Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Bicycling South Africa

“Just because we’re on bicycles, it doesn’t mean the laws don’t apply to us...” ONE OF MY BIGGEST GOALS FOR 2016 IS TO TRY TO SAVE OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE HEARTACHE I EXPERIENCED LOSING THE PERSON I LOVED MOST. The best way for me to do that is to promote road safety, which is why I have linked up with SANRAL’s ‘CHEK-iCOAST’ initiative. I am a very proud ambassador for this programme, and hope to grow it as the year goes on. It’s aimed at making motorists more aware of cyclists, and motivating both motorists and cyclists to respect each other. And since becoming a part of the programme, I’ve become more aware of how many cyclists don’t follow road rules. We cyclists can’t expect motorists to respect us if…

Research suggests that chocolate milk offers twice as much carbohydrates and protein as milk and energy drinks, along with enough sodium and water to top up fluids and stave off dehydration. It also has the bonus of bone-saving calcium. In a test at the Human Performance Laboratory at Indiana University, US, nine cyclists were asked to ride until exhaustion and then rest for four hours. During the rest period they were given either chocolate milk or an energy drink. After the rest period they were asked to cycle to exhaustion again. The tests showed that the riders who drank chocolate milk performed the same – and sometimes even better– than those who drank energy drinks. Not sold yet? Imagine you’ve just finished a long, hot ride…

THE SHARP END Snakes may have two types of venom: CYTOTOXIC: Attacks the tissue of the bite area, eating away at it and potentially causing muscle weakness. NEUROTOXIC: Attacks the brain and nervous system, which causes seizures and can result in death. Never mind the steep, rocky, gnarly descents, or that technical drop-off for some reason called ‘Widowmaker’ – what really scares mountain bikers is encountering fanged fiends on the trail. But the veld and mountains are a snake’s natural habitat, and we’re just guests. According to Arno Naudé, snake expert and chairman of the Transvaal Herpetological Association, venomous snakes are everywhere. “When you’re riding, you move so fast that the snake doesn’t have time to move out of the way,” says Naudé. “It gets startled – and when it’s…

DROP TYRE PRESSURE “We ride Continental tubulars and generally inflate them to 9 or 10 bar (130 to 145psi),” says Orica-GreenEdge team mechanic Craig Geater. But in the rain, he lowers them to 8 or 8.5 bar (116 to 123psi). This keeps the tyres pretty hard, but allows the riders to feel a boost in traction, as well as more secure. GREASE YOUR BIKE When rain is forecast, the team mechanics add waterproof grease to the chain and the derailleur pulleys. This ensures that water doesn’t penetrate the bearings and links, and prevents road grit kicked up from wet roads from rubbing the drivetrain like sandpaper. LUBE AT HOME “We always keep the bikes well-lubed anyway,” says Geater. “But after a day in the rain, make sure you re-grease the…

*(FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!) DAVE BELLAIRS EXPERT: A DIRECTOR OF THE CYCLE TOUR TRUST What’s the one thing everyone forgets? To pump their tyres. What’s the most unusual thing someone has forgotten? Someone once arrived at the start with only one shoe! What’s the most common pre-event mistake? Trying new things before the event – like new supplements, training gear, new diets. What’s the most common rookie mistake? Not spending enough time in the saddle. What are the windiest spots along the route? The windiest parts of the Cycle Tour are on the Foreshore, around Chapman’s Peak, and the descent of Suikerbossie. If there’s extreme weather, we urge people to become more aware on the bike and we slow them down, to make it less dangerous. Some race-day transgressions that could…

OLI MUNNIK GEAR EDITOR TOURS COMPLETED 14 BEST TIME 2:27:38 2016 GOAL Winning time – in other words, be in contention for the sprint. TRAINING The Cycle Tour is part of my training for the Cape Epic, so it’s not a goal in itself. But as we all know, there’s something very special about the Cycle Tour; and on the day, everybody gives it their absolute all. I will have just come off the five-day Tour of Good Hope, so I’m hoping my legs won’t have been blasted to smithereens. KIRSTEN CURTIS ONLINE EDITOR TOURS COMPLETED 11 BEST TIME 4:31:21 2016 GOAL To ride for charity with my sister-in-law, and soak up the vibe! TRAINING Seeing as my goal isn’t for a specific time, I’m being fairly relaxed in my…

