Full Sus February 2014

FullSussa

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@FullSussa

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www.issuu.com /FullSussa

February 2014, Vol 11

MOUNTAIN BIKE MONTHLY LI V E

www.fullsus.co.za

Trails

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Bike Review

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Check it out online now

Q&A Ladies in MTB Sani Pass

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bike finance BUYING A BIKE ON CREDIT We all want that full carbon, super light do it all bike with the latest and greatest in bicycling technology. But it comes at a price… With the exponential growth of mountain biking, more and more people are finding that they need to take out a loan to get themselves on the bike they want (or need), so here’s Full Sus look at the bike finance options available to you.

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o be fair, even with a sizable loan, a great many of us, myself included, wouldn’t be able to afford a high end full carbon bike. So the loan option is a great prospect to get you on a well kitted, but reasonably priced aluminium full suspension bike. So having seen a profusion of bike loan fliers strapped to the bars of bikes on the shop floor of local bike shops, and advertised online, Full Sus decided to look into the bike loan business and give you the low down.

What kind of loans

But I can afford it over 36months!

Retail price: More than I can afford Term

Payment

Interest

12

Higher installment lower overall cost

10%

24

Middle of the price range but can I afford it?

12%

36

Low installment but higher overall cost

17%

Includes downpayment of 20%

wish list

Total cost of my dream bike

Companies behind the loans There are currently two companies whose rates you’ll see adorning bikes on your LBS shop floor, FinYou and Bike Life Finance.

They’re by no means you’re only option, but they’re the most convenient. You could also get a loan from your bank. In fact FinYou is very open about the fact that they act as facilitators between you, the financial institution and the retailer, rather than providing the loan themselves. The idea is that rather

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◆ 29inch Full Suspension bike ◆ Carbon Frame ◆ Latest and greatest group set ◆ Superlight remote lockout fork ◆ Super stiff carbon wheels

than risk you getting led astray by the lure of a sizable cash deposit being made into your bank account, FinYou and Bike Life Finance pay the loan directly over to the retailer, in this case that’d be your local bike shop, removing the possibility of you spending the money on cases of craft beer instead.

Bike Life Finance meanwhile is not acting as a facilitator but putting their own money on the line to get you on a shiny new bike.

Bicycle finance is, at this point in time, in the form of a personal loan.

This means that it’s an unsecured loan and is granted to you, based on your integrity and ability to pay it back. This means that if you’re already heavily exposed to credit, have a poor history of paying back your loans or, if you’re like me and have no credit history at all (the worst type of credit history if you want a loan) you’ll struggle to obtain credit. But don’t be disheartened, mountain bikers (I was told cyclists in general to be fair) make very good customers.

Financers like you because you’re eager to make the purchase.

Because of this you’re more likely to get the necessary documentation to the credit providers in good time and receive the yay or nay quickly too. Typically within three hours for FinYou’s provisional authorisation (the average time is 65 minutes) and if you go with Bike Life, you could be riding your new steed in under two days. You stand a good chance of getting the yay too, with FinYou approving 50% of their bicycle loan applications, compared to their average across the business rate of only 20%. While Bike Life Finance approval is currently averaging around 75%.

This rate could be on the up too, apparently Wesbank are looking at a model to provide secured loans for high end bikes. That’ll make it easier to obtain finance as the bank will have an asset to resell should you default on your loan, thereby reducing their risk.

turn to page 4

FS Editorial

Don’t lose your MTB mojo!

“I’m a little bored with riding so I started trail running”… wtf?

Bored of riding and then running to alleviate boredom seems to be the buzz phrase right now and I have quite literally heard it from at least half a dozen people. Really? Surely then you are riding for the wrong reasons and need to evaluate why you ride and what you want out of it? My opinion is that somewhere along the way a lot of us

stopped enjoying our riding and tackle it as a task and everything as a race.

A race to get fit, lose weight, beat our mates, beat our times and completely forgot about the “fun factor”.

I guess that’s another reason why I haven’t bought into the whole Strava thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for goals, having events and challenging rides marked off and firmly ensconced in your diary, I’m all for a healthy lifestyle and pushing as hard as you can when training or riding an event, however: look up dammit. Take in and admire where you are and the amazing environment you find yourself in. Appreciate the brilliant tracks and routes that someone has magnificently prepared, or plotted in the absolute gamadoolas, or in most cases on our doorsteps. STOP, chill and enjoy! Take a selfie (I had to find a way to use it – my kids are going to be chuffed) or even better take a few pics

SUS the winner Congratulations to Henry Bruce of Vredekloof, who won the amazing Bontrager Node 2.1 cycle computer courtesy of The Bicycle Company.

This month we’re giving away five ICEdot Bands, see page 3.

of your mates and yourself, in some brilliant spot that we’re privileged to be able to ride in. I get the cross-training aspect of running but do it for the right reasons. Bored with MTB – you got to be kidding!

We recently launched our website (quietly in December) and are already on a revamp. Check out www.fullsus.co.za and if you have a bike related service or bike shop please feel free to add it to our directory. We are busy with our classified section where you can sell all second hand bike and gear – so another hub where you can interact with Full Sus. Of course there is content so you can also have convenient access to things you read from the paper. We also have a few exciting Full Sus products launching this year, including some really awesome riding kit. Watch this space.

There is nothing quite as nice as passing or in most cases, being passed, by ladies on the trails. The enthusiasm and growth in the female sector of MTB has been phenomenal and is extremely healthy for the sport. This issue has taken on a bit of a ladies theme – probably because it’s Valentines month

and is the one calendar event that always puts Seamus under pressure, it seemed appropriate. Hopefully you enjoy it ladies and we’d love to have your feedback, suggestions and continued contributions.

I wish you all a safe, rewarding and fun year of mountain biking but I would also like you to take a minute to consider what the state of the rand is doing to the cycling retail sector. Most of the MTB products are imported and prices are skyrocketing. We already know the high cost of buying, running and maintaining bikes – it’s only going to get worse – so be smart, service regularly (read Stirling’s piece for some great advice) and make an effort to foster a relationship with your LBS – remember that they aren’t responsible for this mess and are also trying to make a living. That said, don’t be afraid to shop around, there is still great value to be found out there. If you are in the market or thinking about it, without a doubt, now is the time to buy.

See you on the trails

SUS our Reader’s feedback Here’s what our readers have had to say in January: Mnqandi WaseMajajini Mncwango: “Big Fan, guys you have to try we need collection point in Durban really” Howick? Full Sus is now available from the Karkloof Country Club, Howick plan a trip to ‘the MTB Mecca of SA’.

of Tokai forest now are.”

Abrie Fouche: “Hi, Hoop daar is nog iemand wat Afrikaans verstaan.

Ek wil julle net laat weet hoe baie ons julle maandlikse uitgawe van

Max Menzies: “Great publication”

Full SUS geniet. Ek is van Vredendal in die Wes Kaap. Ons spook altyd om

Nico Wassermann: “Really like the reports on Bikes - most

saam te bring. Ek wil baie graag verneem of daar dalk n manier is hoe ons n

entertaining and informative.”

Phillippa Vermeulen: “I so LIKE that Bontrager Node2.1 but wouldn’t SHARE it once it makes a cosy spot on my bike!”

Phillippa but you’ve already won a prize from Full Sus… but we love your enthusiasm.

Casper Labuschagne: “Demmit!! I don’t like suspense... out with the details!!”

Take a look at this month’s centre spread…

Hartmut Behrens: “Somewhere on the Swartberg?”

SUS The team

een van die manne wat dalk in die Kaap kom om vir ons n paar uitgawes paar uitgawes hier kan kry ons is selfs bereid om die vervoer te betaal. Hoop regtig dit is moontlik! Kan nie wag om te hoor van julle. Ons het n plaaslike fietsry club en sal dit graag onder hulle wil versprei.”

Dankie Abrie, dit’s ‘n stryd vir my om in Afrikaans te skryf… so in English, we’re happy you’re happy and we’ll be printing more copies for you to collect. And if you’re in an area outside of Full Sus’s distribution network and want copies for your Bike Shop, MTB Club or Coffee Shop drop us a mail to

The Expedition Blackberg mystery gaining momentum…

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 PR & Promotions: Julia Andrade julia@integratedmedia.co.za Regulars: Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze Snr & Jnr, Jacques Marais, Dr Mike Posthumus,

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trees. TMNP are also doing an entirely woeful job of keeping the alien regrowth out of areas that were cleared of pines ages ago. What a mess parts

We’re working on it Mnqandi, but in the meantime why not take a trip to Cycles, Big Wheel Inn and Symo Cycles, so you’ve got another excuse to

Timothy Price: “Could not agree more with Dave B’s article on

Rochez O’Grady, James Thornhill-Fisher and Jeanne-Louise Wiese.

Rogue Contributor: David Bristow Photography: Julia Andrade, Oakpics.com, Cherie Vale Newsport Media and thinkstock.com.

Contributors: Kathryn Fourie, Kate Slegrova and Joanna Dobinson.

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.

sussed@fullsus.co.za and we can work something out.

SUS call for letters Have you ridden somewhere cool lately, taken a big fall or encountered something annoying? We want to hear about it.

Send us your MTB stories to sussed@fullsus.co.za and see your yarns appear in your favourite MTB publication.

Oh and in english or afrikaans.

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: Competition submissions should reach us no later than 20 February 2014. 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.

We finance all major brands.

YOUR DREAM BIKE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!

FINANCE APPLY TODAY, RIDE TOMORROW Low monthly payments, awesome interest rates!

Apply in store or online today. www.bikelife.co.za

*TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY

Win one of five ICEdot Bands

wi n Comp

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by telling us where you grabbed your copy of Full Sus. Email your answer with your ID Number, Full Name, Physical Address and Contact Number to comp@fullsus.co.za.

Each ICEdot Band is worth R250 and includes a year’s ICEdot membership.

Thereafter membership is R100.

ICEdot may be new to South Africa, but they’re making big strides in the field of rider safety. Their crash sensor alerts your nearest and dearest in the case of you having a crash and being unable to call for help yourself. And ICEdot have also launched their ID bands in SA. The ICEdot Band allows you to create a medical profile on ICEdot.org and then in case of an emergency the first respondent can text the unique code on your band to the number indicated on your band. An SMS is then sent to the first responder with all your medical details, including your emergency contacts, medical aid details and existing medical conditions.

DOUBLE your chances by liking and sharing us at www.facebook.com /fullsussa

Wear the ICEdot Band when you ride, because if the worst should happen your life could depend on the first respondent being able to identify you quickly and take the necessary steps to get you the best medical care available.

Find out more at www.icedot.org or email info@dbmultisport.co.za.

ICEdot Bands retail for R250, while the Crash Sensor retails for R1 500. You can purchase them from stockists in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth or by emailing sales@dbmultisport.co.za.

HOW TO WIN: Drop us an email by the 20th of February, with the subject: “Where I grabbed Full Sus” to comp@fullsus.co.za with the following details: Where you picked up Full Sus, ID Number, Name, Contact Number and Physical Address.

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from page 1

Terms of finance With the national credit act providing strict guidelines, there’s no hocus pocus or attempts to confuse you.

If there are, then you’re not using a reputable lender and you should back track, out of the dark alley you went down to find them, fast. All loans should be simply laid out with information on the deposit (20% for Bike Life) and the period of repayment (typically 12, 24 or 36 months), the monthly payment and the total cost clearly displayed. The quicker you endeavour to pay back the loan the lower your interest rate will be. Bike Life Finance charges 10% for a 12 month loan repayment period, 12% for 24 months and 15% or 17% for 36 months, depending on the cost of the bike. As an example, if you purchase a Bike Life financed carbon Giant Anthem ADV X 29er 1 from Cyclesphere in Durban with a retail price of R45 000, you’ll be expected to pay R3 165 per month over a year, R1 695 per month over two years and R1 248 per month over three years.

The incentive to pay over a shorter period is that the price increases from the initial 45K to R46 980 over 12 months, R49 671 over 24 months and to R53 926 over 36 months.

FinYou meanwhile list the price over 36 months on the tags you’ll spot on the bikes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tailor the repayment period to suit your budget. As they liaise between you and the bank they’ve got the ability to facilitate virtually any sized loan, up to R230 000, so more than enough for any bicycle.

You should also bear in mind though that there could be an initiation fee to add to the cost of the loan and perhaps a monthly admin fee too.

FinYou for example does not charge either, but Bike Life does. But these also have to be clearly displayed in accordance to the credit act. In fact if you’re not already familiar with the rights provided to you by the National Credit Act of 2005, you should pay the National Credit Regulator’s website a visit (www.ncr.org.za).

Ease of procedure Applying for a loan through FinYou

and Bike Life is similar to the process that you’d follow if going to a bank.

They still need all your details, including three months’ worth of financial statements, proof of address and your banking details. Both providers will provisionally approve your loan in double quick time, but if you don’t get the necessary additional information to them soon enough you’ll lose out on your bike. So the onus lies with you to complete the forms entirely, get the bank’s rubber stamp to confirm your financial information is correct and provide a certified copy of your pay slip.

I’d suggest that if you’re keen to speed up the purchase of your bike that you get the admin in order before applying for the provisional approval, that’ll shave precious time off your application process. Chances also are that while getting all the paper work in order you’ll have the time to double check your finances and see if you really can afford the bike you’re lusting after…

Insuring your bike or the loan You don’t have to insure your bike or the loan, but remember that you or your estate, should the worst happen, are still liable to make the repayments if the bike is stolen or broken. You don’t want to be making repayments on a bike you no longer have the joy of riding, so refer back to the article Full Sus did on bike insurance in the May issue (you can find it on www.issuu.com/fullsussa).

