Full Sus April 2015

FR EE

full sus

April 2015, Vol 23

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IN

2015 Cape Epic Page 06

Max’s SS Adventure Page 16

FIR E

Win Dr Evil Classic Entries Page 35

Santa Cruz 5010 Page 20

Reviewed Sports Drinks Page 34

& Bike ANDYNIX PIX

The massive Cape fires in early March forced the Cape Town Cycle Tour to dramatically shorten its route, devastated homes, caused untold destruction to the Cape’s precious fauna. Although the fynbos will grow back the damage to the pine plantations and the mountain biking trails in them are to us, as mountain bikers, nearly as devastating, so we asked Table Mountain Biker’s Robert Vogel to fill us in on the true scope of the destruction. Photos by Justin Sullivan and Andrea Nixon.

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woke up on Sunday morning having to complete a four hour training ride. Listening to the South Easter blowing outside, I lay there, wondering where I could go to avoid the wind. My go-to option would be cycling along the coast, over Suikerbossie and Chappies and then head up Ou Wapad to

Silvermine, Tokai, Constantia, Newlands, Rhodes Memorial and back home via the Blockhouse.

Little did I know that 24 hours later the cycling landscape in Cape Town would change forever. The fire in the South Peninsula was already burning out of control when I got hack home, but I had decided

to change my route on the fly and ducked into Hout Bay and then into Upper Constantia. I was riding in the trees and didn’t see the smoke until I got to the Blockhouse.

“Another fire,” I commented to myself as I headed home, thinking that it would be under control by the evening.

Flash forward two weeks and we’re left with total devastation, thousands of hectares in Table Mountain National Park and Jonkershoek has been pretty much destroyed.

The fire in the Southern Peninsula ripped through the mountains

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FS Editorial

Lost Trails and New Opportunities

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magine walking out into your backyard and it was no longer there. It’s a bit farfetched, or like something out of a sci-fi flick, highly unlikely to happen but if it did… well that’s kinda what it feels like having watched Tokai and the Southern slopes of Table Mountain burn down. One of the most accessible, safe, beautiful and fun mountain bike trail networks has essentially been erased. The park has been closed indefinitely until it can be assessed and the trail fairies can move back in. Rob Vogel’s feature sheds some light on the situation.

What assessments and plans can’t tell you is how we are all feeling.

Without sounding too melodramatic it really is like losing your backyard…

I have been asked by so many people “where are you going to ride now?” Well we have the front of Table Mountain fortunately. It is a tough, good ride but without any of the umpteen challenging, fun singletrack options, and imagine the traffic. Meurant Botha told me

that they have already noticed higher volumes of weekend riders on their Delvera and Simonsberg trail networks. I am sure that all the Northern Suburbs and Boland trails will be flooded with riders now. Let’s not forget that Jonkershoek was also affected by a devastating fire which has destroyed a large portion of the pristine trails that Bennet Nel and his team have put blood, sweat, and tears into. We need to help where we can folks. There will eventually be trail building days and in order to expedite access to these trails we need to pitch in. Watch our site and social media channels for information on when and how you can help. The disaster should also be seen as an opportunity and may possibly offer options for improvements and new trails opening up.

Full Sus would also like to thank all the firemen and women, the chopper pilots and their crews, and of course the volunteer fire fighters who fought the fire so bravely for days on end. You guys put your bodies on the line not only to fight the fire but to save property, people, and animals affected by the blaze.

We doff our lids to you!

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, the ABSA Cape Epic came to town! And what a show it was! Besides the buzz created by having the worlds

best in town there is a tangible excitement amongst all mountain bike riders during the Epic time.

The toughest marathon stage race, certainly with a field of this size and calibre, in the world and its run in sunny SA! The racing was incredible, the guts by all tremendous. A few things stood out for me in this Epic: The Kulhavý and Sauser express – it really was a race for them to lose and they worked hard to ensure they didn’t. Well done Christoph on your fifth victory – a remarkable achievement! The pain it takes to continue as an “Outcast” – I followed Rob Vogel’s daily blog and it was intense, give it a read. The superb showing by Cherie Vale and Mariske Strauss to finish eighth in the ladies GC, with Mariske carrying a serious injury into the race. Of course the real story of the Epic was the one hour plus time penalty given to Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad, and how they made it up the next day and then proceeded to blow the field away.

It was sensational to watch and truly inspiring for all young, aspiring athletes! Well done ladies.

My only request to the Epic is that in their highlights package (which is normally 30 minutes – with ads I suspect) devote at least 10 minutes of it to the general field. Yes we want to see the race, but we also

want to see what the “normal” folks go through. Hear their stories, their challenges and triumphs.

I look forward to exploring some new trails while we wait for Tokai to recover and to meeting some of you at our Readers Bike Test Day in May. Cycle safe and see you on the trails Cheers

SUS the winners Congratulations to: Daniel du Pisani (Newlands) and Shaun Lewis (Uitzicht), the lucky winners of six cases of Windhoek Light beer each for their creative responses to what they’d take with to the Windhoek Light Namib Quest.

SUS Shayne’s Review

crankbrothers

Candy 3 If you haven’t seen “eggbeater” type pedals, when you do get to see them they appear quite different. I do confess to having a pair of eggbeaters and they lasted a couple of rides and were put into the back of my cupboard never to be used again. The Candy pedals are eggbeater style pedals but set inside a platform. They are specifically aimed at XC and MTB and having the small platform immediately gives you a more confident ride. I really like them. Clipping in is a lot easier with the platform, you also have a much bigger surface area on which you are pushing which for me felt

SUS The team Publishing Editor: Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Content Editor: Seamus Allardice seamus@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director: Megan Knox megan@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising: Shayne Dowling Sales: Jess Nosworthy jess@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions: Ashley Attwood ash@integratedmedia.co.za Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa NPC

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better, and should stop hot spots on your feet where the cleat is. The stroke felt stronger on both the downward and upward movement – the pull felt more obvious and I enjoyed the confidence it gave when pedalling hard. My only reservation is that you cannot change the tension on the pedals and I like to run my pedals very loose – it’s going to take some getting used to. There have been rumours of durability issues, but I am going to stick with them and see how they hold up, and report back. Besides like most crankbrothers products, the Candy’s do look mighty fine!

Regulars: Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze Snr & Jnr, Jacques Marais, Dr Mike Posthumus, Sarah Walker, wJeanne-Louise Wiese, Erik Kleinhans & Diana Carolin Rogue Contributor: David Bristow Photography: Ashley Attwood, Oakpics.com, Cherie Vale Newsport Media and thinkstock.com.

Contributors: Max Menzies, Robert Vogel, Kate Slegrova, Ines Stoll and Leona Kadir.

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.

The crankbrothers Candy pedals are available in a variety of colours to match your bike.

SUS the crankbrothers Candy 3’s Weight: 317g per pair Construction: Machined alloy body and cast steel wings RRP: R1 600 Find a dealer: www.omnico.co.za

Head Office | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Address: Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701

Full Sus ALLIANCE PARTNERS

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS: The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be final 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 suffered 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. Only entries before 24 April 2015 will be considered.

FS Cape Fire

"After losing Tokai, I think the singletrack length has dwindled to a kilometre. A single kilometre of singletrack!"

Volunteer Wildfire Services volunteers were instrumental in extinguishing the Cape fire.

from page 1 above Muizenberg, Ou Kaapse Weg, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay, and Tokai; while the Jonkershoek fire consumed most of the Jonkershoek valley and moved over the mountains into Lourensford Estate to the south and reached as far as the Stellenbosch University campus in the north.

As mountain bikers, our immediate question was, “What happened to the trails?” The Cape Town fire was put out about a week ago and the Jonkershoek fire was still smouldering in places, at the time of writing. It’s too soon to get definitive answers from the likes of SANParks, Cape Nature and Cape Pine. Everyone is still counting the cost of the damage caused. The burnt trees represent millions of rand in lost revenue for Cape Pine. The priority now is to recover as many of the viable pines as possible and mountain bike trails must be the last thing on their priority list. Ironically, Cape Pine tree-fellers were busy harvesting in the Tokai plantation when the fire moved across the mountain, into the area. And as Full Sus has already documented Cape Pine had made the decision that there was going to be no more replanting of pines as the area, the plan was (/is) for the slopes above Tokai to be returned to its natural, fynbos covered state.

The priority for SANParks and Cape Nature is to make sure the environment begins its recovery process without being disturbed by feet and tyres. Only once the areas are safe and regenerating will cyclists and other users be allowed back into the affected areas.

For mountain bikers living in Cape Town, “losing” Tokai and Silvermine

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comes as a massive blow. More than half of the legal cycling network has been lost for the foreseeable future.

A media release from SANParks talks about some areas being closed for six to twenty four months. As cyclists we can only hope and pray that the trails can be rebuilt sooner.

To be fair to everyone concerned, definitive timelines can’t be given so soon after the fire has been put out. We need to step back and let the landowners and leaseholders get their heads around what happened here. This applies to both Tokai and Jonkershoek.

The Tokai trails have seen a lot of use over the years and the hard work a small group of dedicated volunteers put into those trails was hardly keeping up with the wear and tear of thousands of cyclist riding every month. The guys looking after Tokai had just started working with a group from the government’s

Cape Nature rangers, City of Cape Town fire fighters and volunteers worked around the clock to limit the damage to private property.

Extended Works Programme and were training them up to assist with the maintenance of the Tokai trails.

Then came the fire!

But, all is not lost!

Mountain Bikers are a hardy bunch of guys and girls and I firmly believe that there are a lot of opportunities lurking amongst the burnt debris.

Fynbos needs to burn to regenerate and a large area in the South Peninsula had not burnt for close on 15 years. The slate in Tokai has been wiped clean, so to speak.

The Tokai MTB committee have a trail vision for Tokai and Silvermine which required the area to be rid of pines and allowed to regenerate itself. This process has been fast forwarded by the fire. We are already seeing plants popping their heads out of the ashes. These now need time to grow and establish themselves in order to bind the soil together and stabilise the

area. SANParks will monitor Tokai closely to determine which areas are ecologically sensitive and which ones not. This will determine where and when a new network of trails can be built.

This is the rationalisation process discussed so often before the fire.

Cyclists were asking when the process would start, how long would it take, what would the outcome be, would we lose trails, could we build new trails or would we be confined to the existing network?

The fire has effectively made this process tangible. Even if Tokai was safe to enter right now, it would make no sense (to me) to start rebuilding what was there before. Let the earth heal itself after the trauma of fire and the abuse suffered at the hands of water-sucking pines.

SANParks have chosen to restore the area to its original state and there is merit in that. As cyclists we should respect this process and most riders I’ve spoken to are more than happy to ride a flowing single track amongst the proteas and silver trees.

We have seen from previous fires on Table Mountain that fynbos recovers quickly and with some good, soaking winter rains, we could be looking at greenery in November already.

Other Riding Options In the meantime, we deal with the reality that our trail network has been severely reduced. The trails on the slopes of Table Mountain are essentially a network of jeep tracks with a smidgen of single track in the Rhodes Memorial area. That’s pretty much all that is left within Table Mountain National Park.

The reality is that local cyclists will head out into the surrounding areas

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FS Cape Fire

Ace of Spades Update I spoke to Bennet Nel, the trail manger in Jonkershoek and while he is obviously shocked by what happened, he is cautiously optimistic at the same time.

Cape Pine and Cape Nature have subsequently opened Jonkershoek to the public again, but only some roads are safe for vehicles, mountain bikers, hikers and runners. Cape Pine are clearing viable trees from their plantations and as such have demarcated which roads and trails are out of bounds.

If you ride in Jonkershoek please respect and adhere to these markings!

As mountain bikers must remain conscious of the broader devastation of the fire and not get caught up only bemoaning the loss of ‘our’ trails.

from page 6 and the incidences of rogue riding will increase. If you’re a Tokai local, the Constantia greenbelts become very tempting. Look a little further and there’s Cecilia Forest. But both are off-limits to cyclists.

Most of us don’t just ride on weekends, we like to head out for a quick ride before or after work. Getting into your car and heading over to Meerendal or Contermanskloof, for instance, is not viable. You’ll spend more time in traffic than on the trails.

As the ash settles over Tokai and Jonkershoek and the authorities have gotten to grips with the issues at hand, groups like Ace of Spades and Tokai MTB will step up their engagement with Cape Nature, SANParks and Cape Pine. The reality is that the wheels of progress turn slowly when you deal with parastatals, but they do turn. The majority of the mountain biking community get it and will take their lead from the groups that have stuck their necks out and are prepared to do the hard yards. There is however always a minority who don’t have the patience to wait and through their selfish desire to ride wherever they please, when they please, they pose a real risk to the process of rebuilding the trails.

While spades can’t be stuck in the ground for now, there is still work to be done. Guys and girls want to keep riding and they’re going to end up riding where they shouldn’t.

Table Mountain Bikers has been speaking to the FOCGB (Friends of the Constantia Greenbelts) since last year about the possibility of opening up some of the trails to cyclists. There must be hundreds of cyclists living in close proximity to the greenbelts, frustrated by the fact that they can’t ride there. With Tokai being closed, that “itch” to ride the greenbelts will grow and the temptation will get too big to resist.

The FOCB are supportive of the idea, but the process has to be managed carefully and one has to consider the concerns of the current user groups in the area.

