Greyton Challenge - Stage 2

Day 2 started with a lucky draw where I actually won something for a change. The prize was an Argus hamper with loads of nice Argus branded goodies. The snow was gone, but somehow it felt colder than the day before. 3 start groups became 2 groups and we set off just after 8. I have somehow "lost" the big ring on my crankset and had to stop to try and fix the problem. My brother stopped as well to see if he could help out. 10 minutes later we were off again after some guides also stopped to give a hand. Now we were chasing the pack. We had a clean run in the first singletrack and started catching riders soon after entering the second section of single track. A short stint on the Riviersonderend road lead us to a farm road that lead to some fun sections of trail. This bit is all too familiar to riders that has done the Greyton Classic in June. The single track is established and on a good day priovides for very fast riding conditions. Today the trail was dry enough but stopping to repair my bike meant that we were now weaving our way through the back markers. Soon we were climbing to connect to the next section of single track and for some reason my brother dropped off. I waited up to see what was happening and as he passed me I realised that his rear shock has collapsed. We took it easy to the next water point where Sean managed to procure a shck pump. After a leisurly stop we carried on riding, but soon it was clear that the shock needed more than just a bit of air. We said our fair wells at the point where the return riders met up with the outgoing riders and I carried on by myself. About 10 kms on my front dereullier was playing up again and I realised that the gear cable was too damaged to try and repair. I was spinning on my small blade at 18 km/h while the riders from behind was passing at about double my speed. At the second water table we were served a very nice Shiraz and in keeping with the Challenge ethos I had a taste. A few tastings later I set off again spinning at 18 km/h. I carved through another section of newly cut trails to hook up with the trail network just East of Greyton again. By now my legs were feeling the effects of spinning light gears and I started to look forward to ending the ride. Soon we climbed our way back to Uitkyk Primary school where I crossed the finish line as one happy mountain biker. Note: Uitkyk Primary School was one of the main beneficiaries from the race proceeds. We learnt this weekend that the school with about 100 learners only received R26 000 from the state and that many households in the area cannot afford the school fees. Please consider sponsoring a child's school fees as education is the only sure way to ensure an equal playing field for all. Visit http://uitkykprimary.blogspot.com/ for more info or email the principal at uitkykprimary@gmail.com I will be in contact with the local mountainbiking community to see if there is an opportunity to arrange a mountain biking weekend in the area in aid of the school. Watch this space !

Greyton Challenge - Day 1

This weekend the inaugural Greyton Challenge was held in Greyton. While this is not a race (no official timing), it was fiercely competitive. A friend of mine once commented that all you need for a race are 2 mountain bikers. The drive to Greyton was cold and wet and it was clear that the trails, many of it virgin cut single track would take a beating in the next 2 days. The last rain shower fell at 7am and as we lined up for a chilly, muddy start at Uitkyk Primary school the skies miraculously cleared to reveal a thick blanket of snow on the mountains. The start chute was orginised in 3 batches, fast, medium and slow and we set off just after 8am with a meander through the back roads towards the Riviersonderend road where we lined up the first fun section of single track. Fast and flat and non technical meant that the flow was good and there was ample opportunity to pass slower riders throughout the trail. A few kilometres later we exited the trail and after a short stint on the gravel we were climbing a little kopje to the East of Greyton to link into the second single track section. This was even more fun than the first and with a few tighter turns and short dips and rises presented more of a challenge to some of the novices on the trail. The mood was pleasant and soon we were heading west towards Villiersdorp on the gravel. At this stage the mud was getting increasingly more prevalent and at places we had to pedal through ankle deep thick sludge that was draining the life out of everyone. At the second water point (I think the "town" is called Helderstroom) a make-shift bike wash was set up. A simpler solution would have been a few buckets with hand brushes in them to give your drive train a quick rinse and lube, but riders seemed to take the opportunity to deep clean the whole bike at the wash. I elected to rinse my bike with my water bottle and after a quick lube we set off again. We hit the third section of single track. Another well built section with some mild climbs and fun down-hill sections that would ride like a bob-sled track when dry. Another few kms of winding trail took us to Genadendal where we criss-crossed the town into the Riviersonderend Nature Reserve to hit the final and what turned out to be best section of single track of the weekend. Again fast and flowing, but with a few rocks and roots in-between to keep us all honest and tight little corners that had berms built up by the local trail builders to make sure that none of the speed carried into the corners were lost. I actually started to fatigue from the arm pumping and short hard pedal sections winding our way down the mountain and as soon as we levelled out I sat up a bit to let my legs recover. Another small climb took us to the Western outskirts of Greyton and soon we were sampling a complementary Castle Light, all caked in mud with only the whites of our eyes and teeth showing.

This is how I roll

Ok so while ago my beloved Trek Fuel Ex8 was stolen. I was sad about it as we have been through a lot in the two and half years together. The insurance paid out and I was hunting for a bike.

I had become a fan of the Trek remedy and said it might be my next. I started phoning, emailing and asking but luck was out. Trek distributor had only taken over in June this year from someone else and there is ZERO stock of everything. Nic was really helpful and contacted the manufacturer and found that even the international warehouse did  not have stock of the bike I wanted as it fall in the 2012 2013 cross over time. They also inform me that the new stock will still be a month or two at least and with that me dream for a remedy got stolen aswel. But what to get now....

While I was finding out about about the remedy I kept an eye on the secondhand markets, gumtree thehubsa etc. maybe a remedy would pop up there. But no luck. Something  else did catch my eye. Another bike that had been on my dream list before and I have always said it is one of the few carbon bikes I would consider. The spec was great and for the price it seemed like a hugh bargain. So I spoke to my local bike shop( Williams Bike Shop ) who's a dealer for it. And guess what, right that time the owner of the bike also walks in. So he agree to bring and leave the bike at William for me to have  a look at.

Had a few busy days but then on the Friday morning I before work I went to William to check the bike and feel it out. William's shop is in somerset West and only open at 8h30. I had a meeting at 9h00 in stellenbosch but I figure should be enough time to check the bike and get to work. Curveball. The one morning I'm bit in a time crunch, William runs a bit late. As he open the door I go in and start checking the bike. Is in GREAT condition. We slap a few pedals on quickly and I take a spin on the pavement. I felt 99% good on the bike from the start, just the  handlebars was bit narrow for my liking. By now, time was a problem. I had less than 15min to get to work for my weekly project meeting.  Thanked William and said I will phone the owner.

After my meeting I phoned the owner. I told him I like the bike and want it, but being me I always try my luck and got R2000 more off the price. Happy times. A quick eft and the bike was mine. I had loads of meetings that day but all I could think of was the bike. The first gap was lunch time and I rush back to William's to collect my new pride and joy.

And here she is

Ibis Mojo SL
Fork:RS Pike 454 air u-turn
Industry 9 straight pull + mavic 729  + Geax BarroMountain 2.1
Industry 9 straight pull + mavic 729 + Geax Gato 2.1
X0 triggers
XTR FD
X0 RD
Raceface Deus XC crank
Thomson Elite Seat post
ITM MTB1 carbon Riser Bar
Truvativ  AKA stem
Formula R1 brakes


She is nice and light and the 140mm of travel is SOOOO plush.  The extra travel and plushness has done so much for my confidence. I had the bike now for almost 2 weeks and already I have done jumps doubles and things I was afraid to do previously. The bike encourage you do play. The I9 wheel rolls so great. If I let go of the brakes it just rockets down the hill.