It’s never just a bike…

While you’re getting a loan for a bike you might as well throw in some extras too. Okay that’s irresponsible, but the option is there. You can bundle the bike, accessories and riding kit in the same loan to make the repayments really easy. You can even bundle purchases from different stores into one loan.

Xterra Kids

The Xterra series got underway again at the end of January, and if you’re not familiar with the format here’s a reminder. It’s an off-road triathlon series with events on the banks of the Buffelspoort Dam in the North West Province, amongst the fynbos of Grabouw and the plantations of Knysna (both in the Western Cape).

There are full and lite options for the big kids and a kiddie option too.

Known as the Xterra Kids the races offer the following options: ◆ 50m Swim, 1,5km Cycle and 500m Run, for the six to eight years olds

◆ 100m Swim, 5km Cycle, 2km Run, for the nine to eleven year olds. ◆ 200m Swim, 10km Cycle, 3km Run, for the twelve to fourteen year olds.

With Spur coming aboard as a sponsor for all the fun Xterra Kids events in 2014, the young ones can look forward to some extra special treats in the race goody bags. The Xterra Kids races will take place on the 21st of February at the Grabouw Country Club. The Xterra Lite takes place on the 22nd and the full Xterra race takes place on the 23rd of February, at the same venue.

Follow @xterrasa on twitter or go to www.stillwatersports.com for more info.

So what are you waiting for?

Getting finance to purchase a bike has never been as simple. You can drop in to your local bike shop and grab the forms or check out all the details online at www.finyou.com or www.bikelife.co.za. You can read up on all the terms and conditions, as you should, before you make your now informed decision.

SUS The responsible lending While Full Sus would like to see you out on the trails, riding and loving the best bike you can possibly afford, we would hate to hear of your family going hungry for it. Yes dropping some kilograms might help you improve your power to weight ratio, but it won’t help if you’re starving off the weight because you overspent on a bike and now can’t afford to eat.

So please exercise some common sense before taking out a loan. Don’t be irresponsible with your finances. Don’t buy into the “we have to buy our way out of the recession school of thought”, it’s true on a macro level, but you don’t want to be the micro guy making the big over commitment.

Yes your perfect bike might be the Superfly FS or the S-Works Enduro, but remember the best bike is the one you already own… Unless you’ve got the money for it…. Then go crazy (and send us photos!)

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news FS News

CHERIE VALE/NEWSPORT MEDIA

FS Bike finance

If you’re looking for added value to your riding experience look no further than the Trek Rider’s Club. It’s free to join, you don’t have to own a Trek bike and offers free mechanical support at all major multi-stage mountain bike events in South Africa (parts are charged – but you can’t get everything for free). As a member of the club you get invites to group rides with Trek sponsored riders, like James Reid and the Team Fedgroup, and to Trek new bike launches.

If you’re set to take part in the Garden Route 300, from the 21st to the 23rd of February, you’d be well served to sign up. You’re sure to be too exhausted from riding the fantastic Garden Route trails all day, to bother with servicing your own bike.

Go to www.thebicyclecompany.co.za and click on the Trek Rider’s Club to find out more and to sign up.

o.

DARREN GODDARD/GAMEPLAN MEDIA

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Kargo Pro MTB gets a UCI Licence

Shaun Peschl with Kargo team riders Travis Walker and Rourke Croeser.

The Kargo MTB team has become the first South African team to receive accreditation as a UCI MTB team. Shaun Peschl, the team manager, had the following to say:

motivated to do well in Cape Town than ever before. Looking at how far Doug Ryder has gone with his MTN Qhubeka team on the road – he has truly been an inspiration for us and we hope to have the same impact on the South African MTB scene.”

“We are thrilled by the news that we can now officially call ourselves a UCI mountain bike team for 2014. The timing could not have been better with African Champs less than twenty-four hours away and I’m sure all our guys will now be even more

It’s great to have a local team competing with the big boys of international mountain biking, and it can only be good for local rider development. Look out for the Kargo guys on the World Cup circuit this year, as Rourke Croeser steps up to the elite level and Travis Walker takes on the under 23 series.

full sus

News

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SUS our distribution increase to KZN & Vide E Cafes’ in CT Full Sus is growing and spreading again, this time into KZN! Yip you read that right, Full Sus will now be available in the trail riding mecca of Mzanzi. To be exact it’ll be available right at the epicentre of trail riding… the amazing Karkloof. From February onwards you’ll be able to grab a copy from the Big Wheel Inn, Symo Cycles, Howick Cycles and from Steve’s Coffee Shop in the Karkloof Country Club.

When you pick up your copy of Full Sus please thank the proprietor of the establishment from us. And if you see Gavin Ryan, Kathryn Fourie or Derek Turvey out on the trails give them a well-deserved high-five. You’re unlikely to ever come across a more helpful group of folks. It’s people like them (apparently they’re all like that in Howick) that make the Howick/ Karkloof area the MTB destination in South Africa.

Oh and you can also grab a copy of Full Sus from the Newlands and Belvedere Square Vida E Cafés. So you’ll be able to enjoy a great coffee with your favourite MTB publication too.

EPIC Team Ups

FS News

The Final Showdown

The big MTB event of March is not the ABSA Cape Epic, yip that’s right, it’s a real test of skill and grit which follows the 2014 Epic – it’s the Final Showdown. Hosted at Meerendal Estate, featuring the sumptuous cuisine of David Higgs, the Final Showdown is a fundraiser for Songo.info. It’ll pit pros like Christoph Sauser and Nino Schurter and sporting celebrities like Stefan Terblanche and Joel Strantsky against each other as they fight to solve mechanical problems.

There’ll also be an auction of Richard Scott’s artwork and the 2014 race bikes of the Meerendal-SONGO-Specialized team.

Tables can be booked for R5 000, for ten people, or individual tickets purchased for R500. For more information call Kathy Crabbe on 082 898 9850 or info@songo.info. Or book online at www.songo.info/events.

František Raboň in action on the Attakwas Extreme Challenge.

Speaking of the Epic, you’ll note Mariske Strauss and Hanlie Booyens are on the Final Showdown line-up and if you haven’t heard yet, that’s because the young XCO star is teaming up with Hanlie for a crack at the Epic. Pragma Orange Monkeys is the combo’s team name, and with Strauss still committed to her World Cup series goals, the Epic is more of a learning/mentoring experience for the girls.

DARREN GODDARD/GAMEPLAN MEDIA

It’s called the 3 Mountains MTB Challenge and it features three stages and a night race prologue in the mountainous area near the Lesotho border. Starting and finishing in the town of Clocolan, it’s organised by AfriCycle Tours and offers both team and solo entries, with short and long distances to choose from.

It also features under eighteen and under sixteen men’s and ladies’ divisions. The age group riders will compete over the short course route, which averages 45km per day, excluding the 20km prologue. Long course riders can expect to face 70km to 80km per day and the route takes in passes with unique names like the “Old Smous Pass” and the “Lion King Pass” so we’re expecting interesting riding.

More info at www.3mountains.co.za.

ZOON CRONJE

There’s a new race on the Free State MTB calendar and it’s a stage race too! Making it the first stage race to be held exclusively in the OFS.

LCB RACING…

LCB will be looking to produce riders to challenge at the UCI World Champs Junior level in the coming years, before tackling bigger goals.

There’s soon to be a new development team on the South African mountain biking circuit with an Olympic format cross-country focus. Coached by XCOSA’s Pierre Nel, the team will benefit from the sports science input from the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Institute. The aim is to produce world class XCO performers for the future, and as we’ve seen with Bafana Bafana, you neglect youth development at your elite national side’s peril. Watch this space as we’ll be keeping you up-to-date with the squad’s official launch and progress throughout 2014 and beyond.

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A pair who’ll be looking to win the Epic though, is the new Songo Specialized pair of Christoph Sauser and František Raboň. Road convert Raboň, placed fourth in the 2014 Fairview Attakwas Extreme Challenge in mid-January, so the early signs are good. With Sauser placing second in the Atta, behind Team Bulls rider Urs Huber and ahead of his perennial Epic rival and Bulls team leader, Karl Platt, the run up to the 2014 Epic is stacking up nicely. It’s still early days, but with the top contenders already feeling each other out, it’s shaping up to be an exciting Epic for the fans.

FS Sani Pass

Sani Diary

Left: Naivety at its best, just past the border gates and feeling good!

Below: Dave splashing his way along the easier parts of the road before the border.

Every now and then, someone gets the bright idea to ride up Sani Pass. In fact there is even an event now, The Sani Transfrontier Epic, which means more than a few people think it’s worth doing. Those more than a few people include Dave Drummond and Kathryn Fourie.

Photographs by Kathryn Fourie.

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he snaking brown road that switches back and forth up a section of no-mans land between the South African and Lesotho border posts leads travellers 905m in ascent. If you start from Sani Lodge Backpackers it’s an additional 402m, which means you climb 1 307m up into the sky.

I’d been up the pass twice in 4x4s, so when my mate Dave started saying he needed to train on loose downhills in preparation for the Mega Avalanche in Reunion at the end of November, the seed for a little adventure was planted. When the email started pinging between inboxes, I immediately said I was keen.

There is another reason I was so keen, aside from adventure.

My brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in July. He was 32, on diagnosis, healthy, muscly and full of life. I’ve been struggling with the whole situation since then, and I have taken to enjoying hard and painful things to sort of process stuff.

Particularly riding up hills. I told Dave I was in, and soon enough the date for our epic climb was upon us.

8:01: We’ve left the Sani

Lodge backpackers, about 30 minutes later than we should have.

No sweat, we aren’t in a rush. Dave is very excited about the day ahead, and so am I. We cruise gently along the tar road as the grey skies from the early morning are beginning to burn-off.

8:41: 8.88km in, and we’ve

been riding for about 30 minutes.

Still on the tar, but we’ve seen a view of our objective. It really doesn’t look that far away, and I am convinced the sections between the switchbacks are not very steep. I try to ignore the fact that my arse is sore already, and I may have been in Granny Gear for the last 3kms. The view, however, is gorgeous.

We’ve been crunching along the dirt road for sometime now, and we’re slowly climbing up and up through the rounded green foothills.

My arse has begun to numb out, so I am thinking less about my bottom and more about the burn in my calves.

Dave seems to have the ability to ride

9:03:

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fast, breath deeply and talk as though it’s completely natural to do all those things at the same time. My answers are becoming more grunty.

9:14:

and in the end we settle that we’d rather belong to some outlawed band of people in the forests. Your chances of survival seem better that way. “You know nothing Jon Snow!” I yell, and we pedal on.

I am quite sure my friend at work who said ‘Ja, it’s a quick 15km or so to the border’ must have been smoking something really good either when she rode it, or when she told me it was quick. Either way I wish I had some of whatever she had.

God, it really is steep and far away! This thing is stuffing huge! And we’re getting passed by lots of cars.

9:30:

10:30: 18.63km – 3km in,

We’ve reached the border post! I am thrilled! 15.5km in to our ride and we did that in an hour and a half. Not bad for a couple of Down Hillers, who never pedal. We feel quite chuffed and a bit showey offey, as our passports are stamped by one reaaaally bored looking official. Ja, ja, big deal; two more crazy idiots pedalling up the big hill.

Woohoo.

9:45: Heavy breathing, I

sound like an emphysema patient.

I instantly don’t feel showey offey anymore. Passed by a taxi coming down the hill, happy people, good tunes too. We get a thumbs up from a blonde backpacker, who I guess is Norwegian. Dave mutters something about following the taxi…

10:11: 17.65km in. Cheese and

Raaice man. That was the hardest thing I have pedalled up ever, period.

(Haemorrhoid Hill) Wait, that means we’ve only gone 2km since the border. That cannot be right? Dave says something about altitude, but I can’t even speak. Dave graciously stops for us to look at where he thinks people ice climb in the winter.

My eyes are drawn to the top of the pass, which now looks decades away. Oh jeez. This is going to take me a long time.

10:13: Dave points out that

the clouds drifting not so far away look like little dragons twisting in the sky. I spend at least thirty seconds ripping him off about being so poetic, and he says he has simply been reading too much Game of Thrones.

10:16:

We establish that neither of us wants to be a Lannister or a Stark. Dave points out all the Starks are basically dead anyway,

10:23:

I am walking. The crunch-crunch of my Shimano AM45s on the gravel is a stinging reminder that I am not on my bike anymore. Lame. I feel defeated. But it’s like my stupid thighs won’t do what my brain is telling them to do. I think a lot about my brother, and what he is trying to tell his body to do. I wish he was with me doing this; he would have some cool heavy metal song to yell and would tell me to harden the hell up.

10:32: Dave enforces a

food and water break, and we eat the roast butternut and feta sandwiches, which have become a Kath staple for riding events. Some nice men in a Honda stop near us and express that they think we are mad with big smiles on their faces. It makes me feel better and we lock and load, back on the bikes.

and lights up a cigarette. I swear I hear my lungs screaming like they’re in a bad horror movie.

10:47:

Ginger Movember then tells us that he was here when Greg Minnaar rode down Sani Pass on his KTM Downhill Bike which weighed 27kgs, and he reached a speed of 137km an hour, and it took him 9 minutes and some change border to border. There is so much wrong with that story that we can’t bring ourselves to even comment, and we move on. The top is still so bloody far away.

11:00:

We reach the first switch back (Hairpins Base), and I have already been pushing for a while.

Pushing no longer seems like a fail, it seems like a primary survival option.

Dave has told me the entire plot of Game of Thrones that isn’t covered in the TV series, and then imitates Dory the fish from Finding Nemo “Just keep swimmin’, just keep swimming’”.

We take some happy snaps (and I swear to never ride up Sani Pass with a DSLR and two lenses on my back again), and we’re off.

11:01:

I think I pedalled 20m, and then pushed 80m.

11:02: Singing “All by

10:45: We ride onto Suicide

myself” by Celine Dion in my head.

Goddamnit.

