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full sus
Sept 2015, Vol 27
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full stride Kate’s back on the bike Page 16
Bike Review Page 18
Find Full Stride
#Trailrunning inside
Saddle Review Page 32
9 P EAKS Challenge for Qhubeka W
ith the 9 Peaks Challenge on my own bucket list, my daughter Bianca and I sat down one night, over a Guinness, and worked on ways to make the challenge into a real adventure. Bear in mind that we were not born long distance athletes, so after settling on the idea of cycling between the hikes non-stop in a six week period, we had some decisions to make. Rather than make the trip ridiculously difficult by doing it on a unicycle we decided to make the trip truly worthwhile and do it for a good cause. We settled on riding Qhubeka Buffalo Bikes (Solid steel, single speed, no suspension and only a back-pedal rear brake, weighing in at a mammoth 28kg) and the aim would be to raise funds for the Qhubeka charity along the way. To add authenticity we also resolved to go “back to basics” in terms of nutrition and hydration. This meant that during the riding and hiking we would not use any over-processed and plastic
packaged food or drink. So there would be no Coke, bottled water, energy drinks, gels or bars. No sweets, chocolates or muesli bars. No stopping for coffee and a muffin. And no supplements or vitamin pills. Just hard work, mental stamina and true grit. For kit we stuck to the “back to basics” theme and went with a strict no Lycra approach. We did all our riding and hiking in a home-sewn African shirt, Mr Price baggies and when the weather turned nasty we had hi-vis Johnson Workwear yellow rain jackets to pull on. I rode in takkies, with old fashioned toe clips, and whenever possible we camped – only resorting to guesthouses when the elements truly conspired against us. And to top it off we did all our navigation ourselves, with maps, a compass and an odometer – we had no guides, porters, GPS’s or Strava on our 9 Peaks Challenge.
The Route
The plan was to start in Limpopo
Heavy Metal Bikes FS
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF COLIN COOPER
The 9 Peaks Challenge is a bucket list target for local hikers and climbers – summiting the highest peak in every province of South Africa. Most people do it in stages, driving from trail head to trail head, but not Colin and Bianca Cooper. This is their story as told by Colin.
Potberg & De Hoop MTB Page 24
Bianca and Colin battling freezing weather, -1 deg, on the long road down to Murch Point from the Berg.
and climb Iron Crown in August 2014 and finish in September 2014 by climbing Seweweekspoort in Western Cape, 3 000km and 42 days later. It sounds so simple when you distil it down to those basics.
The 9 Peaks
A Small(ish) Setback
A week before we are due to leave my wife, Maggie and I were victims of a horrendous Farm attack which left me in a coma and ICU for a month with massive head and face injuries along with a smashed hand/wrist and ankle/feet injuries. Superb work by the Doctors and Nursing staff at Millpark Hospital meant I survived and was back on a stationary bike within a week of
leaving hospital. Initially I could only manage 5 minutes on the bike, and had to tie my wrist to the handlebar to stop me falling off. A long month later and I was back on the bone-jarringly rigid Buffalo Bike and could join Bianca on training rides, though I trailed far in her wake and needed baby-sitting. Three months after the attack I finish a 100km ride on the Buffalo and by January 2015 I reach my short-term target of three 100km rides in three successive days. The 9 Peaks challenge was back on! Our new departure date was March 14th 2015.
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FS Editorial Writing from a VOLCANIC MTB Paradise I am writing from 1 500 meters above sea level which isn’t high for you guys on the reef, but the amazing part is that we are in the middle of the Indian Ocean, on the slopes of an active volcano on the insanely unique island of Reunion. We are here as part of an invited group to recce the MTB routes and opportunities for MTB and adventure tourism as Saffers. The trip has been incredible to date with two rides under the belt and two more to come. Look out for a full feature in the next issue. Congrats to our new SA Champs who were victorious at the recent event held in Stellenbosch. A well organised event with good crowd support. It was great to hear good
feedback from all that took part and supported. I watched large portions of it on live streaming and besides the shocking attempt at commentary it was fantastic to be able to see most, if not all, the action. Massive congratulations to SA’s most unrecognised sportsman and ambassador, both for the sport of mountain biking and for the country: Greg Minnaar. Greg has taken two victories on the UCI downhill circuit this year and was edged out of taking the season title after crashing at Val di Sole this last weekend, thereby handing Aaron Gwinn the honours after Gwinny took the victory. Greg currently holds the record for the most wins ever on the UCI World Cut circuit recently edging past Steve Peat’s record. An unbelievable performance by undoubtedly the smoothest rider on the circuit. Finally I would like to appeal to the Table Mountain Parks Board to make a sensible, and what would be a well-received, decision to give mountain bikers alternative options to ride on the mountain. There are
enough routes that can be opened as a temporary measure that will allow us MTBers the chance to get off road without compromising other users of the mountain or damaging the terrain. We are not talking about cutting tracks or encroaching on sensitive areas, but a temporary compromise that will give us alternatives to Tokai and what appears to be a very long rehabilitation process after the devastating fires – I am thinking of shared jeep tracks and old walking paths that are virtually unused. These exist and with positive will, should offer temporary solutions. We are fast approaching spring and the release of all the new bikes as well as the beginning of the summer stage race season – a great time to test a new bike so why not come and join us on 17 October for our Bike Test Day at Delheim? Book your place soon as entries are limited! See you on the trails
SUS SUS the winners Congratulations to Katherine McIver of Pinetown, you have won a Camelbak K.U.D.U.™ 18 hydration pack courtesy of Cape Cycle Systems. We hope it keeps you both hydrated and safe on the trails for years to come.
SUS Editor’s Review: Saris Bike Rack – What a great rack!
I
set off to the Houw Hoek MTB tour with my new Saris Thelma 3 bike rack firmly attached to my vehicle. It comfortably handled three bikes albeit my 29er and the two kids’ 20” bikes. All the bikes nestle snuggly into the unique wheel trays that cup the wheels holding the bikes firmly in place and keeping them from rubbing against each other. The frame is heavy (18kg) and really solid, so I don’t see a lady easily hitching the rack to the car on her own. It comes with a nice backboard fitted with good lights and licence plate holder. The wheel cups are adjustable and will take all size wheels. They also fold down completely making storage more practical. There are some considerations: you will need to get an adapter for the tail-light jack as it’s not our standard fitting - my reverse lights still don’t work. Unless you remove the handlebars of the centre bike you will not fit on three bikes. And there are a number of SUVs where the exhaust pipe sits
SUS The team Publishing Editor: Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Content Editor: Seamus Allardice seamus@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director: Megan Merifield megan@integratedmedia.co.za Designer: Shannon Flewellen Sales: Jess Nosworthy jess@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions: Ashley Attwood ash@integratedmedia.co.za Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa NPC
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directly in line with the locking handle which will result in a burnt rubber handle - I had my exhaust diverted for a minimal fee and no more problems (this is a problem that will affect most bike racks on these types of cars). It is really handy to be able to get into the boot with the bikes on the rack and the Saris can do this, problem is that the weight of the rack combined with the bikes may damage the back board as the entire weight sits on it – I wasn’t prepared to take a chance. I loved the ease of loading the bikes, the ratchet straps are superb and the wheel cups are genius. The Saris Euro Freedom carries two bikes and is a lot easier to assemble than the Thelma. It is fairly compact and at 15kg is still a very sturdy unit, but is a lot easier to hitch. I really liked the simplicity and yet, well thought-out design of this rack. It was easy to load the bikes, they were secure, and the frames never touched. The centre upright
Regulars: Meurant Botha, Stirling Kotze Snr & Jnr, Jacques Marais, Dr Mike Posthumus, Amy Burton, Jeanne-Louise Wiese, Erik Kleinhans, Diana Carolin & Joëlle Sleebos Rogue Contributor: David Bristow Photography: Ashley Attwood, Oakpics.com, Red Bull Content Pool, Chris Hitchcock, Cherie Vale, Newsport Media and thinkstock.com. Contributors: Karl Ebel, Kate Slegrova and Caren Henschel. Printing: Paarl Coldset (Pty) Ltd Published by: Integrated Media Disclaimer: The views expressed by the contributors and columnists do not necessarily represent the views of Full Sus or Integrated Media.
Freedom 2
Saris Bike Rack
has two moveable brackets that have the same ratchet straps as the adjustable wheel cradles that ensure your bikes are completely secure. I really liked this rack but it has the same issues with the light jack and handle. It also tilts but with only the two bikes is not a problem. Both Saris racks are well priced and are exactly what the market needs: a good bike carrier that you don’t have to take a bond out for!
Head Office | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Address: Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701
Full Sus ALLIANCE PARTNERS
The Saris Euro Freedom 2 is currently on sale for R4 155, while the Saris Euro Thelma 3 is on sale for R5 595, directly from the distributors’ website: www.bicyclepower.co.za.
Thelma 3 ABOVE
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FS News
The regular Elgin mountain bikers will be chuffed to hear that the Paul Cluver and Oak Valley routes have now been joined by bridges and styles over the various fences separating the farms. That means there is now an uninterrupted 70km route, which can be ridden at your leisure – not just during selected events – in the Elgin valley. They’ve also been doing some work on the existing trails. Oak Valley have tidied up after, what we hope is the worst of, the winter rains and putting in some bridges across some particularly boggy sections. On the Paul
CHERIE VALE | NEWSPORT MEDIA RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Elgin MTB Route Expansion Launch
Cluver trails, the winemaker, Andries has installed drainage ditches on the wetter parts of their trails too, which also made a great difference to the general ride-ability of the trails. You can now start at either Paul Cluver or Oak Valley, purchase a R60 day pass and ride both trail sections, clocking up to 70km of trail without repeating yourself. Or for R40 ride just one of the farms. There are also annual permits available and you can find out all about it by going to www.elginmtb.co.za. Di Carolin went along to the route launch and you can read her full report online by scanning this QR Code.
Full Sus Reader Bike Test Day If you’re in the market for a new bike but don’t know where to begin with all the new models being released for 2016 you’d better make a plan to attend the Full Sus Reader Bike Test Day! When: 17 October 2015 Where: Delheim Wine Estate, Stellenbosch What’s on offer: A morning of bike testing, trail riding and good vibes, followed by lunch and an optional longer ride.
Can Nino repeat his Val di Sole heroics in Vallnord?
To download the Full Sus Reader Bike Test Day booking form scan this QR code.
More info: www.fullsus.co.za/reader-bike-test-day
UCI MTB World Champs Hopefully you’ll have picked up the September issue of Full Sus early enough to read this and take note, the 2015 UCI MTB World Champs are taking place from the 1st to the 6th of September in Vallnord, Andorra. There’s a good contingent of SAFFA’s and adopted SAFFA’s out there, with the likes of perennial local fan favourite Nino Schurter and ABSA Cape Epic heroine Annika Langvad. Nino will be looking to add the World Champ’s title to his overall World Cup victory while Annika will be doing all she can to hold off Jolanda Neff, Pauline FerrandPrévot and Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå as she did in the final round of the 2015 UCI MTB World Cup in Italy. The great South African hope once again rests on the shoulders of Greg Minnaar, who despite his crash at Val di Sole looks to be getting smoother with every passing season. Aaron Gwin though, has been near as unstoppable as Rachel Atherton so far this season so Greg will have to be more than just silky smooth to claim the rainbow stripes. In the Cross Country format Rourke Croeser is coming off the back of a career best 15th at the Val di Sole World Cup and the ever improving National
Champion, Cherie Vale, will be looking to make up for a disappointing round in Italy with a big performance in Andorra. There’s also the Cross Country Eliminator and the Cross Country Relay to look forward to and with spots in the Olympic team to Rio next year up-for-grabs the South African XCO riders will have to compete beyond their best if they hope to impress SASCOC.
