Bike Reviewpg28

Trailspg12

A Purple GTpg18

FullSussa

@FullSussa

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYMOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLY

FREE

November2013, Vol 8

Skills Columnpg14

NEW

turn to page 4

Cherise Stander Column pg22

EXCLUSIVE

We all want to ride the best trails, they don’t always have to be perfectly manicured

– sometimes rough and ready is far more fun – but we’re not always aware of what really goes into building and maintaining great MTB trails. Hence riders acting like they believe in what Meurant Botha calls “trail fairies”. I’m sure most of the time it’s not a conscious thing, it’s just that it’s easy to take for granted that someone built

your favourite bit of trail (unless you did it yourself) or that someone comes out on a Saturday morning and fi xes the braking bumps.

So with the Origin of Trails coming up at the end of the month I went to speak to the route planner, Corrie Muller and Specialized’s Bobby Behan about the work that they’ve been putting into the trails around Stellenbosch. And got James Thornhill-Fisher to chip in with information on

how the highly successful Tygerberg MTB Club manages their trails, but let’s start with the Origins…

In 2012 a group of avid riders from Stellenbosch, including 2009 Dakar Rally champion Giniel de Villiers and Stillwater Sport’s Michael Meyer, got together to raise money to expand the Jonkershoek trails. With the help of a fundraiser coordinated by one of the local bike shops, Bike Marathon Triathlon, and Specialized chipping in quite signifi cantly they managed to raise R160 000 which they turned over to Bennet Nel of Ace Of Spades to build new trails.

This planted the seed of what was to become the Origin of Trails concept. To host a world class MTB event in the town used as a base for many top riders, including Christoph Sauser (a long time Stellenbosch summer resident), Nino Schurter and Jaroslav Kulhavy, and to use the funds to contribute directly to

the trails in the region. As any old MTB hand from the Winelands will tell you – Stellenbosch is the spiritual home of MTB in South Africa. So it’s essential that they keep building quality trails to ensure that Stellenbosch keeps attracting and starts producing the world’s top riders. But let’s get down and dirty looking at what goes into laying trails for you to enjoy.

Origin’s route director, Corrie Muller, is usually a dentist by day, but a MTB crash left him with torn ligaments in both his thumbs and so while booked off work for three months Michael Meyer roped him in to liaise the route. This involved getting permission from 55 land owners to organise two 70km stages and as Corrie found there are no trails without lengthy land

Trail fairies are the sprites which miraculously fi x and build trails while the rest of us are sleeping – dreaming in single track. They cut berms, sculpt

features and even construct bull and chicken runs to accommodate a variety of skills. These hard working

imps are very real but not in the form you thought and as Seamus Allardice found out they need more

cash and hands to keep up their essential work.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

trail fairies?

www.issuu.com/FullSussa full sus

2

FS Editorial

the teamPublishing Editor: Shayne Dowling

shayne@integratedmedia.co.za

Content Editor: Seamus Allardiceseamus@integratedmedia.co.za

Art Director: Megan Knoxmegan@integratedmedia.co.za

Advertising: Shayne Dowling

PR & Promotions: Julia Andradejulia@integratedmedia.co.za

Photography: Julia Andrade, Oakpics.com, Cherie Vale|Newsport Media, Jaco Wiese, Blast Communications, DesmondScholtz.

co.za, Jacques Marias, Action Photo, Chris Hitchcock|Photosport, David Bristow

and thinkstock.com.

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

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

James Thornhill-Fisher & Jeanne-Louise Wiese.

Rogue Contributor: David Bristow

Contributors: Dylan Chilcott, Gary Kroukamp, Kate Slegrova and Fourie Kotze.

Printing: Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd

Published by: Integrated Media

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

necessarily represent the views of Full Sus or Integrated Media.

Head Offi ce | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285

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

Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701

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

Full Sus ALLIANCE PARTNERS

SUS BIG O'S TRAINING

SUS BIG O'S TRAINING

D-DayAs I write this it is a few

days to go to my fi rst

Wines2Whales, a three

day stage ride, averaging

70kms each day and a lot

of big bumps in the way.

I fi nd myself nervous not

because it’s a multiple day

ride and what lies ahead but

more so about what I have

done in preparation for it.

Have I trained enough? Are

my legs strong enough?

Am I prepared with regards

to eating and drinking on

the ride? Is my partner

going to be waiting for me

all the time? What about

mechanicals? What about

the weather? I am defi nitely

over-thinking this…

My preparation, I believe

has been more than

sufficient – I have had a

great program thanks to

Dr Mike Posthumus. I have

lost weight, centimetres

and body fat according

to the wicked scale in

Rochez O Grady’s practice

– and she has also given

me great advice around

refuelling before, during

and after the ride.

My bike has been serviced

and my riding partner,

Richard Pieterse, is a

mechanical engineer so the

equipment should be sorted.

Bontrager have given me

some new rubber to test,

which I am looking forward

to and besides Big O is a

trooper – the bugger doesn’t

know what breaking down

is! Oh and Rich had better

just wait for me at the top of

the climbs!

We have been bombarded

with advice, tips and horror

stories from the veterans –

ok we laughed it all off and

pretended to take it all in

but the reality is that it’s all

irrelevant now. Thanks to

all for the support and the

advice – albeit sometimes

dodgy. The ride is here, the

nerves are here and I just

want to be pedalling already!

The Winners, congratulations!SUSSUS

October has been a blur. It’s the time of the year when everyone is gearing up for

the “new” bike season. Product launches, store openings and a general buzz as summer approaches. I say approaches as I am still not convinced it’s here and until we get a string of consistently hot, sunny, days we are still in spring. The country is once again shrouded in cloud with most of it receiving huge amounts of rain. Yes we are grateful for the water, but I am sure the webbing between my fi ngers is getting bigger – evolution?

The Cape Pioneer Trek fi nished recently and felt the full brunt of the inclement weather with riders having to face gale force winds and torrential rain – and a war of attrition. Congrats to the organisers and those who persevered and fi nished what was a stern test in the end. We have some great report backs in this issue including the Karoo 2 Coast, Ride the Rhino and the Spur Lourensford ride – although Kate makes it sound easy – for the most of us it was a real toughie. Thanks for all the submissions and keep them coming, it’s amazing to hear about your experiences, not only in organised rides but on the trips and explorations that you may have done too. I’m still waiting for Andy Watts, master distiller of the award winning Three Ships Whisky, to send us something. He is a keen MTBer and I believe there is a MTB route through some of Scotland’s magnifi cent mountains that links some awesome distilleries – come on Andy either write it or organise it!

Welcome to our latest regular columnist James Thornhill-Fisher. James is a skills guru and his column is packed with great advice and tips to improve your riding. I will definitely be using James’s advice to improve my skill set.

Congrats also to Chris Willemse and his team on their new store opening, thanks for the invite it was a great evening and it’s a stunning store. Cyclelab have been bought out by the MoreGolf Group and have made an immediate impact with the launch of their Mega Cyclestore in Fourways. We look forward to seeing how the Group takes the chain from strength to strength.

Finally I look forward to my fi rst Wines2Whales. I will be sure to let you know how it goes and hopefully get to swop war stories with you at the event or along the way.

Enjoy this issue, Seamus and the team have once again done a great job. Safe riding and see you on the trails!

Cheers

WINTurn to

pg27 to see what you could win this month!

Our lucky readers who won a

pair of Rudy Project Profl ow

cycling sunglasses each, for

telling us where they picked

up their copies of Full Sus, were

Rudolph Jordaan from Centurion

and Steven Smith from Durban.

New bike

seasonBLUR

FROM THEFROM THEFROM THEEDITOREDITOREDITORFROM THE EDITOR

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLY

3

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

Proud title sponsor of the Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek

NO

TE

12%INVEST

returnvalue

bondsBridge

savings

BOND WITH USsecuritised

smart

get more info onthis investment

opportunity

In October Dirtopia opened its 2nd trail centre in the Stone Square complex, Welgevonden,

just outside Stellenbosch. The Trail Centre will act as the departure point for the new Simonsberg trail system, which not only offers great riding and trail running options on the farms belonging to the Simonsberg

Conservancy but also links the Welgevonden Trail Centre with the original Dirtopia Trail Centre via the R44 road reserve. Get to ride the new trails first by entering the Dirtopia All Mountain Enduro on the slopes of Simonsberg on the 23rd and 24th of November. Go to www.dirtopia.co.za for more info.

We’re throwing our hat into the 100 000 in Ten tourism drive for the Western Cape, (read all about it on page five), and as such we’d like to encourage visitors from outside the province to come check

out the amazing trails and tours we have to offer. If you’d like to do the best trails in the area in style or put in some serious miles of Epic training in fully supported luxury get in touch with the team from Day Trippers. They’ve been running bike tours since 1992 and know just how to ensure you’ll love every minute of your trip. If you’re more a cheese and wine rider check out Bikes ‘n Wines – they run bike based wine tours where you’ll really be able to soak up the full Winelands experience. For more information go to www.daytrippers.co.za and www.bikesnwines.com.

Marli Greeff, a MSc Sports Physiology student at Stellenbosch University will be conducting research on various levels of cyclists during the 2014 ABSA Cape Epic. If you live in the Stellenbosch region and would like R2 000 worth of free exercise physiology testing, including a VO2 Max, lactate threshold value and body composition analysis, in exchange for your Epic heart rate data please get in touch with Marli. You can find out more by emailing her at 15767981@sun.ac.za.

If you’ve been following the exploits of James Reid this year you’ll have noted that he’s

been winning local races for fun on the Trek Superfly and has just collected his yellow Project One Superfly FS complete with green decals. We had a bit of a look at the bike before James picked it up and needless to say we were envious! But you need not fret, you can design your very own Project One MTB on www.trekbikes.com/za or

Welgevonden Trail Centre Opening

Epic Research

BIKE TOURS

Trek-it-out

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

News FS

Full Sus got a sneak peak of the 2014 ranges of GT, Cannondale, Bell Helmets, Giro Accessories, Fox Socks and a bunch of their other products. While the more tech hungry amongst you will already be familiar with the 2014 releases for those of you who haven’t had a look at the new offering yet the highlights for the Full Sus team were undoubtedly the new all mountain offerings the rugged Bell Super helmet and the stunning GT Force. Other key catchers were the Black Inc. Cannondale bikes, set up to be the best out of the box racing machine money can buy – for the wealthy amateur. Professional racers would choose

less plush comfort but if you’re going to drop over 100K a bike for the Epic then you should take a very close look at the Scalpel 29 Carbon Black Inc.

Omnico 2014 Product Launch

newsnewsJU

LIA

AN

DR

AD

E

BIK

ES

N W

INE

S

check out the 2014 Trek range at your local dealer. If you’re in Jozi drop into their flagship store Cycle Lab Fourways while in Cape Town you can book a Trek test ride from Freewheel Cycology.

4

access debates – on average two hours per kilometre… It’s not that land owners don’t want MTBers on their property; they are just understandably particular about where the trails go.

Corrie approached 58 land owners, so just three no’s are really pretty good going. Private land owners are actually easy to deal with apparently. It just takes some negotiating. Sometimes they want to show off a particular feature of their farm, or take the route past the wine cellar to plant the meme for future sales. As the ex-chair of the Tygerberg MTB Club and new Full Sus contributor, James Thornhill-Fisher explained, land owners have found that having MTBers on their land act as extra eyes to spot trespassers and other potential issues. While there will always be the nitwit who makes a nuisance of himself by straying off the designated path, for the most part land owners have found riders to be keen to protect their trail resources.

And at the end of the day trails are an expensive resource. Corrie says that it cost around R2 500 per day to cut trail high in Jonkershoek, which when you consider that it took 15 days to construct three switch-backs, which don’t measure up to anywhere near a kilometre, you’re looking at a R37 500 bill. Terrain as you’d imagine is the most important factor in infl uencing the cost of trail building, and James Thornhill-Fisher concurs, at the time of Tygerberg’s major expansion they were budgeting R30 000 per kilometre over rough virgin ground. Which is why jeep tracks, gravel roads and traverses along orchard or vine rows are more common than single tracks through natural veld.

So it’s not just bottle necks which stop event organisers fi lling a race with quality single track. Just consider the eff ect of 1 000 plus pairs of wheels rolling over the carefully manicured trails – which cost around R1 000 per kilometre to fi x – during a large MTB event. Some races use their profi le to leverage trail access without contributing to their maintenance, which means that the land owners or the original builders are saddled with the burden of putting up the cash for fi xing the damage incurred. This leaves a rather sour taste in the mouth. So the more responsible organisers are keen to avoid burning their bridges with land owners, to ensure that the race can return year after year to the same farms and rather than the amount of single track decreasing every year the opposite can happen.

