Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Bicycling South Africa

In a country with so many needs, we cyclists are often privileged to be able to experience some amazing races. But our plea this year is to for you to cycle for More Than Yourself. This year, together with our partners Old Mutual, we are embarking on a project to help raise money – by sponsoring a rider, getting sponsored, or even making a donation to a worthy cause as cyclists. The sign-up process is simple, and our goal is to raise R2-million in the next 12 months. So help us reach it, at www.morethanyourself.co.za…

INCRESED PROTEIN REDUCES RISK OF OVERTRANING SYNDROME . Q This last festive season was a really good one. So much so, that I gained about five kilos – and now I’m struggling to lose it. What can you suggest? – Adam, Potchefstroom A The general principle of reducing kilojoules in and increasing kilojoules out will determine whether you’ll lose those unwanted kilos or not. But there are numerous factors to take into account. Firstly, reducing your caloric intake while maintaining high training loads can increase your risk of overtraining syndrome, and of falling ill. Cutting out or reducing carbohydrates can do the same. That said, increasing your fat and protein increases satiety, which helps limit your caloric intake without the pain of constant hunger. In addition, there’s good evidence that…

One of the biggest misconceptions about cycling weight loss is that you need to spend your rides in the mythical ‘fat-burning zone’. It’s not true. Instead, you need to mix it up, with high-intensity intervals – aim to use as many kilojoules as you can. A training programme including a small dose of hard intervals mixed in with a large dose of lower-intensity riding (70%-80% heart rate) will increase your aerobic structure and your capacity for using fat for fuel.…

Goldsprints’ predecessor, roller racing, dates back to the early 1900s. One of the sport’s oldest known photos (above), from 1901, shows Charles ‘Milea-Minute’ Murphy (left) – who earned his name for riding a mile (1.6km) in 57.8 seconds, while drafting a speeding locomotive. He’s up against another well-known rider named Tom Butler. Goldsprint events feel like a combination of a punk show and a cyclocross race – you’re as likely to spot a mohawk as you are anything made from spandex. Riders pedal track bikes with forks mounted to stands, and electronic rollers show each racer’s speed and progress on a projector screen... which is for the benefit of a raucous crowd. They’re named after a beer – probably. The 1999 Cycle Messenger World Championships in Zurich featured a stationary…

NILS HANSEN’S LATE-80S HANSOM Covering roughly 820km on mostly forgotten or rarely-used Karoo gravel roads, the six-day Tour of Ara is not for sissies. And as if the terrain and daily distances aren’t tough enough, the rules state you must ride on a South African-made steel racing frame! Nils Hansen, owner of Woodstock Cycle Works, survived his second tour of the harsh but supremely beautiful Karoo on this dusty, beat-up mid-80s Hansom, which sports his old race number: 14. INSTAGRAM @nils_wscycleworks / @tourofara STEEL STEED Coincidentally – really – Nils Hansen shares his surname with the frame’s builder, South African cycling legend Gotty Hansen, who in the mid-80s, in his workshop in the then-Transvaal, hand-built this 59cm steel frame from skinny, old-school Columbus cromor tubing. The paintjob is original, and…

RIDERS SPEND MANY HOURS DEBATING THE PROS AND CONS OF 26ERS VERSUS 29ERS, AND THE BEST GEAR RATIO FOR CLIMBING, BUT PERHAPS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THEY SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT SOCKS – SPECIFICALLY, THE MYTHICAL PERFECT SOCK HEIGHT. Back in the 1940s, Fausto Coppi, Italy’s Il Campionissimo (‘champion of champions’), wore white socks, with the cuff sitting just above the ankle. The classic ankle-grazing sock left several time zones of leg exposed, and more or less stayed there until Lance Armstrong arrived on the scene five decades later with long shorts and long, black socks, ushering in a new, permissive era for sock height. Pro Continental team United Healthcare conducted a poll recently in which riders voted for their preferred sock height – from 2.5cm (which barely makes it…

FEATURED RACE HERALD CONTINENTAL MTB CHALLENGE STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS More widely known for the road race, the Herald Cycle Tour has an MTB event which is developing a similar reputation to that of its road counterpart. Including some of the best singletrack at Hayterdale Trails, it promises some exciting riding and testing routes. The five distances cater for all skill levels, but the 60km and 80km offer the most fun, with singletrack, leg-chewing climbs, and an abundance of challenges – both man-made and natural – to ensure you get to the finish line exhilarated. 17-18 FEBRUARY, 80KM, 60KM, 30KM, 5KM, 500M, POLO CLUB, ADDO, EASTERN CAPE WESTERN CAPE ROAD 5 FEBRUARY BOUCKAERT-SOENEN ROAD LEAGUE AND FUNRIDE 124km, 72km, 47km De Poort, Oudtshoorn Contact Luc/Dale 021 863 3333 Web…

Introducing fasted riding will help increase your ability to use fats as a fuel source; and a recent research study has shown that a fasted exercise session can reduce your appetite for the rest of the day. After an overnight fast, have a strong coffee to improve fat metabolism and reduce the feelings of effort. Then start with a 60-minute ride, and only drink water. Have a normal meal afterwards. Over time you can increase your ride to up to three hours, and introduce protein as a fuel source. Do up to two of these rides each week.…