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Illegal cycling in Cecilia Forest has been an issue for many years and will probably spike now that Tokai is closed. The challenge will be to both try and dissuade cyclists from riding illegally, and manage the situation alongside SANParks.

Cyclists are full of good ideas and convincing reasons, why they should be allowed to share trails with other user groups. But on the ground sharing trails hasn’t always worked out harmoniously…

So for mountain bikers in Cape Town, getting Tokai and Jonkershoek up and running again is an absolute priority.

Who can blame them? Especially in Cape Town, we have so little legal access to trails and even less to real singletrack. If we had 8km in total, then that’s a lot. After losing Tokai, I think the singletrack length has dwindled to a kilometre. A single kilometre of singletrack!

Will the authorities share our

Andrea Nixon is a lover of mountains and oceans, fine art and landscape photographer, and naturalised Muizenberger. View her amazing photography at pix.andynix.co.za.

Robert Vogel is one of the founding members of Table Mountain Bikers and is a strong advocate for building a conscientious cycling community on and around Table Mountain. He believes that more riders on the mountain should lead to greater safety for all recreational users of the mountain.

Follow him on twitter at @TableMTB. Justin Sullivan is a Cape Town based photographer and the director of Communications at Treasure Karoo Action Group, the NPO aimed at stopping fracking in the Karoo. Follow him on Twitter at @JuzSullivan

sense of priority? I don’t know.

Will other user groups be willing to share their space with us? I’d like to believe so.

The fires have affected so many of us who love to be out in nature.

Whether we’re riding a bike, taking a hike, running or just walking our dog with the kids, we all share the same appreciation for our environment.

Tokai will come back better than ever. Jonkershoek too. We just have to be patient.

Gavin Bell, the section ranger in charge of Tokai, had the following to say regarding the progress in Tokai: Cape Pine are removing all the of the trees in the next 6-8 months. By the end of the year, they will be out of Tokai for good.

Tokai Update – 23 March 2015 Access to the Tokai is closed for the next 18-24 months. This is the official word. The area will be closed off to everyone.

Love the mountain.

Ride the mountain.

Respect the mountain.

San Parks are clearing stream beds to aid water run-off and they will begin reinforcing some of the slopes to prevent as much water erosion as possible.

With the tree felling going on daily and the danger of unstable ground, San Parks have decided that Tokai’s closure is in the best interests of visitor safety and rehabilitation of the area. Please respect this decision.

Trail Updates For official updates on the status of the trails please visit the following landowners’ websites: Cape Pine: www.capepine.co.za Cape Nature: www.capenature.co.za SANParks: www.sanparks.co.za Or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates: Cape Nature: Cape Nature 1 and @CapeNature1 SANParks: SANParks - Table Mountain National Park and @SANParks To read the official SANParks statement on the closing of Tokai and Silvermine to all recreational activities scan this QR code.

If you’d like updates on the rebuilding process or would like to help physically or financially when the time comes please get in contact with the following organisations: Table Mountain Bikers www.tablemountainbikers.co.za Email: ride@tablemountainbikers.co.za Twitter: @TableMTB Facebook: Table Mountain Bikers Stellenbosch Trail Fun www.stellenboschtrailfund.co.za Email: Louise Ehret at ehret@telkomsa.net Facebook: Stellenbosch Trail Fund

s w e n 2015 already having withdrawals in the office and we were only following the 2015 ABSA Cape Epic. We can only imagine the hole it’s left in the lives of those of you who rode it!

Off the bat, Full Sus would like to congratulate Kevin Vermaak, the rest of the Grandstand Events Management team, all the sponsors, medics, photographers, videographers and volunteers for organising and staging a fantastic event. The words logistical nightmare come to mind when trying to conceptualise how everything has to slot into place, but the Epic crew makes it look effortless. They have raised the bar again and we all know that means joBerg2c, Sani2c, the Cape Pioneer Trek, Wines2Whales and all the other world class stage races in South Africa will be doing the same later this year. So every mountain biker in South Africa wins on the back of the ABSA Cape Epic.

On the riding front the 2015 Epic will be remembered for two teams; both of them completely dominant. The Investec Songo Specialized team of Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavÿ proved to be in a class of their own all week, apart from a dodgy couple of minutes, now forgotten, during the Prologue, when the Czech Express had to push Sauser up the climb to Dead Man’s Tree.

After stage wins on stages 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, the Songo pairing’s victory was hardly ever in doubt.

They were ably assisted by the Team RECM duo of Nico Bell and Erik Kleinhans when they did encounter mechanical issues, but the speed and calm with which they dealt with the problems set them apart from the chasing pack, almost as much as Kulhavÿ’s relentless pace at the sharp end of the race.

The 2015 ABSA Cape Epic victory was a special one for Sauser as

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Shaun roy | CapE EpiC | SportSpiCS

Wow, what an Epic! We’re

Thabo Mamatshele celebrating finishing the 2015 ABSA Cape Epic

The victorious Investec Songo Specialized team their back-up riders, Team RECM’s Erik Kleinhans and Nico Bell, and their support crew.

claimed the stage victory and the Red Jerseys by leading from wire to wire. On stage 5 Lill and Woolcock counterpunched, regaining their ABSA African lead, only to lose it on stage 6 when technical gremlins struck. Buys and Beukes hung on to Meerendal, holding off the under the radar charge of EAI South Africa’s Gawie Combrinck and Johann Rabie who had been quietly racking up the top ten positions all week.

Last but by no means least; Full Sus would like to congratulate each and every ABSA Cape Epic finisher. There is as always some debate over whether or not this is the hardest Epic yet. Our eyes, ears and legs in the race, Rens Rezelman says it’s the toughest of the three he’s done and his partner Andrew Koen added that

it was the hardest of the five he’s completed. But what is for sure, if you finished this year’s Epic you are a hero to us. Wear that t-shirt with pride, you achieved something remarkable.

And of course a special congratulations goes to the Full Sus contributors who rode the 2015 Epic: Hein and Mia Mocke, Craig Kolesky, Steve Smith, Rens Rezelman, Andrew Koen, Max Menzies, Rob Vogel, Paddy Gunn and Jaco Ferreira.

Results:

For all the elite and special jersey category results visit www.fullsus.co.za/ 2015-absa-cape-epic/ or scan this QR code.

The winning ladies, Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad get showered in MCC at the Meerendal grand-finale

Emma hill | CapE EpiC | SportSpiCS

ABSA Cape Epic… The Toughest Epic Yet?

it’s his fifth title and his last as a professional mountain biker.

In the ladies race the RECM Specialized duo of Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad redefined what’s possible for female mountain bikers. Not to oversell the importance of their ride on stage 3, it will be remembered in years to come as the day the bar was inexorably raised. If there was ever a doubt that the women deserved equal prize money, Kleinhans and Langvad smashed it. They are worthy of the title of the world’s best female stage race partnership and with the retirement of Sauser they can arguably claim to be the most powerful stage race partnership in all mountain biking. Not that they would though, as they’re far too humble to blow their own horns.

Kleinhans and Langvad started the Epic in imperious fashion, winning the Prologue by an impressive three and a half minutes. They added more time on stage 1 and 2 before finding out that they’d cut the route in the final kilometres of stage 2, cutting four kays out of what they should have ridden. The UCI Commissaire judged that they’d gained a 13 minute advantage from the shortcut and when that was added to the one hour time penalty, Kleinhans and Langvad were demoted from a 46 minute lead to fourth place and 27 minutes down on the leaders.

They took their time penalty with dignity and immediately stated their intent to regain all the time.

But nobody knew they’d do it in one stage. Stage 3 was a turning point for ladies mountain biking, Kleinhans and particularly Langvad put the hammer down, finishing 29 minutes ahead of the second placed ladies team on the day. They also ‘chicked’ (a rather derogatory term they’ve now broken) a bunch of top riders like Kevin Evans, Max Knox, Charles Keey and Nic Lamond.

By the grand-finale at Meerendal they had a 01:18:12.8 lead over the Ascendis Health team of Jennie Stenerhag and Robyn Lee de Groot.

Meanwhile the ABSA African Jersey was tightly fought again this year, though fortunately it was a clean fight this time. The very impressive USN #1 young guns (Rourke Croeser and Travis Walker) kicked off the week in Red before the RED-E Blend pair of Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock put in a mammoth ride on stage 3 to claim the Red ABSA African Jerseys. Then on stage 4, Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes of Scott Factory Racing

Ewald SadiE | CapE EpiC | SportSpiCS

FS News

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Nissan Trail Seeker Series

FS News

One of the races we’ve got firmly ensconced near the top of our to-do-list (along with the Wild Ride and the 3 Towers) is the challenging and amazing Lesotho Sky. For some reason, maybe it’s the thin mountain air, people seem to like to make the Lesotho Sky even tougher by doing it on crazy bikes too. In 2013 Dylan Chilcott ended up finishing the race on a rigid 26er GT, straight from the 1990’s, and then in 2014 Max Menzies decided to give it a bash on a rigid single speed (read more about that on page 16).

The race organisers do also cater for the less crazy mountain bikers out there and we’re yet to hear a bad thing about the race.

What’s the recipe for a race for everyone? Offer a choice of distances. Keep it close to a big city. Make it affordable. Ensure there’s a good prize purse. And plan routes that show off the trails without going crazy on the altitude gain. Then the pros can race fast and the rest of us can go as hard or as easy as we like and still have a good time.

based on the same winning formula of manageable routes and race locations close to urban centres, so sus it out at www.trailseekerseries.co.za.

Sounds too good to be true?

But wait it gets even better...

It’s a series!

The Nissan Trail Seeker Series has been one of the major catalysts for the growth of mountain biking in Gauteng and for 2015 Advendurance is organising a Western Province leg of the series too. And it’s

It’s also a completely different experience to any other local stage race and our mountainous neighbours are really well worth a visit.

The 2015 Lesotho Sky takes place from the 20th to the 25th of September. The six day team stage race takes in 350km of riding and 8 600 meters of climbing (remember Maseru where the race starts is at 1 600 meters above sea level so you’re climbing from a high base too).

It starts in the capital of Maseru and finishes in Ramabanta, in the heart of Lesotho.

ZOON CRONJE | NIKON

Lesotho Sky

CHERIE VALE PHOTOGRAPHY

from page 10

SUS the Nissan Trail Seeker 2015 Dates: 9 May: Western Cape #1 Helder Berg 30 May: Gauteng #1 Bundu Bash 27 June: Western Cape #2 Grabouw 11 July: Gauteng#2 Lionman 29 August: Gauteng#3 Down & Dirty

Entries for the 2015 Lesotho Sky are now open, so visit www.lesothosky.com to enter.

3 October: Gauteng#4 Hakahana 10 October: Western Cape #3 Hemel & Aarde 31 October: Gauteng#5 Diamond Rush 14 November: Western Cape #4 Meer & Dal

WINDHOEK LIGHT NAMIB QUEST

full sus Reader Bike Test Day

Windhoek Light

Namib Quest

We’ve got a bit of an ‘Out in Africa’ thing going here in the News section so we thought we’d carry it on from the mountains of Lesotho to the deserts of Namibia. Spend six days on your bike on a real mountain bike ride, sponsored of course by a real beer. The Windhoek Light Namib Quest crosses the rocky Khomas Hochland plateau and the “Tinkas” plains in the Namib Desert. But it’s not a race for a fat bike; it is best attempted on your normal marathon or trail steed.

Organised by African Extreme

Promotions; the same folk who run the Windhoek Light Fish River Ultra, a 100km trail run through the Fish River Canyon, the Namib Quest take in 450km of mountain biking through some of Southern Africa’s most uninhabited environments. To not spoil the quiet African bush the event is capped at 75 teams, so expect to be made to feel very special as you’ll probably know everyone in the race by day six. You also might not want to leave Namibia after the race – any country who’s outgoing president wins the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership has got to be doing lots of things right.

Visit www.africanextremepromotions.com for more information on the Windhoek Light Namib Quest. You’ll have to ask Google about the Mo Ibrahim Prize if you’re none the wiser on that note.

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Sus the Full Sus Join the Full Sus team for an afternoon of bike testing on 14 May 2015 at Delheim Wine Estate, on the Simonsberg Conservancy.

There will be a light lunch on arrival, lots of different bikes to ride and if you’re interested in up-skilling a technical skills session too. Plus Full Sus will be organising you a lekker goodie bag and Meurant Botha will be leading a post-test day ride out on some of the new Simonsberg trails, so you’ll get the trail builders tour to the best features.

Space is limited so book yours ASAP! When: 12:00 on the 14 May 2015 Where: Delheim, Knorhoek Road, between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts Test Loop: 5km of epic singletrack Cost: R250 Bookings: email sussed@fullsus.co.za EWALD SADIE

FS Trails

Climbs are well rewarded with spectacular views over Greyton.

Quench your Curiosity in GREYTON There’s nothing grey about Greyton. Instead, you can expect a stylish village with equal parts funk, adventure and history, and with some of the greatest MTB trails to ride in SA. Photographs and words by Jacques Marais.

Local Buzz: Local wines at Lismore estate (www.lismore.co.za). Genadendal donkeys. Kick-ass coffee shops.