Sus the UCI MTB World Champs Schedule: 1 Sept: XCE World Champs 2 Sept: XCR World Champs 3 Sept: Junior XCO World Champs 4 Sept: U23 XCO World Champs 5 Sept: XCO World Champs 6 Sept: DHI World Champs The weekend’s races will be live on RedBull.com/Bike along with all the usual build-up fanfare with course previews from Claudio Caluori and Co.
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FS News from page 4
iSSi Pedals now available in Southern Africa
Local distributors of Ritchey, XLAB and Lauf Forks; Bicicletta are now introducing iSSi Pedals to the SA market. The genius of the iSSi Pedals are that they are SPD cleat compatible, meaning you don’t need to worry about changing your Shimano cleats on your shoes if you want to ride these pedals. Internationally iSSi offer a few pedal styles, but locally Bicicletta will be testing the waters with the iSSi II model. They look very similar to Shimano’s Deore XT pedals and apparently even come in at a few grams less (316g compared to 343g) per pair. They’re also available in eight colours, feature a bushing/ sealed bearing combination to limit the need for maintenance, and they are available in three chromoly spindle lengths to customize fit: Standard (52.2mm), +6mm and +12mm. Reviews of the iSSi II pedals have been pretty positive and Full Sus will report back as soon as we’ve tested a pair ourselves. You can locate your nearest iSSi dealer by visiting www.bicicletta.co.za, and expect to pay in the region of R1 150.
New PRO Components
The Atherton siblings, and GT Atherton team rider Martin Maes, have somehow squeezed in the some consulting time with PRO Components to work on updating the Tharsis 9.8, Tharsis Trail and Koryak components for 2016. For the downhillers the PRO Tharsis 9.8 range, named after the 9.806 m/s2 acceleration of the force of gravity, offers new artwork for PRO’s 9.8 saddles, stems, bars and seat posts. For trail riders PRO has gone Di2 integration compatible with their carbon handlebars and alloy stems, allowing you to carry internal cables to the Di2 battery in the fork steerer. The 2016 Tharsis stems are available in 35, 45, 55 and 65mm, all with a 0° angle. At the more price conscious end of the PRO range the new Koryak offerings from PRO include alloy stems, bars and seatposts, with the same DNA as the Tharsis ranges. PRO have also release new components for the roadies and a updated range of workshop tools, so visit www.pro-bikegear.com for more info. The PRO Tharsis 9.8 bar The PRO Tharsis Trail 35mm stem.
PRO’s updated Tharsis 9.8 saddle.
Sus the vibrantly coloured iSSi II pedals.
Easy Motion bring BH Bikes to SA Our good friends at Easy Motion have some big news; they’re now the official distributor of BH Bikes in South Africa. Now we might sound a little biased, but given that they started out bringing a few BH electric bicycles into SA last year and have only ever advertised in Full Sus we feel we owe them a bit of bias! Basque based BH or, Beistegui Hermanos, started out life as a gun manufacturer in 1909 and switched to bicycles after the First World War. They’ve been distributed in SA before, but on the back of the success of their electric bike sales they decided to hand the full local agency over to Easy Motion. They’ll be bringing in a range of BH’s mountain and road bike offerings, with our favourite being the Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29” 9.7 – featuring a Shimano XT 2 x 11 drivetrain, FOX suspension (front and rear) with remote lock-out and BH’s Split Pivot rear suspension layout. Another exciting bike, albeit a road machine, is the BH G7 Disc, a disk brake equipped aero bike. We’ll be testing the MTB models soon so keep an eye on Full Sus for more information, or drop by the concept store at 228 Main Road, Diep River, Cape Town. Or if you’re from elsewhere in the country visit their website at www.bhsouthafrica.co.za.
Sus the BH Lynx 4.8 Carbon 29” 9.7.
Sus the BH G7 Disc.
FS Heavy Metal Bikes
After each successful climb they add a “Well done” type school sticker to both bikes. It proved a great motivator, for Colin to cover each of the nine peaks painted on his bike’s down tube.
from page 1 An Eventful Start We reached our starting point in Haenertsburg, Limpopo around midday and headed for the only campsite that we had pre-booked on the whole trip. It was closed and there was no-one in sight. Our amazing route plan was falling apart on day one! After a couple of hours delay we managed to find another campsite and still had time to climb Iron Crown before the sun set. We hiked from the “wrong” side at Ebenezer Dam which made it a four hour walk up and down. Number one done! The next day we got on our trusty steeds (they are as heavy as horses) and charged down Georges Valley road towards Tzaneen, a super 40km downhill, where we are supposed to meet with our back-up crew (Maggie) for the first time. Second day and second problem, we couldn’t find her. A 5km detour and we discover each other. This first day on the bikes was a long one, as I wanted to get to the base of Abel Erasmus Pass so we could ride it before the traffic got busy the next day. We met up with a team of students on a charity relay ride from Tzaneen to Hoedspruit and rode with them for a bit but eventually had to push on and leave them behind. With the temperature well into the 30’s we discovered that our African shirts were actually better for keeping us cool than Lycra; what a bonus. After 127km on the bike we called it a day and both had a nap before dinner and bed.
Ok butt, you are not sore, get on with it. Legs, stop complaining. You did it yesterday, you can do it again. Brain, no negative thoughts please, you are not needed whilst on the bike. ◆ Ride to around 60 to 70km and stop for lunch. This consists of cheese sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches. ◆ Finish around 100km in approximately seven hours including photo stops etc. ◆ Put up tents at 15h00. ◆ Kip for an hour. ◆ Get up at 16h00, have dinner early and go to bed around 20h30. ◆ If we have time and the energy, make sandwiches for the next day. Actually after three or four days we no longer needed afternoon naps.
Moving Forwards We planned the trip to try and avoid the summer rains and the chance of winter snow in the ‘Berg’. Murphy had other ideas, obviously, and it bucketed it down for several days early in the trip, but by some fluke we managed to miss the worst of it while out on the bikes, but it did leave us with wet tents for days on end. We arrived at the gate to Die Berg
Bianca ticking off Mafadi from her to-climb list.
on 18 March and hiked the road to the top. This peak deluded us into thinking that the rest of the trip would be easy. From the mountain top we descend a few kms to our stop for the night at Lomas Creek. A campsite was advertised but apparently there isn’t one, so we suffered through the night in a fabulous old farmhouse with wonderful hospitality. What luck! From Lomas Creek our route took us to stops at the Loskop and Bronkhorstspruit Dam, but that did mean we ended up cycling though Pretoria on Saturday lunchtime; excellent planning! After swapping paint between bikes and buses we dragged ourselves
"A week before we are due to leave my wife, Maggie and I were victims of a horrendous Farm attack which left me in a coma"
Typical Cycling Day Schedule ◆ Get up at 06h00. ◆ Eat breakfast of toast and peanut butter plus two cups of coffee. ◆ Fill three bike bottles each with our mix of water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. ◆ Ride the first 20km whilst talking silently to the body:
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They had their bikes custom sprayed for the trip, this one is Bianca’s with its 9 gold rings on the down tube.
along a highway and arrived at Hartebeespoort Dam. The next day we had a short ride to Ingwe Game Reserve, the base of Nooitgedacht. Since we’d made excellent time we broke our rules and nipped in to Van Gaalens Cheese Farm for a cheese platter and to stock our mobile larder with their extra mature Gouda. From Ingwe we hiked up a road to the top of Nooitgedacht. Peak number three and no sweat so far. In fact, it was cold, misty and very damp. From there it was two days of dodging traffic from Hekpoort to Vereeniging. Gauteng traffic is mad! We nearly got wiped out several times, once by a woman in a big SUV who came from behind and swerved in front of us whilst on her cell phone. Then a Coke truck coming from the other direction shot off onto the dirt in a cloud of dust before sending us diving for cover on the dirt verge. But these paled in comparison to the main and everpresent scourge of our trip, large men in double cabs (complete with superfluous pipes, lights and rubber) overtaking cars towards us intent on running everyone else off the roads. We had been trying, by email and cell phone, to get permission to ride in and out of Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve to climb Toringkop as it had been closed for a water supply problem. We eventually got right to the top of the Gauteng Tourism Authority, but they apply the typical “Person-in-Power”, rule is a rule, pettifogging, pernicious decisions. “No-one goes in, even if they are raising money for black underprivileged children.” So we were forced to take the second option and climb the second highest Peak in Gauteng, Platberg. It is in fact a much longer climb with a greater altitude gain from the trail head, so we were satisfied, although not with Gauteng Tourism or its staff. That meant in ten days we’d ticked off four peaks already!
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FS Heavy Metal Bikes
Colin and Bianca Cooper on top of the world and the Seweekspoot, having climbed their ninth peak.
from page 8 Although it hasn’t been easy, we were pleased with our progress and our routine now meant we are relatively comfortable. We had been lulled into a false sense of security!
Heading To The Berg Leaving Vereeniging and riding along the Vaal Dam it started to rain, so we stopped to put on our Johnson Workwear yellow rain jackets. Bianca christened them the Serial Killer Yellow Jackets (SKYJ’s) and I had a really good day leading most of the 114km way at a good velocity (for a single gear Qhubeka). Towards the end of the day we heard the cracks of doom and the sky turned oily black. The rain came down in JoJo tanks and the road to Frankfort was full of heavy mining trucks that couldn’t see us, so we called it quits for the day. I had planned three rest days in the six weeks but the first was not supposed to be so early on. For our assault on the chain ladder up to Namahadi we had booked into the Witsieshook Lodge, but this meant we had to ride through Phuthaditjaba, past the base of the climb at the Sentinel Car Park. The opening slopes up the foothills were hard work and we had to take several walkies. Then the road just kept climbing. The final 8km took us more than two hours with more pushing than riding. This would be the start of the hike the next day, but first we had to get down to the lodge for the night. We expected a luxurious coast downhill but after 1km Bianca’s brake broke. The Buffalo Bikes are equipped with only one coaster brake so she was instantaneously hurtling out of control downhill with sheer cliffs dropping off on the downhill side of the road. Quick thinking, or sheer panic, made Bianca sit down on the top tube and drag both feet, sparks flying from her cleats to slow herself down. With that helping little she
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resorted to swinging her bike into the uphill cliff face to come to a sudden and painful stop. A quick assessment of damage done to bike and girl showed the only way down was to walk. What should have been a 15 minute ride became an hour and a half hike. We got to the Lodge safe but shaken. I had a bad night for another reason. I had climbed this mountain before, twenty years ago, and I knew the chain ladder. I am very, very bad at heights but also I was still carrying bad war wounds from the attack in August. My right hand was broken into over a hundred pieces and I had serious problems with my ankles when walking. In my dreams that night, I fell again and again. On waking, I told Bianca that I couldn’t climb the ladder; we would have to take the long way round up and down the gulley. We hiked the donkey track, I had a few wobbly moments at the steep drop-offs, scramble up the gulley and head across the hills and valleys to our fifth peak: Namahadi.
Serial Killer Yellow Jackets and Cosmos flowers on the road past the Vaal Dam to Frankfort.
