Full Sus September 2020

SUS THE

VIDEO

CLICK HERE WHEN YOU SEE IT

SUPPLY CHAIN

WORRIES DURING

COVID

LADIES ON BIKES:

MORE CLOTHES, BIKES AND ATTENTION NEEDED!

BIKE REVIEW: CANNONDALE HABIT NEO 3

S E PT E M B E R 2020 VO L 66

TRAILBUILDING: FINDING FREE STATE GEMS

C O V I D B I K E S H O P F E AT U R E

YOUR LBS’ LINE OF SUPPLY IN THE TIMES OF COVID OUR RESIDENT BIKE SHOP OWNER IS BACK AND HE TRIES HIS VERY BEST TO EXPLAIN WHY ALL STOCK LEVELS ARE SUPER LOW AT YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP. DON’T FEAR THOUGH, THINGS ARE LOOKING UP WITH SHINY NEW 2021 PRODUCTS EMERGING SOON. WORDS BY WILLIAM KEITH

C O V I D B I K E S H O P F E AT U R E

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n behalf of all the Local Bike few weeks! So much so that we as the cycle backlog, they don’t even Shop’s (LBS) out there, I would trade now face a very real scenario, that being slow down – let alone join like to start this second article we have almost run out of sub R15k bicycles. the queue– they just sail with a big thank you. Evidently, How, you may ask? Simple, replenishment on by up the west coast of many of you took to heart the plea of stock to distributors is not making it into the Africa. They have timetables encouraging all your non-cycling family country in the numbers required. Some small to adhere to. Those members and friends to take up the good boutique brands are successfully flown in but containers of SA bound past time and buy a bicycle. South Africa is the vast majority of bicycles are shipped to bicycles will be offloaded now officially almost out of stock of sub R15k SA via container ship. South African harbours somewhere up the African bikes! Congratulations, that was a special and SA Customs are rarely super efficient coast to be shipped back down effort. in processing product entering our country at “the first opportunity”. That In the continuing theme of Your LBS and Covid has exasperated this. Regardless is a somewhat open-ended in the Times of Covid, this article highlights of which is your favourite brand of bicycle, schedule if you ask me! some of the challenges facing the Distributors South African cycling industry. The of components are “THE GOOD SHOPS ARE THOSE bicycle trade has resumed, albeit with experiencing similar initial restrictions; some having slowly challenges. You try and WILLING TO EMBRACE CREATIVITY IN faded yet others reappearing. As I write order a SRAM Eagle GX this, we are in day 120 of lockdown, or Shimano SLX M7100 SATISFYING PRODUCT DEMAND.” Level 3.1.2.7.3/z-4b I think, I am not upgrade kit from your sure, I have lost track. Facemasks are LBS. If they don’t have compulsory, at least in my shop. No apologies chances are it is manufactured in China it on their shop shelf, you are fresh given, no face mask = no entry. Get with the or Taiwan. Despite what these countries out of luck as these two upgrade kits programme by thinking of others. may or may not officially claim, they are not have proven immensely popular. If It is not my intention to have this article yet back to the production figures of preyou still want to upgrade your drive become a whine piece, although a glass of my Covid times, let alone caught up with the train, you may have to upgrade to favourite wine (pinot noir, thank you Andries) numbers. Factoring in the new season’s the next level as the distributors don’t right now would not go amiss. No, merely models imminent release, the pull of the huge have the GX or SLX either. They are to highlight and communicate some of the European and US orders and little old SA is sold out and cannot guarantee an exact challenges in product supply facing your LBS somewhat down the pecking order of 2020 replenishment date. Need to buy a new so that you may also be aware of why that model stock replenishment. Currently, our set of pedals? You may be better off particular bicycle or rear mech is not in stock. harbours are backed up with container ships having your LBS service the old ones. The This returns me to the first paragraph. trying to offload, the system is under strain good shops are those willing to embrace WOW, South Africa really bought into the fun due to a portion of staff members having to creativity in satisfying product demand. and recreation bicycle scene over the past quarantine etc. New ships arriving see the It is also an opportunity for the smaller

F E AT U R E distributors, those able to react faster to changing demands, to fill in at least some of these voids with suitable alternatives thereby entrenching their footholds in the marketplace.

The LBS challenges are not restricted to the sourcing and stocking of product either but have also stretched to business practice protocols. Certain distributors have for many years been tied into debtor insurance companies and have their debtors book insured for bad debt. I have a document stating Credit Guarantee has handed out carte blanche notices of cover reduction and in many cases retraction of cover for bike shops that have hitherto had, for many years, perfect or near perfect track records with those very same suppliers. What does this mean? It means that your LBS may well now be paying COD to stock your favourite big brand component on their shelf instead of enjoying their normal 30 day account. This is a scenario that many shops will not be able to entertain with any degree of satisfaction or spread of product.

A headache neither LBS nor supplier needs.

The above scenarios will create an occasional feeling of emptiness when entering your LBS. However, stick with it, persevere and take heart, it is not as dire in SA as it has been this past summer on the North American continent. My good mate Sean living in Calgary recently sent me a pic of his LBS. Initially I thought they had been broken into and cleaned out.

He assured me this shop’s situation was not unique. Apparently cycling in Canada has become so popular that many bike shops simply have no stock left. He also claimed that lead times out of their workshops had, in some cases, stretched to beyond four weeks. Now we are by no means at this point nor do I think we will reach it, but we will have gaps in bicycle and component supply at various price points. Our redemption to this situation may well be the oncoming

“IF THEY DON’T HAVE IT ON THEIR SHOP SHELF, YOU ARE FRESH OUT OF LUCK AS THESE TWO UPGRADE KITS HAVE PROVEN IMMENSELY POPULAR.”

2021 model season. These bikes would have been ordered a year to 18 months ago and so while production of 2020 bikes has been severely interrupted, 2021 appears to be full steam ahead and in time for our summer.

Rock on new bikes, new carbon layup and all those hectic new colourways. Your scribe has, in the space of two sentences, typed himself into a new positive frame of mind.

I’ll take that pinot noir now thank you.

WILLIAM KEITH, local bike shop owner since ‘05. A bicyclist of many years and (in)famous builder of wheels.

Extremely passionate about putting bums on bikes as well as a firm believer in commuter bicycle networks.

A proud father and husband with the philosophy that singlespeeding keeps life as it should be.

ED’S LETTER

LIKE AN OLD PAIR OF SHOES

LEVEL 2 – TAKING STOCK AND SUPPORTING EVENTS!

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illiam Keith features on the cover again this issue, he takes stock of the current situation within the LBS’ – if you’re wondering why you can’t get parts for your bike or why your fave store is looking sparse, William gives us a bit of insight.

