full sus august 2014

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FullSussa

@FullSussa

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYMOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLY

FREEAugust Issue 2014, Vol 16

www.issuu.com/FullSussa full sus

Bike Review pg16

MTN National Series pg14

Dusi2cpg24

Coachingpg18

Sani2c by cyclocross pg08

We’re very fortunate in South Africa to be spoilt with a massive array of mountain

biking events. From the world’s biggest stage race in terms of sheer participation numbers, in the sani2c, to the host of weekend races, conveniently held nearly every weekend in the Western Cape and KZN in particular. Most of those races are well organised and the more established races are world leaders. The MTN National Series for example is the envy of marathon racers the world over. But while there is room for improvement in even the slickest running local race, sadly there is signifi cant room for improvement in other races. Others are just down right terrible.

If you’re an event organiser, you need to take an honest look at your events and fi x where you’re going wrong before riders simply stop entering your events.

You should have ridden a fat bike Technical routes, though a constant source of complaints due to the perceived inability of fellow riders to navigate technical challenges with enough speed, aren’t an issue in themselves and the matter is actually quite easily resolved. But more on that later…

The real issues arise from long sections of unrideable terrain. Kilometres of soft sand, unless it’s Stage One of the Epic (where the aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff ) should be a major no. A couple of sandy stretches are okay, but when then entire fi eld is reduced to trudging along pushing their bikes for 20 out of the 60 kilometres you’ve got it wrong. And you should have known better! Sand is avoidable too, it’s not like things suddenly become sandy overnight, riders are understanding if torrential rain turns a route to a mud bath or washes dongas into your trail, that’s nature. Planning your route along a sandy road is stupidity.

Route markers? Where were they?!?The second route issue that kills the enthusiasm of a fi eld is poor route marking. Now as I heard an organiser say recently, “[you] can’t mark for stupidity”, and that’s true, some people can get lost even with ideal route marking. But the general rule of having a clearly designated route with arrow boards at every intersection is a must, unless your route is GPS navigated. Go for bright contrasting colours and place them in highly visible locations, not half

behind bushes. An odd bit of red or yellow duct tape on bushes or trees lining the route will let riders know they’re still on the right track between the markers; just remember to remove them after the race.

Then it’s also important to brief the marshals. They have to know which direction riders need to go and it’s especially important where various distances split.

And fi nally, how about a bit of route marking improvement, why not introduce pre-signals for high speed corners?

SafetyThe safety of every rider in the fi eld

should be your number one priority. I was told by a friend about a race he did in June where there was not a single medic on the route. That’s bordering on criminal negligence. Accidents happen and as a race organiser you need to be prepared to deal with worst case scenarios.

You should mitigate the risk by off ering chicken runs for potentially dangerous route features, and if that’s not possible communicate clearly to the riders that they will need to be able to safely navigate that particular challenge in order to

We’re sure you’ve done at least one. A shocker. A race that’s poorly organised. A route that’s poorly marked. A course that’s generally unrideable. We’ve used some of our reader survey data and Seamus Allardice spoke to a bunch of riders about what bugs them about, and on, mountain bike races and used that information to produce a guide for race organisers to help get all little local races up to a general standard.

Where to Improve

Single Day Races

WW

W.O

AK

PIC

S.C

OM

Make use of clear and highly visible route marking to keep race entrants safe and on the right track.

2

the Local Bike Shop: Trail and Tar - Tokai (021) 712 1781SUSSUSThe clientele of Trail and Tar in Tokai were particularly eager to respond to the Full Sus reader survey in the June/July issue and so we’re featuring their local bike shop this month. Trail and Tar is arguably Cape Town’s best located bike shop, with a prime position on the way up to the Tokai Arboretum on Tokai Road, it’s a convenient stop for those pre or post ride necessities.

They’ve got a great work shop,

which forms the heart of the shop,

where you can watch the guys work

on your beloved bike while you enjoy

a free coff ee. Full Sus regular Debbie

Stopforth runs her Dynamic Bike Fit

studio from Trail and Tar, and they

boast an in-house physio too. Trail

and Tar is primarily a Rocky Mountain

dealer, so if you’re after a boutique

Canadian mountain bike they’re the

place to go, but they also stock GT

and Trek bikes.

They’re big on their trail running

too and in addition to the trail

running gear they stock they also

organise a weekly social run that

leaves from the Arboretum at 17:30

every Wednesday.

They’re very socially active

so follow them on Twitter at

@TrailandTar or on Facebook at Trail

and Tar. For more information go to

www.trailandtar.co.za.

CALLING ALL BIKE SHOPSTo get your bike shop featured here all you have to do is ensure that all your clients get a copy of Full Sus and enter the competition. The shop with the most competition entrants wins!

FS Editorial

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS: 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.

Publishing Editor: Shayne [email protected] Editor: Seamus [email protected] Director: Megan [email protected]: Shayne DowlingSales: Jess Nosworthy [email protected] & Promotions: Ashley Attwood [email protected]: Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze

Snr & Jnr, Jacques Marais,

Full Sus ALLIANCE PARTNERS

Head Offi ce | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285Address: Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701

The teamSUSSUS Dr Mike Posthumus, Rochez O’Grady,

James Thornhill-Fisher, Sarah Walker,

Jeanne-Louise Wiese & Erik Kleinhans

Rogue Contributor: David Bristow

Photography: Ashley Attwood, Oakpics.com,

Cherie Vale Newsport Media and thinkstock.com.

Contributors: Steve Smith, Robbie Powel,

cott Craig-Mackie & Rudolf Zuidema.

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.

Calling all

Bike S

hops

So here I am crawling out of my winter

fi tness protection program and boy is it hard to get back into it. Not because I don’t

want to but silly little things from bike problems – primarily as a result of poor communication and eff ort by both my LBS and the local distributor of a boutique brand – lesson learnt – if your car was in the shop you would bug them endlessly – do the same with your “baby” – to health issues (not much you can do here) – to freezing, wet weather that is handled a lot better by the fi rst rule of the fi tness protection program: stay on the couch at all costs!

So the bike fi nally got fi xed and I have (had) run out of excuses and its back on the saddle. Listen let’s be honest riding in the Western Cape winter is not for poofters: it’s been so cold that brass monkey’s are the least of ones concerns, chocolate mousse is standard fare and chain suck is something that’s part of the ride, ensuring your temperament is tested to the very limit. That being said there is a really cool sense of achievement having reached the peak and standing blowing smoke rings while looking down at the city, or stumbling into your local coff ee shop and tucking into your favourite

hot bevi and eggs benni to swop war stories with your mates. Nothing quite like being back in the saddle!

Oh and while on the eggs benni: no carbs, gluten free, no nuts, caulifl ower eggs, fat-free bacon and just the hole of the bagel please….really? Phew I am really getting over all these food freaks – have you tried to have someone around for dinner lately? Yes, I should be, have been and am trying to bant, Noak, x-dieting, starve and generally try anything to lose weight – not only to try and keep up with most of my mates but also just because I need to lose weight – but for goodness sake. I so hate extremes, surely common sense should come into play here? And if you are doing the latest thing, then please be considerate to those who aren’t… I, for one, feel pizza should be mandatory on all eating plans.

My real pudding (and it has no carbs…) has been my fi rst serious sports massage, post a nice long ride. I booked a session with Di Carolin – who is a top amateur lady rider and as a qualifi ed sports masseur has practised all over the world – after a chat about my aches and pains – which as an athlete she understood immediately – she attacked. I was a mixture of tears and drool. Di found all my knots and sore points and worked the hell out of them. I left with a lop-sided grin and felt a little tender; but what a diff erence. I can say without a doubt my post-ride

Coming out of the fi tness protection program…

the winnerSUSSUSCongratulations to Tim Hoek of Somerset West, you have won a pair of entries to the awesome Pennypinchers Origin of Trails in November. The Pennypinchers Origin of Trails is a two day stage race through the winelands and mountains surrounding Stellenbosch on the 28th and 29th of November 2014. The race is set to take in a world fi rst so don’t miss it if you can possibly help it. Follow @OriginOfTrails for regular updates.

recovery was signifi cantly quicker, my aches all but gone. I am a convert and massage is now fi rmly part of my training regime. We have asked Di to write us a piece or two on massage – what it’s about, how it works, the benefi ts and pros of including it in your cycling life. Look out for the fi rst article in the next Full Sus.

Finally a good mate of mine and contributor to Full Sus, Dominic Malan was attacked early morning on his way to our local riding haven Tokai. Fortunately Dom managed

to get away from the thugs – he was lucky. He immediately sent out a message to everyone warning against riding alone. First I am really glad that Dom is ok but I am furious that we cannot even ride our bikes without fear of being attacked for our possessions – WTF?!? Understandably the police cannot be everywhere but we do need some fi rm action against these criminals! Please take care out there, think about where and when you are riding and try at all times ride with a friend or group. It is beyond frustrating as it seems like we are helpless against these fi ends. Don’t take them on, but don’t let them run us off our bikes! Be safe! See you on the trailsCheers

YOUR BODY IS JUST AS UNIQUE AS THE RIDING YOU DO. BODY GEOMETRY HELPS TAILOR THAT UNIQUENESS INTO A SEAMLESS COMBINATION OF RIDER AND MACHINE. WITH BODY GEOMETRY SHOES, SADDLES, GLOVES AND THE BODY GEOMETRY FIT METHODOLOGY, WE’VE ENGINEERED A FULL RANGE OF PRODUCTS THAT HELP YOU CLIMB FASTER, DESCEND MORE CONFIDENTLY AND RIDE WITH LESS FATIGUE. BECAUSE THE LESS YOU THINK ABOUT THE BIKE, THE MORE TIME YOU HAVE TO ENJOY THE RIDE. SPECIALIZED.COM/BODYGEOMETRY

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FS News ISUZU Trucks PE PlettThe Adventure Provience is currently making a strong surge to take over mountain biking in South Africa. The PwC Great Zuurberg Trek lauched to resounding praise in May, the JBay Winter Festival’s moutain biking race drew 2 000 riders and now it’s nearly time for the established Eastern Cape stage race, the Isuzu Trucks PE Plett.

From the 13th to the 16th of September 400 riders will take to the hills and dales between Plett and Port Elizabeth, spending four days racing 378 of South Africa’s most beautiful kilometres. The PE Plett launched in 2013 with the South ride and this year sees the route reverse as it visits, Kareedouw, Henkey and Woodridge School before fi nishing at Boardwalk Casino in PE. There is a total of R172 800 in prize money up for grabs for the racers in the fi eld and the race will feature a brand new chill zone, WiFi in the race villages, cell phone charging and laundry facilities. Isuzu Trucks are supplying a “Gig Rig” of note and the mobile dining hall has been revamped from last year.

It promises to be a challenging but rewarding race and one not to be missed. Especially as Red Cherry’s charity Touch Africa are partnering up with the LumoHawk Foundation to help the underprivileged children on the route. By helping fi nance a new crèche in Humansdorp and a library in Port Elizabeth. You can fi nd out more about the PE Plett by going to www.peplett.co.za or following @PEPlett on Twitter. Race entries are open but don’t delay, enter today.

news

The trailsSUSSUS Slipperfi elds MountainBike TrailsNearest Town: Port ElizabethDistances: 20km & 10km options with another 15km under constructionMore info: www.slipperfi elds.co.za

More Top MTB TrailsFans of Jacques Marais’ Trails Feature and his Top MTB Trails book will be thrilled to hear that the sequel is nearly upon us. The book entitled More Top MTB Trails covers over 100 routes in the Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and

North West provinces. The book focuses on 31 top trails with detailed mapping including GPS co-ordinates of the start point, 63 other recommended routes and 49 minor trails. Six of the top routes in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland are also mentioned.

The book take on the same format as Marais’ fi rst title so you’ll be familiar with the format making it easy to plan your next mountain biking holiday. More Top MTB Trails will retail for R250 and you’ll be able to grab a copy from selected book stores from late August.

North West provinces. The book focuses on 31

Impala Ranch TrailsNearest Town: Jeff rey’s BayDistances: 17km for now with much more on the wayMore info: www.impalaranchmtb.com

Benoni Country ClubNearest Town: BenoniDistances: 5km and 11kmMore info: www.benonicc.co.za

The winter months are a great time to spend digging! And it seems that the Eastern Cape in particular

is a-buzz with trail building activity this year. The Slipperfi elds Mountain Bike Trails outside PE opened in April, while the Impala Ranch Trails near Jeff rey’s Bay have hosted a couple of races but are not yet offi cially open to the general public. In Gauteng meanwhile, an exciting development was concluded at the Benoni Country Club. With golf course income dwindling the Benoni Country Club invested in MTB trails on the club grounds. The route planners have made every eff ort to ensure that both golf and mountain biking can co-exist simultaneously on the property. We hope it’s the fi rst of many golf course/MTB routes in SA!

NEW TRAILS

Your perfect get-awaySituated just outside Water Boven, close to the Kruger National Park and the scenic Blyde River Canyon. Enjoy the hiking & bike trails, swimming pool, restaurant, bar and spa on site. Address: N4, Sycamore, Waterval Boven, 1195Email: [email protected]: 013 257 5300 Fax: 013 257 5315www.malaga.co.za

Your exquisite get-away in the Magalies mountains!• Golf • Tennis • Bowls • Gym • Spa • Hiking & Bike trails • Game drives • Pony rides • Swimming poolAddress: R24-Rustenberg/Krugersdorp Road, Rustenberg.Email: [email protected] Tel: 014 537 8300 Fax: 014 537 8400www.huntersrest.co.za

bicycle company

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FS Guide for Race Organisers

6

from page 1complete the race. If they can’t do so, they can’t enter. Don’t downplay the danger for fear of losing out on potential race entrants. Surely having someone seriously injure themselves (or worse) at your race is far worse than having a half fi lled fi eld?