Swedish brand POC was established on the principle of creating the safest possible products for adventure and outdoor sports such as cycling and skiing. Their safety-focused AVIP range is designed specifically for road cyclists, and the research behind the tech provides valuable insight into the science behind visibility. It’s based on these three elements: 1 FLUORESCENT COLOUR While conventional bright colours reflect up to 90% of our visible spectrum, fluorescent colours can reflect as much as 200 to 300%, which allows our eyes to perceive a far more intense colour. What this means is that a rider wearing fluorescent clothing is more likely (POC suggest 5.5 times more likely) to be seen by a driver – i.e. a driver will see a rider wearing fluoro clothing 550 metres away, as…

THE INBOX LANE SHARING My family and I often drive to the Neck and Deck at the Cradle of Humankind to ride. But we’ve been put off by riders who ride in bigger groups, and who seem to think that because of their speed, they own the road and the cycle lane. Their harassment often takes the form of swearing and cursing at riders in their path. Guys, not all riders are at your level. Some, like myself, cycle for health reasons, some cycle as a family outing, some cycle to enjoy fresh air. Please be more tolerant. – RORY DE WET ERIK KLEINHANS, 33 PRO MOUNTAIN BIKER FOR TOPEAK-ERGON, 2013 WINNER ABSA CAPE EPIC MIXED CATEGORY, MUESLI MANUFACTURER, AND OWNER OF THE COOLEST HAIRSTYLE IN MOUNTAIN BIKING. ALL-TIME STATS…

COMING FULL CIRCLE My relationship with cycling started when a friend – Arno Hugo – and I dared each other to ride the Cape Town Cycle Tour, in 1999. It developed to being mentored by Christoph Sauser, and came full circle when Namibian MTB star Arno Viljoen asked me to do the Absa Cape Epic with him in 2007. Thanks to GT Mr Price team owner Alan Hodson, it all come together – and changed my life. I fell in love with mountain biking, the trails, the mountains and the people. It suits my personality; I love being out there, and will always be thankful to all those people for giving me the opportunity. ERIK KLEINHANS, 33 / PRO MTB RACER FOR TEAM TOPEAK-ERGON /…

Scott Factory Racing powered by LCB team riders Philip Buys, Matthys Beukes, Gert Heyns and Arno du Toit were honoured – and incredibly stoked – to receive these Scott MTB RC shoes with custom South African graphics ahead of this year’s ABSA Cape Epic. Beukes, who is looking to win his fourth consecutive African Jersey, said these shoes were extra motivation, adding that “our main goal is to put the South African flag back on the overall podium in 2016”. Scott has made only five pairs – but if there is enough interest, they will consider offering the South African model to consumers… best you get in touch with your local Scott dealer, and let your patriotism shine through! SCOTT-SPORTS.COM //…

Research has shown that drinking beetroot juice just before working out can increase your tolerance for high-intensity exercise, thanks to its high concentration of nitrates. But researchers were curious to see how drinking it regularly can affect your body in the long term. To test this, they selected 14 men in their twenties. Half drank 70ml of concentrated beetroot juice each morning for two weeks. The other half guzzled nitrate-depleted beetroot juice. When they were put through high-intensity cycling workouts, the ones who’d had the nitrate-rich juice had lower blood pressure. “Because their hearts weren’t working as hard to pump blood into circulation, they could push themselves at the same intensity for a longer period of time,” says study co-author Charles Stebbins, PhD. That same group of participants also had…

The key to maintaining quality high-intensity training is variation and progression – you must constantly test and overreach your body in new ways. There are several options for this, such as joining a fast-paced weekday club ride. A local midweek criterium ‘race’ or short track MTB XC race will ensure a fair degree of intensity and suffering. A recovery ride the next day (at the very most) would be in order after one of these. Alternatively, you could join one of the many indoor studios offering high-intensity training sessions on bikes with power meters. Training with your power zones ensures high quality, and leaves you with nowhere to hide.…

PUFF ADDER A medium-length, patterned, thick-bodied snake that’s sluggish, but moves with speed and aggression when threatened. FOUND: Throughout southern Africa VENOMOSITY (NO, IT’S NOT A REAL WORD): Highly cytotoxic. Though not the most venomous , puffies are responsible Africa. Venom can cause swelling that will paralyse a limb. BOOMSLANG A reclusive green (females are brown) snake that flees anything too large to eat. It has a long tail, is good at climbing trees, and has extremely good eyesight. FOUND:Throughout southern Africa, except the Karoo, Namaqualand and Western Cape. VENOMOSITY: Venom high , stop clotting and cause death by internal or external bleeding. It’s slow-acting, and symptoms present as neurotoxic (headache, nausea, sleepiness and mental disorder). CAPE COBRA A medium-sized yellow/gold/brown snake that moves quickly and is highly alert. Calmer…

