Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Bicycling South Africa

THE FRONT DRUM HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND CHIPPED FROM YEARS OF SWEAT AND USE; BUT THE BIKE CADDY ROLLERS REPRESENT THREE DECADES OF CYCLING IN OUR FAMILY. When my brother Simon first bought them, the idea of balancing atop three whirring drums seemed impossible. WE EACH TOOK OUR TURN TO BALANCE IN A DOOR FRAME, SLIDE OUR SHOES INSIDE THE TOE CLIPS (YES, IT WAS THE EARLY 1990S), AND SLOWLY START TURNING THE PEDALS. // WE SOON REALISED THAT THE FASTER YOU PEDALLED, THE EASIER IT WAS TO STAY STABLE, AND SOON WE’D MASTERED THE TECHNIQUE. ON OCCASION, SIMON – WHO LATER BECAME THE AFRICAN OLYMPIC-DISTANCE TRIATHLON CHAMPION – WOULD SURVIVE FOR UP TO AN HOUR…

I remember it clearly. I was on a recovery ride with a friend of mine who I’d raced since we were juniors, discussing how things had unfolded during the 2013 MTN National Marathon series season opener. My friend, you see, had won that event the previous day (as he had on multiple occasions before). During our ride, he bragged to me that he’d been away on holiday the last two months of the off season, and had only put in two weeks of serious training for the event. And he’d beaten me by nearly 25 minutes that day! I, on the other hand, had been putting in the hours for a solid two months; but I put it down to the fact that I’d been training for a different discipline.…

WEND BIKE HOT MELT WAX / Hot-waxing a chain is still one of the best ways to get a long-lasting and low-friction lube. MUC-OFF NANOTUBE CHAIN LUBE / Developed to help Team Sky and British Cycling’s best go faster, this pricey lube is claimed to be long-lasting and suitable for all weather conditions. CERAMICSPEED UFO DRIP LUBE / The most expensive bottle of chain lube you’re likely to see, UFO Drip is claimed to offer 20 per cent lower friction than its nearest competitor, as well as improved drivetrain life. MOLTEN SPEED WAX RACE POWDER / Designed as a special-event boost for a chain already prepared with Molten Speed Wax, this Race Powder offers a 6 per cent reduction in friction for a limited period of time.…

HIM Attaquer All Day Faded Stripe Winter L/S Jersey Navy With its subtle shine, this understated jersey stands out in a crowd. Attaquer All Day Winter Bib Short Keep your tush warm. The fleece lining traps heat – and feels oh-so-cozy. HER Velocio Women’s Powerwool LS Base Layer Made of superfine wool with a polyester face, this baselayer has technical chops for cold days on the bike, and smart style for casual wear. Velocio Thermal Bib Short The dropper design of these winter bibs makes pee breaks easier – no more stripping in the cold. Cafe du Cycliste Albertine Vest Look cool – and stay super-warm – with this puffer. The baffled sections trap heat.…

AFTER HIKING MY mountain bike up the nearly vertical trail for 10 minutes, I knew it: I was lost. That didn’t come as a surprise, or even a concern. I had set out on an ambitious ride that included three trail systems, a giant climb, and intentional gaps in my plan of how to get from A to B to C. I knew the trail wouldn’t be marked, but that I would be able to get myself home – eventually. That sense of uncertainty is something I prize. To me, riding a bike should be an adventure, and adventure always includes dealing with things you didn’t plan for. I think it’s healthy: Finding an unexpected fork on a trail makes my brain light up at the entwined prospects of discovery…

Multitool k MTC-40 Ideal for the trails, this chain tool handles 5- to 12-speed chains and doubles as a rotor straightener. The C02 inflator is a rare but welcome addition. SOG PowerAccess Deluxe This 20-tool beast complements a standard set of hex keys by providing everything else: pliers, wire cutters, three blades (with a wood saw), and an awl. Silca T-Ratchet Kit This kit comes with hardened steel bits in 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, and 6mm hex fittings, plus T10, T20, and T25 Torx heads and a #2 Phillips head.…

IN 2016, LAEL WILCOX WON THE 6 700KM TRANS AM RACE OUTRIGHT, BEATING BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. THAT CEMENTED HER STATUS AS THE BEST CYCLIST IN THE WORLD AT RIDING INCREDIBLY LONG DISTANCES. BUT WHAT MAKES A SEEMINGLY MELLOW PERSON PUSH TO THE EDGE OF EXHAUSTION FOR THOUSANDS OF KAYS, BATTLING OTHER RIDERS TO SEE WHO CAN SLEEP LESS AND RIDE MORE? LAEL IS A TRAVELLER, A MENTOR, AND A CONTRARIAN – BUT SHE DIDN’T PLAN TO BE A RACER. SO WHY DOES SHE DO IT? WE SPENT A FEW DAYS WITH HER, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES HER TICK. 1 Ask the seventh-grade girls at Steller Secondary School in Anchorage, Alaska, to describe 32-year-old Alaskan Lael Wilcox, and they’ll tell you that she smells like spruce trees. “She’s almost…