Up was not a problem, but going down proved far more difficult, my ankles were in tremendous pain. We stopped to rest only twice on the way up, but going down I had to stop every twenty minutes and to make matters worse we were both beginning to sniffle, it looked like colds were coming for both of us. With number five done we were beginning to realise how tough this adventure would be. For the first time in my life I began to wonder if I would be able to complete the task I set myself. Doubt is a terrible thing, and along with the cold we were forced to approach the monster that is Mafadi with trepidation. Just riding the rolling KZN hills from Namahadi to Injusuthi on a single speed 28kg bike was tough enough! The normal hike up Mafadi takes four days, two up and two down. But we didn’t have that sort of time so equipped with Kobus Bresler’s, of African Adventures, advice we set out to climb up and down in 36 hours. We took the long way up via Judges Pass, as it is probably the easiest scramble
"For the first time in my life I began to wonder if I would be able to complete the task I set myself."
Cruising from Seweweekspoort down to the coast after completing the 9 Peaks Challenge.
to the top of the Berg but with a 15kg pack it tested me to the limit. At the top the wind started howling and it was dark so we set up Bianca’s twoman tent (Two-midget tent? Honestly, tent manufacturers must train at the same college as estate agents) about 2km from the base of Mafadi. The previous night something crawled over my head and bit me on the bridge of my nose and again just above the eyebrow, I thought nothing of it at the time, but during the night atop Judges Pass it swelled up right behind my left eye and the pain was horrific. Yet another sleepless night! The next morning we de-camped and hiked the two kays to the top of Mafadi at a brisk pace. Peak number six was complete but we still had to get down. It was a long steady walk to the top of Judges and the pain in my head was getting worse and worse, as were the sniffles and sore throat from the cold that was taking grip. As on Namahadi, the trip down Judges and on to Injusuthi was a nightmare for my ankles and I fell countless times. Bianca was strong but tired and led the whole way back. The last hour was hiked by the light of head torches and we finally got back to Injusuthi around 19h00. Our next target was KwaDuma in the Eastern Cape near Rhodes. The ride there was extreme: the hills were endless, we both had colds and the pain behind my left eye was excruciating. We had to cut back on our daily distance to around 70km. Eventually we arrived in Matatiele, our base for the next climb. Matatiele is a breath of fresh air. Whoever is running that Municipality should train all other public servants how to run a town! The streets are clean; all the potholes are repaired, even on the side streets; and all the street lights work at night. There are plenty of pavement waste bins and on Monday mornings teams of workers empty them and fit new bin liners. The traffic cops are even doing duty on the zebra crossings for children
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FS Heavy Metal Bikes
The team arriving at their first camp in Haenertsburg prior to climbing Iron Crown.
The Charity
On the road to the surprisingly efficiently run Matatiele, in the Eastern Cape.
from page 10 going to school. Kobus Bresler gave us advice for KwaDuma too, but we got lost on the way there and lost a precious hour of daylight. The local police came to our aid and pointed out the best spot to start the climb. When the trail got really steep we noted the three possible ways over the cliffs. Kobus had recommended the left kloof but for some reason we took the right kloof… It was a tough scramble, bordering on needing ropes but we made it over the top and climbed the relatively easy last few kays to the summit with ease. Seven down and two to go! With the three Drakensberg summits done the worst was behind us, plus our colds were abating and the pain in my head was much less, but I still stumbled my way down KwaDuma on ankles and feet that had taken a hammering in the Berg.
Last Two Peaks Murch Point in the Northern Cape was next on the agenda, so we had some long bike rides to complete. We decided to push further on the bikes, 110 km per day and the Eastern Cape roads are wonderful for Qhubeka’s; enough of a hard shoulder, only rolling hills and plenty of picnic spots to stop off and take scenic photos. Our daily routine of cycling together developed early on in our Tour: I would take the lead each day for the first forty kays then Bianca could sense my power dropping off so she would come past and drag me in her slipstream for about 70km, when we would stop for lunch. Back on the bike, Bianca would lead again for the next 15 kays or so, then we would take turns until the end of the ride. We aimed to ride around 17kph but on headwind days this dropped to as low as 14kph. Occasionally
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we got freaky good days like the ride to Camdeboo National Park. The road was flat and wide and we had a strong tailwind, we charged along completing 114km at 21.4kph! Nieu Bethesda was our base for peak number eight, the innoxiously named Trig Beacon 29, which is also known Murch Point. Located just on the Northern Cape side of the border with the Eastern Cape, it’s probably the least known of the 9 Peaks, and it was also an easy hike up and down for us. The ride to Oudtshoorn and on to Calitzdorp was wonderful. Good roads, the traffic behaved sensibly and either no wind or a puff from the rear. We even finished early one day and enjoy wine and craft beer tasting (with a cheese platter) at Karusa Winery. Have you noticed we like cheese? We hadn’t tackled any serious hills on the bikes for some days so the Huisrivier Pass out of Calitzdorp came as a bit of a shock. We really tried our best to cycle all the way up, but it was no good. My legs eventually gave in and we pushed for 5km. The ride to and through Seweweekspoort was brilliant; what incredible scenery there is in the pass! There is a gate to the start of the climb up to our last peak but the
Our adventure was completed more or less on time and we raised a good sum of money (R 55 450) for Qhubeka to put Kids on Bikes. To put things in perspective, the final distance cycled by single speed, solid steel Qhubeka bike was 3 500km. In terms of human effort, this is like doing the Cape Epic five times non-stop and climbing Kilimanjaro twice or Everest once in between. trail soon ran out. We picked our way through thick proteas and tall spiky grass on the foothills then scrambled over rocks and boulderhopped to what we thought was the top. It wasn’t! We then hiked along a long ridge and finally hit the top of Seweweekspoort. That was it! We had completed the Nine Peaks by Qhubeka Buffalo Bike!
Almost, But Not Quite Done Officially, we had reached our target and climbed the nine peaks and cycled our Qhubekas the almost 3 000km between them, the hardest part of the whole trip though was stopping. Bianca had a couple more days of leave left so we continued our ride back from Calitzdorp to Victoria Bay near George. With beers in hand and watching the ocean from our tents we started to plan our next adventure.
If any of you would like to join us on a future Qhubeka trip please get in touch via our website: www.heavymetalbikes.co.za or email me at: colinc03@gmail.com. Or if you’d like to attempt the trip on your own we’re more than happy to offer free advice!
Iron Crown Die Berg Nooitgedacht Toringkop Namahadi Mafadi KwaDuma Murch Point Seweweekspoort
Sus the highest peak in each of South Africa’s nine provinces.
Colin Cooper is the founder of the Marico Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycle manufacturing plant and an avid beer home brewer, while his daughter Bianca is an emergency unit doctor and is at home on horseback as she is on her trusty Qhubeka Buffalo Bike.
FS Trails
NO MTB SLUMMING IT IN EAST LONDON There’s many a joke about Slummies, and often I’m the dude who cracks them. Well, shut the front door, because let me tell you, I’ve just cranked some of the best singletrack of my life right here on the Sunshine Coast. Photographs and words by Jacques Marais. Local Buzz: Right, here goes … 3 Silos arguably rates as my favourite mountain biking discovery of the year. Yup, this ‘Adventure Trail Park’ 15min or so outside the city formerly known as East London (and now going by the moniker of Buffalo City). The network of routes touches on world-class, with a range of purpose-built options for mountain bikers and trail runners with a welldeveloped sense of adventure. You get to run and ride in a safe and picturesque environment, and will sample quality, hand-built singletrack expertly crafted by Mark Oberman. Expect it to be flowy, dippy and gritty, but utterly rideable, and with a range of fairly non-technical natural and man-made obstacles to test your full skill set in the saddle. All one could maybe wish for is that there were more riding, but that would be greedy. The riding at 3 Silos Adventure Trails varies greatly, with everything coming at you over the bars, from eucalyptus plantations, densely wooded valleys, savannah grassland and indigenous Eastern Cape montane and riverine forest. Fat grins guaranteed
Trail Low-Down: Don’t get too caught up in the information, because the
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riding at 3 Silos will spontaneously happen once your front wheel first grips into the loamy soil. What you need to know is you have three main trail options to choose from, but in the end they all end up mosh-pitting together anyway. The Blue (18km) and Red (20.5km) trails include a biggish climb around the 7km mark, while the easier Yellow (10.7km) Route bypasses this calf-cruncher. To be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to not be seduced onto the longer Red Route once you get going. This crimson beaut of a route brims with superb, purposebuilt singletrack, with a liberal smattering of super-tight bends, a good few wooden bridges (even the odd floating one) as well as fence stiles, gnarly drops, stream crossings, switchbacks, climbs, descents and – to be sure – a generous dollop of hard grunt. Big wheelers will struggle on some of the very tight bends, but there is more than enough arcing
"This crimson beaut of a route brims with superb, purpose-built singletrack."
The 3 Silo trails offer plenty of man-made features like bridges and styles to add to the riding experience.
singletrack twisting beyond the tight foresty sections in order for you to fully enjoy the natural flow of the trail. A Kiddies’ Loop (Green Trail) caters specifically for children of 8 and older, including some short trails options of 2km, 4km and 7.5km. The rug-rats get to enjoy their own singletrack, the odd rock garden, mild climbs, fence jumps, switchbacks, a few bridges and an 80m floating pallet bridge (on the 7.5km trail). An added attraction is the 3 Silos Adventure Trails very own ‘Afkak Hill’. This comes with a bit of a ‘health’ warning, as the gritty climbs and tricky switchbacks are not for the overly cautious. Winter riding brings with it a few added tests, especially in deep-forest sections, with wet roots, mud and slippery crossings – take due care!
The trails at 3 Silos are constantly rebuilt, monitored and improved, so you can bet your bottom bracket on a brilliant ride, every time. Entry fees are payable via an honesty box system and trails stay open 24/7. It is also a brilliant night-riding destination, but please keep your head lights on and be on a constant lookout for game on the trails.
3 Silos MTB Adventure Trails
for more information
Getting there: Follow the N6 north from East London towards Stutterheim for 8,5km, then turn left after the boat shop. Turn right at the T-junction, then left onto Smythelands Road. 3 Silos is 400m further on your left.
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Trails FS TH
A F R I CA
3 Silos Eastern Cape Adventure Trails
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Port Elizabeth
The bush veld is so dense it’s easy to forget you’re just a short drive from the city.
East London
Where are we? The 3 Silo’s Adventure Trails is at the heart of East London’s blossoming MTB scene. It plays host to numerous shorter distance events, like the Carespares cross-country series and Spur School’s League races. It’s a safe place to go for a solo ride, and a spot to take the family for a day of fun on the trails.
SUS the 3 Silos Adventure Trails: Grading: Easy to Intermediate Jacques contemplating the next climb. Configuration: Circular options: 10.7km, 18km & 21km Duration: 2-3 hours
Start Point: 3 Silos MTB Park Terrain: Singletrack, berms, wooden bridges, roots and more Post-Ride Beer: On site: pub/restaurant, with a fireplace and barista! Must-Do Event: Carespares 3 Silos Winter Series Access: Entry fee payable (R20) - honesty box system Cell Reception: Good Accommodation: www.visiteasterncape.co.za Local Contact: 3 Silo’s owner, Mark 076 178 4696 GPS: S32°54’21.0”/ E27°52’10.0”
Jacques Marais is the South African trail guru. If he’s not scouting a new MTB trail he’s trail running a new route in the Drakensberg. His new book More Top MTB Trails has just hit the shelves of all good book shops and you can purchase a copy for R250. Follow him on Twitter @ JacqMaraisPhoto
FS Kate’s back on the Bike
OAKPICS.COM
KATE SLEGROVA
Kate squeezing in a quick ride while Mari naps in the care of her husband Jean.
New mums’ DIARIES
Pre Mari, at the 2013 Cape Pioneer Trek, and you’ll note that Kate is back in racing shape already.
Are you wondering what life is like after you have had a baby? And how on earth you manage to get back into exercising? Well then, keep reading Kate Slegrova’s New Mum on a Bike diary.