10:46:

The view is insane, and I am so proud of Dave for being so friggin’ fit. His lanky legs keep him rolling from switch back to switch back and he doesn’t push even once.

My thighs feel like they have been injected with lots of water, and are useless balloons.

Corner and stop to take in the view for a second. I am imagining what my hair would look like if I was Daenerys Targaryen, and puzzling over whether she could ride a bicycle – but why would she need to if she has three whole dragons?

A Land Rover pulls up and a Ginger man with an awful Movember moustache jumps out and says hello to us. Every single person in the Land Rover gets out

11:10:

11:45: Dave is still powering, and we’re close to the top. Dave shouts, “We’re so far up we’ve

“I BURY MY LETTER IN A DAMP DARK HOLE. WE COVER IT UP AGAIN AND I FEEL A LOT BETTER. THE WEIRD STUFF WE DO TO MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD.”

Sani Pass

FS

left the planet”. I think we left the planet when he first sent that email suggesting this idea.

12:00: I push up a rubbly bit,

and the pub at the top of Sani Pass is in plain view now. The road ahead is steep but well graded so I hop back on. Eish, my legs do not want to co-operate but as I am thinking I honestly don’t care if a whole pub full of people see me give up and push again, I hear a chorus of voices behind me and the noise of cheering. I am puzzled but I see it’s the group of American pre-med students who were also staying at our back packers, they hang out the windows and yell “Don’t give up! WOO HOO!”

12:01: I can do it! I can do it!

12:03: Why is there a

group of lycra clad men all mounted on bikes standing right at the top of the pass looking as fresh as daisies?

12:04: I greet the group

of 20 or so riders, who all rode up merrily this morning and were now ready for their descent. Oh. You. Are. Effing. Kidding. Me. Ha ha ha! I actually start hysterically laughing at how completely not special Dave and I are, and we get a high five pic surrounded by some of the riders.

Wait, maybe we are special: special like if you are the first two getting voted off Survivor and you were only on the island for one day.

12:07: Screw you

Celine Dion, get out get out get out!

12:30: 26km later and

we are stamped into Lesotho, and seated on the deck at the pub. Dave orders us each a Coke and a Maluti 660ml. We’re sharing a table with a group of people from Durban who make comments about the shepherds playing music for tips nearby. “Do you think they’ve ever seen the sea?” “Maybe we should come back here with Coke bottles filled with sea sand and sea water!”

It’s hard not to worry sometimes about our education system, but at the same time the Durbanites gave them R50 and wanted to show them the sea – it’s kind of sweet really.

12:45: I’ve brought paper,

an envelope and a pen to write a letter to my brother I will never give

him. I sit at the table with my green windcheater on and write on the small blocks of paper. I don’t reread them, and an extremely unpretty amount of snot trickles from my nose. I start to laugh a little at how First Ascent did not have goodbye letters in mind when they designed this jacket, and I rub my nose on my shoulder and sleeve.

13:00: Dave has done

Clockwise from left: 1. “We’re so far up we’ve left the planet!”, 2. Lunch-time obligatory selfie, 3. The snaky-sneaky Sani Pass twists far below, like a dusty brown liqoroo. 4. Punching in at the border, very pleased with ourselves. 5. High-Five! We’re only like the 50th and 51st cyclist to get up here already today!

and I am getting smacked in the back of my head with my backpack!

Bloody hell!!

13:40: Quick picture taking stop…adrenalin is going through the roof. Eek.

13:50: Whizzing down the

13:03:

loose gravel road, I crap myself every time I reach speeds where I can imagine my skin disintegrating if I fall off. It is bumpy and unpredictable and my eyes are feeling rather large in my skull. We stop to take it all in at Suicide Corner for a while.

13:10:

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

This is insane!! It’s takes all my concentration to stay upright but jirre it’s amazeballs of fun!

very well to ignore his sobbing friend, and politely clears up our stuff and marches me off to go and post my letter somewhere on the hillside.

Immediately realise that the beer has gone straight to my non-functional thighs.

What a weird sensation!

Pedal across the clumpy grass and rocks to a big cairn with white painted stones. Dave and I pull up rocks, and I bury my letter in a damp dark hole. We cover it up again and I feel a lot better. The weird stuff we do to make sense of the world.

13:20: Dave throws some-

thing he’s carried up the pass off the cliff, to settle some of his own demons.

It’s a big day for symbolism, and why the hell not. We got up Sani Pass!

13:25:

Beer was a bad idea.

I get my wheels caught up on a rock and a clump of grass and I literally fall off my bike while it’s standing still. In front of the restaurant, and the Durbanites.

13:26: Ride away as fast as possible giggling maniacally.

13:30: Suit up Dave, we’re going down!

13:31: Dave is killing it,

14:08:

14:15: We come screeching

16:00:

Roll back into Sani Lodge, 51km on Dave’s GPS. Weird sense of relief but also disappointment that it’s finished.

Okay, it’s definitely more relief!

16:08:

We mix a very odd tasting recovery drink that I think people were giving away for free at some provincial race. We gulp it down because we know that after we smash that, it’s a free for all on the five quarts in the fridge.

16:15:

Beer o’clock. We sit on the porch and stare up at the mountains side by side, two really good buddies who rode up a couple of mountains that day. We agree, Sani Pass was the easiest one to be sure. * Written in memory of my beautiful, strong brother Tristan who passed away a week after our Sani Ride.

into the Border Post. Dave does a huge back wheel skid up to a load of Land Rover inhabitants who all applaud him and laugh. Show off.

Actually I am just jealous I didn’t think of doing that.

14:20: We’re cruising

the dirt roads back to Sani Lodge Backpackers, with a head wind in our faces but we’re so happy. Even this section is fun as we pop and jump and skid and screech like kids in a playground for the next 20 minutes.

14:41: Need a pee, duck down a drainage ditch. Pee on my shoe, and sink my other shoe ankle deep in mud. All by myyyysellllllffff!

15:20: Back on the tar, and

we both admit it feels good to not be bouncing anymore. We find it funny how everyone hoots hello to us but no one offers us a lift.

Kathryn Fourie has become a bit of a regular in Full Sus lending us her considerable skills for the World Champs and introducing us to the life of a female downhiller. She’s from KZN, works for an NGO and has a trail dog called Cake.

Kath, we hope you remember the good times with Tristan fondly.

9

FS The fairer side of MTB

Why the girls love the MTB life With the launch of the Dirty Daisies ladies MTB series Full Sus decided to give a few ladies a call and find out why and what they love about mountain biking. Oh, and give a few of you on the fence a bit of a prod to get you into the sport.

If y for r to ge of “ a com pe ev Wi Ma

Mariske Strauss

“LAST YEAR WINES2WHALES FS: HAD HAIR al d DRYERS AND BIG dee Ek f MIRRORS IN THE swe is eg LADIES DRESSINGvan op v brei ROOMS” net

SA’s top MTB talent and UCI XCO campaigner.

Kate Slegrova Top amateur rider and coach to the stars.

Mariske Strauss is South Africa’s top performer on the UCI XCO World Cup series, racing for the UK based Orange Monkey Team. While she’s not training, you’ll find her studying towards a BSc in Sport Science at Stellenbosch University.

Follow her World Cup (and major undisclosed local stage race) progress in 2014 on twitter @StraussMariske.

FS: How did you start mountain biking?

Well funny story actually, I couldn’t really ride a bike when I was little (ssshhhhttt don’t tell anyone). Ha-ha no, but really didn’t have that bike under the Christmas tree for a prezi welcoming me into this amazing sport. Truth be told, my dad started riding after he stopped running, after which my older brother followed suit and I just figured seeing that I was always at the races I might as well join in the fun. I fell in love

10

and well, I’ve never looked back.

FS: What are the challenges you face that the elite guys don’t have to deal with?

Mmmm, I think the worst would probably be that ladies always seem to be nagged about how our racing isn’t as hard or challenging as the guys.

I honestly couldn’t care less about their opinions as we all have our own set of demands. I really don’t mind challenges; I rather embrace them and don’t let the detractors bug me.

FS: If you could give one bit of advice to a promising young female rider what would it be?

Go for it! Don’t back down and challenge your male training partners. It’ll only make you stronger and cultivate that aggressiveness that’s so crucial in XCO racing – or any type of racing for that matter.

Kate Slegrova has quickly become a Full Sus regular. She’s incredibly active on the local racing scene and when she’s not racing herself she’s coaching others to achieve their racing goals through her business: Cycle Training. Look her up at www.cycletraining.co.za or follow her on twitter @KateSlegrova, in the next few months she’ll be riding the Tankwa Trek, Garden Route 300 and the Cape Epic.

FS: As a lady what do you look for in a MTB stage race?

I usually look at the route first and then the overall package, like accommodation and food. Dryland usually does great overall races. For the route I like to ride somewhere new or somewhere that’s not usually possible to ride. Also I like to avoid rides with too much sand or rocks.

FS: Any advice for race organisers looking to attract more ladies to their rides?

MTB seems to be becoming very popular and I see more and more

ladies riding and racing. Lots of the ladies are really strong too, so I think the organizers are doing the right thing.

Last year Wines2Whales had hair dryers and big mirrors in the ladies dressing rooms…

ken enk Toe ek b is no dele Berg nie,

FS: How can I climb as well as you?

FS: Ladies are often good at climbing as they are lighter. It’s all about their Berg power to weight ratio. If you’re light wan dit v and can generate good power too you’ll fly up the hills. But if hills are gew your weakness that’s what you need pret Daa to train. soo If you’re looking to enter races make sure you include hill intervals, stuk at least once a week, in your training bev programme. Find a nice hill and do kan five to ten minutes of climbing with afdr your heart rate in Zone Four, and repeat. Start with two repetitions and FS: build up to three or four reps as you wag get stronger. Don’t forget to warm up Ong and cool down. And do your climbing hy b gew training on fresh legs. Gym work, like core exercises, jumping squats, voo baie lunges and burpees in winter will saam help your climbing too.

Desiree Strydom loving the MTB life.

The fairer side of MTB

FS

Mia Mocke

If you’re looking to stay or get in shape for riding then Mia Mocke is the lady to speak to. With Mia’s Training you get the opportunity to live her motto of “Me in Action”. She does individual and group training sessions and as a committed multi-sport athlete she knows personally what it takes to complete everything from an Iron Man 70.3, to Wines2Whales and a Comrades UltraMarathon. Follow her @MiasTraining FS: Hoe vergelyk bergfietsry met al die ander sporte waar in jy deelneem?

Ek fokus baie op driekampe so ek swem en hardloop baie. Bergfietsry is egter heeltemal anders as enige van die sporte. Dit toets jou liggaam op verskillende maniere en ook jou brein. Jy kan nie slap lê nie en as jy net vir ‘n oomblik “slaap” sal jy hard kennismaak met grond! Daar is nie ‘n enkele sekonde van verveeldheid nie.

Toe ek begin het met bergfiets ry was ek baie bang vir die tegniese dele (ek is nogsteeds) maar geniet die tegniese dele baie meer en het al baie verbeter.

Bergfiets ry toets nie net jou fiksheid nie, maar ook jou tegniese vaardighede.

FS: Wat maak bergfietsry so spesiaal?

Bergfietsry is vir my baie spesiaal, want dit is buite in die natuur en dit vat jou na plekke wat jy nie gewoonlik sal gaan nie. Dit is baie pret en mens kan dit sosiaal geniet.

Daar is min dinge so ongelooflik soos die uitdaging van ‘n tegniese stuk singletrack! Dit is ook baie bevredigend as jy jou verbetering kan sien as dit kom by klimme, afdraande en singletrack.

FS: As jy saam met jou man ry, wie wag vir wie naa ‘n lang heuwel?

Ongelukkig wag my man vir my. Toe hy begin fiets ry het het ek vir hom gewag, maar nou is hy baie sterk. (die voordeel van n man wees) Ons ry egter baie lekker saam. en ry altyd naweke saam. Hy’s my favorite training partner.

WWW.OAKPICS.COM

Personal trainer and lady who’ll beat you up every climb

“DAAR IS MIN DINGE SO ONGELOOFLIK SOOS DIE UITDAGING VAN ‘N TEGNIESE STUK SINGLETRACK!” a healthy life style have opened many doors in the mountain biking arena. It is no longer looked upon as extreme, but rather something to keep you healthy and fit. Mountain biking has also received a lot more publicity, with big sponsors on board the interest in the sport has grown and any woman from anywhere can participate in the sport.

FS: What makes an event fun?

Without a doubt - a great track. All the rest is nothing, but a side show.

Sharlene Vallance Dreams in single track, there’s no need to say more.

Sharlene Vallance has been riding, racing, winning and not winning since 1997. She’s been fit, unfit, injured and sponsored. She’s bailed more times than she cares to mention and is the guru on the trails around Van Gaalen’s. @SharleneV FS: How accessible is MTB now for ladies now compared to back when you started in 1997 and what’s changed?

It’s a LOT more accessible now. In 1997 it was labelled an ‘extreme sport’ and not many women wanted to mountain bike never-mind if it was accessible or not. Companies like Discovery Health in promoting

FS: Any final words to convince ladies out there to pick up a bike and ride?

What you put in now - you get out at 50 or 60. The human body is a machine, uniquely designed. Any bit of effort and good living (food and life-style) will be seen in measurable results when you are older. For a woman, aging and looking good as you grow older is very important.

Mathilda Viljoen Wine maker and avid mountain biker

Mathilda, or Tillie as she’s better known, Viljoen has worked at Jordan and Sinonsvlei Wine Estates so it was inevitable that she’d start mountain biking with the great trails on her doorstep. She’s currently the Assistant Wine maker at Mooiplaas Estate where there are some fantastic trails on offer, check them out at www.mooiplaas.co.za.

FS: Hoe het jy begin bergfietsry?

