Full Sus March 2015 by Full Sus #MTB

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March 2015, Vol 22

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Bianca Haw Interview Page 06

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Bike Lights Test Page 24

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E P IC Survival Guide SPORTOGRAF

Rens Rezelman

NICK MUZIK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTZPICS

Erik Kleinhans

NICK MUZIK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTZPICS

o you’ve probably been working hard getting physically ready for the Epic, but if you haven’t got a nutrition plan in place all the training could be in vain. So I spoke to pro mountain bikers, Erik Kleinhans and Darren Lill, and Epic old hands Rens Rezelman and Dominic Malan on what they’ve found really works. There’s a lot of research out there when it comes to nutrition. But often you won’t know what works until you’ve done it yourself. So let’s hear it from the riders who’ve done it themselves and then you can work out a stage race nutrition plan from

National MTB Series Report Page 08

Nutrition for Eight Days on the Bike FS

SPORTOGRAF

If you’re doing your ﬁrst ABSA Cape Epic this month, or one of the other long African stage races, like the joBerg2c, PE>>Plett or Kenya’s Laikipia XC here is an article you need to read. It’s also Rochez O’Grady’s ﬁnal piece for Full Sus so she’s taken over the cover feature with nutrition tips from pros and experienced amateurs for surviving a long stage race.

Epic vs Epic Page 14

Darren Lill

Dominic Malan

a blend of what works for them and what works for you. Dominic’s, ﬁrst commandment, which he instated for the 2014 Epic was as follows: “Whatever you do make sure you’ve been doing it at least two months before the event. You don’t want to be experimenting a few weeks before this beast.” Dom likes to be prepared too, and with good reason. He made sure that his carb drink, energy bars and droë wors were all measured out and packed the day before. Bordering on obsessive, he even made sure the energy bars were already open and cut into three segments. This is a great idea to make sure you ingest the right amount of carbs within an hour, and doesn’t leave you at the mercy of what’s provided at the water points. Dom ate two hours before the stage start, having oats or Future Life plus a heaped scoop of protein powder and a good strong coffee. Then an hour before, he drank 750ml of PeptoSport. During the day’s stage he aimed to drink 1.5 litres of carb drink with every two hours and eat every 40 minutes, snacking on an energy bar, a piece of droë wors or a banana. “If you’re going to have something to eat at the water points, go for the oranges or apples, they’re juicy and easy to eat. I never use a gel in the entire race,” Dom elaborated. Dom also stressed post-stage recovery meals saying: “Try to eat immediately, go for whatever Woolies food is available and drink as many chocolate milks as possible. As you head into the evening meal eat, eat, eat and make sure you hydrate enough. And take your multivitamins religiously.”

Rens has completed two ABSA Cape Epics, along with his riding partner Andrew “Rocky” Koen. Their philosophy is to “eat for tomorrow”. Rens’ number one belief is that it’s essential to communicate with your partner. Work as a team and remind each other to eat and drink, ensuring that the tank needs to be topped up throughout the day. This is in line with his philosophy, fuelling for four hours later – not immediately. They would usually remind each other every 40 minutes or so – even if it were just a sip of their sports drink mix. A good point Rens made, was to avoid digging in the food supplies at the water points – whether it is the gum sweets, bread, or fruit – your gloves will be sweaty and that can leave some nasty bacteria on someone else’s next snack. Rens advises experimentation. “But it’s not the time to stock up on newly packaged sports mixes and use it for the first time on the Epic. You need to find what works before the event. Don’t believe everything you read. And let common sense guide you. If it tastes too sweet after 5 hours, switch to water.” I’m glad Rens offered some of his personal insight into Banting too, as it’s such a hot topic and debatable within the sport’s nutrition field. “I personally don’t agree with Banting in its purest form,” Rens stated. He did agree with the solid principles of reducing processed foods, and sugar. But found the high fats (70-80%) and zero carbs a bit extreme for his liking. Rens cheekily remarked “You might lose weight, but you’ll lose weight if you eat sawdust for a week. Guaranteed!”

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FS Editorial

GP MTB W

e embarked on our first Full Sus sales trip to Gauteng in February and were pleasantly surprised to see how well Full Sus has been received, by not only the industry suppliers, but also our readers up there. Wherever we went the shops had the latest copy and were either inserting them with every purchase or they were clearly visible at the till point. To say enthusiasm for MTB in Gauteng is massive would be an understatement; the bike shops we visited certainly had the larger portion of floorspace devoted to MTB and the folks we met were avid off-roaders! There are a large number of bike parks springing up around Gauteng that offer a safe environment to not only get a proper ride in, but to also bring family along and spend some quality, healthy, time together. Arguably the premier bike park in South Africa is the PwC Bike Park in Bryanston. The PwC park was one of the first international standard bike parks in Gauteng and boasts a multi-tiered BMX track (with something for all skill levels), a pump track, a junior MTB trail and 18 kilometres of MTB trails in a variety of IMBA graded difficulties. Plus they have recently opened the Momentum Multiply Skills area, where you can go practice your technical skills in a safe, but challenging environment. Sus them out online at www.bikepark.co.za. It was great to meet with commercial

manager for PwC, Mark Fourie, and to see his enthusiasm not only for the park but also for mountain biking in Gauteng. It would be great to hear about other bike parks not only in Gauteng but around the country. Please drop me a mail and let us know about your venue. Finally I would like to offer a thought around social media, we recently learnt the hard way that no matter what the intentions once you have put something out there you there are consequences. I think that we are far too quick to pull the trigger (see: push send) on a knee jerk reaction and without any temperance or fore-thought get into a mud-slinging fest on our social network of choice. It is easy behind the anonymity of a clever proﬁle name and cheeky avatar to become negative, malicious and downright rude but it is much more difficult to make positive suggestions, good and fair comment and useful contribution. At Full Sus we welcome the latter and while open to criticism we encourage anything that will improve not only our publication but also mountain biking as a whole. We look forward to your shares, likes, tweets, instagrams and anything else I may have missed – just keep it real! Enjoy your copy of Full Stride inside this issue and catch you on the trails! Cheers

Sus out the PwC Bike Park’s trails for yourself at 1A Libertas Street, off Sloane Street, Bryanston. Or ﬁnd them on Facebook by searching “PwC Bike Park”. They’re open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.

EWALD SADIE

Reader Test Day

On the 14th of May Full Sus will be hosting our ﬁrst reader test day at Delheim Wine Estate, on Stellenbosch’s Simonsberg Conservancy. It’s set to be an afternoon of epic trail riding and bike testing. Yes that’s right – you’ll be able to test ride a variety of top end bikes from a number of bike manufactures, on the same trails, back-to-back. So if you’ve ever wondered if your riding style is better suited a Santa Cruz Tall Boy or a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR then you’d better join us on the 14th of May. The Reader Test Day will include a light lunch, refreshments, bike test rides and access to the Simonsberg Trail network for the day. Keep an eye on the Full Sus website, social media channels and in upcoming issues for more information on this awesome event.

SUS The team Publishing Editor: Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Content Editor: Seamus Allardice seamus@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director: Megan Knox megan@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising: Jess Nosworthy jess@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions: Ashley Attwood ash@integratedmedia.co.za Regulars: Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze Snr & Jnr, Jacques Marais,

Dr Mike Posthumus, Rochez O’Grady, Sarah Walker, Jeanne-Louise Wiese, Erik Kleinhans. Rogue Contributor: David Bristow Photography: Ashley Attwood, Oakpics.com, Cherie Vale Newsport Media and thinkstock.com. Contributors: Anriette Schoeman 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.

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us ll S ct u F a he cont a. t n r z u o. to po ail yo us.c s ur lls yo ay em@fu k o d D -bo Test usse e r s r p To eade ils to R eta d COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS: The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be ﬁnal and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to residents in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Prize style and colour may vary. Competition entries close on 20 March 2015.

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He did continue to say that he has a 10 time Epic ﬁnishing friend who has started Banting; he now rides on biltong, droë wors and water only, and has never been lighter or faster. In contradiction, Rens’ Epic partner had tried the fad twice – “each time he was fatigued and got blown off the back of high-intensity training rides. When switching back to carbs he normalised and is back to being a demon on the bike.” This is a great example showing us that one formula of nutrition doesn’t work for everyone. Rens was clear that it’s important to eat and drink “like a king” once you’re off the bike. His suggestion was “to quench the furnace” in the Woolies tent after every stage. Professional cyclist Darren Lill (Team RED-E Blend) has completed two Cape Epics and his top tip is to take probiotics for a couple of weeks leading into and during the Epic, to help fortify the immunity of your digestive system. He ensures that he eats regularly on the bike and at the feed zones. “I like natural foods, simple carbs are good, like baby potatoes, he says” He advises to drink as much water during each stage as an energy drink, stating: “water is king.” Darren believes in having a quality recovery drink as soon as possible after completing each stage. “Have it as cold as possible, it helps lower your core temperature which further speeds up your recovery,” he advises.

Much like Dom and Rens he also recommends hearty eating, in fact “don’t be scared to chow down at mealtimes.” He suggested the best is to have a balanced meal in terms of veg, carbs, protein, and fats - unless you’re intolerant to any of those. Darren recommended avoiding foods that you don’t usually eat at home, as those could upset your stomach, especially during the event, as your body is under duress. Erik Kleinhans (Team RECM), has seven Cape Epic’s under his belt and his number one tip is to have a recovery shake as soon as possible after the ﬁnish. This is so true, as the carb and protein balance helps to speed up recovery, “and to survive the eight days you’ve to start the recovery as soon as possible.” Erik recommends avoiding drinking too much coke at the water points. Coke he says is hard to avoid “as the cups are right in front of you, and it’s so refreshing, but it can easily spike your blood sugar and could make you feel nauseous.” Another useful idea from him is to eat natural foods for as long as you can to avoid stomach problems caused by too many gels. Erik had a good tip for avoiding cramps too, “load up on salts before and during the week,” he suggests. The phosphorus in the cramp blocker tables helps offset the onset of lactic acid build-up and could help your muscles function better and cramp less.