There is a few things that needs doing:

• The saddle is basicly a layer of carbon with layer of leather. My bottom does not agree with it. So yesterday I got in the post a secondhand Fizik Aliante I bought of gumtree for about half the price of a new one but almost is new still. 
• The chain is worn  so had replaced it with one of my spare chains.
• The bar is to narrow for me. I'm looking at the Answer ProTaper Carbon 720AM. I asked William to find out but the supplier dont have and is not get in his next shipment. So might have to import myself.
• The back hub had bit of play. After tighten it up we felt that one or more bearings is not what it must be. 
• Some cable housings have deep scuff marks from frame rub and need replacing.
• There is almost no cable rub protection on the bike. For this I have tracked down some awesome stuff. Its 3M 8561 protective tape ( abrasion, erosion, scratch, puncture and impact resistant ). Any form of 3M protective tape is hard to get in SA so this is coming from UK.

The bike is going in tomorrow for the rear hub bearings and cable housings.

So far I'm loving the bike. If I want, I could lighten the bike more with lighter rims and fork but the pike is absolutely great. The mavic 729 is downhill/Freeride rims and HUGH(36mm wide) but I like the idea of having such a bullet proof wheelset under me, specially if I play.

I trust this bike will serve me well next year when I do BCBikeRace on it

I cant believe it.. I RIDE A IBIS MOJO!!

Stormsriver Traverse Day 3

The storm Clouds gathered yesterday afternoon. I stood on my chalet balcony overlooking the ocean and you could see the weather sweeping in. By 9pm last night it was howling outside and by 3am this morning it sounded like the roof would blow off. I put the bad weather out of my mind as I got dressed and ready for today's stage and simply focussed on the job at hand. We started at 8am and I knew that with a gail force wind and driving rain my best bet would be to try and stick with the leading mixed teams. With trecherous decents and playing Russian Roulette with the unknown depth of each mud puddle we all had a few close shaves. If someone had to tap a foot down we would all sit up and make sure that the group was intact before we would hammer away again. I had flashbacks of a Sabie Xperience a few years back where pedalling up and down was equally difficult due to the mud grabbing at your wheels. On the final climb I elected to back off a bit to let the mixed teams that were racing for position race their own race. On the home stretch I caught up to their back wheels but didnt contest the sprint as none of my rivals over the last 3 days were anywhere close. I managed a 6 th position in the solo mens race today and was 3rd subvet on the stage. Today was as hard as yesterday, but I came in on 2h23 due to riding a smart race today.

Stormsriver Traverse Day 2

The day started with dry, but windy conditions. From the onset the pace was fast and very soon we hit the first muddy climb. Any hopes for a dry trail was instantly dashed. I started middle of the pack and had an interesting time passing some of the over eager back markers that thought that finishing day 1 waarants a place on the front row of the start grid. Some on the fly coaching tips were shouted in passing (I never shouted "hold your line" once) and I really had to focus on picking proper lines as some of the riders were doing their best to stay upright, so picking lines was way beyond their priorities. The mudslide took us to the Stormsriver mouth. This is where the world famous Otter Trail 5 day hike starts and it was very evident why the hike is rated as one of the best in the world. A cement path with gradients in excess of 20% took us up to the second waterpoint. I took a moment to look at the magnificent views with some of the fellow riders. As always the water points were fully stocked to Dryland Standards and after a chat and a giggle with some of the volunteers I set off again on what seems to be a mothballed golf estate. The headwinds alternated the muddy stretches and every kilometer etched by very slowly as we crossed the N2 twice on our way back to Storms River Village. Once again we were able to ride through some stunning indigenous forest sections. Bring on day 3!

Stormsriver Traverse Day 1

July was a particularly busy month. In between a nasty flu, Werner losing a bike, funerals in Gauteng and a very busy work schedule it was no surprise that very little training was done. If I had not booked the trip to Stormsriver last year already, I may have been tempted to cancel the trip altogether. With very little choice but to come and do the ride, we left Cape Town on Thursday morning early. The drive up was pleasant and by 3pm we reached the race village and registered. We checked in at Misty Mountain Reserve http://www.mistymountainreserve.co.za/ We had supper at the race village and went to bed soon afterwards. Day 1 started off rather chilly as we left Stormsrivier in an Easterly direction. With all the recent rains the trails were wet, but fortunately not too muddy. I resolved to ride at my own pace today and this paid off as I started to pick up the pace from 20km onwards. I was happy with my tyre choice for the race (a spesh purgatory 2.2 up front and the trusty Geax Saguro on the back). I completed the ride in 2h40 and was the third sub vet home and 13th overall male on the stage. Hopefully I've not gone too hard in the second part of the race today.

Tragic times

So today I took my bike to work to do some training over lunch.  Got to work, parked the car in our buildings basement ( technopark stellenbosch) and locked my bike with a cable lock too the bike rack.

Then around lunch I go down to get my things in the car and guess what, my bike is gone. MY BIKE IS STOLEN. At first thought maybe someone is pranking me but then realized I locked it so no.

I ask around and the laundry people saw a bakkie with tinted windows and two suspect guys. Went to police to make a case, and email insurance, so will wait and see what happen. I really hope they find it cause there are no trek fuel ex in stock in sa and secondhand is almost impossible to find in the correct size.

With this my aiming for a sub 4 on karoo2coast in september is gone as my training is not going to happen.
If anyone see my bike please let me know. Is not a common bike so if you see one please enquire.

Bastille MTB mud fest

Last wednesday I felt like my cold is 90% gone and decide to enter for the Bastille MTB race 40km held in Franschhoek.

Sunday morning I get up and get ready to go pickup Sune and I realized it will be a cold race with a little drizzle from the sky.

Driving down Franschhoek main road you could see there was a big party at the Bastille festival saturday night. Parking was just next to the road in small fields. Registration was a easy, maybe partly as we where early. Got our numbers and went back to the car to get ready. Few minutes later they announce that  start is delay by 15min.

After almost turning into an ice cube the race started. First 8km was flat on a combination of gravel, tar and paved roads so the field can spread out. This went by really fast but was followed by climb on tar before we finally drop into nature. Next few km's was rocky jeep track with water streams coming down the track at times. After this bit I was soak from my toes to my lower back water and mud. It was 40min in and still freezing. My body was just not building up enough heat to counter the cold fully.

Now 11km in is where things went wrong and about 1/3 of the group, of which was the front bunch, went wrong and did not even know it. We where suppose to turn left but kept straight. The first sign that we went wrong was when we saw a signboard on the wrong side of the fence. Not knowing where we went wrong a group of us, maybe about 10-20, hop over the fence. Turns out that we cut out about 10km part of the route, which they say was the best part  of the route. This was only found out at the end.

After hoping the fence we continue on the route. After a few km's I realized something was wrong as we had done 20km and and not even 200m of climb where we must do 1200 in the 40km. Soon after this we start a climb. A non stop climb of 276m in 4.03km. I just keep telling myself what goes up must come down. But the down was bit of a downer. There was loads of clay and it was so slippery that I had no choice but to take it carefully down.

At the bottom we start doing small ups and downs thought the farms towards the end but thick dark mud with very little to zero traction. I few times I was peddling but stayed in the same place. Just had to get off and try to walk.

