your old parts back – that way you can see that you’re bearings were gritty and needed replacing or that your cassette teeth were worn to hooks. Lionel also suggests you check your receipt against what the guys say they did, one sneaky move is to fi t a SLX cassette and bill for an XT. Short of removing the cassette to double check, you’re unlikely to discover that you’d been taken for an extra R100.

Cherise StanderColumn pg22

EXCLUSIVE

2

FS Editorial

You WILL fall!

FROM THEFROM THEFROM THEEDITOREDITOREDITORFROM THE EDITOR

the teamPublishing Editor: Shayne Dowling

[email protected]

Content Editor: Seamus [email protected]

Art Director: Megan [email protected]

Advertising: Shayne Dowling

PR & Promotions: Julia [email protected]

Photography: Julia Andrade, Jacques Marais, Thinkstock.com, iStockphoto, Oakpics.com, Gameplan Media, Red

Bull Media House, Kathryn Fourie, Larry Bentley, Darren Goddard & David Bristow.

Regulars: David George, Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze Snr & Jnr,

Jacques Marais, Cherise Stander, Dr Mike Posthumus, Rochez O’Grady

& Jeanne-Louise Wiese.

Rogue Contributor: David Bristow

Contributors: Kathryn Fourie, Debbie Stopforth, Kate Slegrova & Sharlene Vallance.

Printing: Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd

Published by: Integrated Media

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the contributors and columnists do not

necessarily represent the views of Full Sus or Integrated Media.

Head Offi ce | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285

Address: Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700

Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYfullsus

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONSCompetition submissions should reach us no later than 20 October 2013. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be fi nal and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suff ered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to residents in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Prize style and colour may vary.

Full Sus ALLIANCE PARTNERS

SUS BIG O'S TRAINING

SUS BIG O'S TRAINING

Blind faith... I have been following the

program Dr Mike Posthumus wrote for me to the letter –

well, give or take one or two days that were impossible to do for whatever reason. I have exhausted my cache of series and movies and

have resorted to listening to my music collection, which I have quickly realised isn’t

big enough or in some cases appropriate for pedalling to

while looking at a wall in the garage. The Cape’s weather has certainly not helped my

demeanour or my motivation to get on the trainer but I

have persevered. I can say that on the MTB rides I have

managed to fi t in I have without a doubt improved! I haven’t got into the intervals

and blowouts yet, but all the base and the threshold sessions have improved my

stamina immensely.Dr Mike’s training is based

around heart rate zones (well the programme I am on) and I have been using the Bryton 50 to ensure I am hitting the zones - the 60 hasn’t arrived yet but I have been assured

it will be here soon.Rochez “Shakes”

O’Grady’s nutrition plan has been another very interesting part of my

training. I lost 1.5kg and on average 2cm’s in two weeks under the strict and helpful eye of Rochez. The eating plan is quite sensible and Rochez’s is refreshing and encouraging – I get to have a cheat day and she even

lets me have chocolate every now and then – not to mention she provides

easy menus and shopping lists that make following the plan a breeze. My advice is

contact her, it works.I am now moving into a

much more intense phase of training (read the Coach’s column for a more detailed

explanation of what I am going through) with the next stop being Wines2Whales. I will be able to give you one

more update before heading for Lourensford and the

taper phase.I have many questions

and I have to admit to being more than a little nervous as to how I am going to perform. I am starting to

understand the concept of “blind faith”...

The Winners, congratulations!SUSSUS

WINTurn to

pg28 to see what you could win this month!

Our lucky readers who won a pair

of LEATT 3DF Elbow Guards and a

pair of LEATT 3DF Knee Guards by sharing their

worst MTB bail story and keep your precious

limbs safe in future are: Eugene Laubscher from

Cape Town & Philip Viljoen from Somerset West.

Spring is fi nally making an appearance in the WCape, actually Winter is making

a huge fi ght of it and at times seems to be winning the battle - enough already! Snow surrounds the peninsula and it’s the end of September. This is Africa dammit not Switzerland! Ok so my rant this month is once again aimed at Jack Frost, my second rant for this month has to be at those folk who have spent so much cash on all the gear and when it comes to something remotely technical on a ride have absolutely no idea - so what’s my beef then? Well we all seem to complain about the lack of singletrack on our organised fun rides (and in a lot of cases serious rides) but when we get to the slightest bit of technical (and in most cases not so technical) track all common sense, confi dence and bravado goes for a ball... which inevitably ends up in a huge queue, grumpy faces, cold legs, cramping and complete disbelief when you fi nally get to the front and see what the hold-up is. I get that we all have diff erent skill levels, that we all do this great sport for diff erent reasons but there are a few things I can absolutely guarantee you: you WILL climb, you WILL encounter technical bits, you WILL go downhill and you WILL fall! There are a whole lot of other things too, but you need to accept that these

few will happen and my advice is, as in life, it’s how you tackle these inevitabilities that matter.

Your riding (climbing) WILL become more enjoyable if you train or ride a little more and all the rest WILL improve if you do a little basic skills training. There are a number of skilled coaches that off er courses, which compared to those new shoes you’re eyeing, are well priced and worth the time in gold. Hook up with a mate that is really good on singletrack and technical bits, and follow him/her, ask questions, follow their lines - learn. Contact your local MTB club, LBS or alternatively continue to read Full Sus because from the next issue we will have a regular skills feature. Oh and let me also say you NEVER stop learning, ask Mariske Strauss (see her piece on Page 8).

This is a packed issue, with so much to read and a lot of reader contribution again. Thanks folks, keep the stories coming in! I’d also like to welcome Giant to our growing number of advertising supporters - thanks Paula! Thanks also to Quantum Adventures who run the Spur Adventure series, as well as Dryland who have once again supported us – the events look great and I hope Full Sus readers enter and support them. Speaking of rides I have to thank Johan and Gerda from MTB Adventures; they are not only fantastic event organisers but also are great hosts – getting involved in their events, friendly and always approachable. The Greyton is without a doubt one of the most fun rides on the calendar, with the town becoming a MTB village for the weekend and providing brilliant backdrop for what is a must do event. Dankie julle!

Spring is also the time for all the new bike launches and we will do a sneak peak in the next issue. I can’t wait to see the new goodies but I’m also looking forward to getting up early and watching the sun rising over the Hottentots Holland Mountains from level 5 in Tokai without looking like an alpine skier. Catch you on the trails!

Cheers

FS MTB Services

Generally speaking bike shops want your loyal business and they’ll work hard at keeping you a happy client. But part of that is you being a decent customer too, so try not to make their jobs any harder. Most of the guys working in your local bike shop are acutely aware of just how expensive it is to run a bike and don’t want to shock you with a three grand bill.

So here are a few common practice tips to keep your service costs down (most of you will know this already, but too many people still use the high pressure hose after a ride…)◆ Lube, lube, lube – before and after every ride and make sure you’re using the right lube for the conditions.◆ Change your chain – keep an eye on your chain wear, if it stretches beyond 0.75 it’s time for a change.◆ Stick to your brand – the bit you

saved by buying a chain that wasn’t made by the manufacturer of the rest of your drivetrain could lead to faster wear so just buy the genuine part.◆ Avoid the high pressure hose – you’re just blasting grit into your bearings and washing all the lube off your drivetrain.

A good principal to stick to is to take your bike in for a mini service whenever your shifters are getting out of sync, that way your LBS guys can catch any potentially costly issues before they arise. Or fi nd out about bike service courses in your area – Freewheel Cycology have been off ering their customers evening classes on DIY bike maintenance covering essential quick fi xes on the trail and the basics of home servicing. Your bike is like your car – the more you know the more you’ll get out of it and for less at that, so consider enrolling in Bike University.

from page 1

MTB Services

“GENERALLY SPEAKING BIKE SHOPS WANT YOUR LOYAL BUSINESS AND

THEY’LL WORK HARD AT KEEPING YOU A HAPPY CLIENT.”

The service costsSUSSUSBIKE SHOP Wash &

LubeMini Service

Major Service

Revolution Cycles (Cape Town) R150 R400 R600

Crown Cycles (Claremont) R95 R275 R450

Chris Willemse (Durbanville) R60 R375 R475

Toms Sport and Cycle (Oudshoorn) R85 R250 R420

Johnson Cycle Works (Johannesburg) N/A R430 R710

Action Cycles (Port Elizabeth) R75 R250 R400

Park Cycles (Bloemfontein) R75 R150 (excl W&L)

R250 (incl W&L)

WHAT YOU GET FOR A SERVICEUsing a bike shop that we trust (Revolution Cycles) as a guide here is a breakdown of what you can expect from a Wash & Lube, Mini and Major Service.

Wash & LubeComprehensive wash and lube, followed by test ride.

Mini ServiceComprehensive wash and lube, followed by test ride. Check, replace & set brake pads, rotors, cables, levers. Fit new brake cables and housing if required – (Road and V-Brake, excl Parts). Adjust gears – barrels, derailleur front and rear – straighten hanger. Fit new gear cables and housing if required. Clean and lube seat post and secure saddle. Fit new tubes and/or tyres or add sealant or rotate tyres – if

required/requested. Maintenance Report if we fi nd issues.

Major ServiceAll as indicated in Mini Service and… Remove, clean, grease and refi t headset (or replace). Remove, clean, grease and refi t bottom bracket (or replace). True wheels, tighten & lube spoke nipples, replace few spokes – minor wheel work. Service/replace drive train – chain, cluster, crankset, chainrings, jockey wheels. Remove, clean, lube and grease pedals. Check and adjust air pressure in fork and shock, set remote lock. Torque rear triangle and lube pivots and shock bushes. Refi ll tubeless tyres, fi t new tubeless conversion, rim seal and valves (excl Parts).

NOTE: While we tried to compare apples with apples, not all bike shops off er all the trimmings with their services.

4

Join the service debate on http://bit.ly/fullsus_03

4

FS News

Here at Full Sus we’re always keen to see the fairer sex out there on the trails – even when

they’re motoring past us on a climb – and a rider who shares our sentiments is Joanna Dobinson. Joanna is the founder of an organisation called Biking in the Bosch, which runs MTB skills clinics and organises social rides for ladies in Jonkershoek. So if you’re in the Stellenbosch area or want to expand your MTB horizons (and skills) and take in the beautiful Jonkershoek trails then she’s the lady to contact. Biking in the Bosch offers beginners, intermediate and progressive skills courses, all for the ladies (there are a few guys’ classes in the pipeline), and you can find out more by looking them up on Facebook at Biking in the Bosch or give Joanna a ring on 074 169 4376.

skills clinicsLADIES

African Cycle Fair

If you love bikes and want to check out the latest in cycling trends, then make your way to the inaugural African Cycle Fair. Organised by Ross Douglas, who puts together the FNB Joburg Art

and the FoodWineDesign Fairs, the Cycle Fair aims to boost the local cycling industry and spread the passion for all things self-propelled on two wheels. The fair takes place from the 25th to the 27th of October at the Blue Hills Equestrian Estate, north of Kyalami and you can find out more at www.africacyclefair.com.

newsnews

We’d like to hear from you, get involved on http://bit.ly/fullsus_04 and tell us what bike you’d love to be riding.

With Eurobike 2013 having taken place from the 27th to the 30th of August most

you with a keen interest in new MTB technology will have scoped out all the 2014 models and prototypes. As usual the big boys of the cycling industry were strutting their stuff and competing for the converted Eurobike Awards. 496 products were entered in ten categories but the one that matters most to us was the Mountain

Bike of the Year. Gold was taken back to Torrance, California by Niner Bikes for their RIP 9 RDO. This is what the Eurobike judges had to say about the RIP 9 RDO: “There is a clear philosophy behind this mountain bike. The RIP 9 RDO is perfect in form, with an eye-catching colour, bright and smart - an impressive calling card for the rider - and certainly something very out of the ordinary!” It’s certainly a bike to inspire envious gawking on the trails!

EUROBIKE MTB of the year EUROBIKE/FRIEDRICHSCHAFEN

5

FS News News FS

www.bridge.co.za/12percentBridge Corporate Proprietary Limited (Reg no: 2012/211179/07) is a Registered Credit Provider (Reg no: NCRCP6317)

Proud title sponsor of the Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek

NO

TE

12%INVEST

returnvalue

bondsBridge

savings

BOND WITH USsecuritised

smart

get more info onthis investment

opportunity

CT Urban AssaultDownhill fans, get your bikes ready because on November the 2nd and 3rd the Cape Town Urban Assault Downhill Challenge is back. Starting atop Signal Hill, each rider will have two timed runs down the jeep tracks, Tahr paths (hiking trails really) and the back roads of the Bo Kaap. Entries are limited to 100 and the fi nal route is kept under wraps until

registration and practice on Saturday the second. There are categories for men, women, juniors and a fun hard tail section, so you don’t need to be fully DH kitted to take part. The course is as gnarly as you make it for yourself with bull and chicken runs over every notable obstacle. Check it out on Facebook at CT Urban Assault Downhill Challenge or by popping into Action Cycles in Loop Street, Cape Town.

October is a manic month, the year is now running away with you and if you don’t get your

head up soon it’ll be December and the big events of 2014 will

be fully booked. So here’s Full Sus’s guide to the great races you should consider

entering early in 2014.

ATTAWKAS EXTREME CHALLENGE - 18 JANUARY 2014

It’s a dusi over 120km and 2 900m of climbing. It sounds hard and it is, but if you’ve got serious MTB goals in 2014 then you’d better be on the start line to

get your year off to the best possible start.