Sus Rochez’s Top Tips 1. Stick with what you know – it’s too late to experiment for the Epic now. 2. Plan your daily nutrition – and lay everything out the night before. 3. Eat and drink at set intervals – remind your partner you’re in it together. 4. Stay natural – eat whole foods for as long as possible. 5. Recovery is essential – get a good recovery drink and drink it ice cold as soon as you ﬁnish. 6. Eat heartily – you’re not doing the Epic to lose weight, so don’t count your calories at lunch or dinner. 7. Immune Booster – take multivitamins and probiotics to help your body function under the increased physical stress of a long stage race.

SUS the Epic Advice The Epic is far too complex a race to condense into a few short pages. So we’ve compiled everything Cape Epic into one place on the Full Sus website. Visit www.fullsus.co.za/epic for all the advice and info. And be sure to read Dr Mike Posthumus’ Coaching Column on page 16 for more Epic Advice.

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.

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News FS

53). Having seen the class and conditioning of the Ascendis Health team of Jennie Stenerhag and Robyn de Groot at the recent Du Toit Tankwa Trek, they could well be a dark horse for the overall title especially as the route contains so much climbing this year. In the men’s race, the 2013 winning pairing of Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of Investec Songo Specialized (Team 2) will be looking to claim Susi’s ﬁfth ABSA Cape Epic title. The team most motivated to stop them achieving that will be the Bulls pairing of Karl Platt and Urs Huber, as Platt is also chasing a ﬁfth title. The main challenge to the Epic Five rivals should come from the defending champion Kristian Hynek and his ex-World Marathon Champion Topeak Ergon teammate Alban Lakata.

ABSA Cape Epic:

Who and Where to Watch So the biggest stage race of the global mountain biking calendar is upon us, the ABSA Cape Epic. And with live web-streaming, daily highlights shows, and the prologue and ﬁnal stages being broadcast live on SuperSport, March is going to be all about mountain biking. The ladies race for the 2015 ABSA Cape Epic title is the most competitive yet, with Sasol equalling the men’s prize money. The R200 000 on offer for the general classiﬁcation victory and R5 000 for each stage win has drawn most of the best marathon orientated female mountain bikers in the world. The defending champs, Ariane Kleinhans and Anika Langvad of Team RECM Specialized (Team 50), will have to keep a close eye on the likes of Esther Suss and Alice Pirard, of Meerendal Wheeler (Team 51); Sally Bigham and Blaza Klemencic, of Selloronda/Topeak Ergon (Team 52); and the World Bicycle Relief pairing of Gunn-Rita Dahl and Kathrin Stirneman (Team

If you’d like to go watch the ABSA Cape Epic live, we’d suggest that you download the spectator guide by scanning the QR Code, as that’ll direct you to the ofﬁcial spectator points on the 2015 Epic route.

Try an E-Bike? If you’re a regular reader of Full Sus you’ll have noticed the Easy Motion, by BH bikes. If you haven’t checked them out yet, now’s a good time to do so. For the uninitiated, Easy Motion bikes are electrically assisted mountain bikes, with true trail riding capabilities, manufactured by the Basque bicycle brand Beistegui Hermanos. They are prefect for commuting and with their 90km range on a single charge you’re unlikely to get left stranded by a flat battery while out on a ride. The electric motor kicks in once you start peddling, meaning you can coast down a singletrack without the fear of the rapid acceleration of the electric motor from kicking in unexpectedly. We’ve mucked around on them quite a bit at the Full Sus fat bike shootout and we’ll definitely be putting one through its paces more rigorously for a future issue of Full Sus, but if you’re keen to take a closer look at an Easy Motion bike visit your local retailer for a test ride. You’ll be amazed at how much fun it is! Visit www.easymotion.co.za for more information and to find your nearest dealer.

ALL PHOTOS BY ASHLEE ATTWOOD

FS Nutrition for Eight Days on the Bike

Dr Gary Kroukamp enjoying the easy climbing abilities of the Easy Motion Neo 29ER.

Doug Alison and Ray Wilson of Easy Motion explaining the Neo 29ER’s capabilities.

SWindhoek Light Namib Quest

Try something a little different this year and head outside of your South African comfort zone into neighbouring Namibia, for the Windhoek Light Namib Quest. Starting on the 24th of May, the Namib Quest is sponsored by Windhoek Light, rather than being a Lite stage race, in the spirit of the GR300 Lite. It’s a six day, 450km race, across the Khomas Hochland plateau and the Namib Desert, from the capital Windhoek to the coastal resort of Swakopmund. The highlight of the race is arguably the crossing of the Tinkas plains, in the Namib Desert, where wildlife is abundant and riders are sure to be treated to a few close encounters.

SUS the Windhoek Light Namib Quest Dates: 24 – 29 May 2015 Registration: 23 May 2015 in Windhoek Costs: R25 000 for a team of two Entry Limit: 75 teams Details: Fully catered, team, MTB stage race Website: www.africanextremepromotions.com

JOHAN BADENHORST

Revolution Cycles: The Grand Opening

The new Revolution Cycles, Specialized Concept Store, might well have opened its doors in December already but with the finishing touches completed in February they held their grand launch party on the 18th of last month. It was a festive occasion with Paul Kaye conducting

News FS

Discovery Health and Vitality members can now join Team Vitality and gain more benefits from their health insurers. Team Vitality is another Discovery initiative aimed at encouraging their members to get active, and offers advantages for both runners and cyclists, or if you’re a multisport enthusiast – both. As with all Vitality products there are benefits to joining Team Vitality. For cyclist its discounts, up to 50% for selected race entries, a complimentary team Vitality cycling top, a R800 Garmin voucher, a R500 voucher towards a Rudy Project helmet and discount off sports magazine subscriptions

(not that those will be any interest to you, Dear Full Sus Reader…). The subscription fee for Team Vitality is R600 per annum for cyclists and R300 annually for runners, or R900 for both. Plus as a Team Vitality member you will also get access to expert fitness and exercise advice via Discovery’s in-house Sport Scientist, Dr Jill Borresen who authors the Exercise and Your Health Discovery blog. You have to be a Discovery Vitality member and older than 18 to join. To find out more visit www.discovery.co.za and navigate to Team Vitality through the Vitality drop-down menu.

proceedings as the master of ceremonies and cracking a couple of jokes at the Stirlings’ expense. Physically Revolution Cycles might not have come a long way (they only moved 50 meters up Bree Street after all), but the new shop is very different. Gone are the low ceilings and crowded feel of the 171 Bree Street shop for the new location at the corner of Bree and Pepper Streets, where

massive windows, an industrial feel and an espresso bar rule supreme. The real heroes are the bikes though, with the space for dedicated ladies, road and mountain bike sections. Drop by the new store for a flat white (SJ’s favourite) and a long chat about bikes (with Senior) at the new store, or check them out online at: www.revolutioncycles.co.za.

Gameplan Media Zoon Cronje | Nikon

FS Young Gun Interview

Trying to catch-up with Bianca Haw

She might be better known for being Farmer Glen’s daughter right now, but Bianca Haw has her mind ﬁrmly set on changing that. Keep an eye on her, soon it’ll be “Farmer who? Oh you mean Bianca’s Dad”…

t’s astonishing to hear that Bianca only started racing her mountain bike late in 2012, and that her first race was an SA Champs that she went out and won – securing a sponsorship from Velo Life/BMC in the process. Fast forward just over two years and she’s secured a top ten finish in the Pietermaritzburg 2013 UCI MTB World Champs and suffered the heartbreak of watching her shot at the Junior XCO World Championship crown slip through her fingers when a broken derailleur scarpered her chances in Hafjell last year. Moving up to the competitive under 23 ladies category for 2015 her build-up to the year couldn’t have got off to a worse start. A phone call out of the blue from Velo Life, letting her know the company was on its way under left her without a ride for 2015. Fortunately Bianca was already part of Red Bull South Africa’s athlete programme and they’re her principal sponsor for 2015. As for a bike… some quick negotiations nearly saw her join a major team, before signing a deal with Specialized South Africa that will see her racing an S-Works Era this year. She’s technically a brand ambassador linked to Helderberg Cycles in Somerset West but Specialized have pledged to help out where they can when she heads over to Europe to compete in the first two rounds of the UCI World Cup in May. It’s between now and then however that things will be really interesting

for the young Miss Haw. Having been offered a spot riding alongside Yolande de Villiers for Sasol Racing in the ABSA Cape Epic, Bianca will be shifting her normal XCO focus to marathon stage racing for the immediate future. By the time you read this, you’ll have a good idea of how that shift in focus is going, as she’ll have turned out with Yolande in the Du Toit Tankwa Trek and the Garden Route 300. As a nineteen year old, Sasol aren’t putting pressure on Bianca to place to highly in the ultracompetitive Sasol Ladies Category. She says the Epic is going to be about learning, gaining exposure for herself and her sponsors and racing smart, maybe targeting a couple of stages to push for a stage victory. Amongst the switch to marathon stage racing she’s got to ﬁt in the academic commitments of a second year at Stellenbosch University working towards a BComm Marketing degree and the intimidating prospect of undergoing Red Bull’s battery of Project Endurance testing. 2015 races aside, her goals appear to be transitional on the bike. She’s keen on proving herself in order to secure a full Specialized contract next year, as she knows that the support of a major international team is the only way to realistically challenge on the World Cup circuit. What’s abundantly clear from the way she carries herself is that she knows there is more to being

Bianca and her now famous jean shorts on the National MTB Series podium with Ariane Kleinhans, Esther Süss, Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag.

a professional bike rider than just racing results. She’s aware of how she represents the brands that sponsor her and her easy conversational manner is sure to make her a fan favourite. That being said, she’s super-fast too! Stepping up in distance from XCO to take on hardened marathon racers, in their favourite distance, like Esther Suss, Ariane Kleinhans, Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag, Bianca wasn’t out of her depth at the Meerendal leg of the National MTB Series. Only an unfortunate tangle with Jennie Stenerhag’s bike after Jennie crashed on the second last climb of the race prevented her from remaining with Robyn de Groot when the Ascendis Health rider made the break which saw her claim third. But still a ﬁfth place ﬁnish in such lofty company is a good sign, especially considering she only started her structured training with Dr Mike Posthumus the week after Meerendal. On our post interview ride, Bianca went up Jonkershoek’s Canary climb without breaking a sweat and then proceeded to blitz Full Sus’s Seamus Allardice down Never-Ending-Story (he apparently nearly crashed

Kolesky Nikon Red Bull Content Pool

Bianca racing to 10th place at the 2013 UCI MTB World Champs in Pietermaritzburg.