Burgers on the stoep at the Oak & Vigne. A main street brimming with historic architecture. Quirky curiosity shops. Mouth-watering delis and bakeries. I cannot seem to think of any proper reasons to dislike this little gem of a Cape village.

Sure, the people may be a bit poncy at times, but the good far outweighs the bad and the ugly on any given weekend away. And if you take your mountain bike, it promises to get way better, bru.

More good news… Greyton is an easy 90 minutes to two hour drive from Cape Town (depending on the route you take along the N2).

The town is set within the Cape Winelands, but relatively close to the border of Overberg, so expect mainly winter rains. Summers are just this side of mild, but mid-winter months can pack a serious punch, with muddy trails and icy temperatures as a result.

The best guys to chat to about trails can be found right here – www.rockhopperadventures.co.za, 083 235 9612.

Trail Low-Down: Okay, so the rumour about Greyton having more MTB trails than roads is spot-on! The deal with the routes

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is that access is strictly controlled on the BLUE and RED Routes as these are on private property. All you have to do though is get a permit from either the Tourism Offices or Vanilla Café, and you’re good to go.

Other routes are pretty much open access, and www.thecapecountrymeander.co.za has all the info you need. If this still does not make sense, go check out www.ggmtb.com and download a complete PDF Route Document for a full-on riding guide. So, although riding RockHopper Forest or Gobos River along the Green Loop is free of charge, it really makes sense to take out an annual permit to support trail building in the area.

The official trail head is in town, but you can obviously access your preferred section of the route from whichever side you are coming.

Easy skirmishing will be off the R406 (the main drag to the N2 and Cape Town), but you can also mixand-match off a number of other minor gravel roads in the area.

As a rule of thumb, the Green Route makes for easy riding, right for rookies, with limited ascent if you take the short cuts (121m over 13,3km). The full distance comes to 18km will up the climbs to 343m in total, but all along manageable route sections, and perfect if the kids want to tag along.

Yip, just look at those views…

Go next level on the Blue Route, which again can be shortened from a pretty tough 35km (with a total elevation of 508m) to 21km by connecting along a few of the sneaks. You’ll probably be on the bike for 90 minutes to a couple of hours, but it is a fast blast, so keep an eye out for the racing snakes along this section of track.

Head onto the Red Route at your own peril if you’re not on good terms with your granny gear, with a good 768m of ascending over the full 38km. (Again, judicious short cuts will drop the total

"In my opinion, probably some of the best mountain biking you will find in SA right now."

Trail features keep the riding as interesting as the scenery.

For the less technical riders there are kays upon kays of jeep tracks to explore too.

distance to 25km). This is a pearler of a ride, with a teeth-gritter of a climb and some white-knuckle descending along sweeping and well-groomed single-track. In my opinion, probably some of the best mountain biking you will find in SA right now.

Trails

Where are we?

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Nestled up against the Riviersonderend Mountains Greyton is one of the small Western Cape towns that have experienced a revival A F R I CA H in recent years as city dwellers have T bought holiday houses in the village and others have called quits on Western N1 the rat race and moved out to Cape Greyton the country. If you’re looking for ◆ N2 an excuse to visit Greyton, why not drop by during the Greyton Genadendal Classics for All Festival from 29 to 31 May this year.

Getting there: Easy weekend destination… that is the only three words you need to remember. Plug Greyton into your GPS and set off from Cape Town until you pick up the first signs to the village on your left, just before Caledon. From here, it is another 40 minutes or so along the R406, and all well signposted.

SUS the Mlilwane Valley MTB Route Grading: Easy to Technical (depends on route choice) Duration: 1 - 4hrs Configuration: Circular: 13 - 38km

Accommodation: Check out www.hellogreyton.co.za for

Start Point: Oak & Vigne Restaurant Terrain: Gravel, jeep-track and superb single-track Post-Ride Beer: Oak & Vigne… it is the MTB hub in the

GPS Co-Ordinates: 34° 03’ 05” S / 19° 36’ 29” E

the full waka-waka.

Local Contact: Corné Barnard – TEL: +27 (0) 83 235 9612

village, after all!

Must-Do Event: TransCape MTB Stage Race – www.transcapemtb.co.za

Access: Public access on Green Routes; buy a permit for the other routes.

Cell Reception: Signal along most of the Red Route

Jacques Marais is the South African trail guru. If he’s not scouting a new MTB trail he’s trail running a new route in the Drakensberg.

His new booh More Top MTB Trails has just hit the shelves of all good book shops and you can purchase a copy for R250. Follow him on Twitter @ JacqMaraisPhoto

Extreme Lights’ 2015 XP-Range is the cumulative result of 10 years of Advertorial FS

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XP3 - The XP3 is the same size and weight as the XP1 but boasts an impressive 2100 measured lumen for over 02:30. It’s designed for the pro mountain biker looking for an unmatched blend of size, weight, performance and reliability from his or her cycle light. It uses three Cree XP-L LED’s and LEDiL optics to a near perfect beam pattern with smooth transitions from high intensity hot spot to wide flood with no visible distortions in the beam pattern. The 3 Cree XP-L produces natural white light which enhances colour contrast to improve reaction time of the cyclist.

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XP7 - Amazingly the

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FS Single Speed Race Diaries

Conquering the riding old school on a crazy bike

CHERIE VALE PHoToGRAPHy

“Big Five”

Max Waxhead Menzies is the Full Sus Strava Group’s top performer, so when he contacted us and let us know that he’s clocking up all those kilometres and thousands of meters of climbing every week on a single speed we had to find out more. We hope you enjoy the tale of Max’s Big Five personal challenge – all aboard his trusty Contraband single speed.

Photo’s courtesy of Cherie Vale.

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Max and his brother Edmond’s number one Cape Epic supporter Moya.

CHERIE VALE PHoToGRAPHy

shop in South Africa, in Wales Street Cape Town back in 1897.

It was named Donald Menzies & Co, the Cycle Engineering Depot where he began manufacturing quite a famous bicycle called the Springbuck which was used by normal commuters at that time plus the Scottish Highlanders (a regiment of the then Cape Colony’s army). This was the first time the word Springbuck was associated with a sporting code. Donald also bought the Raleigh bicycle franchise and progressed over to the motorcar industry later in life where he was reputed to have been the first person convicted of a motorcar offence when knocking over and killing a donkey in Stellenbosch. So it turns out that my brother and I had some cycling genes in our blood. We used our great-grandfather’s company logo on our kit that Manie at Anatomic put together for us for the Epic in 2014 and I carried that theme through on my Big 5 SS Adventure.

The “big five” idea was born in last August’s Jozi2Kozi stage race, which I did solo. I intended it to be an introduction to riding a single speed, throughout a seven day event and I was hooked. The race helped with that too, as the Jozi2Kozi is a little off the wall like the Swazi Frontier. I then set about plotting five hard one week stage events over a 12 month period that I could knock off on Scelerat.

It started with Lesotho Sky in September where I rode in a team with Sean Fraenkel, one of the owners of Trail and Tar in Tokai.

Popping a finish line bunny hop after six hard days on the Lesotho Sky.

CHERIE VALE PHoToGRAPHy

H

aving only started riding six years ago, quite late in life, I was immediately attracted to mountain biking where I had just so much fun. Then, in June last year, when my wife was away, I took the perfect opportunity to get another bike!

I turned to the growing dark side of mountain biking: single speed riding. It’s a soulful and purist way of spending time on the bike, or so I like to think… it is very quiet and you pick the perfect line to ride all the time, always concentrating and becoming a better rider on a SS bike.

My mates hoped it would keep me quiet during group rides, as I tend to chat a little too much, but now with a single speed to talk about, that hasn’t changed.

I purchased a Contraband 29’er with a Reynolds 853 tubing steel frame and an Eccentric Bottom Bracket, then I built it up with Spank Rims, Hope SS specific hubs, a Niner bar, a Ritchie front fork, Thomson Laid Back seat post and a Brooks Swift saddle – running a 32/18 gear ratio. I also had BMC sand off all the excess lugs and Alex gave it a wicked paint job, naming it Scelerat – French for “rogue”, which is the model name given by Contraband. Grant at my local bike shop, Trail and Tar, did the build and Fred the bike fit, and presto the bike was born!

In the lead-up to last year’s Epic my brother and I were looking for a kit design when we stumbled on some family history that was truly awesome. It turns out my greatgrandfather, Donald McDougal Menzies (my full name is Donald Max Menzies), owned the first bike

Max with his post Lesotho Sky thank-you message to Isabelle.

The Lesotho Sky is filled with rugged riding, best attempted on a full suspension bike really

FS Single Speed Race Diaries

The tattoo which almost caused a divorce

from page 16

Lesotho Sky was a rugged and hard ride at altitude, which did lead to a domestic dispute on day two with my teammate as it is so difficult to match my ride speed on the flats to a team mate on a ‘normal’ full sus, geared bike. The organisers fortunately relented and allowed us to split up, with Sean taking my finish time each day. The bike and rider took strain – my arms took a pounding with the gnarly single track downhill sections and this proved to be the most challenging aspect on Scelerat. My body took a hammering plus I had to replace my rims, seat post, saddle and wheel hubs when I got back to Cape Town on the bike, to what I am currently using. While the rider got a full oil change, by a threeperson team who now look after me full-time: Julia my long time physiotherapist and guidance councillor based at Trail and Tar, Kendal my chiropractor and Malcolm my GP. I took another beating at Attakwas in January 2015 before jumping onto my second event, as a solo rider participating in the first TransCape ride from Knysna to Franschoek (reliving the old Epic route).

TransCape was just unbelievable, beautiful riding, amazing people and fantastic organisers, offering the best food and accommodation of any stage race in South Africa.

It’s an awesome event, but the first three days were really hard on my SS, as they were long district road days (day two was 140km’s!) which were not intended for a crazy bike on that gearing ratio. I found myself dropping into a horrible place which we call the “DF” zone (unprintable language for Full Sus) where you ride alone in your own bubble, sometimes pulling in a little Leonard Cohen to get you to the finish line. The endorphin rush when you push through is such

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a high! I got stronger as the week progressed and as there was also more technical singletrack riding later in the race which is better suited to the bike, and to me.

After all those kays we are now becoming a single harmonious riding unit. The bike has been installed with all the necessary bling which would make even Grant Usher proud (a beautiful bell, beads, Basotho straw hat and lucky pendant). I use the bell all the time… a high pitching one that resonates for quite a few seconds.

Riders are always giving me chirps en route and the easiest way to respond is to give off a “ting” as I am normally gulping volumes of oxygen in an attempt to stay alive and keep my heart rate below 200 bpm!

The third event on my list is the Cape Epic, which by the time you read this I’ll hopefully have finished with my brother Ed. My pre-race plan is for Ed to help me make the cutoffs each day by offering a pocket on those flats (not many of them this year though!). He lives permanently overseas, making the annual pilgrimage to SA each year for the Cape Epic – it’s his fix. I have to still discuss this aspect with him, but he will have no choice as I paid for this year’s entry.

This should prove to be the hardest of the five one week stage races… and I am a little nervous of this one, in fact I’m very nervous!

I plan to wrap up the Big Five with JoBerg2C and the Cape Pioneer later this year, and then go in for another oil change and then try to spend some time with my wife, Isabelle and our ridgeback Moya.

"It turns out my great-grandfather Donald McDougal Menzies, owned the first bike shop in South Africa"

Scelerat ready for action in the ABSA Cape Epic.

The single speed always attracts attention during races.

CHERIE VALE PHOTOGRAPHY

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CHERIE VALE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Contraband 29’er in its natural habitat.

Single Speed Epic Max and Ed Menzies managed to finish the Epic in a total time of 58:03:47.2. Which is absolutely amazing, given Max’s one gear option and complete lack of shock absorption for the eight rocky days.

Max ‘Waxhead’ Menzies describes himself as 48 years young and is fortunate enough to be married to the very patient and supportive Isabelle. Despite Max’s single speed addiction, she has only resorted to violence once: when she returned from visiting her folks in France to discover he’d tattooed most of his right calf with a cycling scene.

He’s a financial planner by trade and is currently plotting relocation from Cape Town to McGregor with Isabelle, their ridgeback Moya and their horse Reshin.

FS Bike Review

FOUR DAYS SOLO WITH THE

The 5010C features Santa’s VPP suspension linkage.

5010C Karl Ebel’s first ever experience of the Santa Cruz 5010 was actually some time before actually swinging his leg over one. It also left him with a bit of a question mark hanging in his thought bubble. Photos by Ashlee Attwood.

S

ome months ago I landed up tailing a US visitor, on a single crown Santa Cruz, down one of our more popular gravity trails. I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was riding at that point, but his pace was incredible. On reaching the end of the trail I took a closer look at his ride.

Freaking amazement is how I would describe my reaction. He was riding a Santa Cruz 5010...

So when the opportunity arose to review it I jumped at it and onto the 5010C. Originally named the Solo (Santa Cruz has renamed it avoid a potential legal issue) the 5010 is an evolution of the successful Santa Cruz Blur from some time back. The philosophy of this new bike seems to be, that instead of just slapping on some long travel bits, Santa Cruz has worked the 5010 geometry to create the most ‘flickable’, responsive, slideable, positive feeling bike one could ever imagine. It does have a build kit that is made up of an odd ‘mish mash’ of different brands.

But they all work so well together, harmoniously, to make your experience unforgettable every time you mount her.

