GOING NOWHERE - FAST: Sam Robertson looks at his indoor riding experience through lockdown

t’s 10 December 2019, I’m on a I trail in Stellenbosch and I see a distant figure speeding towards me. The pilot of this bike was none other than a Cannondale Factory rider on a blank grey bike. As we know, that’s generally a prototype and I was quite surprised to see it and immediately noticed that the suspension pivots were different. Then three months later I’m at the Songo race and see Alex Howes on the same bike but in EF Education colours. Rumours were that this “new Bike” was launching at the Epic and of course we know what happened there.

So approximately six months since I saw the Scalpel 2021 prior to the official launch, I finally got my hands on one. SPECS

Let’s take a quick run through the specs: 12-speed Shimano drivetrain which is reliable but not super flashy; the shifter and cassette are SLX, the rear derailleur is XT and the crankset is Cannondale’s Hollowgram 1 Cranks. So your drivetrain is bombproof! The bar and seat post are all aluminium. The saddle is the short-nosed Prologo Dimension NDR saddle – I find that you should point the nose down slightly for a better ride.

The suspension is the big shift from the old Scalpel. It has less pivots due to the FLEXSTAY at back that gives the bike a great climbing feel but no sacrifice on the downhill as the bigger bumps are taken care of by the FOX DPS rear shock. The Lefty Ocho is up front and has so far proven to be a winner. THE RIDE

Pedalling to the top of Jonkers with the Scalpel 2021 I felt straight away that this bike climbs better than the older model. The whole rear triangle is solid at the BB and your main pivot is the junction point which results in a stiffer power transfer by the cranks. Going up the trail called Irish, which gets steep at the top with tricky, climbing switchbacks, the bike felt balanced with no understeer nor tipping over when almost coming to a standstill while negotiating rocks.

I never used the lock-out once with this bike as the Lefty and Fox combo are so well balanced with the factory recommended settings and the bike didn’t bob or lose efficiency when pedalling. As we rode the contour before Red phoenix I didn’t know what to expect. The older Scalpel was like a pet snake, you just didn’t really know when it was going to bite you, but this Scalpel is so stable with the slacker head angle it felt like a Habit! So going full send was manageable; not once did I feel like the bike was out of control. VERDICT

Testing this bike in Jonkershoek was amazing with a variety of trail and tough climbs with the reward of some of the world’s best downhills. Scalpel 2021 is a winner, the 3 model has huge potential, knowing that a set of carbon wheels will unlock that World Cup performance. This will have me saving for that first upgrade. This aside, the standard rig is still more than ready to be raced at your local XCO event or to tackle a multi-day stage race straight out the box.

Pros: Great ride, amazing small bump compliance with the Lefty and Fox taking the big hits. Cons: Wheels will be my first upgrade but understandable that this would jack the price up.

RRP: R74 995.00 SHOCK RATING: 3.5 out of 5

SUS RAY’S VIDEO REVIEW

GOING NOWHERE FAST! Lockdown stationary training’ Sam Robertson gives his perspective on riding indoors while under lockdown.

t’s 26 March 2020. Despite best advice I stockpiling had happened, every bit of wipe, spray, gel or sanitizer was bought – we were as safe as could be, BUT: we were not allowed to go outside and ride our bikes. Major problem! Not just for us as cyclists but definitely for the co-habitants of our house.

There was no other option, the only way any of us was going to ride was on a stationary bike or indoor trainer. I had fairly nasty memories of using a smart trainer to train for an event and the prospect of using one for recreational purposes seemed unappealing.

I suppose it is safe to say that the indoor trainers are about as polarizing as E-bikes and as with E-bikes, the negative views mostly seem to come from those who have yet to properly try the products.

Without getting into too much detail, indoor trainers are loosely available as smart trainers that have been designed to simulate outdoor riding by automatically adjusting the resistance (according to a chosen App or computer program) and the more widely known magnetic resistance or mag trainers where you manually adjust the resistance of the rear flywheel and further utilise your gears to create a varying intensity training environment. The mag trainers are a lot more cost effective and don’t easily sync with various training programs available – but they certainly do the job.

I am fortunate to have a smart trainer and while they come with a hefty price difference, the difference is huge! There is the range of software products available linking to the smart trainers which allows you to virtually ride, pretty much wherever you would like. Most of the software programs offer the same or similar functionality with a few added bells and whistles here and there. (There are various platforms to mount your bike on that create a moving side to side sensation as well, and let’s not forget the good old rollers – Ed)

“SO OFF I WENT. BIKE HOOKED UP TO TRAINER AND IPAD CONNECTED – YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A TECH - HEAD...”

Practising mask wearing for riding in the wild!