Another safety issue is road closers and road crossings. Make sure your marshals are switched on to the very real danger. One of South Africa’s top multisport athletes was very nearly hit by a car at a road crossing because the marshal was taken by surprise at his early arrival.

CommunicateHere we get into the Doctor Phil stuff , but it needs to be said so read on.

Providing a race briefi ng in Afrikaans isn’t ideal. Even if you’re organising a race in a small town, with the growth of mountain biking in SA, there will be a foreigner or two in the fi eld. And if you speak only Afrikaans they won’t know what’s potting, I’m afraid. So for the sake of clarity please do the race briefi ng in English, or at least repeat the key points, like what colour markers to follow, in English.

If you go to the expense of hiring an MC, brief them well. And if you get a chatty mate to do it, don’t let them waffl e on, get the essential information across rather than let them go on until everyone realises how disorganised things are behind the scenes.

Communication includes making eff ective use of the media. If you’re organising a small event it might sound daunting, but it really shouldn’t be. Here’s what you need to do. If you can’t aff ord a website, and even if you can, set up a Facebook fan page. Not a Facebook event. Then produce press releases about your event, one to announce its launch at least six months before the race date, monthly reminders about the event – try to keep them fresh and interesting – a prerace briefi ng in the week before the race and a post-race report. If you don’t know who to send the press releases to you can start by sending them to [email protected] and if you’re nice the Full Sus team might just give you the contact information for the relevant people at the other publications too.

Yes not all your press releases will be published everywhere. But every little bit helps. And if you can aff ord a bit of advertising it’ll greatly help ensure your content get published too. It might sound a bit “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”, but remember that the publications are businesses too and although all we want to do is ride too, we need to fi nd a way of paying the bills, just like you.

Then start building a database of email addresses of race entrants. Send them newsletters about your races, it’s the most powerful way of

building a loyal group of riders – if you keep them happy by providing good quality races, that is. But please don’t just send a normal email, make it look good. An easy way to do that is to sign up for a free ChimpMail newsletter creation account.

Added ValuePeople love free stuff . And as a result goodie bags are always appreciated, but it’s still a good idea to keep the products vaguely mountain biking related. If you really want to treat your entrants, give us a call a month before the event and let us know that you’d like copies of Full Sus for your goodie bags. If we haven’t allocated them all for that month yet (the earlier you ask the better for you) we’ll send you copies of the latest issue.

The great technical debateEveryone likes to moan about slow riders holding them up in the singletrack. But singletrack bottle necks are an inevitability, they even happen in the Elite Men’s races in UCI World Cup events. There are a few ways of reducing the issues. Firstly institute batch starts. Secondly spread the fi eld with a good few kilometres of jeep track or gravel road and ideally a sharp climb before the fi rst stretch of singletrack. Thirdly if you’ve got a technical feature that’s sure to cause riders to slam on the brakes off er a chicken run and brief the riders and the marshals thoroughly.

If you’re reading this and have never been held up in the singletrack, go book a skills session now because you’re holding everyone else up. And if you’re the one moaning after every ride about being held up lay off the beer and ride more, if you’re fi tter you’ll be ahead of

those riders you love moaning about next time you get to a stretch of singletrack.

For race organisers you also need to communicate the technicality of the trails to the race entrants. The easiest way is to grade the trails according to the International Mountain Biking Association’s “Trail Diffi culty Ratings and Signs” criteria, that way races around the country can be judged relatively objectively against each other. Again be honest though, don’t promise black diamond and deliver green, or vice versa.

A fi nal wordAccording to the responses to the Full Sus reader survey only 15% of our readers want a fi nishers medal, 23% would prefer a unique trinket (like a wire bicycle – but those are getting tired quickly too), 24% of riders would rather you didn’t charge that extra R40 or so that the medal costs and make do with only a cup Coke after crossing the fi nish line. The largest number of riders though, 38%, would prefer a photo of themselves in the race, so advice we’d give race organisers is to spend the cash on event photographers and send each rider a nice photo of themselves. If you add subtle branding you’ll be getting free advertising all year from those photos too as riders use them as profi le photos or hang them up in their offi ces.

Beg to diff er?If you’ve got a complaint, a question or just looking for a sounding board for improving and growing your small event give us a shout. Email [email protected] or join the debate on Twitter by tweeting @FullSussa with your #RaceImprovement.

How often do you enter MTB Races?

More than once a month

Once a month

Once every two months

Once every three months or less

If you have the choice which of the following would you like?

A fi nisher’s medal

A commemorative trinket (like a wire bicycle)

A discounted race entry (to the value of the medal

or trinket)

A photo of yourself from the event

What type of race do you enter most often?

Short single day races (15km or less)

Medium length single day races (+35km)

Single day marathon races (45km+)

Single day marathon races that form

part of a national series

Short stage races (2-3 days long)

Long stage races ( 4 days+)

Enduro races

27%

27%

22%

24%

38%

15%

23%

24%

55%

9%

8%6%

19%

1%2%

Scan the QR code to read the IMBA trail grading guide.

from page 4

The industry leaders in the shop fi tting and integrated retail solutions, for their dealers – Specialized – are opening two new Concept Stores in Cape Town in the coming months. In the heart of the Mother City at 177 Bree Street, the Revolution Cycles team will be opening an all new store. They’ve built up a cult following over the years and with space being an issue at their 171 Bree Street the addition of a new store dedicated to Specialized will have the regulars, and lots of new clientele, frothing.

Meanwhile in the Southern Suburbs, Freewheel Cycology at 317 Main Road Kenilworth, is knocking down walls and expanding to make space for all the Concept Store bells and whistles. Freewheel have had the Specialized dealership for just under a month and the bikes have been fl ying off the shop fl oor, so all indications are that a Southern Suburbs Concept Store was long overdue.

Full Sus will be brining you photos and the full story once the stores offi cially open, so watch this space. In the meantime pop by Revolution or Freewheel for a chat about the 2015 Specialized bikes, there are some exciting things on the way… apparently.

On Mandela Day the Full Sus team and Trail and Tar organised a little 67 Minutes mountain bike ride to raise funds for Qhubeka’s 67 Bicycles project and to do our bit for Mandela Day. The Cape weather didn’t exactly come to the party, but we were still chuff ed with the turnout. Full Sus would like to thank to all of you who joined us and extend a special thanks to the guides for the day, Diana Carolin, Darren Lill, Waylon Woolcok and Charles Keey for showing the Tokai newbies around.

Qhubeka’s 67 Bicycles project for Mandela Day aimed to raise the funds for 67 Buff alo Bicycles for

children in rural areas who have to travel more than an hour to school every day. Children provided with a bicycle, the Qhubeka research shows, improves school attendence to over 80% from 65%. Even if you missed the Full Sus 67 Minutes ride, or any of the other 67 Minutes rides, you can still donate to the Qhubeka 67 Bicycles project by going to their Give ‘n Gain profi le at qhubeka.givengain.org.

Next year we’re ramping it up from 67 minutes to 67km and we’d love for you to get involved. Stay tuned to Full Sus in 2015 for more info.

One of the Western Cape’s best riding regions is undoubtedly the Riviersonderend Mountains. They’ve been visited by the 2014 ABSA Cape Epic already and the Greyton Tour will be visiting them at the end of August. And in September, when the weather is beginning to clear, they play host to the Ride2Nowhere.

Running in a clover leaf format (surely the most comfortable stage race format) the Ride2Nowhere is based in the sleepy village of McGregor on the Northern side of the Sonderend Mountains. It off ers riders the opportunity to ride a three day stage race of either 60-65km per day or a shorter 40-45km per day, making it perfect for riders looking to try a stage race seriously or just looking for an excuse for a weekend away. It’s billed as the race “where racing snakes and weekend warriors meet and compete for fun,” and we can’t top that.

Find out more at www.ride2nowhere.co.za or follow the race on Twitter at @Ride2Nowhere1.

SPECIALIZED CONCEPT STORES

full sus 67 Minute Ride for Qhubeka

Ride2NowhereRide2Nowherenews

Tip Trans Cederberg MTB XperienceDate: 6 September 2014Venue: Citrusdal ByDi Dam ResortDistances: 115km Race & 40km Fun ridePrize money and lucky drawsScenic route: come enjoy spring in the veldR20 000 in Prize money to be won!more info: www.makadasadventures.co.zamore info: www.makadasadventures.co.za

8

FS Taking on the trails on a cross bike

“Now one of us had forgotten to turn right and punched a large hole in a sizey field of KZN’s finest sugar cane.”

I couldn’t see Matt, but looking at the bicycle-shape hole in the sugar cane, I had a pretty good idea

where he was. As usual, Matthew de Jongh, my race partner and good mate had shot down the hill ahead of me. And I was fi ne with this. Thanks to his superior bike skills and a total disregard for personal preservation, Matt was easily the quicker of team Subaru CAR’s two riders when it came to descents.

By now we were deep into stage three of the sani2c Race and, by his own admission, Matt had gotten a little cocky. Me too, to be honest. You can’t really blame us. Two-and-a-half days earlier we’d lined up with our fellow batch H riders at the Underberg Primary School ground. And, frankly, we were kakking ourselves. What lay before was the unknown… the unchartered… virgin territory… I swear you could hear a lone bugler in the background. As far as we knew, no-one had attempted this iconic South African stage race on a cyclocross bike before and we weren’t sure if our equipment or bodies would be up to it.

For the preceding couple of months both of us had been riding our steel-framed Cotic>X<cyclocrossers on the mountain trails of Cape Town (me) and Pretoria (Matt). We’d gradually gotten used to the bikes’ handling characteristics on rough terrain and identifi ed the correct spec we needed

for a stage race (see sidebar for that). Remember that cyclocross bikes have their origins in the muddy fi elds and gravel roads of Belgium and the Netherlands, not the razor-edged shale of Groenkloof and the granite-hard rock on Table Mountain.

Would the bikes hold up over three days of sani2c? And more importantly, what about our arses? Sure, we’d done the 2013 race on rigid-fork, singlespeed 29er Cotic Simple mountain bikes, which meant that both physically and metaphorically we were already somewhat hard-arsed, but this was a whole other level. At least on those Simples we had large-volume 29 x 2.3 tyres infl ated to the pressure of a party balloon. They were positively plushy compared to the teethrattlers we were now sitting on.

We hadn’t told sani2c’s acclaimed race founder and organizer Farmer Glen Haw about our plans either. Afraid he might nix it, we decided instead to pitch up at the start, sneak into our starting batch and (hopefully) once stage one was successfully completed, they couldn’t really boot us off . Yes, this was a mountain bike race but, hey, these were the bikes we regularly rode on the mountains.

There was also a performance upside to choosing a cyclocross bike as our Sani weapon of choice. There’s a fair amount of district road on the race route and here the bikes should come into their own. After the lycra-

The Nedbank sani2c is known for its manicured singletrack, but as Steve Smith discovered, on a cyclocross bike it’s not as smooth as a plush full suspension 29er makes it feel. Photos by Jetline Action Photo.

sani2c by cyclocross

melting cadence employed last year trying to keep up with everyone along the fl at bits on our single speeds, the cyclocrossers would allow us to snick it into a big gear, hunker down on the drops and leave those dual sussers bobbing up and down behind us in the fi ne KZN dust.

And for those initial two-and-a-half days it all went according to plan and despite being a little slow on the downhill singletrack, we passed plenty of riders on the district roads. Stage one was physically the roughest, with some corrugated

singletrack descents that really hurt our arms and wrists. The Hope V-Twin hydraulic disc brakes work well enough but require a lot of pressure to really make them bite. That means all descents must be tackled with hands positioned on the handle bar drops, nose right over the

front wheel, and fi ngers pulling on the levers for all they’re worth. Do that a few times down hard-packed, rutted singletrack and you get the kind of forearm pump Arnie Schwarzenegger would high-fi ve you for.

We were also worried about our skinny tyres. Would they hold up on the rocky descents and give us enough traction on the steeper, more technical climbs? Fortunately, experience on a rigid-fork, singlespeed mountain bike proved invaluable here. You get used to constantly moving your body weight fore and aft to maximize front and backend grip and it also teaches you to concentrate all the time. There’s no chillaxing downhill, bombing straight over rocks and ruts – on the singlespeed you have to manage every single centimetre of the trail you’re riding. Miss one obstacle and you’re likely to see that arse you been so busy hardening. On the CX bike this is doubly so. Even though they’re tubeless, with their small volume rubber you still need to pump the tyres rock hard (4 bar) to prevent rim damage. And this makes the bike very, very twitchy over the rough stuff .

This concentration added a layer of mental fatigue that was even more taxing than the physical exertion.

Team Subaru CAR: Matthew de Jongh and Steve Smith

Posing for the camera man on day 2

Matt gets a little air on day 2

turn to page 10

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The new SRAM Guide RSC is packed with ride-enhancing performance that makes every new trail a trusted old friend.We started from scratch, to create the perfect combinationof braking reliability and control. Brand-new SwingLink™ technology provides more power, silky-smooth modulation, more positive pad engagement and better lever-feel than you’ve ever experienced. Steep-line confidence. Deep-corner dominance. Ride every trail like you own it. KNOW YOU CAN.

PARADIGM SHIFT

© 2014 SRAM LLC SRAM.COM/GUIDERSC

10

“All descents must be tackled with hands positioned on the handle bar drops, nose right over the front wheel, and fingers pulling on the levers for all they’re worth.”