Close to the end I aimed for every water puddle i saw just to rinse me and the bike little.

I think one the reason for people getting lost was they used white powder chalk at some places and being wet and many riders going over it, chances are it might disappear.

Because so many got the route wrong and was so much earlier in, they did the lucky draw much earlier, and the people doing the full route and no chance for the lucky draw.

My overall impression of the event is not great. I can't say it was one thing but maybe a combination of everything. The main bad points for me was at the start/finish there you had to stand or sit on the soaking wet grass and the route could have been beter marked. Also the spirit was not great. I got the feeling everyone just want to get out of there.

BC Bike Race entry time!

Sunday...6pm...BC Bike Race entry time rolls around.
I invited Werner around for supper so that we can enter together when the entries open. At exactly 6pm the magic green button appears and we type like its the Olympic Typewriting finals. I fill in the details, check the boxes for the meal upgrades, check the disclaimer boxes. It feels like a Economics 244 paper that I'm writing. Eventually I get to "submit" and hit the button and the computer say "No" Transaction declined. Cr@p. I start over and get a call from Standard Bank's fraud dept.
"Did you just logged a transaction for a payment to a company in Canada?"
"Yes! Yes! I need to pay now!"
"Ok, sorry about the inconvenience"
Werner also has authorization issues and we go through the process again. This time the price jumped from the $1499 early bird to $1699. $200 because the bank wanted to check the transaction? Oh well, lets worry about that later.
Finally the payments went through and we are well on our way! This is going to be amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfYbtYJtxGs

Gansbaai MTB 45km ride report

On Friday Werner and I headed out to Gansbaai for the annual Gansbaai MTB Sterktrap. Werner is a regular at the event and suggested that I miss the 60km race and enter for the 45km. He promised me a tough ride, some of the most amazing scenery and a great trail. I got all of that and more.

The race registration went smoothly with the orginisers making it as easy as possible for entrants to register. Our disclaimer forms were already completed for us and we merely had to get sign the forms and take our number boards to complete the process.

The race snakes started on the 60km race at 9am and we followed 10 minutes later. This is one of the few races where the middle routes gets the biggest number of riders. I soon understood why this was the case. We left the start venue and headed straight for the hills. Soon we were climbing some jeep track laced with single track (about 25% of the single track seemed to be virgin trail for this year's event and Werner assured me that every year there are more single track being added). Going down was a heap of fun with technical jeep track and single track keeping us honest and providing some entertainment as well. I had a close call after the first major climb with the bolts on my stem loosening somehow and leaving me with a handlebar that was sliding from side to side. I decided to stop just off the singletrack to tighten the bolts.

Soon Werner and I was on the second big climb of the day. Werner was battling to shake the flu bug for a few weeks and I had a leisurly ride to the beacon on the second climb where I waited for him to catch up. We took the time to take a few snaps as well and I assured him that we could take it "easy" if he was not feeling great.

We stopped for a quick bite and water at the first water point. By this time we were warmed up nicely.
Werner is a bit of a singletrack junkie with technical skills that surpasses my own by a long distance, so while I was pulling away on the ups, he came shuttling past on the downs. He also had the distinction of being one of 3 riders that rode across a 30 cm wide weir. I didn't have the balls to attempt it and stood on while he made it look easy. I'll post the gopro footage once I've processed it.

The second water point was at the start of a 5km circular loop to the highest point in the Overberg. The views from the top was obscured by the clouds and rain, but this ride up was really rewarding. We made our way back to the water point and took on the final assult to the finish with us digging deep to keep the speed up to the finish.

With fantastic prizes up for grabs the registration hall wa packed afterwards. Riders all had smug faces and wide grins after a fantastic day on the trails. I would really have liked another go at this trail. I'm hoping that the volunteers that are cutting the trails and putting the event up would open it up to the public in the near future. It would be fantastic to add Gansbaai to the already growing list of trails in the Western Cape.

This rates as one of the best "small" races I've done in ages. It is so refreshing to see that you don't need a big budget to host an event like this. I loved the hand painted sign boards, the way the locals got behind the event with voluntering and sponsorship of prizes and how the riders in the Western Cape have embraced the event. A real success story so far...

PS: Corrie, if you are reading this, its not just a subtle hint. We would really like to come and bed in your single track over weekends :)

Small event orginisers - A survival guide

Usually my writing is aimed at the mountain biking community, but this morning I am writing to Event organisers, and in particular the smaller operators. With Mountain biking growing at a phenomenal rate the opportunities are endless. Or so it seems. With only 52 weekends in a year and a calendar that is already hosting a multi stage race just about every weekend, you may find yourself competing with bigger and more established events for numbers. Many riders out there (myself included) enjoy the smaller races, provided that they get the basics right.

All events start with the route.
Work out what it is that you would like to achieve and make sure the route compliments this. If its tough you're looking for, the route needs to be tough, if you are appealing to the family and weekend warriors, the route needs to reflect this as well. Riders want interesting routes with a variety of terrain. If your race does not make use of established mountain bike trails at places, you will have to be prepared to put in some elbow grease at places. Very few virgin trails are rider ready (unless you are into the tough race business), so work will be required to get the trails ridable and enjoyable. Be careful though, because 1km of single track is expensive and time consuming to build for a small pay-off. Having a long term view helps and will afford you the opportunity to evolve the trails. Land owners may also over time buy into trail building if it makes economical sense for them, ie. it attracts riders throughout the year to their lodges, chalets and guest houses. Have accurate information on the routes (profiles and good route descriptions).

Next most important would be administration.
Invest in good online booking systems, communication channels with riders that have done your events before and make sure that you get proper feedback from riders after events. Race administration is also very important. Ensure that registration runs smoothly, timing is done professionally and results are posted on the website quickly after the event. Gather contact details of participants to get feedback later on and to contact them again when you are hosting events in future.

Third is marketing.
Use your database of riders who has completed your events previously. This is the single most valuable marketing resource you have. We all know that it is much easier to generate repeat business, so create a following and keep everyone interested in what you are planning. A user friendly website is also a must. Spend money and get a professional to assist you here. Make sure it navigates easily, is easily updated with new information and that all the links to electronic payment sites work. Social media is similarly important. Having a rider "like" your facebook page puts you in contact with all their mountain biking friends. You get people to like your page by posting regular and interesting information on your page. A facebook page is also an easy way to interact with your following.

Forth is the event itself.
Make sure that you keep things simple and that everything runs smoothly during the event. If you hand out clothing, make sure that you have the sizing right for participants. If you provide catering, make sure that you take dietary requirements into account. The devil is in the detail, and the detail needs to be documented. By the time the event start you'll feel like you need a months holiday, but in reality the pressure really starts when the first rider checks in at registration. Even if you have organised countless events, you are not going to be everywhere every time, so make sure that your support team are informed and empowered to make decisions. You also don't want to be involved with the smallest requests like changing a team member or making a change from a long route to a shorter route. Remember that the event as a whole is what makes the experience worth while. Small things like good sound and a race announcer, support services like bike shops, food stalls and massage services all enhance the experience, so make sure that this is not just an afterthought. You'll know how many medics are required, where to place marshalls, whether or not you need traffic department approval and assistance, etc. so I am not going to comment there. Make sure that you have a contingency plan for adverse weather and other possible challenges that may arise.