And on that note, a reminder is due when you’re out for a training ride or just a fun crank – don’t sneak around the pay point – if you ride the trail be prepared to pay for it, or in the case of public access trails maybe you should consider volunteering for a Saturday morning. Contact your local bike shop and see if they’ve got a trail maintenance programme, if they don’t they should be able to direct you in the direction of the relevant local trail builder. And if nobody else is doing it, maybe you should start a fund raising project to look after your local trails.

Corrie Muller is a Stellenbosch old hand; his family have been in town

since the turn of the nineteenth century and his love of the place is abundantly

apparent. He’s a dentist by day and was talked into upgrading from his old 26er by Bobby Behan during the interview,

so if you see Corrie on a fancy new Specialized Epic you can ask him for a

fi rst-hand review.

Riding in StellenboschIf you’re planning a trip to the spiritual home of MTB in SA and can’t

take your bike with you drop in at the Ride In. Conveniently located

just outside town on the Jonkershoek road the Ride In Café off ers: bike

rentals (the full carbon Specialized Stumpjumper FSR will set you back

R450 per day while the alu model is R250 per day), great Häzz coff ees,

healthy meals, a spot to shower and a bike wash. All of which can be

enjoyed while taking in the spectacular views across the vineyards at

the Stellenbosch mountains. Look them up at www.ridein.co.za or check

them out on Facebook.com/RideInJonkershoek.

FS The origin of MTB trails

“IT’S NOT JUST BOTTLE

NECKS WHICH STOP EVENT

ORGANISERS FILLING A RACE

WITH QUALITY SINGLE TRACK.”

from page 1

The iconic Cape Fold Mountains of Stellenbosch set the scene for the Origin of Trails but make trail building costly.

AL

L P

HO

TO

S B

Y C

HE

RIE

VA

LE

/NE

WS

PO

RT

ME

DIA

Alan Winde Interview FS

100 000 in TenThe aim: to bring 100 000 bicycle based tourists a year to the Western Cape within ten years. The

implementation: Full Sus spoke to Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism

in the Western Cape, Alan Winde, and while WC Government is putting the structures in place,

they need you to take action too.

great trails in a race might well encourage foreigners to return for non-racing riding.

Another area where you can expect to see rapid tourism growth is in the bike tour market. South Africa isn’t exactly conducive to European style holidaying on bicycles – the distances and roads are just too prohibitive to the average Joe – but expect to see supported bike tours becoming more popular. And our personal favourite: MTB based wine tours, where you meander along the farm roads from wine cellar to wine cellar enjoying the Western Cape’s iconic scenery along the way, are an interesting attraction too.

Bicycle inspired tourism is on the up and if it’s well facilitated by local government (which it sounds like it will be if Alan Winde continues to head it up post the 2014 general elections) and well supported by the local industry, it can only be a success for local cyclists too. Because we can all benefi t from world class facilities, a more bike friendly population and Dollars, Euros, Pounds and Rands coming into the local economy.

✱ Alan Winde was keen to point out - and Full Sus agrees fully - that one of the keys to changing motorist’s attitudes is by cyclists staying within the law. Cycling two abreast on narrow roads, jumping red traffic lights and riding in the road when there is a bike path available, will only serve to aggravate motorists who already are not keen on sharing the road with cyclists.

Bicycle EconomicsThe Masters and Elite World Champs in Pietermaritzburg were worth an estimated 3 Billion Rand to the area in direct spend and media exposure

Masters: 591 athletes + 900 odd

support staff = R10.3 Million

spent

Elite: 903 athletes + 900 odd crew

= R33.7 Million spent

Media: over 200 accredited

journalists = R2 Million spent

That’s an estimated 46 Million

Rand in three weeks spent

in Pietermaritzburg by 3 500

people. Which in anybody’s

books, is a massive shot in

the arm to the local economy.

Alan Winde is an avid cyclist himself and

commutes to work by bicycle. He used to own a bike shop before taking

up politics and now heads up the Department of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism for the

Western Cape. The Western Cape is, as all Capetonian riders will tell you, the home of

cycling in South Africa. The province boasts the biggest events in the Cycle Tour and the Epic, we’ve got the busiest trails in Tokai and we’ve got the landscape which already attracts the masses. But while bicycle based, or bicycle inspired visitors are on the up organically everyone involved with cycling would like to see that growth accelerate. And the advantages aren’t purely economic; more bike based tourists will be good for a host of reasons.

But here’s why it’ll be good for the average rider. To encourage people to come to the Western Cape, the bike facilities need to be improved. If you’ve cycled or driven in Stellenbosch or the Mother City recently you’ll have noticed that the cycle lanes have been painted green. These, along with the creation of more dedicated cycle lanes are the first steps toward making cycling safer on our roads. Safer cycling should encourage more people to take it up as both a sport and as a commuting option, which in turn should cause motorists to reconsider their attitude to cyclists✱.

Going hand in hand with

encouraging more people to take up cycling is the need to retrofi t existing infrastructure to be more bicycle friendly. That isn’t limited to safe places to cycle, it includes making public transport bicycle friendly too. So you’d be able to catch the train or My Citi bus with your bike, and not just during Moonlight Mass. And providing safe places to park your bike when you get to your destination, Cape Town residents can expect to see weird and wonderful bike racks popping up around the city bowl as the city becomes more bike friendly and fulfi ls its World Design Capital 2014 title.

From a purely MTB angle to attract tourists to ride our trails will mean that the trails will need to be maintained a heck of a lot better. But then if the access is controlled (ie. rent a bike and buy a day pass in one go) there will be more cash available to pay for trail maintenance and building. But MTB freeriding will in all likelihood be the slowest form of bike based tourism to pick-up. The draw cards of big events like the Cape Epic and Wines to Whales will surely mean that MTB specific travellers to South Africa will, initially at least, be attracted by our mass participation race scene rather. But riding S

PO

RTZ

PIC

S.N

ET

If you’d like to contribute to the conversation about how the industry can contribute to the growth of bike inspired tourism in the Western Cape you can do so on The Hub SA by following this link: http://bit.ly/fullsus_07.

5

6

My main reasons for entering the Karoo to Coast was that I was going to be staying in

Plett anyway, for the school holidays, and this was a good opportunity to get some enforced distance in the legs in preparation for Wine2Whales in November. (By the way, can we move away from the whole X2X format of naming races? – it’s been done to death.)

I was up at 04:30 in the morning and it was bitterly cold. The car thermometer fl irted with zero degrees on the two hour drive to the start, bottoming out at one before rising to four degrees at Uniondale. We registered with no fuss and made our way to the start chutes. Fortunately I hadn’t ordered an event top, a garish neon lime green…

I was surprised by the sheer number of MTBers, apparently 4 000 of us started.

The start takes you on a loop around the town on tar, and then onto an old gravel wagon trail which winds inexorably upwards for 10km amidst cries of “Hou bene, hou!” from enthusiastic local supporters. As this is soon after the start, the trail is fairly thick with riders and

the climb therefore proceeds fairly sedately. This suited me, as my plan had been all about pacing myself for the 100km and starting slowly was crucial, along with stopping regularly at water points and feeding stations.

A short tricky downhill section led onto the start of the Prince Alfred pass gravel road and the second of the fi ve major climbs. Being a road, the gradients were not as steep as some MTB climbs can be, and I found the climbing relatively comfortable. The payoff was a welcome 14km fast descent, of course followed by more climbing, and then a shorter descent into a gorge with sheer rock faces on either side, and bridges crisscrossing the river in a marvel of 19th century engineering, the pass having been built by the indefatigable and ubiquitous Thomas Bain, in the 1860s. I had driven along the pass before and had speculated how much fun it would be to fl y down on a mountain bike. The answer – more fun than the car!

We were spat out of this section at Avontuur and then a rather boring section of about 20km ensued (with an ambulance going the other way leading me to suspect that not all

Impressions OF A FIRST TIME RIDERImpressions

Gary Kroukamp had heard a number of things about the Karoo to Coast. It was long, it was

boring, it was in eff ect a road race off road with no single track, terrible corrugations, the logistics

of getting to the start and away from the fi nish were diffi cult. Some of these were true and

some were not, which was which? He found out at the 2013 Karoo to Coast and here is his story.

“THE SCENERY IS MAGNIFICENT AND THERE ARE ENOUGH TRICKY GRAVEL

ROAD DESCENTS AND FORESTRY ROADS TO DISTRACT ONE FROM THE

LACK OF SINGLE TRACK.”

Gary Kroukamp is trying manfully to not allow his wife, three children

and work as an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist to distract him too much from

the main points of life... singletrack mountain biking and downwind surfski paddling. He only succeeds occasionally...

where are we?The Karoo to Coast race route navigates 95.95km of gravel roads and old wagon trails between

Uniondale and Knysna. If you’d like to fi nd out more about the environment

around the route read Jeanne-Louise Wiese’s Conservation Column on page 15.

the riders had handled the descent unscathed), until we fi nally entered the Knysna Forest. Riding is always fun into the depths of indigenous stuff .

The descent down to a reservoir was quite hairy with some tight concreted turns and nasty potential consequences of disappearing into space if you got them wrong. The Eden Lions feeding station just before had featured lots of salty potatoes and some superb banana bread. I capitalised on these to good eff ect later on, as the last 3 km climb from the reservoir up to Simola is a stinker of note. Fortunately I still had some legs and knowing that there were no further climbs in offi ng I gave it some stick to the top.

From there on there was a descent down the tar road of Simola hill and the turn into town with food and drink waiting at the fi nish.

All in all, a most worthwhile race to do. So was it long – yes. Boring – surprisingly no – the scenery is magnifi cent and there are enough tricky gravel road descents and forestry roads to distract one from the lack of single track. I had no problems with corrugations – perhaps the road had been recently graded. Logistics for transport to the start are tricky, so you have to have to bribe a friend or signifi cant other to drive the two hours to the start and do a pick up at the fi nish. Apparently there is a shuttle from Knysna the

day before with a camping option at Uniondale but that option and any other accommodation fi ll up fast and those campers looked damned cold in the morning!

So the Karoo to Coast, that grand old dame of mountain biking, makes no pretence of being what it isn’t. There isn’t so much as a token bit of singletrack. Nevertheless, its length provides the challenge and the scenery and camaraderie are top notch. Do it.

FS Ride report Karoo to CoastYou can expect great views, lots of climbing and very

well stocked water points on the Karoo to Coast.

PH

OT

OS

BY

WW

W.D

ES

MO

ND

SC

HO

LTZ

.CO

.ZA

where are we?The Karoo to Coast race route navigates 95.95km of gravel roads and old wagon trails between

Uniondale and Knysna. If you’d like to fi nd out more about the environment

around the route read Jeanne-Louise Wiese’s Conservation Column on page 15.

SO

UTH AFRICA

Western Cape

N1

N2

◆Uniondale◆

Knysna PE

7

Dit is daarom glad nie vreemd dat ek hier agter my lessenaar sit en tob nie. Dit gaan oor

die pas afgelope Ride The Rhino, ’n drie-daagse skofwedren tussen Langebaan en Durbanville.

Een van die vernaamste vereistes vir ’n onvergeetlike wedren is ’n spanmaat met wie jy goed oor die weg kom. En ek kon vir niemand beter gevra het as Vera Adrian, die Namibiese XC kampioen nie. Ons het ’n paar weke gelede begin saamry as ’n span en eerstens die Ride2Nowhere in die afdeling vir gemengde pare gewen. Na ons oorwinning in die Ride The Rhino is die kombinasie nou ’n permanente een…

Die eerste skof vanaf Langebaan na Darling strek verby die wêreldbekende Langebaan-strandmeer, deur die gewilde Weskusdorpie Yzerfontein en eindig 82km later by Darling. Onderweg word ryers trakteer met vars produkte van Darling Melkerye [ek gee my oogtande vir hulle drinkjoghurts], Spur-burgers en, as jy regtig wil, kan jy enige tyd by die waterpunte stop om te proe aan die beste wyne uit die plaaslike kelders. Dié skof is aanvanklik relatief plat, maar die byt

kom oor die laaste 20 kilometer waar die oorgrote meerderheid van die skof se 1 400m klim lê en wag.

Die hoogtepunt van die 2013 Rhino was Dag 2. Dit strek oor 84km en het al die bestanddele om die roete ’n bergfi etsparadys te maak. Die skof het in gietende reën begin, maar selfs dít kon nie die gees van die ryers demp nie. Vir die volgende 4 ure het ek en Vera oor steil bulte getrap, asemrowende valleie deurkruis, teen skrikwekkende afdraandes afgejaag en gelag van plesier op kilometers van die beste enkelspoorpaadjies denkbaar.

Die aanvang van die laaste skof maak die Ride The Rhino uniek: elke

Dit is altyd hartseer as ’n goeie bergfi etswedren tot ’n einde kom, sê Fourie Kotze, meer so wanneer daardie wedren in alle opsigte een van die bestes op die kalender is.