Aside from racing her bike for Red Bull South Africa, Specialized Bicycles, Sasol Racing and Aca Joe (hence the jean shorts) Bianca Haw is also an accomplished paddler, and harboured hopes of squeezing the 2015 Dusi Canoe Marathon in between the Tankwa Trek and the GR300 in February. Follow her exploits on Twitter and Instagram at @biancahaw. spectacularly trying to keep up – but she was fortunately too far ahead, or too polite to comment, to notice). She’s coy about dreams of rainbow stripes, but the goal of being more famous than her old man is one she’s jokingly set her sights on. It might not be a typical athletic goal, but maybe that’s a really good thing. To transform Farmer Glen into Bianca’s Dad, she’s going to have to win some big races, be the media darling, a fan favourite and look like she’s having fun while doing all of it. The ﬁrst one in that list will take lots of hard work, but the rest look like they’ll come very naturally to her, so Bianca’s Dad: you’ve been warned.

SUS Bianca’s Stats from Dr Mike Posthumus and Science2Sport: Bianca is without a doubt one of the most talented young female mountain bikers in SA. She is deﬁnitely a rising start and we are all looking forward to her growing over the next few years as she embarks on her quest for a medal at the Rio Olympics. We recently had Bianca tested at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa’s High Performance Centre by Ben Capostagnno. Her Peak power output and VO2 max test highlighted exactly what we have already know. This young star has huge potential. VO2 max: 67ml/kg/min FTP (Functional Threshold Power): 290 Watts (4.7 watt/kg)1 Peak power output: 355 Watts (5.7 watts/kg)2 The FTP is by deﬁnition the highest power an individual can sustain for 60 minutes 2 Peak power output is highest power reached in the incremental power test. PPO is normally analogous with the highest power that can be sustained for 5 minutes. 1

FS Ride Report - National MTB Series #1

A F R I CA N1

Durbanville ◆ Cape Town

Western Cape N2

where are we?

Scott Factory Racing’s Philip Buys leading the pro ﬁeld early in the ultra-marathon. ALL PHOTOS BY ZOON CRONJE | NIKON

MEERENDAL

Meerendal in the Durbanville Winelands is a member of the extensive network of trails built Ignibh ea alisisis and controlled by the Tygerberg dipit Mountainnullaorem Bike Club. ad Youtie can purchase a day pass to ride Meerendal for R30 (drop the cash in the honesty box in the Deli’s door) or join the Tygerberg MTB Club, with an annual membership, to ride all the trails in the area.

Marathon Racing

It’s hard not to be impressed with the sheer volume of banners and branding up at a National MTB Series event, as soon as you arrive at the race venue you know you’re in for a professionally run race. And the opening round of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series, held at Meerendal Wine Estate lived up to that standard as Seamus Allardice found out.

o be honest what impressed me most, pre-race, about the Meerendal National MTB Series race was the race booklet. Yip, it’s a bit odd I know, but I also know how much effort, and expense, goes into producing a booklet like that, so I really appreciated the touch from the organisers to professionally publish an A5 mag with all the essential information any rider, or supporter could need for the big day. But let’s get away from the publishing nerds stuff and into the race itself. Wessel van der Walt from the race organisers, Advendurance, had kindly organised my riding partner, Warren Fincham and I entries to the Ultra, but when my bravado deserted me (call it a post-Attakwas reality check…) he was more than happy to down-scale the entries to the 70km Marathon. It proved to be a wise choice as the marathon course was anything but easy. Starting in the C batch, we rolled through the lower vineyards of Meerendal before crossing the Vissershok Road and heading into the farmlands adjoining Durbanville. The early kays were relatively easy, ﬂowing jeep tracks allowed

for a steady pace at a comfortable cadence, but that would not be the tone for the day. Soon the route left the farmlands for the vineyards clinging to the slopes of the Durbanville Hills, and worse the Renosterveld above the vineyards where the ground is too rocky or steep even for vines. The King of the Mountain climb up to the koppie above Hillcrest was all on a lovely cement road, which while steep, didn’t require any heroics to reach the summit. From there the fun section of the race started with a twisty singletrack descent into Hillcrest being followed by a grinding singletrack climb up Kliprug. Fortunately for Warren and myself, the riders around us were circumspect on the gravel road descent along the Kliprug ridge which allowed us to reach the famed Contermanskloof singletrack without any riders ahead of us. For many the Contermans’ section of the race must have been the highlight as the trails ﬂow beautifully and unlike some of the other Tygerberg trails they are in a great condition right now. Once we crossed out of Contermans the constant seesaw of climbing and descending

The misty conditions were perfect for riding in the early hours of the race. began to take its toll though. The singletracks that followed seemed (an illusion surely) to be mostly uphill, apart from a section in Hoogekraal where a rider ahead of us took an unintentional shortcut, headﬁrst, down a steep and dusty switchback section. His fall, though not serious, was a timely reminder to keep our energy levels up with an energy tablet or bar. It’s so easy to lose concentration when your energy levels/ blood sugar drops and without my heart rate monitor (the Attakwas killed its battery) I hadn’t been as good as I usually am at eating at regular intervals. Eventually we reached the crest of a long singletrack climb and descended towards the Malanshoogte Road where a couple of soothing kays of tar awaited us. A detour past the fascinatingly zef Cape Oval Dirt Karting track later we were climbing up and out of the old quarry behind Meerendal. It was a super difficult climb, partly because of the loose surface in the early parts and the dusty surfaces in the latter, but also because the early morning cloud cover had burnt off and the African sun was starting to bake down on us. After what felt like an age we slipped through the game fence at the top of the Dorstberg overlooking the Meerendal Manor House. The Burry Stander Memorial Trail was honestly the disappointment of the route. Since I last rode it in October or so the trail has suffered a lot of wear and

Meerendal Wine Estate ready to host the biggest MTB series in the world.

tear. It was rough and rocky, killing the ﬂow of the trail that is usually so much fun to ride. I hope that Meerendal will be doing some much needed trail maintenance before the Epic, because ending on those trails after 70km was a disappointment, I shudder to think what it would be like after eight days of riding! The Ashburton Investments National MTB Series now moves on and out of the Western Cape, but Advendurance has launched a Western Cape leg of the Nissan Trail Seeker Series, which starts in May with the Helderberg race on the 9th of that month. And if the National MTB Series is anything to go by, I’d suggest you enter the Trail Seeker Series (the routes are apparently a bit more chilled too).

ALL PHOTOS BY CHRIS HITCHCOCK

FS Ride Report - Oak Valley

Exuberance is the order of the day in hour 1. Not so much in the early hours of the morning.

Follow the leader. Single ﬁle through the tree line.

24 Hours Photo Essay On the 31st of January and the 1st of February Dirtopia held their annual 24 Hours of Oak Valley, endurance lap race, at the Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin. Chris Hitchcock was there to capture all the action.

SUS The Details - The 24 Hours of Oak Valley Format: Complete as many 10km laps as possible in 24 hours. Teams: Either in a relay team (4 – 8 riders) or solo. Duration: 12:00 on the 31st to 12:00 on the 1st. Why Do It: Lekker social vibe, cool trails and you can ride as many or few laps as you like. Find out more: www.dirtopia.co.za Winning efforts: Solo Men:

Open Team (4 riders):

Ray van Breda – 32 laps

Die Plaasjapies – 43 laps

Solo Women:

Mixed Team (4 riders):

Amanda Brooks – 25 laps

The Oaks – 40 laps

School Team (5 riders):

Fun Team (5 – 8 riders):

Parel Vallei 1 – 42 laps

Team Britos – 38 laps

Apart from the amazing single track, Oak Valley has a lot going for it on the natural beauty side of things.

In 2004 Chris Hitchcock gave up smoking and decided to get ﬁt. Not being one to do things in halves, he started racing mountain and road bikes, and also running and swimming, which naturally led him to completing Ironman distance triathlons. The next logical step was to combine his love of photography with the sports he enjoyed so much and before he knew it he was making a living out of shooting sports and the sports scene. Tree lines avenues with the sun slanting through, always makes for beautiful images. Add the unexpected and this is what you get.

23 hours in, and the strain of the race is starting to show.

Meaurant Botha not only organises the 24 hours of Oak Valley, he also enjoys having a full go at the ﬂowing single track that the venue offers.

