Racing the Trans Madeira

Neil Cottam gives us a ‘backie’ on the Pink Panther for five days. Racing across Madeira’s rugged mountains and creating yet another one for the ever growing bucket list.

Words & pictures by Sonder Rider Neil Cottam

What can I tell you about Madeira? (Well, you know, aside from the fact that they make a marvellous cake). It’s part of a little volcanic archipelago nestling quietly in the North Atlantic, west of Morocco and southwest of Portugal. The eponymous main island, measuring just 35 miles long and 13 miles wide, is extremely rugged and is dominated by the high peaks of Pico Ruivo (1862m), Pico das Torres (1851m), and Pico do Areeiro (1818m). A tiny package that packs a mighty punch. My first two weeks were centred around Funchal. I enjoyed a couple of days of uplift with Freeride Madeira, where I met a lovely bunch of guys also from the UK, one of whom, Ned Leary from Nottingham, recognised my Evol 29er – The Pink Panther – it turned out that he was an Alpkit fan too. We also rode a very special trail – Folhadal – accessed by a series of irrigation tunnels cut through the rock (the famous Levadas). My mates Mitch and Archie Bryan arrived with a few days to spare before the race. We hung out in the lovely little beach town of Machico and pedalled up and down hills quite a lot. One particularly wet day led us to the infamous Boca da Risco (which translates rather comfortingly to “Mouth of Risk”), one of the islands best descents, famous for its knife-edge views of an angry ocean far below. It didn’t go all that well. It turns out that it’s not at its best when it’s wet. We fell off quite a lot. The Trans Madeira comprises of five days of racing, thirty special stages (SS), 222km of riding, 4,355m of ascent, and 12,500m of descent (oh yeah). The first three days were the toughest, both physically and technically, the organisers clearly had no intention of easing us into it. Each morning we would be bussed up to a high point, followed by a short transition to the stage, and then racing would begin in earnest.

Day one began at 1500m with the first five stages taking us all the way back down to sea level, each averaging between two and four kilometres, and about 5-8 minutes of flat-out commitment. It’s not easy to race blind on hard technical trails. From there we were again bused back up into the mountains and were to face our nemesis – Boca do Risco. A relatively flat 6km transition gradually peters out from forest road to singletrack and you arrive at the start gate. All the way there we were discussing, and dreading, what the trail might have in store for us. As it turned, with no rain in the area for a couple of days, we were presented with a sublime descent in primo condition. It was outstanding, and one of the most exhilarating and thrilling rides I’ve ever had. It was a far cry from the misery we had endured a few days previously. Archie had a marvellous day and finished 18th overall. Mitch and I were solid mid-pack. I’d like to tell you that we slept like babies that night, but we didn’t. We were camping on the beach; the gently rolling waves should have lulled us peacefully to sleep, unfortunately the local dogs had other ideas.

The lack of sleep was not the ideal preparation for Day two and the grey, wet, conditions that greeted us on the summit compounded that. I had a challenging day; I’m red/green colour blind, and it’s quite high up the scale. The flat light and dark, wet, woodlands meant that I struggled constantly to pick out the trail and features – I crashed more times than I care to remember; three or four times on “Ratboy” alone, including a spectacular over-the-bars on a jump that I didn’t see until it was too late – fortunately for me there were several spectators there to witness my tragic ineptitude. SS11 – Porto da Cruz – was bonkers. I think it was pure survival for most riders. Around ten minutes of steep, technical, exposed, insanely rocky singletrack. There were times when I was just a passenger and was thankful to roll out of it unscathed.

Mitch had an excellent day. Archie suffered a day of mixed fortunes after he smashed his rear dérailleur on Porto da Cruz and had to walk some of it – his hopes of a high placed finish were in tatters. That night we camped on the seafront in Funchal. Day three proved to be a tough one. We started high, above the clouds, at 1805m on Pico do Areeiro, dropping a thousand metres before embarking on a very long transition, interspersed with an extraordinary hike-a-bike. It was steep, rocky, and relentless; I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it was my kind of challenge. Archie and I were together all day. We stopped for a short break and waited for Mitch to catch us up. The excitement was building amongst us; we knew what was coming, I’d been extolling the virtues of Folhadal all week.

We donned our headlights and set off through the tunnels. As we emerged from the second we were greeted by a vertiginous waterfall cascading down the rockface to our left, and on our right fell away a vast steep valley gilded with dense primordial forest. As stunning a view as you will see anywhere in the world. Twenty minutes of teetering along the pencil thin lip of the Levada led us to the start gate.

The Trans Madeira comprises of five days of racing, thirty special stages (SS), 222km of riding, 4,355m of ascent, and 12,500m of descent (oh yeah).

A steep committing drop-in was followed by a sweeping right-hander that led us into twisty forest singletrack, which in turn transitioned to the most amazing natural gulley, thick with a sublime mixture of organic matter – Lava Loam. We swooped left, then right, then left again, and on it went; floaty drops, perfect transitions, and berm after natural berm; eventually firing us out, exhilarated, into a sunny glade. Days four and five were the antidote to the savagery of previous days. After camping on the football pitch at the Sao Vincente, in the shadow of a huge, vertical, wall of rock, we were treated to great singletracks through scrub woodlands, jungle, and sun-kissed alpine meadows, all the way down to the sea and back again; less technical and more flowing, our aching bodies and battered bikes were nursed to the finish line. A classy hotel, infinity pool, and a party with free beer, rounded off, perfectly, a perfect week. And best of all? The company of old friends. Obrigado.