TANKWA TREK – 14 TO 16 FEBRUARY 2014

The Tankwa launched in 2013 to great acclaim with Darren Lill describing

Races

early in

2014

newsnews

it as an “experience race” and a number of top riders using it as an

Epic warm-up. The route criss-crossed the Witzenberg valley, the orchards

of Ceres, the Kouebokkeveld and the majestic surrounding mountains, so

expect single track for days…

GRAPE ESCAPE – 28 FEBRUARY TO 2 MARCH 2014

As part of the Cycle Tour’s Life Cycle week the Grape Escape fi lls up

quickly. It’s an accessible stage race with solo entries rather than the usual team format and takes in some of the

best riding in the Cape Winelands.

JOBERG2C – 25 APRIL TO 3 MAY 2014

The joBerg2c doesn’t need much selling. It’s one of the big daddies of South African mountain biking and entries sell out fast so if you have

any hopes of getting a spot in 2014 you’d better get on it now!

Bike of the Year. Gold was taken back to Torrance, California by Niner Bikes for their RIP 9 RDO. This is what the Eurobike judges had to say about the RIP 9 RDO: “There is a clear philosophy behind this mountain bike. The RIP 9 RDO is perfect in form, with an eye-catching colour, bright and smart - an impressive calling card for the rider - and certainly something very out of the ordinary!” It’s certainly a bike to inspire envious gawking on the trails!

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

WORLD CUP catch-upThe XCO season came to an end in Hafj ell, Norway. Mariske Strauss secured her best fi nish of the season with a 5th and Candice Neethling a 15th in the u23 ladies while the men were less successful. On the DHI side Andrew Neethling stormed to his best result of the World Cup season with a 3rd in Hafj ell, relegating Greg Minnaar to 5th in his fi rst outing as three times world champ.

REDBULL MEDIA HOUSE

fullsus’s Social PlatformsHere at Full Sus we like to interact with our readers which is why we encourage you to submit your ride and race reports, send us your letters and join the debates on The Hub, Facebook and Twitter. LAST MONTH WE ASKED YOUR VIEWS ON THE X01 DRIVETRAIN AND THIS IS WHAT A FEW OF YOU HAD TO SAY:

Rpedro: “It would be nice if we can get bigger 10 speed cassettes (10T - 42T) so that we can run 1x10. Currently standard 10 speed cassettes only go up till 36T.”

Jaco-fi ets: “If you only going to score about R1250-00 buying the X01 then you would be stupid not to buy top end in this case.”

Schalk1982: “I could not agree more. And for me that is a heavy rider I need the 28 chainring and from my understanding the XO starts at 30. So yes, xx1 for sure.”This month we’re debating the your ultimate bike porn and the pitfalls to avoid when getting your bike serviced. And we’ll be giving away spot prizes for liking our Facebook page so get involved on TheHubSA.co.za and Facebook.com/FullSussa.

2nd - 3rd November 2013

6

FS Tip Trans Cederberg MTB RIDE REPORT

We organized accommodation for the Friday night at Citrusdal Lodge which

was lovely. We then found a cosy restaurant called Citrus that served delicious food. I had a chicken burger (not the roll), baby potatoes and broccoli. After that we were tired and ready for bed. I slept like a baby packing in at least 8 hours.

The next morning we had a quick breakfast. Having prepared it the night before –rolled oats soaked in water and scoop of Manna Green shake. We packed our stuff , hopped onto our bikes and headed to the starting point. Registrations opened at 7am and with the start set for 8am, we did a quick warm-up ride up a hill, and took few photos before heading for the start. It was a chilly morning and a cold mist covered what is a beautiful landscape. We arrived at the start just on time, and were fi rst behind the tip-trans truck which took us through town onto gravel, where we were left to race.

A big bunch formed, causing me to concentrate as much as one would in a road race. We had a good pace. I tried to stay aware of the others’ movements. All the while passing

Kate Slegrova had never done a race in Citrusdal before. But she thought it would be well worth the experience, and as a bonus she’d be able to take in more of South Africa’s generous scenery. So, she decided to make the trip with a few friends and share the Tip Trans Cederberg MTB Xperience with Full Sus.

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Citrusdal

Kate Slegrova runs Cycle Training a cycling and mountain biking coaching

business. When she’s not at the sharp end of the racing pack herself she’s teaching technical bike riding skills or coaching

riders to complete races likethe Cape Pioneer or the Cape Epic.

You can fi nd out more atwww.cycletraining.co.za

lots of orange trees, as Citrusdal is known for its citrus farming, hence its name.

The bunch separated, as 3 or 4 guys broke away in their own race for podium. And we passed the fi rst 2 water points without stopping. The main and longest climb was at 30km. That’s where the group started splitting up even more. I tried to maintain a reasonably fast pace as climbing is my strong point, ensuring I didn’t lose the group for the fl at part which would follow.

It didn’t help that much though as Cherie Vale passed me comfortably. We had chatted earlier about her brilliant performance in the XCO World Champs held the week before in Pietermaritzburg. As well as being immensely talented, she is amiable and really down to earth.

On the way up the main climb we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the orchards below. I pushed hard but still wasn’t managing to keep up with the stronger guys. While leaving some riders behind us, myself and one of the guys started chatting and arrived at the top together where the King of the mountain prize awaited. Together, we headed downhill into the lush valley. The gravel was a

dark orange, the sky very blue and the trails were fl anked by olive green mountain sides – the contrasting colours were breath-taking.

It was just the two of us for about 30kms, until a group of guys caught up with us, which we were very happy about. This enabled us to work together as we then took regular turns at the front. It wasn’t too windy but it still helped to sit behind the wheel and not have to do all the pace making.

I had to work hard to stay with the group, and also had to push myself on my turn at the front. It was by no means a walk in the park. We passed Clanwilliam dam on the way back to Citrusdal, which is wonderfully scenic and, surprisingly, bigger than expected. We all thought it would be an easy fi nish on tar, through town, but we were in for a surprise. We turned off onto the single track through an orange orchard only to fi nd that we still had a few uphills to do. That’s where my energy levels hit bottom and my legs were turning slower and slower.

I had to take an energy gel 3 kms from the fi nish. (Never stop eating or drinking when you think you’re almost there.) The gel kicked in

the citrus blossoms

RACING AMONGST

the citrus blossoms

and I made it to the fi nish 2nd in the ladies division. I was incredibly happy with my result and also to have fi nished in 4 hours 33 minutes. There were showers at the fi nish, pool or dam to refresh and small organic market as an added bonus. Overall it was a very well organized race and we were all glad to have done it. It’s always satisfying to ride new routes and support the organisers who work so hard in forging them.

Away from the sharp end of the racing fi eld on the 115km Challenge the Tip Trans Cederberg was a jol,

especially for the riders on the 45km Xperience.

where are we?Located in the Olifants River Valley,

Citrusdal is 170km up the N7 from

Cape Town. For more on MTB’ing

in the area revisit Jacques Marais’s

trail feature in the June issue of

Full Sus. (If you don’t have a back

copy you can fi nd it online at

www.issuu.com/fullsussa)

CA

RL

A B

UR

GE

R

Backsberg RIDE REPORT FS

Rotary, I thought, it’ll be a chilled social ride. What a mistake! And I can’t even blame

my tools as Freewheel Cycology graciously loaned me a Cannondale Scalpel for the day.

It started innocuously enough with lots of chatting and joking with Warren’s mates Cobus and Uil (Uil’s real name escapes me – as these things do when someone has a nickname like that) as we made our way along the rolling hills between the Backsberg and Donkerhoek wine farms. But my fi rst mishap came soon enough. About fi ve kays into the forty fi ve kay ride when I got caught on the

wrong side of the jeep track, with a stream of riders on the other side and a muddy little climb approaching. I tried to suck it up and power through – but I got bogged down and fell over. It was the most awkward lame duck bail, but I managed not to slip into the ditch next to the road head fi rst, so there was a silver lining to the mud wallow.

Then the climb started. And it was a beast. 630 continuous meters they said, you could be walking quite a bit they said. Endomondo tells me I climbed from 201m to 913m above sea level between the 5km and 15.7km marks in an hour and a half. Words fail me. Warren climbed like

ROTARY KNOWS BESTSeamus Allardice got roped into riding the Backsberg MTB Challenge, organised by Paarl Rotary, by Warren Fincham and neither of them paid much attention when the ride blurb said: “The 45km, in particular, includes a long continuous, steep climb of 630m – only for the very fi t and experienced riders – it is very tough, you could be walking quite a bit on this climb!”

Share your ride storiesDo you want to see your ride reports in print? Send us a mail with the tale of your latest mtb race (stage race, weekend classic or festival), a few photos and the links to your Endomondo or Strava maps or route profi les to [email protected].

Profi le - www.endomondo.comBacksberg

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Backsberg

Backsberg MTB Challenge Situated on the Northern slopes of Simonsberg, near Paarl in the Western Cape the Backsberg MTB Challenge is a Paarl Rotary and Pedal Power Association event. It crosses the Backsberg, Donkerhoek, Wiesenhof and Neil Jobert wine farms. And if you’re up for it you can enjoy a glass of cap classique at Neil Jobert about ten kays from the fi nish.

a mountain goat leaving me behind and I got passed by a thirteen year old kid, but at least I did manage to pass some fairly desperate looking okes pushing their bikes. Eventually I gave in about 800m from the top, swallowed my pride and walked.

The rest of the route looked easy in theory with the big mountain behind us, but with nothing left in the tank (don’t pack energy tablets and leave them in the car – it’s not bright) it became a long, hard slog. Especially after I crashed on a damp corner on hard packed clay. After getting a

banana from a friendly marshal and taking short cut – which saw me join the road home 10km early – I suff ered up onto the dam wall overlooking the Backsberg farmstead. From there it was over a very rickety bridge (I avoided the fl oating bridge because there was no way I’d be able to swim if I fell in) and across the very long awaited fi nish line.

Next time I’ll pay attention to the organisers’ route description and maybe put in some training too…

SIMONE BELING

8

FS World Champs recap

area of rocks where his front wheel should hit. However, this being a World Championship race, you do need to expect the pressure to crack a few people’s eggs and I get a particularly large fright when Fey goes wildly squirly and bounces towards a very solid tree. Before becoming embarrassingly intimate with said tree, he manages to regain control, and doesn’t emergency eject over-the-bars right on top of me as expected. Dave Drummond once described Alasdair’s riding style as ‘Falling out of the start gate and riding out the accident all the way to the fi nish’. He may have a point.

Fey was one of eight South Africans selected to represent South Africa in the World Championships held in Pietermaritzburg. Along with Greg Minnaar, Hayden Brown, Johann Potgieter, Andrew Neethling, Stefan Garlicki, Tiaan Odendaal and Tim Bentley; South Africa was well represented by this pack of incredibly talented riders. You have to remember, the World Championships draw the best of the best, ‘die room van die oes’, the shiniest of the spit-cleaned shoes; and placing anywhere in this race means you are one capable bad-assed rider.

The feeling on Sunday the 1st of September was much like the day before Christmas at age fi ve. Crazy, electric cool. Can’t-sleep-the-night-before kind of cool. All your riding heroes rock up at your local track, while you get to watch them ripping it up on the most gorgeous bikes in the world. That’s pretty sweet. Roaming the dusty, hot hillsides with hundreds of other excited South Africans and internationals, SA fl ags planted every-where with vuvuzela’s blasting; knowing that your local boy Greg Minnaar is defending World Champ… well, I am sure you can imagine the vibe.

First up were the 16 female riders, with Rachel Atherton from the United Kingdom taking the win by about 8 rock solid seconds. Rachel has been pretty much unstoppable this year on the World Cup circuit, winning everything bar Mont Sainte Anne where she had a righteous OTB in a chunky rock garden. Emmeline Ragot from France took second, with Tracey Hannah from Australia taking third.

Fast-track to Fey’s terrifying tree antics, and we’ve joined hundreds of people peppering the forests around the aerodrome in supporting the riders. Very soon though, it becomes clear when a South African is on track as the noise levels go through the roof! I get shiveries, typing this at my desk, recalling the wild feeling as a rider wearing the South African

can’t imagine it’s too thrilling to blow your whistle as riders come past, from 9am until 5pm every day. If you think there were about 120 Masters riders, and each rider was doing an average of four runs a day… that’s a minimum of 480 blasts on a whistle per day. Sheesh.

About four riders come over the Money Maker in the next couple of minutes, and I am beginning to see how I might change my way of hitting it when I see a blurred rider shooting off the above step down rather fast. It’s Aubrey Thomas, a good mate who can seriously jump like a cricket on a hot stove, and he seems to be setting up for the middle of the Money Maker take-off . I shout “Go Aubs!” as he takes off , but after he wildly whips his bike, his landing looks very awkward and I hear him shout “Aah no!” as he slides across the rough ground.

Tell you what, that marshal blew that bloody whistle for all it was worth after I yelled “STOP THE RIDERS! NO MORE RIDERS!” and she jumped wildly, waving her fl ag as we tried to help Aubrey. His pedal had hit the ground at an awkward angle, meaning his foot had taken the full impact of a 7m jump, snapping his tibia and fi bula in two, one sticking out the front of his shin, and the other out the side. And that is what competing in the World Championships can do to you guys, no matter how many times you say ‘”it’s just for fun”, it is still the frikkin’ World Championships and you want to ride like you belong there!