“VIR DIE VOLGENDE 4 URE HET ONS OOR STEIL BULTE GETRAP, ASEMROWENDE VALLEIE DEURKRUIS, TEEN

SKRIKWEKKENDE AFDRAANDES AFGEJAAG EN GELAG VAN PLESIER OP KILOMETERS VAN DIE BESTE

ENKELSPOORPAADJIES DENKBAAR.”

Fourie Kotze (front) has national colours in road and mountain biking and

has competed in the USA and Euro pe. He lectures law at the University of the

Western Cape, is sponsored by CW Cycles and won the mixed category

at the 2013 Rhino with Vera Adrian.

Ryersverslag Ride the Rhino FS

where are we?Ride the Rhino 2013 took place from the 27th to 29th of September, the route traversed the West Coast’s endangered Renosterveld from Langebaan to Meerendal Wine Estate, near Durbanville. The event raises much needed funds for the Renosterveld Trust and raises awareness of anti-Rhino poaching initiatives.

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Western CapeCape

Town

Northern Cape

N1

N2

DIE RENOSTER IS

’n wonderlike dingryer ontvang ’n gratis fi etsrytrui van die organiseerders en trap daarin om die boodskap van die broosheid van die renoster in Suid-Afrika aan die publiek oor te dra.

Hierdie skof begin in Darling en eindig na 90 kilometer by Meerendal. Op pad na die eindstreep moet die ryers ’n diep, yskoue rivier oorsteek, die berugte Quarry-klim uittrap [die Epic-ryers het dit áf gery] en hul vaardighede ten toon stel op ’n drywende brug; dis nodeloos om te sê nie almal het droog aan die anderkant uitgekom nie!

As jy ’n bergfi etswedren wil ry wat deur een van die mooiste streke in die land strek, wat uitmuntend georganiseer word en iets vir beide die naweekstryder en die racing snake bied, hoef jy nie verder te soek as Ride The Rhino nie – skryf sommer nou in vir 2014.

As jy ’n bergfi etswedren wil ry wat deur een van die mooiste streke in die land strek, skryf sommer nou in vir 2014.

PH

OT

OS

BY

CH

RIS

HIT

CH

CO

CK

| P

HO

TO

SP

OR

T

◆Meerendal

Wine Estate

◆Langebaan

8

FS Ride Report Lourensford

The 2013 Spur Lourensford MTB Classic started on a chilly but clear morning and

the blue sky had attracted not only the experienced riders but also lots of first timers and everyone seemed to be accompanied by the whole family. Despite the 1 500 odd entrants registration went smoothly, leaving me with time for a quick warm up and a chance to say hello to the familiar faces, before heading off on the 60km long challenging route. 

The start was uphill for a good hour mainly on gravel road. It spread the fi eld out very quickly and soon I was riding alone with Diana Carolin, breathing on my back. I managed to get to the top fi rst, but she is better downhiller and passed me quite quickly. I enjoyed the mud and river crossings, but had to stop as my back wheel was going fl at. Two gentlemen to helped me bomb it, but by the time I got going Di was out of sight. The route was quite technical: with sharp climbs, descents, a few wooden bridges and river crossings to ensure wet feet. And the water was not warm, Brrrrr. The rewards were stunning views of the Helderberg Mountains and fun single track descents. Speaking of which, I had to stop at the bottom of a long descent, at about 30km, to pump some more air into my back wheel. After more fun single track in forest we got to the second long

climbing section and I tried to make up some lost time. Somewhere near the 45km mark the route connects with the shorter, 38km route. Which wasn’t ideal as it was still single track and the riders are bit slower (no off ence) and one must wait for a good spot to pass them. I was quite sorry for some of them, as they looked tired already and some struggled with the technical route. 

At about 50km mark the route heads down back to the valley in a fast descent on gravel road. Some riders may have thought that it’s all downhill from there on home, but not yet. Some more single track with a new section packed with fun switchbacks – no rocky stuff but nice and smooth, just the way I like it.  

On the organisation front there were a lot of water points. I must say I only stopped once quickly at the 45km mark, to get water but there was also coke and energy drinks. There were quite a lot of kids too, as there was 5km route and beginner MTBers who did the 15 or 27km. Spur did their famous burgers and many pancakes were also eaten. 

A CLASSIC DAY ON THE BIKE AT

LourensfordThe Lourensford is one of Kate Slegrova’s favourite races - it’s set in a beautiful valley, surrounded by magnifi cent mountains and vineyards, the route is always fun, challenging and little diff erent each time, and

it’s great family outdoor event. Plus it’s superbly organised. 

“THE ROUTE WAS QUITE TECHNICAL: WITH SHARP CLIMBS, DESCENTS, A FEW WOODEN BRIDGES AND RIVER

CROSS-INGS TO ENSURE WET FEET.”

With a tough and technical 60km route to attract the top riders, like ladies podium fi nishers Kate Slegrova, Diana Carolin and Nicola Walker, and shorter distances for the kids and the less fi t the 2013 Lourensford MTB Classic didn’t disappoint.

I have heard from a few people who started in later groups that they were timed as if they started in fi rst group. But the timing was corrected later, so if you want to confi rm your real time you can check it out on Trailtag.co.za. Also some people complained of not being seeded if they only entered on the day. But I think that is fair as the organisers need people to motivate people to enter beforehand. 

Our Itec Cycle Training got three podium fi nishes so we were very happy. Diana Carolin fi rst, myself second and Nicola Walker 3rd, nine month old baby and all! James Reid won the men’s overall race, Renay Groustra was 2nd and Nico Pfi tzemayer came 3rd. Caren Henschel, also riding for my team got 2nd in her category. Overall the organising was great and it was fun day out for all. Thank you: Lourensford, Dirtopia and Trailtag. 

Kate Slegrova runs Cycle Training a cycling and mountain biking coaching

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

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

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

where are we?The Lourensford Wine Estate is located on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains above Somerset West. Founded in 1700 its produces an excellent range of wines along with hosting numerous events like the fi nish of the Cape Epic and the Cape Getaway Show.

where are we?S

OU

TH AFRICA

Western Cape

Cape Town

Northern Cape

N1

N2◆Lourensford

ALL PHOTOIS BY ACTION PHOTO

Ride Report 2keep-a-breast FS

RIDING FOR charity

where are we?Overgaauw wine estate forms part of

the Bottelary Hills MTB Trails which

were established by the Bottelary

Hills Renosterveld Conservancy in

April 2011. The Conservancy boasts

around 65km of MTB trails in fi ve

route options. You can fi nd out all

about the Bottelary Hills MTB Trails at

www.bottelaryhillsmtb.co.za.

where are we?Overgaauw wine estate forms part of

the Bottelary Hills MTB Trails which

route options. You can fi nd out all

about the Bottelary Hills MTB Trails at

www.bottelaryhillsmtb.co.za.

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Western Cape

Cape Town

Northern Cape

N1

N2

Organised by law fi rm Smith, Tabata, Buchanan, Boyes and hosted by Overgaauw

Wine Estate, outside Stellenbosch, the 2keep-a-breast MTB Challenge is now in its third year of fund raising for CANSA and Cancervive. It has grown into a pretty big event, from only 200 odd entrants in 2011, with what can only be described as a massive turn out in 2013 – almost all bedecked with bright pink compression socks.

The race off ered 5, 15, 35 and 45km options with the two longer distances sharing the same route, bar a ten kay

On the 19th of October a group of co-workers

from Filmatic Packaging Systems lined up for

the 2keep-a-breast MTB Challenge,

Seamus Allardice tagged along to check

out the racing in Bottelary Hills.

loop. The Filmatic guys had entered the 35km ride, so I joined them on it and I must say the route was good, with enough climbing to keep the fi tter rider interested but not too much to dissuade the less fi t. There was a shortage of single track, but with the sheer numbers even the bit that there was got clogged up by screeching brake pads as the pace grown down to zero. To be honest we let ourselves down by not getting into the start shoot earlier. We were content to dawdle to the line, but suff ered the consequences when the early pedestrian pace split our group as some managed to navigate the traffi c jams with greater success than others.

I had a particularly bad start, losing my chain on the fi rst little climb in the press of bodies that resembled

the disgruntled Newlands unfaithful leaving the Currie Cup fi nal early. Fighting through the pack from there on out was frustrating at times, but the views over the vineyards and the odd sight of the sea in the distance kept me going. Rather than put off it actually inspired me to return to Bottelary Hills – as there are some magic sections which I’d like to ride at my own pace in the near future.

The 2keep-a-breast MTB Challenge is a fun ride and should be treated as such, if you’d an avid MTBer rather enter the 45km version, if you’re keen on getting more serious the 35km is a great place to start. Otherwise take the family and do one of the shorter rides. It was a great day out and it’s for a good cause, so keep an eye out for in on the 2014 ride calendar.

CAPE TOWN SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY

◆Overgaauw

FS World Bicycle Relief

Africa gets to people in many different ways, and people get Africa in about as many.

I remember a French journo who couldn’t pack fast enough to leave. He told a long-winded story about how Scorpion nags Crocodile to take him across a swollen river. Crocodile relents and as they approach the bank Scorpion stings him in the eye. “Owwwwwwww! What was that for,” cries Crocodile. “That’s Africa,” shrugs Scorpion and scuttles off.

Then there’s me, born here and will die here happy. Once I rode my mountain bike clear across South Africa and Lesotho for the sheer joy of it. Call me Gump [if you like]. So when I found out about a group calling themselves World Bicycle Relief and their trip Africa Rides, a two week trip delivering a “super bike” around Zambia, I signed in blood.

A call to Professor Google informed me WBR was based in Chicago and was the love child of FK Day and his wife Leah Missbach Day. FK is, with his brother Stan, co-founder of the high-tech bike parts manufacturer SRAM. FK and Leah started WBR after a post-tsunami trip to Sri Lanka convinced them that what the Third World needed most was a new kind of bicycle.

So next they went out to Africa where they and their team developed something they call a Buffalo Bike, for the shear big-heartedness of it. The idea was simple: a bicycle made with modern technology, super strong materials and love, could be a game changer in parts of Africa beset by troubles.

They had first discovered the need for a tough-as-buffalo-hide bike when in 2005 a tsunami had devastated parts of Sri Lanka. They rushed there to give what help they could, and found the local Asian

made bikes could not cope with the heavy work required. And so was born an idea.

“All answers lie in the field,” Dave Nieswander, the African director of WBR who set up the project, would impress on us “buffalo soldiers”. They went to Africa, Kenya specifically, to develop and field test their baby. Then they chose Zambia as the most fertile place to roll them out. There are many ways a bicycle can help to break cycles of poverty and sickness, not with what Dave referred to as BSOs (bicycle shaped objects), but one made with high tech and love, one tough like a pachyderm.

For example, they have teamed up with World Vision/Rapids health care do-gooders to provide bikes to volunteer care givers who are now able to visit several Aids patients a day and deliver the meds vital for their lives. In pre-Buffalo days they might visit only one, and the people were dying rapidly. We rode about and saw peasant farmers who, a year before had been on death’s door, their families dying of Aids and starvation. Now they were healthy, happy and their fields were burgeoning.

We know intuitively the bicycle is the most efficient machine ever made, and some would add the most satisfying. WBR has got data from years of field testing, complete with pie charts and tables. They reckon a bike, even a beast weighing a hefty 23kg, can carry a person five times further than a person walking, and carry a load 10 times heavier. That’s a lot of extras in a place where most people walk, or ride bikes, to school, to work, or to the local clinic.

We rode dusty tracks to schools where we were greeted like liberators, with lots of singing, dancing and food. Lots. No Buffalo

diamonddiamondDavid Bristow went ride-about with a bunch of Yanks, actually they were mostly from the Mid-West, in Zambia, and tamed a very rare kind of cycling beast. Photography by David Bristow.

A bicycle like a

10

The Milkmen cometh

A bicycle made for 3

The Factory

World Bicycle Relief FS

made bikes could not cope with the heavy work required. And so was born an idea.

“All answers lie in the fi eld,” Dave Nieswander, the African director of WBR who set up the project, would impress on us “buff alo soldiers”. They went to Africa, Kenya specifi cally, to develop and fi eld test their baby. Then they chose Zambia as the most fertile place to roll them out. There are many ways a bicycle can help to break cycles of poverty and sickness, not with what Dave referred to as BSOs (bicycle shaped objects), but one made with high tech and love, one tough like a pachyderm.

For example, they have teamed up with World Vision/Rapids health care do-gooders to provide bikes to volunteer care givers who are now able to visit several Aids patients a day and deliver the meds vital for their lives. In pre-Buff alo days they might visit only one, and the people were dying rapidly. We rode about and saw peasant farmers who, a year before had been on death’s door, their families dying of Aids and starvation. Now they were healthy, happy and their fi elds were burgeoning.