Port Elizabeth may be dubbed the Windy City, but Cape Town has the Cape Doctor – the Black South Easter, which has lifted many a skirt and caused a fair number of riders to bite the dust. Example? The 2009 Cape Town Cycle Tour, dubbed the Tour of Storms, was no breeze: fences lining the starting pens were blown over, banners were ripped to shreds, tents collapsed, scaffolding crumbled, and portaloos were blown over, leaving the road sticky with blue goo. One portaloo went down with someone inside – a case of the shit hitting the cycling fan. It was gusting and disgusting. Winds of up to 60km/h wreaked havoc, with gusts that reached up to 120km/h. The cut-off was extended, but the race was eventually stopped at Chapman’s Peak…

HEAT Dress appropriately. Don’t wear extra layers that will increase your heat storage. Check the forecast in the days leading up to the race, and ensure your water bottles are cold (keep them in the fridge overnight). If there is spare water at the water stations, pour some over yourself to cool down. RAIN Pay attention to your speed in corners, as your handling may be affected. Avoid riding on painted lines and islands, as these can be very slippery with a layer of water on them. Ensure your drivetrain is lubricated appropriately, so you don’t suffer from chain suck. WIND Bring your sense of humour. Stay with a bunch. This will make it a lot easier. Be aware of gusts on roads like Smits and Chappies.…

“I LEARNT AMAZING LESSONS IN APPRECIATION, HUMILITY, AND BASIC SURVIVAL.” MARK BLEWETT CAROCAP STATS TOTAL TIME 38 days, 12 hours and 16 minutes HOURS RIDDEN 341 TOTAL DISTANCE 10 600km LONGEST DAY 438km AVERAGE MILEAGE PER DAY 280km AVERAGE SPEED 31km/hr KILOJOULES BURNT 1 577 368 TOTAL CLIMBING 51 000m MAX ELEVATION 3 100m MAX TEMPERATURE 48°C MIN TEMPERATURE 4°C Mark Blewett got off his bike and kissed the tarmac. He had rolled across the border from Botswana into South Africa, and could smell the finish. The only thing standing between him and a world record was a headwind from hell. Oh, and another 1 500km or so of riding. This had been a ride of immense proportions; it was a race against the clock, and against various other demons…

“WITH THE VARIA FITTED, THE NEED TO LOOK BACK IS REMOVED – MAKING RIDING SAFER.” Bicyclinggot its first taste of the Varia (then known as ‘Backtracker’) in 2014. The radar system was the brainchild of iKubu, a group of Stellenbosch-based engineers, who developed the technology. At an international trade show, Garmin caught wind of the technology and were so impressed, they bought the rights from iKubu. Seven months and some tech tweaks later, they unveiled the Varia Rearview Bike Radar. INSTALLING The radar unit, which detects rear-approaching cars, mounts on the back of your bike, ideally on the seatpost. It integrates with a small handlebar-mounted display unit (or compatible Garmin device) to warn you of vehicles approaching from behind. Both units attach via a quarter-turn mount, making it easy to…

THE ORIGINAL MTB CLASSIC While claims that this is the “original and first” mountain-bike event in the country can’t be verified, we do know that it is the oldest race on the KZN calendar. The 40km route is known to be tough despite its short length, and there’s also a 20km and a 10km race for novices. There’s 30km of technically challenging and tough singletrack taking you through a variety of terrain, and famous sections between Howick and Karkloof such as Suicide Slide, The Face, Rushalot and Pines. Don’t miss your chance to get into this one. 40KM, 20KM, 10KM, HOWICK HIGH SCHOOL, KZN…

“…the biggest consequence of a cycling-related death on the road is the reinforcement of the belief that cycling itself is inherently dangerous.” LATE LAST YEAR OUR GROUP HAD BEEN DESCENDING CHAPMAN’S PEAK, IN HEAVY WIND. It was one of those Cape days when a gust could easily blow you into the gutter, and brakes were being feathered by white knuckles. But that didn’t seem to matter to the young guy in the bakkie who came perilously close to hitting my friend Liezel, as she battled to hold her line on the road. He whooshed past harrowingly close, hooting loudly and gesticulating wildly to suggest that her line was too far from the kerb. At any moment a gust of wind could have pushed her further out into the road, and…