I T ’ S T IM E TO FLY When it’s about getting from point A to point B quickly, grab your Superfly and start hammering.

S u p e r f l y | trekbikes.com

D i s t ri buted by D HB D i s tr i b u ti o n ( P T Y ) Ltd E m a i l : i nfo@ d hbd is tr i b u ti o n .co. za Te l : 02 1 2 02 27 3 0

Co m Lif e s e C ee yc u s le at Ex th po e !

FS Trails

Get up close and personal with wildlife in Swaziland’s Mlilwane Game Park.

MLILWANE

MAGIC Should you feel the need to tune into your wild side, Swaziland just has to be on your African bucket list this year. Set course for Mlilwane and get ready to saddle up within one of the top adventure riding destinations in ‘The Kingdom’. Photographs and words by Jacques Marais. Local Buzz: You’ve heard of the Swazi Frontier MTB Stage Race, right? Well, you should have, as it has become one of southern Africa’s favourite multi-day bush rides over the past few years. Fact is, this is but one of a number of cracking Swaziland rides, with a multitude of MTB options popping up here in King Mswati’s back yard. The good news is that the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is perfectly positioned within this tiny ‘Kingdom of Crank’, boasting a network of superb singletracks traversing a savannah paradise of note less than an hour from Mbabane. Zebra, ostrich, reed buck, hartebeest and a range of protected antelope species roam here, and you have carte blanche to free-range among them. If you haven’t yet explored Swaziland, you’re missing out on one of SA’s most spontaneous and friendly neighbours. You don’t need

a visa, it is an easy weekend drive from both KZN and Gauteng and there’s no need to convert cash or learn a new language. Plus, you’re guaranteed to get up close and personal with the Big Five, whether you’re game tracking, scrambling, horse riding, white-water rafting, caving or on a self-drive trip in this inﬁnitely varied country.

Trail Low-Down: The phenomenal growth of races such as the Imvelo MTB Challenge (presented every year in June) is one of the main reasons you want to lay fresh tracks in Mlilwane. Most of this 65km off-road humdinger race zips through the grasslands and rugged ridges of this celebrated sanctuary, with nearly 30km of the course open to riders outside of the actual race. The race route itself is unmapped and not sign-posted, but the network of gravel roads and singletrack crisscrossing Mlilwane makes

Mlilwane offers a mix of forest and savannah riding. for adventurous riding nonetheless. Although it is the smallest of Swaziland’s three Big Game Parks, it is the only one where you can safely crank (or trail run or hike) the landscape, as the dangerous game are limited to the hippos and crocs who generally hang around near the lake … Crank off from Main Camp, and plan your route according to your fitness and ability. Sticking to the valley floor offers in the region of 25km of flattish riding, with 11km of purposebuilt singletrack thrown in for good measure. Wooden bridges, technical rock sections and gritty water crossings ensure an exhilarating ride and an instant stoke injection.

If you head for Nyonyane Peak, however, you can prepare yourself for some rather painful grannygear time. This is the famed ‘Rock of Execution’, where erstwhile Swazi kings ﬂung dissenters and vagabonds to their death, and the peak still offers a, erm… killer view across the undulating plains. And if this is not enough to spike your adrenaline, there is always Hlane Royal National Park. Head there if what you want is full-on Big Game Biking, with a dawn Sun-Up Cycle on the new 18km return route, following a trail winding amidst the thorny thickets so typical of this part of Swaziland. Keep in mind that this is a guided

"Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary is perfectly positioned within this tiny "Kingdom of Crank", boasting a network of superb single-track"

activity (it will cost you R220 per person) and it’s more about the bush than MTB, but you’ll be hard pressed to experience a more memorable crank. You are bound to bump into bush buck, kudu, zebra, giraffe, and maybe rhino, but hopefully not too close and personal. There is no better way to start your day!

Mlilwane which means “Little Fire” in siSwati is one of the Kingdom of Swaziland’s Big Game Parks. It is situated in Swaziland’s Ezulwini A F R I CA H Valley, “Valley of Heavens”, between T Mbabane and Manzini, and is a 4 Maputo Mpumalanga 560 hectare wildlife sanctuary. The grassland plains of the southern Mlilwane N2 Wildlife ◆ section of the park are where Sanctury you’ll ﬁnd almost all Mlilwane’s accommodation, dining and activity options. The northern section is only accessible through guided tours.

Getting there: You can enter Swaziland at either the Oshoek, Golela or Emahlathini border posts. Then head from Mbabane along the MR3 towards Manzini, and look out for the Mlilwane / Ezulwini turn-off; from here, the MR103 will eventually get you to the Sangweni Gate.

Trails

Where are we?

The park boasts 11km of purposebuilt singletrack

SUS the Mlilwane Valley MTB Route Grading: Easy to Intermediate (Steep and rocky climbs)

Cell Reception: Limited signal

Duration: 2hrs (Valley Floor Route) Conﬁguration:

Accommodation: Traditional huts, backpacker dorms, self-

Circular/Return: 34km

Contact: Email: reservations@biggameparks.org or visit

Start Point: Main Camp Terrain: Gravel reserve road; quality single-track Post-Ride Beer: Main Camp Restaurant, overlooking

www.biggameparks.org

the waterhole

Must-Do Event: Imvelo MTB Challenge – www.biggameparks.org/imvelo

Access: Entry Fee of R25/day, or free with a Wild Card Bike Hire: GT 2.0 MTBs for R85/hr, or bring your own bike. Map: Available from Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

eam of T ing , t o Gro , lay n de Health n the y b Ro endis law o rino Asc wn the k’s Me do Tre limb. kwa rc Tan onste M

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.

catering rondawels or camping

GPS: S26 29’ 30.50” E31 11’ 05.76” Jacques Marais is the South African trail guru. If he’s not scouting a new MTB trail he’s trail running a new route in the Drakensberg. His new booh More Top MTB Trails has just hit the shelves of all good book shops and ou can purchase a copy for R250. Follow him on Twitter @ JacqMaraisPhoto

photo of the month

FS Bike Review

EPIC VS. EPIC It’s one of the most desired mountain bikes in SA. And one you’ll see a lot of in stage races up and down the country, but which one is better for you, the Specialized Epic or the Specialized Epic World Cup? Seamus Allardice found out. Photos by Ashlee Attwood.

nitially, side by side, the Epic Expert Carbon 29 and the Epic Expert Carbon World Cup 29 are visually differentiated by the World Cup’s 1 x 11 drive train and the standard Epic’s SWAT storage system. But as the standard Epic is 1 x 11 compatible and the World Cup will house a SWAT setup, the things you can do aftermarket shouldn’t be a major consideration – the real difference is in the geometry. Ok, so let’s get the semantics out the way first. The standard Epic is designed by Specialized for what they term “endurance XC racing” while the Epic World Cup is for “competitive XC racing”. Technically for our South African usages that would mean the Epic is for marathon racing and stage races and the Epic World Cup is for the very few riders who actually race Olympic format cross-country. In the real world out on the trail though, the Team RECM guys are all riding World Cup’s (the ladies are now on Era’s) and they’re not the only ones. Many riders further down the racing field are also choosing World Cups over the standard Epic, but should they really be? As you’ll note from the geometry table the difference between the two is mere millimetres. With only the Reach, Stack, Chainstay length, head and seat tube angles, and the wheel base length offering any difference in measurements. And so you have to ask, what difference lies in the half a degree and a few millimetre change? The simple answer is 104 seconds. On a 7.9km route that takes in 715 meters of climbing. But does that

SUS the Epic vs. Epic Test Ride I took the bikes up to the Blockhouse along a route I ride often and know well, which includes a technical singletrack climb, a lung busting steep kick, the treacherous Plumb Pudding descent and the 4.2km grind from the bottom of Plumb Pudding Downhill to the Blockhouse. I rode at around the same perceived effort and both evenings were similarly windy, so the bikes should be the defining factor. It’s not scientific but it’s the best you’re going to get. Scan the QR Codes to view each ride individually on Strava or go to www.fullsus.co.za/epic-vs-epic.

mean it’s a better bike…? Well, it depends on the race. If money isn’t an issue and you have a range of bikes to choose from (lucky you) then on its day the Epic World Cup is the perfect weapon to have in your arsenal. But if you are going to have to choose, because you’re riding the Cape Epic or any of the other top South African stage races, I’d suggest the Epic is a safer bet. The Epic World Cup is designed for speed, its handling is nippy to the point of being twitchy and skittish (which makes it faster on technical sections, most notably on technical singletrack climbs), while the Epic is still sharp and fast but it lacks the World Cup’s razor edge, so it won’t kill you if your hand slips. The steep angles of the World Cup pull you forward, over the bottom bracket which forces you to really power down on the pedals, while the ever so slightly more relaxed Epic is a bit more comfortable to pedal with less angry intent. I found the Epic less precise on the singletrack climbs and like the World Cup it’s 2.2 inch Fast Trak Controls on the front wheel took some getting used to, so I don’t feel I gave either bike the best I could on the singletrack descent. But where the Epic did excel is that it is noticeably more

Bike Review FS

stable and comfortable, with the softer Brain shock and fork tuning, than its World Cup stable mate. Over a short ride, like the loops I took the bikes on (scan the QR codes to view the full ride stats), the stability isn’t an issue. But after four hours in the saddle, try navigating a tricky descent on a twitchy bike like the Epic World Cup; it could turn nasty fast. Even completing a simple task like having a sip from your bottle is tricky on the World Cup, just clip a rock a little larger than a pebble with one hand off the bars and it could end you in tears. If you want to win races, go for the World Cup, but know it, like any true thoroughbred stallion, will buck you off more often than a midfield runner would. If you’re a racy amateur looking for a top 100 ABSA Cape Epic finish, the standard Epic (with its more stage race orientated standard specifications) is the way to go. It’s no old nag by any means; it’ll get you from Point A to Point B (or in ACE terms from Point A back to Point A) faster than nearly anything out there. I do have a final bit of advice though. After riding the harsh and rugged Du Toit Tankwa Trek (with half of the Cape Epic entrants it seemed) I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of longer travel bikes at the race. Epics and Scalpels were in abundance, but there were also lots of Tall