And sani2c is physically tough, make no mistake – especially the 100km-long stage two with its 60km climb out of the Umkomaas valley. Plus this is an actual race so its balls-to-the-wall most of the way – especially when you’re being chased by a bunch of mountain bikers who can’t quite disguise how miff ed off they are at being passed by “a couple of fl ippin’ roadies”. Now add on to that four to six hours of scanning the trail ahead with laser beam intensity and you cross that stage fi nish line physically and mentally drained.

So there we were… Stage three… 230km of the 260km race done and, against all odds, our bikes, our wrists and arses had held up. Except now one of us had forgotten to turn right and punched a large hole in a sizey fi eld of KZN’s fi nest sugar cane.

Fortunately two arms appeared from the recesses of the buckled cane cavity… followed by two very

potentially foolish decision, Matt and I had done it. More than that we’d done it without maiming ourselves or forever damaging some of the more delicate parts of our anatomy. Even though – in a somewhat surprising move – we weren’t given a big shiny silver vase for dominating the Men’s Veteran’s Cyclocross category, there was enough satisfaction in proving that you can not only do a mountain bike race on a cyclocross bike, but be fairly quick too. We ended up mid-fi eld in the competitive Race.

At the after party later that evening, we had a drink with Farmer Glen and we fi nally told him what we’d done. Instead of a reprimand, he hugged us

Steve Smith is an editor, writer, author, husband, father, car nut, single speed mountain biker, cyclocrosser and by d ay the editor of CAR magazine. Follow him on Twitter @SteveSmithZA.

an editor, writer, author, husband, father, car nut, single speed mountain biker, cyclocrosser and by d ay the editor of CAR magazine. Follow him on Twitter @SteveSmithZA.

and laughed. “Guys, you should have told us man! That’s exactly what the spirit of Sani is all about. Fantastic!!”

Matt and I agreed that this was a way better than getting a shiny silver vase.

Day 2 and intense concentration through the rough stuff

Descending into the Umkomaas Valley, Day 2

The fi nish line… arms knackered.

drops, nose right over the front wheel, and fingers pulling on the levers for all

Crossing the infamous fl oating bridge with snapped seat post

FS Taking on the trails on a cross bike

The bike specsSUSSUS

Frame: Cotic>X< steel cyclocross

Fork: Cotic carbon

Handle bars: Ritchey WCS Logic 44cm

Stem: Ritchey WCS 4-Axis 44

Seatpost: Booth carbon (broke),

replaced with alloy Ritchey WCS Off set

Group set: Shimano Sora shifter, front

derailleur and front chain ring; Shimano

SLX rear cluster and derailleur

Brakes: Hope Twin-V hydraulic

disc brakes

Wheels: Easton EA70 XC 29”

Tyres: Ritchey WCS Shield tubelessPedals: Ritchey Pro Paradigm SPD

www.cotic.co.za

wide eyes. Matt was okay. Oh how I laughed. The cockiness was now gone but a few kilometres later however, so was my smile. Going over a small bump, an audible (and very disconcerting) “crack!” below my butt together with a wobbly saddle signalled a big problem. My carbon seat post had snapped. Luckily it was only a couple of kays to the water point where a local farmer helped me make a splint of two nine-inch nails and swathes of gaff er tape.

But that lasted all of a few kilometres before the saddle slumped off to the side and I was forced to stand up and pedal the remaining 10 km. Still, there’s nothing like shard of carbon fi bre aimed at one’s bollocks to keep one’s motivation levels up. Spurred on by the occasional graze of sharp carbon upon thin lycra-covered bollock, we gunned it across the fl oating bridge and over the fi nish line.

And that was that. After months of discussing, strategising and agonizing over our

from page 8from page 8

Local Buzz:Although Nthubu is not one of the African Ivory Route’s BIG 5 Camps, I would not blame you if you guessed otherwise. As soon as you enter the pucker bush veldt of the Masebe Nature Reserve, you get that African safari feel, and start expecting to see ellies or lions prowling the woodland savannah surrounds.

Masebe is, however, free of dangerous beasties (and of malaria, to boot), so you’re free to go mal amidst the rocky outcrops and thorny thickets. (This is code for: ‘You should pack your bike and trail shoes, of course). The good news is that the nature reserve teems with a range of plains game species, making for excellent encounters on any outride.

The well laid out camp boasts raised safari canvass tents and with a braai area-kitchen-dining chalet set upon a reedy wetland. Both the birding and star-gazing is of the highest order, but make sure you buy whatever you need before you get to Masebe.

Trail Low-Down:Your exit spot from Nthubu Camp is along a lekker little wooden bridge on stilts straight onto a singletrack strip to the parking area (500m). Keep following the entrance road on which you came in, but keep an eye out for a sandy dual-track to your left just on 1km. A gradual climb continues for about a kay till you crest at a rocky plateau to the left (2km).

Here, you could head along a serious 4x4 route to your right (the tracks are very faint), or drop down

before you hit a gnarly climb along a fi eld of baby-head rocks. Persevere, as you soon hit a downhill onto a grassy wetland area (3.5km). From here, a 500m section of sandy riding along a gradual ascent awaits, before you bomb onto a lekker downhill with rugged cliff s to your right (5km).

Keep an eye out for bushbuck, impala and other game here, as we had veritable herds pelting alongside us on the stony down-crank into a thorny, savannah thicket. This is also where we spotted the resident pair Verreaux’s eagles, so cast the occasional eye skywards while you skitter along the gnarly terrain.

Around the 7km mark, the road starts dog-legging to your right, and a kilometre later you will T-bone onto the main reserve track leading in towards Nthubu Camp. Keep your speed up on this section as it winds along the ridgeline to your right; it is pretty sandy in places, and momentum is your only friend.

Fortunately there is a fair bit of incline as you start approaching the wetland area near the camp, so you should be able to crank most of the route without having to push. Around 12km into the ride, keep left to re-join the camp entrance road, and crank back over the bridge and down to where the cold beers are waiting in the kitchen fridge.

If you’re keen on a more substantial ride onto the higher-lying ridges, the 4x4 tracks will allow you to take on a good 30km of additional riding. The terrain is pretty steep though, with lots of gravel and loose rocks, so make sure you’re fi t enough

Head north to Limpopo, the Rainbow Nation’s most unexplored province, and you are sure to discover some mountain bike destinations of note. Nthubu, one of the camps making up the African Ivory Route, is a case in point. Photographs and words by Jacques Marais.

SUS the Nuwerust MTB Route:SUS

www.themapstudio.co.za

Grading: Intermediate

(loose, rocky surface)

Duration: 1hr – reserve loop / 3hrs

– plus 4x4 route

Confi guration: Circular/Return Options:

14km / 44km

Start Point: Nthubu Camp

Terrain: Gravel road and sandy dual-track

Post-Ride Beer: Make sure you take

your own!

Must-Do Event: The African Ivory Route

is considering an epic multi-day ride linking

6-8 of their camps; we’ll keep you posted!

12

Riding the African Ivory Route

where are we?Nthubu Camp is situated in the Masebe Reserve, which doesn’t have the Big Five, making it perfect for hiking, trail running and mountain biking. It’s located in the heart of the Waterberg, which is renowned for its spectacular views and San rock art. Another notable attraction in the area is the Makapans Valley, one of the country’s most signifi cant archaeological and

palaeontological sites.

where are we?S

OU

TH AFRICA

Limpopo

MpumalangaNorth West

Johannesburg

NthubuCamp

N1

N2

◆

Jacques Marais is the South African trail guru. If he’s not scouting a new MTB trail he’s trail running a new route in the Drakensberg. His new book More Top MTB Trails is set to hit the shelves of all good book shops soon. Follow him on Twitter @JacqMaraisPhoto.

Jacques Marais

Access: You need to book an overnight

stay at Nthubu Camp to ride these trails.

Cell Reception:

Nada to niks to bugger all

Accommodation: Safari-style,

self-catering tented camp; try those

bucket showers!

Local Contact: 015 781 0690,

[email protected],

www.africanivoryroute.co.za/camps/nthubu

GPS Coordinates:

S23°38.402’ / E28°31.443’

to handle the many challenges the Waterberg is sure to chuck your way.

Getting there:Although you are only 110km from Mokopane, you can expect this to take at least two hours. For full directions and GPS coordinates, take full note of indications on the website – I would suggest you print them out before your visit.

Head north to Limpopo, the Rainbow Nation’s most unexplored province, and you are sure to discover some mountain bike destinations of note. Nthubu, one of the camps making up the African Ivory Route, is a case in point. Photographs and words by Jacques Marais.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WESGRO

3-DAY MTB BLISS IN MCGREGOR, WESTERN CAPEDate: 12 -14 Sept 2014Enter at www.ride2nowhere.co.zaThe perfect race where Racing Snakes & Weekend Warriors meet to compete for fun!

Riding the African Ivory Route

SO

U

TH AFRICA

“KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BUSHBUCK, IMPALA AND OTHER GAME HERE, AS WE HAD VERITABLE HERDS PELTING ALONGSIDE US ON THE STONY DOWN-CRANK INTO A THORNY, SAVANNAH THICKET.”

Trails FS

14

FS XCM Series Racing

MTN National SeriesThe MTN National Series is the epitome of mountain biking in South Africa. Starting from humble roots it has grown into the largest national mountain bike series in the world, and the envy of professional marathon mountain bike racers the world over. Its mass appeal draws average Joes and seasoned Pro’s alike to compete in one or all eight.

“For the normal riders the ability to rub shoulders, or at least line-up behind, international mountain biking royalty is a special opportunity.”

Organised by Advendurance the MTN National Series has its roots in the 2001 launch

of the company and the Mazda MTB Series. The early years tracked the growth of mountain biking in South Africa from a fringe sport to the ‘New Golf’ behemoth it is today. But it wasn’t all plain sailing. The 2008 financial crisis saw Mazda withdraw its sponsorship of the National Series, and the National Cross Country and National Downhill Cups.

Since MTN’s naming sponsorship began the series has really gone from strength to strength. The 2014 series has boasted some massive numbers, for example 1 659 riders entered the four distances on offer at the Sabie leg of the series, including the 26 men who took part in the UCI accredited Ultra Marathon.

The eight legs of the series offer a fun ride, a fun race, a half marathon, a marathon and an ultra-marathon in locations as different from each other as Clarens in the Free State and Tulbagh in the Western Cape. You just have to take a look at Zoon Cronje’s amazing photos to appreciate the amazing settings that the National Series take in. Where else in the world would riders race right past the snout of a dozing crocodile or a graceful herd of giraffes?

The UCI accreditation for the Sabie and Clarens races mean that the 2nd and 4th legs of the MTN National Series form part of the UCI World Series while the Hilton and Tulbagh events are on the UCI International Calendar too. The UCI status brings foreign pros to race in South Africa (or brings them out of South African

The MTN National SeriesSUSSUSBehind the Races

The MTN National Series is organised by Advendurance, who also bring

you events like the Nissan Trail Seeker Series and the Warrior Races. Find

our more at www.advendurance.com.

Behind the Lens

The great images of the MTN National Series races are shot by

Zoon Cronje, one of South Africa’s top sports photographers. Do yourself a

favour, make a cup of coffee and take a look at Zoon’s Xtremedia spreads

on Facebook at www.facebook.com/xtremedia or follow him on

Twitter @ZoonCronje.

2014 MTN National Series – Driven by Nissan Results#1 DullstroomMen: Lourens Luus (RECM)

Women: Robyn De Groot

(Biogen Toyota)

#2 SabieMen: Urs Huber (Bulls)

Women: Ariane Kleinhans

(RECM)

#3 TulbaghMen: Karl Platt (Bulls)


(RECM)

#4 ClarensMen: Nico Bell (RECM)

Women: Teresa Ralph (CBC)

#5 RooibergMen: Darren Lill

(Cannondale Blend)


(RECM)

#6 Van GaalenMen: LourensLuus (RECM)


(RECM)

#7 HiltonMen: Darren Lill

(Cannondale Blend)


(RECM)

hiding, as quite a few spend time in training in South Africa anyway). And the size of the competitive marathon racing field is a bit of a novelty for the Europeans in particular as XCM is very much the poorer cousin of XCO in Europe while the reverse is true locally of course.

For the normal riders the ability to rub shoulders, or at least line-up behind, international mountain biking royalty is a special opportunity. But it’s the exceptional organisation that’s lead to the MTN National Series bringing the numbers in at every race.

The 2014 series has seen tough racing for overall series honours. Ariane Kleinhans, of Team RECM, has already secured the overall victory in the ladies series with a race to go after winning all the series

races she entered barring the Van Gaalens race, where she finished second. The men’s series though will go right down to the wire with the defending series champion Nico Bell, also of Team RECM, and Cannondale Blend’s Darren Lill separated by only a handful of points. At the last race of the series, the MTN Crater Cruise, Lill and Bell will be focusing almost exclusively on each other, with the highest placed finisher of the two (provided they finish in the top five) claiming the title for 2014.

So it’s all set up for a ding-dong battle in Parys on the 13th of September. If you’d like to join Lill and Bell on the start line for anyone of the race from the Ultra to the Fun Ride you’ve got until the 9th of September at 06:00 to enter.

WWW.ZOONCRONJE.COM | NIKON

Clarens’ slick rock climbs make for a tough challenge.

The Rooiberg giraffes gallop alongside a lone rider.Karl Platt leading the ultra-marathon field through the sands of Tulbagh.

WWW.ZOONCRONJE.COM | NIKONWWW.ZOONCRONJE.COM | NIKON

The FS 2 comes fully loaded and ready to race, with a full carbon frame, including carbon rocker, Shimano XTR drivetrain, Fox CTD suspension setup with

remote lever, Fulcrum Red Metal XL Wheels and a full complement of FSA SLK Carbon components.