Fifth is your support staff and community
If you are in business with a family member remember that this will put pressure on this relationship from time to time. You will also rely on volunteer staff for the event itself, so make sure that you have a good relationship with these people and the organisations they represent and that the experience is enjoyable for them too. Don't underestimate the role the community can play in your event, and what you can do for the community. Some of SA's best run races have community involvement and upliftment at the forefront of the organisers agenda.

Sixth is sponsorship.
Its sixth because without 1 to 5 no sponsor will touch your race. Document 1 to 5 into a business plan and event manual and do a proper presentation to your sponsors. Be specific on what you would like sponsored and make sure that sponsor requirements are met. Not every sponsor can be the title sponsor so work out what would be in it for the smaller sponsors. Being a title sponsor for a company places an obligation on the sponsor to ensure that the event is run properly and the organiser will have to address this at all levels before anyone will commit to sponsorship, no matter how small the monetary value of the sponsorship. Often sponsors adopt a "wait-and-see" approach so you may have to go at it alone for the first year. If you have a brand and a good reputation, it will be easier to attract sponsors for new events. Remember that a sponsorship is a two-way street and make sure that your sponsor gets from the event what you promised them. Like the riders, the sponsors are your clients so make sure that you communicate with them and that they are happy with the outcomes.

Seventh is pricing
With a good business plan, sponsors tied down, routes planned, logistics and admin sorted out the only thing left would be the price. All of the above has a bearing on this and remember to be realistic when pricing the event. Pricing never stands in isolation. It stands in relation to the value proposition for the rider and his family, so if there is more value to do another event or even something entirely different, you'll find the going quite tough to generate enough interest in your event. It may force you to get innovative on higher cost items in your budget or to simplify certain areas where the added cost simply doesn't justify the outcome. One advantage is that you get the money up-front. If your own cashflow cannot accommodate deposits for sound equipment, venues or other up front cost, ensure that riders enter early. Discounted Early-bird entries or incentives to early entrants are handy tools to secure the funds required early on. Pricing is like walking a tightrope and tilting too much to either side may end up in either no one entering, or the event running at a financial loss. So be mindful of your budget at all times and make sure that you have done proper costings, firmed up quotes and keep a contingency fund just in case. Contingencies can always be used to add something small for the riders, volunteers or sponsors later on, so don't spend all the money at once!

Mountain biking needs the small sponsors and the smaller races, so to all the small event organisers out there, Thanks for helping to develop the sport and keep up the good work.

Klein Karoo Klassiek - Time trial stage

The rest of day 2 consisted of trying to get my cassette swopped onto my wife's rear wheel. The bike shop didn't have the tools to do the job, so I ended up simply setting up the trusty old Merida for another day in service. In the evening we ended up across the road at Uhuroe (spelling?) to watch the Springboks almost snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This was followed by a Spitbraai at the Spa and a few Irish coffees at the chalet before turning in for the night. 

Stage 3 was a time trial with a very impressive start shute and a reverse order start. I managed to get a fairly late start time despite not finishing day 2. I used the late start to good effect and proceeded to rope in the riders ahead of me while trying to keep the steam train from behind from hitting me. The first 14 kms was on good dirt roads and I tried to maximize the advantage the hard tail gave me before hitting the technical section in the reserve. The short, rough climbs would have been perfect terrain for the Zula, but I was simply trying to keep the pack of wolves behind me while catching a few riders in the process. I was on the edge for most of the technical section and if felt like I was slightly over the edge on some of the descents. Once on the dirt road Deon managed to catch me, then Melt was on my wheel, and thereafter Michelle steamed past. Another 2 riders came past and by now I was simply hanging on to defend my top 10 position for the stage. 

We made our way back to the Spa and I ended up doing the 40km time trial in 87 minutes. My lungs were burning and my heart was pounding through my ribcage, but I was happy. 

I always struggle mentally after a bad stage, but today I smashed that time trial to try and make amends for a bike that broke the day before. It felt really good to ride at fullgas for 87 minutes. 

Klein Karoo Klassiek ride report

With bags packed and bikes onboard we left for Calitzdorp Spa on Thursday for the Klein Karoo Klassiek 3 day stage race. We arived rather late on Thursday evening and after a fair nights sleep I lined up with a small field for the start of day 1. The sub zero temperatures at the start made for a modest pace and with 95 km of racing to come, there would be plenty of time to heat things up later. The loop through Calitzdorp to the Red Stone Hills and back through Rietfontein was scenic as ever and all too soon we were crossing the finish line at the Spa. With good legs and a solid effort I managed a 7th overall for the day. Day 2 The start was almost as chilly as the previous day, but with some day visitors the riding was much faster at the start. I settled in the second group and as we hit Rooiberg Pass I broke clear and managed to crest the 800 m climb in 40 minutes (20 minutes faster as my previous attempt, so I was very pleased with my effort) my heart rate was under control and I was catching some of the front group drop offs as we turned into a Game Reserve for a bit of the rough stuff. Soon the rugged Jeeptrack turned into river bed with rocks alternated by sand making for slow going. I managed to pass 2 riders and was now in 6th with no one in sight behind or in the front. Then desaster struck. I strpped my freewheel body and had to get off and walk. To compound mattets it seemed like everyone in front of us took the wrong turn somewhere as the reserve trail was very poorly marked. I had a bit of a walk with a fellow rider who also had wheel trouble and after more than 30 minutes of walking, some of the second group riders started to pass us. Another 2 hours of walking and 13 km later I joined the dirt road where my wife was waiting for me after receiving my S.O.S. Earlier in the day. Dean who walked the walk with me and I was very happy to get into the car to end the nightmare of technical issues, getting lost and doing a very long walk in mountainbike cleats. As things stand I will be riding tomorrow's time trail on Rochelle's Merida and I will be shopping for a new wheelset in the week.

SRAM 2x10 Gripshift review

With SRAM finally launching its much anticipated 2x10 Gripshift internationally in April, we were all left wondering when we will finally get our hands on a set. I ordered a pair as soon as I saw them available at a local online store (even before CRC had stock...WOW!)
This meant a whole drive train upgrade from my trusty X0 3x9 setup, which I ordered all online with the gripshifts. I ended up going for the XX rear derailleur, cranks and front derailleur with the 1080 cassette and 1091 hollow pin chain to seal the deal.
A week later I received my goodies and that evening I installed the drive train and shifters. I have done enough cable changes on my X0 9 speed gripshifts and got the cables through to the derailleur in no-time. The gripshifts and handlebars combines to form a unit that locks onto the handlebars with a lock ring before the shifter and a lock ring on the handlebar, torqued to 3Nm. Setting the derailleur were quite simple, with fine tuning taking a bit of time to get 100% right. I managed to get out on the trails on Saturday and Sunday to get a real feel for the new shifters.
The shifts are precise and crisp and the XX derailleur seem to respond to my small moves of the wrist almost telepathically. You get a very nice "click" as the gears shift, but the shifts are much lighter than what was the case with the previous generation. Dumping gears are even easier than before due to the ease of which the shifting is done. I have not done any accidental shifting, but have overshifted once or twice as the spacing between shifts are shorter than with the 9speed setup. The front shifts as easily as the rear, but SRAM did away with the "micro adjust" functionality they had with the 3speed front derailleur (essentially you are able to make small adjustments on the shifter barrel to accommodate small front adjustments required). I suspect that these adjustments are now judged to be superfluous as you now have only 2 options.
Another omission on the new shifters are number dials to indicate the gear you are currently riding. This is a small annoyance in the daytime as a quick glance or simply counting gear shifts will always help you to know which gear you're in. I like to train certain climbs in certain gear ratio's from time to time to gauge my form and will now have to get used to not having the gear displayed on the shifter as before. Night riding is also easier with knowing in which gear you are (especially on the front). 
The integrated shifter / handlebar combo also means that I had to ditch my trusty Ergon grips and bar ends and probably means that I will have to revert to bar ends for the longer rides. Hopefully SRAM or Ergon will come up with an after-market grip with a bit of a bar end as it feels wrong to destroy the classic look of the shifter/handlebar with bar ends at this stage.