SUS the Geometry Medium frames: all measurements in mm or ° EPIC EXPERT CARBON RRP R74 999 Seat Tube ............................................434 Top Tube (Horizontal) .....................593 Top Tube (Actual Length) ..............557 BB Drop .................................................40 BB Height ........................................... 332 Chainstay .......................................... 448 Seat Tube Angle (Actual) .......... 69.25 Seat Tube Angle (Effective) .......73.75 Head Tube Angle ........................... 70.5 Wheel Base ........................................1 112 Standover Height ............................ 774 Head Tube Length ........................... 105 Stack .................................................... 601 Reach ....................................................418

"The simple answer is 104 seconds. On a 7.9km route that takes in 715m of climbing. But does that mean it's a better bike...?" Boys, Cambers, Fuels and even a Kiwi on an Orange Segment (or a Five of some sorts). So it seems that people are coming around, trail bikes with 110 to 120mm of travel are more than adequate for stage racing. In fact they’re more comfortable, easier to keep on the straight and narrow when you get tired and they’re more fun when you get to that hard earned

downhill. I rode my Specialized Camber and the only bike I’d have traded it for on the Tankwa Trek was a Camber Evo. But enough of that, here’s the summary in case you’re short on attention and just skipped to the end. If you’re racing to win: Epic World Cup. If you’re racing for a good place: Epic. If you’re riding a race to have fun… you know where I stand.

EPIC WORLD CUP EXPERT CARBON RRP R76 999 Seat Tube ............................................434 Top Tube (Horizontal) ....................592 Top Tube (Actual Length) ..............557 BB Drop .................................................40 BB Height ........................................... 332 Chainstay 4 ......................................... 39 Seat Tube Angle (Actual) .......... 69.75 Seat Tube Angle (Effective) .......74.25 Head Tube Angle ............................... 71 Wheel Base ..................................... 1 103 Standover Height ............................ 774 Head Tube Length ........................... 105 Stack ....................................................597 Reach ...................................................423

FS Coaching

ABSA Cape Epic Tips As we are approaching the 2015 Absa Cape Epic, Dr Mike Posthumus thought he’ll share with you some tips on how to complete and compete in this gruelling race by brieﬂy discussing preparation and race strategy.

acing: “How Should I pace

myself during the Epic?” This must be one of the most common questions I am asked by riders preparing for the Epic. The answer is actually quite easy. You don’t need to deliberately pace yourself. The human body has the extraordinary ability of helping you set an ideal pace to ﬁnish each stage. However, I have noticed that the adrenalin of a race start deﬁnitely gets the better of most participants in big

stage races like the Cape Epic. I often find myself riding the first 10 – 20km of a stage in big groups of riders going all out, to try and stay with a group that is clearly faster than what they are. I try and explain to riders that they should listen to their bodies, and don’t get caught up in the race. Ride to your own pace, and not that of the group you want to stay with or beat, you may lose 5 minutes over the first half of the stage, but it may save you an hour in the second half of the stage.

Cyclists and coaches often describe this phenomenon as “matches”. During a race you have a certain amount of matches you are able to burn until you simply can’t go anymore. Burning all your matches unnecessarily during the start and first quarter of a race may have devastating consequences. Blowing up during a stage at the Cape Epic will cause you to lose a lot of time during that specific stage, but will also affect you negatively in the days to come. My recommendation is therefore always to listen to your body, ride your own pace and do not get caught up in the race. Let faster groups go early on in the day and slowly work your way back up the field. This tactic will pay off in the long run and you will finish stronger and harder.

Mechanical: How to avoid major mechanical pitfalls Consistent ﬁnishes each day will ensure you the best possible ﬁnish

on the general classification. The two most common components on your bike which may “fail” are your tyres and your chain. To avoid tyre punctures and sidewall cuts, ensure that the tyres you use have added protection. When in doubt, go for the heavier tyre! This will save you time in the long run. I also often advise that tyres rather be pumped a little harder than normal. This may have a negative performance effect, but a harder tyre exposes less sidewall, and avoids the possibility of a pinch flat puncture. Again, you will save time over the long run as an avoided sidewall cut will make up the time you may loose from running tyres slightly harder than the optimal pressure. I personally run my tyres about 5Psi harder during the Cape Epic, when compared to a XCO race. Secondly, always ensure that you are not totally inept at fixing a broken

FS Conservation

All’s fair in coffee and chocolate Over the next few issues Jeanne-Louise Wiese will be changing things up a bit. She’s pledged to live more sustainably, reduce her carbon footprint and take up commuting by bicycle. But ﬁrst she’s changing the little things like how she shops, so read on and ﬁnd out why you should be choosing Fairtrade products. 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.

FS Physiotherapy

s athletes we all know that we need a steady ﬂow of energy, wholesome diets and sustainable physical maintenance… And so does nature. Consider yourself the zookeeper of our global nature reserve, since we have been given the responsibility of looking after it and can do so without compromising our personal luxuries in the process. I don’t know about you but a day cannot start without my old faithful cuppa coffee at hand and no race

ever ends without that cocoa infused recovery drink. But that doesn’t mean that what is good for you in the morning or post-race is necessarily good for the production chain that it comes from. I am not saying that everyone should go around strapping themselves to trees and hugging every bunny that hops your way, there is enough of that going around. But each person has a role to play and a contribution to make. As long

as you know you are contributing in whichever small scale you feel comfortable to, then the world is already a better place. For starters you can determine the impact of your most loved coffee and cocoa by reading the labels and looking for the keywords “Fairtrade” and “organic”. But why would you trade your trusted brands for something new? Large food producing corporations usually source from overseas in order to minimize costs and maximise proﬁts, by taking advantage of smaller developing countries where labour is cheap and product quality might be jeopardised. These corporations often have little regard for cultural, social and environmental impacts on those local communities. The Fairtrade movement aims at alleviating poverty by gaining support from the ethical consumer which leads to a win-win situation in a global marketplace.

Effects of the Needle

There are few things so small which inspire so much fear as needles. It’s not surprising then that talk of acupuncture or dry needling render some grown men weak at the knees. But you need not fear, Sarah Walker is here to help with the low down on dry needling – and it’s not as scary as the name makes it sound.

“D

ry needling” is a term used widely among medical professionals and sports people and anyone who has suffered some form of a muscle injury. Most of us are terriﬁed of needles and would rather not go there… but the effects of dry needling are instant and well worth the sweat! We are never at a mountain biking event without a pack

of needles of various lengths to ease the pain and tightness of a long day on the saddle.

Confusion: Dry needling is often confused with acupuncture. The needles are the same but the points used are different with different effects, I will discuss acupuncture in a later issue.

Nutrition: Eat! When chatting to riders about what they consumed during a race, I am often shocked at how little they consumed. If you want to know how much you should consume, the correct starting point is to estimate (always add an hour for the “justin-case) your ﬁnishing time. You body requires approximately 80g of carbohydrates each hour. Therefore read your nutritional drink, energy bar

or energy gel’s nutritional information and calculate the best way to ensure that you ingest 80g of carbs each hour. This means that if you plan to be out there for 6 hours, ensure that you are able to ingest 500g of carbs. My personal strategy is to ensure that I consume one bottle of carbohydrate drink and one energy gel each hour. This will give me approximately 80g of carbs. The gel may also be exchanged with an energy bar or a snack at a water table. As you will be consuming 5 litres of ﬂuid in the form of carb mix during the 6 hours, there should be no additional need to consume water alone. So rather focus on the carb drink. Further, gastric issues are often an indication that your carb drink does not constrain the correct constituencies. Ensure that you drink contains a 2:1 ration of glucose to fructose. The addition of fructose has been shown to reduce the gastric distress riders often experience.

Coaching

NICK MUZIK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTZPICS

chain. If you do not know how to do it, practise breaking and adding a link to an old chain. Seasoned professionals are able to ﬁx a broken chain in less than a minute. Ensure that you are not the team that loses 10 minutes when you break a chain. Lastly, ensure that your bike runs smoothly. This is the best way to avoid issues, and the best way to ensure this is to have an experienced mechanic look after your bike during the Epic.

Mechanicals can cost you a lot of time in a stage race, so sharpen up on your basic mechanical skills. 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

Conservation The idea is that consumers choose to pay a small premium in price to assist in developing struggling communities to become more sustainable producer regions. Fairtrade also promotes the use of sustainable ecological methods which has a much smaller impact on the environment and promotes higher quality products. Additional beneﬁts include community projects, poverty alleviation, better working conditions, human rights improvement, guaranteed fair prices for produce and a better standard of living for millions of people worldwide. The Fairtrade movement typically focuses on products exported from developing countries, such as sugar, tea, arts & crafts, bananas, coffee, cocoa, honey, wine, cotton, ﬂowers and fresh fruits. According to Fairtrade Label South Africa, coffee is the second most traded commodity after oil and

provides millions of jobs worldwide. Fairtrade coffees available in South Africa includes, amongst others, the brands Bean There, Ciro Coffee, Espresso biodegradable capsules, Fabino coffee, Motherland coffee, Puro coffee, Terodore Fairtrade coffee and certain Woolworths coffee ranges. Chocolate on the other hand is said to be one of the fastest growing commodities in the Fairtrade market. Some of these chocolates include Cadbury’s plain milk chocolate and Green & Black’s Organic chocolate range. These ranges all adhere to sustainable farming practices which include reduction of harsh chemicals and pesticides, protection of natural forests and prevention of erosion. Because of these practices, most of the Fairtrade products are also organic and can make a signiﬁcant difference to your health and the

History of the needle:

"The trigger point causing the pain is palpated and the needle is inserted through the centre of the trigger point."