Day 1 The very first day we spent together involved getting the 5010 setup the way I wanted her. Only a few small tweaks here and there and she was ready for some trail testing. Some really simple trails at the base of Table Mountain served as the teaser for what was to come. I spent some time carving little switchback berms whilst growing the feel for the 27.5 wheel setup of this Carbon framed beastie babe. It didn’t take long before I discovered the nimble nature of the 5010. Flicking her with relative ease from corner to corner, enjoying the speed at which those 27.5 wheels roll through the apexes and experiencing the momentary weightlessness as I hopped with confidence over the little rocky patches of the trail. The relaxed cockpit of the

5010 just seems to encourage the free flowing mountain bike spirit, calling upon you to lift the front wheel just because you can and slide into a corner just because it is fun.

Moving away from the quick little bursts of fun I changed up the ride to one that would require more time in the saddle. With that I said hello to day two with her and hello to a popular Tygerberg mountain bike trail system and a bit of night riding. I don’t really enjoy the uphill grind so I was quite looking forward to see if the 5010’s climbing abilities could inspire me. The 5010 has a 2 x 10 Truvativ and Shimano drive train, a Fox Float CTD at the rear and the amazing RockShox Pike up front. With these formidable parts working in unison I was actually inspired to climb. In fact now and then I felt like Sauser on those long climbs through the vineyards. With the Fox in climb mode and the Pike locked I cranked my flat pedals with ease not even needing to entertain the 24 tooth front chain ring.

The 68 degree head angle creates a perfect balance as well, allowing a great power transfer and constant traction.

The latter combined with the rest of the geometry instilled real confidence when charging back down the singletrack with only a little headlight lighting the way.

With the Pike fully open and the Fox in descend mode launching off drops into the darkness and railing berms that exit into nothingness felt like an absolute cinch on the 5010.

Even after that lengthy ride I felt that I could certainly have carried on. I didn’t feel the fatigue that a gravity inspired bike usually gives you after a time in the saddle. In fact I could have kept on going till my head light died...

Day 3 Day three with her started a little later.

After a coffee and some brekkie I threw a leg over her and peddled out onto the street. I headed toward the beach front. I had the suspension fully locked and, even with the bigger tires, felt the

"Hopping curbs, manualing, endos and this was unbelievably the same bike that I rode 2hours of XC on the previous night!"

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Sus that 68° head angle.

effortlessness of the 27.5s rolling down the asphalt. Once at the beachfront I used the RockShox Reverb seatpost and dropped the seat to its lowest setting. The bike immediately felt like a BMX bike. Hopping curbs, manualing, endos and this was unbelievably the same bike that I rode 2hours

of XC on the previous night! This got me thinking. How would it feel jumping dirt? Could it?

Later that afternoon I rode in XC mode to a set of the ‘smaller’ northern suburbs dirt trails. I got a couple of odd looks from the kids riding there... I know what they were thinking... Anyway,

Bike Review FS

The RockShox Pike is the class leading trail fork right now.

Stealth routed Reverb seatpost.

Santa Cruz’s lower spec carbon C range offers a carbon bike at a more affordable price.

I dropped the Reverb, put the suspension in trail mode and rolled into the first double. Again I was totally blown away by the balance that this bike has in the air. She inspires the confidence to flick the rear out. Going further and further, on each assault of the jump trails. After the jump

trail fun I hit the Reverb button to pop the seat back up, locked suspension and rode home XC style. Incredible!

Day 4 Day four would be the big test. I loaded the 5010 into the van and headed out to the same gravity

trails that had me witness the American guy shredding the 5010 some months ago. I couldn’t get there quickly enough. I off loaded the bike and kitted up, dropped the seat, opened the Pike, put the Fox in descent mode and locked the rear Shimano XT derailleur. She immediately felt like she was transforming into a gravity machine. The 5010 ate up the trails with ease, floating over rough roots and braking bumps that one would never believe possible on a 130/125mm travel bike. The SLX brakes felt great and I didn’t lose a chain once. The roll through the corners at higher speed is truly remarkable. The low BB, 68 degree head angle and relaxed geometry totally come into their own here. I never felt nervous anywhere on the trail. In fact she inspired me to push her further and further here as well.

I will honestly be rather sad when she has to leave me... I think that the Santa Cruz 5010C is truly one of the most versatile bikes on the market. But not only that: it has a crazy personality that really does inspire you every time you stand on those pedals. Whether it is an uphill grind, a downhill blast or a little trail nuttiness the Santa Cruz 5010C makes you want to ride, ride and ride some more

SUS the Santa Cruz 5010 Geometry ALL MEASUREMENTS, ARE FOR A MEDIUM FRAME AND REFLECT INSTALLATION OF A FORK WITH A 519MM AXLE-TO-CROWN HEIGHT. Top Tube Length ................... 584.2mm Seat Tube Length .................. 431.8mm Head Tube Angle ............................. 68° Seat Tube Angle ................................73° BB Height ................................... 334mm Wheelbase ............................. 1 113.8mm Head Tube Length ...................100mm Chainstay Length ................ 434.8mm Standover Height ................. 716.2mm Reach .......................................403.7mm Stack ........................................590.3mm RRP from R61 500 as specced here

Karl Ebel is a long time mountain biker, one of the pioneers of downhill in the Cape, a Tokai trail builder, lover of fine whiskey and one half of the SA Alpine Addiction team with fellow trail shredder Duane Bosch.

When they’re not riding local trails they’re leading tours to European mountain biking meccas that’ll blow your mind. Find Alpine Addiction on Facebook to find out more.

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FS Di’s Ladies’ Column

OAKPICS.COM

The frames’ Reach (horizontal line from the head tube to the point where it crosses middle of the bottom bracket) and Stack (vertical line from the middle of the bottom bracket to the point where it crosses the hypothetical line from the head tube) are the most important measurements you need to take into consideration for bicycle frame sizing, as the Reach and Stack that fits you will be relevant regardless of the make of the bicycle.

Where does it all begin?

What drives us to get on a mountain bike and start pedalling? Di Carolin is sure that each of you has your own reason. But for her first column about what it’s really like to be a lady on the mountain, here we go.

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the time, the tyres weren’t tubeless, the brakes weren’t hydraulic, the bike weighed more than I did (ok I exaggerate slightly), the saddle was wrong for me (thus causing great pain during most rides and I had no clue about what a bike set-up was or if the bike was the right size for me. I rode on flat pedals with takkies and bought a pair of First Ascent shorts.

A friend who had stopped cycling gave me some of her old cycling kit and that is what I wore.

So let’s look back at where things could have been improved now that I have been cycling for four years and have learned a lot of lessons through trial and error and advice from those more knowledgeable than I. Oh... and I’m still learning!

Budget: Probably most important is determining a budget. Think of what you can afford at the very most and then subtract at least 40%! Spend 60% on the bike and save 40% for kit and other essentials. But beware, being a woman you will inevitably see a lovely bike that looks so pretty, is out of your price range, but you just have to have it! Please try not to fall into that trap!

Remember you will also need to kit yourself out with a decent helmet (that fits properly and of course looks good!), shoes and cleats if that’s the way you choose to go. You also need decent cycling shorts. I do recommend bib shorts and a good brand like Assos, Craft, Pearl Izzumi or Castelli, otherwise you will be prone to saddle sores and throwing

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I

had just turned 35; I was single and was no longer riding horses.

It was time to get out there and do something active and meet people.

Running just wasn’t an option and swimming most definitely not (as the idea of being submerged in a chlorine filled pool, indoors surrounded by other people was horrendous to me). So being a big lover of the great outdoors and nature it made sense to take up mountain biking.

So one day my brother and I put my Dads’ ancient V-brake Schwinn 26er and his bike (I don’t recall what it was) into the bakkie and drove from Constantia to Tokai Forest, the bottom forest! Dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and takkies we cycled around amongst the trees for about 40 minutes and then declared ourselves exhausted and loaded our bikes back in the bakkie and trundled off home. Soon I was venturing a little further (a whole 8kms) around the neighbourhood, returning with a sore butt and exhausted. Next it was time to get my own bike.

Where else does an ignorant lady go when looking for a mountain bike other than good old Gumtree? I had heard that V-breaks were a thing of the past and that rotor brakes were the way to go. So after searching around I found and Avalanche that looked in good nic and had rotor brakes. So I paid the lady R3000 for the bike and proudly took it home.

Little did I know that I had been duped and had paid more than the bike was worth new! Also, unknown to the ignoramus I was at

These basic measurements and angles make up the geometry of the bicycle frame. Frame size is usually determined by the length of the seat tube. But you should always visit the bicycle manufacturer’s website and check their official sizing charts before purchasing a bicycle, new or second-hand, to ensure the frame is the right size for you.

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From complete newbie to properly racing in the mixed category in the Cape Pioneer Trek in four years, Di Carolin is a true inspiration.

Di’s old Avalanche with mechanical disk brakes.

Di posing for a photo at the Tokai mast.

them away due to lack of durability.

The chamois in my fist pair of shorts disintegrated in less than a year.

It is worth coughing up for good shorts if you are going to be riding more than two hours at a time.

And a decent cycling top that fits properly. Again the above mentioned brands are worth the money spent.

Personally, I think Craft tops are the nicest looking and use the best fabric. Gloves are important too, and so are spares! A tube, a plugging kit for punctures, multi-tool with a chain-breaker, yes chains do break at the most inopportune moments! Plus a chain link, that fits your chain, and some cable ties!

the bike! Do you want to ride socially on jeep tracks and not do anything too challenging; perhaps do some races in the near future when you get fitter; ride on single tracks and go and explore what the country’s wonderful MTB trails have to offer or do you want to bomb down downhill courses dressed in full body protection?

This will help you get the right bike, be it an XC lightweight racing bike, or a trail bike, or perhaps a downhill bike and believe me they are all very different! Other questions to ask! What size bike will fit you? What pedals will you use?

Flat or clip in? There is no question regarding what tyres to use... go tubeless, unless of course you enjoy flagging down men to fix your flats for you. Again depending on what

Buying a bike: First decide what you want to do with

If you are on the shorter side, then go for a 27.5 and if you are taller then go for 29er wheels. Don’t let some dodgy sales guy palm off his old 26er stock on you!!

Bike set-up:

Components on the bike are important. Go with durability.

Shimano SLX/XT! Unless your budget is limitless then go wild. The saddle is very important. Make sure it isn’t too big and bulky or you will get saddle sores if spending more than 90 minutes or so on the bike at a time. Gel covers are a no-no! The more you ride the more you will get used to your saddle. I recommend Specialized or Selle Italia for ladies specific saddles. And make sure you get the width of your sitz bones measured, to ensure that you can get a saddle that fits your body!

Most bike shops will offer a bike setup for you. Be careful! Ask what bike fit system they use and if the guy is trained. A friend of mine was given a set-up in a shop as a complete beginner and it was totally wrong! A proper bike set-up can save you from a lot of pain. I have suffered sore knees, cripplingly stiff shoulders, numb crampy feet and bursitis in my hip from bad bike set-ups! As soon as you have bought your bike and shoes go to a reputable place for either Ergo Fit (created by Jeroen Swart) and in my opinion the best option or contact Spook Groenewald at www.daisyway.co.za.There is also the Specialized Body Geometry Fit system and the Ergo Max system.

Second Hand or New:

Totally Worth It!

If you can buy new then go for it!

If you want second hand you can still get a great bike in excellent condition. But go to a reputable shop!

In CT I can recommend Bike Lane (www.bikelane.co.za) or the Gear Change (www.thegearchange.com) In JHB try the BikeBay (www.bikebay. co.za). Be warned that once the bike is second hand the warrantee

It can be a daunting process buying a bike and getting set up, but ladies I promise you it is worth every cent spent and all the time it takes. Nothing beats getting fit and being out on your bike on a new trail alone or, even better, with mates. Please don’t hesitate to email me any questions. I will help where I can.

Components:

race s of you n o i t to lect Ref rough ics. b p day y Oak b

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 field. If you spot them on the trails, usually when you’re picking yourself up after an unexpected brush with the ground, you can purchase the photos directly from their website.

Or book them to shoot your event. Call them on 021 854 8723 or visit www.oakpics.com.

FS

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Wheel size:

Di’s Ladies’ Column FS

is void. Choose a popular brand as they are generally better quality and if you can take someone genuinely knowledgeable with you to look at the bike. Plus you are most welcome to ask my opinion by email.

In November 2014 Di won her first major race, the Pennypinchers Origin of Trails.

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you want to do with the bike, tyre choice is important.

Rocking down the singletrack from the King’s Block House.

Diana Carolin has been a long time contributor to Full Sus, submitting race reports and articles on sports massage therapy, but now we’ve focused her talents on everything that is ladies specific in mountain biking. If you have any questions drop her a mail at dicarolin7@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter at @di_carolin.

photo of the month

FS Preggie Training

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KATE’S

GABRIELA SLEGROVA

Kate with her husband Jean Marais.

A heavily pregnant Kate, on the far left, putting clients through their paces in the Concept Studio altitude training centre.

worried about me falling or being hit by a car. Which in a way I can understand, but on other hand I am a person who likes to take a few risks. Luckily my new doctor at Cape Town’s Mediclinic, Martin Puzey, was happy with me exercising, cycling and running.