HOW MUCH COFFEE IS TOO MUCH? Considering the positive benefits of coffee, you can never have enough (hooray!). Coffee is a good source of antioxidants, and has also been linked to reduced risk for Type 2 diabetes. For weight loss, coffee may be your new favourite diet food. Dave Asprey, author of The Bulletproof Diet and Bulletproof Diet: The Cookbook, points out that the polyphenols in coffee are a prebiotic for the good bacteria in your gut, called Bacteroidetes. This species of gut bacteria has been associated with thinness. “You can’t increase the population of that species with probiotic capsules,” Asprey explains. “You have to feed it.” Plus, the caffeine makes it ‘thermogenic’, meaning it helps you increase your resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure, leading to more kilojoules burned.…

WINNING TIP SMART PHONE PROTECTOR To protect your smartphone while riding, put it in a mini-Ziploc bag to prevent sweat or rain from damaging it. – Janil Bowan Mashup Want some carbs on a long ride or race? Make mashed potato or use Smash, put it in a small plastic bag, and tie the bag. Bite a hole in the plastic and enjoy. – Bear Hansen Mud Repellent After cleaning your bike, apply Spray and Cook. You’ll notice that mud won’t stick to your bike on a muddy ride. – Kosie Marais WIN! AN APRES VELO T-SHIRT WORTH R599 Email your Reader Tip to bicycling@media24.com. For more Apres Velo and other cycling fashion, visit bicyclegear.co.za. Cyclism: COG ROTTER (NOUN/COLLOQUIALISM) WHAT IS IT? A MOUNTAIN BIKER WHO NEVER CLEANS…

Why can’t bikes have automatic gears? They can, and Barons Biosystems have proved it. They’ve created the Bioshift Automatic Bike Shifting System. According to Armando Mastracci, one of the founding members, the system works by collecting data from sensors and establishing the most efficient cadence, based on your own specific configuration. Mastracci says this is perfect for beginners unfamiliar with bike gearing – and can help seasoned cyclists train, using the system’s training modes. And you can still go manual by simply pressing a button on the shifters. The system is not yet available in SA, but don’t bet against it coming.…

There’s another reason VO2max isn’t the best way to gauge long-term performance, especially over a cycling season. Due to the variables involved (age, gender, training history, etc), we often see large fluctuations in VO2max over the course of a single season. An example of this is the widely fluctuating VO2max values recorded by Lance Armstrong during his streak of Tour de France wins. These varied from 66.6 to 81.2 ml/kg/min, a difference of 22 per cent. VO2max and other tests of performance are therefore simply a snapshot in time that illustrate the athlete’s current physiological and mental state, among other factors.…

If your typical training week is around seven hours (two short weekday rides, and a three- to four-hour ride on the weekend), then a daily training structure will feel more taxing. Here are four ways to manage fatigue and recovery: NUTRITION AND HYDRATION Junk in, junk out. What you eat and your hydration will play a key role in your entire metabolic process. You can’t out-train a garbage diet. MANAGING INTENSITY You can’t train hard every day, so at the most, don’t do more than three high-intensity sessions in a week. That means separating intensity days by 48 to 72 hours, with the rides in between being either easy rides, or moderate-intensity rides without race-pace efforts. SLEEP WELL A bad night’s sleep, or several bad nights in a row, can…

The first graphic I created was in 2011 after a trip I took with some mates, riding Italy from top to toe. We’d talked about creating a memento that could reflect what we did. People collect all kinds of data on their Strava account or Garmin, but it just sits there. We wanted to think about how people could express themselves with data. – James Mason We try to create a piece that is beautiful and attracts the eye from a distance. But when you get close, it tells a story. – Howard Smith Our design’s similarity to a bicycle wheel is quite by accident. When James was working on the illustration from the Italy trip, it was the approach that worked best. To end up with a circle is…

Bicyclingcaught up with Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic, a regular visitor to the World Cup XC podium, in Stellenbosch, as he was preparing for the 2016 season – one that includes the biggest prize of all: Olympic gold. He will also be returning to the Cape Epic (in baggies and CamelBak) with Brazilian teammate Henrique Avancini. A regular on the roads and trails of Cape Town in December and January, Fumic loves life in South Africa. FOLLOW MANNI ON INSTAGRAM @MANUELFUMIC EPIC GEARING (Groupset) A 10-42T SRAM cassette is paired with a 36T front chain-ring that needs an adapter to fit onto Cannondale’s Hollowgra Si crankset, which runs on a PressFit30 BB. Fumic uses a 36T throughout the season, but jokes that given the length and severity…