Karel Lewit in 1979 was injecting various solutions into trigger points to relieve pain. He realised what he was injecting was not connected to the pain relief, rather the mechanical process of injecting into a trigger point that relieved the pain. Hence the term “dry” needling is used.

The needle: Traditionally hypodermic needles were used for dry needling. Research has shown however that there is no difference in outcome using hypodermic needles versus a solid ﬁlament needle (acupuncture needle). The acupuncture needles are more comfortable to the patient (thinner), and offer more tactile feedback to the therapist.

Trigger points: These are sensitive tight spots found in a taut band in a muscle. They

are caused by various physical or emotional stresses and lead to pain, tingling, burning or weakness locally, and/or in areas distant to the muscle (referred pain).

Procedure of needling: The trigger point causing the pain is palpated and the needle is inserted through the centre of the trigger point.

Effect of the needle: The trigger point when needled correctly will trigger a reﬂex twitch which may feel uncomfortable to the patient but it means the trigger point has been released. The twitch is an involuntary spinal cord reﬂex. It is

SUS the Fairtrade Certiﬁcation The Fairtrade Certiﬁcation Mark has met the rigorous Fairtrade Standards, which focuses on improving labour and living conditions for farming communities and on promoting a way of farming that doesn’t harm either people or the environment.

To ﬁnd out more visit :www.fairtradelabel.org.za or follow them at: @FairtradeSA on Twitter. environment, ensuring we can cycle and run our way through this beautiful world of ours with a clear conscience and a sustainable future ahead of us. So it is up to you to decide whether you think buying organic or Fairtrade products would change your world... it might not but it sure will change the world of the people who makes life’s little luxuries possible.

thought that the twitch response also elicits a release of opioids, a natural pain relieving chemical.

Homework: Once the trigger points are released it is effective to stretch the muscle a few times in the day to keep the muscle from knotting up again, also to take preventative measures to ensure the trigger points don’t return (more tense than before). For mountain bikers your set-up and posture on the bike are the likely culprits which will need changing to avoid future issues.

Advice: Dry needling is the Bomb!

Physiotherapy

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

FS Swen’s Tech Zone

T H E P IC K U P: Become a better climber During Swen Lauer’s many years teaching cycling skills he’s noticed how the majority of riders just ride over obstacles, like roots or stones. While 29er wheels have made this easier to do, mastering the “Pickup” will allow you to ride more smoothly, more safely and more efficiently.

he pickup is an essential skill whereby you lift first your front and then your rear wheel over an obstacle on the trail. Here’s a step by step guide to the proper technique to get you executing it correctly.

STEP 1 – Venue & Setup

STEP 3 – Technique: Rear Wheel Pickup

◆ Choose a flat or slightly ascending piece of tarmac, gravel road or even grass. ◆ If you’re a beginner, go for ﬂat pedals.

STEP 4 – All together ◆ Find a small stick, tree branch and position it in a ﬂat space. ◆ Do the pickup seated. As soon your front wheel is over the obstacle and touches the ground, stand up and lift your back wheel over too. ◆ As soon as your back wheel touches the ground start pedalling.

◆ Ride at a slow pace and use you cleats to lift your back wheel. ◆ Starting position: Roll in a standing neutral position on your bike, pedals levelled. Now try to lift your back wheel by pulling your legs until the saddle touches your bum. ◆ If you are using ﬂat pedals, you must move your body slightly forward to take the weight off the back wheel.

STEP 2 – Technique: Front Wheel Pickup

◆ Find the right gear to accelerate quickly but maintain control of your speed and force. ◆ Ride as slowly as possible. ◆ When the pedal, of your stronger leg, reaches the 12 o’clock position push it down as fast as possible, use power and speed and allow your front wheel to lift. ◆ At the same time pull slightly on your handlebars, but keep your bodyweight back, arms straight and stay seated all time. ◆ Practice with both your stronger and weaker leg.

ALL TOGETHER:

REAR WHEEL PICKUP:

Pre exercises Doing balance exercises like these will help you perform the pickup. ◆ Ride a straight line, as slowly as possible ◆ Practice sprinting, from a stationary, sitting start to get a feeling for force required. ◆ Practice smooth and controlled rear brake braking.

Then hit the gym and do the following strength exercises: ◆ Single leg press – fast and slow controlled moves ◆ Balance exercises on a Half Swiss Ball ◆ Perform box jumps ◆And remember that core exercises are great for improving your mountain biking so ask a personal trainer to develop a programme for you.

PHOTOS BY ASHLEE ATTWOOD

FRONT WHEEL PICKUP:

Next Time:

PHOTOS BY ASHLEE ATTWOOD

In the April issue of Full Sus for Swen’s Tech Zone I’ll be discussing fork and rear shock set-up and how it affects your riding, by improving traction and reducing fatigue.

Swen Lauer is an International UCI certiﬁed MTB performance and skills coach with over 35 years of BMX and MTB riding experience. Before starting his coaching business, SWENLAUERmycoach, and his PEDAL2MEDAL bikeschool in Stellenbosch he operated his own bike label, Pure Power bicycles, in Germany. He’s currently coaching top mountain bikers like Ariane Kleinhans, Jennie Stenerhag and Cherie Vale. Follow Swen on Twitter at @swenlauer.

"When the pedal of your stronger leg reaches the 12 o'clock position push it down as fast as possible, use power and speed and allow your front wheel to lift."

FS Kleinhans Muesli

James Reid het skoonskip gemaak in die Trans Hajar in Oman.

Terug in die alom bekende wegspringblokke! MARK LLOyD

oor jy weet, mik ‘n geharde Oudtshoorn-boer sy groot geweer in die lug vir die wegspring van ons eerste resies van die jaar, die Attakwas. Die Fairview Attakwas Extreme bergfietsresies is een van die hardstes op die Suid- Afrikaanse kalender en altyd ‘n bietjie van ‘n skok vir die liggaam as ons eerste wedren, maar na ‘n paar weke se oefen is dit so verfrissend om iets anders te doen en bietjie te sien hoe die liggaam die oefenritte geabsorbeer het. Net so is dit altyd lekker om saam met die res van die RECM-span te reis en daar is altyd ‘n goeie gees rondom die etenstafel. Die resies en ek het ‘n eienaardige verhouding, en ek is seker die meeste van die mense wat dit gereeld doen, deel my sentiment! Die laaste twee jare het dinge baie goed gegaan, maar mens kan nie te gemaklik raak deur die Attakwaskloof nie. Die jaar het ek weer geleer

om die resies met respek te hanteer want hy breek jou maklik! Dit was nog steeds ‘n pretdag op die fiets en ek’s nie te teleurgesteld in my 7de plek nie, en Ariane het na vyf jaar en vyf pogings haar vyfde titel ingepalm. So tussendeur hierdie begin van die jaar se wedrenne deur het ons RECM-span darem ook die geleentheid gehad vir so bietjie spangees bou, grootliks te danke aan ons spanborg, die “Hospitality Property Fund”, kon ons ‘n paar dae by die Arabella Hotel en Spa deurbring, vir oefen, foto-sessies, ontspan en die aller belangrike strooi-praatjies. Dit is opgevolg deur ‘n spanbekendstelling by die ON19 restaurant by die Westin in die

Erik het tweede agter Alban Lakata by die Meerendal Nasionale MTB reeks wedren geëindig.

ZOON CRONJE | NiKON

Sodra jy inspring met die harde Desember en Januarie se oefenweke, voel dit altyd asof die die eerste wedrenne en fiksheid ligjare weg is, skryf Erik Kleinhans, maar dit is ongelooflik hoe vining die tyd vlieg onder die invloed van ‘n paar weke se sweet en middagslapies.

Moederstad waar die wynrekening ‘n duidelike aanwysing was dat die aand ‘n reuse sukses was! Ons Kapenaars was weereens geseënd die jaar met die eerste SA Nasionale Marathon, van sewe, in ons agterplaas by Meerendal. ‘n Nuwe wedren, en volgens my ‘n groot sukses, met die Durbanvilleroetes wat gepronk het op die dag en die pragtige ou plaasgeboue as agtergrond vir die begin, einde en prysuitdeling. Persoonlik kon ek nie meer gelukkig wees met my tweede plek nie, veral as die enigste Suid-Afrikaner in ‘n besonderse stergevulde top vyf! Maar meer belangrik die gevoel om vir 50km voor te jaag met slegs voormalige

"Maar meer belangrik is die gevoel om vir 50km voor te jaag met slegs voormalige wereldkampioen, Alban Lakata, as geselskap."

wêreldkampioen, Alban Lakata, as geselskap. Met die resiesseisoen nou goed aan die gang, is ons RECMspan besonders goed op dreef, met James Reid wat skoonskip gemaak het in die vyf-dag Toer van Hajar in Oman en Cherise met ‘n wonderlike silwer medalje by die SA padkampioenskappe, sien ek uit na die res van die jaar!

Scan this QR code to read the article in English on www.fullsus.co.za RECM se Erik Kleinhans is een van SuidAfrika se gewildste bergfietsjaers. Hy is nou die eienaar en kaptein van die RECM bergfiets span, en moet net so hard werk op die span admin as op sy oefening. Volg hom op Twitter by @erikkleinhans.

