If you are looking for MTB races or events to participate in then you are in luck we have added a 2012 MTB Calendar to our website. This is a list of all official MTB races in South Africa and is very comprehensive covering the whole year and the whole country. We have used the Google calendar function so you should be able to share it easily. The calendar gives you the date, venue and short description of the events.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Heart Rate and Power Training Aids
If you want to take your training to another level then you should consider getting some sort of training aid like a heart rate monitor or power meter to assist you. Heart rate monitors have been the standard for a long time now with the manufacturer Polar really leading the way. They have done a great job in trying to make the monitors more accessible and understandable for the average person. Heart rate is definitely your starting point to getting a better understanding of how you should train and how you can measure your effort and progress.
Power meters are a much newer training aid and have been used successfully by most of the pros to reach their specific training goals. But for the average person it is still expensive and debatable as to whether you will be able to get and make use of the full value that a power meter offers. Joe Friel author of Mountain Bikers Training Bible recently posted a great explanation of why a power meter is valuable for training and how it compares to a heart rate monitor. Basically it comes down to input(heart rate) and output (power), measuring one or the other will only give you half the picture, but measuring both gives you the complete picture. Check out his "Why you need a power meter" post for the full story.
But overall its best to start with heart rate and if you are just going for one of them then stick with the heart rate, it is more flexible to use on and off the bike, costs less and will definitely improve your performance.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Last Minute Epic Entries
If you have been hanging in there for an ABSA Cape Epic entry then you will be able to pick and choose at the moment. It is that time of the year when for some the daunting prospect of finishing the Epic becomes too much and they bail out or worse still they have some or other medical or other emergency that forces them to withdraw. It is not called the Cape Epic for nothing.
From the day you get the entry it is a massive undertaking to make it across the finish line.Probably the hardest part is actually getting to the event start line in one piece with enough preparation to make it too the end.
So if you have everything in place except the entry then you may be in luck. There are many entries floating around and as the days pass you will be able to buy them cheaper and cheaper, kind of like a reverse auction. You will find them on the Epic forum website and at Thehubsa or just ask around.
If you are still in and preparing then good luck. The base miles should be in the bank by now and the next month is just solidifying the training and getting all your admin sorted out. Checkout our Epic Guide for more info.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Race race race into new year
The first 3-4 months of the year have always been cycling time in South Africa with the Argus and then the addition of Cape Epic and Sani2C. The last few years has seen this become more international.
This year we will see many of the top mountain bikers in the world spending the first few months of the year here in SA. The reason is that we have many international mountain bike events taking place. The Advendurance National MTN Marathon series races all carry UCI status where points can be earned. The Ultra Marathon in Sabie in February is a Marathon World Championship event. Then there are 3 UCI cross country events to be hosted in Kwa-Zulu Natal in March including the first round of the UCI MTB World Cup.
Then to top it all off the ABSA Cape Epic at the end of March will again see the worlds top riders competing for the podium. So look out for some pros on your local trails and get out there and compete in some of the events or just go and watch.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
So where did you ride?
Out for a ride on Saturday and it was as if everyone had suddenly done some spring cleaning and dug there dusty old bikes out of the rafters in the garage. The roads were full of bikes, MTBs, roadies and the tribikes with all their gadgets. Most of them looked like they were trying to make up for the 3 weeks of lost time during the festive season.
But for some the period over the holidays was a time to rack up the miles in preparation for a good 2012 season of racing. The was even a global challenge out there between 23-31 Dec called the Rapha500, the goal to ride 500km over this period, check the website to see who managed this.
Lots of stories about riding new trails and routes over the holidays, share some of your pics and stories on MTBOnline Facebook.
Its prime riding time now, the days are still long, its warm and there are plenty of events around to keep you busy and honest.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Happy holidays - Take your bike with
The holidays are upon us. The next few weeks are a great time to use your extra free time wisely and get in some bonus miles. If you are travelling take your bike with and visit some of those trails that you can never get to.
If you still have some shopping to do then avoid those malls and go online so that you don't waste any valuable riding time.
As things slow down we will also take a break and head for the hills.
Thanks for your support as subscribers and followers of our weekly updates. We hope that it has been worth it and look forward to finding more of the good stuff for you in 2012
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Rear view mirror
As we wind down 2011 and speed upto the start line for 2012 we took a look in the rear view mirror of 2011 and all the interesting stuff that we shared through out the year. Here are our top 5 most popular posts for 2011 according to our stats.
# 2: Howick Mountain Bike Trails video post
And the number one was a world sensation that you will never forget if you have seen it and can't be excused if you have not seen it
#1: The amazing footage of "Buck van der Spuy" and then the follow up Mountain Biker gets taken out by LION - CRAZY Footage -...
