Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Bicycling South Africa

Bicycling staff and contributors share their favourite sweet or savoury pastry delights. OLI MUNNIK GEAR EDITOR WHAT: Chocolate Croissant WHERE: The Pantry, Simon’s Town, Cape Town WHY: They’re always freshly baked, and packed with so much chocolate you feel like you’re in cocoa heaven. It’s a sugar rush and pick-up second to none. DAVE BUCHANAN SUBEDITOR WHAT: Chelsea bun WHERE: Westees Bakery, Walmer, Port Elizabeth WHY: It’s gooey, it’s delicious, and it’s bigger than my head. Like the best rides, the best Chelsea buns are complex – lots of ingredients to keep you interested, with a surprise around every curve. And if you can finish one without losing consciousness, it makes you smile. MIKE FINCH EDITOR IN CHIEF WHAT: Raisin Danish WHERE: The Foodbarn Deli, Noordhoek, Cape Town…

HEATHER’S ORANGE BUTTERMILK DOUGHNUTS (MAKES 14) INGREDIENTS 6 cups vegetable oil 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. orange zest ¾ cup buttermilk 3 large eggs 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 1 Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed 4-litre pot over medium heat, with an oil thermometer, until the oil reaches 190ºC. 2 Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and orange zest. 3 In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, orange juice, and butter. Add to flour mixture and stir until the dough is sticky. 4 Turn out onto a floured surface, and pat down to 1cm thick. Cut dough with a round cutter,…

While Enjoy Fitness’s high-end ProXision range has been around a while, in 2017 the Cape-based company launched a brand-new women-specific ProXision cut. The range includes this stunning design – which Enjoy Fitness calls ‘Nectar’ – that incorporates 101 birds in full flight. All white, Nectar is best for dry-weather road riding, and is available with matching black bib shorts – read more about them on p81. ENJOY FITNESS PROXISION NECTAR SHIRT PRICE: R1 199 SUPPLIER: ENJOYFITNESS.CO.ZA…

OVER THE PAST 20 years I’ve tried pretty much every type of cycling there is, and I can’t say I’ve disliked any of it. Whether I’m whizzing by traffic on city streets or getting lost in the woods or racing cyclocross, I experience a euphoria that washes away negativity and stress. From the seat of a bicycle you simply cannot be upset – trust me, I have tried to be angry and it just isn’t possible. Someone can scream at me from their car or try to run me off the road, and the rage I feel initially burns off almost immediately. Driving a car, on the other hand, appears to have the exact opposite effect, evoking shameful behaviour in otherwise kindhearted people. I got into racing cyclocross two years…

Five years ago, I was a guinea pig in a research study conducted by the Sports Science Institute, looking at the training perceptions of ‘larks’ – morning-type cyclists. The study found that when larks (as opposed to owls) cycle in the morning, their perception of effort is lower. In other words, when they did the same workload at the same intensity in the morning and later in the day, they believed the effort in the evening was more difficult. Dr Dale Rae, who supervised the research, says that from a biological perspective it’s not surprising that South African cyclists are riding earlier. She says that at about 75%, cycling in South Africa has an over-representation of people with morning-type genes. That’s because cycling is well suited to genetically-predisposed morning types.…

FEATURED RACE L’ETAPE SOUTH AFRICA DREAM COME TRUE Finally, South Africans have the chance to experience the Tour de France in their own backyard. KwaZulu-Natal will host the first ever L’Etape South Africa, a single-stage race that mirrors a Tour de France stage. This one will be a 160km grind around the Midlands area, with an elevation of 1 630m and taking in such sights as the Spring Grove Dam, Giants Castle and Mooi River. Riders will be competing for yellow, white and polka dot jerseys, just like at the Tour de France. The overall winners in both gender categories will win an all-expenses-paid trip to ride the real L’Etape, in France. 2 APRIL, MANDELA CAPTURE SITE IN LIONS RIVER, 160KM KWAZULU-NATAL MTB 1-2 APRIL MARRIOTT FREEDOM RACE 60km 2-Day…