24-29 May 2015

6 DAYS. 450km. WINDHOEK TO SWAKOPMUND. You and your teammate will discover what you’re made of. Pass through the folded mountains of the Khomas Hochland. Make your descent via the transition plateau into the world’s oldest desert. Head towards the Atlantic through restricted areas of the Namib Naukluft Park. Push yourself.

ENTER NOW

Limited to 75 teams www.namibquest.com.na

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18. Drink Responsibly.

THE JUPITER DRAWING ROOM (CT) 45934/E

YOUR FEAR, YOUR DOUBT, YOUR LIMITS.

FS Comp

n i w

Win a six-month supply of Windhoek Light Beer

Tell us what essential item you’d pack for a mountain biking trip across Namibia’s Khomas Hochland plateau and through the Namib Desert. THE PRIZE: In support of The Windhoek Light Namib Quest, Windhoek Light is giving away two six-month supplies of Windhoek Light. To win tell us what essential item you’d pack for a biking trip across Namibia’s Khomas Hochland plateau and through the Namib Desert. Two lucky readers will each win one case of Windhoek Light Beer per month for six months (six cases in total). Up your chances of winning by being creative. Think of something unexpected. Windhoek Light Beer is brewed according to the German Reinheitsgebot (or Purity Law) as decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. This means that only the highest quality malted barley, hops and water are used to brew all of Windhoek’s 100% Pure Beer. Windhoek Light is both low in alcohol (2.4%) and calories (125kJ per 100ml), but features a full-bodied, slightly malty ﬂavour with hints of bitterness tempered by subtle fruitiness. It’s the perfect beer for after a long ride, especially a tough stage of the Windhoek Light Namib Quest.

HOW TO WIN: In an email, with the subject line “Windhoek Light Namib Quest Competition”, tell us what item would be essential to your completion of the Windhoek Light Namib Quest - something you’d pack for a mountain bike race through the Namib, the world’s oldest desert. Email your answer to comp@fullsus.co.za, including your creative answer, your Full Name, ID Number (we have to make sure you’re at least 18), a Day Time Delivery Address and your contact number.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18. Drink Responsibly.

March is the month of Epic riding.

The Rides of March With 2015 in full swing Stirling Kotze looks back on the festive season hangover that was January and gets himself mentally prepared for the Ride of March…

anuary was generally a quiet month for sales. Understandable! November and December were cracker months for many bicycle stores. January is the festive season’s hangover. Expensive holidays are but a happy memory and the multi-page bank/ credit card statement is a harsh reality check. We can only hope the month of

love and red roses has changed the mood and got everyone geared up for the month that March is. The world’s biggest fun ride in a brand new outfit... The Cape Town Cycle Tour. I’ll be doing my first one. We’ll ALL be doing our first Cape Town Cycle Tour! Innovative brand change is welcome and kudos to all that contributed to the name change and everything it means to an iconic cycle race and to the wonderful destination

NICK MUZIK | CAPE EPIC | SPORTZPICS

FS Stirling Revolution

that Cape Town is. If you catch me using the old name (which, after 22 finishes is probable) I’ll give you 10% off any purchase. I am sure a bunch of readers will be grumbling and still call it ‘The Argus’. Name changes can be so emotive. Just ask the politicians. Let’s not forget our hard-working upstairs neighbours: Grandstand Management is about to put on its 11th edition of the Cape Epic. This year hosts the most competitive field ever and the elusive all-South African team victory is perhaps even more unlikely. I was personally involved in the first three Epics participating in the first and riding trial rides and publishing ride guides for the earlier events. I even had some of the early organizing team stay in my house. All I can say is that Kevin, Kate and the evolving Cape Epic team have established a world-leading event over a relatively short period. The fact that it is an African event makes the achievement even more remarkable. Notwithstanding name changes and reduced SA rider hopes, these two events bring big money, massive prestige and plane loads of tourists and competitors to the Mother City and the Western Cape. Two of the sport’s best cycling products in one of the top destinations in the world in the space of just a few weeks. What more can we ask for! On a smaller scale but a big step for our family cycling business, we

have committed everything we have to give the centre of Cape Town a truly world-class bicycle shop (and the best ﬂat white/cappuccino in any bike shop). Feedback from customers has been phenomenal. As part of our quest to be a special bike shop in a special city, we opened our doors on a Sunday in January for the Bree Street Open Street Day (a praiseworthy initiative) where we went through 34 litres of milk serving coffees non-stop for ﬁve hours while the shop hosted more visitors than we normally do in a month. So join in and visit us when you’re here for your next Cape Town cycling adventure. Cape Town really is a city that works for all - especially for those with a passion for cycling.

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

FS Gear

GEAR LIGHT TEST

Extreme Lights 1 200 MKII Cycle Light

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LOW

HIGH

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Now’s the time for night rides, it’s too hot to ride in the heat of the day, the evenings are cool and besides the trails come alive when the sun goes down with owls, genets and porcupines all coming out. So we decided to put a bunch of cycle lights to the test, here’s what we found. Note: All Lumens and run times are as claimed by the manufacturer. RRP: R975 (including compact red tail light) Stated Lumens: 950 High Battery life: 950 Lumens – 04:00 LOOK AND FEEL: The handsome anodized aluminium body with curved foot attaches to the handlebars by the simple but effective O-ring system. It has a battery indication light on the back of the unit that doubles as the control switch for the one LED light’s three modes: high, low and strobe. The light attaches to the battery pack via a sturdy cable using a universal male/female plug-in system. The battery is lithium with a rubber casing that is housed inside a neoprene pouch that is attached to the bike via a Velcro strap. It’s easy to use, will fit any bike and is extremely hardy. TESTER’S REPORT: Extreme Lights have been around for a number of years now and they have improved immensely. The most noticeable difference is the battery pack – it’s a lot more durable, has got smaller and has a more reliable strap system to attach to the bike. The light body also seems to be a better quality and the LED is certainly better. I think that the Extreme 1200 is the benchmark for most lights – it’s reliable, easy to use, durable and most of all it gives off a great light. The 1200 is broad enough to give you good all-round vision and penetrating enough to ensure a good depth of field. You can’t go wrong with this light and as an all-rounder and value for money it would be my go to light.

Extreme Lights 2K Cycle Light RRP: R1 795 Stated Lumens: 1 800 High Battery life: 1 800 Lumens – 05:00 LOOK AND FEEL: The 2K is remarkably small considering it houses 3 of the latest technology LED’s. The anodized aluminium body is handsome in black with silver trim and has a rear battery indicator/mode switch on the back of the light. The light has both an O-ring and a swivelling, quick-release mount. The battery pack is the same as the 1200, rubberized lithium batteries in a rugged Neoprene pouch – why re-invent the wheel? TESTER’S REPORT: It was with trepidation that I placed the 2K on my bike – simply because the first 3 LED light from Extreme Lights I tested (2 years ago) was terrible. The footpad never connected properly to the light and the body was so heavy that it kept sliding down and ended up pointing at the ground – the O-ring just couldn’t hold it. Well guess what? The guys at Extreme Lights have learnt their lesson and have produced a hugely superior product. The body is light and small, the O-ring has no problem keeping it in place and in case you have tapered bars or really want to make sure there is no movement, they have supplied a quick release clamp – no more fiddling. The beam is definitely broader than the 1200 and brighter in closer vicinity – it doesn’t seem to have the penetration of the single beam though. This is not a negative just a difference. It depends on your riding style, what you want to see and how far, and the terrain you normally ride in etc. Overall the 2K is a massive improvement and definitely a light you should consider at this price point. Lezyne Mega Drive LED RRP: R2 500 Stated Lumens: 1 200 Bright & 600 Economy Battery Life: 1 200 Lumens – 01:30 LOOK AND FEEL: My experience with anything from Lezyne is that it is normally top quality, design is sexy and durable. The Mega is no different. It looks a little like something Captain Spock (the new guy…) would carry around. With twin LED’s and black fins it is a lovely looking piece of gear. TESTER’S REPORT: Performance was just as good as it looks. A great beam that allowed excellent depth of field with enough light spread to keep the entire singletrack in good soaking light, while the peripheral beam allows enough light to make every move a confident one. My only gripe and it’s a small one is that the light is a solid unit, and you need to ensure that once you are happy with the light angle off the bars you tighten the bracket sufficiently or there is lateral play (left to right) and you have to keep moving it back to centre – not really that big a deal as you just need to stop and tighten the bracket screw – it’s not something you can fiddle with on the fly. Of the lights tested this was my favourite as it was easy to use, no wires and I loved having the spare battery pack for “justins”! The Mega is pricey. If budget is not an issue then I would highly recommend the Lezyne. In the upper price range – similar to the Specialized in the lights tested – it is a light you will keep forever and looks damn cool on your second-bond baby!

