Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2017 i Bicycling South Africa

“I glowed with patriotic delight during that final stage of the Dauphine, when our man Louis attacked the likes of Froome and Alberto Contador…” AOOIY FNP IEASEU ORII A ZSHCKHE’U FET AMNTGEP TSU AMD HF AII EISE FAHISU SET TGE PECNPD BRTTNMT HT’S TNRP DE FPAMCE THLEV As much as we loved the drama of the Giro d’Italia this year, and as much as we like to the think the Vuelta is just as good, there is something about this three-week tour of France that makes it altogether better than the other Grand Tours. The Tour de France is the most famous cycle race in the world (even the Americans have heard about it, thanks to Lance) – an almost month-long soap opera of blood, sweat and gears, packaged together…

While we’ve all watched the pro peloton crushing the cobbles, it’s something entirely different conquering them yourself. As a former pro I rode mountain bikes both locally and abroad, but never had the chance to ride cobbles. I finally got to experience this while attending the 2017 Tour of Flanders, in Belgium. Surviving the brutal onslaught was like riding over a live wire that sends volts of electricity racing through your entire body. Now I watch the cobbled classics with a new-found respect for these amazing riders. OLI MUNNIK / 32 / BICYCLING GEAR EDITOR AND FORMER PRO RACER…

Think you’re making good weight-loss choices by using artificial sweeteners? Think again! Not only do they contain preservatives – sweeteners in SA (and the processed foods they’re in) typically contain the same dangerous synthetics as Splenda, Sweet’N Low, and AminoSweet in the US. Splenda is billed as a sugar substitute suitable for weight loss. But in fact, it’s sucralose; studies show that it increases body weight, is absorbed by fat cells, and reduces beneficial intestinal flora by 50%, which contributes to inflammatory illnesses. Sweet’N Low is saccharin, which has been associated with breathing difficulties, headaches, skin eruptions, and diarrhoea – and AminoSweet (the new name for aspartame) has been linked to an enormous list of health conditions, including brain tumours, joint pain, chronic fatigue, and more. Think about that when…

"Did your wife halve your cycling budget?" "Is that the front or the rear wheel you were left with after the divorce?" At least you cant get too tired/ two-tyred on that thing." "Where's the rest of your bike, dude?" "Look A monocle." "Are the clowns following you?" "These potholes are getting bad, this guy lost half his bike in one." NOT A CHIRP, but I've seen two commuting cyclists crash into each other head-on because they were staring at me - now thatwas funny! While on my mUni in Gibe Gorge, four mountain bikers came past, and as usual one guy said, "Where's your other wheel?" I replied , "Messy divorce. She took half of everything. You should see my car." Quick as a flash, one of the others…

These four snacks (and one drink) will turn your South African lounge into a French salon de divertissement. Just remember to bring the baguettes! OLIVES ÉPICÉES “This is a general term for spiced or marinated olives – in France, normally eaten straight out of the jar,” says Dangereux. They’re simple to make – you’ll find plenty of recipes online – but if you can’t be bothered, your local deli should have a variety. Pimento-stuffed olives will be about the most exotic you’ll find at a supermarket, but they’ll do at a pinch as long as you aren’t inviting any actual French people. delis and farm stalls for the good stuff, most supermarkets if you’re desperate. SAUCISSON A thick sausage, dried and cured, “similar to…

Frame and Fork Handmade Heritage In keeping with Colnago’s heritage, the team’s C60 frames are proudly handmade in Italy and feature Colnago’s distinctive star-shaped tubes and lugs – a design that dates back to the brand’s ‘Master Steel’ frames. While it’s similar in appearance to Colnago’s previous C-series frames (the C40 and C50), the C60 is built with slightly larger tube diameters and thinner tube walls. The lugged construction technique, synonymous with Colnago, offers riders an impressive range of sizes. Gone are the straight steerer tubes of old – the Meintjes C60’s carbon fork sports a tapered 1 1/8”″to 1 1/4”″carbon steerer. The frame supports mechanical and electronic wired drivetrains, as evidenced by the empty port on the driveside of the headtube lug. In the event of crash…

Able to withstand a tensile load of 300kg, the Ringmaster’s braided steel cable with fibre core is designed to withstand bolt cutters. Wrapped in silicone, it won’t damage your bikes while it protects them from baddies. Ryder’s Single Coil Lock is 12mm thick and 80cm long, making it perfect for dual use: as a traditional bike lock, and as a securing cable when transporting your bikes. Given its length, the Single Coil is best for securing one or two bikes on your rack. Comes with a spare key. The Akita is a non-coiled cable, which makes it easy to thread through your bike(s), while its vinyl coating will protect your frame(s). To suit your needs, it’s available in lengths of 1.8m or 1.2m. This Wordlock bike lock (we found a…

Bloating up can often lead to uncomfortable rides, and discomfort in general. There are a number of possible reasons. One of the most common reasons is constantly drinking fizzy drinks. Anything with carbonation, even beer, delivers bubbles right to your gut (which means more air), says gastroenterologist Jennifer Inra. And be careful of diet cooldrinks, or drinks with artificial sweeteners: “In themselves they cause bloating, because artificial sweeteners are not digested by your body.” Another cause could be sedentary office life. “When you’re sitting at your desk or on the couch for a while, your whole body kind of slows down,” says Inra. This can lead to swelling and bloating. Exercise – even walking around every now and then – can keep everything moving along regularly. One major concern is…