We know intuitively the bicycle is the most effi cient machine ever made, and some would add the most satisfying. WBR has got data from years of fi eld testing, complete with pie charts and tables. They reckon a bike, even a beast weighing a hefty 23kg, can carry a person fi ve times further than a person walking, and carry a load 10 times heavier. That’s a lot of extras in a place where most people walk, or ride bikes, to school, to work, or to the local clinic.

We rode dusty tracks to schools where we were greeted like liberators, with lots of singing, dancing and food. Lots. No Buff alo

diamonddiamondA bicycle like a Bike is ever given away. Either

an aid organization like World Vision buys them at cost and distributes them, or good people in Chicago participate in the annual Wrigley Field 100 miler and raise sponsorship to buy bikes. To date they have raised millions of dollars and bought tens of thousands Buff alo Bikes.

Several times each year WBR invites them on an event called Africa Rides to see how the programme rolls, and to hand out bikes they have sponsored. School pupils and their parents sign a contract, that they will

achieve certain attendance levels or the bike is handed on. First on the list are girls, starting with those living furthest away from school. We visited homes and saw how this had liberated girls from the grinding drudgery of labour and discrimination ingrained in traditional societies.

We rode down tree-lined lanes to see small dairy farms. As the sun rose we saw farmers, mounted on Buff alo bikes loaded with milk urns weighing up to 90kg, make their ways to the local milk collection point. They bought their bikes with micro loans. People who previously

had just one cow to feed the family had morphed into prosperous farmers with herds of both cows and Buff alo Bikes.

Each place we stopped we heard stories from the local people whose lives had been transformed by the humble bicycle. And we told them ours. We rode with songs in our hearts and we sang: “We are the Buff alo soldiers, (Come) from the heart of America …”

Africa got to us all, me the local yokel, as well as these big-hearted people from the heart of America. They ranged in age from Corinne, 10, to Nancy, substantially older but game as any young chicken. I reckoned it must be something in the water of Lake Michigan.

Much like a diamond, a Buff alo Bike is forever. Okay, it may need a replacement part or three over time. But the eff ects they have on the people who own them, and the many more who depend on them, will indeed last forever.

“PEOPLE WHO PREVIOUSLY HAD JUST ONE COW TO FEED THE FAMILY HAD MORPHED INTO PROSPEROUS

FARMERS WITH HERDS OF BOTH COWS AND BUFFALO BIKES.”

David Bristow has buckets of MTB experience having ridden and written

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

From van Rensburg to Van Rental, the Old Mutual joBerg2c is a journey made possible through the collectiveenergy of communities, sponsors, farmers, riders and the ‘gees’ of South Africa.Avis Van Rental epitomises this unique South African ‘gees’ with their on-the-ground, hands-on approach to making the Old Mutual joBerg2c a success. While you Ride the Beloved Country, you will know that behind the scenes there are sponsors like Avis Van Rental and communities who are taking care of the rest.To be part of this truly South African ride visit www.joberg2c.co.za

12

FS Trails

Local Buzz:Sure, you need to escape from the concrete monster grasp of Gauteng fi rst, but once you rip through the quite main stream of Mookgopong (yup, I know … what’s with the names up north these days, anyway?), you will know you’re in Limpopo proper, and ready to trip the bush fantastic. Legend Golf & Safari Resort is… well, legendary, and even though I’m not the type of guy to chase a dimpled little white ball, if I had to do it, I would do it here. Accommodation is pretty spectacular, so don’t think of making this a quickie.

Trail Low-Down:Go ahead, make your day… Or maybe

you should fi rst decide how brave you are. MTB options at (and in the general area of) Legend Resort abound, starting from a rookie 12km ride, to a gruelling three days of stage riding in the region.

If you’re a golfi ng kinda guy with a slight velocipede problem – or want to keep the family happy while you shout at your balls – then the easy option is to circumnavigate the many dirt roads and game tracks networking around the golf course itself. Just watch out for the sable antelope, zebras and impalas along the way!

Start off from the Club House along a short section of gravel road, and then turn right to where the Hanglip massif towers high above the bush

veldt plains. A sandy ascent takes you up to a rocky hillock (1km), where you turn right until you hit the fence line (3.5km). If you want to add distance to your ride, take your fi rst right again before doubling back along the top of the golf course.

Once you’re back at the fence, keep cranking in a clock-wise direction around the golf course, passing the main reception area (7.1km). Another right turn along the main gravel access road off ers a number of detours along jeep-tracks to your left, and eventually takes you back to the Club House for an easy 12km crank.

Way more enticing would be to ride into the reserve itself, but as this is a dangerous area brimming with Big Five beasts, you will need to plan ahead. Your options are to either ride it during one of the many mountain biking events – Nedbank’s Save The Rhino MTB Stage Race and the MTN Tour of Legends are but two of the options – which takes place here.

Now you’re talking serious grunt (that will be you suff ering up the tortuous Hanglip climb) and the odd intimidatory growl (from the lions prowling the arid savannah thorn veldt). Unfortunately the guided mountain bike trail at Legend is still under development, so for the time being this won’t be a solo option.

But there is no need to despair, my cranking compadre! The Doorndraai Dam Nature Reserve forms part of the Save the Rhino MTB route, and off ers hours of superb riding along a range of gravel roads spot-on for a good sesh. In addition, you can also

check out the mountain biking routes listed below:

Lindani - www.lindani.co.zaMoletadikgwa - www.mokabilodge.comStamvrug/Kroonvlei - www.kroonvlei.co.zaThabapashwa - www.thabaphaswa.co.za

Getting there:From Pretoria take the N1 North and continue until you get the R101A off -ramp/Exit (Route 289). Drive through Mookgophong on the R101A till you reach the Haakdoring turnoff . Turn left and continue until you reach the traffi c circle at the Great Enclosure of LGSR. Entrance is on the right.

It’s not often that you nearly get T-boned by a giraff e within the fi rst few kilometres of a ride, but this is what you could expect if you do the route followed by the Nedbank Save The Rhino riders at Legend Golf & Safari Resort. Photographs & Words by Jacques Marais

LEGENDARY RIDING

in Limpopoin Limpopo

On the Nedbank Save The Rhino you get VIP game ranger escorts.

check out the mountain biking routes check out the mountain biking routes

SO

U

TH AFRICA

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

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

Trails FS

check out the mountain biking routes listed below:

Lindani - www.lindani.co.zaMoletadikgwa - www.mokabilodge.comStamvrug/Kroonvlei - www.kroonvlei.co.zaThabapashwa - www.thabaphaswa.co.za

Getting there:From Pretoria take the N1 North and continue until you get the R101A off -ramp/Exit (Route 289). Drive through Mookgophong on the R101A till you reach the Haakdoring turnoff . Turn left and continue until you reach the traffi c circle at the Great Enclosure of LGSR. Entrance is on the right.

Limpopo MTB RouteSUSSUSGrading: Easy

Duration: 1hr

Confi guration: Circular Ride – 12km

Start Point: Legend Resort

Terrain: Gravel road and sandy jeep tracks

Post-Ride Beer: Danie se Winkel is bedonnerd!

– look for the sign just before the Legend Entrance

Gate (quarts are like R13.50 each!)

Must-Do Event: Nedbank Save The Rhino MTB -

www.trisport.co.za

Access: Access only to staying guests,

but Doorndraai has day access for riders

Cell Reception: Full reception in the resort area

Accommodation: Sleep like a king at www.legendlodges.co.za

… or you can camp at Doorndraai on the cheap – www.golimpopo.co.za

Local Contact: Pete Richardson - pete.r@legendlodges.co.za

GPS: 24°12’52”S / 28°43’12”E

www.themapstudio.co.za

where are we?The Legend Golf and Safari Resort is

home to the Extreme 19th, a unique

Par 3. The tee is set high up on the

impressive Hanglip Mountain,

while the Africa shaped green is

some 400m below. The tee is only

accessible by helicopter.

“I’M NOT THE TYPE OF GUY TO CHASE A DIMPLED LITTLE WHITE BALL, IF I HAD TO DO IT, I WOULD DO IT HERE.”

Exploring from Legend Golf and Safari Resort on your bike can be loads of fun.

0km 1km 2km 3km 4km 5km 6km 7km 8km 9km 9.89km

1208m

1175m

1144m

Profi le of the short Legends crank.

where are we?The Legend Golf and Safari Resort is

home to the Extreme 19th, a unique

accessible by helicopter.

1208m

1175m

SO

U

TH AFRICA

Limpopo

Johannesburg

Pretoria

Mokopane

N1

N2

Legend Golf & Safari Resort

◆

14

FS MTB Skills Guru

Have you heard the statement “The best form of defence is Attack”? Well this is true even

in mountain biking. Read this carefully, because you will learn the number one key to controlling your bike and keeping your medical aid intact.

You need a strong base, no matter what the sport and MTB is no diff erent. In MTB the base is called the attack position, because it positions you to attack the trail ahead, rather than just survive it.

When you’re in your attack position, you can quickly: push, pull, lean, twist, and move freely on the bike. The more centred you are, the more range you have in every direction, and the more ready you’ll be to deal with what the trail throws at you.

A Good Attack Position consists of:Driving your weight into your PedalsHow: In almost every situation, an imaginary line should drive your weight from your belly button to your bottom bracket. As you ride, subtly shift your hips forward or backward to keep your feet heavy and your hands light. Make sure you start with your pedals level and your lead foot forward.Why: This is the best way to ensure perfect balance. It’s not about how your body is related to your bike. The only thing that truly matters: ask are your feet heavy and your hands light?

Knees BentHow: With your pedals at 9 and 3 O’clock drop your hips and upper body until you’re halfway between standing straight up and hitting your seat. You should never ride with completely straight knees because you become rigid and infl exible, and if you take a hard knock, you’re risking a hyperextension injury. Bending your knees might seem simple, and it is, but you must also bend over at the hips.Why: Bent knees give you a natural suspension that allows you to shift your body position around to deal with changes in the terrain. Also, a lower centre of gravity is more stable and gives you more grip.

Hips Back, Torso LevelHow: This is tricky for most riders. Don’t just drop your shoulders or head. This will shift your weight forward, and that’s a bad thing. Instead, lift your bum up and push your hips back. Your shoulders will swing forward. They will balance each

Full Sus readers have asked for skills feature and so we’ve enlisted the MTB Guru, James Thornhill-Fisher to impart his hard won MTB knowledge for your riding benefi t. First things fi rst – let’s get you into the attack position.

GETTING INTO THE

attack position

other, and your tummy (for most of us this is our centre of gravity) will be right over your bottom bracket.Why: A couple of reasons: Pushing your hips back allows you to use your butt muscles (glutes) so you ride with more power and less fatigue. This helps you maintain proper balance over your bottom bracket.

Shoulders DownHow: When you push your hips back and bring your upper body level, your shoulders will come down automatically. It’s all part of the same motion, but low shoulders deserve special attention.Why: The lower your shoulders are, the more freedom you have for cornering, pumping, wheelie’ing, jumping, and all the fun stuff . Instinctively we try to protect our heads by lifting them, this limits your range and stiff ens your ride. The nastier it gets, the lower your shoulders should be. Getting your shoulders (and head) closer to the bars goes against your instincts, but trust me – it really helps. Watch any video of Greg Minnaar racing and you will see what I mean.

Elbows OutHow: Hold your elbows out until they’re in line with your shoulders. Try for a 90-degree angle between your forearm and upper arm, and a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and your torso.Why: If you’ve ever done push up you will know that when your elbows are out next to you at ±90 degrees it’s a lot easier than when they’re right next to you. Go ahead just do a 10 and see what I mean. So when you ride with your elbows out, you are stronger, and you have more range of motion for pushing, pulling and leaning.

Head Up and Eyes looking aheadHow: Lift your head. Try pointing your chin in the direction you are going. Look as far ahead as you can. This is probably the simplest thing to say, but it’s the most important, and it’s the fi rst thing you’ll forget to do.Why: Because this shifts your weight forward but watch out, instinctively you will lock onto that big rock ahead and follow it with your eyes until your wheel hits it. It inspires confi dence you’re the hunter not the hunted! It improves anticipation, the further ahead you look, the more time you have to react to the changes in terrain. This is one of the keys to avoiding crashes.

James Thornhill-Fisher, the MTB Guru, has over 25 years of cycling

and mountain biking experience and has ridden over 60 000km’s in the last 5 years leading numerous Cape Epic trial rides along the way. You can book a one on one skills session or fi nd out more by

going to www.mountainbikeguru.co.za.

Common mistakes & cures:

Riding too high!

Too stiff and static. Stay neutral,

but stay loose and fl exible.

Too far forward or back.

Whatever happens, make sure

your hands are light on the bars.

Butt near the seat. Push

your hips back! In the attack

position you should be

perfectly balanced, the back of

your butt will be a bit behind

your saddle.

Practice makes perfect!This position will feel weird at fi rst, and you’ll learn that some of your body parts aren’t as strong and fl exible as you thought. Focus on one element at a time. Eventually, the attack position will become instinctive, and you will fl ow like never before. So stick with it.