1 / FUJIFILM X100F Go big and control the shot with this camera’s advanced hybrid viewfinder, eight-way focus finder, and eight custom filters. It can also endure extreme temperatures. 2 / Sony RX100 III Advanced Camera Great for panoramic shots, this premium compact camera has an electronic viewfinder and captures light just as well as models that are double the price. 3 / iPhone Xs No phone can compete with the Xs’s premier photo capabilities. Sharper action shots make it an excellent tool for epic rides.…

THE LIGHT FROM long winter days filters through the groves of yellow trees. We ride golden high-country singletrack with a kind of ravenous urgency, like animals storing fat for winter. High-altitude singletrack in the mountains lives on borrowed time. We never know it’s shutdown day until after that snow comes. Only in retrospect do you realise you’ve ridden those private, isolated trails for the last time this season. Then, like wintering moose, we shift to a lower range, where the rain shadow from the Continental Divide shields the low, semi-arid foothills from most storms. There, even in January, south-facing trails can be swept bare by sun and wind, bone-hard soil frozen but rideable, while miles to the west, the dense conifers hold their snow tight. We do not mourn the…

ROAD NODO PACKS TINY TOOL ROLL Odon Human is a civil engineer, trumpet player and bike nerd from Cape Town. NODO Packs is his side-hustle. (Odon/Nodo – get it?) His current line-up includes a seat bag with a roll-top closure, designed for a long ride – you can fit tubes and tools, plus a lightweight jacket. He also has a handlebar bag that can fit a sourdough loaf from Olympia Bakery in Kalk Bay (I can vouch for this), and he’s working on some frame bags for bike-packing trips. Of all his bags, however, the Tiny Tool Roll is my favourite. It’s just what you need for your standard Sunday-morning ride, accommodating a spare tube, a patch kit, a couple of bombs, a bomb adaptor and a bike tool. Why…

WHAT IS EMS CYCLING? EMS Cycling is an electrical muscular stimulation studio that uses the results of EMG testing to determine how activated your muscles are. This assessment determines which muscles are firing, and which ones are not, so you can improve your performance. A cycling programme is prescribed by a Biokineticist for you, based on your assessment. WHAT IS EMG TESTING? Electromyography (EMG) is an electro-diagnostic medicine technique for evaluating and recording electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. An electromyograph detects the electric potential generated by muscle cells when these cells are electrically or neurologically activated. EMS (Electro Muscle Stimulation) is then used to stimulate muscles not firing to balance up the cyclist’s body and recruit more muscle fibres. WHO IS IT FOR? EMS Cycling training programmes is for…

“I haven’t felt this fast in years.” That was the happy conclusion of an email from a friend I’ve been talking through some performance (and weight) ups and downs this year. His new secret to collecting Strava bling: slowing down. As he started spending more training time in lower heart-rate zones, his overall speed went up when he put the hammer down. This sounds totally counterintuitive to today’s ‘go hard or go home’ ethos. #BeastMode is now #EverydayMode for many riders thanks to the soaring popularity of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), which has been at the top of annual workout trend charts for the past 10 years. Admittedly, HIIT was a necessary response to the popularity of the low-and-slow fat-burning philosophy from the opposite side of the training spectrum. A…

INCREDIBLE LIFE-AFFIRMING DEATH-DEFYING TERRIFYING WONDROUS DISCOVERIES □ Your very first ride. □ The first ride that feels routine. □ The ride when you finally nail that rock garden. □ The first time you get dropped. □ Your first time on a velodrome. “How am I not sliding off?!” □ The ride you do with people that you used to hold up as Really Good Cyclists but now you’ve got faster and learned a lot more and you drop them or make it over an YOUR FIRST CLIPLESS PEDAL RIDE. obstacle they bobble on and you’re like, Whoa, maybe I’m getting good at this. □ The first ride that you fix your own flat. □ The first ride of winter. □ The ride where you realise how out of shape you’ve…

Define your story. “There are a lot of charity rides out there. Be really clear about what makes your story exciting. Have the elements of great branding: a great name, logo, and photos. Those things sound hard, but in every town there’s a photographer and a graphic designer looking for opportunities to grow their portfolios.” Pick a hero sponsor. “For that first ride in 2013, our strategy was to convince Rapha to believe in us, even though we don’t look like Rapha models. Once they backed us, it was exciting for other brands to participate. Focus your energy on landing that hero sponsor, because it will set the tone for others.” Make a pitch deck. “We always have one each year. We designed the deck to feel how the event…