I am looking forward to test the shifters in racing conditions this coming weekend in the Klein Karoo Klassiek at Calitzdorp and may just ditch my vanity to fit bar ends after the mammoth first stage doing Rooiberg Pass twice in one day.

Sani2C - Stage 3

After the hard work done on day 2, the extra rest was most welcome. A 8:40 start meant some extra shut-eye and time to digest breakfast. I have given up on avoiding the carbs, as big race menus simply run on carbs. After 2 wheet-bix and some mieliepap I was ready to rock n roll. We went out fast and hit the dual tracks at speed. For once I could stick on Chris' wheel and we made it to the first water point in 1 hour. Unfortunately the big push over the first 22 km took its toll and the second 34 km was a real suffer fest. I had to dig really deep for Work To Be Done and Heart Rate Hill and after the second water point I was really just hanging on to the finish. Soon we were on the beach at Scottburgh making our way to the High School. The drag up the hill had me tasting blood again, but soon we crossed the finish line to celebrate 3 of the most spectacular days of mountain biking South Africa has to offer. I am commited to doing only one race next year (more on that in a later blog), but should I manage to schedule another one, there is simply no doubt which race I would pencil into my diary for 2013. Thanks to the Haw family for their hard work to put this race together for 4600 riders to enjoy, thanks to all the sponsors for making this dream a reality. To my partner, Chris: It was the best 3 days on the bike I have had, thanks for your patience and encouragement theoughout the race. To my fellow riders: it was a privilage to race against you for 270km and to succeed with you. Last but not least, to Rochelle, my wife: thsnk you for all your support and for being there at the start and the finish. Enjoying this moment with you made it all the more special.

Sani2C - Stage 2

The day started somewhat more leisurly than most races. The seeded start meant that we started at 7:45. The first 10 km got the legs going and soon we were hitting the dual tracks with glimpses of the valley below. Chris was once again up ahead and I was riding mid pack, mindful of what was to come. As we hit Yankee Doodle my spirits lifted. This was the reason we all mountainbike...absolute singletrack bliss! Soon we were onto Murray's Meander and with some open track I managed to stitch a few proper sections together. We passed the school singletrack and I realised that my partner was further back. Selfishly I continued my run down into the valley trusting that Chris would not need assistance. All too soon we were on the Umko single track. I waited after the section for Chris and after a few minutes I saw his grinning face in a group coming through. We made our way accross the floating bridge into some more single track. Soon we crossed the Peri scaffolding bridge into the first water point. A splash and dash saw us on our way and straight away the climbing started. Kms 38 to 68 to Nandos took us 2h30m to do with 1200m ascent and 13 water crossings. A new addition to this years event was bridges over some of the more challenging water crossings. The result was that every single crossing was ridable. It was getting hotter and the climbing seemed to carry on for ever. The climb before Nandos was particularly untimely, but we soldiered on. At Nandos we had a 15 minute rest as Push of a Climb was coming up. I felt quite shattered and the rest rejuvinated me for the remaining 32 km. After push of a climb, we worked our way to the fishermans trail and onto the third water point. At this point I simply wanted to finish the ride. As we left Chris mentioned that a time of 6:30 would not be too shabby, and I took it upon myself to kick really hard to see how close we could get to it. So the last 15 km took us 32 minutes and we crossed the line in 6:35. Like they say at Sani2C "That was PROPER !"

Sani2C - Stage 1

5:00. Underberg. Its sub zero outside when my alarm sounds to wake me for the day's adventure. I had a bit if a fever in the night, but hopefully its nothing serious 5:45. Dressed and ready for breakfast. Doing a low carb breakfast is a challenge when everything is carbs on the breakfast table. 2 pieces of bacon and a scrabled egg will have to do 7:10. All packed and boxes delivered to the truck. Its warmed up to 2.5deg Celsius 7:50. We're off! It soon becomes aparant that I'm in no shape to hang with "F" group, so I try to get my heartrate down while my lungs are protesting violently about the altitude 8:50. We hit the first singletrack and riders keep passing me. The legs are completely shot. I am also quite annoyed with my squeeling brakes. It was fine yesterday, today it sounds like a rusty wheelbarrow. The singletrack is sublime though and I manage to get clear trail on lare parts 9:20. It feels like I'm climbing with a brick in my back pocket. Chris has to wait at nearly every hilltop. I feel frustrated and dissapointed 9:45. The floating bridge is a treat! We give the tandem ahead of us a clear bridge, more out of fear than curtousy. 10:00. The first water point. A quick banana, some blue pills (not the raunchy kind) and a refill and we're off. Sections of single track laced with short(ish) climbs make the time pass quicker and my legs start to feel like something more solid than jelly for the first time in the day. I rip through the singletrack at high speed and relish in the pure ecstacy of riding my bike. 11:00. We are now truly in rural KZN. Everywhere there are Zulu huts scattered in little clumps. We stop to take some pictures. 11:30. The second water point and the camera man points his lens in my face and ask how the ride is. I push a smile out and say that its magnificent, omitting the bit where I feel like a walking corpse today. 12:00. We're on new trail through a diary farm and the riders in our group start to rev their engins for the final push to the finish line. 12:30. We cross the finish line in what felt like an eternety today. Lets hope for better legs tomorrow.

The night before

So after a fairly uneventful flight (thank goodness!) and a very relaxing day in the Southern Drakensberg I find myself in front of a cosy fireplace at Pile Inn eves dropping on Brandon Sreward and Darren Lill's war stories and getting a bit of insight into the world of the professional SA mountainbiker. It seems like everyone knows everyone's business and that they all ride hard and party even harder. They are also not uber-orginised either. I suppose its like another business trip to them and that they take it as it comes. The SoutHern Drakensberg gave us a perfect autumn day in which we visited a local art gallery (and purchased the most stunning photograph), the Underberg Cheesery (which we sampled and then bought just about every cheese they have), lunch at Moorcroft Manor topped by a drive to the SA border on the Sani Pass. I am feeling incredibly blessed tonight as Chris and I are about to embark on an Adventure of note. 3 days of the best trails SA have to offer while mixing it with some of the worlds best! Bring on Stage 1.