All this at R 75 000 seems excellent value for money, but there are some compromises that squeeze in with all that bling. Most notably of which is the Formula RX brakes which are pretty low spec compared to the rest of the components and entry level Evolution Fox Float fork and shock.

The lower spec suspension is neither here nor there as all that the higher end models off er are the FIT Damper and Kashima Coating. Functionality is identical and to be honest Fox’s FIT damper isn’t nearly as reliable as the good old open bath damper in the Evolution Series Fork. The Formula RX brakes are another matter; with no reach or pad contact adjustment I could not get them setup to my liking, or get any of the legendary stopping power that Formula is renowned for. (The other thing they’re renowned for is their temperamentally. They either work or they don’t…)

On to the bike and frame itself. The frame is a full carbon monocoque, including the rocker link and the interesting feature is the internal rib that runs down the middle of the down and top tubes to help increase the torsional rigidity of the frame. This and the four bar linkage suspension setup make the Methanol exceptional on climbs and gravel road drags. When the time comes to lay down the law the Methanol reacts instantly to the extra power coming through the pedals. Other details that show the quality of the Methanol’s construction is the Titanium mesh moulded into the underside of the downtube, for extra impact protection, and the replaceable thread insert for the 12mm rear through-axle.

Unfortunately the Methanol is not perfect. As a race bike it’s pretty much a given that the rider will be using water bottles as opposed to a hydration pack and as with so many other brands the Bianchi designers have failed to take that into account! Even with the aid of a side entry cage getting a 600ml bottle in and out of the frame required careful planning and execution; with a normal cage it was downright impossible.

I rode the Methanol on my usual test track that includes quite a varied selection of jeep track, gravel road and singletrack sections of varying technicality. To say that this bike climbs well is an understatement; every ounce of eff ort going into the pedals is converted to forward motion and the geometry and suspension provide ample traction on steep technical singletrack climbs.

On the fl ip side descending the steep technical trails of the Western Cape proved a bit much for the Methanol. We never got along well in that department, which was a bit of an enigma as the head angle is identical to other bikes in this category, all of which handle the trails with aplomb. After some research the only explanation I can come up with is that the seat tube angle on the Methanol is steeper than the other bikes I’ve ridden. The nett eff ect of the steep seat tube angle is that it places your weight towards the front of the bike and more in line with

Testing an Italian StallionLike most things designed and made Italy, the Bianchi Methanol FS is a real beauty and Rudolf Zuidema found himself wanting to love it right from the minute he picked it up. From the old school style head-badge, the sculpting of the carbon tubes, to the detail and precision of the fi nishing, everything screams class and quality.Photography by Ashlee Attwood

The Bianchi MethonolSUSSUS

17inch Medium frame:

All measurements in mm or °

Seat Tube .......................... 430

Top Tube .............................568

Head Tube ........................... 110

Seat tube angle ................74°

Head tube angle ................71°

Chain Stay .........................437

Wheel base ........................1132

Stack ................................... 630

Reach .................................. 409

Bianchi make use of a triple walled carbon tubing to increase the Methanol’s stiff ness to weight ratio.

Rudolf Zuidema has 15 years of mountain biking experience, 10 of which spent in the industry here and internationally. He’s a fi rm believer in giving

good unbiased advise and of course that more travel equals more fun.

Rudolf Zuidemahas 15 years of mountain biking experience, 10 of which spent in the industry here and internationally. He’s a fi rm believer in giving

good unbiased advise and of course that

FS Bike review

16 17

the bottom bracket, which explains the phenomenal climbing ability, but also the tendency of the bike wanting to throw it’s rider on steep descents like a skittish race horse. The bike’s handling was defi nitely not helped on the trails by the Vredestein Black Panther tyres; the casing is very hard and running anywhere near my usual tire pressure resulted in the tire constantly folding under the rim in all but the gentlest turns. The manufacturer’s stated minimum tyre pressure is 30psi (2.1 bar) which is

rather fi rm to say the least.All things considered I’m rather

confl icted in my opinion of the Methanol, I desperately want to love it, it’s just so beautiful. I’d defi nitely like to try it again with some diff erent tyres to see the impact it would on the ride.

So at this stage I’d say the Bianchi Methanol FS is a great option if you are going to spend most of your time covering great distances on jeeptrack and fl owing, groomed singletrack.

“To say that this bike climbs well is an understatement; every ounce of eff ort going into the pedals is converted to forward motion.”

FS Coaching

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

an accomplished academic with UCT’s Exercise Science and Sports Medicine faculty and a coach with Science 2 Sport.

The sport of cycling is riddled with anecdotes and traditions. Just as with training and

preparation, the correct saddle height and bike position are often prescribed based on lore and tradition, rather than sound, validated scientifi c principles. What follows are some guidelines on bike fi t, with special attention to optimal bike fi t for improved performance and reduced injury risk. This is part one of a two part series. In part one, I discuss saddle height and saddle setback. In part two we will discuss optimal reach and cleat position.

Saddle height:Most bicycle retailers and fi tters will measure the cyclist’s inseam and use this as a starting point to determine correct saddle height. Although measurement of inseam is not strictly incorrect, it is not the most accurate method to assess leg length. A scientifi c study comparing inseam measurement and optimum knee angle found that this technique only identifi ed the correct saddle height in 50% of cases. A more scientifi c method of evaluating saddle height is to measure the leg length only. This is done by measuring from the greater trochanter (the bony part of the hip which can be felt below the pelvis) to the base of the calcaneous (the heal bone). When measured this way, the saddle height (measured from the sole of the shoe to the top of the saddle as measured through the centre of the seatpost) will be approximately 96-100% of the leg length measurement.

The lowest oxygen consumption is achieved at saddle height values of 100% of trochanteric leg length. However, the ability to maintain power output for prolonged periods is achieved at values closer to 96%.The cyclist’s hamstring fl exibility and neuromuscular effi ciency determine

whether the rider can cycle at a full 100% of trochanteric leg length. A saddle set too low will result in pelvic tilt to try and accommodate the saddle height, resulting in back pain, perineal pain and overuse injuries of the hamstrings, ITB and lateral structures.

There is no simple way to determine where in this range the cyclist will fall. A rough estimate can be gauged by measuring the knee fl exion angle at the bottom of the pedal stroke when the cyclist is stationary. This should measure approximately 25-35°. Once again, this is a fairly wide range, due to the fact that the knee fl exion angle when measured in motion (by video or infra-red motion capture) should measure about 33°. The development of complex algorithm based setup programs (such as Science to Sports’ Ergofi t system) are able to predict neuromuscular effi ciency and measure hamstring fl exibility, thereby greatly increasing the accuracy of the predicted saddle height.

SetbackThe second component of saddle position is its horizontal position with respect to the bottom bracket. On most bicycles the saddle will be set at a certain distance behind the BB. A commonly used method of assessing the correct layback is to hang a plumb line from the front of the knee and to see where this falls in relation to the pedal spindle when the crank is in the horizontal position. This is however an overly simplifi ed method. Saddle setback is a key determinant of which muscle group the cyclist uses to recruit force. A very large setback will result in greater recruitment of the gluteal muscles, whereas a shorter setback results in the quadriceps becoming more dominant. Using the gluteal muscles (the single largest muscle

In this issue Dr Mike Posthumus briefl y reviews the scientifi c literature on bike fi t, with special attention to optimal bike fi t for improved performance and reduced injury risk. This column will discuss saddle height and saddle setback.

The scientifi c principles of correct bike fi t: PART 1

“The sport of cycling is riddled with anecdotes and traditions. Just as with

training and preparation, the correct saddle height and bike position are often prescribed based on lore and

tradition, rather than sound, validated scientific principles.”

How to get your bike fi t correctlyThe science of bike fi t is extremely hard to apply accurately. Ergofi t is a

comprehensive fi tting tool using a predictive and dynamic fi tting process

incorporating the factors discussed in this article. While some bike fi tting

methods use subjective assessments or limited static measurements,

almost none take dynamic characteristics such as training history,

training load, fl exibility and discipline into account. Ergofi t contains an

advanced regression algorithms which ensures its extreme accuracy.

For more information or to schedule an Ergofi t please email fi [email protected].

in the body) may result in greater force being applied to the pedals or otherwise greater endurance when lower forces need to be applied for prolonged periods of time. In addition, the body’s ability to recruit the gluteal muscles improves with time spent on the bike. This is why a number of elite cyclists and older cyclists use such excessive setbacks.

However, there are a number of negative consequences to having large amounts of setback. The fi rst is that the knee extensors (quadriceps) utilise the lowest oxygen consumption to generate a particular force. This means that for shorter duration exercise or very intense eff orts, the quadriceps act more effi ciently in generating power. Secondly, the knee extension cycle (produced by the quadriceps) produces forces which are more perpendicular to the crank arm, making the force production more effi cient. Thirdly, the transition into and out of the saddle is easier with less saddle setback. Finally, a more rearward position created by excessive saddle setback will eff ectively increase the reach of the cyclist, possibly over extending the position, with all of the negative consequences associated with this as well as placing the hip joint in an overfl exed position, reducing the ability to produce power.

For very prolonged cycling distances or prolonged climbing at a constant eff ort, greater saddle setback would benefi t the rider. For mountain bike stage racing and marathon racing, a larger setback would also benefi t endurance. Cross country mountain biking, criterium road racing and other events that

require short high intensity eff orts and frequent transitions out of the saddle will benefi t from less setback. In addition, novice riders or individuals who mix a large amount of running into their training programs (tri-athletes and du-athletes) will rely on the quadriceps to generate force and will therefore require less setback.

18

whether the rider can cycle at a full whether the rider can cycle at a full

briefl y reviews the scientifi c literature on bike briefl y reviews the scientifi c literature on bike fi t, with special attention to optimal bike fi t for fi t, with special attention to optimal bike fi t for improved performance and reduced injury risk. improved performance and reduced injury risk. This column will discuss saddle height and

1. Greater Trochanter

2. Calcaneous

1.

2.

19

Nutrition FS

Rochez O’Grady(pronounced r-OH-shay) is a registered Dietitian and in addition to running her MunchWize practice in Cape Town Rochez O’Grady has

also been appointed by the South African women’s hockey team as the team dietician. You can book a consultation with her by giving her a call on 082 555 3794 or visit www.munchwize.co.za.

Rochez O’Grady

shay) is a registered Dietitian and in addition to running her MunchWize practice in Cape Town Rochez O’Grady has

How to feel like an

elite athleteTake your performances up a nutritional notch this month with Rochez O’Grady’s nutrition column. She’s was on tour as the dietitian for the South African women’s Hockey team, when they did fantastically well in the Hockey World Cup. And during the tournament in The Hague she attended a medical seminar that focused on nutrition and health in elite athletes.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Bre

akfa

st Smoothie: 2-4 tbsp. Future Life + 1 cup low fat milk

½ cup All bran fl akes + 1 cup low fat milk + 1 banana

½ cup cooked oats + 1 cup low fat milk + 1 handful raisins

2 boiled eggs + 1-2 slices Health Bread

Smoothie: 2-4 tbsp. Future Life + ½ cup yoghurt + a piece of fruit

2 poached eggs + 1-2 slices Health Bread + ¼ Avocado

½ cup cooked oats + 1 cup low fat milk + 1 handful raisins

Mo

rnin

g

Sn

ack

A piece of fruit plus a Yoghurt

A cappuccino plus a piece fruit

A piece of fruit plus a Yoghurt

A closed handful of Nuts plus a piece of fruit

A piece of fruit and Yoghurt

A cappuccino A closed handful of nuts

Lun

ch

Base of salad lettuce, tomato, cucumber, peppers etc.) + 1 piece lean chicken + ¼ avo + 1 cup cooked sweet potato

Base of salad + tin tuna + 1 tbsp. light mayo + ½ cup cooked couscous

Base of salad + 100 g lean strips ostrich + 1 tbsp. sunfl ower seeds + 1 cup cooked butternut

Base of salad + 100g lean shaved ham + 1 tbsp. light hummus + 1-2 slices low GI bread

Base of salad + 1 cup mixed tinned beans/chickpeas + ½ round feta

Sushi: 8-10 pieces Soup: Vegetable soup

Aft

ern

oo

n

Sn

ack

Handful lean biltong + closed handful nuts

1 tbsp. light hummus + carrot sticks

¼ avo + 1 slice low GI bread

Handful lean biltong + closed handful nuts

1 tbsp. peanut butter + 2 Ryvitas

Closed handful Nuts

Handful lean biltong

Din

ner

200g Fish + ½ plate large salad + 1 tbsp. basil pesto

150 ostrich steak + roasted light vegetables

2 chicken kebabs + 2 gem squash + 2 tsp. olive oil

150g lean steak served on a bed of green beans, red peppers and mushrooms, topped with a yoghurt mustard dressing

Pizza: made with Caulifl ower Mash (see recipe) topped with pastrami and vegetables

2 big grilled mushrooms topped with a red kidney bean sauce made with onions, tomatoes, baby marrows topped with a dollop of light hummus

Omelette made with 2 eggs + 2 egg white + mushrooms, tomatoes + 1 tbsp. grated cheese

I’m now back in my Cape Town saddle and have the perfect plan for you to keep in shape this

winter, while also making sure that you feel like a top athlete.

The plan would mean sticking to your meals, every three hours, and keeping to a routine for the day, right from your breakfast. This means having structure in your food space, which will ensure you speed up your metabolism and keep your energy levels high.

During the gaps, instead of eating, drink water. And lots of it. To keep yourself in shape increase your awareness around food, this eating plan is adapted around the basic

INGREDIENTS:1 Caulifl ower head: 4 cups

raw caulifl ower rice1 egg, beaten1/3 cup soft ricotta cheese/cottage cheese1 teaspoon dried oreganopinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, and then get to work on your crust.