We welcome back Frans as an associate editor, as a small team I find it difficult to get to all the things we need to do per issue so Frans agreed to give us a hand part-time. Besides his penchant for writing and cycling he has turned entrepreneur by having launched his own coffee brand – another of his loves. Check it out at https://www.facebook. com/Covidbruhcoffee/ This issue has a ladies emphasis in keeping with August’s women’s month – albeit a little late.

Integrated Media has moved offices which also contributed to us being tardy. It is a really nice space though and hopefully will ensure we are on time every time from here on in.

By now you would probably have seen the terrible incident that happened to 1991 Comrades Marathon winner Nick Bester – he was robbed of his bike and really badly beaten. I cannot put into words the outrage I feel and hope the perpetrators are caught and thrown into jail for a long time!

Nick, we wish you a speedy recovery. Things are rough out there folks and I would really advise you not to ride alone – if you have to ride and don’t have a couple of mates to join you or can’t get to a trail park, then frankly it’s probably safer to use the indoor trainer. Yes we are becoming prisoners in our own homes but things aren’t looking great and rather be safe than sorry.

Finally, I would like to once again acknowledge how devastating the economic lockdown has been to all of us but in particular I would like to highlight the event industry. Folks, besides not being able to see our favourite athletes in action, it has also meant that as weekend warriors we haven’t had any events to train for and look forward to taking part in. We have luckily been able to at least get to venues and trails that we couldn’t access earlier in the year and it’s great to see the trails filling up again, but spare a thought for the organisers of the events, the staff and suppliers involved. We need to support these guys and show our commitment to their events – book your events for next year – get behind them and let’s ensure that our favourite events are only cancelled this year and not permanently erased from the calendar.

Stay safe, see you on the trails!

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hat a weird time we’re living in! At the beginning of March, I was still happily employed at my new job in Paarl and my one-year anniversary was coming up. One year since I left Full Sus and Cape Town.

A couple of weeks later I was part of the dreadful nationwide retrenchment and in dire straits.

It is so great helping Shayne and the team out as the associate editor and feels like I have never left.

Except for the long-distance Zoom meetings and Skype calls. Full Sus’s new online e-mag is such a refreshing way of bringing our readers the absolute best mountain bike specific news available.

Our annual Women’s Issue is once again jampacked with the latest news on female cycling. If you are in the market for a lady’s bike, make sure you have a look at the latest LIV bike we had on test.

Trail building is such a selfless job and without these amazing individuals scattered around SA, we would not be able to revel in the STOKE as much. We “visit” Bloemfontein to find out if everything in the State is Free.

Thanks to our president we are back on level two and some events will certainly go ahead! I hope you’re as excited as we are to be lining up for our next event.

Stay on two wheels

Frans

CONTENTS

@the36One, that perfect moment.

Photo by: Oak Pics

FEATURES

22 E-BIKE REVIEW – CANNONDALE HABIT NEO: Ray Cox puts the lastest Cannondale e-bike through its paces.

02 COVER FEATURE: Empty shelves! William Keith takes us behind the scenes and unpacks the current supply chain challenges.

26 TRAILBLAZERS #1: Ons ontmoet bo-baas roetebouer Keith Wilson van die Vrystaat!

05 THE ED’s wax lyrical – Frans Le Roux back on the team 07 NEWS: The local #MTB skinny

30 DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE TRAIL NETWORK: Full Sus trail guru Jacques Marais explores the beauty of the Overstrand.

09 STANDING UP FOR THE LADIES. Guys Michaele Cooper has something to say, and best we listen!

REGULARS

12 GEAR. We review some cool gear!

36 F-STOP: Professional and amateur photographers show their work and give some insight into how they got the shot!

14 HANGING TOUGH: Timo Cooper digs deep on one of his toughest rides yet.

18 BIKE REVIEW - THE LIV PIQUE: Courteney Webb tests and reviews the 2020 ladies specific LIV PIQUE

39 STEF GARLICKI : Pays homage to the fairer sex.

41 BEN CAPOSTAGNO: Women are not small men and require gender specific training!

44 EVENT CALENDAR: What’s left? The calendar is in tatters but let’s keep them top of mind!

MTB NEWS

MTB NEWS WAHOO RELEASES NEW KICKR

Wahoo, the leader in workout apps and connected fitness devices is excited to reveal the newest KICKR smart trainer. The fifth-generation KICKR improves on the legendary realistic ride feel that Wahoo riders prize, and also offers riders a wide range of improvements to elevate every ride.

The new KICKR, the same smart trainer used by World Tour teams INEOS and BORA-hansgrohe, brings to market several new features. This version of the categoryleading KICKR refines power accuracy to +/-1% from +/-2% by using a proprietary autocalibration process. This gives the new KICKR unsurpassed power accuracy without the need for users to perform a spin down, saving valuable time and providing riders confidence in the accuracy of their power data.

Additionally, to create a more natural, comfortable ride feel, the new KICKR also comes equipped with the new AXIS feet.

These feet allow a bike installed onto the trainer to smoothly tilt up to five degrees from side-to-side with each pedal stroke in a controlled, realistic motion. Like the previous KICKR, this version is nearly silent which makes riding it feel more like riding outdoors.

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JUST AS FUN GOING UP Rail is a long-travel e-MTB that delivers a true trail bike experience on big mountains, steep descents and epic adventures.

Despite adding in several new features, the new KICKR will maintain the same retail price of the previous generation at R 24 999. Wahoo also offers the only complete indoor riding ecosystem; KICKR is compatible with the KICKR CLIMB Indoor Grade Simulator, KICKR HEADWIND Smart Fan, and KICKR DESK. KICKR is also fully compatible with indoor workouts from Wahoo’s The Sufferfest virtual training app.

KICKR is Wahoo’s premium-level direct drive trainer and intended for athletes serious about indoor riding and racing. Other indoor training options from Wahoo include the KICKR BIKE smart bike (R 74 999), KICKR CORE wheel-off trainer (R 17 999), and the KICKR SNAP wheel on trainer (R 9 999).

The newest KICKR is available now from www.ikhambi.co.za.

WWW.TREKBIKES.COM

MTB NEWS

02 NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR KALAS SPORTSWEAR

As of from 1 August 2020, KALAS will be distributed throughout Southern Africa by Phil Buys Sports. The European custom cycle wear brand has been part of the Stage N9NE stable in South Africa for the past five years and the move comes on the back of Stage N9NE entrusting the Schwalbe to Ikhambi Distribution in July.

“This move is inline with Stage N9NE’s strategy to focus on our export brands,” commented Vincent Durand, Managing Director of Stage N9NE. “Kalas was introduced to the South African market by Stage N9NE distribution and we’ve been proud to be associated with a high quality European clothing brand,” he added.

“This brand has sponsored a number of local athletes including PYGA Euro Steel, of which Phil Buys is member.”