Tyres flat, spokes break, and crank arms fall off. Bikes have more than 1 000 parts, and odds are, they’re going to break at some point. For the unprepared mechanicals and the tightest binds, we’ve got you covered. You have a flat tyre and you’re out of tubes. 18 MINUTES Remove one tyre bead and then the tube. Stuff the tyre with grass and leaves. You’ll need a lot of them. Your crank arm is loose but you don’t have the right Allen keys. 6 MINUTES Put two smaller keys into the bolt that equal its size - like an 8 and a 2 for a 10mm bolt - then tighten. You have a broken saddle or seatpost. 2 MINUTES Empty a water bottle, screw off the lid, and put…

1 / Revelate Designs Mag-Tank “I never stop to eat. I just snack while I ride. With its magnetic closure, this bag is really easy to open and close – I keep all my snacks in here.” 2 / SP Dynamo Hub, + Sinewave Cycles Beacon Headlight “I have a front wheel built with a dynamo hub, which powers my headlight and charges electronics. This is essential because I don’t stop long enough at power sources to charge my equipment.” 3 / Ergon GP2 Grips “Multiple hand positions are key for me while putting in such long days on the bike. My pinky and ring fingers always go numb during multi-day races, but these grips help a lot.” 4 / Specialized Airnet “A lightweight and comfortable helmet; the removeable brim…

THE DROP WAS a bridge to nowhere, a gangplank to oblivion that ended in a big scary question. She would need to go fast. If she didn’t make it, if she landed in the five-metre gap, well… it was best not to think about that. Because Laura Slavin had made up her mind that she was sending it today. She had done the XL jumps here at Mountain Creek Bike Park, but the Red Bull Covenant drop was different. The consequences were serious. At the top of the run, she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. All the way down, she took deep breaths. But as she came into the drop, her mind went quiet. She didn’t brake, didn’t hesitate. She felt nothing: no fear, no excitement. She watched herself…

Cyclists are a lot like sheep,aren’t they? You only need follow a couple of conversations at a coffee stop to get an understanding of what goes on in their minds: nobody wants to be left behind. This notion applies not only to races and group rides, but to all of the latest cycling doohickies and must-haves too. A few years ago, it was power meters. In 2017, it was 1x12 Sram Eagle drivetrains; and it’s looking like 2018/19 may very well be defined by the disc road bike. But what about GPS devices? Right now, smaller seems to be the in thing; but that may very well change. Garmin has ruled the roost for the better part of a decade now, and it’s only recently that the likes of Wahoo…

MICHAEL TABTABAI, RIDER, THE RIDE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, P.60 The saying “Buy nice or buy twice” has served me well over the years. I choose to support brands that have great customer service. Chances are you’ll break something eventually, and companies with great crash replacement programs (like Enve and Rapha) prove their value in how well they support you after the purchase. BLAIR BRAVERMAN WRITER If your dog likes to pull on the leash when you walk, try ‘bikejoring’. Harness your dog to the front of your bike and let it run ahead of you as you ride. (Please don’t jury-rig; they make attachments for this.) GABE LODGE TEST EDITOR If you tend to have pain on the outside edge of your kneecaps, try foam-rolling your IT bands for 10…

Considering our tiny, low-horsepower motors, any technical improvement in how much energy gets turned into motion is almost always worth pursuing. So when I saw a concept drivetrain at last year’s Eurobike trade show that claimed to have what would be the world’s highest efficiency, I was intrigued. Created by CeramicSpeed’s USA office and the University of Colorado Boulder’s Mechanical Engineering Department, the 1x13 drivetrain, called Driven, was the result of a quest by both parties to develop a bicycle drivetrain that could hit a mark of 99 per cent efficiency. In testing, the resulting concept exceeded the goal, according to CeramicSpeed’s chief technology officer, Jason Smith. The project began with a relatively clean slate. The only requirements were that the system had to use rotating pedals, be adaptable to…

Café du Cycliste is a French clothing brand known for their stylish, high-end jerseys and bibs for road riding. The Solenne jacket is their first foray into the world of adventure riding. It’s like your favourite hoodie crossed with your favourite cycling top: lightweight, and beautifully made from technical stretch fabric, with a textured top layer. It’s warm but breathable, and it looks just as good when you’re off the bike. There’s a full zip and proper pockets at the back for riding, plus hand-warmer pockets in the front for when you stop for coffee (or a spot of fly-fishing, as the promo pics suggest). Only the best for the discerning gentleman gravel grinder!…

1 / Chapel Leather Rider R2 999 Designed for riders with discerning taste, this may be the ultimate commuter bag. Built to carry your 15’’ Macbook and a variety of other ‘essentials’, this is the kind of bag you can use for your ride to work but still plonk down on the desk at an important client meeting. After a while the leather will get some houding, so by the time your grandchildren inherit it, it will be a family heirloom with stories to tell. Adjustable straps, a cotton-lined zip compartment and a padded back panel complete the package. chapelgoods.co.za…

