Full Sus April/May 2020

A P R I L/M AY 2020 VO LU M E 64

POSTSPONED CANCELLED CLOSED

SUS THE GHOST TOWN

Video by Josh Rubin.

Here is the story of the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown on the South African cycling industry as told

by Seamus Allardice. Or at least the effects as of week one of the lockdown … hese are strange and frankly stressful times. We are all worried about our health and in most cases the health of more vulnerable family members.

But we are also worried about our fitness and mental health from being locked in homes and flats for five weeks. Along with those concerns, nagging in the shadows of our minds for some and screaming front and centre for others, is the financial impact of Covid-19.

Its impact will extend far beyond the initial 21-day lockdown period. With Moody’s joining Fitch and S&P in cutting South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to junk, there is no doubt we are in a recession. What does that mean for the cycling industry?

And how is the initial lockdown affecting businesses and individuals across the breadth of the trade? It makes sense to start with those that were hit first, cycling events.

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We unfortunately did not get to see Candice Lill in action at the Absa Cape Epic this year, nor will we see her take part in the Olympic Games.

Photo by Sam Clark.

PRE-LOCKDOWN: EVENT CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS Events This story being for Full Sus I’ve chosen to focus on the mountain biking events.

Though it goes without saying that road and all manner of other mass participation events, like trail runs and triathlons, are in the same boat. South Africa’s biggest cycling event only just scraped through unscathed.

It seems impossible now, looking back just three weeks later (at the time of writing) that the Cape Town Cycle Tour went off without a hitch. At that stage the only confirmed Covid-19 patient was in Kwa-Zulu Natal and we all existed in a pre-Corona bubble. Some people, it should be said, were already calling for events to be called off and for individuals to exercise extreme caution. Hendrik Lemmer, of this parish, was particularly vocal.

As someone who earns most of my living through working on events, I had a vested interest not to heed his advice.

Looking back, we were perhaps fortunate that the Cycle Tour went ahead. Though I haven’t spoken to Dave Bellairs or anyone else from the Cycle Tour Trust my sense is that another cancellation would have been a near crippling body blow for the largest timed cycle race in the world. But the weather played along and with the roll out of, the now ubiquitous, hand sanitisers it turned out to be one of the best editions of the Cape Town Cycle Tour in recent memory.

A week later the world’s premier mountain bike stage race wasn’t as lucky. Speculation

mounted on social media as the Absa Cape Epic neared. Would the race go ahead?

The organisers insisted it would. Hindsight is not kind on their pre-race bullishness.

But once again I feel the emotional investment of 18 months of planning and preparation clouded the issues. And remember no official government statement had been made at that point.

The pre-race press conference, on Thursday the 12th, was an eerie affair. Hardly any journalists attended the event and everyone tried their best to practice social distancing. Though that proved difficult and perhaps even pointless, given it was staged in a conference room with air-conditioning re-circulating air. Regardless no mention was made by the Specialized riders that they were on the verge of withdrawing from the race.

It was indicative of the disorientating speed of developments that I don’t believe the riders were even considering withdrawing on Thursday morning. By Friday their decision had been made. Austria was closing its borders and with multiple support crew members hailing from that nation the team withdrew entirely.

Specialized’s withdrawal kicked the rumour mill into overdrive. Would other teams follow suit? Would the race still go ahead? I’ll admit I had work to do that Friday which never got How long will it be until we’re all comfortable being in a space with so many people, from all corners of the world, again?

Photo by Sam Clark.

KAP sani2c took the decision to postpone to December 2020.

Photo by Kevin Sawyer/ Gameplan Media.

Swartberg 100 had to postpone, which is devastating for an event which also lost a year due to flood damage to the Swartberg Pass, in 2017.

Photo by Peter Kirk.

done. Instead I spent the day locked in baseless speculation and refreshing Twitter. When the news that IRONMAN South Africa, which was scheduled for late March in Nelson Mandela Bay, was being postponed I felt the writing was on the wall for the 2020 Absa Cape Epic.

At 19:27 the official announcement was made.

The 2020 Absa Cape Epic was cancelled. By Sunday evening the race’s decision to cancel was null and void. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a state of disaster, on Sunday 15 March, and banning of any gathering of more than 100 people would have brought the race to a premature close regardless of what the organisers had wanted to do.

Logistically the Absa Cape Epic, like joberg2c, had no choice but to cancel the 2020 event. Shorter stage races have been able to postpone their affected events. But eight and nine day races are simply too long to move. It was in that moment of cancellation that the economic impact of Covid-19 really began to affect the cycling industry.

While timing could not have been worse for the Absa Cape Epic, the race’s dominance of March meant that the rest of the mountain biking calendar had time to react. While I can’t speak for Farmer Glen Haw and Craig Wapnick, but I assume they jumped into action as rapidly as Dryland Event Management did.

Henco Rademeyer, of Dryland, phoned me on Saturday to prepare press releases for their April events.

“We were fortunate enough to be able to move the 36ONE Mountain Bike Challenge and the Glacier Cradle Traverse” Rademeyer explained. “This was possible due to the assistance of the event sponsors, partners and venue owners.”

Having nearly a month to change arrangements in the case of the Glacier Cradle Traverse and five weeks in the case of the 36ONE MTB Challenge certainly helped ease the blow. My personal feeling, as someone who entered an event which has also been postponed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, is that clear communication is key. The events which were able to take advantage of the time afforded to them to make a firm decision have fared better in the court of public opinion.

Despite being cancelled entirely in 2020, joberg2c has received limited backlash. “joberg2c was one of the events which was impacted by Covid-19. It was a hell of a difficult and strange situation for everyone concerned to be in,” Craig Wapnick, the race founder, confessed. “It was uncharted territories. But after consulting with our lawyers to understand what our rights are, after having paid out various expenses we realised the position we were in, six weeks before the event, we realised we could cancel the race under the force majeure clause.

“But that’s not our style,” Wapnick added. “So, we looked for other ways to ensure the rider comes out on top. Every event is going to be

slightly different, with different circumstances, and I certainly don’t wish what happened to the Epic on anyone. joberg2c has always been about trying to do what’s best for the riders, the communities and obviously still run as a sustainable business. So, we decided to offer riders who had entered the 2020 race a carry over, with a slight fee, to ride 2021. Primarily this has gone down really well with the majority of riders; they see it as a very generous offer to keep the event alive. joberg2c is basically not having a year and nor are the schools and villages we support. We, along with the schools and villages, are taking a knock so that 2020 riders have something to look forward to.

“The R4 500 payment per rider is hopefully going to go down well, with riders seeing the fairness of it all, as joberg2c is having a nonyear,” Wapnick clarified. It is interesting that event insurance has been mentioned by some people. But event insurance does not cover these sorts of things in most cases. So, it’s new territory. But we are going to survive this and that’s why we have asked the riders for their support. In doing so we hope we have made the carry-over doable for everybody and are providing something to look forward to when the virus subsides.”

While joberg2c was forced to call off their 2020 race KAP sani2c were able to postpone from May to early December. “We had to postpone the event, and we really had no choice because so many worthy organisations in our communities rely upon sani to run their businesses,” Farmer Glen Haw, of sani2c, stated. “We have schools who rely upon KAP

sani2c to pay teachers and to do various things at the schools that would be impossible to do otherwise. They would be very different schools if there was no sani2c. Firstly class sizes would be so much bigger. And there would be children leaving the school, because parents who can afford to send their kids away to other schools would do that. Generally, those are the parents who are really involved in the local schools. They tend to be the parents who have the time and resources to help run the schools.

So, it’s a massive picture and for us not to run would mean those organisations would lose out on a year of income from the fundraising that they do at KAP sani2c.

“As far as postponement goes, we had a look at dates,” Haw continued. “We had a lot of people who had already entered, so they paid money in and they stood to lose a lot.

But we have costs that we incur running the office, clothing that we had already ordered and stock that we had already bought. Plus, staff that work year-round on sani and depend on the race, so that’s a monthly cost for us. For us to cancel an event would therefore mean that the riders would lose out a lot. So, we moved the dates into December. Obviously, we are respectful of the historic dates of various events, like Berg and Bush and Wines2Whales.

So, we moved as early as we could to avoid full rivers and bridges being washed away. KZN is a summer rainfall region and we cross the mighty uMkomazi River, which is no small river at all. The later we go in the summer the fuller the river gets generally. So, we’ve gone for as early as possible in December, before everyone

starts shutting down, from the 1st to the 5th.”

“There is no further cost to the riders who have already entered,” Haw clarified. “And we are looking forward to riding the trails in summer. It might be tricky. People might realise why we normally run it in May. But you never know we might hit it lucky. Regardless it will be a memorable KAP sani2c!”