Nothing better than a gentle tingle before the ride… A CERTAIN FRIEND OF MINE (FIRST NAME: JAN. SURNAME: BRAAI) USES CHAMOIS CREAM EVERY TIME HE RIDES. Whenever he slides on his bibs he’s always prepped with a solid application of lubrication, to ensure his nethers neither rot nor chafe. I’m not as fastidious a chamois-creamer as Jan; but for anything more than two hours on the bike, I dig into my cupboard of butt creams and apply a suitable lather to the vulnerable areas. I have to admit that there’s an undeniable pleasure in application... especially of the kinds that include menthol. Nothing better than a gentle tingle before the ride, to reassure you that fungal nasties and chafe will never be a factor, no matter how long your coffee…

COMING OF AGE It wasn’t one particular thing that made me retire from racing to study – it was a slow realisation that the world around me is changing… and I am too. Racing is a fantastic way to educate yourself about the world, but it’s also a brutal kind of learning. The podium, by nature, isn’t a spacious place – with room for only the best. There are also no franchise gigs in South Africa that allow you to pursue a ‘protected attempt’ at being a professional cyclist, like there are for rugby or cricket. One day you wake up and you’re 30 years old, with little other value to add to the world. And the requirements for finding a job - that is engaging and interesting - are…

Not everyone is sold on the pastry revolution – especially those who believe baked goods can impact negatively on weight loss. But pro racer Andrew Hill believes that if you find the right balance, you have the perfect excuse for eating a pastry. The key is: putting in the hard miles. “We all see the Euro pros having their coffee stops, and enjoying those amazing-looking eats – but we forget the 15 000-kilojoule ride they’ve just finished, or are halfway through,” says Hill. Bottom line: if you’ve ridden for about four hours, you’ve probably earned yourself that decadent reward. If you haven’t… don’t say we didn’t warn you.…

 WHILE I WAS PREGNANT, I LOVED MY I realise now how much pressure society puts us under to be skinny… ‘BOEPIE’. I LOVED THE FACT THAT I WAS GROWING A LIVING BODY INSIDE ME, AND PICKING UP WEIGHT DIDN’T BOTHER ME. I enjoyed not having to watch what I ate – a little bit too much, perhaps. In total, I picked up 13kg. But after Thomas was born, my weight and flabby skin started bothering me. I began taking drastic measures. I watched what I ate like a hawk, and trained as much as I could. Then I got a wedding dress that showed every piece of flabby skin on my body – and that gave me all the motivation I needed to lose weight quickly, but in a healthy…

With all these water restrictions, we need to save water when washing our bikes. To do this, get a Solo Garden Backpack Sprayer. It takes about 15 litres and lets out a spray of water for rinsing your bike after you’ve lathered it up. You might not even empty the tank, which means you can use the rest to water your garden or wash your car. – DAVEY SMITH Bonking Derailleur When you can’t find something to lean your bike against, avoid laying it down on its drivetrain side. This can misalign your derailleur, which will throw your shifting off. Instead lay it gently on the non-drive side – preferably on something soft, like a patch of grass. – OWEN SCHNEIDER Gear Check If you’re using a bike you haven’t…

WHEN I PICTURE my perfect trail, my mind always wanders to a certain ribbon of singletrack in Santa Cruz, California. It dips and swerves through the redwood forest at just the right mellow angle to let you maintain constant launching speed. Smooth kickers and side hips beckon you to send it around every turn, and are so exquisitely built it feels as if the locals who created them had only your maximum enjoyment at heart. My ideal ride, I guess, has many opportunities to leave the ground. I know there is neurochemistry behind why getting even the tiniest bit of air can make me go ‘Whoo!’ But I think it’s more than just dopamine playing its greatest hits on my brain. Full disclosure: I don’t usually get huge air –…

THERE ARE PROBABLY around 3 048 reasons cycling makes me happy, from the people I’ve met to the simple feelings of enjoyment, freedom, and relief. But one reason feels different to the rest: cycling unleashes my imagination. Since becoming an adult, I’ve tried to keep that part of my childhood intact. It’s the only way that I can unplug. So much stress builds up from work, parenting, and other responsibilities that I can’t wait to put my thought process somewhere else. I can do that when I ride. I pick a different inspiration almost every time I go out with my Wednesday group. I imagine I’m Eddy Merckx in Milan-San Remo, or Marco Pantani, Chris Froome, Sagan, Cav. You get the picture. If I feel spunky on a long climb,…