Correct Attack position

Riding too high and stiff

Torso level

Hips back

Shoulders down & back

Elbows out & bent

Knees bent

Weight pushing down on the pedals

Head up & eyes looking ahead +/-5m

Light on the handlebars

Torso not level

Shoulders rounded & forward

Elbows locked

Knees not bent

Eyes looking straight down

Hips up & not back

Weight forward & pushing down on handlebars

15

Cycle ToursSince 1992

Check out our calender of tours for 2014we don’t just get you high, we raise your consciousness

www.daytrippers.co.za

Conservation FS

monuments. As you head out of town for the start of the race, you ride to the north where you can see the Kamanassie and Kouga Mountains which silently watch over the Kammanasie River Valley. From here you are directed to the well-known “Ou wa pad” which was built in 1865 to connect Uniondale with Avontuur. It’s an uphill battle along a rocky sandstone road with regular groups of bicycle pushers. If you get caught in the traffi c jam, take a quick peek over your shoulder into the valley where you’ll see three fl at-topped hills dominating the landscape. These are called “mesas” and are erosion remnants of a onetime widespread plain which gently slopes down along the Kammanasie River.

Once you eventually overcome the track which many people have crossed by ox wagon (without the benefi t of full suspension), you ride down into a valley through a farming community called Avontuur and then up the mountain to the top of Prince Alfred’s pass. I doubt whether Thomas Bain knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to build this pass between 1860 and 1867 for a mere £11 000.

This spectacular 88km mountain pass presents the traveller with four biomes which provide the perfect habitat to an abundance of indigenous fauna and fl ora. It is also home of the Middle Keurbooms Conservancy. Landowners concerned with the conservation value of the land started this 30 000 hectare conservancy in June 2006, protecting indigenous fauna and fl ora and participating in

Karoo to Coast The great thing about this sport, writes Jeanne-Louise Wiese, is the fact that people tend to jump on board, pick up the free newspaper, buy the gear, enter for all the local races and convince their friends at a Friday braai to down their low self-esteems and embrace the life in spandex…

“IN NO OTHER SPORT WOULD THEY ALLOW 4 000 PARTICIPANTS TO TRAVEL THROUGH A PROTECTED AREA.”

without spotting a ghost…

To make you understand why MTB racing is such a big deal, you have to realise that in no

other sport would they allow 4 000 participants to travel through a protected area. How lucky are we, to be able to ride through nature reserves which are to be enlarged to be included in the Garden Route National Park in the near future? It’s almost like the old Tour-de-Kruger taking in so much conservation land. And, of course, the upside to the Garden Route is the absence of predators mistaking your slick cycling physique for an antelope. So for those who entered the K2C with me, keep in mind that that whole area which surrounded you is protected and that large laser beam would have shot you down if you tossed a wrapper to the ground… (Okay not really… maybe by 2050… SANParks is working on it!)

The route starts from Uniondale which is a small, Little Karoo town along the R62, which was established in 1856 by the merging of two townships called Hopedale and Lyon. The town’s primary claim to fame is the ghost story of the Uniondale hitchhiker and that fact that it is home to seven national

various eco-tourism and eco-farming activities. It is estimated that around 2 352 plant species can be found in this area, together with at least 70 species with medicinal value. The area also forms part of the Garden Route National Park which encompasses the world renowned Tsitsikamma and Wilderness sections, the Knysna Lake section, a variety of mountain catchment, Southern Cape indigenous forest and associated Fynbos areas.

Proof has recently been found of a small group of Knysna elephants still roaming this 121 000 hectare forest, making them the only unfenced elephant group in South Africa. Although no cyclist would even

notice an elephant standing next to the road since you start to lose all sense of reality from around 30km into the race. I am still not sure if it’s because of the beauty of the forests, or the muscle munching uphills.

The picturesque town of Knysna was established in 1882 and is famous tidal lagoon and open estuary, which is home to the threatened African Black Oystercatcher and the Knysna Seahorse. Getting a whiff of the fresh ocean air when you head into town was the refreshment I needed to make me realise that the K2C will become an annual event for me and one I’d suggest you don’t miss it either.

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.

Lowinda, Mari, Janine and Jeanne-Louise proclaiming

themselves as queens of the mountain

JAC

O W

IES

E

18

FS Lesotho Sky on a purple monster

Lesotho Sky is an amazing experience that has managed to re-capture what mountain

biking is truly about, which is what some of the fi rst pioneers in the industry instantly knew the very fi rst time they started testing the limits of their bikes when they took it down a mountain.

Darol Howes and his sky-team have put together an amazing route whilst showcasing the beauty of Lesotho and the local people whilst providing the biggest event for the local riders to compete in. Google it! Put it on your action list as I can certainly say this is one of those “must ride” events you want to be able tick off , if you really enjoy

mountain biking.That’s exactly

what I did, entered and pitched up at registration all excited to be riding again. Dinner and briefi ng set the stage for what was to come. Six days of fun! The only thing standing in the way was an eight-hour nap before Day One’s time trial.

The time trial: It started with a group ride down to the start through

Maseru. Everyone was in high spirits and waiting to be called into the starting gates. Then it was our turn, 10 seconds, 3,2,1 . . . Pedal, into a 90 degree turn, though a donga and then up out the saddle sprinting along a foot path dodging rocks before the drop-off . (And this was only the fi rst 200m). I was having fun on my dual suspension as the course fl ew by, then later, hard on the breaks

into the fi nish, after a wicked descent. Day One in the bag! After prize giving we transferred to Roma where Day Two would start and to where we would return on Day Six.

We cleaned the bikes and were getting ready for the next stage when I saw a crack along the chainstay. #*@~! That is a nasty curveball to be dealt, so I made a few calls, started networking and begging. Eventually Tumisang Taabe was able to help me out with a bike. I was so relieved to actually get a bike that I didn’t notice until later what I actually going to ride… A rigid GT (No shocks), 3x7 Alivia groupset, with a 24 tooth for fi rst gear and cantilever breaks. Oh, and it was purple. Was this a test? Was there something better behind door umber two? All I knew was my bike was broken and sitting out was not an option! The alternative, the GT… Challenge accepted!

So how were fi ve days of riding rugged terrain on the Purple Monster you may ask? What many cyclists fail to comprehend is that the spoked wheel is round and with that, riding the correct tyre pressure can further enhance your riding experience than

SANS suspension

Dylan Chilcott was one day into the amazing 2013 Lesotho Sky when disaster struck,

leaving him without a rideable bike for the remaining fi ve days. Until local MTB legend

Tumisang Taabe helped him out with a bike, but it wasn’t exactly what Dylan had expected…

Dylan Chilcott is an accomplished rider with a couple of Cape Epic fi nishes

to his name. He would like to express his thanks to his riding partner Robbie

Powell, the whole Lesotho Sky Team and especially to Tumisang Taabe. If you’d

like to join Dylan on the 2014 Lesotho Sky start line be warned, the event is

capped at 40 teams so you’d better book your spot soon. Find out more at

www.lesothosky.com.

Dylan Chilcott looking for the smoothest line on the Basotho Pony trails of the 2013 Lesotho Sky.

“A RIGID GT (NO SHOCKS), 3X7 ALIVIA GROUPSET, WITH A 24 TOOTH FOR FIRST GEAR AND CANTILEVER BREAKS. OH, AND IT WAS PURPLE.”

the latest technology. (No, I’m not starting a wheel size!)

Riding rigid is not like kicking back in a lazy boy watching the weekend game. Because you have direct feedback, you are constantly looking for the “smoother” line, which might be longer or diff erent to what you logic tells you, but guaranteed it will always be the faster line. You are constantly working harder both mentally and physically than someone on a full-suspension, as you keep popping/lifting the front wheel up to assist it over the rock/obstacle and then immediately shifting you weight up out the saddle to assist the back wheel to smoothly roll over it. Failure to do this will only result in unbearable riding conditions as impact and vibrations are transferred directly into your body. This is basically what a full suspension bike is already doing for you.

Top speed on downhills is also limited due to the vibrations going through your body. The type of terrain on the downhill plays a huge roll. We are talking rugged 4x4 Jeep track, cattle track or motorbike paths and you know your eyes take strain trying to keep focus as they rattle around your skull. Rock types largely determine your speed as the wrong angle and your rim is toast. 90% of the time you are not on the line you pick as you are constantly fi ghting the rebound of the bike to keep it on course whilst throwing your body in the direction you want to go and only then correcting the front wheel. At times you are literally hanging onto the back of the saddle with your teeth whilst picking out the safest crash zones, or rolling with it but looking for a smoother patch to let some blood fl ow back out of your hands and feet. Suspension doesn’t make it safer, just smoother.

My respect goes to all the legends from the 80’s and early 90’s who raced rigid bikes day in and day out without the technology we now take for granted. Those ladies and gents really worked hard to make it look easy. In the end I am no diff erent from any rider who partook in the event. We all fi nished although riding the Purple Monster has defi antly refi ned my technical skills, however if you do enter in 2014 you will fi nd me riding a dual suspension.

PH

OT

OS

BY

CH

ER

IE V

AL

E |

NE

WS

PO

RT

ME

DIA

19

Stirling Revolution FS

Neither one is better (or worse) than the other. Also, there are many who straddle the

middle ground. In fact, it is unlikely that there is a single rider who falls 100% into either category.

After a night ride and a few beers around the fi re, a group of our cycling and riding mates came up with this sometimes fun and sometimes serious list. The idea now is for you to have some fun working out whether you’re a CYCLIST or a RIDER by selecting the statement that most applies to you. You MUST make a choice – A or B.

After decades of bicycle riding and seven-plus years of running a Local Bike Shop,

Stirling Senior and SJ have concluded that are essentially two types of mountain bikers –

the cyclist and the rider.

“AFTER A MTB RIDE/RACE DO YOU: A. REMAIN IN CYCLING CLOTHES, OR B. STRIP NAKED NEXT TO THE CAR AND PUT ON CASUALS?”

TAKE THE TEST

ARE YOUARE YOUA: A CYCLIST

or B: A RIDER?

Stirling Kotze, aka Stirling Senior

Years in the saddle: 27 Favourite ride/trail:

Table Mountain, Cape TownRecurring 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.

A: T

HE

CY

CLI

ST

B: T

HE

RID

ER

Stirling RevolutionStirling RevolutionStirling RevolutionStirling RevolutionStirling Revolution

MY WEAPON OF CHOICE:A. Lightweight XC

hard tail/full susB. Trail/Enduro full suspension

STYLE:A. Shave my legs B. Grow facial hairA. Bib shorts/lycra B. Baggies/shortsA. No Peak B. PeakA. Leg warmers B. Knee padsA. Short-fi nger gloves B. Long-fi nger glovesA. Wear my fi tness watch as

a daily timepieceB. Wear a real watch or use my

cell phone to tell the time

EVENTS:A. Argus is a race B. Argus is a newspaperA. Stage and marathon races B. Anything with lots of

single trackA. Goal: fast time B. Goal: fun time

Equipment:A. Long stem B. Short stemA. Bar ends B. Wide handlebarA. Carbon seat post B. Dropper seat postA. Anything carbon B. As long as it worksA. Bottle/s B. Hydration packA. Second bike is a road bike B. Second bike is another MTBA. Lightweight saddle B. Comfortable saddle

RECORDING MY RIDE:A. GPS B. Strava

AFTER MY MTB RIDE/RACE:A. Drink a recovery drink B. Swig a beer!A. Remain in my cycling clothes B. Strip naked next to my car and

put on my casuals.

TRAINING:A. Intervals and distance B. Technical skillsA. Time trials B. Trail time!A. Crack of dawn B. Whenever, but seldom early

WHEN IT RAINS:A. Indoor trainer or gym session B. Get wet and dirty

TYRE CHOICE:A. Low rolling resistance B. Wide and knobby

BIKE FITA. Professional set up for

maximum performance B. Do it myself for my

riding style

THE NEXT BIKE I BUY IS…A. For my spouse or girl/boyfriend B. Another bike for myself

MY FAVOURITE QUESTION AT THE BIKE SHOP…

A. How much does it weigh? B. How much travel does it have?

PREFERRED BIKE RACK:A. On the roof of my vehicle

Now that you’re fi nished Give yourself 3 points for each A-choice and give yourself 1 point for each B-choice, and add up your total points.

46 points or less means you are a cool rider

out there looking for fun… but

be careful not to be too-cool-

for-school.

47 to 64 points means you are a cyclist at

heart but a few style changes

and you could be on your

way to being a rider or a

racing snake.

65 points or more means you are a committed

racing snake looking for

results. Just remember to

greet other riders when you

are out on your training rides!

B. Tow-bar carrier

MY BIKE SLEEPS…A. In the garage/storeroom B. In the lounge/TV room

FOR XMAS I WANT…A. A power meter B. A GoPro Hero 3

WW

W.O

AK

PIC

S.C

OM

20

FS Coaching

RATE OF PERCEIVEDEXERTION (RPE)

HOW HARD ARE YOU WORKING?