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Proud mom and Mari.
KATE SLEGROVA
Mum is out of the house… After two months the crying got less as I worked out what she wanted and I was brave enough to go visit my family in Czech Republic. I thought I’m going to do lots of riding while grandma bonded with her granddaughter... well I did 90 minutes max, on most days. It’s just not easy to get away. When Mari was 3 months old I was due back at work. I have a nanny - a lady that has been working for us for a while and Mari seemed fine with her. But suddenly, as if she realized more who is Mummy and who isn’t, she only wants her mum. She smiles all the time, when she is with her mum, but when I turn around the smile changes into a box face which quickly becomes a cry. So I take her everywhere with
Kate likes to meet up with Jean and Mari for coffee and breakfast after a quick weekend morning ride.
KATE SLEGROVA
KATE SLEGROVA
was fortunate to give birth to my little princess, Mari, the natural way, as planned. The first two weeks most babies just sleep and drink milk. You think: “Awesome! I have an easy baby!” So I had my first training session, on a Wattbike in Concept Studio while baba slept in the pram, 10 days after she was born. But I felt less than half as fit as I’d felt when I was 9 months pregnant! So yes; giving birth, breast feeding and not sleeping takes it out of you! After two weeks the babymoon was over though! She started crying and screaming, and I was just not sure why. I got tired and grumpy with my husband. I went riding when baba was two weeks old for 45 minutes and ended up soothing and breast feeding her while still in my cycling kit… even though I had fed her just before I left home. Somehow she worked out that
Introducing Mari to mountain biking is a gradual process, but it started very early on.
me. (Luckily my job allows me to work flexible hours, but it is still a challenge.) Well, except for on the bike of course. I have been able to ride for 90 minutes at a time. Yes it’s not long. But when I get the chance I try to ride at close to race pace, and I really enjoy the scenery, so I usually head up to Deer Park or up Signal Hill to get a quick hill training session in and catch up on the beautiful Cape Town scenery. There’s no time to do long slow distances! Only quality, short, sharp sessions! I wanted to do one of my favourite single day MTB races, Die Burger MTB Challenge, early in August but had to cancel as she still really needs me all the time. It’s a pity as I wanted to test the effectiveness of the Concept Studio high altitude training sessions. Hopefully by the time you
read this you will have seen me on the start line of a MTB race… Having a baby is not for the fainthearted, but it’s very rewarding! Races and bikes will always be here. And surely Mari and me will be riding bikes together soon.
Kate Slegrova is back on the bike, well sort of, and trying to get back into competitive riding. We bet she’ll be strapping an off-road pram to the back of her bike soon and pulling Mari along on her rides – mother/daughter bonding and resistance training all in one. If you’re a new mom struggling to find the time to get back into exercising get in touch with Kate on Twitter @KateSlegrova she’s always happy to help.
FS Bike Review
Now this is S PECIAL
You’ve seen it here first folks, for the first time in print in South Africa… a review of the epically cool Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie. Words by Karl Ebel, photos by Ashlee Attwood.
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he first thing that grabbed my attention when I laid eyes on the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 27.5+ was the most amazingly detailed front triangle. Milliseconds thereafter the 27.5 Roval Traverse wheel-set sporting 27.5+ Ground Control rubber drew my attention. My immediate thought was how on earth will those feel… on earth. I have spent some time in the past on fat bikes so I have a good idea of where their limits lie… but where exactly would this ‘in-betweener’ fit? So to find out I loaded it up and took it to my favourite hill. Unloading the S-Works Stumpy 27.5+ I couldn’t help pausing to appreciate the carbon candy of the front triangle showing off in the morning sun. It is truly a work of art. One can immediately appreciate the professionalism of this company as your occipital lobe absorbs the hightech composite mastery and a smile uncontrollably starts to grow across your face. In my opinion they totally aced it in the aesthetics department. Immense amounts of commitment and design have been incorporated into the engineering for the front triangle to include the SWAT ‘glove compartment’. At first I thought “gimmicky” but after living with it I changed my mind to “innovative”. The S-Works SWAT pretty much eliminates the need for a full size hydration pack, thus freeing one to totally experience this Stumpy. I loved that the multi tool had its own storage spot on the frame and that there was a spare masterlink in the steerer. I loved that the SWAT storage compartment could even stash some food for the trail and at the same time lower the CG of the bike with the addiction of ones pump, or bombs. Attention to detail is what Specialized are all about. They extended that philosophy to the aesthetic detailing found on all the Specialized components such as the organic flow of the frame, the hidden cable routing, the chain stay guard and the detailed FSR pivot bolts just to name a few. I followed my usual test protocol and aimed the 67.5 degreed head angle of the Stumpy down the hill. I had set the Fox suspension to trail and then proceeded to let her rip. The trail that I had chosen
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We were a little surprised at Specialized’s choice of fairly long, 60mm, stem.
wasn’t a super technical descent but it was pretty fast in places and had a variation of corners, both tight and open, cambered and off. My very first concern rolling in was the feedback I would be receiving from the 3” Ground Control tires. Would they counter the effect of the suspension? Would they burp? I prepared myself for the slightly loose but bermed first corner. I tipped the bike in and was amazed by the positive feel that I received. The transfer across to the edge of the tire was really progressive and didn’t in anyway feel nervous. I was equally amazed at the amount of side grip this size tire gave. The next thing that became apparent was how alive the bike feels on the trail. The spring effect from the pneumatics is obviously exaggerated with this tire size. The combination of that, the Stumpy’s light weight and the superb Fox suspension encourages you to find little transfer mounds all along the trail. It just wanted to pop from one mound to another and from one root to the next. With the outside diameter being close to a 29er the speed one carries down the trail was
"In my opinion they totally aced it in the aesthetics department."
The Body Geometry Henge Expert saddle sits atop a Command Post IRcc dropper seatpost.
unlike a regular 650b. I felt a slight gyro effect initially but I soon adapted and heck it was worth it, because the smile factor was immense! After putting the S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie through its paces on the descent I turned left, popped the Command Post up and traversed a really interesting tight little singletrack. The taller tyre required a little more finessing through the really tight stuff but it certainly made up for it over the eroded, rooted out and super soft sandy stuff.
‘Big wheels keep on rolling’ and the larger contact patch helped even more. Being a gravity merchant, climbing is not my strong point. It has, however started to grow on me a little. The 27.5+ Ground Controls really didn’t look to me like they are made for climbing at all. In fact I thought it would feel like climbing two bikes at once with that size contact area. How wrong was I? With the 28 tooth front chain ring on the SRAM XX1, 1 x 11 set-up, you can almost climb a tree on this bike. I didn’t notice
WILD PRODUCTIONS
Bike Review FS SUS the Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie Geometry ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE FOR A MEDIUM FRAMED BIKE IN MM OR DEGREES.
Karl putting the Stumpie on its side in the air.
Stack .............................................618mm Reach ............................................ 413mm Head Tube Length ..................... 95mm Head Tube Angle ..............................67° B-B Height ................................... 331mm B-B Drop.........................................33mm Chainstay Length .................... 437mm Wheelbase ............................... 1 149mm Top Tube Length (horizontal) .. 590mm Stand Over Height.................... 761mm Seat Tube Length .................... 430mm Seat Tube Angle ................................74° RRP R124 999
As befits an S-Works bike it comes with full SRAM XX1 drivetrain components.
the extra friction of the bigger contact patch on long climbs with the Fox in clime mode and on technical climbs the 27.5+ actually lessened the chance of getting hung up on roots and rocks. I really enjoyed the Stumpy in the air too! It felt very agile and again not nervous at all. Overall I would have to say that the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie is a superb all-rounder. Maybe even the ultimate all-rounder… for us trail shredding, non-stage racing, folk.
The headtube features a tapered steerer to keep the 150mm of FOX travel accurate. Sus the very nifty SWAT Door integration in the oversized downtube.
The 6Fattie Stumpie FSR features 135mm of plush FOX travel.
Karl Ebel, is a long time mountain biker, one of the pioneers of downhill in the Cape, a Tokai trail builder, lover of fine whiskey and one half of the SA Alpine Addiction team with fellow trail shredder Duane Bosch. When they’re not riding local trails they’re leading tours to European mountain biking meccas that’ll blow your mind.
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FS Yoga & Pilates – brought to you by Concept Studio
Summer 6 Pack
also aware how important a strong core is for your performance. Yes, as a cyclist your legs and gluts provide the most tangible source of power, but your abs and lower back are the vital foundations from which all movement, including the pedal stroke, stems. A solid core will help eliminate unnecessary upper-body movement, so that all the energy you produce is delivered into a smooth, efficient and powerful pedal stroke. Unfortunately cycling’s tripod position, in which the saddle, pedals and handlebar support your weight, relies on core strength but doesn’t build it, so you need to do offthe-bike exercises.
Washboard abs are not just for show, they’ll protect your lower back against injury when you spend long hours of spring training on the bike too assures Joëlle Sleebos.
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he days are getting longer, and we can finally look forward to the arrival of summer! But that means we will be wearing beach clothes again very soon… So my question to you is: are you ready for summer?
More Core
Who does not want a slimmeddown waist or even a 6-pack? Strong core muscles don’t only look nice though, they are also extremely important in order to protect our lower backs. Working with cyclists at the Concept Studio in Sea Point, I am
For more yoga core exercises scan this QR Code or visit: www.fullsus.co.za/ category/yoga/ Joëlle Sleebos has 16 years of experience in the fitness industry as a group fitness instructor and became a personal trainer in 2012. She’s been teaching yoga since 2010, when it also became her main form of exercise. Follow Joëlle on Twitter at @JoelleSleebos or on Facebook: Joelle Sleebos – Getting Personal.
Yoga Core Before starting the next series of yoga poses, please warmup with Suryanamaskara A series – as described in the June/July issue of Full Sus, or scan this QR code to view it online.
The following series of poses focus mainly on strengthening your core. Whether you want a 6-pack, reduce back pains or improve your performance on your bike - do this intense routine at least four times a week and you will see and feel the difference!
Knee to Elbow Pose
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Downward Facing Dog
Exhale: Right knee to your right elbow/triceps. Notes: Shoulders above your hands, straight spine, pull in your belly and activate your legs. (Easier option: Left knee on the floor as you move your right knee forwards.) Hold Pose: hold the Knee to Elbow Pose for 5 breaths to feel your core muscles engage.
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3 Legged-Dog
Downward Facing Dog
PHOTOS BY ASHLEE ATTWOOD
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Start in the Downward Facing Dog pose.
Inhale: Lift your right leg – point or
Exhale: Right foot back down to the
flex foot actively.
mat, feet a hip-width apart.
3 Legged-Dog
Child’s Pose
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6
Inhale: Lift your right leg – point or flex foot actively.
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Rest and breath before repeating with the left leg.
www.conceptstudio.co.za | 021 434 2266 | @ConceptStudioSA Now offering altitude training packages for the Cape Pioneer Trek and FNB Wines2Whales.
FS Coaching
Ask Dr Mike:
The Not So Sweet Spot In this issue Dr Mike Posthumus answers a reader’s training related question regarding the infamous training “sweet spot”.