Step 1: Begin by making your caulifl ower “rice.”Simply pulse batches of raw caulifl ower fl orets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

Step 2: Cook & Strain the rice. Fill a large pot with

about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fi ne-mesh strainer.Now here comes the secret:Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel; twist it up, then SQUEEEEEEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.

Step 3: Make & Shape the dough. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese,

and spices. Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed. It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together! Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, which is not to be confused with WAX paper– they’re very diff erent!) Keep the dough about 1/3" thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” eff ect, if you like.

Step 4: Bake! Bake for 35-40 minutes at 180˚C.

Step 5: Add toppings

Cauliflower-mash pizza base

sports nutrition requirements and designed to ensure that you keep your waistline in check.

20

FS Physio

If the muscles covering a joint are not at their normal length, it aff ects mobility of the joint. Reduced

movement (immobility) of a joint aff ects the movement abilities of the sports person in varying degrees, and some sports will be aff ected more by immobility than others. As an infl exible cyclist you’ll feel or experience the following:◆ The sensation of heavy or forced

movement◆ A decrease in strength, speed and power◆ A general feeling of irritability ◆ And you’ll have a higher incidence

of injury

Not all muscles tighten in response to repetitive loading, some shorten and tighten, some lengthen and weaken, it depends on the action of the muscle in that particular sport. It makes sense then to target the muscles that shorten with stretching. As a cyclist, these are the main muscles that are prone to tightening:◆ Hip fl exors (short muscles across

front of hip)

◆ Quadriceps (thigh)◆ Glutes and Piriformis (butt muscles)◆ Calves◆ Neck and shoulder muscles

A stretch of all these muscles would take 10 minutes after a ride and given the problems associated with infl exibility don’t you think it’s worth it?

There are various ways of stretching, the most common being static stretching which off ers long term muscle lengthening benefi ts and allows the muscle to relax. Here’s how it’s done: ◆ Hold muscle in lengthened

position for 15 - 30 seconds.◆ Repeat twice adjusting further into

the stretch to keep the muscle at maximum tension.

◆ Stretch into moderate discomfort, not pain!

◆ NB! Stretch after cycling and not before – the muscle force drops after stretching for one to two hours and there is no benefi t to static stretching pre-exercise.

◆ If one side is tighter than the other stretch the tighter side in a 3:1 ratio.

Sussing out the Stretching SceneThere has always been some debate over whether to stretch or not, and if so for how long. So Sarah Walker has a look at the facts.

Sarah Walker is a is a sports physiotherapist who has been involved with treating cyclists for 15 years. She’s worked at many MTB stage races

around the country and from her Cape Town practice sees many a sports person. She teaches Pilates and is a fitness trainer for tennis academy. Sarah believes that a thorough sports specific assessment followed by a well-planned exercise programme to treat the cause of the problem is the key to gtting her patients back to full health and sporting success. Go to www.walkerphysiotherapy.co.za for more info or send your questions to [email protected]

is a is a sports physiotherapist who has been involved with treating cyclists for 15 years. She’s worked at many MTB stage races

around the country and from her

Dynamic stretching is stretching on the move. This would be part of a warm-up to “wake muscles up” (stimulate neural pathways); literally warm them up and increase blood fl ow and oxygen to the muscles. Pre-race a 15 minute warm-up avoids the heavy tight slow feeling at the start of a race, especially if temperatures are cold and the start is going to be quick. Here’s how: ◆ 10 minute build up from the lowest

gear to moving up a gear every 2 minutes

◆ Slowly reduce speed and eff ort in a 5 minute cool down back to the lowest gear again

◆ If there is nowhere to ride pre-race, warm up at home on the road or on a trainer before heading out.

Quadriceps

Hip fl exors

Glutes & Piriformis

Calves

Neck & Shoulder

Upper back

FS Stirling Revolution

You see, I have been happily married for 34 years. When someone asks me what

the recipe for a happy, long term marriage is, my immediate response is that my wife and I have completely diff erent interests.

I ride my bike on Monday. She stretches and bends at her yoga class. I go for a post-work ride on Wednesday. She goes to do ceramic sculpting in the Bo-Kaap. I night-ride on Thursdays. She gets to watch her favourite TV shows. I ride my bike on a Sunday morning. She goes to the mall on a shopping expedition. It’s a recipe for a happy couple.

Think about it. If you encourage the woman in your life to ride a bike, you are courting danger in your long term relationship.

You’ll be riding with her more often and with your mates less often. They’ll tease you. You’ll drink less beer. This is serious stuff . Who do you choose? Who do you like spending more time with? These are the questions she’ll pose. And the more she rides, the more things spin out of your control. Ergo, your relationship suff ers. Your lawyer is on speed dial.

Things get worse. Your wife has time to ride during the day. She gets fi tter than you. Then she gets faster than you. And worst of all, she gets faster than you on technical descents and single track. She rides with her

Don’t just shrink it & pink itStirling Senior was sitting in the Austrian Alps sipping Weiss beer, recuperating for the next blast downhill in mountain biking paradise between obligatory dealer information sessions. (Hosted by one of the World’s top bike brands the sessions are geared at educating the dealers about the 2015 bike models and essential industry trends.) But when “Women and your bike shop” came up Stirling started looking for a way out.

21

Conservation FS

I’ll happily endure that burn more often to ride those exhilarating singletracks and downhills, in an

environment of such beauty. These forests are accessible to anyone, novice or experienced, for mountain biking and trail running. Tokai Forest is part of the well-known Cape Floristic Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also host pine, blue gum and eucalyptus trees which add some much appreciated shade during the hot summer months. Since 1998 these forests have formed part of the Table Mountain National Park.

Access to these forests are gained through the Tokai Forest Arboretum which is managed by South African National Parks (SANParks) and off er route maps and valuable information about the area as well. There are entrance fees for those who do not own an Activity Card, but it is defi nitely worth spending the few bucks for a blast! But don’t forget about the Silvermine section of the nature reserve to the South East of Tokai, where the carpets of Fynbos are often covered in mist in winter and light up by warm sunlight in summer. The steep slopes that characterise the Constantiaberg and Silvermine Nature Reserve create some fantastic mountain biking opportunities with excellent views of the Constantia vineyards, Noordhoek, Hout Bay and Table Mountain.

The Silvermine name originated from mining activities which sprung up during 1675 when it was believed that these mountains contained silver. Fortunately no silver was found and today we can enjoy the unspoilt beauty of this area on our trusty steeds. On 17 June 1992, fi re destroyed about 675 hectares of vegetation and plantations in the Reserve and increased the risk of

serious fl ooding in the lower Fish Hoek and Clovelly area during the rainy season. Extensive housing and road development projects in the area have contributed to higher water fl ow volumes in the Silvermine River, since these areas had previously acted as sponges which absorbed a lot of the water from heavy rains. These increases in fl ood risks led to the establishment of the Silvermine River Flood Management and Wetland Scheme, through which local knowledge of residents in the area was used to determine solutions to fl ooding problems.Current management of these wetlands and the nature reserve as an ecological asset remains a challenge and requires all citizens to do what they can to contribute to the preservation of this sensitive area.

The reserve is divided into two sections by OuKaapseweg and boasts over 900 species of Fynbos, including proteas, ericas and restios. Both the east and west side of the reserve off er hiking and trail running trails while mountain biking trails can only be found on the western side. This is due to the establishment of a protected area to preserve the wetland systems and protect the habitat of the endangered Western Leopard Toad. A water reservoir was built at Silvermine in 1898 with the aim of supplying water to the lower lying settlements and has become a favoured picnic spot and habitat for Egyptian geese, many fi sh and the occasional swimmer.The trails in these areas off er some white-knuckle riding as you crank up the hills and rail down the trails with a devilish smile on your face as you breathe in fresh mountain air.

Digging deep at Tokai and SilvermineOne of the fi rst rides Jeanne-Louise Wiese wanted to try out with her newly built GT Mountain Bike (courtesy of her hubby) was the challenging trails of Tokai forest. And she didn’t remember much other than the pain in her legs for two days afterwards. But now that her Lowveld legs have recovered she can refl ect on the spectacular views fondly.

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.

Jeanne-Louise WieseEnvironmental Practitioner for engineering, management and specialist technical services giant

wanted to try out with her newly built GT Mountain Bike (courtesy of her hubby) was the challenging trails of Tokai forest. And she didn’t remember much other than the pain

You see, I have been happily married for 34 years. When someone asks me what

the recipe for a happy, long term marriage is, my immediate response is that my wife and I have completely diff erent interests.

I ride my bike on Monday. She stretches and bends at her yoga class. I go for a post-work ride on Wednesday. She goes to do ceramic sculpting in the Bo-Kaap. I night-ride on Thursdays. She gets to watch her favourite TV shows. I ride my bike on a Sunday morning. She goes to the mall on a shopping expedition. It’s a recipe for a happy couple.

Think about it. If you encourage the woman in your life to ride a bike, you are courting danger in your long term relationship.

You’ll be riding with her more often and with your mates less often. They’ll tease you. You’ll drink less beer. This is serious stuff . Who do you choose? Who do you like spending more time with? These are the questions she’ll pose. And the more she rides, the more things spin out of your control. Ergo, your relationship suff ers. Your lawyer is on speed dial.

Things get worse. Your wife has time to ride during the day. She gets fi tter than you. Then she gets faster than you. And worst of all, she gets faster than you on technical descents and single track. She rides with her

Don’t just shrink it & pink itStirling Senior was sitting in the Austrian Alps sipping Weiss beer, recuperating for the next blast downhill in mountain biking paradise between obligatory dealer information sessions. (Hosted by one of the World’s top bike brands the sessions are geared at educating the dealers about the 2015 bike models and essential industry trends.) But when “Women and your bike shop” came up Stirling started looking for a way out.

“The truth is, growth in women’s cycling - especially mountain biking - is soaring.”

GAMEPLAN MEDIA

2014 World XCM Champ Annika Langvad on a prototype ladies S-Works

The Specialized fat bike, not ladies specifi c, but a heck of a lot of fun.

fast friends. You ask to join her on a ride. She turns you down in favour of her riding mates. You beg and plead. She has her attorney and her good-looking male coach on speed dial.

You realize that your budget to buy that top-of-range R100K super carbon bicycle is now halved. She wants a new bike for R50K which means you only get half the bike you want. It gets worse the poorer you are. A R20 000 bike is usually a pretty sweet bike. Imagine having to settle on a R10 000 bike? At that price, you would have also lost the right to ask the salesman how much it weighs!

Now that I have all you male readers worried and your partner chuckling, let’s revisit my fragile female philosophy.

The truth is, growth in women’s cycling - especially mountain biking - is soaring. Women represent half of the population and control over 60% of the average household’s disposable income. It stands to reason that this market is relatively untapped.

Bike brands are developing women’s specifi c bikes and accessories. For the women’s market some brands have adopted the short cut “shrink it and pink it” approach. They are out there. Don’t buy them.

Other brands have created bikes from scratch for women. Brands like Santa Cruz have created an entirely new brand of bike - Juliana. TREK introduced their WSD (women specifi c design) bikes many years ago. High-end brands like Specialized have focused on technically developing bikes and accessories specifi cally for women with reference to women’s anatomy and their aesthetic taste. However, they go further than that - ladies shoes, apparel, gloves, grips, saddles

and helmets. Most Specialized Concept Stores have a retail section specifi cally for ladies backed up by a Body Geometry Fitment facility. Not all women will want women-specifi c bikes but most women will fi nd that women-specifi c bikes match their anatomies better.

So, ladies, stand up for your rights and demand product that works for you. Challenge sales staff to look after your needs - to cut down on the tech talk and upsize their advice on ladies’ specifi c needs.

Gents, and ladies, it is up to you to choose who you want to ride with. Clearly, I am not qualifi ed to give you sound advice on that. But take my word for it - girl power on the trails is gaining momentum with more and more ladies showing the guys their ponytails!

STIRLING KOTZE

Stirling Kotze, aka Stirling SeniorYears in the saddle: 27 Favourite ride/trail: Table Mountain, CTRecurring MTB nightmare: Dirty, worn chains

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.

aka Stirling Senior

Favourite ride/trail:

Recurring MTB nightmare: Dirty, worn chains

22

FS Kleinhans Muesli

Zoon Cronje is well known for his action shots of the MTN Series and many more

adventure sport events, but for anyone who has ever spent a day in his beloved Mitsubishi Pajero while covering an event, his mad driving skills and ability to be “in” the thick of the racing is kind of legendary!

I’ve always loved cycling, not just riding and racing, but also to watch and support. I never missed a race that was broadcasted on the tellie. I taped them all and watched them over and over, only chased away when interfering with my mother’s Egoli or my father’s SABC News time. So due to this unfortunate injury, it gave me a good opportunity to follow the racing and support the riders thanks to Zoon making space for me in his 4x4!

Just before the start-gun fi red, we had to make a run for the Pajero to make sure we are in front of the bunch. That did not work out all too well as 300-meters further we were blocked by a gate leading out of the school and unfortunately had to wait for the full elite bunch to go past, I had a bad feeling of what was going to happen next, a quick U-turn saw us racing through the schoolyard, luckily it was a Sunday or we would surely have seen the schoolboys fall like dominoes!

Not only was I impressed by the height gained over the speedbumps, but also by Zoon’s navigational skills. I thought the day was lost, but then again, by that time I was already a bit concussed, as we met the front runners on the next rocky climb. Trailing them down the descent that followed, we kept a bit of distance when it got really steep, just in case a rider crashed in front of us. Zoon explained that on those loose, rocky downhills there is no chance for the Pajero to stop quickly except by going down the cliff a few meters to our left.