✱ ✱ HEART RATE ZONE

GOAL PERCENTAGE TRAINING TIME %

0 Nothing at allZONE 1

80%1 Very Light

2 Fairly LightZONE 2

3 Moderate

4 Somewhat HardZONE 3

0%

20%

5 Hard

6 _

ZONE 47 Very Hard

8 _

ZONE 59 _

10 Very Very Hard (Maximal)

ACHIEVING MAXIMAL RESULTS WITH

When searching the internet for training advice or even when reading the most popular cycling training books, you will soon realise there is a lot of confl icting thoughts about the most eff ective training strategies. In this month’s coaching column Mike Posthumus explains the benefi ts of polarised training and why you should be polarising your training.

“THE HIT PROTOCOL OUTPERFORMED THE TEMPO TRAINING PROTOCOL ON ALL PERFORMANCE MEASURES.”

polarised training

The traditional school of thought has always advised long hours on the bike with

frequent tempo or fast paced rides. Polarised training, or High Intensity Training (HIT) has only recently become popular among endurance athletes. Polarised training refers to the idea of a training mix between very hard and very easy. Although there are still debates as to which mode of training is more eff ective, a recent scientifi c study by Neal et al. (Journal of Applied Physiology 114: 461–471, 2013) from the University of Stirling, Scotland, seems to have fi nally settled this debate once and for all. This study is the most comprehensive and most well designed of its kind and may fi nally be able to accurately answer our question as to which training model gives up the greatest gains.

The study by Neal et al. compared predominantly tempo training (moderate intensity) to high intensity interval training (HIT) in a randomised cross-over study. This is the best study design to answer the question at hand. All participants in were well trained cyclists and performed six weeks of HIT and six weeks of tempo training (in a randomised order), separated by a four week detraining period in order for performance measures to return to baseline. The training load during the six week of either HIT or tempo training protocols was matched. Before and after each six week training block, all participants completed a 40km time trial, a peak power output test and a test to measure high intensity capacity. Although performance improved during both training protocols, the HIT protocol outperformed the tempo training protocol on all performance measures.

What training did the polarised / HIT protocol entail? The study ensured that during the HIT period, the participants completed 80% of their time at a

Recommended training split (% of training time) when performing polarised training.

✱ ✱ As described in the previous Full Sus Coaching Column – refresh online at www.issuu.com/fullsussa.

low intensity and 20% of their time at high intensity. The high intensity time was accumulated while performing six times four minute intervals with two minute rest periods. During the rest periods participants either pedalled backwards or stopped pedalling altogether.

How do I apply this to my own training?Excellent results can be achieved through following a polarised program on only seven to eight hours per week. When training for seven hours per week, it is recommended to spend approximately 60 – 90 minutes (20% of training time) training at a high intensity. See the table below to gauge your training intensity and how to defi ne the splits required for periodised training. The heart rate zones included refer to the heart rate zones we defi ned in the previous issue of Full Sus.

As described in the table you can however either use heart rate or Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to gauge your eff ort during the HIT training. However, a gauge is not necessarily required as completing intervals in zone 5 is pretty much as hard as you can possibly go for the allocated time. It is recommended to perform two HIT session per week. Ensure you allow adequate recovery between sessions.

Does this apply to me if I’m training to do the Cape Epic or other long stage races? Most certainly, yes. At least, the last four to six weeks prior to your event

(excluding a taper) should include HIT. As shown in the study, polarised training resulted in far greater 40km time trial results compared to the tempo group. Even when measuring performance in longer performance tests closer to tempo/moderate intensity, the HIT protocol was still superior. It is however important to reduce total weekly training time when performing HIT. Doing high intensity training between long training rides will result in you becoming fatigued and not adapting optimally to the HIT.

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

Nutrition FS

HOW TO TAKE THE TRAINING WHEELS OFF

One of the most common complaints Rochez O’Grady gets from sportsmen (recreational or professional) is that they experience

some form of stomach discomfort during or after a long cycle. So this month’s column is dedicated to eating right on your bike.

Why does this happen? An easy way to fi nd out why you experienced stomach

discomfort is to do a quick recall of what you consumed on the bike. In my experience it usually goes something like this: “I started with an energy bar, one gel, a sports drink and then a bottle of water”. How do you know if this is too much or not? It doesn’t sound like very much, especially when it doesn’t feel like you’re getting full.

Remember bars, gels and sports drinks are carb rich – they are designed to fuel your performance. This is why you just can’t eat as much as you like, even if it doesn’t seem like you’re eating very much. It comes down to that nutrition label on the back of the product. This is where you can use it as a tool to guide you.

The proven recommendation is 30-60g of carbs per hour of exercise, no exceptions. Why? The average person can only process about 1g of carbs a minute. If you load more carbs into your stomach, your intestines

won’t transport glucose into your bloodstream any faster. It just increases the risk of an upset tummy and, by implication, an upset rider.

Now let’s work out how many carbs were eaten in the recall:

Rochez O’Grady(pronounced r-OH-shay)

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

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

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

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

related questions at rochez@munchwize.co.za.

TIME ON THE BIKE 1 HOUR OR LESS 1 TO 3 HOURS 3 HOURS OR MORE

FOCUS ON Replacing Fluid Loss Carb stores Carb and fl uid stores, food variety (prevent food boredom)

WHAT TO DRINK Water Water and 1 bottle sports drink 1 bottle water and 1 bottle sports drink per hour

WHAT TO EAT Your energy stores should last you for a 60

min workout.Take 1 Gel along just in

case, it has 27g of carbs and 200 mg sodium.

30-60g carbs per hour from bars, gels and sports drinks. Can be up to 80g if you’re consuming glucose and

fructose together

30-60g of carbs per hour, total. Eat more solids at the beginning of the ride. As your ride gets

longer digestion can become more diffi cult, rely on gels for fast energy in the last part of your ride.

TIP Eat a meal within an hour of fi nishing an intense workout, to

promote fastest recovery

Your body absorbs sports drinks most eff ectively at the

correct concentration

To prevent food boredom, try replacing bars and gels with carb-rich, low-protein,

moderate-fat “real” foods.

A simple solution would be to reduce the carb intake. Here’s a suggestion - drink water while eating carb-rich foods (like gels and bars) and then drink the sports drink later on its own. This will also guarantee suffi cient intake of sodium and fl uids.

Two energy gels and one bottle of water equates to the same amount of energy and electrolytes as a bottle of sports drink. This is why separating sports drinks and energy foods will help keep you within the 30 – 60g carb per hour safe zone.

Another interesting point is to consume energy foods that contain a mixture of sugars. Here’s an example: glucose and fructose, or glucose and maltodextrin, research has shown the mixture of sugars improves the absorption of carbs to 1.7g per minute.

In order to fuel your body consistently, drink or refuel every 15 minutes rather than drinking an entire bottle or eating a whole bar all at once.

Here are some practical tips on what to eat while on the bike (depending how long your ride is, of course)

AN ENERGY BAR = 46G OF CARBS

ONE GEL = 27G OF CARBS

A BOTTLE OF SPORTS DRINK = 50G OF CARBS = 50G OF CARBS

And it comes to a grand whopping total of 123g of carbs every hour.

So it’s pretty easy to overload on the carbs. The problem with excess carbs will probably only become evident after the fi rst hour and can manifest as nausea, bloating and or feeling ill.

Vitality Wellness DayBoost your Vitality points

by up to 60 000 points by

taking part in the Vitality

Wellness Day at the

Wellness Centre in Quadrant

Square, Claremont on 9th

of November (9am - 12pm).

Get assessed by a registered

Dietitian and Biokineticist

before getting a full health

screening by a registered

Nurse. For more information

and pricing details contact

Rochez on 021 671 8506 or at

rochez@munchwize.co.za.

22

FS Die Stand(er)punt

Maar my vlug was vol pasgetroude paartjies op wittebrood en ek het gou

besef dit was miskien nie die beste idee om alleen na so ‘n tropiese eiland te toer nie, veral nie nadat ek en Burry twee jaar gelede op die einste eiland saam was nie. 

Die eerste dag het ek die eiland op my fi ets gaan verken ek wou die regte Mauritius sien, ruik en proe. Die vakansie-oorde is beeldskoon en prentjiemooi, maar net buitekant in die woonbuurte is die armoede duidelik sigbaar. Ek het halfpad deur een van die woonbuurte by ‘n pikante winkel tot stilstand gekom en besluit om my naels te laat verf. Die werknemer het my met ope arms verwelkom en tuis laat voel. So deur die naelverwery het sy my van hul kultuur en geloof vertel. Ek het die winkeltjie verlaat met die gevoel dat ek ‘n vriend gemaak het.

Ek het met groot verassing uitgevind dat Anriette Schoeman, Arran Brown en Werner Moolman my die volgende dag gaan vergesel en dat ek nie vir ‘n week alleen net in verliefde paartjies se gesmooch hoef vas te kyk nie.

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

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

Champs her next big goal.

Cherise Stander is die ongeloofl ike geleentheid gegun om in Mauritius aan die Deutsche Bank 100km-wedrente gaan deelneem. Sy het met groot opgewondenheid die vliegtuig bestyg.

“ONS HET LAND EN SAND MET HOM GESELS EN NA AMPER AGT UUR IN ONS FIETSRYKLERE BESLUIT DIT IS

UITEINDELIK TYD OM TERUG TE KEER HOTEL TOE.”

DIE REGTE

Mauritius

Lekker rustig voor die wegspring in Mauritius

Die Suid Afrikaaners, Anriette Schoeman, Arran Brown en Cherise saam met

Mike Bird en Chris Desjardins van die Deutsche Bank Mauritius Cycle Tour

Ons het oppad hotel toe na ons oefenrit by ‘n pandjieswinkel gestop en nadat die eienaar gehoor het ons is van Suid- Afrika het hy ons rum en Coke aangebied... sy gesegde was dat ons moet drink en happy wees. Sy vriendelikheid en tevredenheid was duidelik sigbaar en hy het al vier van ons vinnig laat giggel soos skoolmeisies. Na so een of twee... oukei dan, drie glasies rum en Coke het ons middagete gaan eet by ‘n wonderlike restaurant wat aan die Springboklegende Cabous van der Westhuizen behoort. Ons het land en sand met hom gesels en na amper agt uur in ons fi etsryklere besluit dit is uiteindelik tyd om terug te keer hotel toe om ons koppe te begin regkry vir die volgende dag se wedren.

Die rendag het aangebreek en almal het saam in een groep begin. Na 10 kilometer het Arran en Werner laat wiel en die bondel in klein groepies opgebreek. Ek en Anriette was in ‘n groep van sowat 15 jaers wat almal goed saam gewerk het. Ons was nie sterk genoeg om die wenners te vang

nie maar het ‘n vinnige pas tot die einde toe volgehou. Die wenstreep was sowat 50 meter na ‘n baie skerp draai en ek het besef dat om eerste om die draai te kom was die enigste manier om die wedren te wen. Ek het dit reggekry en was so opgewonde om eerste oor die streep te eindig. Dit was wonderlik om weer saam met Anriette te kon deelneem en ek het besef hoe baie ek na wedrenne verlang. 

Om die vakansie af te sluit het ons saam met die dolfyne gaan swem. Dit was ‘n ongeloofl ik ervaring om vir ongeveer 45 minute die see binne raakafstand met dié wonderlike diere te deel. 

Dit was ‘n onvergeetlike toer en ons was op die hande gedra. Dankie aan al die ander Suid-Afrikaners wat die ervaring saam met my gedeel en dit so spesiaal vir my gemaak het. Julle is ware vriende. Ek kan die wedren baie sterk aanbeveel en die organisering was uit die boonste rakke. 

Tot volgende maand

BLA

ST

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TIO

NS

BLA

ST

CO

MM

UN

ICA

TIO

NS

23

It is pretty clear that this Rule of the Trail was designed with user interaction (bikes vs horses) and

farm access in mind. As I pointed out in the Yield Appropriately article (September issue of Full Sus) horses are unpredictable so it’s best to come to a stop until the rider gives an indication that it is safe to pass.

Many of our trails now access livestock zones, via cattle grids or fence ramps, so we need to take care not to startle animals when traversing pastures. Apart from the odd Pamplona experience (Specialized riders in team kit are apparently prone here) we should be careful not to scare a lamb or calf and risk a rejection from the mother animal. But I guess here in South Africa and just across our borders it is more a case of mountain bikers being scared by animals...

What surprises me most is the fact that despite numerous snake interactions, no rider (that I know of) has suff ered a bite. The speed at which we approach a slumbering adder or cobra has to be a recipe for disaster and many of us have had near misses at one stage or another. Thankfully snakes are not aggressive animals (I’ll touch on mambas later...).