Get everyone you love on a bicycle at least once. • I leave water in my bottles all the time. Always have. It gains terroir. • You can’t head out for a good long ride and talk through everything going on in your life with a KOM. • One time at the base of the Tourmalet I knew I was fit, then by the time I got to the top I knew I was fat. That’s perspective. • Italian threads in a bottom bracket are more exotic than Italian threads in clothes. • You can get cycling so right you’re wrong, and you can go wrong enough with it that you get all the way to right again. • Only overload your jersey pockets for someone else. • Righty tighty…

The stripes represent the colours on the flags of all the nations that participated in the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896. The jersey pictured is one of two that Tom Simpson gave to the author’s mother in 1966. Bernard Thévenet (then on Peugeot) effectively ended Eddy Merckx’s cycling reign – and five-time Tour de France winning streak – when he defeated him to win the 1975 Tour. There has been a King of the Mountains title at the Tour since 1933, but this was the first year that the KOM was awarded a polka-dot jersey. Lucien Van Impe won it in 1975, the third of his six Tour KOM titles. Gan was a French insurance company that co-sponsored a team with French bike maker Mercier, from 1972 until…

Frame and Fork Foiled Again Coming on board as a new naming sponsor for 2017, Scott have elevated their support for the Australian-based World Tour team, having provided riders with bikes since the team’s inception in 2011. While Impey powered to his national TT victory aboard Scott’s full-blown Plasma TT machine, the 32-year-old’s weapon of choice in road races is Scott’s aero road bike, the Foil RC. Built from HMX carbon, the latest iteration of the Foil – unveiled in 2016 – sports a new lay-up, designed to smooth out the road without sacrificing stiffness. Of course, every effort has been made to reduce wind drag, and this is evidenced by the integrated headtube-and-stem configuration. The Foil’s 1¼” to 1½” tapered fork is also constructed from HMX carbon.…

FEATURED RACE TOUR OF ARA RACE THE STARS Break out your steel-frame bike, and prepare to take on the rough and tumble of the semi-desert Karoo. The Tour of Ara, named after the Ara constellation, is a six-day, 800km race/adventure across dirt roads, sand, stones and rocks. It starts in Sutherland, and loops its way back there before the final stage heads south to Matjiesfontein. You’ll need to be in tip-top shape for this one, as tough trails and testing conditions – including the possibility of snow – are on the cards. It’s an intimate, unsponsored event with limited entries, so you need to enter early if you want in. 29JULY-3 AUGUST, SUTHERLAND-MATJIESFONTEIN, 800KM GAUTENG ROAD 9 AUGUST SPEKE ROOIWAL CYCLE CHALLENGE 100km, 58km, 26km, 10km Grootvlei Gereformeerde Kerk, Rooiwal,…

“Most of all, riding a uni is just so much fun...” AGE: 39, Mountain Bike Unicyclist Donna Kisogloo rides a unicycle, but she’s not just a unicyclist; in fact, she’s a mUnicyclist. ‘mUni’ is mountain unicycling – an extreme sport, on the fringes of standard-issue cycling. “It’s wild, it’s rugged, and it’s a blast,” says the 39-year-old one-wheel wonder, who is a regular feature on Cape Town’s Tokai trails. “I love singletrack with flow; singletrack that’s engaging and technical,” she adds. Kisogloo, who went to the Unicycling Convention (UniCon) mountain cross-country in Spain last year, also rides on tar occasionally, and is the only woman ever to complete the Cape Town Cycle Tour on one wheel. It took her nine hours and some change. In May she completed a uni…

Mirror, mirror, on the wall… who’s the fastest one of all? With a record-equalling five consecutive wins in the sprinter’s-jersey competition at the Tour de France over the last five years (2012-2016), Peter Sagan heads into the 2017 event as the man to beat in the race for green. Sagan is the only rider in the pro peloton donning a pair of 100% Speedcraft sunnies like these, with mirrored wrap-around fire-red lenses. Oozing speed and attitude, they elevate Sagan’s already larger-than-life character from sporting superstar to riding rock star! 100% SPEEDCRAFT EYEWEAR PRICE: R1 760 SUPPLIER: VENTURESPORT.CO.ZA…

Frame Terrific Turquoise Fans of the easy-going Slovak were left drooling when he was spotted training on this bling disc version of Specialized’s ‘aero-is-everything’ Venge ViAS. While the claimed aero performance is dramatic, Sagan’s 56cm Venge ViAS is surprisingly porky; his rim-braked version runs a hefty 8kg, while this disc-equipped work of art tips the scales at 8.46 (without bottles or computer). Given the addition of discs and gold paint, the relative weight gain is understandable, but the fact that Sagan is prepared to race a machine 1.66kg above the UCI’s 6.8kg limit is astonishing. Weight aside, the glittering pearlescent frame paint, with hints of the turquoise team colours of Bora-Hansgrohe, is absolutely stunning; while the gold-bordered S-Works logo is fit for a champion. Wheels and Tyres…

Frame and Fork Protea Power Cervélo have honoured Reinie’s stellar performance in Wellington at the 2017 SA Road Champs – where he won the men’s road race – with this beautiful and stylish custom-painted S5. A King Protea stands proudly on the fork leg, while a stripe in the colours of the South African flag runs the length of the top tube. The inside of the rear stays and seat-tube too are decked out with the vivid SA flag colours, which contrast fantastically with the (primarily black) colour of the frame. The C5 frame itself is Cervélo’s answer to riders who demand a versatile package that is both aero and agile, making it perfect for the modern road racer. Wheels and Tyres Rider Enve Team Dimension…