We followed the riders, either right behind or alongside through the bushes and grass next to the road. Singletrack sections forced us to race around which got us ahead of the bunch so we can see the suff ering in their faces. I urged Zoon on to make more dust for them to eat. I guess that was me being slightly jealous of not being able to race! But sadly, very politely, he tried to keep that to a minimum.

There was also some calm on the day. We could camp out at the highest point of the race, and take the opportunity to send out some tweets, enjoy the view and watch the riders coming past. In a forest singletrack section, I tried to judge which riders snaked through the trails the fastest, while Zoon gave it his all sprinting behind the riders

MTN Hilton through the windscreen and lenses of Zoon CronjeThe small town of Hilton, a few kilometres north and separated by a long hill – perfect for intervals – from Pietermaritzburg, had been home to the Kleinhans family for six weeks, so the MTN National Series Hilton race was almost like a home race for Ariane. But for Erik, the holes drilled through his clavicle, attaching his new artifi cial ligaments, meant that he would be riding shotgun with the MTN National Series ace photographer Zoon Cronje rather than racing. “What impressed me most however

is that while all this driving and bundu-bashing was going on Zoon managed to get his photos, and great photos at that.”with the fl ycam to snap some of his iconic action shots. I bet he would have preferred an uphill section where the riders go a bit slower, but the best shots are hardly ever in easy to shoot places!

The racing got tense towards the end of the race with my RECM teammate, Nico Bell, fi ghting for the win against Darren Lill (Cannondale/Blend) and Gawie Combrinck (EAI). It was great to be so close to the riders, you could just sense the desire in all three of them to claim one of the eight National Marathons wins available in 2014. We left the leaders with just a small climb to go so the fi lm crew could capture the fi nish line shots. After 115km of tough racing it was Darren who crossed the line a hand full of seconds ahead of Nico.

What impressed me most however is that while all this driving and bundu-bashing was going on - and Joggie Prinsloo and I were just holding on for dear life, sometimes even hanging onto each other on the back-seat – Zoon managed to get his photos, and great photos at that. Equally impressively his right hand man, Arthur, managed to tweet race

updates and fi lm steady footage for the race highlights videos.

With my backstage-pass (read: injury enforced time off the bike) I’ve seen the work done by our RECM staff at the races and now I’ve also experienced how the story of each race gets out there. It gave me a new perspective and I can only express my gratitude to everyone involved who keep this great wheel of mountainbiking turning so smoothly in SA!

Below: Erik posing with Ariane, who’d secured the MTN National series title with a victory at Hilton, and Joggie Prinsloo. Right: Erik’s RECM teammate Nico Bell digging deep in pursuit of Darren Lill.



RECM se Erik Kleinhans is een van Suid-Afrika se gewildste bergfi etsjaers. Hy het sy vrou, Switserse marathonkampioen, Ariane, diep in die

Kammanassieberge op die 2010 Cape Pioneer Trek ontmoet. Hy het vanjaar die Meerendal-Songo-Specialized span van Christoph Sauser en František Raboň in die Cape Epic ondersteun saam met Nico Bell. Volg hom op Twitter by @kleinhansmuesli of besoek sy weberf: www.kleinhansmuesli.com.

RECM se

is een van Suid-Afrika se gewildste bergfi etsjaers. Hy het sy vrou, Switserse marathonkampioen, Ariane, diep in die

Skills FS

23

As I launch everything goes quiet, all I can hear is my heart beating. Then I land

and off I go in an adrenalin rush as all the sounds come fl ooding back.

Dropoff s have always been part of mountain biking, but today’s trails and riding styles have more and bigger drops than ever. A lot of normal riders are taking more vertical lines on cross-country trails. When you learn to take off safely and land smoothly, you’ll have more freedom and fun everywhere you ride.

Land SmoothlySo you can bottom your 180mm travel shock off a curb? Don’t be too proud of yourself. Smooth landings are where it’s at. Save your body, save your bike, save your skin

Minimize the dropFind a line that drops less and aims you downward toward the landing instead of fl ipping your front wheel skyward. Then when you reach your take-off spot, crouch your body as low as possible so you don’t have to fall as far. Flare your elbows out to keep your front end from pulling up or going skew. Get your bike back on the ground as soon and as smoothly as possible. There’s nothing cool about cracking frames or ankle bones. Keep your front end up until your rear takes off Dropping one wheel at a time is dangerous business: If your chainring catches the lip, you pitch forward. If your front wheel falls into the landing ditch, you’ll do an endo. If your rear wheel rolls forward while your front wheel drops straight down, you become a human catapult. The bottom line: Until you’re completely airborne, keep your front wheel level with, or above your rear wheel.

Use speed to your advantageThe faster you go, the easier it is to keep your front wheel up until your rear wheel leaves the ground. If you go fast enough, you hardly have to do anything to match your bike’s angle to that of the trail. Speed lets you clear gnarly rocks and bad landings. Flat landings feel smoother when you land with momentum than when you land slowly.

Adjust your landing to the slopeOn fl at landings, get your rear wheel down fi rst. This minimizes your free fall and lets you absorb the landing with your legs. On downhill landings,

get your front wheel down fi rst (only just though). Steep landings are so smooth you’ll wonder when you’re going to land. If you do land rear wheel fi rst on a downslope, your front end will slam down, and you could get tossed over the handlebars.

Big is cool, but don’t be a fool If the drop is lower than your knee pads, you can usually roll right off it, no big deal. But when drops grow taller than your wheels, you have got to start paying attention to your form, and you should defi nitely look before you leap.

Final WordsThe art of navigating a drop is the art of controlling the angle of your bike and landing smoothly. When you master this art, you can hop over obstacles at speed and maintain momentum when the ground drops out from beneath you.

When you come across drops on your favourite trails, try not to jump upward. Stay low and rely on speed. The faster you go, the easier this is.

If you can manual consistently, you are ready to try small high-speed drops.◆ Approach the take-off in your

low attack position. Get low. Lower still...

◆ Preload forward as if you were going to do a manual, which you are.

◆ As your wheel reaches the edge, shift back into a manual.

◆ Keep your front wheel up until your rear wheel leaves the edge.

◆ Come back to centre and match the angle of your bike to the angle of the landing.

◆ On a steep landing, land front wheel fi rst.

◆ Absorb the impact with your legs(if any) and be on your way.

On the biggest drop of your ride, you should bottom your suspension. That’s what it’s for.

James Thornhill-Fisher, the MTB Guru, has over 25 years of cycling and mountain biking experience. He’s ridden over 60 000km in the last fi ve years, leading numerous Cape Epic

trial rides along the way. Check out his website for upcoming training camps and workshops: www.mtbguru.co.za.

James Thornhill-

years of cycling and mountain biking experience. He’s ridden over 60 000km in the last fi ve years, leading numerous Cape Epic

HANDLING A DROP

James Thornhill-Fisher is fl ying down one of his favourite trails on his new Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 650B, when he spots a group of riders standing next to the trail, looking apprehensively down a rock drop. Slowing slightly and cutting to the left James hits the drop…

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On the biggest drop of your ride, you should bottom your suspension. That’s what it’s for.

24

FS Ride Report Dusi2c

Up until a few months ago I was still smoking, combine that with the fact that this is

my fi rst season of riding, oh and don’t forget the small incident that had left my arm in a cast thanks to a broken elbow all make for an interesting couple of months of training leading up to my fi rst ever stage race.

The evening before the race, while we sat outside on the deck at the Natal Canoe Club waiting for the race briefi ng, it quickly become evident as the sun was setting and the temperature plummeted that we were in for a cold weekend ahead. The next morning while standing at the starting line, with minimal clothing on, I thought to myself there is no way it can get colder than this… oh how little did I know what was in store for us.

As the siren sounded the commencement of our adventure we quickly got into the swing of things as everyone jostled for places going through the single track. Leaving Pietermaritzburg we crossed the Msunduzi River via a scaff olding bridge that had been erected especially for us. Didn’t we just feel special!

The dusi2c is GPS navigated and it didn’t take long for us to realise that blindly following the rider in front of you will take you off the course.

While battling down the most technical descent I have ever ridden, my mind quickly fl ashed back to what Farmer Glen said at the race briefi ng: “People complain that the sani2C is too groomed so we have tried to keep the dusi2c as raw as possible.” In trying to keep with the tradition of the Dusi Canoe Marathon there were only three bridges and for the rest of the crossings we had to get off the bike and portage across the rivers. This was quite tricky as the current was strong enough to sweep your bike away if you weren’t careful.

My nightmare started just after the second water point as my cleats were clogged with mud from the river

crossing. We went over what seemed to be a 5km long dried up waterfall as it was just rocks everywhere, I quickly ran out of talent, I couldn’t even uncleat in time and hit the deck eight times in that rock garden…

The Valley of a Thousand Hills lived up to its name with the numerous amount of climbing we had to endeavour. I must have been one of the most ecstatic people to see base camp at Mfula Store that afternoon. First order of the day was a shower then the medical tent to get patched up. The kind folk at BSi Steel donated a half ton bakkie load of Zamalek quarts. Luckily for me there were non-alcoholic drinks too, as the thought of having a Black Label was enough to give me a headache for the next day’s ride…

After the evening’s prize giving and watching the video footage of the race leaders making it look so easy, we retreated to our tents which were erected along the uMngeni river bank. Man oh man, was that mattress a godsend.

The roosters woke us at four am and with breakfast being served at fi ve, we got up and got ready. As the

A cold but exhilarating dusi2c

So when the CEO of mass manufacturing group, Storequip, off ered Scott Craig-Mackie

an entry to this year’s BSi Steel dusi2c he couldn’t say no. The only problem was that

he’d been teamed up with a 51 year old former Semi-Pro road rider, Gerhard Harmse. While his

riding accolades are far less glamorous than Gerhard’s he was hoping that his 20 year age

advantage would help him survive.

“The singletrack riding along the banks of the Inanda Dam was the

best I have ever ridden.”

Scott Craig-Mackie has only been riding seriously for less than a year. He’s a father of three and a huge sport’s fan – supporting the Sharks and Arsenal

(there’s no accounting for taste…). He’s tries to live by the motto “Fear conquered, Glory Achieved”.

Mackiebeen riding seriously for less than a year. He’s a father of three and a huge sport’s fan – supporting the Sharks and Arsenal

For Scott the dusi2c was a baptism by cold into the world of stage racing, but one he thoroughly enjoyed. There’s nothing like a tough riding experience to get you motivated to ride more.

temperature dropped to zero during the night our wet shoes had frozen overnight. That was unpleasant to say the least.

Unfortunately just as we thought we were warming up after a few kays of riding, we had two more river crossings. These took almost 20 minutes as the queue was snaking through the waste deep freezing water.

The singletrack riding along the banks of the Inanda Dam was the best I have ever ridden. The soft river sand made it challenging and even more rewarding. It was here were I met the only tandem team in the race. What made this team even more spectacular was that the rear rider is blind. I must take my hat off to both of them. Guys you were amazing and absolutely inspiring.

Once we got into Durban we crossed two bridges the organisers made for us. The fi rst was a pallet bridge which I quickly found out had to be crossed with speed. If you went slowly you would sink. My partner nearly fell in as he went too far to the side and the pallets started tipping. The second was the infamous PG Bison fl oating bridge. This was a lot more secure and after it there was only a short grass paving section left before the cycle-lane lead us down to the Blue Lagoon, across the river via the M4 Bridge and back up to the Durban Canoe Club, where

the fi nish was eagerly awaiting us. All in all the Dusi is a race not to

be underestimated, especially as the cold made things a lot tougher, but the riding is world class and the organisation is impeccable as befi ts Farmer Glen’s reputation.

where are we?The dusi2c follows the route

of the Dusi Canoe Marathon

along the Msunduzi River from

Pietermaritzburg in the Kwa Zulu

Natal Midlands to Durban. Now

in its second year the Dusi looks

set to become one of SA’s most

popular stage races.

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Kwa-ZuluNatal

Durban

Eastern Cape

N2

◆

JETLINE ACTION PHOTO

JETLINE ACTION PHOTO

Pietermaritzburg

25

Ride Report 1Zambia MTB FS

Robbie Powel began his career in the bicycle industry in 1988 and hasn’t looked back since. What began as a part time job turned into an international

passion and lifestyle. Over the course of 26 years that Robbie has worked in the bicycle industry he has been involved in retail, wholesale and manufacturing and is currently heading up his own product development company with his long-time friend, Brandon Els.

Robbie Powel began his career in the bicycle industry in 1988 and hasn’t looked back since.

part time job turned into an international

Knowing that the course designers and event directors Owen Green and Jesper

Lublinkhof were seasoned MTB riders meant I knew we were in for some fantastic riding. Both Owen and Jesper have done numerous Cape Epics and Jesper represented Zambia in various MTB events worldwide. I’ve had the opportunity to ride in many countries around the world and within Africa, so I was eagerly anticipating the event.

Billed as one of the most spectacular three day MTB stage races in Africa, the course covered 230km of wildly remote forests, fantastic mountain terrain and the best single tracks Africa had to off er. Added to this everyone was looking forward to the fi nish on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River at the end of three tough days.

The event is a marker free route, meaning the riders would have to use GPS computers to navigate the route, as GPS course routes were provided by the organizers and downloaded onto each rider’s GPS the night before each stage.

This was a fi rst for me, as all the events I had competed in previously have been marked. Having said that, it was fantastic not having markers on the course as it felt like a true adventure following the GPS and fl ying down the unmarked trails. The fi rst two days took the riders down the escarpment and back around Lilayi

Lodge, with the fi nal day taking the riders to the fi nish on the banks of the Zambezi and a night at Kiambi Lodge.