As with anything, the risk of any incident is directly proportional to the volume of activity and as more and

more people are riding singletracks there has to be an increased risk of snakebites. A close encounter with a snake is more likely while stopping for a Facebook photo or mid ride snack, rather than when riding. And my biggest fear is always the camoufl aged puff adder which hides up to the last minute, whereas the cobra would have retreated long ago.

MambasThe development of trails through the sugarcane plantations of KZN and natural forest in Mpumalanga takes riders into mamba territory. Mambas are unpredictable and can be aggressive and, of course, particularly poisonous and what I hate most is that they can keep themselves occupied (green mamba) in the trees above your helmet. Depending on which resource you refer to a black mamba can, or can’t, move faster than a running human, but I’m not going to test whether they can or can’t.

Snake venoms are categorised as neurotoxic, cytotoxic, myotoxic or hemotoxic which basically just describes nicely what type of pain or problem you can expect. There is not enough space here to go into snakebite treatment but keep the following in mind:• Know the number of your nearest

poison centre (021 931 6129 for the 24hour unit at Tygerberg Hospital should be your fi rst point of call).

• Always stay calm, an elevated heart rate is the killer as it spreads the

venom quicker.• Try to identify the snake. • No sucking, compressing or other MacGyver moves unless you know exactly what bit you and are experienced.

• But most importantly, don’t get bitten.

WildlifeNow that every second game farm is inviting you to come ride, the odds are pretty good that you can become the star of a YouTube clip. These clips prove time and time again that excited or startled antelope have no problem running straight towards riders. So it is always best to control your speed as the eff ect of a head-on collision with a wildebeest is obviously amplifi ed when you are traveling at speed too. Again, animals with their young are super protective and will be very aggressive when cornered.

Creepy CrawliesSouth Africa is also blessed with an abundance of small critters of which the arachnids are the most troublesome. Spider and scorpion bites or stings are rare, but spring and early summer are a very active time for our tick population. Many riders get struck down with tick bite fever, in the Cape Town fynbos region, every year. So it is very important to check yourself properly for ticks after a ride through close shrub as tick bite fever is not a fun experience.

When out riding you should always take care to never

scare animals, writes Meurant Botha.

But this being Africa, you do have to ask

who scares who?

“A BLACK MAMBA CAN, OR CAN’T, MOVE FASTER THAN A RUNNING

HUMAN, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO TEST WHETHER THEY CAN OR CAN’T.”

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

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

Contact them at 021 8844547 or info@amarider.co.za or visit the website

at www.amarider.co.za

Amarider FS

Rule #5Rule #5If you are aware of your

surrounding and use common sense you should be able to co-exist with our animal friends without any issues.

Never scare animals

24

FS David George EXPERIENCE

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

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

knowledge with Full Sus readers in his monthly column

Be consistent with your training. It’s better to give the body consistent stimulus rather than

cramming all your workouts into one or two big sessions a week. The body responds to repetitive stimulus and only by repeating the same isolated workout many times can we hope to make the desired physiological adaption to improve performance. It’s better to ride fi ve to six times a week than doing three big rides.

Double sessions are a great way to increase the amount of training sessions per week if you’re crunched for time. If like most of us you are working a full day, an early session in the morning backed up by an afternoon workout is a great way to stress the body enough to adapt and improve. Be sure to have enough time, fl uids and nutrition during the day to recover enough for your evening session though, as a starved and under hydrated body will only lead to fatigue and failure to complete the next workout. Be aware of your level of fatigue. Although necessary to achieve adaption, fatigue gone unchecked will have the reverse eff ect of what you were aiming for in training.

Be specifi c about what your goal is for every single ride that you do, even if it is a recovery ride understand the

objective before you head out so that you don’t get tempted or distracted to doing something else. Also choose a riding partner that is on a similar preparation cycle to you, that way it will be easier to remain focused on the session ahead. And don’t turn specifi c workouts into a race! Stick to the brief and rather use quantifi able metrics like a power meter as a comparison for performance than your sparring partner.

Do intense workouts on fresh legs. Don’t try to do an interval session the day after you have done a fi ve hour ride. Conversely the endurance rides are always best done the day after an interval session. Make sure your endurance training is done at the desired level of intensity and not a level higher that could lead to fatigue or failure to complete the full ride. A fi ve hour ride at endurance intensity is not the same as a hard three hour ride of dicing with your mates!

There is no shortcut to a good endurance base. Many books have been written about time crunched

With the fi rst few days of summer and some serious endurance challenges looming for

2014 what’s the best advice David George can give to you as you plan and approach your

training for the coming season?

“A FIVE HOUR RIDE AT ENDURANCE INTENSITY IS NOT THE SAME AS A

HARD THREE HOUR RIDE OF DICING WITH YOUR MATES.”

summerTRAINING TIPS training programs for a working

week but unfortunately there is no way to really simulate the real eff ects of long endurance training other than putting in the hours on the bike. Increased capillarization and recruitment of mitochondria are fundamental in the transfer of oxygen to the muscles, these systems are mostly stressed towards the end of long training rides and races. If you are only doing three hour rides at a time and plan to do an Epic where stages are fi ve hours plus for eight days in a row, then your body is in for a rude awakening!

Be active in your recovery from a race and or hard session. I always advise, and it worked for me too, that you stay active in the day or two after a race or hard session and then take a day or two off later in the week, if you have to. Active recovery allows the body to recover while moving blood to the parts of the body that are fatigued clearing lactic acid and reducing infl ammation. Similarly be active in your approach to an objective or race. Most people make the mistake of resting all the way up to an event and end up feeling completely lethargic on the day. Your body is like an engine that needs a few revs before it starts to purr. Rest in advance so that you have a few days to open the body up and expose it to a similar level it will be expected to respond to during the race. Don’t go mad the day before but brief intervals and some jumps

the day before your race often leads to better performance on the day.

Feed your engine with good things. Nutrition is an article on its own (so be sure to read Rochez’s column every month) but a little bit of common sense will tell you your car won’t run without gas. Be sensible and attentive to what you put in your body. If you have any doubts and need a tailored program seek professional advice from someone that understands the demands of what you are asking your body to do.

There you go, now you’ve got seven solid tips on how to ensure you’re in good shape for those late summer races. So get out there and ride.

FS photo of the monthFS FS FS

The 2013 Bridge Cape

Pioneer was even more

visually stunning than the

2012 edition. Check out

the best images on the

Oakpics Facebook page.

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. www.oakpics.com or call them on 021 854 8723

FS Gear

Hydration packs are certainly

commonplace amongst MTBers

nowadays, but if you’re in the

market for one, which one should

you get and what should you

be looking for? Full Sus put fi ve

through their paces and here’s what

you need to know.

There are a number of packs out there and your fi rst thought has got to be what you are generally

using the pack for. Are you doing stage races, adventure trails or are you a weekend warrior who doesn’t stray that far from home? This will infl uence the reservoir capacity you will need, how much storage you require and the general design of the bag, including the padding, straps and ventilation.

Skills guru James Thornhill-Fisher will be the fi rst to tell you the value a backpack. Having your water on you, not to mention your mobile and some gear could prove vital in the case of an emergency. Think of lying in a donga somewhere and your bike is unreachable. Besides the emergency scenario the pack also provides a great,

out of the way, option for carrying your wet weather gear, bombs, pump, multi-tool and your grub.

So what did we look at?Our fi rst consideration was the bladder or reservoir – we opted for similar capacity – but the important point was: how easy is it to fi ll? Can you remove it easily and leave it in the fridge? Does the tube detach from the bag?Then we looked at the mouthpiece and tube system. Does it lock? Is it accessible while riding, does it clip away or does it just hang around? Does the mouthpiece work well?

Straps/Comfort/Venting: Do the straps sit comfortably? Is it well paded, is it easy to adjust, does it

have waist straps and does it provide air fl ow or ventilation particularly on the back panel?

Finally Storage: how much space is there for your tools, grub and gear? How is it laid out, is it accessible, practical and suffi cient?

We never looked at cleaning the bag, whether the tubes were compatible with other systems, replacement mouthpiece and bags etc, but that is a consideration for another article. Cleaning should defi nitely come into your reckoning particularly if you are planning on putting electrolyte or sugar based powder into the bag as you will have to clean regularly – it is less frequently required if using water only, but you will still have to do it.

Bladder/Resevoir 2.5 l ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Mouthpiece/Tube System ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Straps/Comfort/Venting ✱ ✱ ✱Storage ✱ ✱ ✱

Bladder/Resevoir 2 l ✱ ✱ ✱Mouthpiece/Tube System ✱ ✱ ✱Straps/Comfort/Venting ✱ ✱Storage ✱ ✱

SUS THE HYDRATION PACK TEST

Bladder/Resevoir 2.5 l ✱ ✱ ✱Mouthpiece/Tube System ✱ ✱Straps/Comfort/Venting ✱ ✱Storage ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱

First Ascent Aqueos 2First Ascent is a local brand that has come on in leaps and bounds in the MTB arena. They are really good at listening to their clients and are quick to improve and make changes accordingly. This is apparent when one sees their reservoir, mouthpiece and tube system. It is the best out there at the moment. The Aqueos 2 holds 2 litres of liquid, is easy to fi ll and their antimicrobial treated Nalgene system has an awesome bag handle that runs the length of the bag and makes handling a breeze.

The nifty magnet attachment secures the mouthpiece to the pack – no fl opping around and easy to reach and put back on the fl y. The clip also has a signal whistle. There is a large pouch and an additional mesh pocket that provides adequate storage although I would have preferred more space. (We are told that they have a new 2l off ering with extra storage space on the way so watch this space – ed)

K-Way Hydro Velocity 6The K-Way Hydro Velocity is a Cape Union Mart house brand and is really a day pack with hydration capability. That said it holds its own in most departments with a smaller storage

facility – essentially a pouch with some space inside the pack once the reservoir is in place. It’s a great regular route pack that will hold the bare essentials.

Leatt H4 Hydration Cargo packThis pack comes from the guys who have made a name for themselves in off -road motorcycling.

The storage system is superb and off ers all you need. The hydration bag is easy to use and the only pack that off ers reservoirs that are disposable – they are tough and re-usable but you will need

a few spares – the test pack came with a pack of replacements. The tube is long and can be cut down to the desired length. There is a

cap on the mouthpiece which was not practical on a bike and the lack of ventilation is again

more suited to a motorbike. The straps are comfortable and

really secure. It’s the lightest bag we tested.

26

ADT FindU MTB FSADT FindU MTB FS&winstay safe WITH ADT’S NEW APP

&winWITH ADT’S NEW APP

Gear FS

Bladder/Resevoir 2.5 l ✱ ✱ ✱Mouthpiece/Tube System ✱ ✱Straps/Comfort/Venting ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Storage ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱

Bladder/Resevoir 3 l ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Mouthpiece/Tube System ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Straps/Comfort/Venting ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱Storage ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱

fullsus

CHOICE

EVOC CC10LA really awesome bag with heaps of storage that includes a nifty mesh roll-out helmet

or shoe holder, neat compartments for everything you could possibly want to carry, superb ventilation and the more than adequate Hydrapak bladder system. My only

gripe is that there is no quick-release tube system so it’s either the entire bag and tube in the fridge or ice blocks (which isn’t the end of the world really…but still). I also wasn’t crazy about the mouthpiece – it’s small and the locking mechanism is tough to use on

the fl y – it also doesn’t swivel. The bag is available in funky colours, has a signal whistle on the strap clip and is very

comfortable - it is the only pack with ventilated padded straps.

Camelbac MuleWhen one mentions hydration packs the name most people know is Camelbac – in fact much like Hoover is used in reference to all vacuum cleaners, Camelbac is used as a synonym for hydration packs, and in much the same vein the Mule is synonymous with MTBing. It’s the tried and tested wet pack that set and still very much sets the benchmark. Their reservoir system is excellent with a quick-release for the tube, an improved quarter turn cap that is easy to close, big enough to clean easily and allow you to put ice in if needed. The mouthpiece is superb and clips away on the strap (the magnet is in my opinion the best option and is

possibly the only thing that would improve this bag), so it’s easy to fi nd and doesn’t fl ay around when you’re riding. Storage is excellent – you have all the pockets, pouches and compartments you will ever need. The air fl ow is great and the padding along with padded straps make the Mule a really comfortable fi t. I liked that you could easily remove the waist strap. Overall it’s a really good pack that fi ts almost every use.

The ADTFindU application runs on Windows, Black Berry, Android, and iPhone

smart phones and utilises your phone’s GPS to enable ADT to pin-point your exact position, using the same technology as Strava and the other sports trackers. Once the ADTFindU app has been activated you can go about your ride as you normally would and if you need help, all you need to do is shake your phone to set off the alert. The alert is sent to the ADTFindU monitoring centre, they will then dispatch the necessary response team to assist you with your situation.