Indeed, Buys has been riding in the kit as pro racer since before the formation of PYGA Euro Steel, when KALAS signed as technical cycling kit and casual clothing partner to the Scott Factory team back in 2016.

“Phil has a great affinity with the brand and understands it and the products very well.

We’re confident he and his team will be able to carry it through the legacy of high quality product at fair price with good service,” Durand said.

Buys who is still racing professionally for PYGA Euro Steel Phil has spent the past few years setting up a business platform under the Phil Buys Sports banner with the long term view of offering stability and longevity for himself and his team mates.

“We’re really privileged and honoured that Vincent and Stage N9NE chose us to take over the brand here in South Africa and I’m really excited to now be a bit more directly involved with one of the brands that we represent through the team,” Buys said.

“We’re working to build something that is sustainable in the long run and something that creates opportunities for our riders in the team to get involved in and work on, even after their riding career. This fits in well with that long term plan.”

According to Buys the structures they already have in place with the team are well suited to handle the Kalas brand here in South Africa and the transition will be slick. “We have the business structures, as well as the promotional and media structures already, so it is nice to plug the brand into those resources.”

“What is perhaps even more exciting is that it really is a quality product,” he added. “We’ve been riding in the kit for more than five years - it is the kit we want to use and we know how good it is, so that makes it really easy to sell the product with confidence,” he concluded.

WINE2WHALES CANCELLED!

with us during these difficult times, continuously revising plans in a rapidly changing environment to be best placed for the event to go ahead.

Over recent weeks we Although we are prevented from have remained positive holding the FNB Wines2Whales in and worked towards 2020, we are determined to keep being able to deliver bringing the #SeriousGEES, and to the FNB Wines2Whales stay true to our values by supporting Switchback, as scheduled, on 30 projects such as; the Botrivier October to 8 November 2020.

Our commitment to you has always Crèche Initiative, a number of other educational initiatives along the been to deliver a truly memorable route, as well as Cape Trails who will race experience that is safe and filled continue to expand the amazing trail with awesome vibes. Unfortunately, due to reasons related to the ongoing network that the FNB Wines2Whales is famous for. We will update you on COVID-19 pandemic, including the those developments over the next uncertainty over the duration and few months. extent of government restrictions concerning mass gatherings and sport So, what does that mean for you?

All confirmed entries and paid events, we regret to advise that the FNB Wines2Whales cannot take place optional extras will automatically roll-over into the 2021 FNB as planned in 2020.

Wines2Whales which takes place While we share in your from 29 October – 7 November 2021. disappointment by this news, we 2021 will feature the muchare very grateful for your patience, anticipated Switchback route that and the support of our sponsors, suppliers, landowners and the team at the Cape Trails team have been crafting for you. For more details Houw Hoek Hotel who have worked

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and FAQs please click here or email registration@wines2whales.com. For more #SeriousGEES – keep an eye out for the exciting new details about our Gees4Good Campaign. We’re working on something special with our friends over at Zwift so be sure to keep fit, and race ready.

Thank you for your understanding in what has been a very dynamic time.

JK (Johan Kriegler) Race Founder

04 LEVEL 2 UPDATE – CYCLING SOUTH AFRICA

Following the announcement of Level 2 lockdown on Saturday 15 August 2020, government has now included provision for recreational sport. In terms of cycling, the introduction of Level 2 now allows recreational cyclists to attend events (with a temporary day license) and the opening up of all cycling disciplines.

The CSA recommends that general group rides be limited to 10 people to comply with social distancing measures. In addition, organised club rides should follow the requirements for gatherings and limit size to a maximum of 50 people with all COVID19 health protocols and social distancing measures being adhered to. All other Level 3 regulations remain unchanged in terms of gatherings and events. Events have been limited to 50 people, including staff, with total event attendance limitation per day stipulated at 300 which again includes all staff and cyclists. For a list of all Covid-19 sanctioned events visit: https://www.cyclingsa-events.co.za/app_v2/

W O M E N I N C YC L I N G

STANDING UP FOR THE

LADIES!

GIVES A VERY CLEAR PERSPECTIVE ON HER EXPERIENCE AS A LADY IN A CYCLING CONTEXT. BIKE SHOPS, EVENT MEDIA AND DISTRIBUTORS ARE ALL IN THE FIRING LINE. AND GO!

IMAGE BY OAK PICS

MICHAELE COOPER

W O M E N I N C YC L I N G

would like to rant about a few things in the female cycling community, or rather the lack thereof. I understand that we are in the minority and that shops and industry will always cater for the larger group, in this case male cyclists.

With that in mind there are a few things I would like to discuss.

Firstly, why do we have such a small variety of kit? My understanding is that ladies always want to look good and we do not always want to look like every other female cyclist. However, when I try to purchase cycling kits, there are always very little options and those options are normally pink or turquoise. Do all ladies like pink and turquoise? That answer is a no. Personally, I would prefer not to be differentiated from the other sex by the colour of my kit.

Most bikes are designed and manufactured for the male rider but are considered to be unisex. However, if us females purchase a bike, we would not be able to ride the bike and be comfortable from the get-go. There are various things that we would have to change to make it more suitable for us. A classic example of this is changing the bicycle’s saddle. Why can’t we purchase a bicycle with a female specific saddle? I know there are a few brands out there that have gone over and above to build a bike for us ladies and I really appreciate that! All I want is the option to be available for bike stores to change a bike I am interested in, to a more female spec. This would include a shorter stem, a female saddle and maybe a shorter handlebar

IMAGE BY OAK PICS

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W O M E N I N C YC L I N G

There are female crosscountry races that are a lot more exciting to watch than the male’s races. It would be great to see how this affects the female cycling community and the growth thereof.

We just want to feel like the industry knows we are here, and we also love the sport.

There are, however, quite a few female cycling communities such as Ride Like A Girl MTB skills, Trail Angels and a wide variety of others that are doing such great things. I would like to thank those who have started these groups and are doing very well with building and strengthening the foundation of the female cycling community.

Hi, I am MICHAELE COOPER! I come from a small town called Onseepkans which is on the border of Namibia and South Africa. You can’t find anything there, no petrol station or Spar. All you can buy there are basics like rice from behind a counter.

I have always been the sporty and competitive one in the group and have always believed that there is nothing that can stop me from achieving my goals.

In primary school, I used to be a “serious” swimmer for a young person and when I got to high school, I took up running which later turned in to biathlons. My brother took up cycling as a sport and then my dad

recommended that I also join for a few rides on my brother’s old Scott. Triathlon quickly became a passion of mine. It allowed me to compete at the Xterra World Champs in Hawaii which was one of my greatest achievements.

When I met Timo, cycling became our way of spending time together. Weekends we would spend going to races or riding in new areas of the country. It would be safe to say that I am now a professional weekend warrior that enjoys her time on the saddle. I am also making it my mission to grow the female cycling community and make female specific products readily available.