Ek is n wynmaker en elke wynplaas het omtrent ‘n bergfiets roete. Ek het op n dag uit die kelder geloop en gesien hoe die fietsryers by die proekamer n glasie wyn geniet. Nie lank daarna nie het ek my fiets gekoop, en na my eerste roete het die gogga my behoorlik gebyt!

FS: Wat is die lekkerste deel van bergfietsry? Definitief die single tracks en die mooi natuurskoon waar die bergfiets roetes gelee is.

FS: Waar is jou gunsteling plek om te gaan ry?

Daar is so baie! Deesdae is dit definitief Oak Valley!

11

FS Intro to MTB for ladies

the bike, and buy shoes and pedals later on, trust me your knees and wrists will thank you.

6. Bike fitment Go for a bike fitment soon after purchasing you bike. This is crucial to get you comfortable on our bike.

It will give you better control and enable you to get more power out of the bike and more out of the trail.

7. Go Ride!

Then hit the trails girls! Start out with jeep tracks and feel how your bike responds to different terrains and surfaces (clay roads, pine needles and sand all provide a different challenge!) when you’re feeling more comfortable try venturing onto single track, it’s where the true riding fun begins!

From outsider to rider in Ladies are you nearly sold on MTB? Here are Full Sus’s final words on how to get into mountain biking, courtesy of Biking in the Bosch’s Joanna Dobinson.

Before you know it you’ll be out on the trails having fun!

1. Decide on price range Decide on what you have to spend, remember bike finance is an option too and consider the type of riding you’re likely to be doing. If you’re planning on riding races and trails look from the middle of the range and up. ◆ Entry level bike: 4-8 K ◆ Middle of the range bike: 9-15K ◆ Top of the range bikes: 16-140K

2. Go to a ride before you buy Mountain biking is an expensive sport, but some bike shops and manufacturers will let you test ride before you buy. Test out different brands, see the difference between soft tails (shock at the front and rear)

and hard tails (shock at the front only) and feel how different sized wheels ride. You get ladies specific bikes too, so try them out! This is a great way to make sure you get the right bike before you fork out thousands of moola.

3. Shop around Once you have decided on your brand and style of bike, shop around at reputable bike shops, who offer excellent after sale service. Some shops will offer to beat the previous quote to get the sale, so don’t be afraid of starting negotiations. But go informed ladies or take a friend who is.

4. Essential accessories The most important accessories to buy with your bike, on the same day you buy it, are basic spares like a multi-tool (it’s like a pen knife but instead of blades and bottle openers it contains allen keys and chain breakers), a pump, a spare tube and tyre levers. If you buy an expensive bike it’s definitely worth paying the extra money to get tubeless tyres fitted, which will decrease the chances of getting punctures. Shops will often throw in a water bottle cage and saddle bag for your spares and a free service after a month, so ask for these be included in the price if they don’t offer it.

Make sure you don’t leave the shop without good gloves, a

JOANNA DOBINSON

8 easy steps

helmet and cycling shorts. I don’t recommend buying clip-in pedals and shoes as a beginner. The shop wants the sale but you will take the bail! Rather get used to your bike and technical riding with tekkies and the flat pedals that come with

8. Skills clinics I highly recommend going to a reputable skills clinic early on. The skills coach will get you into the correct position on your bike and teach you valuable skills and riding technique before you pick up bad habits. This will build your confidence and get you safer on the bike!

For skill coaches in your area check out the Full Sus Classifieds at www.fullsus.co.za.

SUS Three key skills When it comes to mountain biking, 3 things are very important to remember! Think about and do these three simple steps when you ride, and you will be flowing down techy single track in no time!

A. Speed is your friend!

The faster you go, (within your limits of course,) the more control you’ll have.

If you go faster over obstacles, and choose the correct line, you hardly feel the obstacle, whereas if you over think and go slowly over an obstacle it can kick you off your bike and cause you to fall.

B. Look ahead Your bike goes to where you look ladies! So look ahead and choose a smooth line and never look where you don’t want to go, because if you look down the cliff or at that sneaky tree stump, guess where you and your steed will end up…

Always look about 4 to 10 meters ahead of you so you can choose the best line before you get to it.

C. Get into the Attack Position Sounds serious and it is. Being in attack position could save your life! Get into the attack position when you ride downhill, especially on technical single track. You basically float above your bike which means that your bike can hit obstacles and move below you from side to side and you ‘float’ above your bike with perfect control.

Biking in the Bosch Biking in the Bosch specialises in single track

◆ Ride down a slight downhill

riding, and getting the fear out of you and the

◆ Stand up on your bike with your

fun factor back in! Joanna coaches skill clinics

pedals at 50/50 for even weight

◆ Head up and look ahead

distribution

◆ Butt just above saddle and be

for beginner and intermediate riders, male

12

How to get into attack position: ◆ Relax your hands (and your whole body will relax!)

and female, ages eight and up. Look her up on

◆ Shoulders low and back level

sure to have some weight on

Facebook at Biking in the Bosch, email her at

◆ Knees slightly soft/bent

your handle bars for

Bikinginthebosch@gmail.com or follow her on

◆ Elbows slightly bent and out

better traction!

Twitter @joannadobinson1.

Read more about getting into the attack position on in the November issue of Full Sus on www.issuu.com/fullsussa

Ride Report Garden Route Trail

Holiday

The Trail Series made use of the amazing trails of the Garden Route Trail Park.

But once we got above the tree line a beautiful view was a great reward. Coming from fairly dry Cape Town, we really appreciated all the lush green indigenous forest which makes the Garden Route so special.

After a long descent we headed off towards the newly built single track.

And what a pleasure that was!

Similar in style to G-spot in Stellenbosch only with uphills, we had to work the legs and lungs too.

Another longer and steeper climb later and we finished the last 10kms of the race through forest single track. Though fun, the technical trails were tricky on tired legs – with lots of trees to ride into and bridges to fall from into the beautiful river. I managed not to hit any tree nor fall off a bridge, and got to the finish in three hours and forty minutes. For 60kms, this is quite slow by my standards, but the total ascent was close to 2 000 meters, so it was by

THNorthern Cape

N1

Eastern Western Cape Cape Barrington George ◆ N2 Knysna

where are we?

Barrington Farm is about 20km inland from the Garden Route gem of Sedgefield. They started the trail building in 2011 and the 20km of single track has taken around 15 000 man hours to build.

Above Left: Riding the forest trails is bliss on a hot summer day. Above: In the lake filled region of the Garden Route there are plenty of river crossings, which provide the option for a cooling dip if you prefer rather than racing across.

race (well done guys!) and with the series featuring 8km and 12k trail runs and 10km, 20km, 40km and 60km mountain bike rides on both the 22nd and 29th of December they introduced many riders to the great trails of the area. If you didn’t take part in the races you really should go ride the Garden Route Trail Park’s amazing trails. You can find out all about the trails on offer at www.gardenroutetrailpark.com, and they’re part of the Big MTB Year too so you’ve got another excuse to plan a trip to the Garden Route.

no means an easy ride.

Ischen Stopforth came home ten minutes before me to claim the last podium position, but with big racing goals ahead early in 2014 I wasn’t disappointed with the result.

The 60km ride at the Garden Route Trail Series is not easy, but it featured an awesome scenic route and was very well marked with lots of fully stocked water points. The water points were supplied with USN energy drinks, gels, fruit and carrot cakes from local farmers and a Seattle Coffee stall at the start\finish.

Advendurance put on a great

WWW.DAVIDCORREIAMINUS1.COM

T

Never mind as this was a training race.

SO

Kate Slegrova spent the Christmas holidays in the Garden Route gem of Herolds Bay, so she was happy to note that Advendurance added the Garden Route Trail Series to their 2013 calendar.

So she signed up for the last race of her year. he race start was 25km from Sedgefield on the Barrington farm. There were various options to choose from: off-road duathlons, trail runs and short and longer routes of MTB. As always, I opted for the long MTB route on the 29th of December.

It was beautiful morning with few clouds promising a great day out - not too hot but still warm. At the registration tables I saw lots of familiar faces in amongst the new ones. It was great to see so many people who keep active over the holidays!

We set off at 7:30 and headed straight up into the beautiful green forest covered mountains. Ischen Stopforth and a few others left me behind and I started riding with Marleen Lourens, who is a strong and experienced mountain biker.

We’re both training for the Cape Epic, so by Sunday our legs were already tired from fifteen hours in the saddle that week.

A F R I CA

U

RACING

FS

Kate Slegrova has been putting in the hard miles on the bike over the festive season and January as she ramps up her training for a crack at the Epic.

She’s already ticked the Attakwas off her to do list and next up are the Tankwa Trek and Garden Route 300 before the big race at the end of March. Follow her progress on twitter @KateSlegrova or book a training session with her at www.cycletraining.co.za.

13

FS Trails

GO PROPER

African MTB

IN MANKELE

Left: The lush Lowveld vegetation provides a great backdrop for the trails out of the plantations. Above: The trails will have you boosting with joy. Below: Just watch out for slippery descents.

Kick-ass climbs, bush tunnels, rumbling thunderstorms, outback trails and superb single-track… that’s Mankele MTB Park for you.

If you and your bike ever get to Mpumalanga, this is one stop-over you can’t miss.

Photographs and words by Jacques Marais.

Local Buzz: Mpumalanga is proper Africa. Black mambas, big five beasts, head-high grass, a pissed-off sun and epic electric storms are the order of the day. Cappuccinos and delis and yuppies, well, not so much. So if you decide to saddle up and ride, get ready for gritty mountain biking that will test your technical ability as well as your climbing capacity.

Off the bike, your money will get you some of the best game parks, mountain hikes, bird watching (and red meat!) on the planet. And the best news of all is that you can do all of this at Mankele, a destination that epitomises the phrase ‘great outdoors.’

Trail Low-Down:

If you’ve ridden (I’ve not) or heard (who hasn’t?) of the Isuzu Three Towers MTB Stage Race, annually held in Mankele, chances are that your calves will involuntarily spasm every time someone mentions this. It is one tough ride, I believe, especially if the combo of the Red and Green Route I rode recently is anything to go by.

We decided to forgo the ‘easy climb’ along the tarmac, rather dropping onto a single-track just to the right after exiting from the Mankele main gate. Synch into a flowy section of finely scalped trail following the river’s edge, then cross

14

the river before keeping left at the next split.

Get psyched right about now, because a calf-gnawing climb awaits you as you granny-gear your way up to the Mamba Tunnel and underneath two Table Tops. Follow a short section of farm tarmac onto a split left along some jeep track, and then it is a Right-Left-Right once you get to the top. A piece of pine forest single-track will get you onto a gravel road, through a low tunnel (watch your head!) and eventually past the Mayo Estate.

Pin back your ears as you zig into the downhill, keeping an eye open for the Mount Carmel sign where you turn right, and then right again into a wheezing climb. And now, finally, you are about to get sucked into single-tracking Nirvana as you follow the single-track down into the bush tunnels.

Beware the huge drop (there is a chicken run to the left, if you’re sane like me), then give it gas through this enclosed emerald passageway.

Take care as you cross the tar road, looking out for another gut-thumping drop on the other side. Follow the road until you reach some more single-track (to your right), passing a farm house on the left.

Once you get to the Mikon Gate, cross the Sabie main tarmac strip and look out for a final section of single-track to your right. Sit back,

YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET SUCKED INTO SINGLE-TRACKING NIRVANA

relax and let gravity take you all the way home to the start. The above description may sound bitty, as there is actually too much information to fit into a short article like this. We also mixed-and-matched sections from various routes, so this is pieced together from their website. The best advice is to get out and ride it really.

The good news is that there are excellent maps available from

Reception, and also on the website at www.mankele.co.za. You can also download both Google Earth and GPS Track Files on the site, so there’s no one to blame except yourself if you get lost.

Getting there: Look for the R539 off the N4 – you will find Mankele MTB Park along the Sudwala Caves and Sabie off-ramp.

Trails

SUS the Mankele Green Route:

www.themapstudio.co.za

Grading: Moderate

Must-do Event: Isuzu Three Towers Stage

(Some Technical & Steep parts)

Race - www.3towers.co.za

Duration: 2-3 hours Configuration: Circular Ride – 20km or so Start Point: Mankele Main Gate Terrain: Single-track of note; some jeep-

Access: Day entry is a ridiculously cheap R35 Cell Reception: Reasonable reception

track; (go-easy tarmac options)

permanent canvass tents or camping

Beware: Slippery sections after rains; can

Local Contact: Keep this emergency

be like proverbial soap in the tunnels.

number in your phone – (082) 338 9533

Post-ride Beer: Around the fire at your

GPS: S 25° 23´ 19.45” / E 30° 42´ 43.36”

FS

along route

Accommodation: You choose – log cabins,

cabin – bring your own!

Jacques Marais is the author of Top MTB Trails, and will be keeping you up to speed with the best rides in SA. You can find out more at www.jacquesmarais.co.za

full sus M T B O NLI NE

Get your MTB fix online now at www.fullsus.co.za.

The Full Sus website features all the great content that you’ve come to expect from Full Sus along with an extensive mountain biking calendar and a portal through which to contact biokineticists, physiotherapists, dieticians, sports masseuses, sports doctors and MTB coaches. Go check it out now at www.fullsus.co.za.

l a dies, i t's yo u r tu r n now.

WWW.DIRTYDA ISIES.CO.ZA

IMAGE: OAKPICS

GPS NAVIGATED ULTRA MOUNTAIN BIKE EVENT

WWW.EXPEDITIONBLACKBERG.CO.ZA

FS Coaching

tips to peak THIS SEASON

In this issue Dr Mike Posthumus shares his favourite high intensity training session, tips on how to best perform these sessions, together with the scientific evidence.