The alert activates your phone’s video camera too, so you can make a ten second video clip of your situation. So if you’ve had a fall you can fi lm your injury to help

the monitoring centre get you the right sort of help. In addition to being able to summon medical, armed response, mountain or sea rescue teams to your aid, an SMS alert will be sent to contacts you select during registration for the service so, the people closest to you will be able to spring into action too.

Apart from the general lifestyle applications of ADTFindU, as listed on the website: www.adtfindu.co.za, the app is a great way to keep you safe while on those solo rides. You can set a time frame for your ride and if the time elapses without you deactivating the timer the app will send an alert to the monitoring centre. The developers are also working on a function which will harness your phone’s accelerometer

to activate an alert should the phone not move for a certain period of time. So if you’ve crashed and are lying prone in the dirt, you won’t have to wait for the time frame you allocated for the ride to expire before help is sent. Because it’s using the accelerometer it won’t activate a false alarm should you be taking a breather, you might not be moving enough for the GPS to detect movement but your phone’s sensitive accelerometer will pick up your footfalls as you wander off to grab a coffee.

ADTFindU is charged at a monthly rate of R60 to existing ADT customers and R99 to non-ADT customers, fi nd out more at www.adtfi ndu.co.za. And Full Sus has three six month subscriptions to give away, because we want to keep you safe, dear reader.

ADT Security are launching their ADTFindU mobile app which is designed to get you out of insecure and potentially diffi cult situations. Wherever you fi nd yourself, as long as there is cellular

coverage ADTFindU will ensure that ADT can fi nd and assist you.

THE PRIZE:Three Full Sus readers will each win a six month subscription to ADT FindU, all you need to do is tell us if you’re a rider or a cyclist.

HOW TO WIN:Do the Stirling Revolution quiz on Page 19 and email us with the following details to comp@fullsus.co.za: Rider or Cyclist, Name, Contact Number and Physical Address.

28

FS Bike review

“MY JUVENILE ANTICS THAT HAD ME THROWING THE FUEL 29ER AROUND

LIKE A 26ER ON STEROIDS. YES I’M GUSHING BUT DAMMIT THE BIKE RIPS.”

You have to believe in your brand, you have to live your brand and you can only do that if you’re

convinced that your brand is the best. So when I collected the brand (really?) spanking new Trek Fuel EX 9.8 29 and was told in no uncertain terms that this would be “the best bike I will ever ride” I nodded politely and sceptically thought: “Wow now that’s quite some statement to make…” If one considers the Fuel EX comes from the highly pedigreed, award winning Fuel 26er, that set the bar in its category time and again, despite the confi dence of the guys at TBC (The Bicycle Company Trek’s local distributor), the Fuel EX 29er has some big shoes to fi ll.

It’s pretty much accepted that you can’t take a 26er, supersize it and get the perfect big brother. It’s just not that simple. Trek is well known for the huge amount of R&D it does on its products and the development on the big wheel Fuel EX was no exception. The bike squints at Trek have taken their time to ensure that every piece of the bike has been designed, tested and created perfectly to suit the large wheel dynamic. This becomes obvious when you fi rst see the bike - it sure is easy on the eye – even in Pinotage! As we aff ectionately referred to the glittering burgundy test bike, the clear lacquer coat allows the colour of the carbon to shine through spectacularly and is really cool. But it’s not just about looks, we all know that the real litmus test is in the riding.

There are so many technical innovations to wax lyrical about: like the one piece EVO rocker link, MTB specifi c carbon that is built tougher for the rough stuff , well positioned carbon shields that they call Armor, dropper post as standard and a neat little chain guide that ensures no chain suck – I never got to test this little gadget thankfully but if it grafts it is a complete bonus. I don’t want to get bogged down in the tech stuff , I really just want to tell you about the ride: The Fuel EX is

punted as an All-Mountain-Marathon bike and my immediate concern was how would it climb and what about the longer rides? So I did both – 55kms with 1600m of climbing, I had my reservations but I locked out the shock and fork and the bike climbed brilliantly – not the fastest but comfortable and eff ective and frankly unless you’re in contention to beat the time for the Mast Challenge (or your local killer climb) you’re probably not going to notice.

There is no corner cutting when it comes to spec on the bike and the standard guise we tested had full XT throughout. The brakes are incredible, incorporating their proprietary Active Braking Pivot system that ensures there is no stiff ening under hard braking so no wheel skipping or suspension interference – and I put them through their paces down some hardcore descents that were really loose and gnarly – they performed perfectly. I’m not a lighty (in all sense of the words…) and I really thrashed the Fuel about, none-the-less the DRCV proprietary shock is amazing – it glides and fl oats, yes the “full fl oater” suspension design assists but believe me when you hit the big stuff the shock comes into its own – it’s two chamber system ensures that you just don’t bottom out! I was literally whooping and giving it the big: “*^%*ing amazing, did you see that?!” to my cycle partner after coming down what for me was a seemingly impossible line. He was shaking his head, more out of concern that his W2W partner was going to see his ass than my juvenile antics that had me throwing the Fuel 29er around like a 26er on steroids. Yes I’m gushing but dammit the bike rips.

The 2.3 Bontrager tyres defi nitely

“What is the best bike you will ever ride?”

The answer the according to the guys at The Bicycle Company: the TREK Fuel EX 9.8. Read on to fi nd out if

Shayne Dowling agrees.

I’LL HAVE THE PINOTAGE PLEASE

Bontrager GearRXL Jersey – hot off the production

line, this is the fi rst look at the

Premium Profi la fabric jersey from

Bontrager. Light, breathable and

damn fi ne looking!

The Bontrager Solstice bibshort

is the entry level bib, with some

ultra comfortable inForm chamois,

four way stretch straps in a fi tted

cut that is aff ordable but really

eff ective.

added to the “sticks like glue” comfort and confi dence factor and I found that despite big wheels I was having as much fun on the tight stuff as I did with my 26er. The Fuel Ex 29 defi nitely comes into its own on the descent, it’s receptive, comfortable (why should the ride down not be?) and most of all it really fun. Considering the type of riding most of us do I can say without a shadow of doubt this is the bike we should be looking at – it will get you up the climbs easily, handle the long road comfortably and take you down the sweet stuff incredibly. The best bike I’ve ever ridden? I’m going to say it’s right up there, in my top fi ve. The best bike I’m ever going to ride? Not if the squints at Trek have anything to say about it!

29

Bike review FS

The GeometrySUSSUSMedium frame: 18.5 inches

All measurements in mm or °

Seat Tube ...........................445

Top Tube ............................ 605

Chain Stay length ...........425

Head tube angle .............. 68°

Seat tube angle  ...............73°

Bottom bracket height ...338

Wheelbase .........................1131

Reach ....................................431

Frame rise ..........................568

29

Bike review FS

The GeometrySUSSUSMedium frame: 18.5 inches

All measurements in mm or °

Seat Tube ...........................445

Top Tube ............................ 605

Chain Stay length ...........425

Head tube angle .............. 68°

Seat tube angle  ...............73°

Bottom bracket height ...338

Wheelbase .........................1131

Reach ....................................431

Frame rise ..........................568

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

www.thehubsa.co.za

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

■ 10 November: Van Gaalens Magalies MTB Orienteering (North West)Get involved in Mountain Bike Orienteering on the banks of the Hartebeespoort Dam, where fi tness and technical riding skills are trumped by your ability to navigate by map from point-to-point around the stunning trails of the Van Gaalens Farm. There are 10, 15 and 25km options to choose from – but those are the minimum distances, your map reading skills will determine your exact race day mileage. For more information look up Mountain Bike Orienteering South Africa on Facebook, or to enter online go to www.asgevents.co.za.

■ 15 to 17 November: Mountain Splendour Mania (KZN)The Mountain Splendour Eco-Resort in the central Drakensberg is hosting the eighth edition of the annual Mountain Splendour Mania trail running and MTB weekend, complete

with big cash prizes, beer garden and entertainment for the kids. There is a night race (MTB and trail run) on the Friday night, a 5km fun ride/run/walk on the Saturday and challenging 40 and 20km MTB’s on the Sunday, in addition to the 20 and 7.5km trail runs. There are also daily kiddies’ races to help burn off your kids’ excess energy so you can enjoy the spectacular setting. Enter on www.roag.co.za.

■ 22 & 23 November: Eselfontein MTB Festival (Western Cape)Eselfontein outside Ceres is one of the MTB must does in the Western Cape, all year – let alone November. It’s rated as one of the best single track havens in the country and the festival races are taxing but rewarding. The riding kicks off with a 20km night race on Friday the 22nd before Saturday the 23rd off ers 65, 35 and 16km options. To top it off camping is free to online entries, but entries are limited to 600 so book right now. It’s

Mpumalanga

Limpopo

Northern Cape

Gauteng

Eastern Cape

Free State

Western Cape

KZN

North West

Out in Africa

CALENDAR KEY

SUS THE BEST OF December

MPUMALANGA 13 Sabie Xperience Stage Race

LIMPOPO 7 Sondela MTB Stage Race

GAUTENG 1 Rockman Ultra X Triathlon 7 Bryton Vori - Berg MTB Series 6 14 Xtrail MTB Series (Gauteng) 15 Babbas Lodge MTB Super Series 6

EASTERN CAPE 1 CycloPro Longmore Classic

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

Race #3

14 Leeuwenboschfontein 3 Day MTB 21 X Lakes Summer MTB 21 Cape Agulhas MTB Classic 22 PSG Garden Route Trail Bike and

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

Run #2

FREE STATE 28 Rhino River Run Mountain Biking

Series #10

KZN 1 Virgina Trails Xmas Ride 8 Stihl Sharks Trail Adventure

NORTH WEST 16 Redstone MTB Series #6

OUT IN AFRICA 28 New Years in Lesotho

R120 for the 65km and R60 for the night race, and you can book online at www.entrytime.co.za, you’ll be missing out if you don’t.

NOVEMBER Must do events■ 30 November: Sabie Noon to Moon (Mpumalanga)Join the Lowveld Chaingang Cycle Club for ten hours of manic MTB action during the Sabie Noon to Moon 2013. Here’s the low down: teams or solo riders take on a 7.5km course featuring “single track twistier than a politicians excuse” from 12 noon until moon rise, completing as many laps as possible. It’s billed as the most social event on the Chaingang’s calendar and you can enter online until the 27th of November on www.entrytime.com. There is on site camping, catering and a beer tent, so do it solo or as a team.

Challenge yourself this November by entering the Van Gaalens Magalies MTB Orienteering or Eselfontein MTB Festival rides.

January 2014RACE CALENDAR GAUTENG 12 Summer Fast One MTB WESTERN CAPE 8 Daytrippers Epic Training Cape 11 Totalsports Challenge 18 Attakwas Extreme Challenge 19 Spur Adventure Sprint Race #1 19 Spur Adventure DUO # 1 26 Bouckaert-Soenen MTB

Cycle Race

NORTH WEST25 Totalsports XTERRA Full 26 Totalsports XTERRA Lite

List your event hereGet 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

email sussed@fullsus.co.za with your event

Name, Date, Distance(s), Location and Website or

Facebook page url.

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

Classifieds FS

CLASSIFIEDSfull susToo 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: craig@getafixcycles.comTo Book: www.getafixcycles.com

ULTIMATE CONVENIENCE! Getafix Cycles

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

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLYfull sus

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

SERVICE! SERVICE! SERVICE!Ride before you buy

www.freewheel.co.za, Tel: 021 762 4472, Email: info@freewheel.co.za, Address: 317 Main Road, Kenilworth, Cape Town.

Freewheel Cycology @freewheelza

31

ADVERTISE

ADVERTISE

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THE FULL SUS CLASSIFIEDS GIVE JULIA A CALL ON 021 685 0285/6 OR DROP HER AN EMAIL AT julia@integratedmedia.co.za

Sell■ Buy■ Cycle■

G E A R

MTB ONLINE

full sus

Full Sus is launching its website soon. It will feature the comprehensive MTB events calendar, more great content and a portal to meet your every MTB related health and fitness need. If you’d like to make use of the dual print and digital platforms to promote your business, at one great price, get in touch with Julia at 021 685 0285/6 or email her on julia@integratedmedia.co.za. Watch this space…

FOR WHEN A GOOD TIME IS JUST THAT.

The Trek Fuel EX 29, it’s light. So light in fact it’s easier to lift than your spirits after a marathon ride on any other bike. But it’s not just light, it’s also smart. Like the Active Braking Pivot, which keeps the suspension active even when you’re braking. Then there’s G2 Geometry, giving you precise handling and stability, no matter your speed. Not to mention the Dual Rate Control Valve shock technology. In short, we’ve shaved off every unnecessary gram without compromising on control or handling. The only thing we’ve added is attitude.

The Bicycle Company is the exclusive distributor of Trek Bicycles in South Africa. Tel: 087 943 7200 | www.thebicyclecompany.co.za | @TrekBikesSA