With the lockdown ensuring that all events until the end of April had to be postponed, the events falling outside that window, had to make educated guesses as to weather or not they would be able to continue. It seems highly unlikely that joberg2c, the 36ONE MTB Challenge, the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo and KAP sani2c were cancelled or postponed prematurely. But things are a little trickier for the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek. At this stage it is the race that is the latest in the year which has been postponed.

Originally scheduled for the 29th to the 31st of May the three day stage race has been moved to an, as yet, unspecified later date. “From PwC GZT’s side we had a look at the timeline which China and other countries have followed,” race director Siska van der Bijl explained. “We seem to be three months behind China and when we made the calculation it looked like the event would fall smack bang in the middle of the pandemic’s local spread. So, together with PwC we couldn’t see the Covid-19 crisis being over in two and a half months. The other thing that played a role was the fact that while we had contracted suppliers, we had yet to pay deposits for most of the services. And those that we had already

paid could be carried over to the postponed event.

“Even before the President’s first address riders were reaching out to us, asking what we were going to do,” Van der Bijl recounted.

“Riders were asking about their accommodation bookings and enquiring as to whether or not they should book flights. Because of the uncertainty of that we wanted to give the riders the chance to not book flights and not get themselves further out of pocket. After making the decision to postpone we reached out to

all the riders with two alternatives. Firstly, we offered them the opportunity to take part at a later date in 2020, though the calendar is fast becoming very full in the latter part of the year.

Or if they can’t make the 2020 date, we are offering them a full carry-over to 2021.”

Riders The effects of the postponements and cancellations don’t just impact on the amateur riders who make up the bulk of the field. While most events are doing what they can to limit

At this stage the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek, at the end of May, is the latest event in the year to be postponed due to Covid-19.

Photo by Peter Kirk.

the inconvenience and financial burden on their entrants there is also the issue of the elite racers. They are likely to be among the people most affected by an extended break from events being able to take place.

It is not just in terms of missing out on prize money; which in the majority of cases supplements small basic salaries and allows the country’s top mountain bikers to continue to race. But the primary impact is the loss of publicity and hence the athletes’ reduction in value to their sponsors. Some will no doubt be supported through thick and thin by their sponsors. Others meanwhile will find themselves in trouble.

Two of the major local men’s teams are in the final year of their contracts with title sponsors.

In the absence of the Absa Cape Epic those sponsors will be hard pressed to recommit to the teams. If the marketing departments within the companies forking out millions of Rands to foot the bills for bike racers look at their 2020 return on investment the picture will not be rosy. Especially as the decision to continue sponsoring the team needs to be made sooner rather than later and this therefore being made in a recession, when marketing budgets are assured to shrink, and before any major races have taken place.

Meanwhile South Africa’s Olympic hopefuls – Candice Lill, Mariske Strauss and Alan Hatherly – have had the rug pulled from under their feet.

Strauss is recovering from Covid-19 herself, but her Absa Cape Epic partner and the former u23 World Champion are confined to indoor trainers; like the rest of us. What that does to

their motivation remains to be seen, but while they might be expressing positive sentiments on social media you can be sure the situation is different behind closed doors. They are only human after all. They, like the rest of us, find the current situation unsettling and find focus harder to maintain, I’m sure.

LOCKDOWN AND IT’S FAR REACHING EFFECTS Bike shops It is of course not just events and riders who are affected by Covid-19. The lockdown, which came into effect on Thursday 26 March at midnight, was preliminarily scheduled to run for 21 days. With only grocery stores, supermarkets and pharmacies open during this time bicycle shops have been particularly hard hit.

Not only did many Western Cape stores lose out on the expected income they were banking on earning at the Absa Cape Epic, but now their workshops are closed and sales in the physical store have stopped. One store reportedly purchased over R100 000 in spare parts, as they run a large service centre in Tweede Kamp. With no joberg2c or KAP sani2c on the near horizon either that stock will be lying in boxes for six months, before they will be able to start recouping their expenditure.

One of Cape Town’s newer store owners replied to my query as to how it was going with a simple: “Business is not good.” Without the size of Cycle Lab or the support of an international brand, like the other two people I approached for comments, he is not sure if his shop will survive the lockdown. To make matters worse he also runs a small importing

Service Centre.

Photo by JB Bardenhorst.

business. “That’s also *ucked,” he flatly stated.

Some landlords are reducing rent but shops have other expenses to cover still, including staff. I’ve heard unconfirmed reports that stores are retrenching or simply letting staff go. In order to keep cash coming in, shops that can, have turned to heavily discounted online sales.

“It’s business unusual at the moment,” Damian Murphy, the Group Marketing Manager for MoreCorp, owners of Cycle Lab recounted.

“These are trying times at the moment. The MoreCorp Group, MoreCycle and Cycle Lab are very much a company based around getting outdoors and helping people do the sports they love. Cycling and golf are our two major pillars in the group. With people not being allowed to cycle or play golf it has obviously had a monumental impact on our business. We still

have the brick and mortar retail stores and we still carry all those overheads at the moment, but we’re not generating any feet through the doors. Which means we’re not generating any revenue through the doors.”

“That is putting a massive amount of strain on us as a business and causing us to make some drastic decisions,” Murphy elaborated. “We’ve had to make some changes to policies and are now doing all we can to make sure that when the lid is lifted on this that we are still able to trade. We are trying to do this as responsibly as possible because we cannot afford to be reckless for safety of the industry as a whole.

That being said we’ve made the call to be very aggressive online, with our sale to help us liquidate stock which we have on hand. This will help us mitigate the losses we will suffer during

Oh to ride outdoors again.

Photo by Peter Kirk.

the lockdown.”

As someone who is currently shopping for a new bike, although I can’t decide whether to upgrade my mountain or gravel bike first, the Cycle Lab and other online sales have been very attractive. But before I go splash a significant amount of cash on a bicycle, I need to know that I’ll have an income in May. And like many in the cycling industry that is far from clear to me at this point.

Some have been, and will hopefully continue to remain, a little more fortunate. “Specialized Stellenbosch is a company owned store and Specialized have been really supportive,” revealed Craig Boyes, of Specialized Stellenbosch. “They were very quick to stand up and tell us, the retail staff and the Specialized South Africa staff as a whole, not to worry about anything financially at the moment.

I think that plays a huge role. There are a lot of people in this country, especially small business owners, who may not be able to sustain a multiweek lockdown while paying their staff. So, from my side and the store’s side we’re very appreciative of how we have been dealt with.

“Despite coming from a bike shop background, having been with Specialized for five years and having been with the Stellenbosch store since day one, I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Boyes confessed. “Countrywide and worldwide this is new to all of us. Before the lockdown was announced, Trevor [Marshall, the store manager] and myself had a talk about what we would do if the lockdown came into effect. So, we could prepare as best we could.

“The guys from the shop have taken it really well,” Boyes continued. “We’ve been super positive about it and have tried to keep the best vibes going among the staff. I think in times like this it is really easy to fall into a negative rut. You have to be aware of what is going on and be honest with yourself, but still stay positive. To help the other guys from the shop stay positive we’ve been staying in touch and doing Zoom calls, just to make sure nobody feels excluded or left out.

“We’ve also been keeping ourselves busy with online tech courses, ” Boyes added.

“So, the guys in the workshop are keeping themselves busy with that. We’ve also been using the time to clean up the back-end of the system, removing duplicate customers and the like. The idea is that when we do open, we’ll be on the front foot and will be better prepared to help any customer who comes in.”

Manufacturers Local cycling industry manufactures find themselves in an equally difficult position to the vast majority of the industry. For them lockdown means no production, no local sales and no exports. In the case of Santini, who are based in the Lallio suburb of Italy’s worst Covid-19 effected city, Bergamo, they have been able to refit their factory to produce masks. That, or producing the other essential of our time, hand sanitiser, is sadly not possible for Squirt Cycling Products.

Squirt is arguably among South Africa’s biggest cycling success stories. Exported to 42 global distribution partners, it is available in

most places bicycles are ridden. “We stopped production the day the lockdown came into effect,” explained Squirt Cycle Products’ Danie van Wyk. “Of course, we had to send the factory workers home to isolate. Regardless of the loss of production, we undertook to pay their full salaries for at least March and April, because we will need a motivated workforce when the virus is beaten.

“We are proactive and are using simple communication methods, like WhatsApp, to keep our employees informed and updated on the governmental health measures,” Van Wyk said. “Due to the restriction on overland transport, all stock on the factory floor could not be shipped. In South Africa all sales of our products have ceased and all products awaiting shipment at the port in Cape Town could not be loaded. Oversees distributers are experiencing a drastic drop in sales, and have put their orders on hold indefinitely due to their country’s isolation and transport restrictions.

Delivery of raw product to the factory is postponed indefinitely too, so it may take a few weeks once the lockdown is lifted to go into full production again.”