W

hether you have finally reached the build-up (last couple of weeks) to your key race or just simply short on time and want to get the most out of your training, here are a few of my personal favourite high intensity training sessions. Include these in your arsenal of high intensity training sessions to improve your performance, be it for a short duration MTB event, such as cross country, or an ultra-endurance marathon event.

For a recap on how to create your heart rate training zones referred to in this article, please refer to the October issue of Full Sus, for the Coaching Column on creating heart rate zones (find it archived online at www.fullsus.co.za).

40:20’s: ◆ Session description: Warm up (45 min zone 2 and 3). Follow with 40:20 intervals. i.e. do 6 x 40 seconds maximal sprints with 20 seconds recovery between each sprint. Rest 15 minutes in zone 2 and then do another set of 6 sprints. Make sure that you do the sprints with the same average power for each sprint instead of going all out and then fading. Warm down: 45 min in zone 2 only at high cadence (90-115). ◆ Session tip: Perform this session on a moderate to steep gradient (8-10%) climb. Preferably a very quiet

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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

intervals maximally in zone 5). Rest until your heart rate reaches 65% of your maximal heart rate. Recovery: 20 minutes zone 2. ◆ Session tip: This session may be optimally performed on an indoor trainer with accurate power meter. If an indoor trainer with accurate power meter is available, perform the 2 minute intervals at your peak power output. Your peak power output can be determined by performing a maximal graded exercise test. Such a test can be performed at leading Sport Science facilities across the country, such as the Sport Science Institute of South Africa. This session does however not have to be limited to an indoor trainer, it may also be performed on a moderate-steep hill. When performing the session outside, ride maximally for 2 minutes.

During the rest period roll down the hill to the start point and rest until you reach 65% of your max heart rate. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, rest for 4 minutes.

road without much traffic. I have personally found I get far greater benefit from rolling downhill while still pedalling (i.e. keep moving your legs) in the 20 seconds rest, at 20 seconds turn around again and attack the hill for another 40 second sprint. Perform this for a total of 5 minutes 40 seconds (6 sprints).

Make sure you’re adequately rested before attempting another set. ◆ The science: A recent study by Rønnestad and his colleagues✱, investigated the effect of a similar training session (30 seconds sprint and 15 second rest) vs. 5 minute maximal intervals. Although both intervals resulted in improvement in performance, this study demonstrated greater improvements when performing the short intervals.

The short intervals resulted in superior improvement in 30 seconds, 5 minute and 40 minute all out performance, indicating benefit across a large power profile range.

30 second sprints: ◆ Session description: Warm up (45 min zone 2 and 3). Follow with 10 x 30 second maximal sprints (Start from slow speed on 8-11% gradient.

Accelerate as hard as you possibly can and keep dropping through the gears to maintain high resistance).

Rest 5 minutes between each sprint (You can stand still and gasp for the first 2 min). Warm down for

45 minutes in zone 2 only at high cadence (90-115). ◆ Session tip: This session is not to be underestimated. Maximal sprints are extremely difficult and up to half the rest period may be spent just trying to get back on your bike. That should be your yardstick.

After the 30 second interval you should literally fall off your bike. Only extremely well-conditioned athletes will manage 10 maximal intervals.

Again, perform on a steep climb.

Also ensure it is a quiet road – for your own safety. Get some friends together and have a sprint shootout over 30 second durations. This is a great way to ensure you are pushing yourself hard enough. ◆ The science: Contrary to what some may believe, 30 second sprints have been shown to be as effective, if not more so, than other high intensity protocols. Similar performance improvements were noted when compared to longer interval durations (2-4 minutes). In addition, a 30 second work duration protocol has also been shown to induce a larger exercise stimulus than protocols of longer duration (2-4 minutes).

Tmax intervals: ◆ Session description: Warm up (30 minutes zone 2 and 3). Perform 8 x 2 minutes at your peak power output (if don’t known do two minute

◆ The science: This session has been referred to as the ultimate interval session. It coined this name after it was compared to 2 others high-intensity protocols.

This session outperformed the other sessions in most performance measures recorded. The term Tmax refers to the duration the athlete can sustain their peak power output.

The 2 minute intervals are meant to be a rough estimation of 60% of Tmax, as this is how the session was originally designed. In addition, the protocol performed with the variable rest periods, according to % max HR, also showed superior benefit to the protocol with a fixed rest period.

When including high intensity training in your training program, do not include more than two sessions per week. Keep other session in the week extremely easy. As I explained in the November issue of Full Sus (Achieve maximal results with polarised training), aim for a 20:80 split between very hard and very easy training. For further help in structuring and including these high intensity training sessions in your training plan for your next big event, please visit www.sciencetosport.com and browse through the library of training programs to find an appropriate program. ✱

Find the full list of academic references on www.fullsus.co.za

Nutrition

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DIETS DON’T WORK! They only make us feel worse about ourselves!

Rochez O’Grady was thrilled to hear the ladies would be taking over in this edition, and so she was more than happy to do the same for her piece this month.

There’s a topic that stood out as she’d seen it repeatedly throughout her career, read it in research papers and learned through personal experience - that diets don’t work!

O

nce we put ourselves on a diet, it’s been proven that it makes us overeat. This is due to a psychological effect as we are continually obsessing about food and that we are most likely starving on these diets. We overeat, and after we’ve overeaten we feel terrible and start our diet again, and end up being trapped in this an infinite cycle of restarting our unrealistic diets every Monday morning.

Unfortunately, we are brainwashed by a sinister creature

Rochez O’Grady (pronounced r-OH-shay) is a registered Dietitian and runs her own practice called MunchWize.

She focuses on educating and motivating her clients in practical ways to follow a healthy lifestyle and achieve personal health goals. You can find out more about MunchWize at www.munchwize. co.za or ask Rochez your nutrition related questions at rochez@munchwize.co.za.

called the media that plasters up the top five tips telling us how to be thin, healthy and happy week after week – just in time for our fresh start on Monday morning.

Why have we gotten stuck in this cycle? Why do we think that being thin is going to make us happy?

I think life has reached a point where so many other things are placed above the importance of nourishing our own bodies. Our lifestyles are so crammed with things we have to do we end up forgetting to feed ourselves. Then once we realise it is time to eat we are often starving and end up devouring anything in sight.

Our lifestyle is so chaotic that our eating pattern follows suit.

Busy lifestyles also allow less time to eat and as a result we end up eating faster, making it more difficult to listen to your satiety signals; only realising five minutes after the meal that we didn’t need that extra helping or last few mouthfuls. Physical hunger is inherent and as we grow older, we no longer listen to our bodies. We often try to suppress our hunger so we can be thinner.

We always end up focusing on the problem, which is the desire to continuously lose those 5kg, and end up starting to tackle the problem by dieting, which doesn’t work as we slot right into the cycle of overeating. What we should be doing is examining the cause.

◆ Make it easy for yourself: set times for when you are going to be eating throughout the day. Place priority on these times and stick to these times according to the clock. These are times to nourish your body make sure you keep the appointment you have set with yourself. ◆ The next step would be to listen to your physical hunger. Don’t wait till you are very hungry or too hungry to eat. You are more likely to make the wrong food choice or end up overeating. Once you feel you are getting hungry start preparing food, in accordance with your eating routine. Remember to slow down your eating. This can be done by putting your knife and fork down between mouthfuls and

chewing your food. Your mouth is the first point of digestion.

This will help you identify when you are starting to get full and prevent overeating. ◆ You have the basic wisdom to differentiate between what is healthy or not. We all know that having a side salad instead or a side plate of chips is far healthier for us. Listen to that voice so that you can make food choices that honour and respect your body.

Learn to accept yourself as you are now, stop being sabotaged by falling into the creature’s trap.

Address the root of the cause, and not the symptom. Quite simply, listen to your body.

“REMEMBER TO SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING. THIS CAN BE DONE BY PUTTING YOUR KNIFE AND FORK DOWN BETWEEN MOUTHFULS AND CHEWING YOUR FOOD.”

Do you skip meals and end up raiding the fridge? Is your eating pattern completely erratic? Always be curious and ask why.

This will give us answers as to where we can make changes. What do your meal patterns look like? Routine and structure in your food space is key.

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FS MTB Skills guru

stage racing

✔

MUST HAVE CHECK LIST With the Epic just around the corner and having just lead three, four day training camps on the actual 2014 route, James Thornhill-Fisher has listed some must have items, that in his extensive experience you’ll need to ensure you make it to the finish line.

T

he following list contains items that you must have with you during every ride and not just the EPIC. Many riders find it unnecessary to carry all of these items on their local rides, but I have found that it is on these rides where I end up helping a lot of unprepared riders.

chain on the trail, this is going to be your best friend. It allows you to remove the bad link with your multitool and then reconnect the chain without having to press in the pins.

NB: Make sure you have the correct one for your chain i.e. 9 speed, 10 speed or 11 speed.

✔

worse than being on the side of the trail with a flat tyre and a long way to walk. Even if you are running tubeless tyres, a spare tube will get you home when you slash a sidewall.

Nutrition – While you ride, you are burning loads of calories. You need to replenish these calories and nutrients during the ride. I eat real food mostly but do carry energy or protein bars just in-case. They are light enough to carry and are not heavy on your stomach. Another good alternative are gels. On longer rides, I always take a peanut butter and honey sandwich and a banana.

(This is a whole subject on its own that I’ll cover in a later issue…)

✔ Tubeless Repair Kit – If you

✔Spare Derailleur Hanger (Dropout)

are riding anywhere in Africa you are going to need this. We have “Kameel Dorings” and all sorts of sharp rocks and thorns so sooner or later something is going to cause a puncture that your sealant won’t seal. For those still riding with tubes… convert to tubeless before the Epic!

- Every recent bike in memory has the feature of a replaceable derailleur hanger. Should your rear derailleur hit a rock, the hanger is normally the first to give.

✔Hydration Pack – A hydration pack serves two very important purposes. Firstly it carries your water.

Secondly it carries all of the items that I am about to list.

✔Spare Tube – There is nothing

✔Tyre Levers – Changing a flat tyre is much easier with the aid of some good tyre levers. I have used Park Tools levers for years, but recently switched to the Maxxis brand, as they are stronger than the Park’s.

✔CO2 Cartridge – A CO2 cartridge will make filling up an empty tyre/ tube much faster on the side of the trail.

✔Mini-Pump – They are light and small enough to fit in your pack and some even offer a pressure gauge as an option. I would recommend buying one that has the gauge so that you can be sure that your tyre is pumped to the right pressure.

✔SRAM PowerLink - A SRAM PowerLink is a single connecting link that works with almost all of new chains. This item could possibly be one of the most important things to carry while riding. If you break a

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✔ICEband – If you get in a serious crash on the trail, people need to know who you are, where you live and what medical aid you’re on. This information is also vital for hospital personnel. ICEdot (www.icedot.org) makes a wrist band with a unique code, the first respondent SMS’s the code to a number and your medical details and emergency contacts are sent back by SMS to the first respondent.

✔Multi-Tool - This “do-it-all” tool has almost everything you need for a trail side repair. I use the Crank Brothers Multi-19 Tool. Be sure to pick up one that fits all the important stuff (i.e. if you have SRAM components they do not use allen keys they use torx tips!) If you have the incorrect tool you’re just carrying dead weight.

✔First Aid Kit – This one is pretty self-explanatory. It is not if… it’s when you or someone you are riding with crashes, it is good to have a small first aid kit available to clean everything up.

✔Toilet Paper/White Gold – This

Trailside Repair Course:

can be a life saver during a trail side nature break, but it can also be used to wipe off anything.

If you’re not confident you’ll be able to fix your bike while on a ride book a trailside repair course with James.

He’ll teach you to replace brake pads, fix tubeless punctures and convert your bike to a single speed should all else fail. For more info go to www.mtbguru.co.za or call your LBS. Many shops, like Freewheel Cycology offer repair courses in their workshops.

✔Space Blanket – It’s flat, it’s cheap and it may just save your life.

Made of heat-reflective thin plastic sheeting. It reduces the heat loss occurring due to thermal radiation, water evaporation from perspiration or blood loss.

✔ Spare gear Cable - This takes up no space and only costs R20.

✔Electrolyte Sachets – Rehidrat electrolyte sachets can help prevent cramping and fatigue.

✔ Money – Always have some cash with you, you may need to buy food, pay for a ride home or buy something to fix your bike.

✔ Cell Phone – Do I need to elaborate?

✔A couple of Ziplock Bags – To keep things dry, like your phone or toilet paper or just to store the various items in to make them easy to find in a hurry.

I consider everything on this list a must have to make sure my rides go off without a hitch. It looks like a lot on paper, but the overall weight really isn’t a lot once you get loaded up.

James Thornhill-Fisher James Thornhill-Fisher, the MTB Guru, has over 25 years of MTB experience and has ridden over 60 000km in the last 5 years, leading numerous Cape Epic training camps along the way. You can book a one-on-one skills session or repair course by going to www.mtbguru.co.za.

If you build it, they will come…

or will they?

AmaRider’s Meurant Botha gets weekly requests from landowners and riders who want to develop new trails on their properties or in their backyards. Sadly most of these ideas or dreams do not materialise, primarily because of budget or permission restraints. So in the next series of articles, Meurant will shed more light on the process of developing a new trail.

Where do trails come from?

Several factors drive the development of a new trail but primarily, trails develop due to either user demand or because of commercial initiatives. These initiatives can include tourism and especially in the case of South Africa, the development of event courses is a primary trails driver.

User demand typically drives trail development around major centres where high population volumes

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 website at www.amarider.co.za

obviously include loads of riders.

One generally finds that trails here consist of a combination of new trails and the formalisation of existing tracks and trails through lobbying.

That being said, some of our best country trails are developed by local enthusiasts who simply want a cool place to ride. Little consideration is given to budget or somehow recouping the investment and the builder derives enjoyment from the trail in a similar way to any other person who invests heavily in a hobby.