Again without getting into the detail, the software products and apps all vary the resistance of the trainer to replicate the gradient that you are riding. The experience is remarkably life-like. They all work on an algorithm that calculates your speed based on a Watts per kilogram metric. Watts are read from the trainer, and the user enters the kilograms. Honestly. Like a golf handicap.

So off I went. Bike hooked up to trainer and iPad connected – you don’t have to be a tech-head, it’s easy to do with no real fuss. My first ride was a general free-pedal on a randomly selected route somewhere in Europe.

It was boring as hell and I had that sinking feeling that this was not something that was going to last. I was really despondent, believing I would seriously pack on the kilo’s and become totally unfit over this lockdown period.

The next day, hungover and reading the news apps over a morning cup of coffee I heard about scheduled coffee group rides. Many of these were led by pro teams, with the ride leader chatting via text message with the rest of the group (another great feature of the smart trainer apps!). The rides were positioned primarily as fund raising events.

The next available ride was with Daryl Impey and his Mitchelton Scott team. I was in. Lycra on (don’t hold it against me mtbers!), second cup of coffee brewed and ride joined. The rides were all pace-based on the average Watt/KG for the ride and were generally an hour long. A complete game changer and what a jol! Daryl (I feel like I can call him that now – Daz might

There are others, but Zwift was our tool of choice.

be pushing it …) was his usual chirpy self – offering advice to his teammates on Easter Egg consumption among other things. We flew, I burned huge calories trying to keep up with the lead group, eventually getting dropped after about 20 minutes and joining a slower group of riders for the rest of the hour. This was great fun and I was totally hooked.

Shortly after the ride ended, I was searching for the next one. Eventually scheduling my next five weeks based on when I was riding what ride! No boredom, happy heart and training carrots galore! My new happy place!

Pity about the view...

OK BESIDES MY REVELATION THERE WERE DEFINITELY A FEW OBSERVATIONS WORTH SHARING: + You sweat a lot more on an indoor trainer. Like a LOT more. To the extent that my shoes would leave puddles on the floor after a ride! A fan was necessary, almost compulsory, it helps a lot. + You get super strong in a short period of time. I went from getting dropped by 2.5 W/kg rides to keeping up with 3.2W/kg rides relatively comfortably. + Riding with mates virtually either by hooking up a

Zoom, WhatsApp, Diverge (etc.) meeting to chat definitely adds to the experience, the closest we could get to riding in a group outdoors.

+

All my rides were linked to Strava, which recognizes segments from the virtual ride, so challenging yourself virtually happens automatically. Actually riding the Tormalet and Alpe du Huez is truly humbling when you compare your time to that of the pros.

Five weeks into lockdown and that crazy 5km radius 6am – 9am respite was generously made available for three weeks. It was better than nothing, but for those of us riding hard virtually, whilst the odd jaunt outside was certainly fun, it did not replace our indoor trainers! What a turnaround. So we kept riding!

The events industry was hit hard by lockdown and cycling events were not immune, some of the local events companies saw an opportunity to take their events online and the virtual cycling event was born. Properly timed and hosted, they are fabulous. I did one at the end of May, and then another one in the middle of June. The first one I did solo, with two mates joining me for the second and we rode it like we would have the actual event. Together. The Tankwa Trek is no push-over, probably one of the toughest MTB stage races in the country – and we took it on, virtually! There were more than 80 people riding the full event which roughly mirrored the distance and elevation of the real deal! A four day MTB stage-race and it lived up to its reputation - it was damn tough! Possibly not entirely as hard as the actual race - you can’t simulate the terrain, weather conditions, and technical challenges that add the adrenalin rush and overall fun. EVEN WITH A PROPER FAN YOU WILL BE PUSHING PROPER BEADS AND SO I WOULD SUGGEST A FEW ESSENTIALS: + A towel on the bars and a towel under the bike are non-negotiable – you will be astounded at the amount of liquid on the floor after a good session. + You will definitely consume a lot more liquid than on an outside ride – have a spare water bottle within close reach. + You will be losing electrolytes with the amount of sweat you’re dropping – don’t be shy to add electrolytes to a spare bottle and sip on it continually as you train. Remember to rehydrate afterwards too. + Long rides, and I mean long rides, 3 - 4 hours on the training bike will also be a great opportunity to test you on the bike eating regime – have your bars, shakes, nuts, real food prepared and within reach – you will bonk on the bike if you don’t. + Look after your rusty sheriff’s badge! With so much sweat you will chafe! So lot of chamois (bum) cream! Be generous and don’t be afraid to re-lube on a long ride. You will only forget once …

SAM ROBERTSON

Sam is an avid midpack MTB’er who likes long walks on the beach and romantic sunsets.