IMAGE BY CRAIG KOLESKY

because let us face it, we are built differently to men.

This brings me to my next point, and that is the service in this industry.

Most shops think that I know nothing and treat me like I do not belong or that I do not know what I am talking about. Us females are definitely not that stupid. Mariska Strauss for example, installed a dropper seat post all by herself a few weeks ago which is really impressive. I am sure that a lot of males would not be able to do that without dialling their nearest bicycle shop.

Lastly, the amount of coverage the females get at sports events are absolutely shocking, and not just in South Africa, but worldwide.

HYDRATE AND KEEP WARM

GEAR

Make sure you stay warm and hydrated during your next ride with some delicious Skratch Labs and a cosy Ciovita jacket.

CIOVITA MEN’S VINDEX CYCLING JACKET AND GILET

SKRATCH LABS SPORT HYDRATION DRINK

BITS TOOLKIT

THULE SHIELD PANNIER 25-LITRE PAIR

FS SUS THE RIDE

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST RIDES I HAVE EVER DONE Regular contributor and lover of tough rides Timo Cooper shares his experience of a recent Northern Cape ride.

Images by Jarrod van den Heever

SUS THE RIDE!

FS SUS THE RIDE ind, wind and some more wind was the order of the day for my ride from Upington to Onseepkans in the Northern Cape.

We spent the previous night at Red Sands lodge about two hours’ drive from Upington. We arrived a bit late to order food or make something to eat but luckily the kitchen helped us out with a toasted cheese sandwich. Definitely not the best dinner before a big day out but a toasted cheese partnered with a sneaky beer was the only option we had. Luckily, we had the option of having breakfast the morning of the big planned adventure and this saved the day. We set off towards Upington just before 8:00 to arrive at my start destination just before 10:00. I did not want to start too early; The Northern Cape is a bit cold in the mornings and I was not in the mood for that.

We arrived just before 10:00 at a filling station just outside of Upington. Whilst Michaele was filling up the bakkie I quickly took the bike off the rack and got myself ready for the adventure. The wind was already super strong at the start of the ride and I was a bit nervous. I tried to get ready as quickly as possible, to make sure I could not change my mind. The first 5 km rolling through Upington was weird. I could not imagine myself being or ending in Onseepkans at the end of the day. The first 40 km went by very quickly, I arrived in the first town on my route, Keimoes, in just over an hour. My average speed for the first 40 km was just under the 40km/h mark and I was definitely in good spirits, and thought the ride was going to go be very fast. My dreams quickly got crushed as the road made a turn for the worst or should I say right. Head wind, side wind but no tail wind from this point forward. The next 40 km towards Kakamas was no joke, my average speed dropped from 37 to 30km/h.

This was one of my toughest parts of the day, in the

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“AT ONE POINT I JUST STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOOD THERE, DURING THIS TIME I ASKED MYSELF, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?” The wind was not my friend.

FS SUS THE RIDE middle of nowhere with a massive headwind and not even a buddy to support me out there. Arriving in Kakamas at the 85 km mark I was super happy and excited to see some form of shop or civilization. This point on the route was my first and only place to stop for water and some snacks. From this point forward towards Onseepkans there was literally nothing but open roads, sun, and wind. Leaving Kakamas I was stocked up with snacks and water but to be honest was a bit scared of the task that lurked in front of me. The N14 towards the Onseepkans turnoff was long, empty, and super straight.

The wind was luckily from the side and not from the front, not ideal but not all that bad. At about the 110 km mark 20 km outside of Kakamas I suddenly heard a loud noise and the noise no cyclist wants to hear. Sealant everywhere and my back tyre losing air fast. Not what I wanted but instead of getting too sad about it I had to make a plan fast as I only had a CO2 canister with me (bad planning I know). I used a small plug and thought YES, that was not too bad and started rolling on, but not even 10 m from there the plug shot out and I was back to square one. This time with almost no air left in my CO2 canister I used a large plug, and my last bit of air and a lot of hope. It worked and I just hoped that it would stay that way. The next 60 km was not easy, I did not even take my phone to take a photo or video. I could not get myself to take my phone out. I was tired, miserable,

and over the awfully long open road. There was nothing and no one for a long time and trust me that was not easy. At one point I just stopped on the side of the road and stood there, during this time I asked myself: “Why would you do this? Why did you think this was a good idea?” After my sense of humour failure, I ate some sweets and set off again, feeling a bit better. The next goal was the turnoff towards Onseepkans. The road was so flat I could see the turn about 15 km away, but it just did not want to get closer. I knew if I arrived at this point it was

“I WAS A BIT BROKEN, BUT I SUPPOSE THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.” about 50 km to Onseepkaans including about 30 km of gravel road. I also knew that Michaele and Jarrod would make their way towards me to take some photos and just offer some encouragement to reach my end destination.

Finally, I arrived at the turn, with no more water and very broken. Michaele luckily left some water for me hidden under a bush, saving my life! I let them know that I was on my way towards the gravel road. I knew they would leave the farm and head out towards me for the photos etc. I started feeling better and set myself a goal: to

cover the last 50 km in under two hours, into a headwind and on a not so nice gravel road. Finally I saw Michaele and Jarrod on the horizon, I was super excited to just see people and actually talk to someone else other than myself. Jarrod worked his magic with the camera and took some amazing shots; they even brought me a Devil’s Peak Hero. Hitting the gravel road, I realized that I was in for a long ride over the last 30 km as the road was in unbelievably bad condition but I did not have any other options to get to Onseepkans. This was also a great opportunity to test the Trek Domane SLR; to this point the bike was amazing and did not miss a beat on the entire day except for the one flat tyre. I put 35c Bontrager gravel tyres on and this made the gravel road that much easier and better. I settled into a nice rhythm over the last 15 km and was incredibly happy when I reached or could at least see Onseepkans in the distance.

Luckily it was a downhill into town as the sun was setting on a tough, long and really challenging day, mentally. 223km and eight hours of riding later, I arrived at my end destination. I was a bit broken, but I suppose that is understandable. I was however super stoked that I completed the route in tough conditions and on a great bike perfect for the route.

CONSUMPTION ON THE DAY 4 USN bars 2 packs of Sweets 9 bottles of water/USN Pro Enduro

Long empty roads .

Till next time.

I am TIMO COOPER and I grew up in a small town called Wellington. Most cyclists will know Wellington for its amazing trail network and for hosting the Cape Epic and a few other big races over the years. I was not always a big sportsman or even a sportsman at

SUS THE RIDE!

all, I still cannot catch a ball to save my life. At the age of 17 in grade 11, I was asked if I wanted to join the local bike club on one of their easy weekend rides, I was hooked within the first few minutes. I fell in love with riding from that day and have been ever since.