The Masters World Champs saw competitors from the USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Reunion, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, the Philippines, Chile, France, Switzerland, Australia and of course South Africa. Hell there could have been other countries, but I was so busy trying to not fall off my bike I wasn’t listening to foreign accents very closely. Cascades in August is dry, drifty and proper dusty; which is something every single one of us found out as we made our descents over the three practice days.

Cloud Nine had been chewing people up from the start (on my fi rst run down, a weeping Frenchman was lying in a heap with his foot facing the wrong way on the B Line), and Pebble Beach was certainly not bothering to take prisoners. As the track became more blown out, each run presented new gouges, exposed rock and roots; and I don’t think there was one rider who made it through the event without some form of spanking.

Perhaps the fi rst bout of real nerves kicked in on Friday afternoon when the seeding run approached. As fate would have it, Fourie was scheduled as fi rst out the gate! At 2:05 I was peddling away from all my friends, heart hammering uncontrollably, picking my way down a track I have ridden many times but that all of a sudden seemed completely foreign! Taking my fi rst slam of the event, I wobbled my way out of Pebble Beach and focused on getting to the bottom in one piece. I don’t think anyone has ever gone over Money Maker so slowly in the history of

from page 1

“A CACOPHONY OF VUVUZELA’S, YELLING, COW BELLS, CHAIN SAWS, AIR HORNS AND

WHATEVER THE HELL ELSE COULD CAUSE A DIN!”

Our race (u/23 Woman) was Friday morning at 1pm. The morning went by quite fast and smooth, as did the pre-race jitters (they stuck around though). Then before I knew it, it was 5min to start and there is was: what I had been working for... it arrived… I must say this race was one that really did not go as planned, the prep before the race went a bit pear shaped when I got sick three weeks before world champs with the most stubborn bug I have ever come across! So back to the race, it started as usual with a massive explosion of adrenaline.

For some or other reason I had a problem with my cleat, my shoe cleated in, but in the wrong spot, between the spacer and the cleat, and fi nally sorting that out I moved swiftly up to my normal

spot. Thank goodness for the LONG start straight – which takes me to my second mishap. At the top of red hill we had a bit of a bottle neck and I still don’t know what happened but, in the massive pile up of bodies and bikes, my chain dropped and I don’t know if you’ve tried riding a bike without a chain... but it’s quite a vital part of your bike I found. After all that, I was now pretty much dead last! So I did the only thing I could. I regrouped and fought back as hard as I could. The rest of the race when by relatively smoothly – except for two tumbles in the rock gardens. Luckily nothing serious happened,

so I walked off with a couple of bruises and an 8th place, which is actually my best World Champs result so far. Considering everything that happened before and during the race I am happy, for now. I am defi nitely not close to my dream and have plenty of fi ght left in me!

Sunday was the next one, it was time for the eliminator and boy is it a lot of fun! Again I had a bit of a slip in the qualifying round, but luckily I made the cut and it was time to step it up. Every round went smoothly until my spectacular crash – which meant the end of my racing! It was so close but oh well that’s the way the cookie crumbles and that’s what makes the racing so much fun! I will be back next time and really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.

Our race (u/23 Woman) was

Mariske Strauss’s XC Experience

last person, and throws a 3 second lead on the current hot seat (Jared Graves), you have to know things just got serious. Minnaar was third last down the mountain, and the tension was unreal as the commentators led the crowd through Greg’s run. Up and down at the various splits, a nervous hush fell over the crowd as the huge electric timing board fl ickered Greg’s fi nal time. 3:58.058; 00.396 seconds faster than Sik Mik Hannah, who shuffl ed his Australian bottom onto the second tier as the crowd went nuts.

Greg’s heaviest competition then exited the start gate 3.2km up the hill, Stevie Smith from Canada. Smith was dealt a heavy handed blow when he crashed in the very fi rst section, as he is colour blind and had hit a tree stump that was perfectly blended into the dust. He was unharmed though, and came blasting down the track doing exceptionally cool no-handers and whips to entertain the crowd. Last up was current World Cup series leader Gee Atherton, and it would not be a lie to say every South African was anxious, tens of thousands of twitchy eyeballs focused on the timing board.

And then Greg Minnaar won. Just like that, Atherton came in four seconds slower than Minnaar, and it took all but a single breath before an entire crowd of mental supporters smashed down a barrier gate in the fi nish arena and stormed the hot seat stage! An unfortunate photographer got stomped under a lot of dusty shoes, and Greg was in a space that maybe none of us can really ever dream of experiencing. World Champion, for the third time in his career, a back-to-back win, in his hometown. Yep, not bad for a day’s work really.

It was an excellent day to be watching downhill, and an excellent day to be South African. Eight solid SA riders fl ying the fl ag high, a number one spot and perhaps a memory we will hang onto until we’re white haired, probably senile, and annoying our grandchildren. “You know sonny, we were there the day Greg Minnaar kicked total ass at Cascades, he even beat that whipper snapper Gee Atherton. Wait… who are you again? Why are you here? Never mind, get me a beer and that vuvuzela, I have a trick to show you!”

Kath’s Masters World ChampionshipsI have never been able to jump the Money Maker very well. I always fi nd it awkward to land on the wall, because I usually come screaming from the step down and have to slam on my brakes because I am uncertain what is going to happen to me if I hit the jump at full speed. So, on the fi nal day of practice at the Masters World Champs I decide to walk up to Money Maker and study how people of all diff erent skill levels tackle it.

Up on the bank above the Money Maker take off , I’m about 10m back from where the bored looking marshal with her whistle is standing. It must have been a long three days for her so far; with another two still to go. I

colours would appear into view and hearing the subsequent exceptional cacophony of vuvuzela’s, yelling, cow bells, chain saws (sans blades), air horns and whatever the hell else could cause a din! You name it, someone was banging it.

Our boys did us exceptionally proud with Fey placing 50th, Bentley 46th, Brown 41st, Garlicki 40th, Potgieter 29th, Odendaal 23rd and Neethling 16th. And as the numbers on the race list were ticked off , so the anticipation grew. A steady stream of spectators hurried down to the fi nishing arena, eager to add to the

welcoming party for the top seeded men, and we picked our way between bodies and gum trees to fi nd a spot with a view of the Money Maker and the fi nish line.

Something that should be explained is that in Down Hill racing, being a second faster than your fellow competitor is like being 10m ahead in XC. Being a half second faster is kind of like being 5m ahead… you get the idea. When those sorts of increments are separating the bums in the hot seat, things truly get exciting, and when someone like Mick Hannah comes belting down the track as the 6th to

LARRY BENTLEY/GAMEPLAN MEDIA

9

can’t imagine it’s too thrilling to blow your whistle as riders come past, from 9am until 5pm every day. If you think there were about 120 Masters riders, and each rider was doing an average of four runs a day… that’s a minimum of 480 blasts on a whistle per day. Sheesh.

About four riders come over the Money Maker in the next couple of minutes, and I am beginning to see how I might change my way of hitting it when I see a blurred rider shooting off the above step down rather fast. It’s Aubrey Thomas, a good mate who can seriously jump like a cricket on a hot stove, and he seems to be setting up for the middle of the Money Maker take-off . I shout “Go Aubs!” as he takes off , but after he wildly whips his bike, his landing looks very awkward and I hear him shout “Aah no!” as he slides across the rough ground.

Tell you what, that marshal blew that bloody whistle for all it was worth after I yelled “STOP THE RIDERS! NO MORE RIDERS!” and she jumped wildly, waving her fl ag as we tried to help Aubrey. His pedal had hit the ground at an awkward angle, meaning his foot had taken the full impact of a 7m jump, snapping his tibia and fi bula in two, one sticking out the front of his shin, and the other out the side. And that is what competing in the World Championships can do to you guys, no matter how many times you say ‘”it’s just for fun”, it is still the frikkin’ World Championships and you want to ride like you belong there!

The Masters World Champs saw competitors from the USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Reunion, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, the Philippines, Chile, France, Switzerland, Australia and of course South Africa. Hell there could have been other countries, but I was so busy trying to not fall off my bike I wasn’t listening to foreign accents very closely. Cascades in August is dry, drifty and proper dusty; which is something every single one of us found out as we made our descents over the three practice days.

Cloud Nine had been chewing people up from the start (on my fi rst run down, a weeping Frenchman was lying in a heap with his foot facing the wrong way on the B Line), and Pebble Beach was certainly not bothering to take prisoners. As the track became more blown out, each run presented new gouges, exposed rock and roots; and I don’t think there was one rider who made it through the event without some form of spanking.

Perhaps the fi rst bout of real nerves kicked in on Friday afternoon when the seeding run approached. As fate would have it, Fourie was scheduled as fi rst out the gate! At 2:05 I was peddling away from all my friends, heart hammering uncontrollably, picking my way down a track I have ridden many times but that all of a sudden seemed completely foreign! Taking my fi rst slam of the event, I wobbled my way out of Pebble Beach and focused on getting to the bottom in one piece. I don’t think anyone has ever gone over Money Maker so slowly in the history of

Kath Fourie is a KZN lass, rock climber, surfer and enjoys anything to do with bikes. She works for an

environmental NGO, has a boyfriend called Mark Millah and a dog called

Cake. And the ever modest Kath neglected to mention she won a Masters

World Champs bronze medal herself !

Cascades Downhill… ever. Seeding of course starts to show

exactly who is on top form, and by fi ve pm we knew which riders were the ones to watch on race day! Rika Olivier and Gina Nixon smashed the rest of the ladies fi eld (a disappointing seven in total) by almost a full minute. Not entirely surprising considering they were the only two hitting the big jumps like Dr Evil and the Driftage Double, and taking into account their competitive history in BMX which makes them true racers! Awesome to watch, inspiring to try and emulate.

One thing that separates XC racing from DH racing is the full-face helmet. In DH your world gets contained into this snug cocoon of high-density focus. It’s ear thumping nerves through Eye Boggler, speeding up to the Eish road gap, control and precision down Cloud Nine, commitment through Pebble Beach, speed into Driftage, smooth in the

Corkscrew, confi dence over Dr Evil, balls-to-the-wall in the Gulley, tactical over the N3 tables and the hard pedal section, acceleration into the Bombhole, cussing at the Powder Keg, relief at A-Frame with fl ight through the Aerodrome, no hesitation at Slip and Slide, concentration through the rocks and…BOOM the quiet of the world in your helmet is shattered by people cheering on the banks all the way from the step-down, over Money Maker and over the fi nal hip! Way to feel like a rock star man!

I made it down my run without crashing (again), and I don’t know if the smile could have been erased off my face even with a backhand from Venus Williams. It was hugs all round for the ladies, more just overly amped on the vibe and that not one of us had to drop out from injuries. Nerves now safely gone, and icy beers in hand, we could sit back in the dust and watch the boys come down.

Nigel Hicks, the infamous Geologist by week day, track builder by weekend; has had his heart set on having a podium fi nish in this event for years. And it was no surprise to see him take off a good slice of time between his seeding run and his race run. Lying on the fl oor in the fi nish arena, absolutely poked, Nigel’s 04:47:577 was looking good and he anxiously awaited the arrival of the last two riders. But it only became obvious to Hicks that Lady Luck was fl uffi ng her skirts in his favour when Ludovic Coorè from France came around the corner with a very fl at tire, and a time of 04:50:562. One devastated Frenchman, and one elated South African!

All in all South Africa took 10 of the 21 medals, with four of these being the super coveted Gold! While the winning is obviously cool, the whole experience of riding with so many diff erent people that you share a common bond with was a highlight for all of us. There were more friendships made than bones broken (I think, I need to fact check that one), and although racing is bitter sweet for those who take it very seriously; I guess that’s racing boet! And as for Aubs? Two titanium rods later, we’re wishing him a speedy recovery back to his beloved bicycles and back to our crew. And if you fi nd a shard of tibia somewhere on the Money Maker, you now know who it belongs to.

“BEFORE BECOMING EMBARRASSINGLY INTIMATE WITH SAID TREE, HE MANAGES TO REGAIN CONTROL”

World Champs recap FS

Alasdair Fey getting squirly.

Yolande Speedy SA’s top XCO lady in 2013.

Cherie Vale on the other side of the camera lens and navigating

a nasty drop with style.

ALL PHOTOS ABOVE BY KATH FOURIE

10

FS Chris Willemse

Chris Willemse burst onto the SA cycling scene on his 15th birthday, in 1970, winning his

fi rst national title. He then went on to add the Scholar and Elite titles to his Junior national road racing title, remaining the only rider to do so. Then in 1975, on the back of his winning the national senior road title, Chris went off to Europe to race for Peugeot Cycles. But because South Africans weren’t exactly welcome in international sport at the time, he raced under an assumed name (Jan Willems) and when he was found out he sold his bike and went touring Europe.

Returning to Peugeot, he took a sales job back in South Africa, which famously ended less than acrimoniously. Having decided to give himself the Monday off he noticed his boss Alain Baumann following him as he was driving past Bronkhorstspruit on his way to do his rounds in the old Eastern Transvaal on the Tuesday morning. He managed to give Baumann the slip on a gravel road and let the matter rest until the Friday staff meeting. When the boss confronted him about the incident it escalated from a heated debate, to Baumann wagging his fi nger in Chris’s face and then Chris punched him. Which quite obviously was the end of his job with Peugeot, but it wasn’t the fi rst or last time he’d punched a cycling related authority fi gure.