This time it’s personal

Meet Tom, our Sonder Sales Team Leader. His team know bikes inside out. They’ll help you to choose the right bike, of course. But they can help you get off to a great start once it arrives too.

We love all the research and anticipation that comes with choosing a new bike. It’s a personal thing. Tom and his team love to hear what you’re doing and will help you with sizing, components, tyres, everything to make your ride just right. Getting the right ride doesn’t stop with what you buy. Here are some tips for getting your bike set up once it arrives.

4 steps to setting up a drop bar bike

1. Set your saddle height. The easiest way to get a rough starting point for the right saddle height is the heel-to-pedal method.

Sit on your bike, put your heels on the pedals and pedal backwards. At the six o’clock position your leg should be roughly straight. If it’s bent, put the saddle up a bit. If your foot comes off the pedal, pop it down. Use this a starting point and see how it feels. Often people ride with the saddle too high; if you notice your hips rocking as you pedal try nudging your saddle down in 5mm increments. 2. Set your fore/aft seat position. With your pedals at the 3 o’clock position and your feet properly on the pedals, drop a plumb line from the front of your knee cap. This should be directly above the pedal spindle. You can slide the saddle forwards or backwards to get to the right position. Cleat position plays a role here too.

So experiment to see what’s most comfortable. 3. Check your reach. With your hands in a comfortable position on the hoods of the brake levers, look down at the hub of the front wheel. If your bars block the line of sight, your reach is good.

If the hub is more than 3cm in front of behind the bars it’s worth trying a different length stem. 4. Set your bar height. There’s a lot of personal preference here.

Think about the angle of your back when your hands are on the bars. 45 degrees is comfortable and lets your back act as its natural spring. A flat back is more aerodynamic and requires you to be more flexible and puts more weight on your hands, which can cause vibration white finger. If you’re too upright your body weight is directly above the saddle, watch out for lower back pain.

Be more

At the Grand Depart in 2014, we saw someone pass a new

bike to Bernard Hinault to ride. He pulled a piece of string from his pocket, lined it up with the centre of his cranks and adjusted the saddle to the end of the string. On he got and rode away. Even Bernard needs the saddle just right.

By finding out about your fitness, flexibility, length of reach and riding style, we’re able to offer the right advice to make sure you get a bike that’s really comfortable to ride.

Tom’s top tip:

Don’t be too proud. Setting your bike up to look fast rather than feel comfortable could slow you down in the long run.

Spend quality time behind bars

Flared bars are great for long-haul comfort and give commanding control off road. A straight drop gives a more efficient, aerodynamic ride. Or choose something in between. Wide, narrow, flat, flared – you choose. Choose the right saddle and you can ride in comfort for hours. Low-profile efficiency. All-day padded comfort. Wide or narrow to suit your shape. Saddle choice is personal.

Which stem should you choose?

A change in your stem can change the character of your ride. Shorter stems bring you more upright and give tighter handling. Longer stems give more speed and stability.

Our pedals

Every new bike deserves a new set of pedals. All Sonder pedals give efficient power transfer, secure footing and years of low maintenance rides. And each model is a work of art in its own right.

Laid back or flat out

A change in your seatpost can transform your ride. Layback posts offer comfort and flexibility but if you’re after all-out speed straight posts can get you right over the pedals for maximum power. Titanium seatposts give a comfortable ride and weight savings in one go.

Sonder components are little pieces of magic, individually designed to bring out the best in our bikes. Expertly made and field-tested by us so that they work in complete harmony. Whatever your size, riding style, niggles or quirks, you can find the perfect build. The ride you dream of. 29

BROKEN ROAD

Wilderness trail bike

Tom and Rich had talked about the Tour Divide for years. 4,447km from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells on the Mexican border. Big Mountains, forests and so much wildlife. On a big ride you discover so much about the world. And about yourself. Bikes are magic.

A companion to share adventures of a lifetime. A titanium hardtail to ride into the wilderness. And while it’s home, tackle your local trails or ride through long nights on a 24 hour race. 29er, 650B, 700C, hub gear, single-speed, fixed. It’s your choice.

[2]

[1]

Details

3Al/2.5V aeronautical grade hand welded titanium frame • Adventure trail bike geometry: comfortable for miles and miles • Adjustable sliding dropouts [1] • Rack & guard mounts [2] • 650B+ ready

Builds

Broken Road SX Eagle £1,649 Broken Road GX Eagle £2,249 Broken Road Pinion £3,499

Raw Ti

CAMINO

Multi award-winning gravel bike

I planned what I thought was a relatively easy first day, weighed down with all the gear to bivvy above the snow line, plus cooking equipment and food. Plus a bottle of red wine because, well, it was a holiday! After years of planning my racing and training, it’s been liberating to be more spontaneous. I’ve enjoyed riding my bike this year more than I can remember. On my Camino I can go anywhere – Emma Pooley, Sonder Rider, Olympian, World Champion.

Open up B-roads and bridleways, off the tarmac and onto the dirt. Longdistance comfort on long tracks and roads. Half roadie, half mountain slogger. Who’d want to be just one thing?

Choose between aluminium and titanium • Expedition geometry: comfortable, confidence inspiring riding position • 700x50mm clearance [1] • Rack & guard mounts [2] • 650B & 700C compatible • 12mm bolt-thru axles

Builds

Camino Al Apex Flat £899 Camino Al GRX1 £1,299 Camino Ti Force1 £2,399

Sage

Midnight

Black

Raw Ti

[1]

[2]

Join hundreds of other Camino owners on the Sonder owners Facebook group.