Thule Pack ‘n Pedal Basket R650 Just because your R95 000 Spez Epic isn’t designed for it, bikes that help you carry a load can turn every shopping trip into a stress-relieving jaunt down to the local grocery shop. This modern version of the old-school wicker basket may not look as good in the French countryside, but works on a charm on the front or rear of your ‘second bike’. It may be the best reason to buy another bike. thule.com Wicker Front Basket R650 And for the more traditional, French-style basket... Voila! All you need now is a baguette, some Pinot (not Thibaut!) and a block of good cheese. olympiccycles.co.za…

IT’S BEEN A hellish week, and nothing in you wants to ride, but your annoying pal talks you into it, and when you arrive, the 12-person pack says, “It’ll be a simple ride.” So you roll out, hoping to emerge from this dark mood. But there are hills to climb, and an hour into pedalling, you’re seething. The rage only gets worse, and you begin to hate everyone on the ride for enjoying the day and for talking you into what they said would be easy. Two hours in, you’re still pedalling in the direction of the abyss. You’ve barely spoken to the pack, mostly because you’re always just off the back but also because their chattiness is horrifying. They decide to overtake a small deli. No one can decide…

I STARTED THE road ride with confidence, chatting with friends and flirting with the cute guy I’d been crushing on for weeks. It was spring, September, and everything felt right. But two hours in, I couldn't keep up. This can’t be my lowest gear, I thought, and made everyone stop so I could check if my brakes were rubbing. They weren’t. I thought back to my morning kit changes, braiding and re-braiding my hair. The faint memory of peeling a banana came to mind. Shit. I thought. I didn’t eat enough. On the next climb, my crush put his hand on my back to push me up the hill. I swerved, wobbled off the side of the road, and ate it. The crash didn't hurt anything but my ego, but…

AFTER WINNING THE biggest stage race on the women’s World Tour, the Giro Rosa, in 2013, I needed an adventure. When my older brother invited me to join his crew for the Steamboat Stinger, an 80km mountain-bike race through the peaks of Colorado, I was game. The long-climb-up, easy-singletrack-down course sounded perfect for a rider with my cardiovascular engine. I hadn’t mountain biked since high school, but somehow that didn’t strike me as a problem. I rolled my 2003 lavender Cannondale to the start, ready to show off. I reached the first summit in a respectable position. But roughly five seconds into the first descent, I discovered there’s no such thing as ‘easy singletrack’ when you don’t actually mountain bike. And so, sandwiched between a drop-off and a cliff face,…

DOs Do make it to the ride on time. If you’re late, the pack has every right to leave without you. Chase to catch up. Do be prepared. Nobody wants to wait while you mix your special cocktail of electrolytes in the back seat of your car. Do save your snot rockets for when you’re at the back. Do call out hazards. Tree branch? Roadkill? A truck barrelling down the shoulder? Yes, you should politely alert your fellow cyclists. Do shout – loudly – if you flat. Obscenities don’t count. Do finish together. DON’Ts Don’t ride like an idiot: Sudden swerves, braking, or accelerating is a no-no. Don't offer advice unless asked. No one likes a mansplainer. Don’t half-wheel. If the rider next to you can’t…

Build up positive experiences. Don’t push bigger than your skill level, says Slavin. “The whole trick is positive reinforcement. You hit a little jump and you’re scared but things turn out fine. So you move up to a bigger one. Every time it gets easier.” Build up a huge bank of positive reinforcement, Slavin says, so that when negative reinforcement – which is much more powerful – does happen, you can keep going. Baby steps – seriously. When Slavin was learning one-handers, she would lift one hand a centimetre or two off the bar for a moment, then replace it. When she was comfortable with that, she lifted it a bit higher. “Everything I do comes from massive amounts of volume. I work my way up to things very methodically.”…

Operating System Karoo OS (built on Android 6.0) Software Updates Regular, over-the-air via WiFi Physical Dimensions 98 x 72 x 28 mm Weight 168g (5.92 Oz) Battery 200mAh Lithium-Ion Polymer cell, 3-hour full recharge, 10-hour runtime with internet connectivity and all features running, 15-hour runtime with just screen, GPS & sensors. Touchscreen Capacitive with multi-touch, pinch-zoom, and water droplet rejection Recording interval 1 second Turn by turn navigation Turn by turn navigation on any route created or imported. Offline Map Updates On-demand, offline downloadable maps, based on Open Street maps. Routing On-device route-making and navigation via waypoints or location search. Route Types Create routes optimised for road, gravel and MTB riding. Re-routing Reroute in-ride on any route that you make or import Route Import Import, create and manage routes on…