Feeling the time was right to leave Joburg, he and then girlfriend (and now wife), Dalene, packed up Peugeot’s company station waggon and returned to the Cape. (After hanging on to the company car for a week or so he dropped it off with Hennie Wentzel at the

Peugeot Cycles branch in Cape Town and left him to get the car back to Johannesburg.) Back in his old Cape stomping ground Chris decided that Paarl would be the ideal place to start his own business and with only R1 800 opened Chris Willemse Cycles. It was a tiny place and, bereft of the Peugeot company car, he cycled to work every morning from Parow. But even the free transport wasn’t enough to stop the phone and the electricity being cut-off in the fi rst month. From there though, Chris Willemse Cycles grew and grew.

Initially Chris cycled around picking up bikes and parts to service but in just over three months he was doing well enough to hire a bike mechanic. From the original shop in Paarl Chris Willemse Cycles moved locations into the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town, opened multiple branches, was sold to Tollgate Holdings, was bought back by Chris and entered the world of online trading.

But going online wasn’t as easy as you might think. Importing directly and cutting out the local

distributers understandably angered some sections of the industry and Mavic International eventually had Chris Willemse Cycles’s Mavic stock seized. A landmark court case followed which the store won at a tremendous expense. Since then their relationships with many of the local distributers have improved signifi cantly and while they still import many of products themselves they also support the local industry to a great extent.

So where does Chris see the local bike shop in the growing world of online sales? Well, he believes that in terms of physical retail stores that we will start to see more large (2 000m2 and bigger) stores and less smaller shops, but he says there is still room for the local bike shop that off ers great services and added value to their customers. And as he still has customers from the old Paarl days, Chris clearly has been able to keep his customers happy through the years. Which is what Full Sus really likes to hear about any local bike shop.

There are few people who have been as successful in local cycling as Chris Willemse Senior, both on and off the bike. So Seamus Allardice went to speak to him about his store, the online business and punching a Frenchman.

“IT ESCALATED FROM A HEATED DEBATE, TO BAUMANN WAGGING HIS FINGER IN CHRIS’S FACE AND THEN CHRIS PUNCHED HIM.”

LBSb

eh

em

oth

Along with owning one of the biggest online retailers in South Africa,

Chris Willemse has been a town councillor, national champion and Vice

President of Cycling South Africa.

Customer Loyalty Tweet @FullSussa to let us know if your views on the bike retail

industry. Do you loyally support your LBS? Do you hunt for the best deal

online? Or do you get mates to bring your gear over from Europe and the

States because it’s cheaper?

Willemse Snr and Jnr at their new Greenpoint store opening with the guest of honour, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.

11

MTB Existentialism FS

McGregor MTB RIDE REPORT FS

I often wonder just what mountain biking means to people. Is it a way to get fi t or a way to keep your

Vitality points in order? Is it a social thing? It is a prestigious thing - when you show up with a 70K plus bike at an event? It is the status of wearing the Cape Epic shirt? Does it provide a sense of accomplishment? A sense of well-being? It’s been labelled the ‘fastest growing sport in the world’ and has left golf behind on plush green fairways holding a Callaway

driver and a bemused look. Where are the mountain bikers of

the late 90’s? Those guys who used to ride hard and play hard? Those mavericks who took up mountain biking because it was the wilder brother of road riding. Going to a race meant packing your kit, making sure your bike was just ‘okay’ and deciding which alcohol to take with? It was all about attitude and fun.

Nowadays I see pained expressions fi lled with angst at fi nishing a training

Inspired by the swelling number of people seemingly not having fun on their bikes around her, Sharlene Vallance took a look into why she rides.

“MTB FOR ME IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IT LIVES IN MY ATOMS. IT BREATHS THROUGH MY SOUL.”

Sharlene Vallance has been riding, racing, winning and not winning since 1997. She’s been fi t, unfi t, injured and

sponsored. Has spotted a Crocodile on a river ride, bailed more times than she cares

to mention and dreams in single track.

BACK TO

the roots

ride in time to get to wherever. Complaints when the R3 500 shoes don’t fi t well. Horror expressed at the thought of fi nding a roof rack to match your sports car. Really?

Mountain biking for me is something diff erent. It lives in my atoms. It breaths through my soul. It seldom matters to me who I ride with or where I’m riding, but on my bike I am a shining, whole being. You will never catch me complaining up a sadistic hill, I don’t even make eye contact with anyone around me, I simply ride. I scream with bursting enjoyment down hectic downhill’s and smile inanely on the straights. I have been riding since 1997 and it never grows old.

I had the opportunity recently of going on a trail ride with a girl-friend in the Midlands. I met a group of total strangers and spent three days riding with them. The riding wasn’t that great - there were moments of fun, but it was mostly hard work with plenty uphill’s. The scenery was average - the Midlands are dry that time of year. The single track was fun, in bits and pieces. In fact when I look back on the whole experience there wasn’t one thing that stood

out for me as exceptional. The thing was... I was on my bike. My time was my own, my thoughts were mine, my pain belonged to me and I loved it. It’s only when confronted with challenges and when you taste grit do you recall who you are. And... it’s really nice to get reacquainted.

McGregor “Behave! Or I’ll send you to McGregor”, is how the parents of neighbouring towns used to warn their naughty children. But with its extensive

mountain biking options this would hardly be a treat for avid riders. Nestled in the Breede

River valley with the Sonderend Mountains to the South and the Langeberg Mountains across the

valley to the North, McGregor was originally named Lady Grey. It was renamed in 1905 though, in honour of Rev. Andrew McGregor – the long serving Dutch Reformed minister of the area.

RIDING ANYWHERE BUT NOWHERE IN

mc gregor The three day

Ride2Nowhere stage race is aimed

at providing an adventure for its

entrants and the 2013 edition did just that.

mountain biking options this would hardly be a treat for avid riders. Nestled in the Breede

River valley with the Sonderend Mountains to the South and the Langeberg Mountains across the

SO

U

TH AFRICA

McGregor

Running as a clover leaf format, allowing riders to bed down comfortably in the

same spot after each day’s riding, the Ride2Nowhere is hosted by McGregor in the Western Cape. The 2013 edition was the second running of the event and although the route was designed to be accessible and adventurous, there were still a few challenges thrown in too.

The town of McGregor pulled out all the stops to keep the rider’s spirits high, with the local musicians, Fire Dancers, and the McGregor Brass and Unistar Band keeping everyone entertained while enjoying the exquisite traditional boere and Cape Malay meals.

The Cape weather did play a bit of havoc though, with wind and rain making the route substantially harder than it would have been, but with the winter the Cape has endured anything else would have thrown the one hundred or so riders. Besides the Cape mountains are at their most

beautiful in winter, and riders were treated to stunning displays of fl ora, as the valleys in particular were lush with fresh growth. And the wet weather made the prospect of the Overdaught Pub and Lord’s Winery all the more inviting…

On the second day the race village was converted into a local market with all the usual countryside

delicacies on off er, from koeksisters to antiques dug out of long forgotten farm cottages. There was also a race for the kiddies which made it a true family weekend.

So if you haven’t been to the scenic town of McGregor before, then the Ride2Nowhere should be pencilled into your ride calendar for 2014. Save the dates: 12 to 14 September 2014.

The Cape fold mountains setting the scene while ominous clouds gather overhead.

The ‘Noddy Car’ leading the riders through the historic streets of McGregor.

12

FS Organic MTB

Plant a tree, sit in the shade and drink some wine. Pick some fruit and make a fruit

salad. Plant another one. And wood, sensual, grained, rough cut or smooth, planed and sanded. Cut one down and make a boat, or a bench. Laminated, steam bent and lathe shaped, rebated and dovetailed, fine grained wood.

So imagine my surprise when an old codger rocked up for the Tour de Tuli this year with a wooden Renovo bike. Everyone else looked and said “bamboo” but I know wood. The owner, I discovered after some sleuthing, was 72-year-old, dishwasher, Rick Nowack of San Diego. Later I found out Renovo wooden bikes have been made by one Ken Wheeler of Oregon since 2007. “Owning a Renovo is like dating a super-model; everyone wants to talk to you,” he claims.

Turns out Ken never was a cyclist but a composite airplane designer. When he read an article by MIT professor David Wilson, that you cannot build a wooden bike, Wheeler set out to prove him wrong. Just because (if you’ve read Ken Kesey’s Sometimes A Great Notion about the log-headed folk of Oregon, you’ll understand)…

In the third edition of Bicycling Science Wilson argues that materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium work because their fibres are helical (as in the famous double helix DNA molecule), so they carry an equal load in all directions. But wood fibres are linear, so they could not carry the same kind of load, according to Wilson.

WOOD, MORE WOOD AND

supermodelsFor some people the

natural thing that spins their cogs is

chocolate; for David Bristow it’s

trees. And that’s why the idea of the

wooden bike appeals to him – it’s a self-

propelled perpetual motion dream.

Photography by David Bristow

Wheeler discovered that you merely have to use a slightly larger tube size and a bit more material. Although the wooden frames are a little heavier than your typical aluminium ones, they are sturdier and withstand fatigue and pressure tests better than any comparable metal one – which makes for a seriously robust mountain bike. And certainly a beautiful one.

Taking a closer look I noticed at least three different kinds of wood had been used in Rick’s frame. According to the Renovo website (the name is Latin for “I renew”; “I liked the concept because we renewed wood as an engineering material for modern bikes,” says Wheeler)they use only American eastern hardwoods such as walnut, maple, ash, hickory and oak. Rick’s bike, a Badash 29er, is made of hickory or ash with a dark walnut central stripe for both looks and strength.

“We proved to ourselves and our test riders that our 29er frame is remarkably

stiff, smooth, tough and strong, so instead of bad idea, we called it Badash” (never mind they use mainly hickory). Fitted with a SRAM XX or X9 drive train, this has to be the most American bike ever made (you can fit Shimano, but why would you want to).

Just Hangin’ AroundRenovo started out making road bikes, using mainly hickory. As with all metal bikes, they use hollow-tube construction. Each frame is designed on a CAD system then sent to a computer-controlled machine which cuts two mirror-image halves. The two pieces are bonded together, sanded and laminated.

Their lightest road bike load-failed a fraction past 1 000kg, but when they impact tested it against butted aluminium tube frames, they found the wood withstood impacts far better than metal.

Being aware that they had to be ultra-conservative on the design side in order to get market approval for their products, it took a long time for the derailleur to shift: wood would make a deadly mountain bike frame. “I may be slow, but I’m not stupid,” confesses Wheeler.

When a Badash was load-tested by hanging Wheeler’s 1,364kg Volvo station wagon from the bottom bracket, it took nearly 10 minutes before the frame failed at the head tube. Test ride reports claim it rides remarkably smoothly, combining the benefits of wood (flex-like chrome-moly with added strength) with the

rolling ease of 29” wheels. “Front-end stiffness gives it

incredible handling on fast single-track descents, and it climbs like a rocket. It’s light enough to offer outstanding performance, but heavy enough to offer outstanding toughness.” Cost of the frame alone is around $2,550 so it is certainly not cheap. Then again then real art or craft never is; and if it is, then it isn’t, if you get the drift.

When you are riding a masterpiece, what’s an extra kg? Rick rode his Badash for 300km in the heat and dust of Tuli where many a younger man has been beaten. I asked if he really washed dishes, or made machines that washed dishes (given the hefty R20 000 price tag on the tour, plus cost of getting there, plus the bike).

Nope, the man with the sexiest ride on the tour washed dishes, in a restaurant in San Diego. And that’s pretty much all he had to say about that.

Very much like other supermodels I’ve known who talk only with their frames.

“OWNING A RENOVO IS LIKE DATING A SUPER-MODEL; EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU.”

1

2

3

KIM

ST

EV

EN

S

FS Organic MTB

Handcrafted especially for youEach Renovo Bike is

designed especially for its

owner. The appearance

is customisable by

choosing the wood

combination, the frame

size is exactly tailored to

your measurements and

the frame is custom built

to your weight and riding

style, with stiff ness ranging

from cushy to carbon+.

Your Renovo will be a one-

of-a-kind bike that rides

better than any you’ve ever

owned.

For more see

www.renovobikes.com.

“THE MAN WITH THE SEXIEST RIDE ON THE TOUR WASHED DISHES, IN A RESTAURANT IN SAN DIEGO.” AND THAT’S PRETTY MUCH ALL HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT.1. American hardwood and SRAM X7, 2. Rick Nowack with his supermodel, 3. Note the fl owing lines of the Badash 29er, 4. It took 1 364kg and 10 minutes for the head tube to fail, 5. Bad Ass Badash!

Organic MTB FS

4

5

David Bristow has buckets of MTB experience having ridden and written

“The Spine of the Dragon.” He’s also the webmaster of www.dragontrax.co.za, a site which aims to be the country’s go-to, free, repository of GPS’d MTB tracks.

14

Local Buzz:Ever heard of Nababeep (or Beep Town as my kids took to calling it)? Nope, I thought not, but here’s a quick overview. It’s close to Springbok. In summer, it is hot as hell. In winter, you’ll freeze your ass off. In spring, it is covered in millions of flowers. Autumn? I have no clue, but I can tell you it is a great place to visit - if you own a bike - any time of the year. Base yourself at Jakkalswater (a guest farm encircled by towering granite hills just outside town) and plan your rides, trail runs and hikes from this stunning and scenic getaway.

Trail Low-Down:Vitamin G… I had a serious craving for the stuff. I’m talking gravel: miles and miles of it, soaked into mind, body and soul as you trip into oblivion along a deserted desert road. I did not want to concentrate on technical skills, or

get caught up in some adrenaline rush, or swap war stories with an accidental fellow tourist.