There has only been one day on a bike that I’ve actually hated; that I wished I’d stayed in bed instead of riding my bike. Two years after That One Day, I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat – and I still find mud in places on my body I didn’t know I had. That One Day was the first day of the 2013 Wines2Whales Adventure. There had been steady (and by ‘steady’, I mean ‘hammering’) rain in the run-up to the start, which turned the 76km course into mush. As we headed out of Somerset West, and through endless tracts of sludge, the rain continued. The clay sucked at our wheels, making us slip up hills and skid down them. (In addition…

IN THE RUN-UP TO THE RACE: Be realistic about the training you‘ve done. There’s no point in pushing yourself on the day and then having an injury, or being unwell. Practise your nutrition strategy prior to race day, including your pre-race preparation, race food (not commercial high-sugar products), and recovery food. Train in all environmental conditions, and prepare yourself for heat. ON RACE DAY: Avoid alcohol the night before the race, don’t miss breakfast, give your body two hours from your last meal to exercise. Do a gentle stretch to warm up prior to racing. Don’t forget your sunblock. If it’s raining, wear eye protection. Do not race if you are unwell. Perform a ‘neck-check’, i.e. if your illness is above the neck, you may proceed. If you feel feverish…

VOLVO LIFEPAINT BY ALBEDO100 Swedish car manufacturer Volvo are so confident of their promise to create the safest driving experience ever, they claim that “by 2020, no person will be killed or seriously injured by a new Volvo”. A component of this 2020 vision is LifePaint, an innovative water-based reflective safety spray that promises to light you up like a glitter ball in the direct glare of a car’s headlamps. Developed for Volvo by Albedo100, the spray is invisible in daylight, but super-light-reflective in the dark. Testing revealed that LifePaint was most effective on darker clothing, after a generous application. We also applied it to our socks, shoes, helmets and hydration packs, and found that the more spots you ‘hit’, the better. It also washes out of clothing without any…

LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOW-PROFILE Shimano’s lightweight, low-profile Unzen 2 pack is designed to take the hassle out of having your pump, tube, car keys and food bouncing around in your shirt pockets – something that can drive you bonkers when you’re concentrating on your ride. And with many dual-suspension MTBs only able to carry one mainframe-mounted water bottle, the Unzen’s two-litre bladder makes carrying – and more importantly, accessing – your ‘second’ bottle a lot easier and safer. Plus, your hydration pack won’t suddenly bounce off your back, as seatpost-mounted bottles tend to do on rough terrain. COMFORTABLE AND ADJUSTABLE All Shimano packs use the ‘Rider Fit X-Harness’ design, in which two straps fasten together, using a small buckle positioned between men’s pecs and women’s you-know-whats. The buckle has three clip…

THE ACID TEST Towards the end of 2015 I joined my friend Matt Beers on a 785km journey, from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town’s city centre to Knysna – which was in full-blown December holiday mode. Our five-day adventure was the perfect culmination to Bicycling’slongterm test of Ion’s new super-light, minimalistic Aeration baggies, aimed at Lycra bandits looking to make the switch to a more relaxed outfit. With at least six hours a day in the saddle and temperatures in the high 30s, maxing out at a thirst-inducing 42, the trip was an acid test second to none. Ultimately, the shorts came through with flying colours – no chafing, not a single loose thread, and their slim fit made pedalling a breeze. WAIST MANAGEMENT…

KWAZULU-NATAL MTB 5 MARCH KZN MTB PROVINCIAL XCO SERIES #2 Waterfall, Hillcrest, KZN Contact KZN MTB info@kznmtb.co.za, 082 896 6864 Online Entries kznmtb.co.za 6 MARCH SAPPI HOWICK MTB CLASSIC 40km, 20km, 10km Howick High School, KZN Contact Gordon Beard gordonb@comfylounge.co.za, 071 517 4349 Web howickmountainbiking.co.za 19 MARCH SAFIRE BERG 100 MARATHON 100km Nottingham Road Primary School Contact Katie katie@bikelife.co.za, 061 433 5786 Web and Online Entries berg100.co.za NORTHERN CAPE MTB 12 MARCH HENNIES SENTRUM MTB CHALLENGE 55km, 18km De Aar High School Entries close 10 March 2016 at 23:00 Contact Minè: info@karoofees.org, 053 631 3691 Online Entries cycleevents.co.za MPUMALANGA 19 MARCH SAPPI MANKELE MTB CHALLENGE 60km, 35km, 22km, 12km Mankele MTB Park Contact Mark Meyer mark@mankele.co.za, 086 572 1591 Web mankele.co.za Online Entries entrytime.co.za WESTERN CAPE ROAD 5 MARCH CAPE…