Houw Hoek Challenge Day 2

After the first day of the Houw Hoek Challenge I ran into a minor snag with my seat post. More about this in another post. The end result was that I was riding the second day on my trusty old hardtail. On a trail that was not technical by any stretch of the imagination, I actually enjoyed all the feedback from the rear stays and tyres while racing.
The day started off at the Houw Hoek Inn.  Day 1's fast group almost doubled in size. Somehow riders thought that finishing day 1 constituted being a fast rider. I started once again in the second group with a very gentle pace from the front. The old Houw Hoek pass remains a gem. If you ever pass the area with your 4x4 and have 30 minutes to spare, turn off at the Inn and follow the old pass to Botrivier. The railway line running next to the trail takes you back to an era where rail transport was the pinnacle and bicycles had funny wheel sizes (some things never change).
After the Pass we skirted Botrivier through farmland with interesting little sections of single track. The weather was hotting up nicely and I removed my long sleeved cycling jersey at one of the stoppages where riders were not able to negotiate a small A frame bridge.
Once we passed the steel bridge, the climbing started. The sun was shining and the gradient was gentle. The water point was well stocked with jelly babies, potatoes, coke, water and sarmies. I simply filled my bottle and moved along. I had to constantly tell myself to slow down as I was definitely not racing this one. I judged my effort quite well to ensure that there was a reasonable gap between my group and the group ahead of us. I took the front and cleared down the single track in the reserve. After about 2 minutes we caught up with the group ahead of us. They seemed to be more intent on chirping each other than focusing on riding their bikes and I had a few choice chirps to add myself. After some more friendly banter I moved off to find less chirpy company ahead.
The Hermanus trail network has eluded me for years, but suddenly I found myself right in the middle of it. I was pleasantly surprised by the work done here and resolved to make a return at the first proper opportunity to get away for the weekend to the Whale Route. The trail is beautifully constructed with provision for water run off, settled properly cambered berms and nice flowing lines. I opened up the throttle and flew on the parts where I had clear track.
The second water point was as well stocked as the first, but I opted for a simple water fill and a small piece of banana.
The celebration table just beyond Fernkloof at the top of the hill served a very well rounded Pinotage of which I had a few glasses. With views of the coast line from de Kelders to Sandbaai on our left we sped down to hook up with a nice little stretch of single track with a few small rock gardens and ruts to negotiate it kept us honest.
The Hemel and Aarde stretch of single track provided some fun as well and all too soon I was crossing the finish line at Hermanuspietersfontein to enjoy the wonderful vibe with fellow riders and supporters.

A huge thanks to Johan and his dedicated team for a fun weekend. It was really well organised and the overwhelming feedback from fellow riders was that it was very positive on the whole.

Houw Hoek Challenge Day 1

The weekend past I completed a very fun Houw Hoek Tour. The 2 day "race" was coordinated by Johan Kriegler from Wines2Whales fame and included some of the trails used during this race. Funds generated from the event goes towards maintaining and expanding the ever growing trails network in the Grabouw Area, so in my books its as good a cause as any.

I decided to travel from Table View to Houw Hoek (close to Botriver on the N2 towards Caledon) daily as weekends at home these days seem few and far in between. This meant getting up at 5am, but the benefits of sleeping in your own bed outweighs the rising early bit.

Registration:
This was done at the Houw Hoek Inn which was also the start / finish venue for day 1. I registered early on Saturday morning and was done in 5 minutes. We all received good quality arm warmers and a long sleeved T-Shirt that will definitely be worn. My wife commented that its cotton-Lycra and this is apparently good quality. For me it simply looks cool, so for now it rests with my winter clothes in the cupboard to be worn this winter.

After greeting some of the regulars I lined up in the "Medium Fast" group. The so called "Fast" group consisted of a mixture of racing snakes, recently converted house wives, roadies and overweight baggy-panted riders, so in essence the self seeding system failed dismally. Never mind: Its not a race (well not a timed event in any case) and the first climb sorted out a few of the not-so-fast "Fast" riders. Getting stuck in the Lebanon trail network behind riders that over estimated their ability to start in the Fast group was inevitable, but to all the newbies out there: This is often what stage races are about. Experience and patience usually pays off in these situations and a friendly "thank you" when riders move over helps everyone to enjoy the ride.

Once we got to Thandi, the field have spread out slightly and I decided to skip the water point to get some nice clear track for riding up the switchbacks. As we crossed over to Paul Cluver, we nearly missed the turn to Oak Valley, but a huge bunch of riders up front was coming back our way and signalled to us that we needed to turn around, and so we did. Hey, its not a mountain bike ride if you don't get lost at least once.

Oak Valley treated us with her usual flowing fast single track, done in reverse from the usual trail position. This provided a nice little twist to a route that most of us can ride with our eyes closed. We stayed on what was essentially the Green route and it took us back up to Paul Cluver where we made our way past the infamous Pofadder (venomous and very aggressive African snake) and the less intimidating Erdwurm (Earth Worm). I opted for the less intimidating route as we were advised at the start that when slightly wet, the wooded embankments may be a bit slippery. Since I am doing Sani2C in less than 2 weeks, caution was the better part of valour.

The trails taking us back to Houw Hoek Inn yielded some surprisingly good single track on the slopes of the hill that guards the Inn and with much fun and fanfare the ride completed in just over 3 hours.

Not a hard ride by any stretch of the imagination and a great way to introduce stage race virgins to the concept of multi stage races.

Big thanks to the Medium-Fast guide (Lance Stevenson from Epic Bike Shop) who kept all of us in good spirits while we waited at some of the more congested sections of the trail. The guide system seemed to have worked well lower down the field too.

Day 2 report to follow :)

Low carb eating and endurance sports.

A while ago I attended a Sani2C social evening hosted by BOE in Cape Town. One of the guest speakers were Prof Tim Noakes (author of the famed Lore of running and instigator of the recent low Carb debate in sporting circles). In 1 hour I had my dietary belief system re-aligned. The day after the Argus I bought the latest version of Atkins Diet (New Atkins for a new you) and started reading. If I was going to cut out the beloved carbs from my Diet, I needed to understand why. What struck me very early on is how honest the author was about the whole concept and later on I was impressed with the accurate description about how you end up feeling while being on the eating plan. I also liked the manner in which everything was explained.

6 weeks and 2 days into the Atkins programme I have shrunk from 103kg to 90.5kg and with no signs of slowing down. Since starting with the Atkins plan there have been numerous articles in weekly magazines, interviews on Carte Blanche and healthy debate about the effects of a low carb diet and endurance sports. My experience so far is that it works very well for me. Admittedly my longest training rides are only about 4 hours long. Before I would eat anything that moved after a long ride. Now I am very comfortable to eat at my normal meal times and to eat regular portions. I suspect that herein the secret lies. Before I felt hungry all the time while training hard, now I feel energized and meals give me a distinct feeling of rejuvenation, rather than feeling bloated and tired after eating.

Racing at Sani2C will test my new eating plan and I am curious to see what effect the slightly longer (and much harder) days will have in conjunction with my eating plan.

For those interested: My current eating plan consists of:
Breakfast
- 150g beef mince with 25g chopped onion and 25g chopped peppers
     or
- 2 scrambled eggs with 4 rashers of bacon
- Coffee with full cream milk (no sugar / sweetener)

Snack
- 1/2 avocado with salt and about 18g cream cheese (not combined with the avo!)
    or
- Droe wors (about 50g)

Lunch
- 150g chicken breast tossed in Nando's sauce (its a good low carb sauce if you like spicey foods), 50g lettuce, 50g tomatoes, 50g cucumber
    or
- 150g beef strips, 50g lettuce, 50g tomato, 50g cucumber with Ina Paarman Cesar dressing (also a nice low carb dressing to use)

Snack
- USN Pure Protein IGF 1 (low carb) shake

Dinner
- 200g Lamb chops with 100g grilled cauliflower/Broccoli covered with cheddar cheese and cream
    or
- 200g Grilled Hake fillet with garlic butter and 80g fine green beans steamed and dressed with olive oil and herbs
    or
- 250g Rump steak (you can leave the fat on) rubbed in olive oil, coriander and pepper corns with 100g portabella mushrooms with garlic and cheese (perfect for the braai)

My nutrition during training / racing:
- Race drink similar to USN Cyto Power (I get a supplement from T Nutrients that has similar ingredients, but tastes better to me) - about 1 bottle in 2 hours, alternating with a bottle of clean water
- USN Pure Protein Bar alternating with Droe wors (about 20g portions) every hour.