So, instead of cranking onto the 4x4 route on Jakkalswater itself, I snuck onto a little piece of flower power single-track meandering along the valley into Nababeep itself (3km). Zig-zag through this sleepy ex copper mining town along any given footpath, and continue West in the direction of Kleinzee.

Towards the end of the rather dilapidated urban edge, you’ll spot a dirt road climb bordering on ridiculousness and, of course, this is where you turn right (4km). Get into the zone for the next couple of kays, as pretty damn soon you’ll be grooved into downhill mode. Even though this is a public road, the Schaap River Conservancy have put up an access gate to limit vehicle access; lift your bike over the gate (7km) if it is locked, and pin those ears back, bru.

Keep it tidy in the gravelly corners as you can easily slide out in the loose stuff. Around the 10km mark there’s a slight hill before you bang back into the descent. A pared down desert land, bounding klipspringers and speckish black eagles against the vast blue of

the sky – set to a soundtrack of supreme silence except for the occasional echo of a chacma (Cape baboon) warning call – will slowly envelop you within its timeless tranquillity.

You reach the concrete bridge over the Schaap River after 20km; take time out to wander down into the canyon along the slip road, and dig into the wet sand. The pool will soon fill with clean water as the sand filters out the frog slime, so wash your face, wet your shirt, and chill for a while under a thorn tree filled with the hoppity-skip of fiscal flycatchers and flitting Karoo prinias.

Round about now fantasies of a one-man tent, a star-glittered sky and a sizeable joint will start mulling about in the back of your mind. As it does. But the dirt road was lonely, so I took up my Slider and kept on riding…

Getting there:Head up the N7 route towards Namibia. Approximately 7km out of Springbok, you will see the signboard for Kleinzee, Okip and Nababeeb (R556) – turn left here and continue for another 7km until you see the turn-off to Jakkalswater, again on your left.

If you’re gatvol of the rat race and love your bike, a crank from Jakkalswater into one of the Northern Cape’s unknown desert

canyons is sure to recharge your soul. Photography and words by Jacques Marais.

Jacques Marais is the author of Top MTB Trails, and will be keeping you up to speed with the best rides in

SA. You can fi nd out more at www.jacquesmarais.co.za

FS Trails

YOUR NAMAQUA MTB

invitation

Jakkalswater MTB RouteSUSSUSGrading: Intermediate (Long climbs)

Duration: 4hrs Confi guration: Return ride – 60km

Start Point: Jakkalswater Guest Farm

GPS: 29° 36’ 55.95” South / 17° 48’ 25.67” East

Terrain: Gravel road; rocks, loose gravel and

serious climbs

Post-Ride Beer: This time, a coke, in Nababeep -

www.experiencenortherncape.com

Must-Do-Event: Namaqua Quest Stage Race -

www.namaquaquest.co.za

Cell Reception: Limited to nothing

Accommodation: Lap of luxury stuff at

www.facebook.com/jakkalswaterguestfarm

Access: Public access Local Contact: (027) 712 1421 Springbok Tourism Offi ce

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Nababeep

Profi le - www.endomondo.comJakkalswater MTB Route

about the routeWe’re trying something new with the trails features, rather

than print the simple out and back map we thought you’d

like the route profi le instead. Let us know your thoughts

by dropping us an email to [email protected].

“VITAMIN G… I’M TALKING GRAVEL: MILES AND MILES OF IT, SOAKED INTO MIND, BODY AND SOUL”

www.themapstudio.co.za

Trails FS

more info and entries at www.stilwatersports.comEntries open




XTERRA Buffelspoort 25-26 January 2014Buffelspoort Dam, North West Province

XTERRA Grabouw 21-23 February 2014Grabouw Country Club, Western Cape

XTERRA Knysna 9-10 July 2014Pezula Private Estate, Western Cape

TOTALSPORTS XTERRA presented by REHIDRAT SPORT

Pennypinchers Origin of Trails 2 Day MTB Stage Race

Stellenbsoch, Western Cape29 and 30 November 2013Short: 40km and 40kmMedium: 60km and 40kmLong: 60km and 60km

ISUZU Ride the Rock: 3 Day MTB Stage Race

Sanddrif, Cederberg, Western Cape07-09 February 2014Stage 1: 85kmStage 2: 65kmStage 3: 55km

FNB Wines2Whales 3 Day MTB Stage Race

Lourensford to Onrus, Western CapeW2W Adventure: 01-03 November 2013W2W Ride: 04-06 November 2013W2W Race: 08-10 November 2013

18

The explanation of VO2 MaxSUSSUSVO2 Max is one factor that can determine your capacity to perform

sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance (where energy is

provided through the metabolism of stored glycogen in the presence of

oxygen). VO2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that you can

utilize during intense exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used

in one minute per kilogram of body weight.

FS The Coach

HEART RATE RANGE EQUATION

ZONE 1 20 to 40% × HRR + RHR





For example: 30% intensity, 60bpm RHR, max heart rate 220 and 160HRR. 30% × 160 + 60 = 108

In order to get the most out of your training it

is very important to make sure each

training session has an objective writes

Full Sus’s coach Mike Posthumus.

Objectives may be to improve your

threshold, improve your peak power,

recover, or simply to just ride your bike and

have fun.

“THE KARVONEN FORMULA, USES YOUR MAXIMAL HEART RATE MINUS

YOUR RESTING HEART RATE TO ESTABLISH TRAINING ZONES.”

CREATING H ART RATE

training zones

YOUR MAXIMAL HEART RATE MINUS YOUR RESTING HEART RATE TO

Dr. Mike Posthumus is an accomplished academic with UCT’s Exercise Science and Sports Medicine faculty and a coach with Science 2 Sport. He was a

provincial rugby player before switching togs for cleats and taking up competitive mountain biking. He has an exceptional knowledge of training periodisation and

scientifi c training principles. Find out more at www.sciencetosport.com

ZONE 1: This zone is used for very easy spinning or active recovery. After a very hard session or race, a recovery ride in zone 1 may help your muscle recover. This should be very easy to maintain.

Zone 1 session example: 60 Minutes in Zone 1 for active recovery.

ZONE 2:This zone builds endurance or base. It should be relatively easy, but you should have to concentrate to maintain the eff ort to keep your heart rate in this zone. It is easy, but you should be aware of the fact that you are working. This is the zone in which you should be doing your long slow distance (LSD) rides in.

For the majority of training sessions this objective needs to be gauged by measuring eff ort.

Although power meters have become increasingly popular of late, a heart rate monitor remains a simple and eff ective measure of eff ort while training.

Many of us have heart rate monitors either in the form of a bike computer or watch, but not many people know how to use heart rate to train eff ectively. For training prescription, heart rate zones are used to ensure you achieve the objective of your training. For those of you who do not wish to have performance tests performed, to accurately determine their Heart rate zones, you can use an easy formula to calculate your zones.

This formula, referred to as the Karvonen formula, uses your maximal heart rate minus your resting heart rate (your Heart Rate Reserve - HRR) to establish training zones.

To establish your maximum heart rate, either use the highest heart rate you have seen recorded on your heart rate monitor, or alternatively, after suffi cient warm up and shorter maximal eff ort, perform a maximal eff ort up a steep climb. You should be able to reach your maximal heart rate during this eff ort.

Zone 2 session example: 3 Hours in Zone 2 only. Keep Cadence high (90-110 rpm)

ZONE 3: This zone is your tempo rides and builds aerobic capacity. Training in this zone is hard, but bearable. Duration spent in this training zone should be limited to avoid excessive fatigue.

Zone 3 session example: Warm-up 30 Minutes in Zone 2. Follow with 60 Minutes in high zone 3. Warm-down 30 minutes zone 2.

ZONE 4:This zone should match your lactate threshold. You should be very out breath and unable to hold a conversation in this zone. You should only be able to maintain this intensity for a very limited period of time (10 – 30 minutes), depending on your fi tness level. This training zone is used to improve your threshold. It is common to use this zone for

interval training. Suffi cient rest is required in the days after training in this zone.

Zone 4 session example: Warm up 30 Minutes in Zone 2. Follow with 3 x 10 minutes in Zone 4. Rest 10 minutes between intervals. Warm down 30 minutes zone 2.

ZONE 5:Training in this zone improves your peak power/VO2 max. This is near maximal intensity and should only be able to maintain this level of intensity for under 10 minutes. This training zone is used for performing shorter duration interval sessions. Sufficient rest is required in the days after training in this zone.

Zone 5 session example: Warm up 30 Minutes in Zone 2. Follow with 6 x 4 minutes in Zone 5. Rest 3 minutes between intervals. Warm down 30 minutes zone 2.

Here are the formulae to calculate Here are the formulae to calculate the range for each Heart Rate zone:the range for each Heart Rate zone:Max Heart Rate (MHR) - Resting Heart Max Heart Rate (MHR) - Resting Heart Rate (RHR)Rate (RHR)Rate (RHR= Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)

Nutrition FS

The three main steps to stimulate muscle repair and recovery after exercise are: ◆ Start Immediately ◆ Promote muscle recovery ◆ Replenish stores

step 1: Start immediatelyThe key to getting on the road to recovery is to start immediately. As soon as your ride is over, it is essential that your glycogen stores and fl uids are replaced. ◆ Start with fl uids, a great idea

would be to throw a sachet of rehydrate into your water that you’ll be gulping down after your ride. The supplemental sodium can accelerate the restoring of fl uid balance.

◆ Replenish your glycogen stores with one of these portions listed below within 15 minutes after exercise. If you are aiming for weight loss, then have half the serving size. But consult a Dietitian for further detailed advice.

Each of the following selections provides approximately 50g of Carbohydrates (CHO)

FOOD60 g pack of jelly beans

3 medium pieces of fruit

1 jam/honey sandwiches

3 high-energy muesli bars

1 large chocolate bar (70 g)

2 breakfast bars or cereal bars

THE ROAD TO

recoveryrecoveryThe shortcut to recovery is all about timing your nutrition and hydration writes Rochez O’Grady.

So if you’d like to minimise aches and pains, and improve your overall fi tness your need to

refuel your muscles correctly.

Rochez O’Grady(pronounced r-OH-shay)

is a registered Dietitian and runs her own practice called Mun chWize.

She focuses on educating and motivating her clients in practical ways to follow

a healthy lifestyle and achieve personal health goals. You can fi nd out more

about MunchWize at www.munchwize.co.za or ask Rochez your nutrition

related questions at [email protected].

step 3:Replenish StoresYou should aim to have your post-recovery meal around 2-3 hours after your ride. Start by including colourful veggies or salad - taking up half of your plate, this is essential to replenish antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, zinc, omega 3s and selenium. These all help protect your cells against free radical damage.

Top it up with some lean protein such as chicken, fi sh, ostrich or tofu. Protein is a functional food which will repair damaged muscle tissue. Don’t forget to restore glycogen levels, include a portion or two of complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, sweet potato, wholegrain pasta or butternut. If your aim is for weight loss keep the carb serving to a minimum. Consult a dietician for further information.

During training, certain nutrients can be depleted – this will lower your immune function. These nutrients include glutamine, electrolytes, antioxidants and essentials fats. FLUIDS

800-1000 ml sports drink.

800 ml cordial

500 ml fruit juice*, soft drink or fl avoured mineral water.

250 ml of high carbohydrate sports drink (e.g. carbo-loader drink)

250-300 ml liquid meal (e.g. Sustagen Sport™)

500-1000 ml fl uid replacement drink (5-10% CHO) e.g. Gatorade™, Powerade™.

* Fructose in fruit and juice is not as eff ective in replacing muscle glycogen stores as glucose.

step 2: Promote muscle recoveryResearch shows that combining protein with carbs within 30 minutes of exercise nearly doubles the rate at which glycogen is replenished. The optimal ratio of carbohydrate to protein for this eff ect is 4:1 (4 g of carbohydrate to 1 g of protein). Any more protein than this ratio will have a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

Now that you are rehydrated and have started to restore your glycogen stores, it is time for CHO Recovery Snacks and Meals Containing 10 g Protein like:◆ 330 ml low fat chocolate milk e.g.

Steri-Stumpie, Super M◆ 250-350 ml fruit smoothie◆ 2-4 tablespoons Future life mixed

with milk and a banana◆ Some sports bars (check labels)◆ 1-2 x 200 g cartons of fruit-

fl avoured yoghurt◆ Bowl of breakfast cereal (high

fi bre) e.g. Jungle Oats, All Bran , Weetbix with milk

◆ 200 g carton of fruit-fl avoured yoghurt topped with 1 cup of breakfast cereal.

◆ 250 g tin of baked beans or spaghetti on 2 slices of toast

◆ 1 sandwich (2 slices bread) with cheese/meat/chicken/egg/tuna fi lling, plus 1 piece of fruit.

◆ 1.5 cups of fruit salad with ½ carton of fruit-fl avoured yoghurt or frozen yoghurt

◆ 1 carton of fruit-fl avoured yoghurt and a muesli bar

◆ 2 crumpets or English muffi ns with thick spread of peanut butter

◆ 250 g (large) baked potato with cottage cheese or grated cheese fi lling.

If you’re still feeling sore or a bit on the slow side after you have

completed the road to recovery, try a high quality multivitamin

and mineral formula with antioxidants. They should feature these

key nutrients:

◆ Glutamine – the most abundant amino acid in the blood and skeletal

muscles. Depletion leaves the body susceptible to infections and

fatigue. Take as a powder mixed with water or juice.

◆ Magnesium – an electrolyte and an essential component of more than

300 enzyme reactions in the body. Low levels can contribute to muscle

fatigue and pain. Available as a powder or capsule.