Eventually at 26 weeks my husband had had enough and put his foot down. So from then on there was no more outdoor cycling. I got tired of fighting with him and started to go to spin in the gym, which is unfortunately not as much fun but still better than nothing. If it was solely my choice I would probably have ridden until 30 weeks.

I haven’t mentioned the intensity of the exercise I did. Doctors used to say one should keep your heart rate under 140bpm. Then they realized everyone has a different heart rate, so they said if you are used to exercise you can push but about 15% less than your normal threshold.

I spoke to Doctor Jeroen Swart and he said I could go up to Zone 5 until 7 months, which is close to maximal heart rate! However I did keep my heart rate a bit lower than that, as I do get quite out of breath. That is because pregnant woman have more blood, up to double the amount by the end of the pregnancy.

For riding I was doing hill interval training in higher Zone 3 and the

Preggie Diary

You’ve probably noticed that regular Full Sus contributor Kate Slegrova has been a bit quiet of late, and that we’re pleased to announce it is because she’s pregnant. So we asked her to write about her experiences of staying active as her big day approached.

1st trimester I felt tired some days in the first trimester and had to eat regularly, and quite a lot to try to keep the nausea at bay. It was anyways there, but better with some food in my stomach. I went to bed pretty early most days and wasn’t very social. I continued doing two to three hour road rides and did few, secret, easy MTB rides (the road gets boring and also MTB is safer where car accidents are concerned). Some days I had to force myself to get going, but once I was riding I felt better.

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The first trimester was not easy, as I started to get a bit rounder and wasn’t doing any races. People kept asking me what next big race I was training for, but we wanted to wait until 12 weeks to tell other people, so I had to say “I am just taking it easy for a bit” which didn’t satisfy people very much.

I did have to tell a few of my training buddies and some clients though. Once we reached the 12 week mark the scan confirmed everything was developing well, so I was happy to share my secret with everyone at last!

2nd trimester At about 14 weeks I started to feel better, the nausea passed and my usual energy returned. The pregnancy books are right in saying you feel pretty normal and energetic in the 2nd trimester. I still kept riding on road, doing my two to three hour rides and I added an eight kilometre jog on the promenade once or twice a week too.

I also did more cross-training in gym, like kettle bell training; core, upper and lower body exercises. I stayed away from heavy weights and stuck with functional training. The planks and push-ups really started to get harder as I got heavier!

As the weeks passed my husband was getting more and more worried about me cycling outside. He was

3rd Trimester By the time you read this I’ll be well into the 3rd trimester. But when I wrote this with eight weeks to go I was still feeling good, even though I felt a bit uncomfortable when I bent down and when going for a walk in the evenings. Also the heat of January and February didn’t help. I hope I can spin until the end; I will probably add more swimming and stop with the running when I get heavier though.

What I am really enjoying now is hiking up Table Mountain which is a very good workout with the extra weight! I do opt to go down with the cable car though.

Natural Birth So with the due date approaching fast I am hoping to be able to deliver my baby girl the natural way.

I started yoga this week which is apparently good for natural birth and I’ll be writing about the birth and getting back onto the bike once it’s all over.

For now though whish me luck for the last couple of weeks!

On her way up Platteklip Gorge.

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I

got a phone call from my doctor to tell me I was pregnant when I was in Deer Park, in the Table Mountain National Park, with a client on mountain bike ride. I kept it for myself then – but had to grin happily for rest of the ride.

So my husband, Jean and I paid the doctor another visit for the first scans, for the excitement of seeing the heart-beat on screen and getting the first picture. I was about eight weeks pregnant at the time and my doctor suggested that mountain biking was out of the question.

This left me close to tears! Being a cycling and MTB coach didn’t help and I had a skills clinic planned, which I had to cancel since Jean was worried about me.

start of Zone 4 and recovery rides in Zone 2. While running I kept my heart rate mostly in Zone 2, because I could feel the extra weight when running and so I really didn’t feel like sprinting!

Kate Slegrova is a cycling coach, personal trainer and the manager of Concept Studio (the altitude training and yoga studio in Sea Point, Cape Town).

Her husband Jean Marais, has very fortunately for their unborn daughter, convinced Kate that their daughter should take Marais as her surname rather than the mouthful that would be Slegrova-Marais. Follow Kate on Twitter at @KateSlegrova.

FS Over the Moon about the Overberg

JACQUES MARAIS | SONY

As Jacques Marais wrote in his Trails Column, Greyton boasts more trails than roads.

Why Mountain Bikers and Trail Runners Love Being a trail runner and a mountain biker there is only one spot to go, which for us is like heaven: Greyton in the Cape Overberg!

Or at least so says Ines Stoll.

G

reyton is known as a magnificent piece of peace, tucked away from the N2 but still close enough to Cape Town.

Boasting its oak tree lined streets and surrounded by the majestic Riviersonderend Mountains.

It’s the perfect spot to just relax or put on your shoes and run up into the Nature Reserve along the Gobos River, where you’ll find an easily accessible waterfall or head further up along the Loerkop Trail for marvellous 360-degree views over the whole Riviersonderend mountain range.

Plus if you keep your eyes open you’ll see grey rhebok, birds too numerous to list and all sorts of indigenous fynbos butterflies, so keep your camera or cell phone ready to snap a photo or ten.

Another run I highly recommend is the Knietjieshoogte Walk. I’d also suggest you take a moment to admire the views from the bench at the highest point of the climb. The view point affords not only wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, but also glimpses of Boschmanskloof in the west and a hint of Genadendal in the distance. It’s run for the fynbos lovers with proteas, ericas and in Spring several spring flowers. Don’t let the fact that it’s Autumn now put you off, there is always something spectacular in bloom in the fynbos,

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sometime you just have to look a little harder to see the rugged beauty.

On the bike there are near endless possibilities. The Greyton MTB Tour is a wonderful advertisement for the area’s trails and many a Cape Epic rider has been back to revisit the trails they enjoyed for two days in 2014. The trails range from family friendly to more strenuous.

You won’t be able to resist the beauty of the surroundings no matter the weather and time of the year. Although November is special because the spring display of flowers and the weather is mild and clear, anytime in the summer is perfect for an early activity and a late braai. As we’re heading into winter you should know that Greyton vaunts spectacular winter days, when the temperatures are mild, the sun is out and there’s not a breath of wind. Of course the scenery is enhanced by a dusting of snow on the mountain peaks from time to time in the winter too.

"You won't be able to resist the beauty of the surroundings no matter the weather and time of the year."

If you’re an outdoorsman or woman, then it’s the perfect time of the year to beat off the chill with some brisk exercise before retreating indoors to a cosy log fire and a hard earned glass of red wine and a few, locally made, Von Geusau chocolates.

My favourite breakfast spot after a strenuous ride is Via’s Deli, as they offer good healthy wholesome breakfasts with the best cup of hot chocolate, a meal in itself. It is also a WiFi Spot (for the Instagrammers).

For lunch it’s Searle’s Trading Post with its fancy décor/gifts/antiques/ bric-a-brac/deli and something unusual from the past. At Searle’s you’ll find good food in a varied atmosphere, with the choice of a spot by the fire place inside for cold afternoons or outside for warm for sunny days. I’ve got to recommend the mouth-watering beef fillet, medium rare of course, and they do a great pizza for the kids!

The Hungry Monk for dinner might not be the healthiest, but then you’ve earned the right to some decadence on the trails already, so treat yourself to their selection of tapas in a comfy artistic atmosphere. Or pop by the Post House Pub for a Bells… it’s so tiny and quaint, and you’ll be sure to make new friends. It was also the venue for the famous Bells Whiskey advert.

Greyton’s worst kept secret is its addictive atmosphere. You just won’t want to leave. But when you do you’ll feel like your weekend in the village was a week. And you just might find yourself coming back on a house hunting mission…

We love Greyton because there is something for everyone, at any time of the year. There is fun for

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GREYTON The Overberg, around Greyton, is famous for its fields of Canola in late winter.

all, no matter if you’re young, old, active or not so energetic. Greyton caters for culinary bon vivants, fauna and flora lovers, and for the outdoor enthusiasts alike. We just love it for its pristine environment, surrounded by magnificent natural beauty, the amazing community spirit and the peace and tranquillity, sitting on the stoep, enjoying the surroundings and feeling so privileged having the opportunity to escape the city over a weekend.

Ines Stoll and Mark Dittke run a leading Environmental and Health and Safety law firm in Cape Town, so it’s no surprise that they need the precious relaxation time offered by a cottage in Greyton. On a weekend trip to Greyton 12 years ago they made the impulse buy of a lifetime, purchasing an old cottage, which they’ve renovated into the Purple Dog Self-Catering House (www.thepurpledog.co.za).

FS Conservation

Commute your way to a smaller carbon footprint When Jeanne-Louise Wise was growing up just outside of Pretoria she used to use whatever mode of self-propelled transport she could find to visit her friends, so when the Wises moved closer to her office she jumped at the chance to commute by bicycle to work.

I

would use my bicycle or my horse and arrive at my destination probably much quicker than I would by begging my mom to drive me wherever I wanted to go. Then after 3 years at varsity I was given a car and all of a sudden most of my weekly travelling time was spent in traffic jams and on rat-race buzzing highways. So it was a real pleasure when we moved to Cape Town and I found out that our company supports bicycle commuting and that the city has a fantastic system of cycling lanes which allowed me to cycle from the centre of town to Century City.

But after speaking to a couple of fellow cycling colleagues I realised that there had been quite a few muggings, along this route which made me a bit concerned. This coupled with the rise in road deaths of cyclists in and around Cape Town, made me reluctant to make commuting on a bicycle a daily habit.

I do firmly believe though that we can change all of that to make it a safe and sustainable way of commuting, and use cycling to promote a cleaner and healthier future for our cities, so I’m putting aside my reservations to commute myself.

Surveys which were done in America during 2011 revealed that people who cycle to work reported to having better blood 28

pressure and insulin levels, and have a higher tolerance to stress.

Cyclists also report greater feelings of freedom and excitement, and also have reduced problems with insomnia. Plus measured at an average commuter pace of cycling, a person can burn anything between 215 and 500 calories in 30 minutes, depending on the individual’s weight and fitness levels, so it’s great for weight loss too. And as an additional benefit, bicycle maintenance amounts to about 4% of the maintenance cost of a car each year.

According to sagoodnews.co.za there are many reasons to be motivated to keep our country clean, promote healthier lifestyles and live more sustainably. It is claimed that Cape Town has the fifth best blue sky in the world (thanks to the wicked South-Easter) and should be kept that way by limiting the amount of emissions that we release into the atmosphere, since South Africa already ranks 18th worldwide in terms of our levels of CO² emissions. And unfortunately, our country is only

ranked 142nd out of 151 countries on the Happy Planet Index, which measures the country’s ability to promote longevity, sustainability and happy citizens, so we could really benefit from more people cycling – which should make them happier.

When we look at a holistic view on cycling to work and the actual carbon footprint that we imprint on the African continent, we should take into account the full lifecycle of a bicycle in comparison to that of a motor vehicle. I did not merely walk past a GT tree one day and selected my bike like an apple in the orchard, so it is important to note that bicycles definitely do have an impact on the environment during manufacturing, maintenance and disposal phases of its lifecycle.

However, when compared to other modes of transport, these impacts can be seen as almost negligible or very small indeed.

I do realise that not everyone has the access to shower and safe bicycle parking facilities at or near their offices; and not everyone lives within a 10km radius from their office.

But if you fall into the category of people who can tick those boxes you really should be limiting your carbon footprint by cycling to work. For people who live further away why not consider car-pooling, or making use of park-and-ride facilities, busses, taxis or trains?

"People who cycle to work reported to having better blood pressure and insulin levels, and have a higher tolerance to stress."

If you do commute it is also vitally important to remain safe by wearing reflective and bright coloured clothing, installing lights on the front and back of your bike, making use of hand signals, always stopping at road intersections and only crossing at dedicated pedestrian crossings.

I believe that with more people starting to commute by bike to work we will be creating a culture that will change the mindsets of other road users which will contribute in the effort to make commuting safer in South Africa.

We need more initiatives such as BEN bikes in Cape Town (www.benbikes.org.za) and the Decongest ingenuity in Johannesburg (www.decongest.org.za) to promote bicycle commuting among all community groups across our country.

I have decided to pledge the months of March and April to commute to work by bike and running as much as I can and will be writing about my experience in the next two issues. I would like to challenge all our readers to do the same and be the change you want to see in your city.

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.

Physiotherapy

FS

Thanks to Sarah We’d like to extend our thanks from the Full Sus editorial team and all the readers to Sarah for all her

Points on ACUPUNCTURE In her last regular physiotherapy column for Full Sus Sarah Walker continues with her needle theme and talks the less adventurous among us through the ins and outs of acupuncture.

“A

cus” meaning needle and “punctura” to puncture, is the stimulation of various acupuncture points along the skin of the body to manipulate the flow of energy (Chi). Originating from China, acupuncture has been practiced for over three thousand years by the Chinese and only more recently by Westerners since the 1600s.

How does it work?