Arriving at Lilayi Lodge, 45 minutes’ drive from Lusaka, was like fi nding an oasis in the desert. Beautiful fl owing lawns and fi ve star accommodations awaited the riders, the food was fantastic and there was plenty of it.

The fi rst day covered 68km of mostly singletracks and jeep tracks with only a small segment of district road, climbing was chalked down to be 1400m. Owen described the route as “The wake-up call”.

The course was fantastic, taking the riders down the escarpment and back up again. Flowing single tracks and long descents with names like Rabbit nose drop in and technical climbs (Profanity Hill) were the order of the day. The views were out of this world, Owen and Jesper really went out of their way to show off the best of the area. Water points were great with the right food, lots of water and the hugely popular and refreshing Twizza drinks. Riding through the tribal areas was a pleasure with lots of friendly people and kids along the route all asking “How are you?” to anyone who would listen and providing friendly encouragement.

Day two started at Lilayi Lodge again and once again we descended the escarpment covering 70km with around 1200m of climbing. Billed as an easier day than the fi rst, the single tracks and jeep tracks were sublime, fl owing and

IF YOU ONLY DO 1 STAGE RACE…

Robbie Powel loves going to Zambia. The wildlife, friendly people and of course the

mighty Zambezi River make this country a fantastic holiday spot. So when he got the email invite to the inaugural FNB 1Zambia MTB, three

day stage race, he jumped at the opportunity.

“In all my riding, I have never come across a singletrack like this. Super-fast, steep, littered with rocks and drops and it went on for what seems like forever!”

where are we?The beauty of visiting Zambia is

that it’s a SADEC country so all

you need is a valid passport and

a Yellow Fever shot. Lilayi Lodge

is situated in the Lusaka South

Forest Reserve just south of the

Zambian capital city Lusaka.

Kiambi Lodge is situated in the

Lower Zambezi National Park to

the east of the capital where the

Zambian boarder meets that of

Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

technical as well as exhilarating and super-fast. The main climb of the day was on a district road which was a great opportunity for the stronger teams to wind up the pace. Sadly my GPS gave up the ghost on day two.

After my GPS failed we were left to track the riders ahead; which was really funny and frustrating at the same time. The last descent of the day was a dusi, in all my riding I have never come across a singletrack like this. Super-fast, steep, littered with rocks and drops and it went on for what seems like forever! Sadly we experienced a cut tyre and thanks to some of the teams, we received assistance with extra tubes and a gator.

Day three dawned and we were all sorry to say goodbye to Lilayi Lodge and their fantastic hospitality, but at the same time we were also super excited to embark on the journey to the banks of the Zambezi and the fi nish at Kiambi Lodge.

The route ahead promised 108km of singletracks, 1300m of steep technical climbs and more beautiful vistas. The stage started 30 minutes earlier than normal in order to account for the increased temperatures in the Zambezi Valley and yes, we did need the early start.

The fi rst 46km consisted mostly of singletracks, footpaths and a few jeep tracks; but the highlights were the kilometres of hidden forests we rode through. Untouched old growth forests which gave us an indication on just how far off the beaten track we had come. Trails with names like Flow Rider, Solo-man’s crossing and Spot the goat were navigated and etched into the psyche of all the riders. Looming ahead was the much talked about and dreaded climb out of the valley and over the escarpment before dropping into the Zambezi Valley. Aptly named the “mother in law”, the climb had even the most experienced riders pushing. Steep and unrelenting, it wound its way over the top and when you almost had enough the view opened up to reveal the Zambezi Valley.

Dropping down into the valley was an experience few will forget, the trail

to jeep track was technical and fast to super-fast. The lower we got, the more the increase in temperature became apparent. Rolling into Kiambi Lodge, on the banks of the Zambezi, was exhilarating and sad at the same time. Knowing that the event was over and it was time to go back to reality.

Prize giving took place on an island in the middle of the Zambezi, the podium was an overturned dugout canoe and the audience were elephants, hippos, fi sh eagles and crocs… and a few tired riders and supporters.

What an amazing experience.

Andrew Johnson & Glen McGregor, 3rd place overall.

Nankanga Hil,Stage 2

Adrian Saff y’s selfi e

where are we?

SO

U

THERN AFRICA

ZAMBIA

MA

LAW

I

MOZAM

BIQUE

ZIMBABWE

Lusaka Lower Zambezi ◆National Park

◆Lusaka

South Forest

PRODUCTS TO GET YOU STOCKED TO BE ON THE BIKEIt’s August and with the spring riding season now just around the corner it’s time to brave the dying throws of winter and get out on your bike to get your summer body back. Here are a few cool items to keep you stocked to get on your bike in the cold morning hours, for the dark after work rides, or the inevitably wet weekend missions.

26

FS Gear

POC Index FlowThe fi rst thing you’ll notice about the POC Index Flow gloves is just how comfortable they are. Now we’ve tested quite a few gloves for Full Sus and our favourites for pure fi t and comfort are the Craft Control gloves, but those are silky smooth road gloves and not durable trail and downhill gloves like the POC Index Flows. The Index Flows actually run the Controls really, really, close on the comfort and fi t department. It looks like POC have spent the R&D budget on getting their gloves to feel as good as they can, rather than making them look rugged with superfl uous, jutting out rubber bits. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense pair of gloves with a reinforced palm and touch screen compatible break leaver grip strips look no further. And it looks like they’re built to last too. To fi nd your nearest dealer or buy a pair online go to www.puremotionsports.co.za.

Just Mobile Highway DuoIf you’re running Strava, Endomondo or any of the other tracking apps on your iPhone you’ll be pretty used to a fl at battery. And with Apple’s pesky incompatibility (there’s a chip in the Apple approved chargers) with the traffi c light brand of car chargers you’re going to have to get a decent one anyway so why not get one of the best? The Highway Duo features a built-in lightning cable for rapid charging, which makes it perfect for the quick booster charge on your way to a ride. And it also has a port for a USB cable so you can plug your USB to Micro USB cable into it and charge another device at the same time. The Highway Duo produces 2.1A output through the lightning cable and is certifi ed for iPod, iPhone and iPad too. Go to www.emia.co.za to fi nd a dealer near you.

32Gi TrumagWith the launch of 32Gi’s new gels, see the full review on page 27, they sent us a selection of their other products to test too. One that’s received great feedback from the sponsored athletes is the Trumag supplement, so we gave it a try too. The science says it’s a true slow release and 100% bioavailable magnesium tablet that breaks down over eight hours and is completely absorbed by your bodily systems. The magnesium is infused with carnitine which transports free fatty acids to the mitochondria of your muscle cells to be utilized as a source of energy, so it helps with burning fat. No we can’t test the science, but the Trumag tablets defi nitely seem to reduce muscle cramps. Visit www.32gi.com for all the scientifi c information.

32Gi Trumag

S-Works TrailSpecialized only put their S-Works brand on their top end bikes and gear. So the fact that there’s even such a thing as an S-Works Trail shoe just goes to show how popular Enduro (or All Mountain) riding has become. The shoes feature a Body Geometry designed outsole and footbed to optimise the alignment of your foot in the shoe. This improves rider comfort and your pedalling performance. The sole is made from FACT carbon, just like their S-Works road and cross country shoes and they lace up with the S2-Hex cartridge system. They’re also designed to off er increased toe and ankle protection for those nasty moments when your feet clip a rock or a tree (the ensuing crash might cause serious damage to the rest of your body but your feet will be fi ne). Find out more at www.specialized.com.

Beni 12” Balance BikeChances are some of your earliest childhood memories involved a black plastic motorbike, before you upgraded to a good old fashioned BMX. Well now you can give your kids the same sort of early memories with an epically cool Beni Balance Bike. They’re the 21st century version of the little black motorbike and will have your kids cruising around (and developing quads of steel which will serve them well when you upgrade them to a real mountain bike in a few years’ time) happily for hours on end. The frame and fork is made of steel, so it’ll take the beating an active ankle biter dishes out, features a rear drum brake and comes in blue for the boys and white with purple decaling for the girls. The 12 inch Beni Bikes are suitable for kids between the ages of two and four. Find out more at your local Avalanche dealer or go to www.avalanchebicycles.co.za.

Premium Rescue ToolPark Tool’s Premium Rescue Tool is the Swiss Army knife meats Leatherman of the bicycling world. It features all the usual screwdrivers, Allen keys (or hex wrenches if you’re partial to the

American name) and a chain breaker, and then gets interesting. Boasting a disc brake piston press, a rotor truing tool, an emergency pedal wrench, a Presta valve core/

extension tool, three spoke wrenches, a knife and even a bottle opener, all in a composite protective shell which doubles as two super strong tyre levers. Given Park Tool’s reputation for quality tools it could be the last

multi-tool you ever buy, unless a mate nicks it from you that is – which given how cool it is, is highly likely. Find out more at www.parktool.com.

for all the scientifi c information.

POC Trabec Race FS

The reviewsSUSSUS

Sick of seeing tiny bitten off bit of gel packets

littering the trails Mark Wolff , Director of 32Gi knew

he had to come up with a better packaging idea to reduce the amount of rubbish being dropped in rides and races.

The bloom in trail and all mountain riding, and let’s not forget Enduro racing has done wonders for the R&D sectors of the mountain bike industry. One of the areas where we’ve seen a big shift in recent years is in the introduction of bulkier helmets. Joining Bell’s Super in the select group of the most desirable all mountain helmets is the POC Trabec Race.

If you watched the Tour de France you should have noticed the Garmin Sharp team sporting POC helmets so while the shape of the Trabec Race doesn’t scream race, it does have recent racing heritage coursing through

its expanded polystyrene (EPS) core. On closer inspection it’s actually pretty aerodynamic, or at least as aero as you’d ever likely need for a mountain biking helmet.

It’s lightweight too, weighing in at 340g for the medium-large size. (If that’s a number of little relevance for you, the top of the range Bontrager Specter XR helmet in size large weighs 355g.) The specifi cations include an aerodynamic ventilation channel system of 16 vent slots, an aramid fi bre grid for protection and durability, a vastly adjustable sizing system, and an adjustable visor.

The important stuff though is the fi t and feeling of safety the Trabec Race provides. When you slip it on it feels light and comfortable. The chin straps are easily adjusted and when combined with the two ratchet sliders behind your head, you’ll be securely locked into the helmet in no time at all.

The Trabec Race envelops your head, providing a sense of security that a traditional helmet just doesn’t. The way a normal helmet perches on your head will feel positively dangerous after riding with your head nestled safely inside the POC Trabec Race for a couple of rides. Now we didn’t crash test it, to check just how safe it is, because we couldn’t fi nd a willing volunteer to boost into a tree. So we’ll have to be content with its EN 1078 and CPSC 12.03 safety certifi cation.

The only concern I have is the fact that the shell is made up of two panels, which could lead to the join between the two accumulating grit and dirt. But a soapy sponge will solve that issue.

RRP R2 700 www.puremotionsports.co.za

Sick of seeing tiny bitten off bit of gel packets

littering the trails Mark Wolff , Director of 32Gi knew

he had to come up with a

32Gi Sports Gels FS

The solution is ingeniously simple, a ridged backed gel sachet with a break point built in down the middle. All you do is take the gel in one hand and break it away from you, by forcing the ends down, eat as you

normally would eat a gel and then fold it back upon itself in the other direction, closing up the perforation so that your jersey pocket doesn’t get sticky when you put the used packaging back.

32Gi have dubbed it snap packaging and were quick to patent the design too. It goes a long way to solve one of Full Sus’s perennial bugbears, that of riders littering. Without a tear off strip to drop or, worse, spit out, the snap packaging leaves riders with two options. Drop one large piece of litter, which is easier to fi nd and pick up, but not ideal. (In fact it being one big piece of litter should help you spot riders in the act of littering. And if you do, you have our permission to ram them off their bikes.) The second option is the better one, because it’s one big piece of litter than folds in on itself (I only reiterate it because some riders are clearly afraid of a bit of gel on their kit) and it’s easy just to put back into your pocket.

The environmental pitch out the way, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The 32Gi gel is a brown rice syrup based gel. The reason behind this choice is that the alternative, maltodextrin from corn starch is obtained from Genetically Modifi ed (GMO) corn and 32Gi prides itself on the fact that they are concerned to the health of their consumers and won’t compromise by using any Genetically Modifi ed ingredients in their products. Brown rice syrup has a GI of 98, consists of around 45% maltose, 3% glucose, and 52% maltotriose, and is easy on the digestive system.

I’m personally not a fan of gels (I can’t handle the texture generally), but I found the 32Gi pleasant in texture and fl avour. The snap packet is also very easy to use on the go, both on the bike and when running. I preferred the vanilla fl avour as it has a more neutral fl avour that, in my mind at least, goes down well during sport. The coff ee fl avour is still pretty nice too, and tastes just like those after dinner coff ee sweets.

RRP R18.95 www.32gi.com.

32Gi have dubbed it snap packaging and were quick to patent the design too. It goes a long way to solve one of Full Sus’s perennial bugbears, that of riders littering.

28

FS Ex Pro’s taking to Mountain Biking

William Frederick Stelling, might not have represented the Proteas in his 16 year

fi rst-class career but he did have AB de Villiers caught behind by Jeroen Smits for a two ball duck, in the fi rst match of the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. It is a moment he loves to recount. He’s probably better known in South African mountain biking circles though by his @BillyMTBoy handle, hard racing and outspoken views.