From 2009 it got serious very quickly, riding for results, trying to get sponsors, trying to better myself. As a professional athlete I had the privilege of meeting some of the biggest names in the sport, training with them, asking questions and even racing with some of them. This really upped my cycling to an entirely new level. Through this series I am excited to share some of my rides and knowledge I have learnt over the years with you.

IMAGE SUPPLIED

PIQUE YOUR PERFORMANCE BIKE REVIEW 2020 LIV PIQUE 29

REVIEWED BY COURTENEY WEBB

BIKE REVIEW

In honour of Women’s Month we managed to secure a proper bike for our female readers.

Giant’s female specific brand LIV was enjoyed and put through its paces recently. Here is what went down rode the 2020 Giant LIV Pique 29 MTB as an experiment to get a feel for a bike brand I had never tried before. I was ultrainterested to demo the LIV specifically because of the fact that it has a ladies-specific design including a ladiesspecific saddle, one of the only bikes in SA at the moment that are designed with female geometry in mind.

Dual-suspension, RockShox Recon RL 100mm on the front and RockShox Deluxe Select+ on the back makes this mountain bike a comfy ride on the trail. At first when I rode the bike, the more upright trailorientated geometry took me by surprise and I was tentative on anything technical (I am a bit more used to an aggressive build) but after a bit of time on some singletrack, I felt genuinely safe in the capabilities of both shocks to take hits from almost anything I rode over, so much so that I actually recorded some of my own PR’s

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down Tokai’s Vasbyt trail. The shocks on this bike can both lock out, allowing the bike to become equivalent to a hardtail for tar/ jeeptrack climbs. The lockouts are a bit awkward to reach in my opinion which made quickly adapting the bike from one terrain to another quite difficult. A handlebar lockout switch would make this capability of the bike a lot more seamless.

This bike has an aluminium frame although at first glance I never would have said so. The chameleon plum/black colour of the frame is not just eye-catching, it’s beautiful. At first when I saw the colour of the bike, I was a bit dismayed … pink/purple is not really my vibe. However, the longer I spent with the bike, the more the colour grew on me.

The alloy frame, although attractive does come with one drawback for me … the weight. As a female cyclist who thrives on climbs, this is the first thing I notice when climbing on any bike. It wasn’t a massive negative for me, especially when I felt how the bike’s weight advantaged me on the descents, however I think personally a lighter bike on the uphills means more to me than shaving a few seconds off on the downhills.

One of the unique selling points of the bike is 100% the fact that it comes fitted with a dropper seat post. Admittedly I am not used to riding with one, however, I can see how for a slightly more nervous rider, this feature would help a load with confidence

BIKE REVIEW

BIKE REVIEW down anything steep and/or rocky. The dropper is super easy to use, allowing a girl to shift her weight further back on the bike without an obstruction and is a fun feature for a fun bike.

An advantage of this frame-build is the super low top-tube design. With females often being shorter than men, the fact that the top-tube dips a bit near the back means a lower stand over height. This helps when needing to put your foot down or climbing off the bike. It is a small detail but

“THE CHAMELEON PLUM COLOUR OF THE FRAME IS NOT JUST EYE - CATCHING, IT’S BEAUTIFUL.”

a detail that improves the usability of the product especially for shorter women. This, however, also results in a smaller frame triangle which means … yes, only one bottle cage. Not a deal breaker but something to definitely consider if you are looking for a bike to take you on any endurance adventures.

This bike fits into the price category of a high quality entry level mountain bike. I would say that the target market for this bike is a female rider who wants to up her trail riding, while still keeping the element of safety and fun intact. The Pique comes with features that allow a rider to roll out of the bike shop and straight onto gnarly single track. These features include tubeless tyres, comfortable grips and a female-specific Liv-contact saddle.

The only things that need to be added on further are pedals of the riders’ choice and a bottle cage and then you’re set to go.

My overall impression of this bike is that it’s a great mountain bike for females keen on getting more comfortable on fun and slightly more advanced trails. The bike is more than capable to be ridden up and down almost anything. As a racing machine, I think a few adjustments would have to be made to some of the components to reap the most reward out of the bike.

RRP R39 200 For more info on this bike click here https:// www.liv-cycling.com/za/pique-29-3

SUS COURTENEY’S

VIDEO REVIEW

I am COURTENEY WEBB and I am 21 years old, I am currently racing competitively in my 4th year of the U23/Elite category. I am finishing studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at UCT this year while maintaining my love and passion for cycling, both in the road and on the mtb. I train in and around Cape Town and love the trails in the area. Follow me on instagram @courteney_mtb

cannondale.com

THE BIKE REVIEW

CANNONDALE HABIT NEO 3 –

PRESS

PLAY!

W O R D S A N D I M A G E S B Y R AY C O X

THE BIKE REVIEW

E-bikes- I’ve always distanced myself from the subject or the products themselves.

Until about three weeks ago I took the plunge and hit the turbo button. t first glance the Habit Neo looks very beefy, almost like an enduro A-line type of bike Which, if you had the correct skills, would be capable of taking those lines.

As with the Scalpel 3 I don’t mind the orange paint scheme.

The components ... let’s start off with the massive brakes. The Maguras look like they came straight off a motorbike. No issues of brakes failing on this machine.

Drivetrain ... the shifter is an e-bike specific with one click only; this makes sure the chain doesn’t break if under huge amounts of torque. The gear ratio was never an issue due to the Bosch motor bailing me out of any sticky situation or hill.

The Bosch motor and battery is charged via a supplied dedicated Bosch charger which I left on overnight as it does take a

A

while to charge these units. The motor has four modes, Eco, Tour, E-bike and Turbo. These modes will have a influence on your range capabilities as they basically dictate the amount of charge that is sent to the motor as you pedal. The battery life ... it was more than I expected riding in Meerendal with a 20 km road ride there and back and I still had 1/3 battery left. I weigh 67 kg and rode in tour/ turbo on that ride.

The ride of the Habit Neo takes some getting used to as I’m not used to the weight of the bike coming from light XC bikes that weigh 10 kg’s.

But not once did I feel unsafe or out of control. The bike is balanced and the ride was very predictable.

I don’t have much to compare this bike to as it’s my first time on an E-bike, but my mind has changed, it’s not cheating, it’s a whole lot of FUN!