The Chinese theorise that Chi flows around the body along meridians or lines of acupuncture points from one meridian to another, each representing an internal organ. There are Yin (passivity, water, negative, cold, chronic, night) meridians and their opposite Yang (activity, fire, positive, hot, acute, day) meridians. If there is an imbalance in the energy between the Yin and Yang, disease occurs. Acupuncture helps to restore this balance by stimulating energy and blood flow through the body.

The Westerners theorise that the acupuncture points are specific areas of low electrical resistance,

they often correlate to trigger points found in a muscle, or to the motor point of a muscle where the nerve enters a muscle. Stimulation of these points releases the body’s natural pain relieving chemicals and stimulates blood flow which relieves pain and swelling.

What is involved?

After discussing your ailment with the acupuncturist, he or she will decide which meridians need to be stimulated. Acupuncture needles

"We have used acupuncture very successfully on stage races for cyclists with headaches, swelling, acutely painful joints, and sinusitis."

Electrically assisted Up to 90km per charge

informative, helpful and healing physiotherapy columns. We’re glad to hear though that Walker Physiotherapy has grown to the extent are inserted into the various points, often in more than a few areas on your body. The needles may be uncomfortable or achy for the initial minute or two but soon settle.

There may be feelings of warmth around the needles. Needles stay in for five to twenty minutes; this varies according to the nature of the problem. Needles can be stimulated by twirling, adding an electric current or by burning moxa on their ends. You’ll usually need six to ten sessions over a few weeks.

What’s in it for cyclists?

Acupuncture is very helpful to cyclists especially during a stage race as there are no side effects, no medication is necessary and the effects are often long lasting.

We have used acupuncture very successfully on stage races for cyclists with headaches, swelling, acutely painful joints, and sinusitis (in fact one particular rider who struggled with sinusitis from dust allergies says he has never had sinusitis again after struggling with it for years).

If you have been struggling with an illness or injury for a while and conventional therapies are not helping, put acupuncture to the test, you may soon be a believer too!

that Sarah no longer has the time to pen her monthly columns, so if you were planning on paying her a visit for a physio appointment, you’d better book well in advance.

Sarah Walker is a is a sports physiotherapist who has been involved with treating cyclists for 15 years. She’s worked at many MTB stage races around the country and from her Cape Town practice sees many a sports person. She teaches Pilates and is a fitness trainer for tennis academy. Sarah believes that a thorough sports specific assessment followed by a well-planned exercise programme to treat the cause of the problem is the key to gtting her patients back to full health and sporting success. Go to www.walkerphysiotherapy.co.za for more info or send your questions to sarah@walkerphysiotherapy.co.za

BY

No sweat Huge fun Go anywhere Commute

FROM R29 995, FINANCE AVAILABLE!

“The Neo 29er is the best thing ever. My wife and I ride together almost every day. She has even ridden down the Umkomaas and is loving it. She has never ridden this much and is getting much stronger. We have done some good 3 hour plus rides and have never flattened the battery.” Farmer Glen. www.easymotion.co.za

FS Kleinhans Muesli

SAM CLARK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTSPICS NICK MUZIK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTSPICS

Erik gee die pas aan op skof sewe.

Annika en Ariane bo op die ABSA Cape Epic podium.

Nog ’n Absa Cape Epic, nog ’n suksesstorie vir

'n Wellengton plaas huis, een van die baie maniere hoe die Wes Kaap pronk gedurende die Epic.

Dit is net heel eenvoudig die mees opwindende week van bergfietsry in die wêreld, en dit verbaas Erik Kleinhans elke jaar dat ons so ongelooflik bevoorreg is dat dit alles net hier in ons agterplaas in die Wes-Kaap plaasvind.

O

ns RECM-span het ’n baie goeie verhouding met fiets- en toerustingborg, Specialized, en net soos in 2014, het onskragte bymekaar gespan vir 2015.

Ek en Nico as ondersteuningsspan vir Christoph Sauser en Jaroslav Kulhavy, terwyl Ariane saam met Annika Langvad ingespan is om hul titel te verdedig.

Teen die tyd is elke bergfietsliefhebber al bewus van die suksesstories. Susi en Jaro het hul tweede Absa Cape Epic saam gewen.

Dit het ook Susi se vyfde algehele titel opgelewer, die eerste persoon wat dit kon regkry.

Ariane en Annika het nie vir ’n oomblik gelyk asof hulle regtig bedreig word nie, hulle vorm so ’n sterk span in persoonlikheid en vermoëns. Selfs met ’n eenuur straf nadat hulle per ongeluk ’n verkeerde roete gevolg het, het my nooit bekommerd gehad nie en het hulle met ’n baie gemaklike tydbuffer gewen.

Dit was my agste Absa Cape

SOPHIE SMITH | CAPE EPIC | SPORTSPICS

Team RECM! bergfietsryer in die wedren; hy het ’n groot inpak op my fietsry en lewe gehad en ek is bly as ek op enige manier moontlik die guns kan terug bewys!

Epic, my tweede saam met Nico, en defnitief nie my maklikste een nie.

Buiten ’n meganiese probleem of twee, was ek halfpad deur die toer sleg geaffekteer deur ’n maagvirus, en het die dag daarna ongemaklik geval in die bondel vroeg in die skof.

Buiten dit alles is ek bly ons kon deur dit veg en veral dat ons daar kon wees die twee keer wat Susi en Jaroons ons regtig nodig gehad het. Dit was vir my ’n eer om betrokke te wees by Susi se laaste ernstige poging as ’n professionele

RECM se Erik Kleinhans is een van SuidAfrika se gewildste bergfietsjaers. Hy is nou die eienaar en kaptein van die RECM bergfiets span, en moet net so hard werk op die span admin as op sy oefening. Volg hom op Twitter by @erikkleinhans.

Scan this QR code to read the article in English on www.fullsus.co.za

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EWALD SADIE | CAPE EPIC | SPORTSPICS

Nico en Erik in aksie tydens die proloog.

SOPHIE SMITH | CAPE EPIC | SPORTSPICS

Christoph Sauser het met Erik en Nico se hulp sy vyfde ABSA Cape Epic gewe

Coaching

FS

Constant Stiff Legs?

In this issue Dr Mike Posthumus answers a reader’s training related question about why he just couldn’t shake off his constantly stiff legs.

D

ear Dr Mike I just would like to know how I can get rid of my stiff legs. I am a road cyclist, mountain biker and runner. I do a 50km cycle every weekday as well as 5km run in the afternoon with full leg and body exercises everyday and a 100km on a Saturday. We stay in George (Garden Route) so we do a lot of climbing as well.

Currently I am experiencing stiffness in my legs and can’t get rid of it. My Power on the climbs is there and pacing is good, but my legs and my Gluts feel very stiff.

What must I do? And it is 3 weeks before the Argus and I am going for a Sub 3. (Ed: Mike responded via email before the Cape Town Cycle Tour but we’re pretty sure Heinrich managed his planned Sub 3 anyway…)

Regards Heinrich Dear Heinrich This is such a common scenario, and therefore a perfect question to answer so that all readers may benefit. My answer to this question also provides a perfect platform for me to summarise and provide perspective for a few of the topics we have covered in my columns during the last few months.

It is clear from your symptoms and report of regular activities that you are not allowing sufficient recovery time between training sessions. Although you have not

explicitly mentioned the intensity you have been training at, I can only guess that, like most recreational athletes, you spend a lot of time at an intensity that is moderately hard and leaves you slightly tired, but not totally exhausted. Thereby spending a large amount of your training time in Zone 3 (for a review of training zones please see http://fullsus.co.za/creatinghearth-rate-training-zones/).

Training in this manner will not lead to optimal gains, and explains the symptoms you have mentioned.

Your stiff legs are simply tired legs and a period of rest should help alleviate your stiff legs and more than likely help you adapt to the training you have been doing.

To avoid this scenario in the future, I would recommend that you ensure your training becomes more polarized. In summary, polarized training means that your hard rides should be very hard, but between your hard rides, you should include very easy rides. Try including only two hard sessions per week and keep the other rides very easy. The easiest way to ensure that your rides remain easy enough to ensure recovery is to stay in Zone 2 or below for the entire ride. If you do not train with a heart rate monitor, ensure that you can keep a conversation for the entire ride. (Also please see my previous article for Full Sus on polarized training here: http://fullsus.co.za/polarised-training/).

Regards Mike

Advice to all readers No matter your training level, all recreational and professional athletes should include a rest block/week once every three to four weeks of training. Without such a regeneration block/week, your body will simply become progressively more fatigued. So if you are showing similar symptoms of fatigue, tired legs, or simply need to include a rest block into your training program, here is some structure to ensure you recover adequately: Day 1: Rest - Do not perform any exercise Day 2: 60 Minute Recovery Ride in Zone 2 or below.

Day 3: Rest - Do not perform any exercise Day 4: 60 Minute Recovery Ride in Zone 2 or below.

Day 5: Rest - Do not perform any exercise Day 6: Return to normal training regime

SUS the Online Advice Repository: If you’d like to revisit any of Dr Mike’s advice you can find it all archived online here: http://fullsus.co.za/regulars/ the-coach-dr-mike-postumus/

Questions for Dr Mike If you have any coaching or sports science related questions you’d like to ask Dr Mike please send them to sussed@fullsus.co.za and Dr Mike Posthumus will answer them in Full Sus. 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 scientific training principles. Find out more at www.sciencetosport.com

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Fs Ride Report - Epic Israel

The Epic Israel is hot and hard, but offers a different view of Israel from what you’d expect

Full Sus’s English connection Leona Kadir was invited to take part in an Epic with a difference last September – the inaugural Epic Israel.

And with our very own ABSA Cape Epic having just drawn to a close we thought you’d like to hear how South African mountain bike stage racing is shaping the global sport.

ALL phOTOS By KIA EpIC ISrAEL

E pics Inspiring E pics

Mediterranean landscapes and wheelies at the Epic Israel

E

pic Israel started in 2013 in memory of the founder Gal Tsachor’s father who was tragically killed while out riding. Gal’s father had supported him through several Cape Epics and they had always discussed starting a stage race in Israel. It helped that Gal inherited his father’s meticulous eye for detailed planning too, which helped ensure the first race went off without a hitch.

The race ran in a clover leaf format from Kibbutz Dalia, and riders were treated to an on-site MTB expo, including a Shimano tech support zone (which we made good use of!) and a chill-out area with sofas and cushions and a massive freezer filled with free ice lollies. This was where most people spent the afternoons!

Breakfast and supper were served in the ‘haderohel’ which translates as food room. This must have been an experience in itself for the foreign entrants, not used to kibbutz life.

Although it has changed a lot over the years, traditionally everyone living on a kibbutz eats together communally and the clear-up is done in the same way. Fortunately we didn’t have to do our own washing up during the race though!

Although my father and most of my family are from, and live in Israel, and I spent some of my childhood there; I have done very little riding in the country aside from some XCO in 2012. So I had no idea what to expect from the terrain but I knew that it

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Ice baths are a post ride must would be very hot. In September the weather varies in Israel, but the race was held during one of the not uncommon heat waves! Coming from the by then distant memory of the English Summer, it was a bit of a shock to the system.

With the race being a team event I invited my Fruit4London team mate Graham Jones along. We’ve done quite a few of the same races, but we’d never raced together which made things interesting.

stage 1 90km 1 550m of climbing The stage was beset with punctures.

It was very rocky with sharp pointing things just waiting to prod your tyres.

Between us we had four punctures, hearing that heartsinking ‘pssshhhh’

coming from one of our tyres whilst sealant flew out coating both bike and rider. In between punctures the riding was great with rocky descents, smooth singletrack and short sharp climbs.

With 3km to go we passed another mixed pair obviously having serious mechanical issues. We crossed the line hoping we were in the top three only to find out later that we had won the stage!

stage 2 95km 2 200m of climbing We were called up to the front on the morning of stage two with the other category leaders. This was better than the podium ceremony the night before, even getting interviewed on the line. It was a very special (probably never to be

"We were fairly realistic in our expectations for the stage that saw us go up Mount carmel, which is a 39km long mountain range rather than a single peak."

repeated) experience!

We were fairly realistic in our expectations for the stage (and we were pretty sure we were going to lose the lead) that saw us go up Mount Carmel, which is a 39km long mountain range rather than a single peak. Although we never went above 500m, the climbing soon added up. The climbs were long and combined with the heat it felt very hard. The reward for all the climbing was some spectacular views back down into the dry valley. A good portion of the stage was within the forests that surround the area and this meant lovely smooth singletrack and even lovelier shade. The contrast between dense pine forest and arid rockiness meant you never had the same scenery for long. With much help from Graham, we finished a comfortable 20 minutes ahead of third place but crucially 20 minutes behind first which meant we were down to 2nd overall.

The fact that we got to race in the leaders’ jerseys for the day meant we really weren’t bothered!

EL

FS

Haifa

I SR

"getting to 30+ at around 10: am. It really was like someone had just turned the heating on!"

A

Ride Report - Epic Israel

◆Kibbutz Dalia Tei-Aviv Jerusalem

SUS the Epic Israel For 2015 the race has been rebranded the Hot Epic Israel, which by the sounds of it is very fitting! It takes place from 8 to 10

Stage 3 94km 1 700m of climbing We were feeling pretty tired by this point. The plan for the day was just to maintain our position which we did, beating third with another 20 minutes.

The stage consisted of two loops, the first was 38km with quite a lot of singletrack which was really good fun.