SCIENCE CONFIRMS what many of us know: your bike is your happy place. When you ride, you get a spike in neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine that relieve pain and improve mood, says Kim Chronister, a psychologist in Los Angeles. You also get a hit of endorphins, which triggers the same receptors in your brain as some pain medicines. If you’ve ever referred to cycling as your ‘drug’, it won’t surprise you to hear that exercising and smoking dagga may affect the same regions of the brain. In a 2015 study on mice, researchers noticed that after running on a wheel, the animals showed less anxious behaviour. But when the scientists blocked their endocannabinoid receptors (the ones marijuana targets), the mice didn’t seem to get these benefits after exercising.…

In a country with so many needs, we cyclists are often privileged to be able to experience some amazing races. But our plea in 2017 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. Go to www.morethanyourself.co.za to register, and you could feature as one of the More Than Yourself heroes!…

If you sweat a lot on your bike while you ride, that could be the problem. You need to rinse it off thoroughly, as frequently as is practical. Salt deposits form in any kind of corner – especially underneath clamps – and continue the process of corrosion, even if the bike is dry. Unless the locknut on your headset has an O-ring seal, sweat can seep down the sides of your stem into the steerer tube. If this happens, you may need a hacksaw to remove the stem from the steerer. Clear silicone-rubber bathroom caulk can help keep sweat and water out of the inside of your bike’s frame. A thin bead of clear silicon around the base of the bike stem (wipe away the excess) will prevent the problem.…

THE PANTRY // 132 St Georges Street, Simon’s Town, Cape Town Mon to Sun 7am-5pm THE FOODBARN DELI // Noordhoek Farm Village, corner Village Lane and Noordhoek Main Road, Noordhoek, Cape Town Tue to Sat 8am-9pm, Sun & Mon 8am-5pm BOOTLEGGER // 38 Victoria Road, Bakoven, Camps Bay, Cape Town Mon to Fri 6am-5pm, Sat & Sun 7am-5pm OLYMPIA CAFÉ // 34 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town Mon to Sun 7am-9pm WESTEES BAKERY // Hancock St, North End/155 Main Rd, Walmer, Port Elizabeth Mon to Sat 7:30am-5pm VOVO TELO // The Cobbles, 4th Avenue, Parkhurst, Johannesburg Mon to Sun 8am-9pm MADELEINES // Shop 214i Oxford Village Market, 9 Old Main Road, Hillcrest, Durban Mon to Sat 7:30am-5pm BELLEVUE CAFÉ // Corner Bellevue Rd & St Mary’s Road, Kloof, Durban…

Ride on Sheltered Roads When it comes to wind, not all roads are the same, even if they point in a similar direction. Suburban roads offer the protection of trees and elevation, so look for obstacles that will affect a crosswind. Brace for a blast of air when approaching gaps between buildings at intersections, or when cars or trucks pass. Mind Your Traction A crosswind applies lateral force to tyres. So if the wind blows from the left and you also lean left in a turn, the airflow is more likely to kick your wheels to the right – and out from beneath you. Alternatively, a crosswind from the opposite direction will generate downforce, and increase your traction. Team Up When you’re drafting, the sweet spot relative to those breaking…

After completing the 2015 Tour of Ara, photographer David Malan was inspired by the freedom he felt navigating the event’s many isolated gravel roads. With a newfound sense of adventure – ingrained into the contours of his palms, from gripping the drop bars of a vintage skinny-wheeled bike for six days – he set about searching for a bicycle that could do it all. Months of research led him to this supremely versatile SOMA Fabrications Wolverine. @PHOTOMALAN // EVERYDAYCYCLESUPPLYCO.COM Wheels & tyres : HUBS ‘N’ CUBS Strong and durable is the name of the game with Malan’s choice of wheelset. Front and rear rims are built with 32 holes by Japanese company Ukai, while quick-release hubs with sealed-cartridge bearings are also Japanese, from Suzue Industrial. Rear hub spacing is…