SUS RAY’S

VIDEO REVIEW

RATING 4

RAYMOND COX: I love riding and racing bikes and sharing my rides in and around South Africa. Make sure you give him a follow on Intagram: @RayCoxCycling See all Ray’s videos on

THE BIKE REVIEW

TRAILBLAZERS: EPISODE 1

FIETSRY IN BLOEMFONTEIN DIE MENSE WAT LANDSWYD ROETES BOU VIR ONS FIETSRYERS MOET BESLIS MEER ERKENNING ONTVANG. FULL SUS MTB HET GAAN INLOER BY ELKE PROVINSIE SE VOORSTE BOUERS EN UITGEVIND WAAROM HULLE IN DIE STOF EN MODDER SPEEL. EERSTE AAN DIE WOORD IS KEITH WILSON, ’N BEKENDE ROETEBOUER VAN BLOEMFONTEIN. WOORDE: FRANS LE ROUX EN KEITH WILSON IMAGES BY REBLEX PHOTOGRAPHY

TRAILBLAZERS: EPISODE 1

“RY EERS ‘N VERSKEIDENHEID ROETES EN WEDRENNE EN KRY ’N GEVOEL VIR WAT DIE BERGFIETSRYER WIL HÊ EN GENIET.”

Hoe het jy betrokke geraak by roetes bou (trail building)? Hoe lank bou jy al?

Ek het oorspronklik in Colesberg gewoon. ’n Paar van ons het roetes om die dorp begin bou waarop ons kon oefen. Ek was daarna deel van die span wat in 2014 die Y2Karoo-bergfietsskofwedren begin het en ek is verantwoordelik vir die roetes. Ek het sedertdien elke jaar nuwe roetes bygebou om die wedren opwindend te hou. Ek is ook deel van “Mountain Top Adventures” wat roetes bou vir verskeie wedrenne wat ons reël.

Vertel ons meer van jou nuutste roetes - wat maak hulle so spesiaal? Hoeveel opsies is daar en waar presies is dit geleë?

Ek het onlangs roetes gebou by Lochs Hoek Farm For All -net buite Bloemfontein.

Die roetes bied ’n wye verskeidenheid aan die bergfietsryer. Daar is genoeg klimme,

“singletrack” en tegniese terrein in ’n pragtige omgewing. Daar is verskillende roetes vir verskillende vaardigheidsvlakke.

Dit strek oor privaat grond wat dit ’n veilige omgewing maak. Jy kan jou rit begin of eindig met iets lekker by die deli en koffiewinkel. Daar is ook aktiwiteite vir die res van die gesin terwyl jy ry. Dit is 10km wes van Bloemfontein op die N8 geleë.

Is jy self baie lief vir bergfietsry?

Bergfietsry is ’n groot passie van my.

Ek geniet veral tegniese terrein wat my vaardighede uitdaag. Ek geniet dit om op verskillende plekke se “trails” te ry. Ek het al aan ’n verskeidenheid wedrenne soos die Cape Epic, Wines2Whales en Berg & Bush deelgeneem.

Wat is jou gunsteling plek in die Vrystaat én die land om fiets te ry en hoekom?

Die roetes in die Vrystaat wat ek die meeste geniet is die roetes om Ficksburg asook Bothaville. Buite die Vrystaat is my gunsteling roetes 3 Silos en Floradale naby Oos-Londen. Dit is almal vloeiende roetes wat ’n glimlag op enige bergfietsryer se gesig sal sit.

Hoe groot is jou span waarmee jy bou en hoe lank vat dit gewoonlik om ‘n roete te voltooi?

My span bestaan uit myself en drie manne.

Op die oomblik bou ons met die hand en dit hang van die terrein af hoe lank dit neem. Lochs Hoek het vier maande geneem om te bou, want ons het van nuuts af roetes gebou teen die berg.

TRAILBLAZERS: EPISODE 1

TRAILBLAZERS: EPISODE 1

“BLOEMFONTEIN IS BAIE PLAT EN ’N MENS MOET OORSPRONKLIK WEES AS DIT BY ROETE UITLÊ KOM.”

Wat is van Bloemfontein se grootste grond/bou-uitdagings as dit by nuwe roetes kom?

Bloemfontein is baie plat en ’n mens moet oorspronklik wees as dit by roete uitlê kom. Jy moet die meeste maak van die terrein wat tot jou beskikking is. Die rante is baie klipperig en dit vat harde, fisiese werk om dit rybaar te kry.

Het die inperking en Corona julle roete-bou beïnvloed?

Ja definitief. Dit word nie as noodsaaklik beskou nie en ons kon glad nie bou nie. ’n Tekort aan toeriste en wedrenne het dit ook beïnvloed.

Waar in Bloemfontein sal jy graag nog ‘n roete wil bou en hoekom?

Daar het ’n paar mense my genader om roetes op hulle grond te bou. So hou hierdie spasie dop!

Hoe sterk is die skole-fietsry in Bloemfontein en waar kan dit verbeter word?

Skole-fietsry in die Vrystaat is besig om te groei. Verskeie persone werk hard daaraan om die sport te ontwikkel. Ek was onlangs betrokke by die bou van ’n baan by Grey College. Daar is ook reeds ’n hele paar ander skole wat fietsry as ’n formele sport erken. Dit sal die sport verder bevorder as nog meer skole betrokke kan raak, hulle eie bane bou en veral die dogters aanmoedig om ook deel te neem.

As jy enige advies vir mense kan gee wat roetes wil bou, wat sal dit wees?

Ry eers ’n verskeidenheid roetes en wedrenne en kry ’n gevoel vir wat die bergfietsryer wil hê en geniet. Begin eers klein en luister na raad en kritiek van ervare fietsryers. Om die natuur te bewaar en erosie te voorkom is dit belangrik on sekere natuurreëls te volg.

LOCHS HOEK FARM for All is situated just off the N1 on the N8 Kimberley Road (12km from Makro on your left-hand side), approximately 15km outside of Bloemfontein, Free State allowing you to experience the best of country lifestyle a stone throw from Bloemfontein. For more info log onto https://www.lochshoek.co.za/

TRAIL REPORT

De Hoop, Overstrand Region “THE HUSH”: SOME PLACES HAVE IT, AND OTHERS DO NOT ... DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE IS OF THE FORMER KIND, AND SURELY RATES AS ONE OF THOSE WILDERNESS SPACES WHERE THE TRANQUILLITY WILL COME AND FIND YOU. PHOTOGRAPHS AND COPY: JACQUES MARAIS

LOCAL BUZZ:

De Hoop is – at an impressive 34 000ha – one of the most extensive conservation areas under the stewardship of CapeNature.

The beauty of this stretch of coastal fynbos is that it extends offshore as a marine reserve, protecting a further 5km of the Indian Ocean. This safeguards one of SA’s most prominent whale-calving sites, and furthermore protects the fascinating marine biodiversity here.

De Hoop rates as one of the Western Cape’s premier hiking destinations, with the Whale Trail offering an unparalleled coastal hiking experience. More recently, the reserve has been favoured by mountain bikers, who come here to lose themselves along the endless back roads, and birders, who delight in a diverse species list encompassing everything from pelagic and wetland lifers to arid fynbos LBJs.