“In the meantime, we are using our digital platforms to continue marketing,” Van Wyk concluded. Though Van Wyk and Squirt Cycling Products seem secure in the short to medium term, the uncertainty of the situation has everyone a little nervous. An extension of the lockdown or a return of Covid-19 in a wave of reinfections in the winter could well place even the most well-run companies on the back foot.

Importers Admittedly this is an area subject to much conjecture. One major distributor of bicycles and components I approached was unwilling to speculate, saying that it would take at least six months to assess what the future holds. What is certain is that the future holds higher prices for South African cyclists.

With the Rand plummeting in value and the aforementioned sovereign credit rating downgrade things are looking less than rosy for the economy. Add job losses to the mix and even those with the money to buy a new bike may be thinking twice. It’s certainly put my planned upgrade on the back-burner.

Though I don’t take any pleasure in being a doomsday prophet I expect the number of importers to shrink. The larger distributers have the capital to weather the storm, particularly those backed or owned by the international brands themselves, but the smaller companies will struggle. Importers brining in small numbers of boutique bike brands will have to box very clever to survive much beyond the lockdown.

The Winners That said, there are of course winners too.

Smart trainers flew off the shelves at bike shops across the country like never before, in the days between the lockdown being announced and it coming into effect. Good old-fashioned indoor trainers were popular too. And by all accounts Zwift is struggling to cope with the load.

Though that sounds like a good problem to have. Other cycling industry winners are the

GOOD by JOCKO WILLINK nutrition and supplement brands, who are able to continue selling through their supermarket and pharmacy outlets. Beyond that it is hard to see any short-term winners.

Solutions The solution then is to use this time wisely.

To make the most of being at home, I hope with loved ones. And recharge your batteries as best you can. I for one will be using the Covid-19 lockdown enforced opportunity to reassess my business; such that a one-man show, writing about cycling, is a business. In recent years I’ve

ABSA CAPE EPIC 2021 RIDER PROPOSAL made my living covering events, but that may well have to change.

To what exactly I don’t know. But at least I have the time to make a plan now. It’s something I’ve never really done before. I’ve found myself swept from race to race trying to keep up. And I have a suspicion I’m not alone in that. The scattered approach of so many people, events and companies involved in cycling, points to that. So, maybe some time to reassess, re-evaluate and readjust to the changing industry is what we all need. As Jocko Willink says: “Good.”

ED’S LETTER

LOCKDOWN,

COVID-19 &

SILVER

LININGS!

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’m s i t t i n g h ere co mpletely s h ell-s h ocked by what we a re current ly li v i ng thro ugh. I’ve us urp ed my w i fe’s ho me office an d jus t h ad a WhatsApp/ Sky pe, or w h atever ot h er a pp we co uld con n ect on , m eeting with my colleag ues an d eerily my favo urite b an d Ki n g s of Le o n a re singing Th e En d w h i le I ’m writing! ( plea se i n s ert your favourite shitshow exp let i ve i n h ere ___!)

The world is upside down and the country is in the midst of a “lockdown”. This not only has meant our industry has ground to a halt but also after decades of encouraging and getting our society to embrace exercise we find ourselves completely curtailed.

THE TEAM

Of course we can’t ride our bikes and to a lot of us that’s been a huge challenge – Zwift has become the new coffee ride, trainers of all types have been dusted off – with some people finding ingenious ways to exercise – I know a good friend who is a brilliant carpenter and he has made a set of rollers out of wood in his garage (see story (link) ) – what we will do to keep fit hey!

We are also in new territory because, as things stand, no-one can go into stores to collect the newspaper or take part in events.

As a result we have been pushed over the digital precipice and this is our very first digital e-magazine – mind you not a pdf digital copy – we have always been on Issuu and will remain, check out the archive on our website (insert link) – as you can see this is a fully interactive, bespoke designed digital magazine for all platforms. We believe it is the first of its kind in South Africa! I really hope you enjoy it and will support it as we enter this new digital phase.

For the record, we haven’t dismissed the newspaper entirely, we will make a final decision as to whether we will go back into print once things have reached a vestige of normality again. That said, Full Sus continues to need the support of the much beleaguered cycling and aligned industries, destinations, supplements and events. It is a tough time to even consider marketing but, much like

our decision to go onto this digital platform (which is a dollar-based software), it is going to take brave marketing to foster and re-affirm your relationship with your customer base - in what is going to be a very different economic landscape. So, as much as we are asking our readers to support the local bike shops and retailers, we as a leading voice of #mtb need advertisers’ and marketers’ support to ensure we maintain a strong, loyal and credible medium going forward.

We definitely still welcome stories, features and comments from all of you. We are constantly looking for news – local news and not just the press releases that are shotgunned to all and sundry – news and stories that we as Full Sus #mtbers and readers can relate to and enjoy.

I for one can’t wait to get back onto the trails, onto the amazing dirt roads and tracks that criss-cross our wonderful country. I can’t wait to warmly hug or vigorously shake hands with my mates and fellow riders!

To enjoy an ice cold Corona when it once again only refers the brewski! To smell the fynbos, forests and dust as we carve our way through the amazing trails our much underappreciated trial builders have lovingly carved out of the earth’s crust for us.

I c a n’t wa i t to se e yo u o n the t rails !

CONTENTS

The Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo considered SA’s premier gravel bike event.

Photo by: Peter Kirk.

FEATURES 02 COVER FEATURE: The fallout. Seamus Allardice looks at how Covid-19 LD is effecting the #MTB landscape.

11

THE ED waxes lyrical

13

NEWS: The local #MTB skinny

15 A DECADE of MTB EVOLUTION. How things have changed.

Who remembers bar ends?

22

KING of the KOM. Brett Fourie never loses!

26 FUNCTIONAL ART: Rudy Zuidema makes beautiful wooden indoor rollers.

29

US THE BIKE: Robin Moore tests and S reviews the new TREK Supercaliber.

33 HELMETS: Shayne Dowling looks at how the helmet has evolved through the years.

37 TULBAGH BONE TRAIL: Not for sissies, regular trail guru Jacques Marais tackles the Schalkenbosch Trails.

REGULARS 41

GEAR

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

44

STEF GARLICKI : Even Gravity can change.

46

BEN CAPOSTAGNO: Modern tools of coaching.

49 EVENT CALENDAR: There have been major changes – support our local events!

WHATSAPP WHATSAPP +27 +2778 78103 1031781 1781 FOR FORCAPE CAPETOWN TOWNDELIVERY DELIVERY

MTB NEWS

01

BUSH MECHANICS WORKSHOP

The first Full Sus Bush Mechanic Workshop was held on Wednesday 11th March at The Bike Park, Constantia Uitsig in Constantia, Cape Town. The workshop was presented by World Champion, Chris Nixon and bike mechanic par- excellence Clint Elliot (who was destined to mechanic for Luke Moir in his oversees campaign this year). These two guys are not only responsible for maintaining the FS staff bikes, but also assist in the set-up of all our test bikes – they know their stuff.

It was an informal evening, made even more pleasant by the beverage sponsorship from Devil’s Peak Brewery, which covered a range of different

02

topics from a comprehensive look at the parts on your bike, to maintaining them at home and how to tackle mechanicals on a ride or in a race.

Not only were there demonstrations from the guys but also a lot of good, practical tips that definitely will assist when stuck in the middle of nowhere. There were recommendations on what to carry on the bike and most importantly how to use them as well as alternatives for the times you may not have the right tools with you. It was a real mine of information.

We capped the evening to 50 people and entry was free. Feedback from those lucky enough to attend was overwhelmingly positive – we learnt a lot from the evening and will certainly look to improve the event. Our next event is planned for Spring and depending on interest we are looking to take the workshop to other provinces too.

FALKE ARM PROTECTORS

Leading Stock Specialist, Falke presents their reflective and UV protective Arm Protectors. Designed and produced in South Africa these sleeves help to regulate temperature, protect against harsh environment and increase visibility.

The brand’s COOLAYR yarn technology keeps the wearer coo when the temperature rises. The arm protectors also feature moisture management. Approved by the Cancer Association of South Africa, they offer protection of SPF50+.

Falke arm protectors are available in three sizes and six colours RRP270. Available online at www.falke.co.za

04

VYE PUTS FACTORY TO WORK MAKING COVID-19 MASKS

03

LOCAL APP PEEBEE MAKES IT EASIER TO EXERCISE

A new local app called Peebee aims to make it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It allows you to find local classes, connect with qualified trainers, find exercise buddies and even helps you to get your mind right.

Clinton Gahwiler, psychologist at the Sports Science Institute of SA and one of the founders of Peebee clarifies what we all hate to know – “people will try to tell and sell you otherwise, but there are no shortcuts to fitness. It takes effort and patience over time.”

Many people have the intention to be more physically active but struggle to maintain it.

Peebee are committed to helping people find solutions to this and to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

For more information visit www.peebee.app

Vye Cycle Kit has put their custom cycling apparel manufacturing knowledge to use during the South African Covid-19 lock-down to manufacture three-layer masks. The masks are constructed from fabrics which were designed to keep cyclists dry and comfortable on long rides in extreme weather conditions. These masks will be available to purchase, to the general public.