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Anecdotal and scientific research supports that this may be an effective way to build aerobic endurance (i.e. get fit), especially among less well-trained individuals. However scientific research studies have shown that a more polarized training approach results in far greater performance improvements. Polarized training proposes training at intensities which are either very easy or very hard. I have previously written an article explaining polarized training and the scientific studies, which have been performed comparing polarized training to “sweet spot” training (Full Sus Coaching Column, November 2013 - www.fullsus.co.za/polarised-training). In brief, polarized training outperformed “sweet spot” training in all measured outcomes in the specific study. These outcomes included long duration efforts (a 40km time trial), as well as shorter duration efforts (a peak power output test). As previously discussed (Full Sus
ear Dr Mike I have read a lot of contrasting information about what has been called “the sweet spot”. Some recommend training in this zone and others warn to avoid it. What do you recommend? Regards,Andy Dear Andy The “sweet spot” has been previously proposed as one of the most effective ways to improve cycling performance. The term “sweet spot” is an intensity defined as being between zone 3 and zone 4 (i.e. 83 to 97% of functional threshold power or anaerobic threshold). The rationale behind this “sweet spot” was to be able to get more “bang for your buck” and to be more time efficient. Although I believe there is benefit by training in this “sweet spot” I would strongly disagree that it is the most effective way to train all year round.
FS Healthful Amy Raw Choc-Orange CRUNCHIES We have yet to meet a person to look a gift chocolate crunchie in the mouth, so when Amy Burton penned this recipe we nearly bit her arm off for it.
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hese are no ordinary chocolate crunchies… topped with a decadent raw chocolateorange sauce! And these little guys do more than just line your stomach, they fuel your body with the densest of nutrients, and instil in you an energy boost of note which will power you through your run or ride with no sugar spikes or nasty side effects.
Sus the Superfood Ingredient Facts Yes dates and coconut oil are superfoods too!
Raw ChocOrange Crunchie
any coaching or sports science related questions you’d like to ask Dr Mike please send them to sussed@fullsus.co.za and Dr Mike Posthumus will answer them in Full Sus.
Dr. Mike Posthumus is an accomplished academic with UCT’s Exercise Science and Sports Medicine faculty and a coach with Science 2 Sport. He was a provincial rugby player before switching togs for cleats and taking up competitive mountain biking. He has an exceptional knowledge of training periodisation and scientific training principles. Find out more at: www.sciencetosport.com
Raw Choc-Orange Crunchie Recipe
lined with baking paper and place in the fridge to set for 20 minutes or so.
Polarised Training
Questions for Dr Mike: If you have
Ingredients:
½ cup shredded coconut 1 cup oats ½ cup linseed, sunflower seed and almond mix (ground in food processor to a flour) 1 heaped tablespoon chia seeds 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 tablespoon maca powder 1 cup dates (soaked in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and then drained) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ Kalahari rock salt (Or to taste)
Topping:
◆ Contains anti-bacterial agents
Topping: Melt your coconut oil and then add all other ingredients, using a whisk to combine until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour the sauce over the crunchie base and add goji berries and toasted almonds quickly before it sets! Place the crunchies back in the fridge for a further one hour and cut into squares with a warm knife thereafter. Enjoy as a pre/post/ during exercise energy snack!
Sauce:
◆ High in antioxidants
Coconut oil: ◆ Rich in antioxidants ◆ High in healthy fats ◆ Improves metabolic function
AMY BURTON
Periodise your training
4 tablespoons coconut oil 3 tablespoons honey A pinch salt 4 tablespoons cacao powder
Good protein content
analogy of trying to more an object (your functional threshold). You are not going to be able to move this wall by not touching it. You need to try and push past the object if you would like to move it. Training is no different, if you want to improve your functional threshold, you can’t be training just below it, you need to push beyond it! So in summary, “sweet spot” training may get you fit, but if you want to get fast, avoid the “sweet spot” and focus on hard efforts above threshold.
Heart Rate Training Zones
Chia seeds: ◆ High Omega 3 fatty acid content ◆ High protein content ◆ High calcium content Dates: ◆ Energy booster ◆ High iron content ◆ High potassium content
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Coaching Column, September 2013 – www.fullsus.co.za/periodising-yourexercise-regime) the optimal way to structure your training is to ensure adequate periodization. Conventional periodization recommends initially building an aerobic base. Once you have established a good aerobic base, you should increase the training intensity. In my opinion, “sweet spot” has room and rationale for including during an aerobic base phase, however for optimizing performance you should rather focus on training intensities above your threshold. I often use the
A handful goji berries A handful toasted almonds 2 drops orange essence oil
Method: Whiz up your soaked dates in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Add your almond/seed mix and combine. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Melt your coconut oil either on the stove or in the microwave and add to the mixing bowl. Pour in the rest of your ingredients and combine until a thick dough forms – it shouldn’t be too sticky, so add more oats if need be. Press evenly into a square cake tin,
Amy Burton is a mountain biker, trail runner, graphic designer and foodie. She has recently of opened a Rawfood and Superfood smoothie bar at Trail and Tar in Tokai so drop by for a great healthy treat. When she is not riding her bike, running or running her own business, she posts amazing recipes and photos on Instagram, so follow her at @healthful_amy.
CHRIS HITCHCOCK
Amarider FS
Trail access speeds up the development of the sport.
SCHOOL MTB Trails New race tracks at schools and in communities are the way forward for the Spur Schools MTB League and AmaRider, writes Meurant Botha.
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ow in its seventh season, the Spur Schools MTB League has shown the power of local tracks in developing the sport, not only for the youngsters involved, but also for the communities surrounding the track. A good example is the Southey’s Vines track, smack-bang in the centre of Somerset West. By hosting a League event back in 2013, the local Wannabees club and AmaRider were able to develop a permanent 3km trail that is highly popular with not only the scholars, but local residents as well. On any afternoon you’ll find riders out on the track and the club even hosts regular time trials. Currently, AmaRider is developing a new track on the Worcester Dam bird sanctuary site, adjacent to League regulars Montana High School, and the League has also financially contributed to a new track at St. Stithians School in Sandton.
So what is the process? Our first step is to identify a suitable site. As the primary aim is to create a free, public access site one has to focus on finding a public open space and steer clear of commercially owned properties. These are usually owned by municipalities but can also resort under government departments like Public Works. Everything on a local municipal level starts at local council level. Any proposal needs the support of the local ward council otherwise it is a non-starter. It makes sense to set up a local committee made up of local ratepayers to assist in driving the process. When you
have local community support, things go a lot smoother. We have found that an initial goal, like hosting a Spur League race helps a lot in terms of tightening timelines. You can host a race without too much trail construction to show all involved what can be expected as well as building support for your project. For example, the Southey Vines track started with a grass park and a few guys with lawnmowers. Today there are berms, bridges and rock gardens. Finding a park or field with little current recreational use is ideal as the social conflict with existing users like walkers with dogs can understandably be problematic.
What type of track are we building? It is important to be very careful on the risk and liability front when dealing with trails on public spaces. This is not the time to think Rampage! Not only will people get hurt, as you are exposing non-riders to the sport, but you will find your municipality to be particularly risk averse as the safety of residents are always of primary concern. Further, we always stress that the track is a temporary structure. Do not use any concrete or materials of a permanent nature. This makes it much easier for council to approve a trial process, as the site can be rehabilitated quickly. Finally, ensure that the trail is constructed in an environmentally sensitive manner and also aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Use only clean material (no building rubble) and do your best to landscape all earth mounds etc. Residents complain quickly if the site becomes an eyesore as it could affect adjacent property values.
Meurant Botha is the founder and director of AmaRider. AmaRider is a South African non-profit company with the aim of improving MTB opportunities on the African continent. Contact them at 021 8844547 or info@amarider.co.za or visit the websie at: www.amarider.co.za.
FS Ride Report - Potberg & De Hoop
Cape Town N2
Last year’s Potberg and De Hoop MTB Challenge sizzled when one of the historical buildings caught alight, but fortunately this year it was all about the riding for Seamus Allardice.
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De Hoop Nature Reserve
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Where are we? De Hoop Nature Reserve is situated on the coast between Cape Agulhas and the Breede River, it’s one of the best spots in the world to view Southern Right Whales in the world (much better than Hermanus!). For accommodation information visit www.dehoopcollection.com.
The highlight of the entire race for me was the climb up the back of the Potberg from the Breede River, through pristine fynbos with a host of protea species in full bloom and the descent down the other side to the old Elandspad farmstead. That section of the route also boasts the best riding with the climb taking place on a 4x4 trail and the descent on a bit of manicured singletrack which seems oddly out of place in such a deserted part of the reserve. Apparently though it’s ridable all year, annual permits are available for just R120 from the Malgas Trading Post (028 542 1055) and the route is signposted with permanent route markers too. Day two was shorter at 55km, though race organisers Garden Route Events did add a new section from last year which took riders down to the old mole catcher’s house (yip that was a thing in the 1950’s) and offered great views of the De Hoop vlei bird-life and the iconic De Hoop sand dunes. Though shorter than the first day the trails are substantially more technical on
cough at all) – telling him that there would only be 750 meters of climbing per day… So there was a little more than that, but not much! Neither the 75km first day nor the 55km second crested 1 000 meters, the route also features plenty of easy gravel road kays, which makes it ideal for newcomers to do consecutive days of riding. Race entries are also limited by the amount of accommodation available on De Hoop Nature Reserve and there was hardly a rider present without their entire family in tow, which added to the very relaxed vibe. The De Hoop Collection (the company which runs the accommodation and restaurants on De Hoop Nature Reserve) looked after the catering for the weekend, Mitchell’s Brewery was on hand to supply tasty craft beer and one of the local farmers, Neil Neethling who organises the route had a couple of new tricks up his sleeve. The first day’s 75km route featured some of the most scenic views you’ll ever enjoy from a bike (okay I’m biased as I’m from the area…).
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day two, with lots of rough limestone jeep track, muddy tracks through the farmlands, an epic crossing on the submerged causeway across the top of the vlei and a dastardly singletrack climb – which comes a close second to the highlight of day one to my favourite part of the race. As for Jacques and his first stage race – he thoroughly enjoyed it and was probably stronger on the second day than he was on the first. He doesn’t share my enthusiasm for that last singletrack climb though… but maybe the suffering will keep him on the bike now rather than taking another two month break from exercising…
JULIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
Many of the local farmers have taken to mountain biking in a big way since last year and turned out in the colours of Calberg Hydraulics for day 1.
JULIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
JULIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
hen my usual riding partner pulled out a couple of weeks before the Potberg and De Hoop MTB Challenge I thought it would be the perfect race for my old mate Jacques Rademan to join me on. It would be Jacques’ first stage race, and as it has got a far more of a chilled ride or tour vibe I figured it would be a nice low pressure introduction to multi-day riding. Plus, Jacques spent many a weekend pedalling around De Hoop with me back in our primary school days so he was keen to get back to an old stomping ground too. Having done the race last year (when the De Hoop Collection restaurant, a historical monument dating back to the early 1800’s infamously caught alight and overshadowed the riding) I knew what to expect, but even so I was blown away again by the event! I might have lied to Jacques – who was less than fully fit, as he was fighting off a horrible sounding cough and coming off a two month bout of chronic inactivity (not linked to the
Western Cape
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CHILLED VIBES and an AWESOME RIDE
A F R I CA
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Family vibes for Alfred Schmidt and Vaughn Shone at the finish line.
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Shaun Sale, enjoying a poorly timed sarnie.
SEAMUS ALLARDICE SEAMUS ALLARDICE
JULIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
Portage? What portage? The lifeguard letting one slip by.
The water was knee or brake rotor deep, on the causeway crossing, depending on your unit of measurement.
Jonathan Van Breda enjoying the trails along the Breede on day 1.