The benefit of ‘hobby trail building’ is that the builder directs and controls the vision of the trail, based on personal riding preference and are not guided by an exhaustive ‘please-everybody’ spec list or public participation process. The outcome is generally unique and this goes a long way to create the variety in trail challenges that mountain bikers enjoy.

Imagine how boring it would get if all trails were built to the same spec by the same builder!

Of course any project in and around the urban edge is almost guaranteed to be fraught with red tape and bureaucracy. Hence it’s important that urban trails are driven

by collective interests, such as mountain bike clubs. The Tygerberg MTB Club is a prime example of a strong collective lobby group. But clubs are not only effective in big cities as shown by the Karkloof MTB club in the KZN Midlands.

Mountain bikers are quick to point out that they do not like or need to belong to clubs, but unfortunately you need structure to engage organised groups like ratepayer associations or municipalities. Your municipality serves the interests of key constituencies and groups, not those of individuals.

Once hobby builders access funding the miles of trail tend to multiply. Stellenbosch is a good example, there are five or six builders active in the community, which works hard to provide them with funding, and you can clearly see it in the variety and amount of trails around the town.

If you are not building a ‘hobby trail’ as described above, but want to use a trail as a tourism conduit,

MEURANT BOTHA

Amarider

FS

sustainability becomes an issue as you are looking at a fair financial investment. Many tourism-driven initiatives need a lot of cold water tipped on dreams of high visitation; revenue derived from permit sales and projected spin-offs as a result.

The business plan must preferably position the trail as an added benefit or attraction underpinning an existing attraction.

When we talk tourism, I like to compare a trail to a swimming pool.

In a hot location the venue with the swimming pool will be much more sought after than the one without. Equally, the MTB-minded visitor would rather book a venue that provides trail opportunities.

Importantly though, is the reality that just as the pool will require filtration and chlorination, the trail needs maintenance.

If the trail is in a rural community you’ll do well to attract 200 riders a month. The income derived from this level of visitation will never cover the initial investment so you will have to consider alternative revenue sources. For example, you have to monetise the visitor via a restaurant, accommodation or conferencing.

Also bear in mind that in order to attract today’s trail rider, you need a substantial offering, as the scale of developments around nowadays make it difficult for even events to draw riders away from their home trails.

Smaller towns and regions that are keen to develop trails need to understand that almost all of the international examples of “small town - big mountain biking” tourism success stories have one common theme: The locals all ride! Riders like to visit communities where mountain biking is high on the agenda and the passion can be seen throughout the community, not only on the trails.

“ALL “SMALL TOWN - BIG MOUNTAIN BIKING” TOURISM SUCCESS STORIES HAVE ONE COMMON THEME: THE LOCALS ALL RIDE!” 21

FS Conservation

WWW.MTB-ADVENTURES.CO.ZA

Touring the great outdoors in

Greyton W

hen I moved to Cape Town I discovered everything is far away, except the local Woolies food and favourite surf spot, so when I came across the Greyton MTB Tour I quickly roped in a few mates. And it’s a good thing I did, as the ride was full almost three months in advance and with all accommodation in Greyton fully booked, we decided to stay in a quaint little cottage in Genadendal, which is about 5km outside of Greyton.

To our surprise we found that Genadendal was the first mission station in South Africa. It was originally called Baviaanskloof after a German missionary, George Schmidt, settled in the valley on 23 April 1738.

Schmidt began to evangelise among the impoverished and detached Khoi people (also known as the Hessequas and Attaquas) and also taught them how to read and write.

This small mission station grew into a picturesque town known these days as Genadendal where we were welcomed with open arms to stay among the friendly residents.

To the North East lies the lovely town of Greyton at the foot of the majestic Riviersonderend mountain range. These mountains form part of the Cape Fold Belt of the Western Cape and run from east to west, separating the Breede River Valley from the Overberg region. The mountains and the valleys can be explored on your trusty mountain bike steed for days on end. For those of you who would rather take a relaxed weekend away from the city hustle, you can explore the famous one-or-two day Boesmanskloof trail, which stretches between Greyton

and McGregor.

I would definitely recommend taking a slow ride through this lovely town before heading out on one of the well-marked trails in the area.

This town offers a very rich history which was created by its founder, Herbert Vigne, in 1854 when he established a freehold agricultural village on his farm Weltevreden. The town was named after Sir George Grey, the then Governor of the Cape.

Most of the properties are all laid out as it was originally designed with water running in furrows along the streets and large open spaces left for horticultural pursuits.

The uniqueness of this country town promoted the establishment of the Greyton Conservation Society, which was founded in 1979, in order to safeguard the historical and ecological significance of the surrounding area. Two years earlier the 2 200 hectare Nature Reserve was also established by Professor Brian Rycroft, who was at that time the Director of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Thanks to initiatives like these we can still enjoy the scenery and almost never ending trails laid out in the area. It’s no surprise that the Overberg Birding Route website refers to this area as a “top birding spot” where you can see birds such as the Buff-spotted Flufftail, African-Rail, Purple Heron, African Harrier Hawk and Martial Eagle. The surrounding area also offers a diversity of plant species such as Proteas and Ericas. Look out for the magnificent King Protea which flowers around July and October. Visit this area during March and April and take a ride with your bike along the foot of the mountain

“THE MOUNTAINS AND THE VALLEYS CAN BE EXPLORED ON YOUR TRUSTY MOUNTAIN BIKE STEED FOR DAYS ON END.” 22

Corli, Jeanne-Louise and Jaco making the best of a very cold situation on Day 1 of and muddy the Greyton Tour.

and witness how large patches of the mountain become covered with a colourful blanket of Erica species.

During August every year the town of Greyton host the Greyton Tour which is organised by MTB Adventures (of the Houw Hoek Tour acclaim). It gives you the opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful surroundings where the locals assist at the water tables and even offer to hose down a muddy drivetrain as you pass through. The vibe is relaxed, the competition is good and the single track is suitable for all levels of riding. It’s a great platform for anyone who wishes to start exploring the world of multi-day races or even the professionals out there to have some affordable fun with a few mates.

Other races in the area include the Greyton MTB Classic, Dirtopia MTB Festival and Genadendal Mission MTB and trail run.

Those who just wish to visit Greyton and explore the trails on their bike have the option of sticking to the gravel roads which meander through the valley or trying out some of the single track laid out through the area. Bikes can also be rented from several places in town which cater for all ages and which might be a good option if you bring along the family and wish to play around in the Rockhopper Forest without the hills.

Now, as much as I enjoy being a part of the rugged outdoors and taking a ride on the wild side, I have not yet considered what I would do if I should ever come across a leopard in the mountains.

I suppose my reaction would make it change its spots from fear of this arm-flapping, hysterical creature tossing a strange object with two wheels in the bushes and running

JEANNE-LOU ISE WIESE

Somewhere around 2009 Jeanne-Louise Wiese stumbled across the little town of Greyton on a Western Cape road trip. She so enjoyed the tranquil little village, where local kids ride horses through the streets, that she decided there and then to visit whenever she could.

in the other direction. For this exact reason I was very pleased to find out that the Landmark Foundation introduced the Leopard and Predator Project in Greyton around September 2010. The project aims at counting these predators and tracking their movement throughout the region in an effort to conserve the small number left. Other animals recorded included baboon, porcupine, grysbok, small grey mongoose, rhebok, honey badger, spotted genet, African wildcat and bush pig. This just proves the biodiversity of this pristine area and hopefully encourages more people to protect it and learn more about the areas that they ride in.

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.

Magic 30

JAG Magic at the Epic

FS

TAKE ON THE

ABSA Cape Epic How did you get an entry is always the first question people ask when they hear you’re doing the ABSA Cape Epic. Quickly followed by why are you doing it? Well, through golf John Bayly met Greg James, founder of The JAG Foundation and Greg encouraged him to do the Epic. Greg offered John one of JAG’s sponsored entries for which he was required to raise funds for the nominated charity “BullyProof”.

T

he challenge of the Epic could not have come at a better time! I have owned my own business in Joburg for the last 17 years – I am happily married to Inga and we have two beautiful boys – Nicholas (6) and Cameron (3). But I’ve experienced crazy weight gain, caused by entertaining clients, incorrect diet and a complete lack of exercise – in short too much of “la dolce vita”. I quickly realised that unless I created an epic intervention I would not be in any physical position to play with my young boys in a few years’ time. So I jumped at the chance of riding the Epic for JAG and BullyProof.

Choosing my riding partner I have known Dominic Malan for 30 years – we met in Standard 3 (or Grade 5 to you modern kids) in 1983 at Wynberg Boys Junior School and have been close friends ever since

– hence the name of our Epic Team – “Magic 30”. A group of us from school have remained good friends.

Dominic rode the Knysna Oyster Festival 50km MTB with me in 2013 and, despite me barely completing it; he agreed to partner me in the 2014 Epic.

With the decision made, our first concern was the buy-in from our families. Both my wife, Inga, and Dominic’s wife, Luisa, agreed to support us. And we pledged that for the good of our families we would try as best as possible to make sure that the Epic did not encroach on traditional family time.

The implication of this is that we have done the bulk of our riding in the mornings, from 4:30am to 7:00am before work and this rolled over into the weekends. Easily the toughest part of every training ride is covering the distance from my bed to the Nespresso machine…

JAG BullyProof The JAG Foundation uses sport as a catalyst to teach children to engage in physical activity, absorbing its values and benefits, in order to produce holistically healthy individuals who believe in themselves and their future. We will be riding to raise awareness and funds for “BullyProof” one of the JAG Foundation’s key initiatives.

BullyProof aims to take a new approach to the epidemic of bullying.

BullyProof illustrates the effects of bullying to children allowing them to empathise with the bullied. It has proved a far more effective teaching tool than a mere “Don’t do this” or “Stop that” approach. More than 11 000 children in grades four to seven from 25 schools in Bonteheuwel and Mitchells Plain experience the JAG BullyProof programme each year.

For more information regarding the JAG BullyProof programme and ways of getting involved visit www.JAGmagic30.co.za. You can also look out for JAGmagic 30 on Facebook and twitter – like us now and help make a difference.

Dominic Malan: Age: 41 Weight: 90kg Height: 6ft Family: Luisa (Wife), Daniel (7) and Kerry (5) Work: Diageo Regional Marketing Manager Hobbies: Surfing, Golf, Fishing, Braaing and Cycling Years Riding: 6 MTB Events Completed: Attakwas, Sani2C x 3, Wine2Whales, Knysna 85 Bike: Cannondale Scalpel 2 Aluminium

John Bayly: Age: 41 Weight: 102kg Height: 6ft 3inch Family: Inga (Wife), Cameron (4) and Nicholas (6) Work: Own Business – Green Advertising Hobbies: Hunting, Golf, Fishing, Braaing and Cycling Years Riding: 3 MTB Events Completed: Knysna 50km Bike: Giant Anthem X1 Carbon

We always try to finish our long rides by 10am on the weekends, after which my family joins me for breakfast and Dom takes his kids to their weekly swimming lessons.

Training over the December holidays was brilliant as we actually got to ride together. With me staying in Joburg and Dom living in Cape Town, it’s been difficult. As many of you know, riding with your partner allows you to better understand each other, especially when the going gets tough.

Back to the Dec holidays - we followed the same – ride early, finish early – pattern we’d established in the year. December training rides were followed by cricket on the Wilderness beach against “Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis” - otherwise known as Daniel (Dom’s son) and Nicholas. We managed to discover great things during our riding in Wilderness including an 800 year old tree in the middle of the forest, something we took the families to see later that afternoon.

We are finding it tougher now with the longer weekend hours required leading up to the event. We need to remind ourselves to remain focused

and committed to our promise in the beginning - to be respectful of not taking advantage of our families’ time.

Balancing the training and work responsibilities has been okay. In fact I have a little more focus at work now, following the endorphin rush of the early morning rides. That being said, I have however made other compromises – less golf, less hunting, less drinking and yes, a lot more sleeping.

My second concern was: Can I actually do this race! And then where do I start… In golfing terms I was a proper 18 handicapper. I have never done a stage race, I had never ridden longer that 55km and I had certainly never spend more than 9 hours on a bike – something that I would have to do for seven days in a row.

Why are we doing this ride again!?!

At 115kg’s and with an entry level bike I started training and gaining knowledge about cycling. I had never used a heart rate monitor, was not on a specific diet, did not have training programme and had not had a bike set-up done before.

But more on that in the March issue of Full Sus.

MY SECOND CONCERN WAS: CAN I ACTUALLY DO THIS RACE! AND THEN WHERE DO I START… 23

FS A bicycle retrospective

THE HOWS AND WATTS

of bicycling

This month loose cannon correspondent David Bristow looks back at 200 years of cycling, and peeks into the future of mountain biking.

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hile descending the Vasbyt track on New Year’s Day, I thought about my trajectory from roadie to downhill demon and what an amazing machine a bicycle really is. It’s estimated there are a billion bikes out there, twice the number of cars…

So it did hit a flat note when, on getting home I discovered that while readers of the Chicago Tribune had voted the wheel the second most important invention of all time (after making fire), they rated the fabulous bicycle a humiliating 99 out of 100 and way below the automobile.

With any luck, I thought, the meek bicycle shall inherit the transport world and save us from ourselves, but maybe that was just the hangover talking. The truth is: the versatile bicycle is a low resource user, an easy form of transport, promoter of good health and great all-round fun machine. Looking at the early models, however, you’d be hard pressed to figure out how or why.

How, for instance, we got from a crude scooter to a machine that is, watt for watt, up to 98% efficient.