Vye will also be donating, masks, to their local South African Police Services as well as to a newly erected homeless shelter, which is roughly a kilometre from Vye’s Cape Town factory.

As a custom kit manufacturer Vye is not only making standard black and white three-layer masks. They are also offering individuals and companies the opportunity to add sublimated designs to the outer layer. The masks are made up of a Breathable Moisture Managing Polyester inner layer, which is soft on the skin; a Semi-Permeable Polyester mid-layer, which creates a barrier between inner and outer layers eliminating contact between them; and a Two-Way Stretch Polyester outer layer. RRP R40-R50, minimum order of 20. max@vyecyclekit.co.za or www.vyecyclekit.co.za

10 YEARS OF MTB

EVOLUTION

Photo by: Sven Martin/Cape Epic

Mountain bikes have changed a great deal in the last decade, wheels have got bigger, then smaller, then bigger again; tyres have got wider, a lot wider, then slightly thinner again. Plus, there’s suspension design, improvements in carbon layups, boost hubs and of course 1x drivetrains. Seamus Allardice takes a roll down memory lane.

he 29er may not have been born in the twenty-tens, but it may well have been perfected in the last decade. Gary Fisher and Surly had made big wheeled off-road, or true mountain bikes in the case of Fisher, bikes in the Noughties already.

But it wasn’t until 2010 that the real driver of mountain biking evolution for the era started to gain traction.

In our ultra-distance obsessed South African sporting culture, the Absa Cape Epic serves as a handy yardstick. They first started keeping records of wheel sizes in 2011, after noticing bigger wheels popping up in 2010.

In 2011 78% of the field rode 26ers. Though 80% were already on full suspension bikes.

In 2020 I would have expected somewhere in the high 90% range to be on 29er, full

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suspension, bikes. Only the hard-core hard tail die-hards, like Bart Brentjens, choose to shun rear suspension. While only the shortest riders in the field will be on anything other than 29ers.

But the bigger hoops weren’t initially as easy to handle as they are now. It took a while for mountain bike designers to get to grips with 29ers, as PYGA’s design guru Patrick Morewood explained: “[it took a while for designers to] understand that it’s not a 26er”. And then they had to realise the need to “work with feeling and not computed numbers to get an answer. In the early stages of 29er design it was commonly thought by many that one needed to mimic a scaled up 26er by compensating trail and offset of the fork angle.”

Getting increasingly technical Morewood reflected on the latest incarnation of the bike style that dominates the South African market. “There are still many different types of layout or suspension configuration on bikes today, some which have been used consistently over the last 10 years or so” Morewood said. “What we have found is that back then, most XC/Marathon type bikes had rear seat-stay/chain-stay pivots; but in order to save weight, many have now gone to a ‘flex stay’. (A seat-stay that relies upon carbon’s ability to flex in order to negate the need for a pivot within the rear triangle. As one would have found on the previous generation Specialized Epics).

We, at PYGA, have stayed with bearings because it’s the only way to perfectly define

How strange do the narrow bars on 26ers look to our modern eyes.

Photo by Karin Schermbrucker/Cape Epic

SUS THE PROGRESSION

Karl Platt gripping his bar ends during the 2010 Absa Cape Epic.

Photo by Gary Perkin/Cape Epic.

TAKING A SUS INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL

placement, on brands like SCOTT. This, if they are doing it for the same reason we do so, is to allow for better control of the shock rate or progression curve. Another factor which has aided bike designers is 1x gearing. 1x has made it a slightly easier job to achieve consistency in the suspension feel throughout gears; so, it makes it easier for most designers to have a reasonably good feeling bike now.”

“Aside from all of the above, the trend now is to go with more travel,” Morewood pointed out, using bikes like the Trek Top Fuel as an example. “This has been made possible with the improvements in the shocks, including the switch to metric shock sizes. The main area of improvement, I believe, is the reduction of friction, combined with higher negative air volumes. These two factors ensure that modern suspensions require less initial force to activate the shocks and forks. Metric shocks have made things easier as a brand too. We are now able to adjust suspension travel on a bike without affecting the shock length. In the past we had to use a shock extender on a shorter stroke shock, which lengthened the overall length to the same as the longer stroke shock. This allowed us to have two different genre bikes from one frame design; like our Stage [which has 110mm of rear travel] and the Stage Max [which has 130mm]. Now with metric it’s just so much simpler as metric shocks can simply be adjusted internally to achieve different amounts of travel.”

the braking characteristics and anti-squat of a bike. This we feel is important as part of the whole bike’s package.

“Our bikes have always had high amounts of anti-squat and suspension progression,” Morewood continued. “These work handin-hand to provide a supple bottomless feel while limiting pedal induced bob, the added benefit to this is better grip all-round and superior traction while climbing and at the same time removing the need for rear shock lockouts. Many of these properties have been implemented across the board on other bike brands models. An example of this is Santa Cruz updating their VPP design to fulfil many of these criteria.”

“What we have noticed is that most of the evolution has been happening in the Trail/ Enduro segment,” Morewood further clarified.

“We’re seeing sub-categories forming, with new names for these categories, such as ‘down country’. Which is essentially a STAGE MAX configuration. Or in layman’s terms a bike that is comfortable, efficient and handles well.”

Turning to the question of shock orientation, Morewood said: “There was also a trend towards horizontal shock placement which then moved to vertical

Bart Brentjens still riding with bar ends in 2019.

Photo by: Sam Clark.

The changes in mountain bike design, of the last 10 years, weren’t just limited to wheel size and improvements in suspension. There was of course the mid-decade fling with 27.5-inch wheels. The in-between wheel size by and large fell away, as Boost axels and designers getting to grips with 29er geometry negated the need for them. For most riders, that is. Even downhill bikes are now rolling on big hoops, an idea which seemed completely implausible when big wheeled mountain bikes first emerged. Wheels were simply not stiff enough.

Boost hubs changed that. By providing a wider base from which spokes are laced to the wheels Boost hubs ensured that wheels could be built with increased torsional stiffness.

Another trend mountain bikers lived through in the twenty-tens was the move to wider

tyres. Way back in 2010 tyre widths on crosscountry or marathon bikes seldom exceeded 2 inches. Now 2.25, or even 2.35, is common.

There was of course also a flurry of plus sized tyre bikes. Seated on 27.5 rims the 2.8- to 3-inch tyres provided exceptional traction at the cost of rolling resistance. They have now found their place on eBikes however where rolling resistance is off-set by electric power and the weight penalty of more rubber is hardly a concern. Having a monstrous amount of grip on a full sus eBike is simply fantastic.

Speaking of eBikes … The future appears to be electric. Though there will always be a place for a superbly balanced short-travel bike. So, watch this space towards the end of the year. Cannondale Factory Racing have already been spotted aboard a new Scalpel and they are unlikely to be the only riders aboard redesigned bikes in 2020.

Florian Vogal’s 2010 SCOTT Spark is a very different machine to the Specialized Epic he currently rides to the 2020 version of the SCOTT Spark which his then teammate Nino Schurter now pilots.

Photo by: Karin Schermbrucker/Cape Epic

SEAMUS ALLARDICE is a freelance cycling content creator who counts the Absa Cape Epic, Dryland, EcoBound and FNB Wines2Whales among his clients.

You can read more of his work on www.diverge.info and follow him on Instagram at @seamusallardice.

Henrique Avancini on board the 2021 Cannondale Scalpel 2021 at this year’s Tankwa Trek.

Photo by: ZC Marketing.

SUS THE VIDEO

WORLD FAMOUS TRAILS

CANVAS TENTS

EASY DRIVE FROM JHB & DBN

PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

F E AT U R E

I OWN THE

"KOM"

ON EVERY SEGMENT

I HAVE EVER RIDDEN!

Photo by: Kevin Trautman/KAP sani2c.

F E AT U R E

In fact I own the “KOM” on every cycling app I have ever used fact! Allow me to elaborate, says Brett Fourie. ntil the advent of smart phones, smart sports watches and the dozens of applications to run on these smart devices, the only way to settle who was the fastest on the bike, would be an old fashioned, side by side race. Two, three, four or more prepubescent boys, mostly on three speed Raleigh Choppers (this was the late seventies after all), lined up ready to race. First to the next street lamp would be the winner, the best, the champ, own the “KOM”.

Fast forward 40 years and not much has changed regarding cyclists wanting to best each other on the bike. Wanting to win and be the best is as much a part of our make-up as is the need to eat, sleep and love. So although our sentiments remain the same, no doubt fuelled by our narcissistic need to be the best or, as in my case, at least be faster than someone else, we simply can’t escape that evolutionary drive to compete.