It was quite hard coming back into the finish area knowing we had another 56km to go but the first descent out was great which helped!

It was another scorcher, starting off at 6:30 am at around 25 degrees and seemingly suddenly getting to 30+ at around 10: am. It really was like someone had just turned the heating on!

We came in to the finish miles off first place but also miles ahead of third so we were delighted. The race was very hard, very rocky and very, very hot, truly Epic. I’ve been told it will take place in October 2015 so hopefully won’t be quite so hot next time around.

The Epic Israel doing a passable Trans Karoo impression (without Karoo koppies)

Leona Kadir is a British mountain biker, who came to SA to train for the 2014 Epic in November 2013 and ended up staying for eight months. She’s currently checking out the trails and racing in New Zealand. Follow her adventures on Twitter at @kaleona.

October 2015. The race village is once again in Kibbutz Dalia, which is located in northern Israel, in the province of Galilee about 30km from Haifa, near the Megiddo National Park. At the time of the most recent survey the kibbutz had a population of 737 people.

To find out more visit: www.epicisrael.org.il.

SUUNTO AMBIT3 PEAK AND SPORT THE SUUNTO CONNECTED FAMILY

The new Suunto Ambit 3 Peak and Sport allow you to track your sports, adventures and everyday moves, and now, with the free Suunto Movescount App on your smartphone, also upload your exercises, change watch settings, get notifications, enrich, relive and share your sports moments and adventures wirelessly while on the go! Or, you can the new App as a standalone tool together with your smart phone for tracking and sharing your adventures. The new solution for the heart rate monitoring, the Suunto Smart Sensor, has a revolutionary design making it the smallest Bluetooth® Smart copmatible heart rate sensor on the market, tracking heart rate accurately and with great comfort!

Official Suunto distributor: Ultimo, Marlin House, Norbuy Office Park, 372 Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia; 011 785 4700; info@ultimo.co.za

Free Suunto Movescount Applearn more on suunto.com/movescountapp

FS Gear

GEAR Sports Drinks Every few months a new sports drink is launched into the already crowed sports supplement market. It means you won’t die for lack of choice, but it can be pretty overwhelming. Which one do you go for? Here’s the low down on a few from Seamus Allardice.

USN Pure Fit Endure Balanced Energy Drink

USN is a brand you should be familiar with and chances are you’ve had your bottles topped up with it at a water point in a race or grabbed a sample sachet somewhere along the line. The Pure Fit range launched late last year and is built around the fact none of the Pure Fit products contain any artificial colourants, sweeteners and preservatives. I’ve tested the Balanced Energy Drink in the light strawberry flavour and I’ve also filled up my bottle with the light tangerine at a National MTB Series race. I found both a bit sweet when mixed to the prescribed strength, but as you’ll see I’m not a fan of sweet drinks on long rides. Mixed more frugally the light strawberry is pleasantly palatable for three hour plus rides and as long as you eat a bit more to compensate, especially by adding salts, mixing to taste shouldn’t be a problem.

SUS the USN Pure Fit Enduro Balanced energy Drink Stats Energy per 100g: 1 632kJ Protein per 100g: 7.4g Carbs per 100g: 88.6g Sugar per 100g: 36.6g Container Size: 1 000g Serving Size: 50g (one scoop) to 400 – 500ml of water Energy per Serving: 816kJ Servings Per Tub: 20 x 500ml bottles Cost Per 500ml: R8.00 More nutritional info: www.usn.co.za RRP: R160

Enervit G Sport

Enervit’s G Sport sports drink is probably the brand you’ll be least familiar with as the Italian sports nutrition brand was only brought into South Africa for the first time last year. Taste wise it’s by far and away my personal favourite as it has a slightly tart citrus flavour (it’s available in Orange and Lemon flavours). You will probably have to purchase a few sachets of G Sport if you’d like to try it however, as they don’t have a large footprint on the South African market and unlike 32Gi, USN and Cadence you more than likely won’t be getting any to test at an event water point. So it’s handy that they do offer 15g single serving sachets too.

SUS the Enervit G Sport Stats Energy per 100g: 1 559kJ Protein per 100g: 0g Carbs per 100g: 91.5g Sugar per 100g: 88.5g Container Size: 420g Serving Size: 30g (two 15g scoops) to 500 of water Energy per Serving: 469kJ Servings Per Tub: 14 x 500ml bottles Cost Per 500ml: R17.14 More nutritional info: www.shop.enervit.co.za RRP: R239.95

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Isotonic Game

Good old fashioned Isotonic Game, the sports drink you grew up with, before even Energade or Powerade were on the scene. It’s cheap, it’s not harsh on your stomach (it’s nourished many a person though a tummy bug when real food just won’t stay down) and it’s tried and tested. I have no idea about the scientific effectiveness of Game, but it’s what I train on simply because it’s the cheapest option. My favourite mix is six scoops of Game, one and a half litres of boiling water and two rooibos tea bags in a jug; left to cool and then put in the fridge. It makes a slightly tart and refreshing drink, especially when ice cold which acts as a great counter to the typically sweet energy bars or tabs on a long ride.

SUS the Isotonic Game Stats Energy per 100g: 1 527kJ Protein per 100g: <0.1g Carbs per 100g: 91g Sugar per 100g: 74.9g Container Size: 720g Serving Size: 40g (two 20g scoops) to 500ml of water Energy per Serving: 610kJ Servings Per Tub: 18 x 500ml bottles Cost Per 500ml: R3.61 More nutritional info: See the back of a tub or sachet at your local supermarket because Game has no website. RRP: R65

Cadence Marathon

Science to Sport’s Cadence Nutrition range is built on the ideal of strict peer reviewed science, so their products have the best scientific chance of working for you. But because we’re all different and as taste and texture are the first things we encounter and therefore judge a product on, all the science can be redundant if you simply don’t like the product. Personally I don’t like the taste and texture of Cadence Marathon, but then again it’s the Full Sus publisher, Shayne Dowling’s favourite. I’m fairly sure that it’s the whey protein concentrate which gives it the texture I can’t handle. That’s a pity because it’s also the whey protein that gives Cadence Marathon the scientifically proven optimal 5:1 carbohydrate/protein ratio. People who like Cadence Marathon really do love it, so give it a try. They also have sample sachets available; ask at your local bike shop.

SUS the Cadence Marathon Stats Energy per 100g: 1 533kJ Protein per 100g: 15.7g Carbs per 100g: 71.6g Sugar per 100g: 31.8g Container Size: 908g Serving Size: 60g (two 30g scoops) to 500 of water Energy per Serving: 920kJ Servings Per Tub: 15 x 500ml bottles Cost Per 500ml: R22 More nutritional info: www.cadencenutrition.com RRP: R330

32Gi Race Sports Drink

32Gi have recently rebranded their Accelerate range to Race to remove any confusion from the mind of the consumer. It’s much like USN’s approach of suggesting you train on their Balanced Energy Drink and race on Epic Pro. They’ve also cracked down on any artificial sweeteners, flavours or colourants and are also gluten, soya and GMO free. Personally I find 32Gi’s drinks very sweet and I have to mix them very weak to enjoy the taste, but that being said they were the only thing I could stomach for the last half of the Attakwas and they got me home so the performance claims are certainly valid, for me at least. 32Gi Race is available in four flavours, plus they also do a lower GI ‘Endure’ mix for training, and if you’ve done a Dryland Events race you’ll have tested 32Gi at their water points.

SUS the 32Gi Race Sport Drink Stats Energy per 100g: 1 542kJ Protein per 100g: <0.5g Carbs per 100g: 90g Sugar per 100g: 62g Container Size: 900g Serving Size: 75g (three 25g scoops) to 500 - 750ml of water Energy per Serving: 1 157kJ Servings Per Tub: 12 x 750ml bottles Cost Per 500ml: R15.55 More nutritional info: www.32gi.com RRP: R280

n i w

Win with the Dr Evil Classic!

Competition FS

Tells us the limit on entry numbers for the 2015 Dr Evil Classic and stand a chance to win 2 entries to the 2015 race and 3 nights’ accommodation, for 2 people, at the spectacular Piesang Valley Lodge to ensure your time off the bike at the Dr Evil Classic is as special as your time on it.

THE PRIZE Win one team entry or two solo entries to the 2015 Dr Evil Classic and 3 nights’ accommodation for 2 people sharing at Piesang Valley Lodge, by telling us at how many riders can enter the 2015 Dr Evil Classic. The Dr Evil Classic is a 3 day stage race, taking in some of the best singletracks in South Africa, set in the heart of the Southern Cape Garden Route. The race runs in a clover leaf format from Wittedrift, just outside of Plettenberg Bay. Riders will be treated to 3 days of superb riding, in a limited field of riders, and both team and solo entries are available for the race. The 2015 Dr Evil Classic takes place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of September and Dr Evil Classic entrants receive a preferential start in the Lions Karoo to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge, should they wish to enter that separate race. The lucky prize winner will also win 3 nights’ accommodation at Piesang Valley Lodge, for the duration of the Dr Evil Classic, checking in on the 16th and checking out on the 19th of September. Please note: The accommodation at the Piesang Valley Lodge does not include meals. The total prize is valued at R12 000 and term and conditions apply.

Please visit www.drevilclassic.com for more information.

HOW TO WIN It’s easy to win. Just answer this easy question: How many riders can enter the 2015 Dr Evil Classic? (Tip: visit www.drevilclassic.com to find the answer). Email your answer to sussed@fullsus.co.za, including your full name, ID number and a daytime contact number by no later than 24 April 2015. Full Sus will draw one lucky winner who will win 2 entries (either a team or 2 solo entries depending on the winner’s choice) to the 2015 Dr Evil Classic and 3 nights’ accommodation at the Piesang Valley Lodge for 16th to the 19th of September.

2015 y a M 4 On 1 is hosting s Full Su test day at , a bike Wine Estate m Delhei ou’re invited and y us to test to join p bikes. ride to

sus it out

Join

full sus

FOR AN AFTERNOON

of bike testing trail shredding

Proceedings kick off at 12:00 with a light lunch, followed by the opportunity to test ride up to five bikes on a 5km loop of the spectacular Simonsberg Conservancy trails.

Treat it like a golf day, take the afternoon off and come revel in everything mountain bike.

R250 for the day gets you: ◆ Light lunch prepared by the Delheim Wine Estate Restaurant ◆ Riding the Simonsberg Trail Network ◆ Test ride top end bikes by various manufacturer ◆ Complimentary post-ride Jack Black beer or glass of Delheim wine ◆ Goodie bag including a Full Sus cap ◆ Mini-skills session with Swen Lauer

Scan this QR Code to download the booking form or email sussed@fullsus.co.za.

booking form

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35

FS AmaRider

Only ride the trails once they’re been officially reopened, as vegetation needs time to regrow without the disturbance of mountain bike tyres.

Trails on FIRE...

The recent spate of veld fires in the Western Cape once again highlighted the vulnerability of our trail systems to this devastating occurrence. Not only are riders affected by closures, but of course our trail owners and peripheral businesses reliant on trail visitation have to bear the brunt of the resultant destruction, writes AmaRider’s Meurant Botha.

T

rail owners not only face a revenue loss but can also expect a major increase in maintenance costs as well as repairs. Most wooden infrastructure and signage are generally lost and have to be replaced at great expense.

A sometimes unexpected result of a major fire is that the trail is exposed to a much larger erosion problem and not only the physical erosion of the tread surface, but because of general water flow from the burnt slopes dumping sediment on the trail. The trail generally has a stabilising effect on the side slope, particularly in the case of a contour trail. Repeated removal of sediment from the tread surface will be necessary for months after a fire.

The increased maintenance coupled with a loss of revenue can cause serious financial problems on a large trail system and is a consideration trail owners rarely make.

Where trails are developed in forests, the change in the local ecosystem from forest-based to open veld exposes the trail to much more environmental elements such as sun and wind, generally making for a much drier trail environment.

Forest cover not only provides a cooler and damper environment, but also provides a much larger deposit of natural debris of leaves and bark that

36

helps keep the tread surface moist and compact. Trees also act as natural water receptacles which leads to a much more gradual and spread-out deposit of rainwater, preventing rapid water flow.

Trails running through open fynbos or veld are much drier and prone to dust build-up and of course much more exposed to wind and rain, speeding up erosion where trail gradients are too intense. This does not mean level and flat trails are immune to problems, in fact a trail built on too little a gradient cannot shed water and will probably be prone to sediment build-up, hence the importance of using grade reversals wherever possible to allow for natural drainage spots along the trail.

In short, a large fire can quickly change the suitability of a trail design in the particular location.

Riders can assist with the rehabilitation of a burnt trail in several ways: 1. Please adhere to warning and access postings related to the public access status of the trail. Where commercial forests are affected the forestry company will be rushing to salvage the timber before burnt trees die off and

Wooden trail features like bridges, signs and styles may need to be rebuilt, which can be costly, so look to donate to trail building funds.

rot. It is only in rare cases where timber is completely destroyed so most of the wood can be sold after a fire. Apart from the forestry activity, the potential for injury due to falling trees is large and singletracks are best avoided until deemed safe by the relevant agency.

2. Once reopened, stick to the original trail lines which are normally pretty well defined amongst the ash. The period before vegetation establishes itself is where we want to limit trail creep. Trail creep only enhances the impact of the fire so stick to the line.