“To be honest, cycling is quite a selfish life...” Willie Smit grew up with an alcoholic mother who neglected him. He never went to school, and learned to fend for himself, spending large parts of his early childhood with his friends in the townships (suburban parents in his area refused to let their children befriend him). But at age 12, Child Services put him in the custody of his paternal grandparents, and this is when he discovered sport – and cycling. It turned his life around, though he had to overcome some stern challenges in the process, including the Epstein–Barr virus (a type of herpes), among others. However, his resilience has made him a 947 Cycle Challenge winner, a two-time Mpumalanga Tour winner, and one of the form racers on…

HERE’S WHAT I KNOW: Riding a bicycle brings me joy. But why this hobby over, say, building a 1:64 scale model train set based on the movie Snowpiercer? It’s not obvious. Cycling is more torture than massage, more salty than sweet. A good ride leaves my legs hurting and my lungs paper-thin. Injuries and expense are par for the course. Confined to the rational, the pursuit of cycling fails. It isn’t rational to rocket down Whistler in British Columbia with my hands frozen to the handlebar and grit scouring my teeth before launching myself into a veil of mist. It isn’t rational to head to Australia, where instead of enjoying a continent’s worth of beaches, I pedal over melting, sucking asphalt in infernal heat. But I need that exertion, the…

MY BIKE IS TANGLED in thorns at the bottom of a ravine, hurled there by a boy I thought I loved. The relationship had been intense. The kind where you’re certain you’ll spend the rest of your lives together, even though you’re 21 and don’t know what ‘the rest of your lives’ means. It was summer on an island off the New England coast known for rugged cliffside beaches and Victorian hotels. I’d ride all over on my sky-blue, 12-speed Univega with toe clips. To the beach. To get groceries. To the laundromat, where – to save money – I’d shove my clean wet clothes into a canvas bag, then balance it on my handlebars for the ride home. Some nights after whiskey at Captain Nick’s, I’d pedal, wobbly, down…

1. STOP SLEEPING IN ON WEEKENDS It confuses your system, says Frank Scheer, PhD, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Scheer says shifting your wake-up time from 6am to 9am on Saturday has the same effect as flying to a country three time zones away, then trying to wake up at your usual time at home again on Monday. 2. EASE INTO IT The part of your brain that controls your internal clock is evolutionarily wired to shift your wakeup time gradually with the changing seasons. Scheer recommends going to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier and setting your alarm back by the same amount each day until you reach your goal time. Then give it at least a week before you expect to feel normal. 3. ELIMINATE…

GET THE PRINT Share your passion for cycling with unique bicycle art, cycling prints and bicycle gifts from Michael Valenti. Visit michaelvalenti.com THE BUCK STOPS HERE 1. Zam-Buk The legendary do-it-all ointment will protect your skin from friction and infection, allowing you to ride in comfort. (Also very effective for nipple chafe, runners.) PRICE R37 / 60g tub Available from your nearest chemist ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO! 2. Mark II Shammy Cream Containing chlorhexidine, a medically-approved antibacterial, Mark II Shammy Cream will help to kill any looming bacteria, while added Vitamin E will heal painful lesions. PRICE R38 / 150g tub mark2.co.za BEST FOR HYGIENE 3. Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream For long-lasting protection, Blue Steel can be applied not…

What You Need to Know Available in black or with designs, to match a ProXision jersey as a set ∆ Available in sizes XXS to XXXL ∆ Designed with long rides in mind ∆ As at home on-road as off PRO INPUT With input from the likes of Candice Neethling, Robyn de Groot and Vera Adrian, three of Africa’s most decorated women mountain bikers and all with slightly different body proportions, Enjoy Fitness have fine-tuned their women-specific ProXision bibshort where it matters: in construction, fit, and of course the all-important chamois. CRISS-CROSSING The most obvious difference between the men’s and women’s ProXision bibshort is the ‘cross back’ bib design used in the women’s version. Instead of running parallel, the straps cross each other at the rear, reducing the amount of…