Compete, compare, dissect the data and formulate a plan to be that tiny bit faster next time. However now we have so many apps linked to so many formats. Smart indoor trainers allow us to race virtually and in real time against a host of likeminded “athletes”, simultaneously and over any terrain, distance or in any conditions we choose. The most popular cycling

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apps all include that element of competition carefully disguised by the amount of “valuable content” the user is constantly inundated with.

Power output, cadence, top speed, average speed, elevation gained and lost, ambient temperature, heart rate, distance covered, power to weight ratio, ftp. The list goes on, ad-infinitum.

MY QUESTION IS: Where does it stop? When is enough actually enough? Whenever I ask my mates why they use a particular app or why they insist on completing each ride with a host of electronic devices wirelessly communicating with one another, the answer is always the same: “Collecting data to help improve my cycling and improve on the way in which I train.”

At this juncture let me just add that I too have been there and done that and to be brutally honest, my motivation was simple - I wanted to be the first chopper to the next lamp post!

That’s the bottom line in my opinion. It’s all about winning. All about taking that segment or claiming that KOM. The very individuals claiming they do this purely to better their health or as a lifestyle choice, are the same ones to first flag a ride they don’t agree with on our favourite cycling app and all because Joe Bloggs took their KOM. “He must be cheating!” “How else could this upstart possibly be faster than I am on that piece of trail that I cut and maintain myself?” “The audacity!” “He must be in a car or on a motorcycle or, God forbid, on an E-Bike? That’s it. He’s on an E-bike!” “He has the money so now he’s buying speed. What a cheat!”

BUYING SPEED? REALLY? How many of us haven’t “upgraded” components or entire bicycles in search of those elusive few extra seconds? Who hasn’t upgraded suspension to gain an edge on the technical terrain?

Who hasn’t upgraded to a lighter, stiffer wheelset in search of a few seconds in a sprint?

Dropperposts, more efficient drivetrains, ceramic bearings, carbon bars and carbon seatposts to complement our carbon frame, electronic shifting, tubeless tyres, aerodynamic frames as well as helmets? The list goes on.

All these upgrades cost money, often large sums of money. Is this BUYING SPEED? Is this CHEATING? THE ANSWER IN REALITY IS FAIRLY SIMPLE. Everyone out there is unique. Most of us are on different bikes built at different price points to suite our differing budgets. We differ in age, weight, health and whether we are male or female. Applying this logic, I own the KOM on every segment on every cycling app I have ever used - fact!

We are in constant competition with one another because we find ourselves using the same cycling apps. The 62 year old ex pro now carrying a few extra rolls around his midriff suddenly has no choice but to be placed 19th on his favourite sprint. Easily taking the KOM is the 20 year old second year varsity student who also happens to be the captain of the 1st 15 rugby team. At 74 kg he’s perfect at fly half but more importantly 15 kg lighter and 42 years younger

F E AT U R E than our ex pro. He lives in the CrossFit gym and dabbles in a bit of road cycling at the weekends on the latest aero road bike his dad picked up for him from an upmarket bike store.

The reality is we are all so obsessed with the numbers and what to do with those numbers in order for us to be faster than the next guy or girl. However the playing field is not level. With so many variables in play, how could it ever be?

Forget the numbers. Next time you ride, leave all your

gadgets at home. Ride your 80k cross-country bike. Ride your gravel bike. Ride your single speed. Just ride. Start when you please and return when you please. Stop as often as you like along the way. Or don’t. Just ride for you, not for what the numbers on an app are going to tell you. When you can no longer harness that age old need to compete - call me. I’d love to race you to the next lamp post.

BRETT FOURIE is a bike brand ambassador and breast cancer awareness campaigner. Having retired from the corporate environment several years back, he describes himself as a family man with an insatiable need to ride his bike.

When not out riding, he’s doing chores around the home to “earn” time off to ride. Follow him on Instagram @iambrettfourie

Take advantage of our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL extended until the END OF MAY!

F E AT U R E

’N BOER

MAAK ’N

PLAN!

Lockdown and no trainer! Not one to be put off by a challenge, Rudolf Zuidema, passionate cyclist and master joiner, set about making his own set of rollers that turned out to be functional art!

F E AT U R E he whole thing started with pending lockdown and the tale of a missing indoor trainer that hadn’t been used since our return from the UK 11 years ago! With it being a day to go to lockdown, jobs to finish in order to soften the pending financial blow and not having time or inclination to buy a new trainer - that will probably end up in the same mystical location as the last one, the missus sent me a link to Global Cycling Network with the question: “Is this viable?”

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1 2

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4 5

SUS OUT RUDY’S INSPIRATION (GCN) Of course it was viable, but as a craftsman and an ex Bike Industry guy I knew it needed some upgrades and having some experience of rollers as a product guy (although never using them) I knew I could make something pretty cool and include some features of the mass produced product.

SUS RUDY IN ACTION 1. Frame. 2. Inner tube frive belt. 3. Drive pulleys. 4. Axles with sealed cartridge bearings. 5. Solid Oak rollers for abot of added resistance.

1. Definitely needed bearings!

2. Being a roller noob I decided to make them wider and add some flanges to the rollers to prevent slipping off.

3. No pine would be used.

SUS OUT THE PLANS.

F E AT U R E I had quite a bit of oak in the workshop from a current project and knew it would work being a hard timber.

After machining, I laminated the three rollers and then set to making the other components that required some accurate machining. I needed to get most of the components and rollers done before lockdown as I could only take some hand power tools home for the final assembly etc.

IN THE WORKSHOP I MACHINED: Mounts for the rollers which needed to be drilled to take the double cartridge bearing axles.

Pulley wheels for the inner tube drive belt.

Anti slip off discs for the roller ends.

Turn the cylinders for the rollers.

Leaving the bike industry after 12 years in 2016, I decided to go back to my roots and took up woodworking as a profession again. Having done an apprenticeship, qualified as an artisan and representing South Africa at World Skills in 1997 as a joiner, I knew I had the credentials to start up a new business doing custom woodwork and so R.A.Woodcraft was born. Four years on and I have a fully equipped workshop in Diep River and we are producing quality pieces with an eye on detail and a focus on using modern, sustainable materials. rudolf@rawoodcraft.com | www.rawoodcraft.com or follow him on Instagram: @r.a.woodcraft

At home I did the assembly and finishing. Deciding along the way to treat it like any other project and finish it like a piece of furniture.

Now I just have to get the hang of riding on rollers …

If you like what you see head over to my website or give me a shout. We can look at making you a set for your man cave or showroom.

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SUPER

CALI FABULOUS! Not quite a hardtail and not just a full suspension bike. The 2020 Trek Supercaliber is a best-of-both worlds, and next generation XC racing bike.

WORDS BY ROBIN MOORE I M A G E S B Y R AY C O X

BIKE REVIEW rek introduced the all-new Supercaliber in late 2019, a radical new XC race bike with a unique, structural suspension design that changes the game for cross-country mountain bike racing, making it a XC bike that’s fast, light and smooth through the rough stuff.

The bike replaces Trek’s Top Fuel as the brand’s World Cup XC full suspension race bike, with 60mm of rear travel delivered by their unique IsoStrut suspension system. The team at Trek claim that many cross-country riders are looking for a bike that rides like both a hardtail and a fullsuspension bike all in one.

Supercaliber gets its magic from IsoStrut, a structural, frame-integrated shock created in partnership with FOX suspension engineers that provides 60 mm of damped, tuneable rear travel.

The frame, including the shock and hardware, tips the scale at 1900 grams. The Supercaliber’s unique design relies on minimalism.

There’s nothing here that isn’t necessary, and every piece is made to work together as part of a greater whole. When you add extra linkages to a bike’s design, you get excess lateral motion.

That’s not efficient, and it’s not fast. Supercaliber engineers ditched the rear pivot and designed it with wide, flat seatstays that bow vertically, not laterally.

IsoStrut is encased in a structural stanchion that prevents twisting, flex, deflection and shock damage. You get the direct power transfer and racy feel of a hardtail, with a short-travel shock that soaks up the trail’s fatiguing bumps. IsoStrut uses a

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standard shock pump so you can tune the spring rate for your weight, and it has a dial for adjusting rebound and a lockout.

Trek’s IsoStrut serves multiple purposes - it contains an air spring and a damper, and also serves as a structural component of the frame.

When photos of the Supercaliber first surfaced there was speculation that it worked as a pull shock, but the cutaway view reveals that that’s not the case. The IsoStrut’s air spring can be tuned and dialled in exactly how a rider desires, and it can be fully locked out. With the IsoStrut integrated into the bike as a structural component that carries top tube loads, it allows the Supercaliber to achieve stiffness numbers that are a lot higher than a typical full suspension bike. The shock and IsoStrut can be serviced with standard Fox parts.

Seatstays on the bike are pivotless and flex to work with the suspension through a virtual pivot in the seatstay. There is 55mm of damped travel through the shock, and then there is an additional 5mm of travel from the seatstay bowing which also provides progression for the suspension.