While pounding down the Blue Route training for the Argus Tour (which, I confess, I’ve decided to try after an eight year lay-off), I’d be pushing out around 200W (1/4 horsepower) at 40kph. To pass me

David Bristow has buckets of MTB experience having ridden and written “The Spine of the Dragon.” He’s also the webmaster of www.dragontrax.co.za, a site which aims to be the country’s go-to, free, repository of GPS’d MTB tracks.

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at the permissible 100kph, a car would be putting out around 100 000W, or 134HP. So, with all this efficiency going around, have you ever wondered why the bicycle is often referred to as a push bike?

The first means of transport to use two wheels in tandem made its appearance in France and Germany around 1817 (or 1818) and named the Draisiene after its inventor Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun. It soon found its way over to the Great Britain where it was dubbed the dandy horse.

The rider sat astride something that looked very much like a disselboom with two iron wheels in-line. The fearsome machine was propelled by running astride, while steering the front wheel with a wooden lever. This, it must be said, was not the most elegant or efficient form of transport ever created. Who knew where it would lead…

The first machine that, with any degree of honesty, could be called a bicycle is attributed to the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillanan. In 1839 he came barreling down from the Highlands on a mechanically propelled, twowheeled vehicle that was swiftly dubbed the bone-shaker. It was propelled by the rider pumping opposing pedals that were connected to the rear wheel cranks by connecting rods.

In 1860 Frenchman Pierre Michaux added a fixed-pedal crank mechanism and thus was born the velocipede. One of these won the first ever bicycle race, a 123km dash from Paris to Rouen in 1869. The machine in question had heavy iron wheels with thick, radial, rod-like spokes. It had no tyres, no bearings, no gearing, no suspension, a wooden saddle and narrow wooden pedals fixed to the front axle.

When you consider the cut-off time for the 106-km Argus Cycle Tour is seven hours, the winning time at Rouen of 10 hours is quite remarkable. Not long afterwards, a velocipede beat a horse-drawn carriage from London to Brighton, and the rest is all rubber, gears and ball bearings.

It was English inventor James Starley who figured that, if one revolution of the pedals equalled one revolution of the fixed front wheel, then the larger the front wheel the further one revolution would take him. Enter the high

“THE RIDER SAT ASTRIDE SOMETHING THAT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE A DISSELBOOM WITH TWO IRON WHEELS IN-LINE.” ordinary, or penny farthing. Within in no time, there were track racing and touring models available.

Cycling clubs appeared all over the place, in Europe, North America, Asia and even Africa, buzzing about on these machines and setting all kinds of records: like riding 400km in one day – imagine that The 1869 Paris Show witnessed the arrival of a revolutionary machine, featuring a tubular steel frame and tensioned, spoked wheels. Within a few years simple gears and freewheeling axels running on greased ball bearings made an appearance. Thomas Stevens even cycled around the world, on a penny farthing, with steamship passage connecting the land bits, in three years, back in 1884-7!

It was Starley, however, who had arguably the most game-changing revelation of the age when he conceived of a drive chain going from a mid-situated pedal gear around a rear wheel cog. This was

the safety bicycle that looked very much what we ride today.

His Rover bicycle of 1885 would be a bestseller retro cruiser if reintroduced today.

But it was Scotsman veterinarian John Dunlop who saved our dignity.

In 1887 Dunlop developed an inflatable rubber tire for his son’s two-wheeler and the days of bone shaking were over.

I could go on about subsequent and upcoming developments in suspension, new materials and gear ratios, but as you see space is running out on me. So you’ll have to wait till next month to hear what the fortune-teller told me about the shape-shifting year to come. Happy happy.

Race Report in photos

African XCO Champs

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Mariske ‘No Fear’ Strauss in action

The African XCO Champs took place on the 25th of January at the Slammer XC track in Durbanville. Steven Smuts of Snapsport Photography was there to capture the action.

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Steven Smuts is an avid sportsman and loves photography, so he decided to combine the two. He aims to capture the emotion and facial expressions of athletes as they dive in to score that match winning try, cross the finish line or wipe out off their bikes. He’s always looking for that “once in a lifetime” shot that’ll never be replicated. Find him on Facebook at Snapsport Photography.

e a rid like into g n i oth ou out the e’s n y f Ther getting flora o g . r n e i o f Cap maz the a Western

ocal girl Mariske Strauss, claimed her first Elite title after stepping up from under 23 on the first of January. In the men’s Elite race, Pretoria’s, Philip Buys continued to stake his claim as the country’s top XCO performer with a victory over Lourens Luus by a mere five seconds.

The under 23 ladies title was won convincingly by Candice Neethling, with James Reid winning the under 23 men’s race.

In the Junior division Bianca Haw claimed the Junior Ladies African Champion’s title and Stephan Senekal claimed the Junior Men’s title in an impressive time of 1 hour 15 minutes and 56 seconds for his six laps of the course.

In the Sub-Vets categories Full Sus’s Coaching columnist Mike Posthumus came in sixth and the ever competitive Kate Slegrova came in third. For all the results visit the Cycling South Africa website at www.cyclingsa.com.

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Phil Buys being chased hard by Lourens Luus

Louis Knipe throwing down style for bonus points

photo of the month

Oakpics is a Strand based photographic company.

They shoot a vast array of events, covering everything from wild horses to weddings. But it’s in MTB that they’ve carved out a niche as one of the leaders in the 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.

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FS Bike review

Axis A20

The Axis A20 is billed as being kitted with class leading specs, in its adverts, so it is fitting that we saved it for last in Full Sus’ hard tail entry level bike tests.

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The pragmatist’s

CHOICE I

t’s a slightly odd looking machine, the metallic grey with blue trim is easy on the eye, but the frame’s angular tubing is thinner than the current bike fashion. It’s by no means an old fashioned looking bike, it’s just different…

Your attention is soon shifted from the frame. The Suntour Epicon XC fork’s unique through-axel juts out of the front wheel, drawing attention to the weird little red and grey configuration holding the wheel in place. If you’re a fiddler by nature you’ll soon be taking the wheel off to check how Suntour have gone about it. At first I didn’t like the system, it seems over engineered and something to wear out and go wrong. But most worryingly the front wheel was showing alarming signs of slop. Then I realised I was being doff and could tighten the grey bit, which put tension on the front end, and so had the wheel running true in double quick time.

In fact after taking it apart I discovered it was actually a really simple system and one that should last for years. And if you do smash

it on a rock, it will surely be an easy and inexpensive bit to replace, so all in all I’d say it’s better than the screw in through-axel idea. Threads strip pretty easily and replacing the entire axel because the tip is stripped is going to be more expensive than just replacing the cap off the Suntour design.

On to the bike… It rides really well.

The Kore XCD components making up the wheelset produce a fast rolling machine, which maximises the advantages of the 29er wheel size. The 3 x 10 drivetrain is overkill in terms of gear options and duplication, but given that it’s a bike aimed at the first time buyer looking for something to get them going on the trails, the added gears at the top and bottom end will help the less fit rider cope with what the trail brings.

The A20 handles as well as you’d expect for a 29er hard tail, the fork soaked up everything I threw at it without a problem and unless you’re going to do something crazy, it’ll do the same for you. It’s a pragmatic bike for a pragmatic rider, if you want value for money and don’t need the

SUS The Geometry Medium frame 17”: All measurements in mm or ° Seat Tube .......................... 440 Top Tube ............................600 Head Tube ........................... 110 Seat tube angle ........... 72.5° Head tube angle ..........69.5° Chain Stay .........................445 Wheel base .......................1105

Find out more: RRP R15 000.

For the full spec lists and dealer information go to www.axis-bikes.com. big name (pushing up the price,) then the A20 is a great bike to consider.

It really is tremendously well kitted for its price, though you might want to change the saddle if you’re going to be doing marathon rides, and its looks grow on you.

Yes it lacks the unquantifiable soul of some hard tails, but it makes up with pragmatic performance. It’s aimed at a buyer on a budget and it’ll exceed that buyer’s expectations.

SUS The reviews

Para’Kito

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Scott 910

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Here at Full Sus we don’t just give you information on what to look for when buying an entry level bike, we tested a few for you too.

Here’s how the Scott Aspect 910 shaped up.

If you live in the northern parts of Mzanzi or are planning a trip into a high malaria risk area then you’ll want to take precautions. One of the most effective means of combating those pesky blood suckers is the use of the natural mosquito repellent, Para’Kito.

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ara’Kito manufactures mosquito repellent polymer pellets which have seven essential oils impregnated into them.

These pellets can then be slotted into a wrist band or belt clip which is then worn on your person or attached to a back pack. In the case of Lowveld night riding, you could clip it to your hydration pack.

The essential oil blend deters mozzies by masking the carbon dioxide and lactic acid, which your body naturally produces, that attract mosquitos. It unfortunately cannot mask your heat map, however, so once the mosquito is within three meters of you she (for the ones who do the biting are of the fairer sex) will still be able to track you down and inflict an irritating bite. So if you’re in a high mosquito density area you should look to double up on the protection with a second band or clip.

In our test, conducted in the most mosquito infested area we know,

the Para’Kito pellet was left in a bedroom and they definitely reduced the mozzie activity. So it seems they have a slight repellent factor along with the masking effect. Using a single pellet did not completely deter mosquito bites, but perhaps doubling up would help.

The test subject, refused to wear the test band – due to its camouflage colour scheme – even in the comfort of her home, but with more understated, plain colours, on offer this shouldn’t be a deterrent to you.

The essential oils give off a rather pleasant aroma I thought, which in a well-ventilated room shouldn’t bother even the most sensitive of olfactory lobes. They’re made from natural plan oils and are N,N-Diethyl-metatoluamide (DEET) free, so Para’Kito is safe for children and pregnant ladies.

Oh, and the pellet is good for fifteen consecutive days and is fully waterproof, working as soon as it emerges.

PHOTOS BY JULIA ANDRADE

Scott 910

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he Aspect 910 is a striking entry level machine which looks better than the price tag would suggest. It’s definitely the best looking entry level bike we had a closer look at. And it’s not just the paint job, the bike looks good all round, but how does it ride?

The RockShox XC30 coil fork does feel rather heavy and slow on rocky terrain, so I’d suggest that this bike is rather better suited for the rider looking to spend time on gravel roads rather than rough jeep track or rocky single track. It’s firmly positioned in Scott’s Sport section and riders should be cognisant of this when they buy this bike. It’s set-up for a purpose, the 3 x 10 drivetrain, Schwalbe Rapid Rob tyres and fairly upright riding position all make for a bike that’s at home on gravel.

Ride wise you feel the size of the 29er wheels and the bike’s overall weight (12.9kg) but again we’d like to stress that you have to know what you’re buying an why. The Aspect 910 isn’t a race machine; it’s a bike to get you active and outdoors. It’s perfect for taking the family man around the West Coast National Park on a leisurely ride with the family or the teenager to school and back.

At R12 900 the Aspect 910 has got a host of tough competition, but with its good looks it could well win you over. If you’re keen on finding out more go to www.scott-sports.com/za/en/.

To find our more go to www.za.parakito.com. Para’Kito products are available for purchase online or through the nation-wide network of retailers. RRP R180.80 per unit for the bands and clips, R121.30 for two replacement pellets.

THE ASPECT 910 ISN’T A RACE MACHINE; IT’S A BIKE TO GET YOU ACTIVE AND OUTDOORS.

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FS Gear

Ladies MTB Gear

With the enthusiasm of our mountain biking ladies egging you on and the Joanna Dobinson’s advice in hand you’re ready to take on the world of MTB. So how about a few pointers on must have ladies specific gear? You’ve got to look the part after all…

The ladies specific mountain biking gear market is continually growing as more girls take up the sport. That means you’ve got a good selection to choose from. Whether you’re keen on the slim Lycra look or the baggie clad look of an Enduro warrior you’ll be able to find something to suit your riding and fashion style.

There are also a host of online shops to browse before you make your purchase so familiarise yourself with what’s out there. Have a look at the offerings of www.EvoBikes.co.za, www.CWCycles. co.za, www.ChainReactionCycles.com and www.SportsmansWarehouse.co.za before venturing out to see what’s on the market and get an idea for prices.

Then as with any item of clothing, try it on before you buy. The different manufacturers all have slightly different cuts and sizes, so make sure that you’re not buying something to suit your wallet that doesn’t suit your body. You’ll hate yourself for saving R100 if your bib shorts chafe you on every ride.

Nalini SPINA Ladies Bib Shorts A good pair of bib shorts will save you hours of misery on the bike. Without them you’re bound to be uncomfortable, so have a look at these. Billed as Italian perfection, the Nalini Spina ladies bib shorts are constructed from moisture-transferring Newport Xtra-Life fabric.

They offer UV protection, muscle support and a body hugging fit – to show off the toning effects of all the riding you’ll be doing in them. But the key feature is undoubtedly Nalini’s HF Anatomic chamois. You can purchase them online from www.evobikes.co.za for R895.

Diadora Escape 2 Woman’s MTB Shoe If you’re to get the most out of your riding you’ll need a pair of woman’s specific MTB shoes, like the Diadora Escape 2’s.

They’re designed to envelop the typical woman’s foot comfortably and securely.

Featuring a fiberglass reinforced nylon outsole and suprell, with Morpho Cage A-M to ensure greater stability, breathability and comfort, upper and built in arch support they’re a well-constructed and reasonably priced shoe. Oh and they weigh 295g if you’re interested in such things. Find them on www.evobikes.co.za for R750.

Specialized Phenom Pro Saddle Like a good pair of shorts a ladies specific saddle is also a must. Specialized pride themselves on their Body Geometry range of gear and their saddles have been scientifically proven to be among the best in the world.

It’s designed to ensure that the blood flow isn’t cut-off by the saddle impinging on the arteries, veins and nerves feeding through the crowded pelvic girdle. The Phenom saddle features sufficient padding for an all-day ride and a slightly downturned nose for seated climbing. Visit www.specialized.com for all the specifications and to find your nearest dealer.