Billy took up cycling in 2003 as a means of improving his fi tness without putting strain on his body, a tip he’d suggest to bowlers in particular as the repetitive pounding of running puts strain on already stressed bowlers’ joints. In 2005 his competitive nature kicked in and Billy lined up on the start of the Epic and the sani2c, but it was in 2008 that he

really began to focus on cycling. In February 2008 Billy was hit by a

car which left him bedridden for seven weeks and ended his cricket career. And maybe helped with his decision to spend more time on the mountain than the road. Since 2008 Billy has forged a reputation as one of the leading veteran riders in the country, especially in the ultra-endurance races like the 36One Challenge and the Trans Karoo. But it’s in his weekend fun riding that Billy really fi nds his mountain biking joy.

He’s been getting friends together and exploring the back roads of the Western Cape and the Karoo, sometimes supported by a back-up vehicle with all the extra gear and other times just taking the essentials for a solo mission. It was on one of those trips that Billy realised that more people should experience the vast

William (Billy) Frederick StellingBorn: 30 June 1969Batting Average: 30.00Bowling: 22 wickets at 25.77Mountain Biking: 2012 SA XCM Champs 2nd vets, 2012 Attakwas 9th (1stvet), 2014 36One Challenge 1st team and AmaRider 100miler 2014 4th(1stvet).iThuba Ride details: www.ithubaride.com | [email protected]

William (Billy) Frederick StellingBorn: 30 June 1969Batting Average: 30.00Bowling: 22 wickets at 25.77Mountain Biking: 2012 SA XCM Champs 2nd vets, 2012 Attakwas 9th (1stvet), 2014 36One Challenge 1st team and AmaRider 100miler 2014 4th(1stvet).iThuba Ride details: www.ithubaride.com | [email protected]

“Billy has forged a reputation as one of the leading veteran riders in the country, especially in the ultra-

endurance races like the 36One Challenge and the Trans Karoo.”

The popularity of mountain biking has attracted some big name sport stars from other codes over the years and we thought we’d bring you their stories. Kicking off with cricket, Full Sus spoke to former Western Province and Netherlands allrounder Billy Stelling.

Cricketing Mountain BikersJacques Rudolph – the classy Titians left hander once missed an SA A

game to ride the joBerg2c with Gerald de Kock.

Nicky Boje – came a long way from suff ering through a 15km ride on a

Proteas team building camp in 2003 to competing in the joBerg2c in 2012.

Alan Dawson – the skiddy Western Province and Proteas seamer has an

Iron Man 70.3 medal to keep his Cape Epic fi nishers’ medals company.

Jonty Rhodes – South Africa’s best loved 90’s cricketer is also an

accomplished mountain biker and did the 2010 sani2c with his boet.

Cricketer Catch-up with

Billy Stelling

beauty of the Karoo by mountain bike. The desire to share the back roads

and trails he’d explored lead to the establishment of iThuba Ride, Billy’s mountain biking tour organisation company which he runs with Stuart Vorster. The concept is to off er tailor made tours, where iThuba does all the hard work, like setting up the itinerary, ferrying bags, putting up tents and cooking meals while the clients get to enjoy the riding without any peripheral worries.

The beauty of a custom tour is that you get to choose everything: destinations, distances, dates, and then leave the details to iThuba Ride to organise. They even do

massages and personalised kit. iThuba Ride also off er four annual tours too, in addition to their custom tours, of which the highlight must be the fi ve day ride from Laingsburg (after catching a train to the start from Cape Town) to the Knysna Oyster Festival.

Back to the mountain biking sportsmen, and Billy reckons that more cricketers should be cycling and mountain biking in particular. Too many cricketers take up cycling after their careers are over, when they could be extending their careers by putting away their road running shoes and getting on the bike for cross training.

Billy Stelling on the 36One Challenge podium with riding partner Riccardo Stermin.

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

FS photo of the month

Oakpics 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. Call them on 021 854 8723 or visitwww.oakpics.com.

FS FS FSIn August the MTB

community treks to the

Tsitsikamma Forest for the

best wet weekend on a bike

you can imagine in the 36One

Storms River Traverse.

© LEATT CORPORATION 2014www.leatt.com

ENDURO KNEE AND SHIN GUARDSPROTECTION REDEFINED

AUGUST Must do events■ 9 August: Downstream Dash Join Detour Trails team for the second of their three, 1 000 Hills Expeditions rides. Starting at Mountain View, Bishopstowe and fi nish at the eNanda Adventure Centre the ride traverses 83km of the most beautiful riding in the Vally of 1 000 Hills and features 1 200m of climbing and an impressive 1 700m of descending. Entries are R180 and include R20 for the entry fee into eNanda Adventure Centre. The third event of the series of expeditions takes place on the 23rd of August from Ascot Inn in

Pietermaritzburg to the Blue Lagoon, Kingfi sher Club. You can read all about the 1 000 Hills Expeditions and enter online on the Detour Trails website: www.detourtrails.co.za.

■ 23 & 24 August: The Waterberg Toyota Lindani MTB Classic The Lindani MTB Classic is a two day mountain biking extravaganza for the whole family. There are long, medium and short distances on off er with the option to mix and match distances across the days. The main races feature a 60km route on the Saturday and a 45km route on the Sunday for the very reasonable R390 for both days, or R225 for Saturday only and R185 for the Sunday. The medium options feature 30km and 25km routes, while the short rides are 10km and 7km in length. The races take place in the stunning 3 200ha Waterberg mountain-bushveld

Lindani game farm. Accommodation isn’t included in the race entry fees but there are plenty of lodges in the area and they’re all listed in the event’s page on the www.lindani.co.za website. Enter the races on www.racetime.co.za and then go book your stay on www.lindani.co.za.

■ 30 August: Hopefield MTB Event Also known as the Thys du Toit Memorial MTB Challenge, the race which forms part of the annual Hopefi eld Fynbos Show and will raise funds to pay for the university education of a Hopefi eld matric pupil in the memory of Thys du Toit. The organisers have been very hard at work building epic looking singletrack, which they promise with off er riders of the two longer routes a tough technical challenge. There are 13km (R100), 50km (R160) and 72km (R160) route options, with the 72km main race fi rmly aimed at seasoned

mountain bikers. You can fi nd out more by liking the event’s Facebook page by searching Hopefi eld MTB. Enter online at www.entrytickets.co.za.

■ 30 August: Nissan Trailseeker #3 The third leg of the Nissan Trailseeker series is hosted by Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria East and features a route through farm lands and arid savannah bushveld. It’s proven to be a popular venue because of its central location, fantastic single tracks, mind-blowing, hand-built trails, exhilarating river crossings and fast farm roads. The distances on off er as follows: 70km, 40km, 20km and 10km, so there’s something for all skill and fi tness levels. After the races stay and enjoy the vibe in the beer garden or food tent. Or bring a braai pack and let the braai masters from Ignite braai for you (sounds like the perfect arrangement for the English speaking riders…). Enter online at www.trailseekerseries.co.za.

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

SUS THE BEST OF September 2014 MPUMALANGA 6 Cara Cara MTB Race 6 Badplaas Deo Volente Resort

Spring Race 6 DAS Auto #5 7 York Adventure Challenge 13 Spur High Schools League #4

GAUTENG 6 Spur High Schools League #2 7 Eqstra Spring Classic 2014 14 Me-Nuts Kids Like2Bike Series 20 UTI Believe CHOC COW

MTB Race20 Spur High Schools League #3 21 Resolution Health Race the Rhino 27 XCOSA #3

EASTERN CAPE 1 Royal EC MTB Tour 4 VELOlife Ride Wild Tour 7 Makro Bestmed MTB Race 7 Woodoc Kat MTB Challenge 9 The “X” MTB Eastern Cape 13 PE<<Plett 13 Spur High Schools League #3 14 Sole Destroyer 28 Steeltek

FREE STATE 13 MTN National MTB Series #8

Ride Crater Cruise 20 Dirty Harry MTB 27 Rhino River Run 27 Spur High Schools League #4

WESTERN CAPE 6 Tip Trans Cederberg Xperience 6 Renosterbos MTB & Trail Run 6 Staalwater Trail Run & MTB

Challenge 6 Al-2-Hez Mtb race 6 Riebeek Valley MTB 12 Ride2Nowhere 13 Funky Fynbos Festival MTB

Funride 13 Piket-Bo-Berg Cycle Challenge

15 Mountain Mill MTB Challenge 18 Karoo Splendor 18 Pennypinchers Dr.Evil Classic 21 Pennypinchers Die Burger Lions

Karoo to Coast26 Resolution Health Ride the Rhino 27 Enduroman South Africa28 Montagu Wet & Wild Triathlon28 Spur MTB Classic

KZN 6 Lynford Clover Classic MTB & Trail

Runs 6 Spur High Schools League #8 6 Hill 2 Hill Training Ride #4 -

Mkelekehle Trail 7 BELL Big 5 Series # 4 – Monzi

Hippo Challenge 7 Hill 2 Hill Pre-ride #3 13 The Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill 2

Hill Half-Marathon 14 The Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill 2

Hill Marathon 20 Spur High Schools League #9 21 BELL Big 5 Series # 5 – Hluhluwe

SuperSpar Rhino Charge 21 Varsity College MTB # 3 21 Riverlea Drak MTB Xperience 26 Old Boys Invitational

LIMPOPO 20 Tzaneen Cycling Noon2Moon 27 Limpopo Lentekarnaval

NORTHERN CAPE 4 Namaqua Quest 3 Day

Mountain Bike

NORTH WEST 12 Van Gaalens Dirt Fest 13 Spur High Schools League #4 27 Mamusa Challenge27 Spur High Schools League #5

OUT IN AFRICA 20 Swazi Trac 3 Reserves MTB race

2014 (Swaziland) 21 Lesotho Sky (Lesotho) 26 Permoglaze Mauritius Coast to

Coast MTB Challenge (Mauritius)

October 2014RACE CALENDAR MPUMALANGA 3 Isuzu 3 Towers Stage Race

LIMPOPO 4 ATKV Eiland SPA MTB 11 Debtsafe Cansa MTB Challenge 18 Yurok Spur MTB Challenge 25 4th Mooketsi MTB Challenge

GAUTENG 4 RevoLife Night Ride 4 Nissan Trailseeker #4 18 XCOSA #4

EASTERN CAPE 4 Bonthoek Marathon 4 Lormar Endurance MTB Tour 5 Van Stadens Flower Reserve

Funride 5 Buff alo Marathon 12 Powerade Rollercoaster18 Amazing Karoo Cycling Bazaar18 Oxtober25 Langkloof MTB Challenge 26 Mpact Addo MTB

WESTERN CAPE 4 Hessequa MTB Challenge 4 Seweweekspoort MTB Challenge 11 Slanghoek MTB Classic 12 Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek

18 STBB 2Keep-a-Breast MTB Challenge

19 Voet van Afrika MTB Enduro 25 Chris Willemse Cycles Durbie

Dash 26 Spur Adventure DUO & Sprint #4 31 FNB Wines2Whales Adventure

KZN 3 Burg2Berg 4 Bell Big 5 Series Final Awards

Function 5 Dargle Trail Festival 10 Fed Group Berg & Bush Descent 14 Fed Group Berg & Bush Great Trek 18 Fed Group Berg & Bush 2 day 25 Over the Edge & Back MTB

Challenge26 Gears4Ears

NORTH WEST 4 Spur High Schools League

National Final 18 Maquassi Hills Vleis Race MTB

NORTHERN CAPE 3 Augrabies Richersveld Ultra Tour

OUT IN AFRICA 3 RAD Rides – Lesotho All

Mountain (Lesotho) 12 Lesotho Ultimate Tour (Lesotho) 23 Trans Lesotho Altitude Challenge

(Lesotho)

Mpumalanga

Limpopo

Northern Cape

Gauteng

Eastern Cape

Free State

Western Cape

KZN

North West

Out in Africa

CALENDAR KEY

List your Event in the Full Sus CalendarGet your event, big or small, from the ABSA Cape Epic to your LBS

weekly training ride listed in the Full Sus calendar. If it’s a MTB event, be it a ride or race, we want to list it. And it’s free!

All you need to do is go to www.fullsus.co.za, click on ‘Event Calendar’ and fi nd the submit event bar, fi ll in your event details and

click submit. Then Robert’s your mother’s brother, your event will soon be live on FullSus.co.za to be seen by thousands of mountain

bikers from the furthest corners of South Africa.

It’ll automatically be included in the newspaper too. And best of all, it’s FREE. Just like Full Sus.

30

CAPE TOWN CONCEPT STORE OPENINGSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

SALES & MECHANIC POSITIONS AVAILABLE. EMAIL CV TO [email protected]

31

EVENTS Classifi eds FSClassifi eds FS

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

WWW.FULLSUS.CO.ZA

Calling all bike shops and small events:

Do you need to stretch your marketing budget?Full Sus has the solution: Advertise here.Full Sus print 14 000 copies 10 times a year and if you’re reading this you know Full Sus is jam packed with terrifi c MTB content. Reach up to 42 000 potential clients. Through 191 nationwide bike shops, MTB clubs and coff ee shops. R1 000 gets you this sized advert. Call Jess on 021 685 2085 or email her on [email protected] to book your space.

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For race updates, up to the minute news and an extensive race calendar read Full Sus online at

www.fullsus.co.za.

Royalty Sports is the exclusive distributor of Trek Bicycles in South Africa.royaltysports.co.za Tel: +27 21 2000 454 Facebook.com/trekbikesa @TrekBikesSA

CONGRATULATIONSTO OUR CHAMPS

Be it hardtail or full suspension, the Trek Superfly is their weapon of choice.

2014 SA National MTB Marathon Champion

Trek Superfly FS 9.9 SL

2014 SA National MTB Marathon Champion

Trek Superfly 9.9 SL

ROBYN DE GROOTJAMES REID

full sus august 2014

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