Paul Cluver / Thandi Trails - Fun, Fun!, FUN!!!

Today was the opening of the Paul Cluver / Thandi Trails mountain biking trail system. Those who ride the Epic or Wines2Whales races would be familiar with the trails, but for those of us that tend to race a bit further from home, the opening of these trails heralds a new era in the Grabouw area.
Long, long ago we had only Lebanon. Then Oak Valley got prominence when the ABSA Cape Epic established Oak Valley as the penultimate stop of the race. Since Grabouw has seen some trails at Oude Molen Distillery opening, but I am unsure whether these trails are still operational. Thandi had for a short time trails to ride, but I only ever rode these on invitation with locals that got permission to ride here. Now the trails are open for everyone and for most parts well marked.
Surely there is room for a light multi stage event incorporating the 3 Musketeers of the Grabouw/Elgin Valley, but more on this in a future blog. The focus today is purely on Paul Cluver / Thandi.
I have often been critical of the PPA for being too political and not enough cycling orientated. Here is another example, with the Schapenberg trails, of what can be accomplished with members fees.
On arrival at Thandi the parking lot was filled to the brim and eager mountain bikers were chomping at the bit to get a crack at the trail. The number board system employed at Schapenberg was copied for Thandi and after paying my trail fee I was issued with a temporary number for the ride.
The first section of the course reminds me of a typical cross country course with countless switchbacks taking you higher and higher in the plantations. The big difference is that the gradient is kinder than most XC type courses and that the switches are well placed, leveled and beginner-friendly. The climbs are stepped throughout the first 5 km and laced with fun sections of single track in the pine and wattle plantations. At the turning point the trail points mostly downwards and takes you past the newly built BMX track that promises to be lots of fun. But before you get to the BMX track you have some fun single track sections with sheer drops on your right from time to time, so remember not to look down while riding this section as vertigo while riding is not ideal.
After a nice warm-up like this the trail takes you up the first sections of switchbacks and at the crossing point you cross over from Thandi to Paul Cluver. The trail runs on mostly good farm roads with very technical black sections (the infamous Pofadder section included) looping out of the red loop. I refrained from riding some of the more technical sections as the rainy weather and a tyre combination on the hard tail less suited for wet weather persuaded me otherwise.
30km later I was back at the start and with over 600m of ascent in the short distance it provided a good workout.
Well done to PPA, Wines2Whales and all involved with bringing another world class trail to the riders. With our imminent move to Somerset West an annual permit is surely on the cards for me to ride these trails.

Two Oceans - The view from the back

On Saturday morning I got up earlier than I have ever gotten up for any race in my life, cycling included. The alarm buzzed at 3am and by 3:45am we were ready to collect 2 more crazies for the 1/2 marathon.
We stopped outside the Baxter just as the last party goers left the clubs after a big night out. I tried to get into my race routine before the time, but with 3 ladies in the car, it was impossible to go through my visualization routine. We made our way to the start at about 5, with about an hour for the race to start. A 30 minute wait for a toilet saw me starting right at the back of "E" group, meaning that there were roughly 16 000 runners ahead of me.
At 6 the gun went off and at about 6:09 I crossed the start line with a slow walk. The first 4km was a stop-start affair, but once we were on Wynberg Hill I could get into my stride. This being the first climb I was taking it rather slow, but to my surprise I kept passing other runners and with some weaving through the traffic ahead of me I managed to string a few sub 7min/km kilo's together. With the turn onto Ladies mile my pace was steady and I was feeling quite good, but the persistent weaving to make my way up the field was starting to grate me.
With the turn onto Southern Cross Drive the heavens opened and in a matter of 5 minutes the roads were flooded with the first winter rains and we were all drenched. The cold would set in later. The immediate challenge would be to keep momentum up Southern Cross Drive. I knew that slowing down or walking would bring with it stiffening muscles and my core temperature dropping.
As we turned onto Rhodes Drive I started to feel the cold for the first time. I made a quick calculation and realized that I needed to run the remaining 6.1km in 33 minutes to get to the sub 2h30 mark.

GAME ON!

I lengthened my stride and kept looking down to my Garmin unit. A few 5:50min / km kilo's gave me renewed hope for that 2h30min. The road narrowed at places and now I was not weaving anymore but simply shoving my way past runners that was walking 4 abreast after obviously starting out too fast. A few dirty looks my way made me even more determined to get to UCT within my goal time.
As I turned in onto the sports field at UCT I saw the time on the stadium clock at 2h29m flat. The next 300m felt like 3 miles as I went from my brief jog into a full sprint for the last 200m.
I crossed the line in 2h29m53s. After getting my medal the search started to find my wife. With the ensuing rain the big screen where we were supposed to meet was taken down. So I had time to reflect on my accomplishment as I grazed on the rugby field looking for my wife.
As after every race I had a good think about what I could take from this event. Here is what I have learnt:
- Training is important, but getting to the start chute early is even more important. With no staggered start the first 4kms of the event could best be described at chaotic.
- Be prepared. What saved me in many ways was having an energy bar with me as I came up Southern Cross Drive. A few bites made sure that I would get to the end. When I got to the car I could change into dry, warm clothes that surely saved me getting a cold (fingers crossed on this one) and knowing where to find good coffee in times of peril is a life saver.
- Fixed meeting points are way more reliable than temporary ones. My wife stood in the rain for another hour while our 2 passengers to the race were grazing looking for her. By the time they got to the car, they were frozen stiff.
- Reliable weather forecasts helps with preparing for events. Thanks yr.no for an up to the minute prediction on the rain. SA Weather - why are you bothering?
- Acknowledge the support on the side of the road. Thanks to all that braved the rain to come out and cheer us along. You feel like a champion with people shouting your name as you passed (OK - so our race numbers had our names on, quite nice I thought!)

Next big challenge is surely Sani2C, which promises to be bigger and better than last year. With 5 weeks of training time left I have some hard work to do, but at the same time I am looking forward to 3 days in the saddle on what must surely be sacred ground in mountain biking circles.

World Funride champs time again!