The Supercaliber can handle up to a 120mm fork and has clearance for up to 2.2” tires. The bike fits two full-size water bottles, as any proper XC race bike should. There’s internal cable routing throughout and the bike also has a 31.6 seat tube so riders have the option of standard dropper posts.

The Supercaliber has the typical angles for an aggressive World Cup level XC race bike. The head tube sits at 69-degrees, the seat tube is 74-degrees, and the chain stays are 430mm.

SUS THE STRUT

BIKE REVIEW

BIKE REVIEW THE RIDE Being a big fan of hardtails, whether it’s for XC racing or trail shredding, I was super eager to climb onto the Supercaliber to see exactly how it rode.

I was fortunate to get my hands on the Trek Supercaliber 9.8 model, trimmed with some of the best mountain bike components you can get, including a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with carbon SRAM Stylo cranks with a 32t chain ring, wider Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 carbon wheels (weighing in at 1715g for the wheelset) and a Bontrager carbon seat post and handlebar. Paired with the IsoStrut integrated shock is the lightweight Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast fork for a capable ride that’s fast and soaks up technical terrain.

CLIMBING The first thing you notice when getting onto the Supercaliber is that it accelerates incredibly and is built for climbing. Hit the lockout lever and the front and back end of the bike both lock out at the same time, shifting the full-suspension XC bike into a fully rigid and efficient mode, enabling the bike to climb like a rocket. However, I did spend the majority of my riding with the suspension fully open, the bike has heap loads of traction heading uphill and minimal pedal feedback in the suspension.

If this were my personal bike, I would consider disconnecting the front lockout in order to have a little more comfort when the rear shock was in full rigid mode, but I understand the dual lockout setup.

The climbing position is also comfortable even on the steepest climbs.

DESCENDING Descending, the Supercaliber is an impressive bike, handling technical, rough sections of trail way better than a hardtail. The 60mm of travel out back feels closer to that of a traditional 100mm travel XC bike. Setting up the shock differently can greatly change the ride feel, so much so that Trek include three different volume spacers with the bike so riders can fine tune the shock feel themselves right out of the box. It’s a simple procedure which you are able to follow online. One upgrade I would look at for those who aren’t the fastest in the technical sections, is adding a dropper post, as this will make a big difference when the trail starts getting a little tricky.

The Supercaliber is available in four complete models. Each is equipped with an OCLV Mountain Carbon frame with Straight Shot down tube and Knock Block, a SRAM 1×12 drivetrain (including a SRAM AXS build on the highest end model in the family) and Bontrager Kovee carbon wheels. Like all Bontrager carbon wheels, Kovee MTB wheels are backed by the Bontrager Carbon Care Wheel Loyalty Programme.

If they’re damaged within the first two years of ownership, Trek replace or repair them for free.

All Supercaliber models feature 100 mm of front travel, 29˝ wheels on all frame sizes and room to carry two water bottles in the main triangle.

SUPERCALIFABULOUS!

SUS RAY COX’S FULL REVIEW

PROTECTING

YOUR PIP

Helmets are acknowledged as the most important safety gear a cyclist can wear. Shayne Dowling takes a look at the history and development of lids.

HELMETS e take a lot for granted nowadays, however I am sure the current worldwide pandemic and consequent lockdown has put a lot of things into perspective.

It has certainly made me appreciate how lucky we are and also how much we love our chosen recreation and sport. That said I can’t wait to put my helmet on again, which got me thinking … How did we get to the modern helmet? After some digging I can quite convincingly say we have vastly improved what is your most important safety item to almost futuristic levels – there is even an airbag for commuter riders! I kid you not – check out this vid.

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I KID YOU NOT – check out this vid!

But let’s go back a bit – well quite a bit.

When initial large wheel – think Penny Farthing large – riders found themselves falling on ever more available hard surface roads, head injuries were quite prevalent and so helmets made from a pliable yet tough plant fibre became the norm – referred to as pith helmets (like the safari ones), the helmets were for one fall only (although this hasn’t really changed) and were obviously very rudimentary. Then in the early 1900’s cycling became more popular, it quickly became apparent that most injuries where to the head and a little more effort was put into lids – not much mind you; solid helmets with leather padded rims that had a few holes

drilled into it that eventually (from the early 60’s) became leather padded strip helmets commonly referred to as “hairnets”. While a lot cooler and not in any way compulsory in organised cycling events, they never offered much in the way of protection (other than to one’s ears as you slid across the tarmac). The more cautious cyclists actually started using pretty much anything that they thought may protect their pip – hockey helmets and even helmets developed for motorbikes – these proved heavy and really hot as they had no ventilation to speak of.

After the death of racing driver William “Pete” Snell when his helmet failed to save him, the Snell Memorial Foundation was

formed in 1957. Research, testing and setting standards is to this day performed by the Foundation. Though not without criticism, the Snell Memorial Foundation ensured that the helmet was at least afforded much needed research and development which of course led to huge improvements in helmets of all sports – it was largely their standard used until the late 90’s. In 1975, Bell Sports was the first commercial brand to introduce a cycling helmet proper, the Bell Biker (image courtesy of https://americanhistory.si.edu/ collections/search/object/nmah_1183133), a hard outside layer and polystyrene inner was widely used and copied by many brands for years. Research after the late 1990’s however showed that the hard helmet specs promoted by the Snell Foundation had all but vanished (think skateboard helmets – they are pretty much all that remain out of their early recommendations, specifically for cycling) and the new era standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) were adopted in some form or another globally.

Back to the lids … unbelievably it wasn’t until the death of Andre Kivilev in the 2003 Paris-Nice road race that helmet use was made compulsory by the (Union Cycliste Inernationale) in all sanctioned events.

Ironically it was at the same race in 1991 that the UCI had tried to enforce helmets but it led to a riders’ strike and so was abandoned.

Besides the requirement in events, which has crossed disciplines and is now standard at all events, the threat of lawsuits has

ensured that all events maintain this as a minimum standard.

While many studies have been performed that unequivocally prove that helmets have a huge influence in the prevention of head injuries a study done in 2003 showed that most (96%) of children and adolescents wear their helmets incorrectly fitted, this nullifies the efficacy of the helmet and can lead to aggravated head injuries: https://pubmed. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12897281/. The point here is that it doesn’t help paying for the best possible helmet and then wear it incorrectly.

MIPS

So let’s look at some of the latter year helmets.

Despite there being fairly conclusive evidence that round helmets offer the most protection, the shape naturally causes slide and not having any hard or shaped edges don’t provide any grip for catching and so jerking the neck. This however is not necessarily the coolest – temperature and looks wise. The “aero” look quickly overtook the round shape, vents have been added in a more or lesser amount depending on the type of helmet – think the larger surface area of the trail helmet with its longer sides and less vents vs most other helmets that are more of an “on top” helmet with much more ventilation. Aerodynamics, unless on time trails or at high speeds, doesn’t really come into play at the speeds most cyclists ride at. The smoother, rounded helmets have made a reappearance, albeit as a “hybrid” of ventilation and smooth surfaces, these are potentially the safer option from a sliding resistance perspective.

Quite evident is that the helmet has developed far more in the last two decades than ever before.

New materials and manufacturing methods have meant that more ideas can be produced and tested.

Helmets of all shapes and sizes, claiming all sorts of ingenious concepts are available – conforming to required standards to a lesser or more degree.

What is unequivocal is that a lid is undoubtedly your most important piece of safety equipment. Don’t get on your bike, even to pop down the road to get a loaf of bread! It’s not worth it!

Sources: • https://helmets.org/history.htm; • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_helmet; • https://www.davison.com/blog/history-tuesdaythe-bicycle-helmet/ NEXT ISSUE: WE TAKE A LOOK AT PEDALS.