FS Ride Report - Race to Rhodes
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Snow in the Berg, making for chilly but memorable riding conditions
to stop countless times to study the map and my surroundings and then try to match them! But I succeeded. I went through the most amazing, hidden, untouched countryside. I met amazing people and found remains of South Africa’s past and experienced the present. I woke up in Ntsikeni Nature Reserve and found my bike covered in snow, I rode in snow, I endured the icy wind, I carried my bike for five hours up Lehana’s Pass and I mastered the biggest challenge of my life: I self-navigated my way to Rhodes! I got lost, I got anxious and I was worried, but I succeeded and arrived in Rhodes after six days of riding, carrying, walking and climbing for 12 hours per day on average… Stay tuned for the details in the October issue of Full Sus!
HAYDEN BROWN
possible in order to be able to lift it over gates and fences and schlepp it for five hours over Lehana’s pass. My personal ‘race-strategy’ was to ride for six days. Some riders do three days (which means ‘non-stop’ and little sleep), others do more. But well-made plans can change at any time during the ride due to unforeseen challenges. A rather casual gathering at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg turned into our pre-dawn race start. Despite the intimate group size the ‘field’ of eight riders spread quickly. Each rider has their own strategy about how to tackle this race, but all agree good navigation skills are absolutely key! I had meticulously planned the ride at home, had studied the 1:50 000 topographical maps, narratives and routes for hours and went to all the race briefings by previous finishers who shared knowledge generously. I had been advised about the steep descent into Umkomaas Valley, some white stones at some corner before turning at some other corner… and some other essential information but – How? What? My memory was taxed to its limit. I was out there in the ‘bundu’ on my way to Rhodes, equipped with my compass and my maps, which I thought I had studied well. But it soon turned out that landmarks, paths and tracks often look different to what the maps show. Also, structures change: a house is re-painted, a plantation is harvested and water tanks are moved. I also found it difficult to read the contour lines of the many mountains around. And on top of all I realized that I couldn’t ride and navigate at the same time but had
Keeping weight off your bike makes it easier to carry, and carry it you will!
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n the Freedomchallenge.org.za website Race to Rhodes is described as a “500km, nonstop, self-navigated mountain bike race starting in Pietermaritzburg, KZN and ending in Rhodes, Eastern Cape. Riders are allowed a maximum of seven days to complete the ride. It is a non-stop event, so riders are not required to stop every day/night as in other stage races. Riders are required to be self-sufficient and carry all their own personal belongings with them.” To me, this informative description makes the event sound appealing but also a little similar to a normal stage race. This is potentially dangerous! The Race to Rhodes is all but a normal mountain bike race. 500km seems quite a distance to cover, but riders have seven days to complete it, averaging 71km per day. Does that sound fairly relaxed to you? Trust me: whether you choose to do the ride in three days or in seven days: it is not relaxed at all! But despite the hard work, the long hours, the riding in the dark, getting lost, portaging my bike for longer than I imagined possible, and enduring the freezing cold temperatures, I had the most gripping and memorable journey of my life! The close contact with unspoilt nature, the discovery of beautiful countryside, engaging with people I met on the trail, and the huge challenge of self-navigation made the ride an unforgettable experience for me. My race started on 15 June along with seven other riders. The night before the start I repacked my lightweight backpack very carefully; selecting my all-weather wardrobe, my navigation system, and bike spares and tools for the next six days. Only accommodation, food and the luxury of 2-liter ice-cream tubs are provided at certain checkpoints along the route. These tubs had been pre-packed by the riders (after force feeding the family with ice-cream) with extra goodies like socks, hand warmers, caffeine, special muties and other little secrets. My sparsely packed backpack weighed as little as 5kg, but felt like a boulder after a couple of hours in the saddle! Some riders use their bikes as a mule to carry their load in fancy aerodynamic saddle bags but I chose to keep my bike as light as
470km down, just 30 to go!
A F R I CA
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Kwazulu Natal
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What is Race to Rhodes? A mountain bike race? A ride? A hike? A challenge? A journey? Tag all these labels and add #addictive says Caren Henschel.
TONY WRIGHT
PART 1
FREEDOMCHALLENGE.ORG.ZA
Race to Rhodes
Pietermaritzburg
◆
Cape Town
◆
Rhodes N2 N2
Where are we? Ride to Rhodes is part of the greater Freedom Challenge, and challenges riders to selfnavigate from Pietermaritzburg to Rhodes. If you’re not up for the cold, unsupported Ride to Rhodes you can enter the Spring Ride to Rhodes which offers a guided ride, with fully catered overnight accommodation and vehicle support along the route. Find out more at: www.freedomchallenge.org.za. Caren Henschel has been a cycling enthusiast since her childhood in Germany. In South Africa she found the perfect match for cycling with her love for nature. Her next big adventure will be 2016 Freedom Challenge.
full sus GEAR
The FS
PREMIUM JERSEY
back
Our cycling jersey is made from highly Premium breathable Poly Check DNS material. The jersey is designed to meet our broadest demographic but still remain suitably racy, catering to cyclists from leisure riders and charities to weekend warriors, clubs and sponsored athletes.
front
The FS
BIB & SHORTS
LADIES: Panel work is kept to a minimum reducing the risk of any chafe and they’re good for hours in the saddle road or mountain. This is pure functional design at its best. The bib shorts are made from 220gsm lycra, with a breathable 4way stretch upper and 3D Italian padding. MENS: Bibshorts designed for MTB! Thicker lycra is used through the midsection for increased support while softer grade and vented mesh panels are used on sides to keep legs cool and flexible. Padding utilises latest in Italian tech and 3D foam construction – ‘D’ being for density. This means three separate foams perform three individual tasks: one foam keeps things soft and comfy, another keeps things in shape and breathing down there and one “tough guy” foam under your sit bones. No trail is too long or tough for these bad boys!
front back
The FS LADIES Bib & shorts
SIZE
Approx Height
Cost
SIZE
Approx Height
Leg Inner
Leg Band
Cost
XS
±156 - 162cm
R575
XS
±156 - 162cm
14cm
41cm
R830
SML
±163 - 168cm
R575
SML
±163 - 168cm
16cm
43cm
R830
MED
±168 - 175cm
R575
MED
±168 - 175cm
18cm
45cm
R830
LRG
±175 - 180cm
R575
LRG
±175 - 180cm
20cm
46cm
R830
XL
±180 - 183cm
R575
XL
±180 - 183cm
22cm
47cm
R830
2XL
±183 - 185cm
R575
2XL
±183 - 185cm
23cm
48cm
R830
3XL
±185cm
R575
3XL
±185cm
24cm
49cm
R830
GILET GILET: Made from a splash proof micro active front combined with a porous micro pore back for improved ventilation.
back
LADIES PREMIUM Jersey
front UNISEX Gilet
UNISEX Cap
SIZE
Approx Height
Cost
SIZE
Approx Height
Leg Inner
Leg Band
Cost
SIZE
Cost
SIZE
Cost
2XS
±160 - 165cm
R575
2XS
±160 - 165cm
19cm
45cm
R925
SML
R575
SML
R120
XS
±163 - 168cm
R575
XS
±163 - 168cm
20cm
46cm
R925
MED
R575
MED
R120
SML
±169 - 173cm
R575
SML
±169 - 173cm
21cm
47cm
R925
LRG
R575
LRG
R120
MED
±173 - 185cm
R575
MED
±173 - 185cm
22cm
48cm
R925
XL
R575
XL
R120
LRG
±178 - 185cm
R575
LRG
±178 - 185cm
23cm
49cm
R925
2XL
R575
2XL
R120
XL
±184 - 190cm
R575
XL
±184 - 190cm
24cm
50cm
R925
2XL
±188 - 195cm
R575
2XL
±188 - 195cm
25cm
51cm
R925
3XL
±193 - 200cm
R575
3XL
±193 - 200cm
26cm
52cm
R925
MENS PREMIUM Jersey
MENS Bib & shorts
All items include postage/delivery to one address in RSA.
The FS
front
CAP
peak up
Email your order to ❯❯❯ gear@fullsus.co.za
FS Di’s Ladies’ Column
Riding Solo
SAFELY
Is it safe to go out on a ride alone? In this day and age it’s a good question to be asking. Wherever Di Carolin goes to ride trails in SA she asks herself that question and, believe it or not, generally it is safe.
B
ut increasingly I’ve been hearing stories of people being attacked in the Cape Town area, in JHB and now even at organised races. So what can we do to make sure we have a safe ride and stay out of harms’ way? The obvious answer is to ride with a bunch of other people, but that isn’t always possible. So if you are like me and ride at times when others aren’t available to ride, your training programme doesn’t make it easy to ride with others, or you can’t find someone that has the same fitness level as you do –
then you ride alone. But let this be a last resort! I do ride alone a lot. My adventurous spirit takes me exploring in all sorts of places. There is something so liberating about blazing the trails on your
"At all times, stay alert to your surroundings and trust your gut instinct."
own, totally at one with nature and your bike… Recently I rode the Karkloof Trails in KZN, but not before I asked a local if it was safe. He assured me it was, so I had two amazing rides on some of the best trails I have ever ridden, and I felt perfectly safe all the time. The trails were well marked and I took care to ride responsibly. Then, up in Dundee further north I stayed with a friend and rode the trails and surrounding areas also on my own, well almost, I took Guess the farm dog with me and he was great company. The champ ran 29kms with me! If you can take your dog with you then do so, as they are an added deterrent to any wouldbe attacker. I had a safe ride and never saw another person, just a few Impala. At all times, stay alert to your
Sus Di’s Safety Tips Here are some other things to remember that will keep you safer on your rides: ◆ Tell someone where you are going, your route and
◆ Remember to have a tool kit with you containing the
roughly how long you will be.
following: multi-tool with chain breaker, chain link that’s
◆ Take a phone with you, preferably with GPS in case
correct for your chain, pump, plugs and plugging tool for
you get lost. Make sure the battery is fully charged! If
tyres, spare tube and tyre leavers, a CO2 bomb and adapter.
you have an iPhone make sure a partner/parent/friend
◆ Get some lessons on fixing punctures, putting in tubes
has the tracker app to keep an eye on you.
and mending chains from your friendly mechanic or a
◆ Have the correct emergency numbers in your phone
friend who knows how to.
i.e. ER24 084 124/ CT Emergency Control Room
◆ Make sure to take enough liquid to last the duration
(021) 480 7700 / JHB Central Emergency Connect
of your ride (± a bottle an hour), take some snack bars
(011) 375 5911/ KZN Emergency Services 10177
with you to keep your energy up (1 per hour of riding)
◆ There are various self defence tools you can carry
and a gel for just in case.
like pepper spray or a stun gun. Make sure you have
◆ Make sure you have suitable clothing for the ride. We
practiced with them and know how they work.
discussed this in the August issue.
◆ If you see anyone suspicious looking give them a
◆ Most importantly don’t think about things that could
wide berth and keep moving with purpose.
go wrong. What you fear, you attract! Keep a positive
◆ Avoid crime HOT SPOTS! Areas where there have
attitude, be sensible, believe you will be safe and the
been numerous attacks.
chances are you will be just fine.
28
surroundings and trust your gut instinct. Ladies, we are gifted with a strong sense of perception so use it, be sensible and keep safe. For added safety I always wear a SweatSafe (www.sweatsafe.co.za) wrist band in case something happens. This is insurance that in case I have a fall or accident I am covered for R100 000 and ER24 will transport me to a hospital ASAP. CSA (Cycling SA www.cyclingsa.com) offers members road accident insurance as a part of their membership which is a wonderful initiative on their part. This is what the CSA website says: “Effectively, if whilst riding your bike, you are involved in an accident on the road, any claim with the Road Accident Fund will be handled by Road Cover, whilst your medical expenses up to R20 000 will be covered by Hollard Insurance Company.” If you really don’t want to ride alone there are normally group rides with clubs like Club 100 in CT, CycleLab have cycling groups all over the country and most bike shops have group rides. Have a look on Facebook for MTB Group Rides Cape Town, Johannesburg Social MTB Group, Pretoria East MTB, JBay MTBing and many more.