DARTH RIDER Q I AM A STAR WARS NUT. I’VE SEEN ALL THE MOVIES (EVEN THE THREE RUBBISH ONES GEORGE LUCAS SHOULD NEVER HAVE MADE). HAVE YOU ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW I CAN SHOW MY LOVE FOR THE FORCE WHILE RIDING? –Toby, Dunkeld YOU’RE IN LUCK, TOBESTER. I’VE stumbled across the most magnificent Storm Trooper jersey, made by Airo. It’s a rugby shirt, but it’s tight, so it’s still aero enough for cycling. If you want to be more unobtrusive, Bikeangelo make Star Wars stem caps. But a must-buy is the T-shirt from Black and Coffee Tees. Yoda and Vader on a cruiser – the Jedi master on the handlebars, and the dark lord pedalling. Just perfect. SWEATY SITUATION Q WHEN IT GETS HOT, I SWEAT LIKE A FAT…

Rather have a bad time moving forward than have a bad time in the same place... There's a cliche thatgoes somethinglike 'no-one remembers second place'. But what if, while participating in the toughest race on earth', a woman not only annihilates her female competition, but also mixes it up with a field of men who had trained out of their skins for this event - and (after leading at one point) eventually finishes with the silver medal? Well, in that case, the runner-up entrenches her status as a legend. This is what Jeannie Dreyer achieved with her gritty display of girl power at The Munga 2016. She spent Just shy of three days (two days, 23 hours and 14 minutes) in the saddle, braving heat, headwinds and saddle sores, to…

When it comes to road shoes, Shimano have largely flown under the radar compared to more flamboyant brands such as Giro, Bontrager and Fizik. Available in a superbly eye-catching blue, and sporting a pair of Boa IP1 dials for the first time, the S-Phyre RC9 is a game-changer for Shimano. During the arduous Coronation Double Century in November, the RC9’s one-piece upper, with perforated dimple vents nogal, provided ample comfort, stability and ventilation, while the Boas allowed micro-adjustments as my feet swelled when the temperature rocketed up into the high 30s. SHIMANO S-PHYRE RC9 PRICE: ASK YOUR LBS SUPPLIER: COOLHEAT.CO.ZA…

Road The Herald Cycle Tour 25 February heraldcycletour.co.za MTB SAPPI Howick MTB Classic & Enduro 4-5 March howickmountain biking.co.za Road Cape Town Cycle Tour 12 March capetown cycletour.com MTB Emperors Palace MTB Classic 22 April asgevents.co.za MTB Multi-Stage Joberg2c 21-29 April joberg2c.co.za Road Multi-Stage The Panorama Tour 26 April - 1 May panoramatour.co.za MTB Multi-Stage Sabie Experience 29 April - 1 May sabiexperience.co.za MTB Multi-Stage Sani2c 9-11 May, 10-12 May, 11-13 May sani2c.co.za MTB Multi-Stage Berg And Bush 6-8 October, 10-12 October, 14-15 October bergandbush.co.za Road Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Challenge 22 October www.shova.co.za MTB Multi-Stage FNB Wines2Whales 27-29 October, 30 October - 1 November, 3-5 November wines2whales.co.za Road Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge 19 November cyclechallenge.co.za…

CAMPAGNOLO HAS MADE NO SECRET OF THE FACT THAT ITS NEW MIDRANGE POTENZA GROUPSET IS INTENDED TO GO SHIFTER-TO-SHIFTER WITH SHIMANO’S ULTEGRA. It’s a tall order: Ultegra 6800 is a stunning combination of price, weight, and performance that has made it the dominant drivetrain on (most commonly) higher-end bikes costing between R40 000 and R80 000. For Campy to unseat Ultegra as original spec on more mid-range bikes will require some behind-the-scenes business – but before that happens, Potenza has to match up against Ultegra in the stuff that matters to riders. So, does it? I’ve ridden Potenza about 1 500 kays so far, often back-to-back with Ultegra – which comes out just ahead in performance, but by a smaller gap than even its slight advantage in weight (80g, mostly…

 I’VE NEVER MET LACHLAN MORTON, BUT I LOVE THE GUY. I mean, how can you not? He’s one of the most talented riders ever to pour himself into a skinsuit, and yet he’s a rider who truly understands the joy of cycling, way beyond watts and intervals and podium flowers. It was a pilgrimage of sorts: an ode to the beauty of discovering the world on a bike… Morton is an Aussie who’s just joined South Africa’s DiData team for 2017. But in 2013, it looked likely that the talented youngster would fade from the pro ranks before his promising young career even got into its big chainring. Morton and his brother Gus grew up loving bikes. They built weird Frankenbikes – and rode them. They woke up early before…

Modern technology meets Swiss watchmaking excellence, as the team at MOSKITO brings us the world’s first cycling-specific analogue smart watch. The prototype they’ve released has a classic design, and will function as a normal watch, a chronograph (ride timer), or a speedometer – all at the flick of a switch. It will also integrate with Garmin and Strava, live on your wrist or your bike, and link to your smartphone for notifications. On 1 December 2016, MOSKITO started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for production – pledge your support by visiting kickstarter.com , and searching for MOSKITO. PRICE: NOT YET (STILL AT PROTOTYPE STAGE) MOSKITOWATCH.COM…

SPARE TUBE SANDWICH When taping your spare tube to your seat-post, put the tube in a plastic sandwich bag first, before taping it. This will ensure the sticky tape won’t stick to the tube, and reduce the chances of damaging it when you remove it. Puncture the plastic bag, to release any moisture that may enter during the ride. – NIGEL HAYCOCK Sorting Out Cables To stop your speedometer cable (or other cables) from rubbing against your mountain-bike frame, get one of those office cable-tidying wraps used to group computer cables together. Simply bind the speedo cable to the front brake cable, and you won’t have to worry about it rubbing. – KOBUS OOSTHUIZEN Two-For-One Fix If you carry CO2 bombs in your saddlebag, stop them from rattling by wrapping…