+ Multi-directional Impact Protection System – is a brain protection system found inside a helmet. It is a system that allows the two elements (the outer shell and the MIPS inner system) to slide which is particularly effective at reducing rotational forces on impact. It is common that falls are more likely to happen at an angle and the forces are then more likely to transfer to your brain. The MIPS system allows the head to slide inside the helmet redirecting rotational force and has shown by reducing the rotational motion there is a reduction in the risk of brain damage. A number of brands now incorporate the MIPS system as an option in their helmets. For more information go to https://mipsprotection.com/ + WAVECELL –

WATCH THE VIDEO

+ The latest propriety helmet technology coming from Trek is found in their Bontrager Wavecell helmets. and claim a 48x more effective protection from head injuries. Read their study: http://trek.scene7.com/is/content/TrekBicycleProducts/WaveCel_Whitepaper-Evaluation_ of_a_novel_bicycle_helmet_concept_in_oblique%20_impact_testing.pdf . Much like MIPS the technology acknowledges that most impacts are not linear and therefore the forces aren’t either. The Wavecell cellular technology – with it’s “honeycomb” type structure pattern – absorbs the rotational forces before they reach your head and your brain and in doing so dramatically reduces the damaging effects. + So how does it work? Simplistically the material structure goes through three changes: Flex – the cells flex to reduce frictional forces; Crumple – the cells crumple much like a car bumper and finally; Glide – which means the structure glides and redirects energy away from your head and brain. More info: https://wavecel.trekbikes.com/za/en_ZA/ + ED COMMENT: These technologies are relatively new and carry a price premium. We also found the Wavecell to be slightly hotter in our conditions than a traditional helmet. That said, it is not in any way unbearable and certainly worth the added protection. We highly recommend that you consider buying the best possible helmet you can afford. Many years back Bell had a great ad slogan: “If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.” + ED’s TIP: Always try on the helmet first! Irrespective of how good that last of stock special seems – TRY IT ON! Helmets all offer different catch systems but most importantly there are different strap mounting points and so strap angles vary – if they don’t sit comfortably they will not only chafe but also irritate the hell out of you. Our heads are also all different shapes and sizes and you want the helmet to fit as comfortably as possible. Finally on a mountain bike and particularly on a stage race I find that an adjustable visor is great to have – most are removable so if it does annoy you, take it off – however it really helps with the sun and even gives some protection from driving rain.

TRAIL REPORT

TULBAGH

BONE TRAIL

Mountain biking can be a pretty cruel sport and chances are you will seriously suffer if you tackle the Tulbagh Bone Trail a tad undercooked. Yup, this is a tough old bugger of a crank into those high-and-righteous Witzenberg ridges …

WORDS AND IMAGES: JACQUES MARAIS

LOCAL BUZZ:

Welcome to sleepy Tulbagh, a typical Winelands village nesting in an unspoilt valley unfolding within the craggy amphitheatre encompassing the stunning Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area. There’s much more to the region than quality wine though, with much historic architecture, lekker craft breweries and a bunch of hiking trails.

But you’re here to ride your bike, Bru, and there’s some superb singletrack, thanks to the local MTB Club which has been putting in loads of hard graft.

Top of the list is “The Bone” or Schalkenbosch Trail, at 26km a fairly testing ride. The route traverses the mountainside above Tulbagh and - if you’re not that fit – it may be best to stick to the lower Fairy Loop.

Most of the steep and gritty singletrack climbing (almost 800m all in all) switchbacks into the craggy ridges above this once you’ve pedalled beyond Steinthal onto the mountain slopes. Keep it tidy along the lower technical sections around the river and ravine crossings, and avoid the midday heat if you can.

TRAIL LOW-DOWN

Crank off on your MTB mission from the trailhead at Manley Wine Lodge just outside historic Tulbagh, keeping right on tarmac for a couple hundred metres before klapping a sharp left. You immediately hit your first stile and flat-line onto a trippy 3km singletrack stretch skedaddling along the lower reaches of the Klein Berg River.

This morphs onto a gravel road climb through verdant apple and plum orchards until you reach the split between the Green and Black Routes at around 6km. Now will be a good time to put on your Big Boy Pants, as you’re about to say hello to Granny as you wind a steep switchback trail to the Bone Trail summit (7.5km).

Pin your ears back as you descend to re-join the Green Route at just on 9km, having rejoiced in the high-speed joys of gravity, but the next ascent lies in wait. Much up-and-down follows as the trail rollercoasters about in wild abandon; what goes up most come down, and go up again a few times, until you finally bottom out for the last time at approximately 15km.

The fun is by no means done as you duck and dive via a river section to dip past Schalkenbosch gate (18km) on a speedy gravel section. We lost our directions round about here and (I personally blame a bit of heat stroke), but it seems we did not miss out on too much.

Keep it pedal to the metal as you bomb back into the sleepy Tulbagh main street, with a whole host of quirky eateries vying for your cash dollar. When I did the ride, it was at least 34° Celsius, and damn, that 26km ride sure felt like 60 kays!

The distance for the Bone Trail Black route is approximately 26km and requires a solid level of fitness and intermediate technical skills. The Green Route can be reduced to 15km with 250m elevation by returning via the tar-road from the first section of single track.

FAST FACTS: TULBAGH BONE TRAIL

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

GEAR

CIOVITA CINETICA INDOOR BIB SHORTS

SARIS COMPLETE ECOSYSTEM

THULE ROUNDTRIP BIKE DUFFEL

HANDY

GEAR

You may not be leaving the house anytime soon so we looked two essential indoor items. Saris pushing boundaries with Mission Control indoor training centre and local gear innovators Ciovita’s indoor bib shorts – designed for those wet winter training days. Of course winter (and LD) will end and then the Thule Roundtrip Bike Duffel is the perfect travel bag for cyclists. Take a closer look!

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

Send in your top 5 images, include who we credit and a short backstory with tech details to ed@fullsus.co.za

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

Send in your top 5 images, include who we credit and a short backstory with tech details to ed@fullsus.co.za

DHI I started mountain biking 10 years ago now, which seems crazy but yes, 10 years! Boy how things have changed since then … irstly the bikes have changed so much, when I started everyone was on 26” wheels except for the odd 29” xc bike. We have now seen the industry go first to 27.5” and now 29” for pretty much all forms of riding. 26” is basically dead unless it’s for a kid’s bike. In the gravity scene flat pedals were on a lot of bikes back then and now almost nobody is running flats which is a shame really, for myself included. We were also running 9-speed shifting back then and

F

is just crazy. The carbon era has come along too with most bikes now being in carbon and even the whole dh scene has gone carbon.

Wheel technology has changed, there are so many carbon wheel options now and rim width has tripled. There are now tyre inserts to help protect rims from damage and everyone is on tubeless basically. Next up, E-BIKES have popped up and man, have they taken over! That is the future in my option although normal bikes will always be around. I think that is the biggest development and definitely has given the sport a whole new feel attracting a new audience.

Bikes have grown massively in size in all disciplines. I mean my first dh bike is about 60mm shorter in reach than my current bike and my height has not changed. Handlebar

WHO KNEW GRAVITY COULD CHANGE? now we have moved to 12-speed for xc and 7-speed for downhill. One by chain rings are another thing which has come along, back then all xc bikes were running a double chain ring in the front and now just a single with a narrow wide ring.

Another huge change is the fact that now we have enduro bikes which is growing massively. In 2010 it was either xc or dh which now has changed completely. Dropper posts are a big change too, I mean that was a game changer! Companies are going electronic with shifting and now even wireless which

width has grown too, especially in the xc racing side; now it’s almost on par with the downhill bikes. Geometry has evolved hugely, my first downhill bike had a 65.5 deg head angle and now that’s steeper than my current enduro bike! Suspension has really made huge gains and the adjustability nowadays is just insane, plus almost everything is air-sprung instead of coil. This means the weight of bikes is now way less, particularly on the gravity side of things. My dh bike now weighs under 16kg and back then it was about 19kg which is significant.

I could go on for days about all of this but let’s now look at the sport as a whole. In 2010 there was cross country, downhill and four cross in the world cup circuit. This has now changed and four cross has split from the world cup scene and has shrunk a lot. There is now an enduro world series which is growing year by year. They have changed the rules so now riders can run mixed wheel sizes which is going to be big in the gravity scene. There are now Velosolutions pump tracks all over the world and there is a world championship for pump track. In terms of racing, the sport has become a lot more professional with teams investing a lot in big trucks, data acquisition equipment, track analysis and anything else to make the riders go faster. This has meant the field has tightened up and the time gaps are so tiny which makes for exciting racing. The tracks have gotten faster for downhill and more technical for cross country which means there are no more half measures. Everyone in the field is training hard these days, it’s too competitive not to.

For me, I like some of the changes but all in all I think all sports evolve and it’s just about keeping up with the times and embracing change. No point fighting it. I am super excited to go racing again this year even though I am not sure when that will be exactly due to the Covid-19 virus. I hope soon!

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

Loegang, Austria UCI World Cup 2018.

Photo by Moonhead Media.

COAC H Full Sus’s regular coach, Ben Capostagno discusses some of the more modern tools available to coaches these days and provides some insight in to how he and his colleagues use them to assist athletes in improving their performance.

in performance). Athletes may respond differently to the same stimulus, so the coach makes a note of this and then will apply a different stimulus the next time. In order for the coach to collect and monitor their data, they rely on a host of tools that allow them to keep track of their athletes’ progress and make the necessary adjustments to their plan to ensure progression.

oaching has certainly evolved over the last decade or two, mostly due to an increase in the number of tools a coach has in their toolbox.

However, despite the increase in the tools available for coaches these days, the role of the coach has not changed: support your athletes and assist them in improving their performance.