Stay safe out there, but don’t stop having fun! Diana Carolin has been a long time contributor to Full Sus, submitting race reports and articles on sports massage therapy, but now we’ve focused her talents on everything that is ladies specific in mountain biking. If you have any questions drop her a mail at dicarolin7@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter at @di_carolin.
Van ndra oonstra a S e B eidi u, lik lfie, If yo ld and H -ride se ussa u mid sve fulls Jaar p for a tag @ when yo o o t t s er photo m. s emb ra rem oakpic Instag o @ t t and post i
FS
photo of the month
Oakpics is a Strand based photographic company. They shoot a vast array of events, covering everything from wild horses to weddings. But it’s in MTB that they’ve carved out a niche as one of the leaders in the field. If you spot them on the trails, usually when you’re picking yourself up after an unexpected brush with the ground, you can purchase the photos directly from their website. Or book them to shoot your event. Call them on 021 854 8723 or visit www.oakpics.com.
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FS Kleinhans Muesli
Into the MOUNTAINS we go! Erik Kleinhans is back in SA after an epic Alpine riding trip with his long-time mentor Christoph Sauser. Here’s the low-down on their latest trip.
S
You just ride some more! For some people life is all about riding your bike. I like to believe that I rode my bike for the love and exhilaration of it all, before it became a job, and I still love the freedom. I love the feeling I get from just pedalling around, anywhere, outside, and I know that it is the case too with my freeride trip partner Christoph Sauser. I believe trips like these are what mountain biking is all about; feeling free in the mountains. Even though I wrote about my trip to World XCM Champs in the last issue there was so much interest about our journey, I just had to show of some more pictures! We don’t really plan anything; we just study the maps and choose a town where we would like to sleep over, most of the time these towns have a hotel at the very least so we have almost never ended up in trouble, without a bed for the night. With lots of climbing each day, the skill is all in the packing of
30
Even at the height of summer there’s snow on the high Alpine peaks. ALL PHOTOS BY ERIK KLEINHANS
o what do you do after retiring from a lucrative mountain bike career spanning 20 years at the top of the sport, which entailed lots of suffering… interval training… and culminated in quite a few World Titles and World Cup wins?
Views like this make the climbing worth-while.
your backpack. A proper rain-jacket is crucial, and another light weight warm jacket, an extra set of freeride kit you can wear to dinner while the others dry in the Hotel, one pair of Specialized SWAT bibs (which have to get washed every night), your cycling shoes, spares to fix most issues and a good sense of humour is all you need to pack. This year both of Susi and I used
the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR with 140mm of travel. You definitely need the 140mm of travel, because apart from the odd downhill track, most trails are super technical hiking trails which even put Sauserwind and me (a little bit more) on the limit! But aside from the riding, hiking up steep climbs, and the excitement and rush of the downhills, it’s the mountain views that get me every time!
"I like to believe that I rode my bike for the love and exhilaration of it all, before it became a job, and I still love the freedom."
Susi and Erik relaxing during a lunch stop.
RECM se Erik Kleinhans is een van SuidAfrika se gewildste bergfietsjaers. Hy is nou die eienaar en kaptein van die RECM bergfiets span, en moet net so hard werk op die span admin as op sy oefening. Volg hom op Twitter by @erikkleinhans.
JOHAN BADENHORST
Stirling Revolution FS
What makes up that price sticker on the bike? A story on pricing, two bikes stores and you, the customer. As very cautiously told by Stirling Kotze.
Y
ou walk into a bike shop (shop A) today and you stroll around looking at all the latest road and mountain bikes. If you haven’t bought a bike for the last five years or more you’d be rocking on your heels looking at those price tags! Easily a few million Rands on the floor. There are two main reasons for those big ticket prices - one is the Rand/Dollar (or Euro) exchange rate and the other is technological advancement in bike design and materials. Added to that is the increased cost in highly-skilled labour and in raw materials (primarily aluminium and carbon fibre). Finally, a big factor is import duty, shipping costs and road transport into the various world markets. The supply chain from raw materials to the bike on the shop floor is so long it could fit four pages of this tabloid you’re reading! Let’s take this potential buyer through the price tag on a bike priced at R50 000 which is pretty
much the sweet price point in terms of affordability and technology - it’s a good price for a quality bike. For most mountain bikers it ticks all the boxes. Carbon frame, full suspension, mid-point group set, tubeless tyres and decent wheels and perhaps a dropper post. So, let’s take off the VAT and the tag price drops to just under R44 000 and Shop A has made a gross profit of around R12 000. This gross profit is turned into net profit once all these expenses have been paid: ◆ Rent, electricity, cleaning, etc. ◆ Insurance and security ◆ Staff and management wages, UIF, SDL ◆ Loans and interest ◆ Advertising, sponsorships and promotions ◆ Credit card fees and bank fees (this is bigger than you’d ever think) ◆ Stationery, staff consumables and supplies
◆ Transport, deliveries and courier fees The impact of these expenses depends on the number of bikes sold each month and each shop would have its own targets - for example 15 to 20 new bikes a month for a medium sized store. Small stores will sell less and large stores a lot more - with increased costs of course. Whatever the store size, I don’t know of many (actually any) shops that show a net profit equal to the amount of money they pay to the tax man and the banks. Finally, the sale of accessories, spares and clothing need to be taken into the equation. Mark ups are higher but Rand amounts are lower. And most regulars get looked after at the till, rewarding their loyalty to the store. Other risk factors include stock becoming obsolete or slow movers, shop soiling and shrinkage. You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned workshop profits. Talking to most shops they accept that their workshops pretty much break-even (if it’s well run) over a financial year. Wages, rent cost per square meter, sick leave, compassionate leave, interest-free staff loans, damages, consumables, lubes and fluids, electricity usage, tea, coffee, butter, spreads, milk, tooling etc. On the positive side, the workshop is the
soul of the store and is essential to bringing customers into a bike shop indirectly adding to profit and turnover. More directly the profitable part of the workshop is by selling replacement parts during the service adding to overall turnover. The reality is that bike shops come and go. This is where shop B comes into the story. The most common cause of failure is chasing sales by discounting sales for the sake of turnover instead of selling a product or service for what it’s worth - its value which is quality of the product and expertise in advice and technical skills and creating long-term relationships. If shop B has that R50K bike (after tax to R44K) and discounts it by 10% then store B ends up with about R8 000 profit (compared to store A’s R12 000 shown above) which in reality represents a 30% discount off gross profit. Times this R8 000 by the number of bikes sold and shop B’s gross profit has decreased considerably compared to shop A’s profits. Store B is not only on the road to closure, but has negatively influenced Shop A as well. The moral of this story is - when the shop owner gets a bit too generous with his pricing, be weary of their reasons and longevity. The shop owner must have enough confidence in his brand, his service and his relationship with you to charge a price that ensures he makes enough money to continue running an industry leading store without you feeling overcharged. Yes, it is a delicate balance.
The Stirling Revolution column is penned by the father and son, LBS owning, pair of Stirling “Senior” and Stirling James (SJ) “Junior” Kotze. With years of industry insider knowledge they’re your, and our, link to the retail side of the bicycle trade – and while they might upset the odd sensitive reader their insights prove invaluable time and time again.
FS Gear
GEAR #SaddleReview It’s one of three contact points your body makes with the bike and certainly the one that takes the most body weight, so your saddle choice is probably one of the most important decisions to make when setting up your bike. We put a few to the test. The Basics
A few important considerations: a saddle is a personal choice and will highly depend on your body type, sit bone width, type of riding you do and average time spent in the saddle, riding position (prone or more upright) and there are more factors that a good bike fitter will consider. You need to test saddles! Have your sit bones (Ischial Tuberosity) measured – this is very important and will determine the width of your saddle. Now start trying saddles – your LBS should have a number of demo saddles. Don’t make the mistake of thinking softer is better and more comfortable. There are a large number of styles, concepts and ideas around saddles out there. Taking your info into account you need to get a few options and try them. For or review we looked at saddles suitable for a minimum of a 2-3 hour ride.
Specialized - Power Saddle Expert
Width: 143mm | Weight: 233g Price: R1 999 | Tester: Shayne Dowling
Looking at this saddle my first thought was “they sent us a lady’s saddle.” but as it turns out, it is not so at all. The Power Saddle is an attempt by the wizards at Specialized to combine the best of all their saddles into one unit that can be used across all disciplines, irrespective of gender. First off the saddle is short! It has a prominent centre cut-out and appears to have really wide wings - it is however a pretty normal 143mm wide. So how does it ride... well first off if you tend to shift around on the saddle a lot this is not for you - the short nose just doesn’t allow for it. But if you have the saddle perfectly positioned you probably won’t have to move much anyway. I did a nice long road and mountain session, coming back from flu not having been on the saddle for a while and was very pleasantly surprised. It is so comfortable! The nose being shorter is noticeable in another positive way - no “numb nuts” and Debbie Stopforth, our lady bike guru, has been riding the saddle for a while as well and said from a women’s perspective no chafing or numb bits either. Having a distinctive tri-style I was concerned about my more upright riding position - I needn’t have - perfect width and a nice amount of padding meant my sit bones were in the perfect position on the saddle awesome comfort! I totally love this saddle!
Fabric - Scoop Shallow Elite
Width: 142mm | Weight: 263g | Price: R750 | Tester: Shayne Dowling The Fabric Scoop is a new kid on the block and is a really minimalistic looking saddle. I was quite taken aback by its simplicity but having said that it does look cool! With its nylon base and waterproof Microfiber cover the Scoop Shallow appears plain but there is clearly a bit of thought gone into the design – its damn comfortable! Rigid without being hard and the nonslip fabric was pretty awesome particularly in the wet. I like the narrow nose, there was very little contact which meant my pedal stroke never changed to accommodate saddle width and the nose was great for those climbs that you pull into and need to get up front on the saddle. I can see myself contemplating using the Scoop on W2W this year.
The Fabric Scoop saddles come in various colours to match your bike.
Selle Italia - Nepal L
Width: 143mm | Weight: 300g | Price: R 2 035 Tester: Shayne Dowling The Nepal is from Selle Italia’s MTB range of saddles. It has a number of features designed with MTB specifically in mind; like the rounded back end for getting off the back and on again easily, a really chunky nose so that when you are climbing you have something to sit on and at the same time a raised rear end for really long climbs. The saddle really looks good and with manganese rails, Italian styling and coming in at 300g it offers a good all-round option. I did a couple of long rides on the saddle with a mixture of jeep track, singles and tar and had to play with the position of the saddle a number of times before finding a sweet spot. The saddle width at 143mm was fine but I found myself struggling with the thicker nose and ended up dropping the nose more than usual to get comfortable. A great saddle for trail riding but not the best option for a long time in the saddle.