TRAIL LOW-DOWN De Hoop Nature Reserve boast no less than five newly created and unique MTB routes, most of them recently established by “Overberg MTB Events” and “Cape Trails”.

This enables the pedal-power brigade to choose from the following options …

De Hoop Vlei MTB - Route 1 (12km - 19km options) Crank off from De Hoop Opstal and follow the route up a limestone and rocky, but very scenic, jeep track with views of the Vlei to your right. As you get closer to

the cliff and the historic De Mond House, you will find yourself surrounded by herds of bontebok and eland as you navigate the fynbos.

There are two options - follow along the circular route back (12km) or extend the ride to Melkkamer, which will see you top out at 19km in total. This route is typically used for the De Hoop Vlei Sunset Scramble and has the most amazing sundowner scenery, game and bird life viewing.

Tierhoek MTB - Route 2 (10km) This quickie route starts from Opstal and follows the road to Tierhoek on the northern side of the Vlei. The ride is mostly along open and flattish jeep tracks, ideal for the recreational rider to warm up the legs or for non-technical riders and beginners.

Koppie Alleen MTB - Route 3 (18km) Once again, you saddle up from “Die Opstal”, following the same direction as Route #2, but instead crossing to the eastern side of the Nature Reserve. You may once again find herds of eland grazing on the serene landscape as you negotiate the jeep track. The trail eventually links onto a paved road to Koppie Alleen.

There is an option to return from here, or otherwise simply retrace your route along the same trail. It is best to follow the signs all the way to Koppie Alleen, especially at sunrise or sunset. Riders will cross the Dronkvlei Dash Stava section, which is a

FAST

FACTS

beautiful stretch just before you link up with the paved road to Koppie Alleen, with breath-taking views over the dunes and some of the most sought-after sections of De Hoop.

Fat Bike Riding - Route 4 (45km) This route flows in the same direction as Route #3, but forks left on a sandy jeep track which takes you to a circular loop to the sea and back to the jeep track. You can either turn left again up a tricky and challenging climb to return to Koppie Alleen (well worthwhile) or continue along the same road to the starting point. Please note, this is not a ride for beginners and an intermediate to strong level of fitness is required.

De Hoop Vlei Experience MTB Route - Route 5 (55km) Put your hands up if you want a technically challenging and exciting route for stronger riders ... Built and completed for the 2019 De Hoop Vlei MTB Experience, the route introduces a brand-spanking new track to the north of the Vlei, going all the way up to Buchu Camp, and removing any need to ride on the main tar road.

Once you reach the top of “Flat Rock� singletrack, you will no doubt feel the burn in your legs, but it will

GETTING

THERE

quickly fade away as you bliss out on the best views of De Hoop: to the south, a full view of the entire Vlei unfolds, back-dropped by towering sand dunes rolling toward the deep blue sea. Gaze to the east for breath-taking sunrises over the Potberg outcrop, or revel in the westerly aspect, where the historic Melkkamer languishes upon the flood plains stretching towards Arniston and Struisbaai.

This makes for an extraordinary and diverse route – and when the Vlei reaches full capacity – it is sure to provide riders with an experience reminiscent of a leisurely outing on the picturesque Croatian coast.

The infamous “Dennis the Menace” singletrack climb back up to Buchu Bush Camp is no ordinary challenge, with proper technical surfaces. Expect rocky and steep switchbacks, but once you have mastered the route, you’ll be back for more and more and more …

JACQUES MARAIS is a GIANT (RSA) Ambassador and SA’s MTB Trail Guru, with six mountain biking trail guides and the www.mtbroutes.co.za to his name. If he’s not on his bike, chances are he’s out trail running or surfing in some wild corner of the country ... His latest book, ‘A Guide to More MOER & GONE Places’, will be on shelf later this year. Follow him on Twitter @JacqMaraisPhoto or www.jacquesmarais.co.za

The new Eye Candy section allow photographers and budding amateur photographers to display a snippet of their talent.

To have your images featured in F-Stop: Send us 5 images, include who we credit and a short backstory to sussed@fullsus.co.za

DHI

WOMEN RIDERS

RIPPING THE DOWNHILL SCENE

THE FIELD OF WOMEN DOWNHILL RIDERS REMAINS SMALLER THAN THAT OF THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. FULL SUS DOWNHILL COLUMNIST STEF GARLICKI DELVES DEEPER. is a strange one for sure and last time you heard from me I had just made it across the pond to Germany. I wanted to switch things up and chat about women in the downhill scene and why there is a gap between guys and girls. This is particularly interesting to me as my girlfriend is now getting into downhill which I am not sure if I am happy about yet, haha!

Let’s face it, downhill will most likely never have the numbers in the women’s as it does in the men’s and there will also be a gap between the men and the women in terms of speed. This may sound harsh but it’s unfortunately a reality due to a number of reasons. First is that downhill is pretty extreme and you need to be a special kind of person to want to race downhill. I think that it’s natural that men generally lean more toward a sport like that than woman. It must be incredibly intimidating for women to get into the sport and huge respect for the ones that do.

The second thing is that woman are naturally not as muscular and strong as guys which is one of the most important factors in downhill. There is not too much pedalling involved but there is constant bracing for impact and power work. Like doing 1000 push ups and squats down the hill.

Now I am not saying women can’t do it or become stronger

2020

but I think not all women want to commit to this process.

The third reason is that it’s not such a natural sport for women growing up so generally they start much later than guys do with riding bikes as a sport. This makes it much harder to improve later on as they miss the building blocks when they are very young. There is a much higher chance of a girl taking up ballet or netball than downhill as a youngster.

As a boy most the friends will ride bikes for fun etc so it naturally just happens easier. Having said that, it does not mean that they can’t get fast at an older age, the top women are incredible. When I first raced a world cup back in 2011, I got smoked by Rachel Atherton by 11 seconds! Haha! Talk about killing your ego. It’s really impressive how good these girls are and how tough they are to take the hits they do.

“IT MUST BE INCREDIBLY INTIMIDATING FOR WOMEN TO GET INTO THE SPORT AND HUGE RESPECT FOR THE ONES THAT DO.”

DHI Now for me it’s getting personal because my better half is getting into it which on the one hand is great as I get to share my passion of mountain bikes with her. BUT on the other hand it’s terrifying for me as the last thing I want is her getting hurt. I honestly feel like a parent watching their child come down the track and man I have a whole new respect for

Stef and his girlfriend riding downhill in Chur, Switzerland

what my parents have gone through. The toughest part comes when she wants to hit a new big jump and I need to make the call whether she does it or not. Now by this stage I know what she can do so I don’t want to just say no to a big feature BUT I also don’t want to say yes and then she ends up in hospital. So I do feel under pressure sometimes but that’s just

how it goes from now on I guess.  To get back to original point, I don’t think the gap will ever disappear completely but I think it is getting smaller and the girls racing nowadays is on another level than 10 years ago. I think it’s growing and I would love to see where it goes from here.