◆ Omega 3 fats – these generate anti-inflammatories and are available in

capsule or oil form.

The Multivitamins for recoverySUSSUS

Why you should visit a DieticianEven healthy people could benefi t from a trip to a dietician, just like you’d go to the GP for a check-up every year it’s a good idea to visit a dietician as part of your health rounds. Not only can Discovery Heath members improve their Vitality Status, but it’ll also take the stress out of planning a healthy eating routine. Make sure you’re putting the best fuel in your tank by scheduling an appointment today.

19

3 rice cakes with jam/honey

2 crumpets/English muffi ns with Marmite/Bovril

1 cup thick vegetable soup with large bread roll

Sandwich with banana* fi lling (using whole banana).

1-2 sports’ bars (e.g. Powerbar™) or sports’ gels (check the label).

1 large (100 g) high energy muffi n.

4 tablespoons sultanas*.

20

FS Conservation

Consciously realising that the only saddle my bum was used to was that of a horse, I

decided to prove my loyalty to my new lifestyle by grabbing it by the horns (or handlebars in this case). At fi rst I agreed to join the trip for the social aspects of it and for the fact that they needed a driver for the support vehicle.

Murphy had other ideas though. Two fellow riders fell ill and so they had to drive the support vehicles. Meaning I was left to borrow a bike from a friend, leave my horse behind, and see what multi-day riding was all about. I ended up falling in love on the trip and getting married a couple of years later. But I’m not here to tell that story. I want to tell you about the natural wonders and the amazing views that the Gamkaskloof Valley has to off er for the cyclist who dare to peddle their way over these majestic mountains.

Gamkaskloof Valley is known as “Die Hel” for the extreme summer temperatures. The valley forms part of the Swartberg Nature reserve which is linked with the Gamkapoort Nature Reserve to the north and the Towerkop Nature Reserve to the west. The total extent of this conservation area covers a massive 180 000ha of which only the Swartberg Nature area is accessible to travellers. This UNESCO World Heritage area forms an integral part of the mountain catchments for the arid surrounding region.

The Swartberg Mountains form part of the Cape Fold Mountains which present spectacular rock formations throughout the valley. When choosing a cycling route into this area you are presented with 2 options, one being via the Prince Albert side, to the north, and the other being from Oudtshoorn, to the south. During our trip we rode from just outside of Oudtshoorn, up the torturous Swartberg pass – which was built using convict labour by Thomas Baines between 1881 and

to H

ELL

w

ith

it!!!

During 2010 Jeanne-Louise Wiese watched the movie “Yes Man” and as a result ventured onto a road of no refusal. As luck might have it some of her friends mentioned they are doing a self-supported “To-Hell-and-Back” MTB trip to Gamkaskloof (Die Hel) in the Swartberg mountains and she was roped in.

1888 and reaches a height of 1 585m. From the top of the pass a you

can kamikaze-pilot down the road at speeds that are illegal on Kloof Nek, but could ensure an unpleasant airborne incident if you misjudge one of the rocky hairpins. The road travels down the Swartberg Mountains towards Prince Albert before it turns left into Gamkaskloof. This road into the valley is also called the “Otto du Plessis road” and was named after the then administrator of the Cape who encouraged its building in 1959. After about 40km the road takes a nasty turn down Eland’s Pass where only ABS and OBS can cure a faint heart. This treacherous fi nal descent into the valley was built by Kosie van

Zyl from Prince Albert with the help of a bulldozer and eight labourers over two year period.

“Die Hel” valley was fi rst inhabited in 1830 during which time farmers travelled by foot and donkeys until a road was fi nished in 1963. Legend has it that the fi rst car was carried down in pieces over the mountains on the backs of donkeys and labourers. Luckily things have changed in the past 50 years and a comfortable campsite, guest cottages, which gave us some relief after a long day’s riding, and a drink at the local pub.

The weather in this valley can be extreme, varying from very cold winters and snow, to temperatures reaching 40°C, with rainfall occurring mostly in early winter and spring.

The valley extends towards the Gamkapoort Dam which was built during the 1960’s and marks the confl uence of the Gamka-, Dwyka- and Bosluiskloof rivers. Streams fl ow from the mountains all over the place and the crystal clear water tempted us with its cascading beauty. Up in the Swartberg the streams are normally safe to drink but I’d still suggest you boil the water fi rst, because an animal carcass could be polluting the water upstream.

The Swartberg reserve is managed by Cape Nature, and all ecosystems within this region are strictly protected. The vegetation in this region is remarkably diverse, featuring renosterveld, mountain

Jeanne-Louise Wiese is a Senior Environmental Practitioner for

engineering, management and specialist technical services giant Aurecon.

As an avid MTBer she has the good fortune of consulting on the Provincial

Department of Transport to upgrade and maintenance programme for gravel roads, so she gets to visit secluded areas

and take her bike along.

fynbos, Karoo-veld, spekboom veld, and numerous geophyte species. Some species will be in bloom virtually throughout the year with most plants fl owering in spring, although early autumn is the time that many protea species fl ower, attracting large numbers of sugarbirds and sunbirds.

Dare to take your eyes off the sheer drops next to the road and you are likely to be see klipspringer, grey rhebuck, kudu, baboon, dassie, and even springbok. Predators of the valley include leopard and the very seldom seen caracal. More than 130 bird species have been recorded here, the most striking include: black, fi sh and martial eagles, cape sugarbird and pied kingfi sher.

The lessons I learnt from this trip in a nutshell are: you can meet the man of your dreams when you are in Hell, you can’t compare a horse saddle with a bicycle saddle, you can never see the top (it’s just the start of the hill behind this one), you always drink water from a stream at own risk, and you can never keep the beauty of nature for yourself. Protect it, share it and love it!

“THIS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

AREA FORMS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE

MOUNTAIN CATCHMENTS FOR THE ARID

SURROUNDING REGION.”

Reaching the top of the Swartberg Pass is worthy of a celebratory team photo!

Amarider FS

Meurant Botha is the founder and director of AmaRider. AmaRider is a South African non-profi t company

with the aim of improving MTB opportunities on the African continent.

Contact them at 021 8844547 or [email protected] or visit the website

at www.amarider.co.za

In the inaugural season 21 races were held attracting just over 1600 entries. From these early events

the league has shown exponential growth sustaining 45% annual growth and topping out at 7 500 entries and over 50 events in 2013. And the league has grown to include our neighbours in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho too.

Why is AmaRider involved with youth racing?Our parent body, IMBA, have advocated youth involvement in mountain biking for many years and drove these eff orts through the annual ‘Take a kid mountain biking Day’. In recent years IMBA have become large supporters of USA’s NICA (The National Interscholastic Cycling Association) who run scholars’ leagues in various US states. Advocacy bodies

have realised that these racing leagues are important opportunities to engage with young riders and build a new generation of trail stewards.

Here in SA, AmaRider has been instrumental in moving the schools races from private properties to school grounds and inner-city municipal fi elds and parks. We do this by supporting schools with budget to install access gates, build tracks and assist with planning permissions to help organisers to comply with the Events Safety act.

Strategically, partnering with a local school to lobby for new tracks is a no-brainer. Schools have strong roots in local communities and support for projects that benefi t schools or scholars abound. AmaRider sees these local community partnerships as the stepping stones to bigger things, like securing access to the municipal and

SPUR HIGH SCHOOL MOUNTAIN BIKE LEAGUE CELEBRATES

its 5th seasonprivate forests and parks that surround many of our communities.

Another important factor driving AmaRider’s involvement is the issue of risk. Trail risk centres predominantly around events and access related to rider error – better known as crashing. Mountain biking tends to attract the 35+ demographic and many riders have very little trail experience. The more youngsters, and especially girls, who learn to ride singletrack at a young age, will over time raise the general trail profi ciency level. In short, allowing us to build more technical trails!

Finally, the league is building advocacy and administrative capacity at grass-roots level as a large network of parents and teachers are mobilised every season. Importantly, this network is volunteer based and allows the budget to stretch so much further. We are already seeing these volunteers moving beyond the league and initiating trail local trail projects.

Our local coordinators are the true champions of the league, spending countless hours to ensure that the kids have the best events. Most started by running races for 40 to 50

kids. Now they comfortably manage races for 300 to 600 youngsters.

Get involved!Starting a program at your school is as simple as pitching up at the fi rst league race in your area with a bike and a helmet. Schools don’t need teams and there is no need for team registration. One rider from a school can race on his or her own, although we prefer you to bring all your friends!

Schools participate in provincial league races from where selection for the annual fi nals at Bekker School, Magaliesburg is made. The Bekker Final is a memorable occasion and annual highlight for any school’s mountain biker. Around 300 riders and 60 schools are represented and riders participate in a Saturday inter-schools race followed by a Sunday’s inter-provincial where riders get the opportunity to represent their respective provinces. It certainly is a prestigious aff air.

All this would not have been possible without the phenomenal support of Spur Steak Ranches, and their hands-on approach to their sponsorship.

If your region lacks a racing program you can contact AmaRider for assistance in setting one up, or let us know so we can get you in touch with your local coordinator.

AmaRider got involved with scholar’s mountain biking in 2009 when, with sponsor Spur Steak Ranches a national league was established. On the completion of the 5th season, Meurant Botha brings Full Sus readers up to speed.

22

FS Die Standerpunt

Alhoewel ek baie opgewonde was oor die Wêreldkampioenskap in

Suid-Afrika, moes ek met ’n swaar hart my voete sleep al die pad na Pietermaritzburg. Donderdagmiddag was die onthuldiging van die pragtige Burry Stander Tuin; daar het soveel mense hulle hande deurgewerk en die Tuin iets spesiaals gemaak waarop Burry voorwaar trots sou gewees het.

Die gejaag na die bekende reënboogstrepe het begin en die een wedren na die ander het plaasgevind met soveel ryers trots in hulle Suid-Afrikaanse klere. Sondag was die downhill of soos my pa na hulle verwys, die daggaboompiejaers en sjoe, was dit ’n dag om te onthou.

Ek het die oggend vir Greg Minnaar raak geloop en gesien hoe hy elkeen van sy nefi es en niggies ’n groot druk of soen gee, sy ouers omhels en luister na sy vriende se laaste motiveringspraatjies. Daarna het hy gaan opwarm en ek was stomgeslaan deur die kalmte wat hom omring het. Vir iemand wat die hele land se hoop op sy skouers gedra het, het hy steeds tyd gehad om te stop en geselsies aan te knoop.

Ek is seker almal weet ons eie Greg Minnaar het op die nommer een trappie in die pragtige wit trui met reënboogstrepe oor sy trotse bors geëindig, maar sjoe, die atmosfeer van die skare gee my nou nog hoendervleis. Om baie eerlik te wees, dit het my so eff ens onkant gevang.

EK WIL SPESIAAL GELUK SÊ AAN ELKE SUID-AFRIKANER WAT DIE GELEENTHEID GEBRUIK

HET OM AAN DIE WÊRELDBYEENKOMS DEEL TE NEEM. DIE BAAN WAS ’N UITDAGING VIR SELFS DIE ELITE

RYERS, MAAR JULLE HET JUL VREES OORWIN EN SUID-AFRIKA IS TROTS OP JULLE.

Vir die eerste keer vandat Cherise Stander fi etsry, het ons as Suid-Afrika ’n Wêreldkampioenskap in ons agterplaas gehou. Dit was ’n byeenkoms waarna sy al vir twee jaar lank uitgesien het.

Cherise Stander hardly needs an introduction to SA mountain biking fans. She’s crammed a lot into her 24 years, including a couple of SA road

championship and time trial titles, and a MTB Marathon national title. She rides in the USN and Specialized colours and is getting back into competitive training again with the 2014 World Marathon

Champs her next big goal.

REËNBOOGSTREPE

gejaag na

Cherise sê dankie by die onthuldiging van die

Burry Stander Tuin.

Burry mis en watter impak hy op sy mede-jaers gehad het. Dis iets wat ek glo altyd by elkeen van ons sal by.

Ek wil spesiaal geluk sê aan elke Suid-Afrikaner wat die geleentheid gebruik het om aan die Wêreldbyeenkoms deel te neem. Die baan was ’n uitdaging vir selfs die elite ryers, maar julle het jul vrees oorwin en Suid-Afrika is trots op julle.

Dit was ongeloofl ik! Die hele KwaZulu-Natal het saam gejuig en mense wat nog nooit eers op ’n fi ets geklim het nie, het op en af gespring van blydskap.

Greg Minnaar het sy eerste plek aan Burry opgedra en Nino Shurter het sy wêreldkampioen-podiumhemp ook gelos met ’n boodskap: “Burry, die een is joune.” Weer eens het ek besef hoe baie die hele fi etsrygemeenskap vir

Nino Shurter was een van baie wat ‘n stille oomblik in die tuin

spandeer het.

ALL PHOTOS BY DARREN GODDARD/GAMEPLAN MEDIA

Burry se ‘Ghost bike’.

2524

FS Bike review

For Full Sus’s fi rst ladies bike test we got a very excited Debbie Stopforth to take the

Specialized Rumor Expert for a week’s worth of cranking. Here’s her the low down on one of the

most desirable ladies MTB’s out there…

As a trained BG Bikefi tter (Body Geometry) I got really excited when asked to test

ride a women’s XC Trail 29er, the new Specialized Rumor, with its hydroformed alloy frame. Whist doing my bikefi t training with Specialized, I realized how much research goes into all their products and I jumped on the Rumor with great excitement.