Gear

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to ght

ing It’s

d nce and ght nly ost ves

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Specialized Flux Expert RRP: R3 399 Stated Lumens: 1 200 High Battery life: 1 200 Lumens – 01:45 LOOK AND FEEL: Not the most compact light unit due to the internal lithium-ion battery housed in the unit, but what this does mean is that you do not require an external battery pack, an absolute winner in my view. The light unit itself is well constructed and looks solid. As for the mounting bracket, this is provided by a fairly simple aluminium clamp mechanism but unlike other lights the Flux Expert offers a unique mounting system that enables you to centre the light in front of the stem where most other systems are located on the left or right of the stem producing an off-set beam. Complementing this further is the clever quick release mounting system that allows you to remove the light unit easily, while providing perfect alignment every time when remounting the unit. The mounting bracket allows for a wide variety of mounting options for both flat and drop bars through the standard moulded rubber shims. The most pricey of our test lights the Flux is however completely serviceable with all the parts, inside and out either able to be serviced or replaced. TESTER’S REPORT: Another area that stood out for me is coverage and light output of the unit. At both Battery Saver (Low Beam) and Full Power (High-beam) the beam provided great coverage due to the reflector design providing a constant full beam of light where you need it. The unit uses 3 LED’s (cool white) that provide a bright clean white light. It also includes a remote that mounts on your bars and allows you to control operating the modes: high/low beam, flash. For me the jury is still out on this one, as although it does provide a ‘no-fuss’ control of the light in close proximity to your hand, I am just not convinced about the additional clutter on my bars and durability of the remote. As for the battery life, we operated the light in a combination of both the Battery Saver (Low Beam) and Full Power (High-beam) and all in all it met the specified run-time and a bit more. Sportsmans Warehouse 800 Lumen RRP: R1 200

epth der

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Stated Lumens: 800 High Battery life: 800 Lumen – 03:00 LOOK AND FEEL: “Tiny!” Was the first comment from everyone. A small barrel, anodised black alloy, the 800 is the smallest cable attached light we have seen. The battery pack is also tiny. Although we ran it on bars we all agreed that this was a perfect helmet light. (The pack does come with a helmet filling.) The light attaches to the bars with an O-ring mount. TESTER’S REPORT: The 800 (Tiny to his mates) packs quite a punch but I am not confident that it is the only light you can have on your fave night ride. It’s definitely great for running and the perfect second light – easily worn on your helmet. Both Rich and Rudy felt it punched way above its weight with Rudy saying it was the one he would go for

Sportsmans Warehouse Ultrabeam 1 000 RRP: R850

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Stated Lumens: 1 000 High Battery life: 1 000 Lumens – 02:30 LOOK AND FEEL: The SW Ultrabeam is similar in design and look to the Extreme Lights. It is a standard that most riders will know – the small, in this case anodized alloy body, that attaches via a plug-in cord to a Li-ion battery pack. The Ultrabeam is black and has a 4 stage indicator light. It mounts via a rubberized mounting foot that is attached to the bar via a rubber ring. Simple and yet very effective. It also keeps the costs down. TESTER’S REPORT: The battery pack is small and light. It is in a light and strong synthetic/ canvas bag that attaches to your top tube with Velcro straps. The light is surprisingly good from this unit. It is clear, bright and has a long compact beam. The beam width is not huge but this does not detract from the efficacy of the light. The rubber O-ring mounting system can be tricky with tapered bars but it is also something that is easy to fix on the fly. Changing the angle of the beam is quick and easy. There is very little lateral movement in this system, which is great. The only concern would be the battery running time; it’s great for a two hour ride but starts getting a little worrying for anything longer. For me this was the surprise light of the batch. R850 is still a lot of cash to spend on a light but it certainly gives great value for money and a very capable light. Look after the battery and this light will be good for years.

ACTUAL NIGHT VIEWS Extreme Lights 1 200

Lezyne Mega Drive

Specialized Flux

Sportsmans Ultrabeam 1 000

The difficulty of illustrating the performance of the individual lights, on cold set printing, out on the trails aside – here are how the lights stacked up. We also suggest you invest in an auxiliary light on your helmet to light your path when navigating sharp corners or to spot wildlife on the side of the trail, as the handle bar mounted lights only cast light where your bike is aimed.

CALENDAR SUS THE BEST OF April 2015 GAUTENG Emperors Palace MTB Classic 2015 The Cradle Mountain Trophy Funky Monkey MTB Race Babba’s Lodge MTB Super Series 2015 – Event #4 18 Delta Dash 6 Hour Endurance Race 2015 24 joBerg2c 11 11 11 12

FREE STATE 18 Ashburton Investments National MTB Series #3 Clarens

4 11 17 18 25 25

26 7 Passes MTB 30 Biking in the Bosch MTB Camp – Elgin 3 4 5 11 11 11 18 18 19 19 25 26 26

WESTERN CAPE Dirtopia All Mountain Enduro – Welvanpas Fine Breede MTB 36One Challenge Philadelphia MTB Breedekloof Gravel and Grape Arabella Challenge

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

KZN PMB MTB Festival Enduro & Night Race PMB MTB Festival XCO & Classic SA Cup Series DHI #2 KZN MTB Provincial XCO Series #3 X10siv Umko Challenge Umko Challenge KZN Schools’ Series #2 KZN MTB Provincial Enduro & DHI Series #3 Sugar Rush Classic Royal Drakensberg MTB Challenge KZN MTB Provincial Enduro Series #3 KZN MTB Provincial DHI Series #3 Zini River Estate Buffalo Classic – Big 5 Series

MPUMALANGA 11 Nedbank Save the Rhino 25 SA Cup Series XCO #3 (UCI Cat 1) & Junior World Series 26 SA Cup Series DHI

Calling all event organisers

Get your event listed here for free! Email all your 2015 event dates and details to sussed@fullsus.co.za to make sure you don’t miss out on the coverage.

May 2015 RACE CALENDAR GAUTENG 9 Believe 6/12 Choc Cow MTB Race FREE STATE 16 Family Day Race NORTHWEST PROVINCE 30 Nissan Trailseeker Gauteng Series #1 - Bundu Bash WESTERN CAPE 1 Klein Karoo X 1 Windpomp Fees MTB Challenge 9 Nissan Trailseeker Western Cape Series #1 - Helder Berg 9 SAPPI Karkloof Classic 17 Dirtopia Enduro 23 AmaRider 100 Miler 30 Montagu Mountainmania EASTERN CAPE 17 Trans Elands MTB Marathon

2 2 3 3 9 13 14 17 23 23 23 24 24 30 31 31 11

KZN Newcastle MTB #3 KZN Schools’ Series #3 Greytown MTB Festival Big Five Series – Buffalo Classic 12 sani2c Trail sani2c Adventure sani2c Race Husq Mid Illovo Classic KZN Schools Series #4 The Spares Shop MTB Challenge Giants Castle MTB Challenge OneMovement KZN Inter School Eliminator Series 1 of 3 Compendium MTB Derby KZN MTB Provincial XCO Championships OneMovement KZN Inter School Eliminator Series 2 of 3 Newcastle MTB #4 MPUMALANGA Nedbank Save the Rhino

OUT IN AFRICA 17 The Malealea Monster Weekend Adventure (Lesotho)

MARCH Must do events ■ 14 March: Hennies Sentrum MTB Challenge

The Karoofees in De Aar plays host to the Hennies Sentrum MTB Challenge on Saturday the 14th of March this year. The racing starts at Hoërskool De Aar at 07:00 and registration takes place either on Friday morning or on Saturday morning before the start. There are two distances on offer, either the 55km challenge or the 18km fun ride with the former costing R150 and the latter R80 to enter. Entries are available online through www.cycleevents.co.za and entries close on the 12th. Remember it’s a CSA affiliated race, so you’ll need to purchase a CSA day licence at registration if you don’t already have an annual membership.

■ 14 March: Reliance Veldtrap Met Woorde

If you’re a language loving mountain biker, or trail runner, then the Reliance Veldtrap Met Woorde is the event

for you. It is part of the University of Stellenbosch’s annual Woordefees and is aimed at being a fun, social day out for all. The Veldtrap events include 18km, 35km and 50km mountain bike races and 6km, 12km and 18km trail runs from the Root 44 Market on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Entries start at R60 for the trail runs and R100 for the MTB races, and go up to R120 and R200 for each of the longer distances. But note that there is an additional R30 late entry fee if you’d like enter on the day. You can ﬁnd out more, scope out the route maps and proﬁles, and enter online by going to www.veldtrap.co.za.

■ 21 & 22 March: KZN MTB Provincial Enduro & DHI Series #2 On Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of March if you’re a KZN based gravity fuelled rider then you should be joining in the Enduro and Downhill fun at St Ives in the Midlands. The fun starts with the Enduro racing on

Electrically assisted Up to 90km per charge

Saturday with practice runs scheduled from 08:00 to 11:00 and the racing set to start at 12:00. On Sunday the same format is followed, with Downhill practice runs starting at 08:00 and racing getting underway at 12. Entry fees are R150 for either Downhill or Enduro if you pre-enter, or R180 on the day. If you’d like to do both formats entries are R250 for early entries or R280 on the day. Enter online at www.roag.co.za.

■ 22 March: The Wik Offroad Triathlon Now in its third year The Wik Memorial Triathlon is organised by the staff of Stanford Lake College in memory of their colleague Wik van der Walt who tragically passed away in 2012 during a mountain bike race. It’s Limpopo’s only Triathlon SA sanctioned event and it offers entrants two entry options, either the longer “Stanfordian Challenge” or the shorter “The Wik”. The Stanfordian Challenge features a 1km swim, a 26km mountain bike,

and a 10km trail run; while The Wik incorporates a 500m swim, 15km mountain bike, and a 5km trail run. Teams entries are also available for the shorter The Wik, so it’s perfect for the more social athletes to get into triathlons. Remember that as a Triathlon SA sanctioned event, if you’re not a Traithlon SA member you will have to purchase a R100 day licence in cash on the day. Entries are R170 for the long distance and R130 for the shorter, and for more information you can mail Steve Willson on swillson@stanfordlakecollege.co.za. Or ﬁnd the race on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/WikTriathlon.

CALENDAR KEY Mpumalanga

Free State

Limpopo

Western Cape

Northern Cape

KZN

Gauteng

North West

Eastern Cape

Out in Africa

No sweat Huge fun Go anywhere Commute

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