Until next time

STEFAN GARLICKI is a 2X downhill national champion and a World Cup DH racer. Make sure you give him a follow on Twitter: @StefanGarlicki and Instagram: @stefangarlicki.

FULL SUS IS A FREE BI-MONTHLY MTB PUBLICATION #MTB #EMAG. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ADVERTISING RATES AND PACKAGES CONTACT:

ROBIN MOORE | +27 63 776 3557 ROBIN@INTEGRATEDMEDIA.CO.ZA

COAC H

WOMEN ARE

NOT

SMALL MEN FEMALE ATHLETES REQUIRE GENDER-SPECIFIC TRAINING AND EATING PLANS. IN THIS ARTICLE OUR RESIDENT COACH BENOIT CAPOSTAGNO EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE THEREOF.

COAC H he last 30 years has seen a sharp rise in the number of women participating in both recreational and professional sport. For example, the percentage of women competing at the summer Olympic Games has increased from 26 % in Seoul in 1988 to 45 % in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In the field of sports science, women have often been excluded from participating in research studies due to the potential of the innate hormonal fluctuations that occur in women as part of a healthy menstrual cycle to somehow influence the results. Fortunately, this is changing and sports scientists are focusing more specifically on female athletes and their physiology in order to ensure coaches can be aware of any potential considerations for working with female athletes. In this article, we will highlight some special considerations for female athletes.

T

TRAINING LOAD

+

raining load is the dose of exercise that is T applied to an athlete. The components of training load are:

+

Frequency – how often you train

+

Duration – how long the training session is

+

Intensity – how hard the training session was

A systematic review is a summary of all of the current scientific literature available for a given topic. A meta-analysis goes one step further and pools all the

available data on a topic for further analysis.

These two types of scientific literature represent the highest levels of evidence available. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis (Diaz-Canestro & Montero, 2019) investigated whether women and men respond in a similar manner to the same training load. The focus of the study was improvements in VO2max, which is a variable often measured during performance tests in a sports science laboratory. There is a strong association between VO2max and endurance performance. In other words, an elite endurance athlete will have a much higher VO2max compared to a couch potato, but if you were to measure the VO2max values of the front row of an XCO World Cup, you will not be able to select the winner of the race from those values. The most effective way to increase VO2max is through wellstructured endurance training. The results of this study showed that, for a given training load men showed greater increases in VO2max compared to women. Does this mean that women have a smaller capacity to increase their endurance performance?

Of course not, but it highlights that female athletes may need to be trained differently compared to men.

TIMING OF EXERCISE The menstrual cycle is an important biological process characterized by fluctuations in the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The primary purpose

COAC H of the changes in the levels of these hormones is to support reproduction, but other physiological systems, such as the cardiovascular and metabolic systems are also impacted by these fluctuations.

In a previous article, available here, we wrote about how recovery from a training session may be influenced by the phase of the menstrual cycle. A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis (McNulty et al., 2020) examined whether training should be planned according to the phases of the menstrual cycle. The findings of the review show that during the early follicular phase, where estrogen and

progesterone levels are low, performance may be very slightly reduced compared to the other phases of the menstrual cycle. However, the authors stress that the evidence available is not strong enough to support planning training based on the phase of the menstrual cycle.

It is important to note that female athletes may respond differently to training load compared to male athletes. In addition, although the evidence supporting this is still emerging, performance and recovery from training may be impacted by fluctuating levels of hormones during the menstrual cycle.

REFERENCES

Diaz-Canestro, C., & Montero, D. (2019). Sex Dimorphism of VO2max Trainability: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 49(12), 1949-1956. doi:10.1007/ s40279-019-01180-z McNulty, K. L., Elliott-Sale, K. J., Dolan, E., Swinton, P. A., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., . . . Hicks, K. M. (2020). The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3

BENOIT CAPOSTAGNO

currently works for Science to Sport in Cape Town. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Cape Town and is investigating training adaptation and fatigue in cyclists. For more info: www.sciencetosport.com

E V E N T CA L E N DA R

EASTERN CAPE

AUGUST

6 Angora MTB Classic

WESTERN CAPE 14 November 2020 Rooibos2Muisbos – With two distances available you can pick your challenge.

The long ride of 112km starts at Sederberg Primary School in Clanwilliam and the short ride of 38km starts at Graafwater High School in Graafwater. Both races finish at Lambert’s Bay.

EASTERN CAPE

12-14 February 2021 Ride the Karoo – The tour entails riding along the 200 year old stone walls, on smooth “sheeptracks” and passing the familiar windpomp scenes along the way. You will get to experience authentic Karoo hospitality with everything from braais to craft beer among picturesque sunsets. Ride the Karoo is not about crossing the finish line first but rather about a riding experience like no other.

MPUMALANGA

23 January 2021 Trans Baviaans

18-20 3 Towers Stage Race

31 January 2021 Trans Baviaans The Repeat

GAUTENG

OCTOBER

TBC 100 Miler Series

SEPTEMBER

WESTERN CAPE 4-30 Freedom Challenge: Race across South Africa

WESTERN CAPE 4-5 September 2021 Greyton MTB Tour – A non-competitive two-day stage race. Enjoy a weekend of fun and scenery. However, make sure that you are fit as the two stages are approximately 50km each, mostly on gravel and singletracks.

TBC Dr Evil Classic

9-11 Berg and Bush Two Day

GAUTENG 1-4 Munga Grit – 500km in 50 hours the Munga Grit is a single stage MTB race across Gauteng and the North West.

Beginning and ending at Bidon Bistro in the Cradle of Mankind, the route will consist mainly of quiet dirt roads and farm tracks.

16-18 Cradle Mountain Traverse

EATERN CAPE 23-25 Trek2Teebus

starting in Willowmore and ending in Paarl. Riders are allowed a maximum of six days to complete the ride. It is physically and mentally demanding so riders must be adequately trained.

17 Durbie Dash MTB Race 23-25 The U MTB Stage Race TBC Java MTB Challenge Wines2Whales

CANCELLED

5-10 Berg and Bush Great Midweek

610 km, non-stop, self-navigated mountain bike race

26 Karoo2Coast Ride2Nowhere.

KEY:

2-4 Berg and Bush Descent – From the top of the Drakensberg mountains down beautiful singletrack to camping along the banks of the Tugela River, this race is iconic. Team and solo entries are both welcome.

POSTPONED

SCHEDULED

IMAGE BY OAK PICS

September 2021 Cape Pioneer Trek

16-25 Freedom Challenge: Race to Paarl - a

KZN

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