I sadly got the worst week, weather wise, to test the Rumor. Perhaps it could also be to the advantage of this report back as I can tell you how it performed in a howling North Wester as well as torrential rain with rivers and puddles. A typical Cape week then!

On fi rst sight of the Rumor, it looked too small for me. I asked for a medium frame with a 143 Jett expert saddle and a 90 mm stem. The bike looks extremely compact and has that amazing top tube geometry which is perfect for us ladies to get on and off easily. I jumped on and immediately felt at home! It was a perfect size and fi t. My fi rst bike ever was a Specialized Rockhopper and then the Specialized Era Comp, and I did many stage races on them and loved them. This felt just as comfortable and balanced as my old 26ers but with the bigger wheels for speed. It did come with the Specialized Command Post which I don’t like as I believe that if one is set up correctly then there is no need to drop your saddle. But that’s a healthy discussion for another time perhaps.

Off I went on my fi rst ride, up Tokai Forest from the Arboretum, up all the single track, around Noordhoek Peak, down Ou Wa Pad, through Clovelly

and back to Tokai over Boyes Drives. I wanted to feel this bike on the jeep track, single track and the road. I must just add the NW wind was howling which made all the uphills feel awful. This Rumor handled the uphill and downhill single track with magnifi cent ease. It literally fl oated over obstacles big and small. It felt stable, light and so comfortable. I fl ew down the single track as if I was on my 26er. It handled beautifully! I immediately thought of all my new lady clients who need that confi dence and stability on the single track. This will make them love their riding forever! I always tell them to trust their bike and it will take you over anything if you just pedal. The Rumor will do just that. The Custom FOX Float CTD Evolution with Autosag and the front Fox shock really worked their magic. Once I locked out the back shock manually on the jeep and road uphills, the NW wind seemed less ominous, and I felt less sluggish. I also never felt any limitations due to the 110mm travel as it seemed to handle everything I threw at it in the Tokai Forest. The Rumor handled the mud and water like it was designed to fl oat. The only things that suff ered were my feet and bottom. It was freezing and I had lost all the feeling in my feet but I was having such fun I actually aimed for every puddle.

If I had the time, I would have thrown on my BG Contour grips for extra comfort and stability in my wrists. I also felt that the water bottle cage was in an awkward position. I guess with the top tube design as it is there are not too many other places to put it. I did battle to get my water bottle out easily whilst on the move.

I asked Nikki Haywood (Epic rider and ladies cycling beginners coach) to have a test ride on the Rumor for me so we could compare notes. Here are her comments:“I really loved riding the Specialized Rumor. It was an incredibly smooth and comfortable ride on technical terrain. I felt very in control and compact on the bike, especially coming into tight corners. I also found the handling on the single tracks incredible. Gear shifting was smooth and slick, really like the shram X9 shifters and felt very comfortable and grippy on the climbs. So all in all it’s a fabulous bike!”

Overall the Rumor felt light, well balanced and had incredible manoeuvrability on the trails. In fact it is extremely similar in overall performance to the Stumpjumper that I rode in the Sani2C a few years ago. I may just have found my new favourite bike to throw around the single tracks!

The GeometrySUSSUSMedium frame: 16.8 inches

All measurements in mm or °

Seat Tube ...........................427

Top Tube ............................ 570

Chain Stay length .......... 450

Head tube angle ..............70°

Seat tube angle ..............70°

Bottom bracket height .... 331

Wheelbase ........................ 1114

Reach .....................................411

Stack ...................................600

rum(o)urHAS IT...rum(o)ur

Bike review FS

THE RUMOR HANDLED THE UPHILL AND DOWNHILL SINGLE TRACK WITH MAGNIFICENT EASE. IT LITERALLY FLOATED OVER OBSTACLES BIG AND SMALL.

Due to the nature of her job Debbie Stopforth of Dynamicbikefi t.co.za, gets

to work with lots of bikes and has come to enjoy matching and setting up bikes for riders (some bikes just match some body

types). She’s ridden so many diff erent bikes in all forms and sizes that she’s got a great frame of reference and in fact her riding buddies have lost track of which bike is

actually her own.

26

FS Stirling Revolution

We have been through this before with 29ers, and now the 650B wheel standard

(aka tweeners or 27.5ers) threatens to confuse things a little more.

But when Nino Schurter won the opening round of the 2012 XCO MTB World Cup on a prototype Scott 650B mountain bike, the success of the 650B standard was kick started. And now that he has won a silver at the London Olympics and overall 1st in the 2012 World Cup XCO Series, the 650B revolution has begun. So what do you need to know? What is the situation now? Where are 650B, 29ers and 26ers going to be in 5 years?

When SJ heard about another wheel size just over a year ago, he and his old man swore,

shook their heads and banged their fi sts: “Please, we don’t want to stock more tyres,

tubes, rims, rim tape, spokes, wheels and bikes… please no more bicycle options!”

But he’s settled down a bit now and here’s what he says you need to know about 650B’s.

“WE STILL GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT 29ERS ARE THE BEST FIT FOR THE MAJORITY SOUTH AFRICAN RIDERS.”

Stirling-James Kotze, aka SJYears in the saddle: 17Favourite ride/trail:

Jonkershoek, StellenboschRecurring MTB nightmare:

Noisy, squeaky bikes

The Stirling Revolution BioThe father and son combo of Stirling

senior and junior are avid cyclists and owners of a local bike shop in Cape

Town. In their monthly column they’ll be off ering their uniquely phrased views on the ins and outs of mountain biking from negotiating a discount to locating

that weird noise your bike keeps making, but won’t make when you take it to the

workshop, they’ll cover it.

ACCELERATIONDiameter and rotating mass directly infl uence the acceleration of a wheel. The 29” wheel has both the largest diameter and the most rotating mass, and therefor takes the most energy and time to accelerate. The 26” wheel accelerates fastest, and the 27.5” wheel falls in between.

ANGLE OF ATTACKIncreased wheel size decreases the angle of attack. That means bigger wheels make obstacles seem smaller.

ACCELERATION

ANGLE OF ATTACK

you about R4 000 if you buy the good stuff . Or you can rather buy a whole new set of wheels with the extra rotors, hubs and cassette for about R6000 - R8000. Finally, when converting your 26er to 650B wheels and tyres, the angles in the bikes geometry won’t be aff ected if you convert both wheels, but the Bottom Bracket (BB) height will increase by approximately 16mm. The impact of this upgrade is better clearance over obstacles, but a higher centre of gravity. The improved rolling momentum of 650B tyres and improved approach angle should outweigh the sometimes negative impact of a higher centre of gravity.

What is the 650B situation now? Niche brands such as Pyga, Santa Cruz and Intense have been rolling out 650B bikes and a few of the mainstream brands (like Rocky Mountain) have already jumped at the opportunity. More importantly, the 2 largest bicycle manufacturers (in the world) have decided to replace their 26er line-up with 650B bicycles. Along with their current very successful 29er range of bicycles, Giant and Merida have decided to hang their hats on the 650B standard. Some brands, like Specialized, haven’t jumped on the in-betweener wheel size band wagon but are further reducing their 26er off erings in favour of more 29ers. But you should be warned 650B tyres are still diffi cult to fi nd with limited widths, brands and tubeless options, plus infl ated prices.

Let’s get the simple stuff out the way fi rst, what do you need to know?◆ The 650B wheel is commonly called a 27.5er but this is misleading because the rim size is not equally in between a 26” rim and a 29” rim. In fact it is more like a 27er, or about 1/3 the total diff erence between a 26” and 29” larger than a 26er and 2/3 smaller than a 29er. Maybe sanity will prevail, and people with call the diff erent sizes 26, 27 and 29.◆ The implications of the wheel being closer in size to a 26er means that some 26” specifi c frames will fi t 650B wheels and tyres, so this is a cheaper way of keeping up with your mates on their 29ers. And here’s little bit more good news… all 26er tubes will work on 650B!◆ 26 and 29 refers to the imperial measurement standard called inches, so a 26×2.125 tyre is 26” in diameter and 2.125” wide. However, like road bike standards, the 650B is measured using metric units so a 650x57c tyre is 650mm in diameter and is 57mm wide.◆ 26”, 29”, and 650mm aren’t the actual wheel or tyre diameters. The measurement actually falls somewhere between the rim outer diameter and tyre outer diameter. For example, a 650B rim has an outer diameter of 584mm, and a 650x57c Schwalbe tyre has an outer diameter of about 698mm. Why? It is complicated so Google it.

So you want to convert your 26er to 650B*? First, you will need to test a 650B back wheel and tyre in your 26er frame to check clearance and if you have a full suspension you’ll need to empty your rear shock of air so that it is fully compressed.

You will need a Lefty 26er or Fox 26er fork (note that Fox does not endorse this conversion and it won’t work on tyres bigger that 2.1” wide), or buy a 650B specifi c fork.

And then if all goes well, you will need to purchase a new set of rims, new spokes, new tyres and a new tubeless conversion. This will cost

THE INS AND OUTS OF

65OB65OB65OB

Here’s a refresher of the wheel size theory:◆ 26” WHEEL◆ 27.5” WHEEL◆ 29” WHEEL

Finally where are 650B, 29ers and 26ers going to be in 5 years? Here are our predictions. For XC bikes and Trail bikes (i.e. travel up to 140mm}, we agree that 29ers are the best, but for Freeride and DH bikes (travel over 150mm), the 650B standard might be the ultimate choice. The 650b wheel allows better rear end travel designs for longer travel bikes where the large 29er wheel would just get in the way.

The alternative approach is basing the tyre size choice on the rider’s height, or in other words, treating adult riders like children, and we say why not? Kids have been sized according to tyre size and not frame size for decades… 12”, 16”, 20”, 24” and then onto 26ers when they hit puberty. So why not build Extra-small adult bikes as 26ers, Small and Medium bikes as 650B, and Large and Extra-large bikes as 29ers. We predicted this a year ago and it is actually beginning to happen.

So we end how we began, will we need to stock more tyres, tubes, rims, rim tape, spokes, wheels and bikes? Yes, but we don’t expect 650B to be “the next big thing” because we still genuinely believe that 29ers are the best for the majority South African riders. But for riders who are vertically challenged, or want more than 5” of travel, or don’t like the feeling from the larger 29er wheel, 650B will off er improved approach angles, grip and rolling momentum when compared to 26ers, and better handling, lower weight and longer travel when compared to 29ers.

◆ Please note that Full Sus would never openly endorse the circumventing of a manufacturers’ intended frame/wheel pairing in the manner that has been described in this column. It’s purely for theoretical purposes that this has been explained in such detail and should not be attempted at home.

27

Gear FS

adidas Evil Eye Halfrim ProThe evil eye sunnies by adidas are great pieces of kit for any MTB’er. With interchangeable lenses, a double strap nose bridge, ventilation to curb misting, polarised lenses and helmet compatibility, they have everything you need in a pair of sunglasses. They also make you look racy, which won’t make you any faster but let’s face it, it’s one of the most important aspects to consider when buying a pair of sunnies. Full Sus gave away two pairs in our launch edition and from the reader responses then it was clear that we’re not the only ones lusting after a pair of Evil Eyes… If you want to fi nd out more go to www.adidas.com.

Elevation Bicycle HoistStrapped for space? Store your bike out of the way by hoisting it to your garage ceiling with the Elevation Bicycle Hoist system. The simple pulley

system attaches to the bar and saddle of your bike, and allows you to raise your precious machine out of the way. The system includes all mounting hardware and ropes too. It’s quick, easy and can hoist up to 20kg. For more information on the Elevation Bicycle Hoist contact Johan Krugell on 072 788 6049 or at [email protected], and he’ll hook you up with free nationwide delivery. RRP R300.

Trek Energy BarsKate Slegrova told us about

Natural Balance Foods and as a top amateur

rider and great coach she does have a gravitas

which needs to be considered when

she gives advice. The Trek Energy Bars are high in

protein, made of wholefoods (oatie bits with real fruits and nuts) and taste like food should. Rather than munching one of those

synthetic tasting protein bars, complete with that odd whey protein texture, go for the more

natural alternative. Check out www.naturesdelicacies.

co.za for local distribution and www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk for all the

product information.

Trek Energy BarsTrek Energy BarsKate Slegrova told us about

Natural Balance Foods and as a top amateur

rider and great coach she does have a gravitas

which needs to be considered when

she gives advice. The Trek Energy Bars are high in

protein, made of wholefoods (oatie bits with real fruits and nuts) and taste like food

Prologo Nago Evo X8 CPC NackThe Nago Evo range of saddles features Prologo’s CPC technology and will keep you glued to your machine to ensure that you can put down all the power you have when you really need it. The patented CPC ‘volcanoes’ on the saddle grip to keep you in the optimal position, allow for vibration and shock absorption, and improved air fl ow, while the ergonomic design allows for a more comfortable peddle stroke. The test with road cyclists have been very impressive showing that the CPC saddles provide up to a 5% increase in power output when combined with their cycling glove range. While the MTB eff ects are as yet untested the MTB saddles have anecdotally proven to match their roadie stable mates. www.prologotouch.com

Lauf ForkThe bizarre looking Lauf Fork has been

around as a concept since December 2010, but on the back of its fi rst race

win on the 27th of June 2013 (ok it was a small race in Heidmork, Iceland – which

is hardly World Cup competition) and a strong showing at Eurobike it has

garnered a fair amount of interest. The suspension system works like that of a leaf sprung car and off ers 60mm of

travel on a fork weighing 980g (you’d be looking at 1 300 odd grams for the top

end Fox or Leftie 100m travel forks). You’ll be compromising on travel, but

saving on weight, plus it’s billed as virtually maintenance free.