Go Girl Go Girl is the perfect device for those awkward moments when nature calls but there are no modern ablutions in sight. This silicone cone is great to pack into your hydration pack to make a mid-ride, road side stop a little easier. Just nip behind a bush…

It’s best explained by the video really so go check it out on www.gogirlsa.co.za. It’s also handy off the bike, where public bathrooms can be a serious hygiene hazard.

The Go Girl is washable, remember urine is sterile, but you can’t use it indefinitely, so invest in the three pack.

You can buy them online from www.gogirlsa.co.za for R 185 for a single or R500 for the three pack.

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Newline Ladies Bike Vent Jersey This slim fitting, ladies cut, bike jersey is constructed from a mix of three different stretch fabrics to ensure the perfect fit. It’s designed with race orientated riders in mind, featuring airflow mesh, an anti-glide elastic back hem, flat locked seams and three patch pockets. Its microfiber construction allows for greater cooling effects, is quick drying and easy to care for, making it the perfect jersey for the wardrobe of the frequent stage race rider. It’s available from www.evobikes.co.za for R795.

First Ascent Ladies Freeride Shorts With the growing enduro movement gathering riders all the time, there’s a growing need for ladies baggies.

Without the tight fit of bib shots, but with all the comfort of a ladies specific chamois, the Freeride Shorts will have you looking the part while mixing it up with the guys on your local trail or in the next enduro event.

Constructed with a super soft inner and a durable quick drying outer the Freerides are designed to be comfortable but tough. They also feature two zipless and two zip pockets and stretch rear panelling for articulation in the riding position. Buy them online from www.firstascent.co.za for R700.

Got them

Stirling Revolution

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workshop blues Stirling Kotze, aka Stirling Senior Years in the saddle: 27 Favourite ride/ trail: Table Mountain, Cape Town Recurring MTB nightmare: Dirty, worn chains The Stirling Revolution Bio The father and son combo of Stirling senior and junior are avid cyclists and owners of a local bike shop in Cape Town. In their monthly column they’ll be offering their uniquely phrased views on the ins and outs of mountain biking from negotiating a discount to locating that weird noise your bike keeps making, but won’t make when you take it to the workshop, they’ll cover it.

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nlike marriage, what is true is that the more experienced mechanics and long-time riders make fewer mistakes (marriage never gets easier). The reality of the relationship between the mechanic and the rider is that their collective experience improves their ‘partnership’ and fewer mistakes (perceived or real) are made.

The Upside-Down Bottle Cage In most bike shops nearly all staff members fulfil some sort of mechanical role. The technically gifted become mechanics and the rest become sales people! Just about every new staff member will install a bottle cage upside down. The rest of us watch as he does it and then, with great mirth and cruelty, we point out to everyone his embarrassingly stupid mistake.

The ‘Something About Mary’ Moment Our favourite workshop incident is the exploding-tubeless-tyre-repair/ conversion. Initially it scares the living shit of out of everyone (including innocent customers and nearby car guards) but the aftermath of white sealant dripping off the nose and ears of the unfortunate staff member is enough to put everyone else in a good mood the rest of the day.

The Mechanicus Interuptus Ripple Effect

Now we get to the serious stuff. The one is ride-ending and the other is life-threatening. You’re starting your ride at Tokai Forest and you’re through gate and just about to start the climb when you find your crank arm dangling off your right foot. Or, you’re cruising along Sea Point beach road and you turn into the corner, your bars go left and, alarmingly, your front wheel continues to go straight. And

Any rider who has ridden for a few years knows that bike mechanics sometimes do make mistakes. Conversely, all bike mechanics know that customers often blame them for faults the customers themselves caused. And Stirling Senior knows that mechanics and customers are reluctant to admit to their mistakes (sounds like most marriages)! my favourite, is when you get your bike back, show-off with a wheelie, and off drops the front wheel (this actually happens much more often when customers don’t fit their front wheel on properly after transporting the bike).

These ‘malfunctions’ are typical results of the mechanic being interrupted mid-torque of the relevant nuts n’ bolts. So, when a mechanic says ‘give me a few minutes and I’ll be with you’ it’s not because he is rude, but because he is mid-something critical on a customer’s bike on the work stand.

Shifting Shenanigans Without doubt the biggest cause of sour workshop-customer relationships is when your bike shifts like shit after a service. Excluding the mechanic making a mistake or doing a slack job on setting gears what are the scenarios? ◆ The new housing and new cables are compressing and stretching respectively. Solution: a quick barrel adjust by you, your mate or the shop will sort it out. ◆ The nut on the derailleur that holds the gear cable taut was just not tightened enough and upon the first proper ride, the cable slips a bit in the derailleur. Solution: drop to smallest gear, loosen nut, re-taut cable, tighten nut, and then fine tune the gears using barrel adjusting. ◆ The customer loads his bike into his car/bakkie with the derailleur side down and bends the hanger slightly – this happens a lot. Moral of the story, don’t bump or rest anything on the derailleur. Solution: shop straightens hanger and hopefully the customer buys a real bike carrier.

delivery is when customers ‘force’ their way into the system. In other words, customers who have not booked their bikes in, knowing that the Argus (Epic, Sani, W2W) is around the corner, bringing their bike in for a service. If the customer is a regular it is difficult for the workshop to say no and the result is that a number of bikes booked in could be less than 100% prepared. Eventually the workshop does say no and the customer still gets pissed off. A ‘lose-lose’ situation all round. Solution: book in your bike well in advance of any popular pending race. If you’re not participating in the upcoming event, be fair and book your bike in the week after the race.

If you can afford it, try to authorise what the bike shop suggests…

The most frequent comeback rate on serviced bikes is as a result of the customer not taking our advice and us having to compromise our ability (mainly because of his imposed budget) to service the bike so that it is safe and fun to ride. When things go wrong the customer blames us, forgetting the limitations he imposed on us in the first place.

When a customer agrees to authorise too little in relation to our advice, we will suggest he take the bike elsewhere as we are not prepared to compromise his safety, enjoyment and, sometimes, his competitiveness.

And our reputation.

Customer’s bike is delivered by his driver (or wife or girlfriend) with no clear instructions to the workshop.

This is often the most frustrating

to us. We are unable to carry out our standard check-in where we isolate work required in front of the rider – worn chain, headset bearing play, BB rough, wheel out of true etc. When we demonstrate these issues in front of the rider he ‘buys into’ the suggested repairs. Problem, he is not present.

Trying to contact the customer is sometimes impossible. Without a mandate, our approach is tentative and the waiting game ensues.

Thankfully, we do have some customers that have their bikes delivered and their mandate is that we proceed with servicing, repairing and replacing regardless of the costs involved. Their bikes are always perfect once the service is completed. Quite simply, these riders love their bikes and their riding and they trust our workshop and respect our integrity. They’re our best customers by far! And though it may sound counter-intuitive, at the end of the day their yearly spend is no more than Mr Scrooge because parts are replaced in a timeous manner getting the most out of the delicate balance between lifespan and performance.

Empower your workshop Clearly the relationship between the workshop and the rider has to be equal – like a willing patient and a good doctor. Most important, is mutual respect. Accept that most bike shops do not want to rip you off. They just want you to enjoy your bike and your riding. And they want you to be happy.

Empower your mechanic/workshop and your relationship with your bike shop will soar and 99% of the time your expectations will be exceeded.

◆ The bike is a full suspension and the test rider weighs 70 kg and the customer weighs 90 kg – the shifting will respond differently. Solution: test ride your own bike before you take it home so that the workshop can do the final barrel adjustments. ◆ The drivetrain, shifters and/or derailleurs are excessively worn – the shop would have told you. Solution: replace with new bits or buy a new bike if your current bike is 9-speed or less.

Pressurising a fully booked workshop in a busy pre-race week By far the biggest reason for workshops slipping in their service

JUST ABOUT EVERY NEW STAFF MEMBER WILL INSTALL A BOTTLE CAGE UPSIDE DOWN.

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CALENDAR MPUMALANGA 22 Sappi Mankele MTB Challenge 29 Lake Umuzi Cosmos 3-in-1 MTB Challenge GAUTENG

2 Dunblane “March Hare” MTB Challenge

5 Kia Over the Moon Series 6 ASG Night Series 9 Babbas Lodge MTB Series # 3 22 Tyger Valley MTB Challenge, presented by ASG

29 ASG 24hr Ride EASTERN CAPE

1 XCO Provincial #1 8 Sundays River MTB Marathon FREE STATE

15 Spur Tour de Parys #1 20 3 Mountains Challenge 1 1 2 2 15 15 16 21

WESTERN CAPE WCAD Summer Series #2 Cape Argus Pick n Pay MTB Challenge – Fun Rides Cape Argus Pick n Pay MTB Challenge – Races PPA Ride for Your Life Awareness Rides 2014 MTN National MTB Series #3 Tulbagh First Ascent Mast Challenge Spur Adventure Duo & Sprint Race # 3 West Coast Warm Water Weekend

23 ABSA Cape Epic 30 Spur Kid’s @ Lourensford 30 Lourensford Vineyard races

WESTERN CAPE

11 36One Extreme MTB Challenge 25 Mad Mountain Marathon 26 Trans Karoo 26 WCAD Summer Series #3

KZN 1 KZN MTB Provincial #3 XCO, DHI & Enduro 7 Bisley2Baynefield Out-and-Back 8 North Coast – Zululand Great Trail Race 9 Intaba Ridge MTB Classic & Trail Run 15 SA Cup Series XCO # 1 16 SA Cup Series DHI # 1 22 Bonitas Sunday Tribune Giant’s Castle MTB Challenge 23 Maweni MTB 29 Newcastle MTB Family Race 2 of 4 29 Safire Notties – Himville 100 29 Royal Drakensberg MTB Challenge

6 Sugar Rush Classic 10 UCI World Cup # 1 XCO/DHI 26 KZN Provincial Champs XCO/ DHI/Enduro OUT OF AFRICA

KZN 6 International Enduro 6 Triple Challenge MTB

5 Malealea Monster (Lesotho) 19 SA Cup Series #2 XCO & DHI (Lesotho)

List your Event in the Full Sus Calendar

Get your event, big or small, from the ABSA Cape Epic to your LBS weekly training ride listed in the Full Sus calendar. If it’s a MTB event, be it a ride or race, we want to list it. And it’s free!

All you need to do is go to www.fullsus.co.za, click on ‘Event Calendar’ and find the submit event bar, fill in your event details and click submit. Then Robert’s your mother’s brother, your event will soon be live on FullSus.co.za to be seen by thousands of mountain bikers from the furthest corners of South Africa.

It’ll automatically be included in the newspaper too.

And best of all, it’s FREE. Just like Full Sus.

April 2014

Test your navigation skills in February in the NavChallenge held at the Contermanskloof Estate in Durbanville.

RACE CALENDAR MPUMALANGA

9 Lowveld Quest 19 Cefas MTB Race GAUTENG

2 Kia Over the Moon Series 3 ASG Night Series 5 XCOSA Series #1 12 Emperors Palace MTB 20 Mice 2 Provinces MTB Race 25 joBerg2c EASTERN CAPE

5 XCO Provincial #02 6 Harcourts WCFM MTB Challenge

CHRISTOPHERCOMBRINK.CO.ZA

SUS THE BEST OF March 2014

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

FEBRUARY Must do events ■ 8 February: MTN National

■ 15 February: The

■ 22 February: The Bielie

MTB Series #1

NavChallenge

Mielie Fiets

The MTN National MTB Series for 2014 kicks off with a high altitude race at the Dunkeld Estate, Dullstroom.

The National Series has grown into the largest mountain biking marathon series in the world, with thousands of participants set to take part in eight events across the country throughout 2014. If you’re keen on competitive MTB then the National Series is a must. The Dullstroom leg features 120km, 75km, 45km, 20km and 10km distances, so it’s not just for the race snakes and online pre-entries close on the 7th of February. If you’ve missed the Dullstroom deadline don’t fret the second leg is over the 22nd and 23rd of February in Sabie. Find all the details on www.nationalmtbseries.com.

Try something completely unique in February and enter the NavChallenge at the Contermanskloof Estate in Durbanville. It’s an orienteering style ride, trail run or hike, where you and a partner race to tick off as many checkpoints as possible in three hours.

Fitness and MTB skill is important, but being able to navigate your way from point to point, pick the shortest (or perhaps the easiest) route is going to help you gather more points. The NavChallenge is geared to meet all levels of competitors from the social geocaches to race snakes looking to sharpen up their navigation skills for the increasing number of GPS self-navigation races on the 2014 ride calendar. Entries are R220 per person and you can find out more at www. raceinterface.co.za.

The Bielie Mielie Fiets, hosted by the Reitz High School Hostel, in the Orange Free State town of Reitz, is a fundraising ride for the hostel and follows sections of the amazing joBerg2C route. There are 45km (R130), 75km (R190) and 120km (R230) distances to choose from and pre-entries are open until the 19th of February. After that there are late entries for a slightly penalised price. Check out all the details on the joBerg2c website under the Bielie Mielie tab (www.joberg2c.co.za) or email Jan on jan@vogboer.co.za for more information.

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■ 22 February: Illovo Wartburg

MTB Classic

The Illovo Wartburg Classic at Wartburg Kirchodoft School in the picturesque Natal Midlands offers

something for everyone and is great fun all round. There are 65km, 45km, 25km and 10km MTB rides, all at a very reasonable price (R40 to R160), a 10km trail run, a choice between a 10km and 25km multiport races and something intriguingly called: the “Build-it Crash & Dash”. All the info is up on www. wartburg.co.za and online entries are available through Roag.co.za. There is even a kid’s corner with full babysitting facilities! And they accept late entries so if you’re reading this on Friday night it’s not too late for you to take part.

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