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WTB - Volt Comp saddle
Width: 142mm | Weight: 316g | Price: R370 | Tester: Karl Ebel In all honesty I have recently spent some time on WTB’s Volt Race model saddle so when I was approached to test their base model Comp version I wondered just how far from the WTB ‘tree’ the Comp could’ve fallen. As I set off into the unknown my first observation was that there really was no noticeable difference between the Comp saddle I was using and the Race model I had been using. Having missed a signboard on the Cedarberg’s Kagga Kamma trails I ended up turning an advertised 30km into a 40km ride, which provided plenty time to really experience the saddle over quite a diverse range of All Mountain terrain. The design of the WTB Volt range is really conducive to high performance riding yet so comfortable that everyone should be riding with one. The dipped nose of the saddle gives you something to push against on the climbs. The whale tail rear design gives you something to grip on the descents and confidence inspiring stability for seated cornering. The groove in the top of the seat ensures unhindered blood flow through those important parts of the male anatomy whilst seated and cranking. The difference between the Comp and Race model is that the Comp has slightly heavier and not quite as robust steel saddle rails vs the Cromoly rails on the Race. Just out of interest I had my girlfriend take it for a ride and she returned immediately wanting to replace her OE saddle with a Volt. Ladies they are great for you too.
How the Saddle Fit Cushion Works
Bontrager – Montrose Elite
Specialized have a very nifty system for determining your ideal saddle width called the Body Geometry Saddle Fit System. You simply sit on the cushion, making sure you are centred and if you’re wearing bib shorts that the padding isn’t between the cushion and your sit bones. The cushion sinks in deepest where your sit bones are at their most prominent, and the cushion is designed to retain the compressed form for long enough for the bike fitter to measure the distance between the two deepest indentations. Using that measurement and your riding position (the more upright your position the wider the saddle needs to be) the Body Geometry trained bike fitter can then recommend a saddle.
Width: 148 | Weight: 222g | Price: R1 599 | Tester: Richard Pieterse My first impression of the Montrose saddle was that this was once again a great looking piece of kit from Bontrager. Not only did the looks impress me but the overall ride comfort was surprisingly good. To qualify; my initial concerned was around the saddle width as my current saddle width is 155mm, while the Montrose is 148mm wide, being the widest saddle in the test range. This concern was all dispelled after my first ride, which turned out being a long ride with a combination of off and on-road riding and a good bit of climbing, the aggressive cut-out keeps the pressure off your delicate bits and the narrower profile forces you to shift positions for climbing or flat roads – which stops one area from taking all the weight all ride long. My overall impression was that although slightly narrower than what I normally ride, the saddle was extremely comfortable and is something you could quite easily use for long days in the saddle.
Curvature
Gear FS
Anatomy of a saddle Cut-Out
Rails
ROBYN WILLIAMS
Width
Nose
Specialized Body Geometry fitment professor, Peet le Roux, showing Robyn Williams how he determined her sit bone width.
CALENDAR October
GAUTENG 3 Nissan TrailSeeker Gauteng #4 3 9 10 10 17 18 24 24 31 31
Hakahana Spur High Schools League National Final Route 99 MTB Experience Move for Mental Health XDirt Ugly Six MTB Events XCOSA.co.za #3 Babba’s Lodge MTB Super Series #10 City of Tshwane Classic MTB XCO USN MTB Cup Race #6 City of Tshwane Classic MTB Marathonx Nissan TrailSeeker Gauteng #5 Diamond Rush
NORTH WEST PROVINCE 17 Momentum Health OatWell DualX #3 WESTERN CAPE 3 Eight Bells MTB 3 Ladismith Cheese 7 Weekspoort MTB Challenge 3 Van Loveren’s Java MTB Challenge 3 Weskus Phat Trek Adventure 4 Fruitways / aQuelle Apple Blossom MTB Classic 10 Tour de Plett 10 Nissan TrailSeeker Western Cape #3 Hemel & Aarde 10 STBB 2keep-a-breast MTB Challenge 18 Cape Pioneer Trek 25 Buffet Olives MTB Classic
25 30 31 31
GAUTENG 1 Babba’s MTB Super Series 7 XCOSA.co.za #4 8 Momentum 94.7 MTB
EASTERN CAPE 2 Lormar Endurance MTB Tour 23 Trans Elands 2 Day MTB
3 4 9 10 13 17 17 17 25 31 31
Calling all event organisers Get your event listed here for free! Email all your 2015 event dates and details to sussed@fullsus.co.za to make sure you don’t miss out on the coverage.
November RACE CALENDAR
Spur Adventure Sprint & Duo FNB Wines2Whales Adventure Jakkalsvlei MTB Kaleo MTB Klassik
4 8 8 14 14
KZN Gooderson Natal Spar Resort MTB Lake Eland Quattro Classic Berg & Bush Descent Pecanwood Oktoberfest Sport & Lifestyle Berg & Bush Great Trek Berg & Bush 2 Day St Dominic’s Academy Newcastle Bundu Bash Seabreeze Bitter-Sweet MTB Challenge Stage Race Gears for Ears Over the Edge and Back Homeward Bound Challenge
15 27
WESTERN CAPE FNB Wines2Whales Ride Spur Adventure Sprint and Duo FNB Wines2Whales Race Delheim Outdoor Weekend Nissan TrailSeeker Western Cape #4 Meer & Dal Dirtopia Simonsberg Enduro Pennypinchers Origin of Trails
EASTERN CAPE 15 Crossways Steeltek Classic
19 Assegaai MTB Stage Race 21 Kwelera 2 Kei NORTHERN CAPE 7 Kelrn MTB Classic 27 The Grind KZN 1 Riverlea Drak MTB Xperience 14 KZN Expedition MTB Challenge 22 Sappi Karkloof Trailblazer MPUMALANGA 7 Alzu Tour de Farm 14 Trailblazer Series LIMPOPO 14 Magoebaskloof MTB Classic OUT IN AFRICA 13 Detour Trails RAD Ride (Lesotho)
MPUMALANGA 2 Isuzu 3 Towers Stage Race 10 TrailBlazer Series 3 10 10 10 17 31
LIMPOPO ATKV-Eiland Spa Bergfiets Wedren Debtsafe MTB Challenge Monster Man Off Road Triathlon DebtSafe CANSA MTB Challenge Simpson Motors XCO Mooketsi MTB
When it all goes wrong, take heart in the fact that you’ve provided amuesment for the riders around you.
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Advertise your event in Full Sus and we will send you copies of the paper for your goodie bags or registration table. Call Jess on 021 685 0285/6
SEPTEMBER Must do events ■ 5 & 6 September: Isuzu MTB Festival
If you are keen on an entire weekend of mountain biking action then get on down to Meerendal, on the fifth and sixth of September, for Stillwater Sports’ new mountain biking event. The riding kicks off with the ISUZU Enduro at 8am on the 5th, followed by the YBIKE Kiddies MTB Obstacle Course, ISUZU 3km Team Relay, Fedhealth Kids MTB Challenge, and some
off-the-bike fun with a 4x4 Off-Road Academy Experience and a MTB Skills Q&A Session with Joanna Dobinson, both brought to you by ISUZU. Then on Sunday the 6th Fedhealth present the main riding events, the 65km, 35km and 15km Fedhealth MTB Challenge. For a full list of all the activities visit www.stillwatersports.com, because there are too many other activities going on to list. Entries are available online from www.entry.jumpertrax.com so get to it.
■ 6 September: Transvaal Galvanisers MTB
CALENDAR KEY Mpumalanga
Free State
Limpopo
Western Cape
Northern Cape
KZN
Gauteng
North West
Eastern Cape
Out in Africa
On Sunday the 6th of September the Van Dyk Dam hosts the Transvaal Galvanisers MTB events. The racing starts at 08:00 and there are 50km (R180), 35km (R140) and 10km (R50) distances on offer. All proceeds from the event go to the Apricot Tree School, a Public Beneficiary
Organisation which is committed to the stimulation and development of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Entries are available online from www.cycleevents.co.za and you can find out more about the races and routes by emailing the race organiser Athol Davis at transvaalgavanisersmtbrace@gmail.com.
■ 12 September: Piket-Bo-Berg MTB Challenge
Here’s a race we’re really looking forward to, the Piket-Bo-Berg MTB Challenge! The routes are tough but some of the best we’ve ever ridden. The hospitality in PiketBo-Berg is amazing. And it’s a part of the world you really should be exploring, and we’ll bet you haven’t been up there yet! There are 63km (R270), 37km (R220), 27km (R170) and 10km (R100) mountain bike races, as well as a 16km (R120) and
8km (R100) trail run on offer. Entries are available from www.amarider.co.za and all the information about the races and routes are up on www.piketbobergcyclechallenge.com.
■ 12 & 13 September: Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill2Hill If you’re up for the challenge sign up for one of KZN’s premier mountain biking marathons, the Sunday Tribune Jeep Hill2Hill. The 45km Half Marathon takes place on Saturday the 12th and races from the Cato Ridge Golf Club to the Polo Club at Hillcrest. The main, 100km race, takes place on Sunday the 13th and runs from Pietermaritzburg to Hillcrest outside Durban. Entries are open on roag.co.za and all the information is comprehensively listed on the event website: www.hill2hill.co.za.
Directory
FS
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
• First wash & dry your bike, then using the red applicator
distributed by imports
distribution
Email: promotions@ atlanticcycleproducts.co.za Cell: 072 436 4748 Tel: 021 976 1530
spray each stanchion liberally
your forks down 3 times • Push to work in BRUNOX Deo fork & bike •areYournowsuspension ready to hit the trails THE BENEFITS:
suspension • Better working response on the trails • Improved kept moist & dirt is • Seals repelled upwards service remains as per • Fork manufacturer’s intervals your ride more with less • Enjoy impact on your arms & body
BUFFET OLIVES MTB CLASSIC Lucky draw prizes include olive hampers, wine, bicycle accessories and a weekend away at Cascade Country Manor..!
R1000 for the Men’s/Lady’s winners of the Long Route.
Sunday, 25th October 2015
• Short Route: 14KM • Long & Medium Route: 42KM & 25KM • Kiddies Route: 5KM PRE-ENTRIES ARE OPEN FOR THIS EVENT, SPONSORED BY
Scan the QR code to enter online or go to www.entrytime.com
Enquiries: Tel +27 76 709 6487 or Email sharonhart@telkomsa.net
www.facebook.com/buffetolivesmtbclassic
Call us on 022 482 2974 or e-mail: bikeaddict@telkomsa.net www.bike-addict.co.za Owner: Johann Rabie Sales: Chrispin Fourie Online sales: Durwan Benjamin 15 Hoog Street, Unit 1, Mamesbury. WE SHIP NATIONALLY.
We stock the following brands:
MERIDA • CANNONDALE • GIANT • SCOTT • SILVERBACK • TITAN • STAGES POWER METER AGENT & OAKLEY EYEWEAR.
www.bikeplus.co.za
Call: 021-794 7973 or Email: xavier@bikeplus.co.za
full sus
# Bike Test Day
THE BIKES
TEST RIDE SA’S TOP BIKE BRANDS
Date: 17 Oct 2015 Time: 08h30 - 15h00 Venue: Delheim Wine Estate Cost: R250
R250 GETS YOU:
CALLING ALL BIKE SHOPS AND SMALL EVENTS: Full Sus print 15 000 copies 10 times a year and if you’re reading this you know Full Sus is jam packed with terrific MTB content. Reach up to 45 000 potential clients. Through 232 nationwide bike shops, MTB clubs and coffee shops.
Call Jess on 021 685 2085 or email her on jess@integratedmedia.co.za to book your space.
◆ Light lunch ◆ Test ride top end bikes by various manufacturers ◆ Access to the Simonsberg Trail Network ◆ COMPLIMENTARY FULL SUS CASQUETTE ◆ Mini-skills session ◆ Complimentary post-ride Jack Black beer or glass of Delheim wine ◆ Don’t forget to bring your bike!
Scan this QR Code to download the booking form or email sussed@fullsus.co.za.
booking form
Spac limitee is d
!
Only per peRrs250 on
www.fullsus.co.za FullSussa
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