For more on the Lauf Fork go to www.lauff orks.com.

No! No!The folks at no! no! are giving Full Sus readers FREE no!no! Smooth cream and a travel case worth R300 if you quote the code FULLSUS when ordering a no! no! on www.nono.co.za.

Shayne’s no! no! REVIEWMy no! no! arrived and I sceptically opened the box expecting one of those cheaply made gimmicks advertised on those annoying infomercials. I was pleasantly surprised; the no! no! is a well-made, sturdy and good looking item. Roughly the size of a small cell phone just chunkier, I quickly read through the instructions, had a laugh at Buks from Witbanks testimonial (he uses it for his stomach hair...why?) and raised an eyebrow when it stated that the smell of burning hair is normal and means your no! no! is working. Mmm ok…

I have to admit to waiting for the house to clear before I started my no! no! depilation experiment. I quickly came to two valuable lessons: use your clippers or beard trimmer to cut down the forest fi rst, it makes using the no! no! infi nitely quicker and secondly: be patient! It does take some time but I have to admit it is eff ective. Yip, there is a distinct smell of burnt hair – which meant I had to cop to my smooth calf when the family got home but it’s not that bad. The other thing that I can confi rm is that re-growth is slow, so that’s a bonus. I can’t confi rm their claim of 60% less hair yet, my assumption is that this will happen over time and with regular use - I hope it’s not so from just one use otherwise my legs are going to look pretty weird... and that’s a no no.

28

FS photo of the month

Oak Pics is a Strand based photographic company. They shoot a vast array of events,

covering everything from wild horses to

weddings. But it’s in MTB that they’ve

carved out a niche as one of the leaders in the fi eld. If you spot

them on the trails, usually when you’re

picking yourself up after an unexpected

brush with the ground, you can purchase the

photos directly from their website.

Or book them to shoot your event.

Contact them at www.oakpics.com or

021 854 8723

FS

Oak Pics is a

Timothy Rimell of Paul

Roos Gymnasium taking

an ill-conceived short cut

during the Stellenbosch

Spur Schools’ series race.

FS Competition

Stand a chance to win one of two pairs of Rudy Project Profl ow sunglasses by telling us where you’ve been getting your copy of Full Sus.THE PRIZE: Win a pair of Rudy Project Proflow sunglasses. The new Proflow range builds on the great features of Rudy Project’s previous ranges by adding Suspended Hinge Geometry, a CarbonCore Chassis and the Total Comfort System for full adjustability. Furthermore, a newly integrated Air Conditioning system uses specifically crafted air channels on the side of each temple to reduce

thermal shock and prevent fogging via the Venturi effect. The Proflow comes with Polarized Photochromic, Neutral Lenses which offer 12 to 30% light transmission, and the ability to switch out lenses to better adapt to the lighting conditions. To top it all they come in at an impressive 35 grams. To find out more go to www.e-rudy.com.

HOW TO WIN: Drop us an email by the 20th of October, with the subject: “Where I grabbed Full Sus” to [email protected] and tell us where you picked up your copy of Full Sus MTB Monthly. Two readers will be drawn at random and each win a pair of Rudy Project Profl ow sunglasses. Remember to include your full name, ID number, physical address and a contact number in your e-mail.

winwin

DOUBLE your chances by liking and sharing us at

www.facebook.com/fullsussa

Crank length in my opinion, is one of the most over looked aspects of mountain bike

set-up that can have a big impact on performance. I often come across shorter athletes and girls obliviously trying to mash a 175mm crank effi ciently. It is the fi rst metric I normally check when asked to advise someone on their bike set-up.

The most common misnomer regarding crank length is that a longer leaver is better for producing more power. But if you are a slight athlete with a limited or untrained power output having a longer leaver arm will be more of a hindrance than a help. Training harder will give you more power, a longer crank won’t. In fact recent research has shown a faster time to maximum power is more easily achievable with a shorter crank arm than a longer one and the school of thought amongst many top coaches has shifted to the shorter lengths particularly in time trialing.

For taller riders the margin for error is smaller as there really is only one option available (175mm) but take myself for example I am of average height for a guy (178cm) and saw a marked increase in power, economy of pedaling and comfort when I eventually moved back to my crank length of choice (172.5mm), having spent 2 years trying to conform to the mountain bike norm of longer cranks.

Shorter cranks also encourage faster pedaling or higher cadence and again increased effi ciency of pedaling. Anything that allows us to have a snappier pedal stroke in my books is a performance gain.

So how do you know what crank length you should be using and where do you fi nd the in-between sizes? Use your common sense; if you’re 6 feet tall then the longer 175mm will be fi ne for your anatomy. Likewise for the shorter athlete, get some advice from an experienced bike fi tter. Both Rotor and Cannondale’s hologram cranks use the same arm throughout their crank line-up and are confi gurable to the same options available on a road bike. Specialized also have some confi gurability in their crank selection, but you will unfortunately be governed by the bottom bracket spec on your bike. With a bit of research though you’ll discover there

are brands out there that will allow you to give a bit more thought to your MTB crank length.

The other trend relevant to pedaling economy is oval shaped chainrings. The science of the oval chainring is an article on its own, but the basis of it is increasing your chainring size through the most powerful phase of your pedal stroke and decreasing it through the weakest phase. This will allow you to move through your weakest point quickly so that you can spend more time at your most powerful. The science is convincing and the fact that the last two Tour de France’s have been won on them should be enough of a temptation to give them a try, if you are looking for marginal gains. Like any technical piece of equipment there is much more margin in improving your physiology through correct training fi rst before fi tting the latest and lightest equipment.

David George EXPERIENCE FS

David George made his name as a roadie and since switching his slicks for knobblies he has clocked up many miles

at the sharp end of the racing pack.He’ll be sharing hs extensive biking

knowledge with Full Sus readers in his monthly column

David George says he’s never really understood why when selecting crank length on a road bike riders have such a wide selection of lengths available in 2.5mm increments from 165mm all they way up to 180mm, to accommodate for a wide variety of anatomies. Yet on a mountain bike most of the major brands and parts manufacturers off er only two options 170 or 175.

LIKE ANY TECHNICAL PIECE OF EQUIP MENT THERE IS MUCH MORE MARGIN IN IMPROVING YOUR PHYSIOLOGY THROUGH CORRECT TRAINING FIRST BEFORE FITTING THE LATEST AND LIGHTEST EQUIPMENT

are brands out there that will allow

shaped chainrings. The science of the oval chainring is an article on its

says he’s never really understood why when selecting crank length on a road bike riders have such a wide selection of lengths available in 2.5mm increments from 165mm all they way up to 180mm, to accommodate for a wide variety of

David George says he’s never really understood why when

HOW LONG IS YOUR

crank?

www.thehubsa.co.za

On the hunt for parts?Buy, Sell and Trade in our ClassifiedsOver 3500 new listings and 150 000 visitors each month

CALENDARAdvertise your event in Full Sus and we will send you copies of the paper for your goodie bags or registration table. Call Julia on 021 685 0285/6

OCTOBER Must do events19 October: ■ 2keep-a-breast MTB Challenge (Western Cape)The Overgaauw Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch Wine region plays host to an event for a very worthy cause. Organised by Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes Attorneys, all proceeds of the four events go to CANSA and Cancervive. There are 45, 35, 15 and 5km routes which cost R160, R130, R110 and R40 respectively. You can enter online at Quicket.co.za until the 16th of October and for more info you can email [email protected].

19 October: ■ Beast of the East MTB Challenge (Gauteng)

It’s got a scary name but with a bunch of distances on off er it doesn’t have to be a terrifying experience. Starting in Hazeldean Square, Pretoria there are 65km, 45km and 20km options at a cost of R180, R150 and R100 respectively. Online entries are available through the Cycleevents.co.za website and they close on the 17th at 23:00, so you can make the decision to ride in the week of the race.

26 October: ■ Sabie Shenanigan MTB Rally (Mpumalanga)If you need to escape to one of the country’s most beautiful areas for a weekend why not visit Sabie in the

heart of Mpumalanga for the Sabie Shenanigan MTB Rally? It’s a race like no other following a motor racing style rally format in which three rider teams complete a 75km course with a 47km day leg and a 28km night leg. The entry fee is R450 for a team of three and you can fi nd out more on www.sabie.co.za or by calling the race offi ce at 013 764 3500. Entries close on the 18th of October.

27 October: ■ Gears for Ears (KZN)Get down to Holla Trails in Ballito on the 27th of October to enjoy some great racing tracks in the sugar cane and forests. Gears for Ears is a fundraiser for cochlear implant

candidates and riders have the choice between a tough 50km or fun 19km route, both of which feature sections of thrilling single track. Entry fees are R150 and R100 respectively until the 23rd of October, where after there is a late entry penalty of R20. You can enter online on ROAG.co.za and the event is also the eight even in the ROAG series.

Mpumalanga

Limpopo

Northern Cape

Gauteng

Eastern Cape

Free State

Western Cape

KZN

North West

Out in Africa

CALENDAR KEY

SUS THE BEST OF November

MPUMALANGA 16 Misty Valley MTB

Championships 2013 30 Sabie Noon to Moon

LIMPOPO 23 Rust de Winter MTB Challenge

NORTHERN CAPE9 Goegap Mountain Bike Race

GAUTENG2 Xtrail MTB Series – Event # 11 3 Babba’s Lodge MTB Series 2013 -

Event # 11 10 94.7 MTB Challenge 16 XCOSA.co.za Series Grand Finale

EASTERN CAPE2 Thomas River MTB Challenge

10 Fat Track Woodbridge Classic 14 Lord of the Chain Rings

FREE STATE2 CAPEParys Island Dirtmax MTB

Race 2013 30 Rhino River Run Mountain Biking

Series – Event #9

WESTERN CAPE 1 Wine-2-Whales Adventure 3 Cape Town Mtb Downhill 4 Wines2Whales Ride 8 Wine-2-Whales Race 16 To Hell and Back 23 Apieskloof Kronkel 24 Delheim MTB Day 29 Pennypinchers Origin Of Trails 30 Faircape MTB KZN 9 KIA KZN Expedition 10 Fish Eagle Challenge 15 Mountain Splendour Mania NORTH WEST 3 The Tracker Corporate MTB

Challenge Series - Event #3 10 Van Gaalens Magalies Mountain

Bike Orienteering

December RACE CALENDAR MPUMALANGA 13 Sabie Xperience Stage Race LIMPOPO 7 Sondela MTB Stage Race

GAUTENG 7 Bryton Vori - Berg MTB Series 6 15 Babbas Lodge MTB Super Series 6 14 Xtrail MTB Series EASTERN CAPE 1 CycloPro Longmore Classic FREE STATE 28 Rhino River Run Mountain Biking

Series #10 WESTERN CAPE 7 MyTracX Night Series#3 8 Spur Adventure Duo and Sprint

Race #3 14 Leeuwenboschfontein 3 Day MTB 21 X Lakes Summer MTB 22 PSG Garden Route Trail Bike and

Run #1 26 Hartenbos MTB & Road Race 29 PSG Garden Route Trail Bike and

Run #2 KZN 1 Virgina Trails Xmas Ride 8 Stihl Sharks Trail Adventure

NORTH WEST 16 Redstone MTB Series #6 OUT IN AFRICA 28 New Years in Lesotho (Lesotho)

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

Harrie Malan of Paul Roos Gymnasium laying down the power in the Spur School Series.

Classifieds FS

CLASSIFIEDSfullsus

Visit us at our shop Uitzicht Centre, Vatican Street,

Uitzicht, Durbanville.Tel: 021 975 9255

www.capetowncycles.co.zaAuthorised dealer for:

Momsen, Morewood & GT

Cape Town CyclesCome check out our exciting

range of cycles and accessories. We’re committed to outstanding

quality and customer service. Bring your bike in for a service

and you’ll see, we strive to exceed your expectations.

Too busy to take your bicycle in for a service?We Collect, Repairand Deliver!Available in the Cape Town areaIn association with BMC

Call: 083 452 0242Email: [email protected] Book: www.getafixcycles.com

ULTIMATE CONVENIENCE! Getafix Cycles

The 60 x 112.5mm size is bigger than the traditional classified at a great price. And if you’re a Local Bike Shop that great price is even further reduced! The classifieds offers you the opportunity to broadcast your specials, highlight the unique products you stock and attract new customers.

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYfullsus

Authorised dealer: Cannondale, Trek, Merida, Fondriest, GT

SERVICE! SERVICE! SERVICE!Ride before you buy

www.freewheel.co.za, Tel: 021 762 4472, Email: [email protected], Address: 317 Main Road, Kenilworth, Cape Town.

Freewheel Cycology @freewheelza

31

ADVERTISE

ADVERTISE

Advertise in the classified section of Full Sus and reach over 24 000 MTB readers through a circulation of over 12 500 newspapers distributed countrywide in over 150 bike shops and at selected events every month!

TO ADVERTISE IN THE FULL SUS CLASSIFIEDS GIVE JULIA A CALL ON 021 685 0285/6 OR DROP HER AN EMAIL AT [email protected]

Sell■ Buy■ Cycle■

G E A R

The Podium does not lie.The Podium does not lie.

With more than 10 podiumsat the maritzburg worlds27.5 is not in between .

it’s simply -

STIFFERLIGHTERFASTER

STIFFERLIGHTERFASTER

see full range http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-za/http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-za/

Full Sus October Issue

Documents

Transcript of Full Sus October Issue