COACHING PLATFORMS

C

SPORTS SCIENCE SUPPORT The field of sports science has certainly assisted coaches usually by answering questions posed by coaches or their athletes. “Will caffeine improve my performance?”, “Should I use a gel during a race?”, “Is this wheel-size really faster?”; all of these questions have been answered by well-conducted research trials, but the original question probably came from a coach or athlete.

A strong link between sports science and coaching is imperative for the advancement of coaching techniques. In fact, the coaching process is essentially an open-ended research trial where the coach applies an intervention (training programme) to an athlete or a group of athletes, and then monitors the outcome (change

Online platforms, like Training Peaks, allow coaches and athletes who may have vastly different geographical locations to still work together. The coach can use the platform to prescribe training for their athletes, who in turn can upload the data from their training sessions upon completion.

The coach can then analyse the session and, depending on what training tools the athlete has (heart rate, power output, etc.), can see exactly what was done during the session. Did the athlete practice good intensity discipline or did they decide that their easy day was the perfect time to go and hunt those Strava KOMs? There is also software like WKO or Golden Cheetah that allow for a more detailed analysis of the training session. Platforms and programmes like these provide coaches with the ability to monitor key variables like training load and track the progression of an athlete through key sessions which are repeated during a training block and throughout a season.

THE EVOLUTION

OF COACHING

TRAINING TOOLS

rate data, but heart rate is still a very effective tool for monitoring training intensity.

Heart rate has been used to monitor training The most direct measure of cycling intensity, intensity since the ‘80s and the affordable however, is power output. It is not influenced nature of heart rate monitors has made them common training tools. It is recommended that by external factors and cycling is one of only a handful of sports where power output can you perform a maximal incremental exercise be measured during both training and racing. test at a recognised sports testing institute to Power meters have become increasingly more help determine your personal training zones, affordable and, as a result, their popularity has because training according to arbitrarily assigned percentages of your maximum heart increased among cyclists of all levels. Using a power meter during training and racing is rate is not as effective. Training according to a great way to monitor not only intensity, but specific training zones, which are based on also progression. The introduction of smartyour metabolic thresholds, will improve both the specificity and quality of your training. Heart trainers, which reliably measure power output, rate can be influenced by external factors such and the online virtual environment of Zwift have reduced the boredom usually associated as fatigue, environment, caffeine and illness. with indoor training and allowed cyclists to These factors do affect the reliability of heart

train very effectively indoors. The increased use of power meters has resulted in many people disregarding their heart rate data, but it is important to remember that, while power output is an important measure of the external load or the work being done, it does not provide any insight into the internal load, or how the cyclist’s physiology is responding to the training. These two variables should be used in tandem for a more complete picture.

In summary, coaching has evolved and will continue to evolve in the coming years.

The introduction of new tools allows for the collection of more training-related data.

However, it is the correct interpretation of that data that will ultimately lead to an improved performance.

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

They have really great prices too!

the depot?

I got a great deal at the depot!

Yes the Cycle Depot!

They are an online cycling clearance store

You don’t collect, they deliver to your door!

Yes!

So where do I collect my bike from?

To your door!

THAnK YOU CAPTAIN CYCLE D! to be continued ...

NOT THE LATEST BUT BRAND NEW YOU CLICK

WE DELIVER!

E V E N T CA L E N DA R

APRIL WESTERN CAPE

KZN

Great White MTB & Trail Run & Duo S2M 2020 Pesach MTB Classic TBC Weekend Warrior: Grabouw sponsored

by Tru Cape - The Weekend Warrior road show is making its way to the beautiful mountains of Grabouw in the Western Cape, known for it’s incredible network of singletrack, unbelievable vistas and world class wine farms. Combine this with great riding and a stunning race village … a relaxed weekend is what awaits all entrants http://www. weekend-warrior.co.za/ TBC Swartberg100 Gran Fondo 25 JULY 2020 Karoo Battle of the Bikes 13-15 NOVEMBER 2020 36ONE MTB Challenge

GAUTENG

TBC Tour Durban MTB Challenge TBC Mid-Illovo MTB Challenge

24 hours Southern Skies MTB Relay 21-23 AUGUST 2020 Bielie Mielie MTB Classic - The Bielie Mielie MTB Classic is a three day mountain bike event that takes place in Reitz, South Africa. The race is run over day three and two routes of the Joberg2C and it is held in the Eastern Free State, a very beautiful and hilly part of the country.

The organisers pride themselves on the friendliness of the local parents; the feeding tables are well stocked with everything one could imagine one would like to find at a race table.

WESTERN CAPE

16-18 OCTOBER Cradle Traverse 30 AUGUST Midvaal 100 Miler 24-25 OCTOBER 2020 Cradle Mountain Trophy - The Cool Ideas Cradle Mountain Trophy. This two day mountain biking event always promises to be an exhilarating experience and is without a doubt the most popular, engaging and spectacular two day event in and around Gauteng. The weekend caters for riders of all abilities.

KEY:

CANCELLED

3-4 OCTOBER 2020 Cederberg 100 Miler

M AY

joberg2c 2020

19-20 SEPTEMBER 2020 Houw Hoek MTB Tour - The Houw Hoek Tour is a non-competitive two day MTB stage event. The objective is to give MTB’s and newcomers to multi-stage events (NOT NEWCOMERS TO MTB) the opportunity to enjoy a weekend of scenic, fun and non-competitive riding.

However, make sure that you are fit as each of the

POSTPONED

Winelands MTB Encounter Gravel & Grape Extreme 3 day

FREE STATE

East Rand MTB Classic

two stages are approximately 50 km, mostly on gravel roads (including jeep and singletracks) and that you can, and love, riding singletracks.

SCHEDULED

EASTERN CAPE 9 Cockscomb Classic - A one day event for riders of different abilities, including a kiddies ride.

The route follows amazing farm track, goes through the Hottentotspoort on a winding gravel road, and then over the Paardenberg on jeep track, ending with about 20 km of mostly downhill, kinder type of farm track, at the starting point on Bucklands. About a third of the race is on Freedom Challenge roads, it includes the famous Paardenberg, it is scenic and has all the makings of a must-do MTB race.

KZN 1-5 DECEMBER 2020 sani2c 23-24 RidetheBerg – Offering 100 km of singletrack in the Drakensberg makes this a ride not to miss. Based at the spectacular Montusi Mountain Lodge, it is the perfect time of year to visit and ride through the area with cool temperatures and normally clear days. E-bikes are welcome!

E V E N T CA L E N DA R

EASTERN CAPE TBC Trek2Teebus 3 Day Karoo Adventure – Discover the full diversity of the Karoo Heartland and breathe the crystal clear air, all while riding the foothills of the majestic Suurberg Mountains.

Routes take you across private farm land. Day Two will take you to the top of Bulhoek pass and Day Three 80m below ground into the OrangeFish Aquaduct. Trek2Teebus 2020 will be the third edition of the race.

TBC PwC Great Zuurberg Trek

MPUMULANGA 30-31 Bezhoek Extreme MTB Festival

undertaking – to complete this challenge, riders need to be adequately trained, equipped and prepared. Apart from the fitness, riders also need to be proficient at navigation and bike maintenance.

Since the route is not marked, riders need to navigate by means of maps, compass and narrative directions – the use of GPS devices during the race is not allowed and will lead to disqualification.

KZN 27-28 Drak Gardens MTB Race – Consisting of two distances, the race takes place in the Underberg area of South Africa. Expect to come across bridges, dams and even river crossings during this two day event.

27 Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Race – The one day MTB event consists of two premier races – the 80 km race for elite riders and the “half marathon” 50 km event for experienced MTB cyclists – and the two family events - the 30 km and SPUR 15 km rides for adults and children aged 9-16 years.

Routes offer forest rides and plenty of singletrack.

MPUMALANGA

13-15 NOVEMBER 2020 Sabie Xperience TBC Hippo Hollow MTB Challenge TBC Recce Race

6 Demacon MTB Series #3

EASTERN CAPE

JUNE WESTERN CAPE TBC Sylvester MTB Challenge 13-15 Greyt Escape 15-23 Freedom Challenge: Race Across South Africa - The Race Across South Africa is an unforgettable adventure by bike which takes riders to remote parts of South Africa where they will experience the true splendour of the country and the warm hospitality of its people. Due to the nature of the terrain and time of year, the Race Across South Africa is a physically and mentally demanding

13 JBay Wind Farm MTB Classic - JBay Wind Farm MTB Classic is a one day mountain bike event that consists of three distances, 25 km, 50 km and 85 km ultra-marathon. Designed for riders of all skill levels, all routes traverse the Jeffrey’s Bay Wind Farm, one of the largest in South Africa.

NORTHERN CAPE 13 -15 Trans Augrabies – A three day MTB event in the majestic Green Kalahari region of South Africa, following unique landscapes that make up the Augrabies Falls National Park. By no means an easy race, but riders will be rewarded with some of the best views South Africa has to offer.

KEY:

CANCELLED

POSTPONED

SCHEDULED

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