3. Although tempting, now is not the time to rake-and-ride new lines or simply free-ride down ash slopes with The Collective soundtrack blasting through your iPod. You may be ignorant to the fact, but understand that someone is probably trying to formally manage trail access in the

"Be on the lookout for opportunities to attend volunteer work days or donate to your locate trails lobby group."

forest and your actions cuts off any progress by the knees.

4. Be on the lookout for opportunities to attend volunteer work days or donate to your locate trails lobby group.

Although fire is part of the natural cycle of regeneration, it is never a pretty sight when our favourite riding spots go up in flames. Spare a thought for those who have invested in these routes and support them by always ensuring you are riding with a permit and adhering to call and requests regarding access limitations when the unfortunate occurs.

Meurant Botha is the founder and director of AmaRider.

AmaRider is a South African non-profit 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 websie at www.amarider.co.za.

Stirling Revolution FS

Christmas and the holidays are past, the house renovations have been planned, your taxes are paid, any rebates have been received, and you have had time to look at what is left of your year-end bonus for you to enjoy writes SJ Kotze.

Gravel Grinder Why own a road bike, when you can own a bike that can devour tar road, gravel road, paved road, cobbled road and district road. And you can even throw on some panniers for a bit of touring. Essentially a road bike with disc brakes, fatter tyres and a frame designed for comfort, you should check out the Specialized Diverge and Niner RLT for inspiration.

Single Speed Whether it be a fixie styled road bike or a single speed mountain bike, the elegant simplicity and low maintenance of these one gear wonders just cannot be beaten. And the inexpensive build cost and low overall weight are big draw cards that make this the easiest “second bicycle” option. If you really want something exclusive, check out the carbon belt drive options for true maintenance free riding. And remember, how do you know someone rides a single speed MTB? … they tell you!

Fat Bike Whatever you think you know about

fat bikes, you don’t, and until you have had a chance to ride one and experience the huge grin it’ll give you, only then can you judge the “funnest” new genre in town. And only when you have experienced a fat bike in one of its natural environments, thick grass, fresh snow, soft beach sand or rolling sand dunes, will you really know what all the fuss is about.

The Hungry Monkey, in its single speed trail hard tail form.

Enduro Rig Enduro style racing is becoming increasingly popular. You have to climb to the top of a variety of trails in a short overall distance, but only get timed for the downhill trail sections. You do these stages blind (i.e. without any practise) and the race winner is the rider with the fastest accrued downhill stage times. So you need a bike with lots of travel and technical trail capability for the timed downhill sections, but it must still be lightweight and pedal efficient for all the climbing you need to do to get to the start of each stage.

These requirements have pushed the boundaries (and significantly improved) modern mountain bike design so check out the Specialized Enduro, Santa Cruz Nomad and Pyga Pascoe for inspiration.

Jump Bike/Trail Hardtail BMX’s are so last century. A purpose build jump bike or a strong MTB hardtail with a long travel suspension fork, are popular “second bikes” for learning tricks, refining your jumping, improving your flow, speeding up your pump-tracking, or just commuting stylishly and safely through traffic.

They are durable and well-priced so you don’t feel guilty throwing them around, falling, hitting obstacles and getting knocked around. Check out the Hungry Monkey from Mercer and the P-Series from Specialized for more inspiration.

Training Replica

And finally, the most practical second bike is owning a wellpriced replica of the race bike you

"And remember, how do you know someone rides a single speed MTB?... they tell you!"

MERCER BIKES

S

ince you are reading Full Sus we’ll assume that you own a nice Mountain Bike, hopefully a lovely dual suspension rig that you are ferociously proud of. An appropriate bicycle that fulfils your main cycling interests whether it be multi-day stage racing or technical trail riding, and leaves you with a smile on your face every time you ride it.

And we’ll also assume that unless your significant other rides it occasionally, you have managed to sell your old 26er that was gathering dust in the garage. But now, what if your bike goes in for a service and you are desperate to hop onto anything with two wheels, or you want to cruise the promenade and moon light mass on a unique ride, or you want to mix up your training, or you want a slower option to ride around with the spouse or kids, or you just plain want something different crazy and fun, with so many fun genres and great types of bicycles available in today’s world of cycling NOW is the time to get a second bicycle. There are LOTS of great “second bicycle” options and one of these special bikes could do the trick.

CYCLING CARTOONS BY DAVID WALKER

The time has come for you to own 2 bicycles (at least)?

currently own. In fact, the closer you can get it in terms of brand, size, model, gearing, suspension, tyres and setup, the easier it becomes changing between this training replica and your full race bike. But why? Owning a R35 000 aluminium version of your R100 000+ carbon racer, helps reduce the overall cost of maintenance and training, gives you a backup if your race bike needs to visit the shop, and can act as a provider of spares should your race bike need a part.

you are allowed to own, where “n” is as the current number of bicycles you own. *If you are married, the formula changes and the new cardinal rule is now defined so that “d - 1” is the maximum number of bicycles you should own, where “d” is the number of bicycles you would need to own that would end your marriage in divorce.

Other Options and Warnings You’ll notice I have not included a tandem bicycle – it doesn’t count, as it always belongs to at least two people. A Unicycle is also out; it is not a bi-cycle! But kudos to those that do ride them, even though you must remember the majority of unicycle riders are clowns.

And remember, if you do end up owning more than one bike in maybe one or many of the above bicycle styles, the fundamental rule* is defined that “n + 1” is the maximum number of bicycles that

The Stirling Revolution column is penned by the father and son, LBS owning, pair of Stirling “Senior” and Stirling James (SJ) “Junior” Kotze. With years of industry insider knowledge they’re your, and our, link to the retail side of the bicycle trade – and while they might upset the odd sensitive reader their insights prove invaluable time and time again.

37

CALENDAR

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

SUS THE BEST OF May 2015 1 2 9 9 16 23 23

GAUTENG Winter Fast one ASG 24hours Believe 6/12 Choc Cow MTB Race Gauteng XCO Cup Series #4 Like2Bike Kids Skill Day Burry Stander Series #2 Walkerville MTB Challenge

FREE STATE 2 Anatomic Dirtmax MTB #2 16 Family Day Race NORTHWEST PROVINCE 23 FNB Magalies Monster MTB 30 Nissan Trailseeker Gauteng #1 Bundu Bash

30 30

WESTERN CAPE Klein Karoo X Windpomp Fees MTB Challenge Houw Hoek MTB Tour Tru Cape MTB Nissan Trailseeker Western Cape Series #1 - Helder Berg Wilde Gravel Travel presented by Olympic PPA Tread Lightly Women’s MTB Dirtopia Enduro AmaRider 100 Miler Hex Valley Autumn Splendour MTB Western Cape Provincial XCO & DHI Championships Montagu Mountainmania Darling Brew Extreme MTB

3 10 16 17 29 31

EASTERN CAPE My Spar MTB Classic Zuurbron Nanaga MTB Race Eastern Cape Provincial XCO #3 Trans Elands MTB Marathon The Great Zuurberg Trek Twizza Henderson Valley MTB

1 1 2 2 9 10 16 17 23 23 23

KZN Newcastle MTB #3 Spur KZN Schools’ Series #3 Greytown MTB Festival Big Five Series – Buffalo Classic SAPPI Karkloof Night Race SAPPI Karkloof Enduro SAPPI Karkloof Classic sani2c Trail sani2c Adventure Husq Mid Illovo Classic Spur KZN Schools Series #4 The Spares Shop MTB Challenge Giants Castle MTB Challenge OneMovement KZN Inter School Eliminator Series 1 of 3 24 Compendium MTB Derby 30 KZN MTB Provincial XCO Champs 31 OneMovement KZN Inter School 2 2 3 3 8 9 10 12 13 17 23 23 23 24

Eliminator Series 2 of 3 31 Newcastle MTB #4 2 3 9 16 31

MPUMALANGA My Spar Forest2Falls Sabie Xperience Spur Mpumalanga School Series # 1 Spar Das Auto MTB Series #1 Upland MTB Classic

OUT IN AFRICA 5 African Continental Champs (Rwanda) 24 Windhoek Light Namib Quest (Namibia) 29 The Malealea Monster Weekend Adventure (Lesotho)

June 2015 RACE CALENDAR GAUTENG 13 USN MTB Cup Race Series # 4 20 Momentum Health Dual X #2 NORTHWEST PROVINCE 6 Ashburton Investments National MTB Series #4 & SA XCM Champs 6 Safari Karnaval MTB Challenge 13 ATKV Buffeslpoort MTB Challenge 27 Konka MTB WESTERN CAPE 13 RECM Knysna 200 27 Nissan Trailseeker Western Cape #2 Grabouw 28 Cape Country Tour 6 13 21 21

EASTERN CAPE Eastern Cape Provincial XCO #4 Fish River Sun Stage Race Angora MTB The Hayterdale Classic

KZN 6 KZN Provincial DHI & Enduro Champs 7 Bell Big 5 Series #2 Elephant Challenge 7 SAPPI Howick MTB Classic 13 Spur KZN Schools MTB Series #6 14 Safire Baynesfield MTB Classic 20 Dusi2c 27 SA Cup XCO #4 28 SA Cup DHI #4 MPUMALANGA 13 Forever Resort Badplaas Cycle Tour 20 Spar Das Auto MTB Series # 2 27 The Big 5 MTB OUT IN AFRICA 26 Kalahari Challenge (Botswana)

APRIL Must do events ■ 4 and 5 April: Dirtopia All Mountain Enduro Join the Dirtopia crew for a weekend of trail riding fun on the Welvanpas All Mountain Enduro. Taking place over the Easter Weekend, the format for the Dirtopia Enduros ensures that it’s a social and fun couple of days on the bike. Meurant is still keeping the stages secret at this point, but you can be sure they’ll be fast, technical and feature the odd hill sprint too, because Meurant does like to make riders suffer a bit. You can enter both days or just one day at R250 for AmaRider members or R275 for non-members, just remember to take your Trail Tag along, as you’ll need it to clock in and out of the timed stages. You can enter online and find out more by visiting www.dirtopia.co.za.

■ 18 and 19 April: Ashburton Investments National MTB Series #3 Clarens (Free State) The third leg of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series for 2015 takes place in the Free State outdoors playground that is Clarens. It is centrally located, three hours from Bloem, Joburg and Maritzburg making it the perfect National Series race to travel to if you’re from Gauteng, the Free State or Northern KZN. The long races take place on Saturday, with the 120km UCI accredited XCM kicking off proceedings at 07:15 before the UCI ladies and the marathon racing men go off in the 75km at 07:20. On Sunday there’s a 48km half marathon, which should be great fun for the more social riders and there’s also a couple of fun ride distances (20km and 10km) on offer. For all the info and online entries go to www.nationalmtbseries.com.

■ 18 and 19 April: Royal Drakensberg MTB Challenge If you’re more keen on having a great weekend away and enjoying some riding, than you are on serious racing, skip the National Series race and head to All Out Adventures near the Royal Natal National Park for the Royal Drakensberg MTB Challenge.

It’s a packed weekend of mountain

biking with a 20km, singletrack packed, warm-up on Saturday morning, a 10km Family Fun Ride or 1km Family Fun Walk in the afternoon.

Sunday sees the longer distance rides taking place with a 50km, 25km and 10km choice of routes. There is also a supervised kids zone on Sunday if you’d like to enjoy the trails in peace while the sprogs are looked after by someone else for the morning, plus Adventure Centre Activities, food stalls, coffee and lucky dip prizes to keep you busy off the bike. Sus out the event website for more details: www.royaldrakmtb.co.za.

■ 26 and 27 April: 7 Passes MTB From the organisers of the Garden Route 300 and the RECM Knysna 200, Garden Route Events, comes the all-new 7 Passes MTB. It’s a two day ride, with the option of doing either just the first day or both, as the first day races down from George to Knysna and the second day takes a more sedate approach with a tour style ride back to the starting point of day one, the King George Protea Hotel.

The 7 Passes MTB is designed to offer an entry into longer distance mountain bike riding, as the 83km route features large amounts of scenic gravel road – in the spirit of the Karoo to Coast. Or if 83km are still out of your reach, you can join at the half way mark on day one, and ride from Karatara to Knysna.

Pre-entries are R450 for both days, or R250 for day one only, and R130 to start at Karatara. Or you can enter day one on the day at the King George Protea Hotel for R300. To view the route, enter online and find out more about the spectacular Seven Passes Mountain Pass, check out www.gardenrouteevents.co.za.

CALENDAR KEY Mpumalanga

Free State

Limpopo

Western Cape

Northern Cape

KZN

Gauteng

North West

Eastern Cape

Out in Africa

YATE FARM RETREAT Garden Route Self-Catering Accommodation

We are situated in what most call the Mecca of mountain biking in the heart of the Harkerville area between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay in the Garden Route, with thick indigenous forest and some beautiful rides for all tastes. We offer luxury self-catering accommodation with secure lock-up facilities for bicycles and easy access to hiking, running and cycling routes, the ocean, nature reserves and various other activities.

www.yatefarmretreat.co.za Email: reservations@yatefarmretreat.co.za Tel: 044 533 9160 Thea: 083 276 8961 Zac: 083 400 2327

Directory

FS

Passionate about bicycle tours since 1992

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