So its almost time for the World Funride Championship, a.k.a. the Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour. Following online discussions on the event one gets a sense of the amount of time and effort that is invested for so many that make the annual trek. For us Cape Townians the event is less spectacular, especially if you ride your bike for more than 2 months of the year. We can do this ride on any given weekend and we often do, but there is just some intangible quality that is brought to the race when 29 999 other riders line up at the start with you. I am looking forward to the Expo where I can drool over the latest and greatest in the cycling industry, all be it at a very tired looking Good Hope Centre (if someone from the Cycle Trust is reading this, why not have the Expo at the CTICC!!!). Then there is the preparations on the Saturday, getting to Town early on Sunday, watching the pro's set off just before sunrise, lining up in your start chute and finally setting off.
This year my wife and I decided to give it a go on a tandem. I've had numerous responses from friends and family ranging from "WOW!, THAT'S GREAT!" to "I KNOW A GOOD DIVORCE LAWYER". As we were only able to get a tandem about 6 weeks ago, we are feeling slightly under prepared at this point, but from what I gather about 80% of the riders in the race feels underdone.
Another thing that differentiates the Argus from any other race is the element of surprise. You ALWAYS cross paths with the most unusual suspects at the event and you are left thinking afterwards " WHAT IS THE ODDS!" 29 999 other riders and we bump into each other.
Full road closures and more support than at last year's Curry Cup Final makes the event even more attractive and for one day in the year the Average Joe's and Joanne's all feel like champions.
To all of you out there taking part again. Be it for your first, or whether you're a seasoned campaigner, may the winds be friendly and the climbs gentle. If you pass a grey tandem with 2 riders wearing blue Visual Edge kit, give us a wave, or even better, a nice big push.

When was the last time that you did something for the first time?

The weekend past I did something for the first time. If you asked me a year ago whether this would ever be a possibility I would have probably laughed at you and called you insane. With the new year came a few new challenges as well. Last year my wife and I attempted the Argus together. I have a 3:26 Argus time and have very little to prove in this regard, but doing the ride with my wife who have always supported me so well is something that we have been contemplating (and entered for on more than one occasion). The attempt before last year involved a gail force South Easter that saw us climb off the route just before hospital bend. Last year we made it to Misty Cliffs when my wife decided that she's had enough. This year our build-up seems to go slightly better, but I find myself constantly having to talk my wife into a ride and need to convince her every time that I don't mind being held back and that I enjoy riding with her. With time running out we need some serious saddle time. We therefor entered a few races together with me pushing her up the climbs and along some of the flats to the finish line. My shoulders and back started to take some strain in the process and our times seemed quite slow. On top of that we were both totally knackered after each such effort.
I came to the realisation that the effort is not a sustainable one and started to consider the tandem option <shock horror!>. Tandems, especially second hand ones are few and far in between and after keeping my eye on thehubsa and gumtree for a few months I ended up spotting an add in Gumtree for a used tandem.
Saturday morning we went through to Swellendam to look at the bike and after seeing the bike and talking to the previous owner we ended up buying her. After doing our setup at home we decided to do the Boekaert Soenen race on the bike the next day, all be it the short (40km) route.
Sunday saw us doing our first race on the bike. The start chute was amazingly uncluttered for us (only 2 bikes) and getting a head start on the rest of the seeded riders felt quite cool. Soon we were out of Paarl and circumventing Paarl Mountain in an anti clockwise direction on the rolling hills through the wine farms. On a particularly hot day (39deg C max) we finished the ride in 1h36m and in first place in our category (1st out of 2, which is now a standing joke with my cycling friends) and very satisfied with our effort.
Getting used to riding together like this was a particular challenge as you have to synchronize certain things, alternate other things and each have our own responsibilities on other areas as well.
I look forward to our next ride together and I am so excited to be able to share my cycling experience with the person that means the most to me in the world.
The 2012 Argus is now something that we both look forward to. With just over a months hard work ahead we are sure to have a great ride together.
I'll keep everyone posted.

Oak Valley 24 hours ride report

The weekend past saw one of the calandar highlights, namely the Oak Valley 24 hour endurance race. Set at what is arguably one of the best suited courses for such an event, the turnout was once again spectacular. The event is run in 3 formats, namely: Solo, 4 rider competition teams and 5 to 8 rider social teams. From the outset the emphasys was on enjoying the experience rather than a focus on the racers in the event. At the prize giving it gave me some satisfaction when one of the overall team winners mumbled that the social team winners got nicer prizes than them.

The start was a Le Mans style affair with riders having to do a 100m sprint and mount their bikes to start the event. At this point you could clearly see who had any racing intentions and who was there for fun. About 10% actually made a sprinting effort and the rest of us took a leisurly stroll and started off with an even more leisurely first lap. Some even opted to push their bikes to the Limebar and continue where they left off just before 12.

It was hot! Hitting 37Deg C at some places. The lap took us straight up to the Black section next to the split between the red and green routes (for those who know Oak Valley. For the rest: It meant climbing 210m in about 6km). We rode the black section next the dam in the pine forests and continued going up, with the single track (some that was cut especially for the event) to the base of Groenlandberg. From there it was a free-fall to the finish with Oak Valley's legendary sweeping singletracks that was conveniently spaced to allow enough room for the race snakes to pass.

After the first lap I wisely decided to wait for it to cool down a bit as there was another 23 hours and 10 minutes of riding time left. It is when you are off the bike that you can really take in the atmosphere and take the time to get to know some of the riders and their families. By this time the camp site was filled up nicely.

By 4pm I decided to take the course on for a few laps before suppertime. At 5:30m I came into our camp and was treated to a lovely beef wrap made by my faithful support crew. After supper I fitted my lights and got my night riding gear set up. The next lap started just before sunset and I decided to take my Canon SLR Camera with me for the next lap to try and get a few sunset shots. Sunset culminated with my arival at the dam and resulted in a few awesome shots with riders in the background as the sun was setting. With the lights on the riding was simply amazing. It is difficult to try to explain riding a mountainbike in the dark to the uninitiated that have not yet experienced this. Particularly when you are alone in places on the course. The tired legs are forgotten and your only focus is on the beam of light ahead of you. Your other senses picks up things that you would not pick up in the day. Hearing, smell and even taste seems to be enhanced when your eyes are limited to a 2m beam and less than 1second to react to any unexpected obstacle or deviation in the trail from previous laps. This is when you truly feel alive.

After some great night riding and a shower I tried to get a few hours sleep in. It was a challenge with riders coming and going throughout the night. Bike lights being switched on and off, riders and support crew maintaining their equipment for the laps to follow and a camp site that never quite settles down.

At 4am I started my early morning riding and was greeted with a lovely sunrise at about 6am while out on the trail. I decided to clock a few laps before the day started to heat up again and finished my run in time for a bacon and egg fry-up.

After breakfast I prepped my bike and gear for one final lap and we broke camp. The final lap commenced at 11:15am to ensure that I finish a few minutes after 12pm to be able to qualify for my medal.

You get all types of loonies at these events, but the whackiest of the bunch are the single speed solo riders who clock lap after lap after lap with only one gear (and some with no suspension at all). These are followed closely by the solo riders with gears. I am still undecided whether these are whackier that the riders who do one or 2 laps only and drinks for the other 22 hours straight and then take the last lap in that state. Throw in the 3 hour event riders on the last lap and it’s a total zoo on a course that's taken a beating over the 24 hours preceding this last lap.

You pass the guys and girls that’s been at it with no break where all you can see is the red eyes from the dust and the white teeth when they smile for one last time as you pass them. Well done to everyone who completed this event whether you did 2 laps or 30. We certainly need more events like these where pro's and weekend warriors mix it up throughout the weekend and where the emphasys is on the experience, rather than the results at the end.

A big shout out to Dirtopia for putting together such and awesome event. The route was tough, but well balanced and a real test of skill and endurance over the event. With coffee, the Spur stand and limebar our catering requirements were well met. We also had hot showers throughout the event and a basic bike wash for those who felt inclined to rinse the dirt off every now and again.