Let us know what your favorite post was for 2011 and tell us what you would like to see more of and less of in 2012
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Why you should be on tubeless
Tubeless tyres on mountain bikes have become the performance standard here in South Africa. We have some big camel thorns and some seriously sharp Karoo rock. The best way to get you and your bike through these African hazards is nothing! Thats right nothing, fresh air between your rim and your tyre! There are 3 solid reasons why you should ride tubeless rather than tubes. Firstly you will have less flats that's for sure and you definitely won't have any of those snakebite or pinch flats that tubes are prone too.Secondly performance, there is a reason why cars today are on tubeless tyres. Its because the tyre can perform the way it was designed to, and that's just what you need on your MTB. The last reason is because you will be able to save some more weight by ditching the tubes. So if you want to have less flats, save weight and go faster then get yourself a tubeless conversion otherwise just carry on plodding along.
Friday, November 18, 2011
The journey to the ABSA Cape Epic
Last night the journey to the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic began. Our entry was confirmed and we will be representing OFM radio. It has been more than three years, three kids (between the 2 of us), and for me 12 kilograms since we last took on the great adventure. So, yes, things will be very different, and the road to the 25th of March 2012 will not be easy. But it has been a goal for us to return for a 5th time and next year we will do it.
Watch this blog for updates on what will hopefully be progress towards the greatest mountain bike race on earth.
The real average guy.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Weather or not mountain bikers should ride
This weekend there was literally a storm in a tea cup down at the Whine2whales stage race in the Western Cape. A rather unseasonal cold front moved through the Cape and brought some seriously wet and cold weather that prompted the organisers to cancel the 3rd and last day of the event. There was mixed reactions from riders and on lookers alike. Burry Stander was clearly having none of it when he tweeted "7deg with wind and pissin rain. no thanks. #dodgedabullet" then there was local Cape rider Shan Wilson who was less than impressed with one of his tweets "This must have been a back line decision from the touch rugby squad!!! Riders signed indemnities!! ". I don't suppose it helped that one of the main sponsors was Maseratti, maybe with a good old Subaru or a Toyota Hilux or even a Nissan bakkie the organisers would have been able to supply the necessary backup and support to finish the race off. You just have to look at the Freedom Challenge to know that there is no limit to where and when you can go on your mountain bike. So was it the riders or the organisers who had to HTFU?
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
The training experiment
Mountain bike training and achieving physical fitness may be an exact science but getting it to work is not nearly as exact. There are so many variables at play like the type of activity, length, intensity, age of rider, rest intervals etc. Putting all these things into place forms the basis of a training plan and so the possibilities are endless. However one thing you can be sure of is that experimentation and adjustments to training plans will bring different results. So if you are not performing as you think you should then look at changing your plan. If you are performing then look at your plan and see what it is that you could do to perform even better. Goals, focus and discipline in terms of the overall plans as well as individual exercises will be cornerstones of any successful training experiment. If you need some ideas check out Joe Friel's Mountain Bikers Training bible.
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
The secret about tyres
Tyres are usually the last thing you look at when you buy a new bike. Thats quite normal because they are the easiest part to change on your bike once you have it. But many people never do. If you think about it tyres are one of the most important parts of your bike. They affect the weight of your bike on the wheels where it really matters. A saving on your tyres can easily translate to a kilogram or more which is huge for weight on wheels. Then of course the tyres are where you and your bike meet the earth. So the power that you apply to the pedals goes through those knoblies, the traction that you need comes from there and that all important rolling resistance or friction that slows us down is purely a function of your tyres. So pay attention to your tyres next time they may be able to help you more than you think.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
An Epic Route Revealed
The Absa Cape Epic is out with a fresh new look and new route.
Launched yesterday the new route is unexpected as usual but as tough as expected. A monster Stage 3 Day of 147km and 2900m of climbing may prove to be the hardest day at the epic yet, something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. This year there is no time trial "rest day" in the middle like last year. The race will start off with a time trial in the Durbanville area on Contermanskloof singletrack which should be great. Then it will visit the towns of Robertson, Caledon and old stalwart Oak Valley before finishing at Lourensford. If you haven't started training then you had better get some training advice and get on your bike immediately is you want to make it past day 3.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
24 hours of mountain biking
So where is the soul of mountain biking at the moment? It seems to move around as the sport of mountain biking evolves and develops. Spend some time at a 12hr or 24hr mountain bike event and you would not be mistaken for thinking that this is where the soul of MTB is. This race format is popular because it caters for many different types of mtbikers. It brings together a group of weekend warriors, you see the baggy clad hippy types, the hardcore solo endurance racer and there is a good laid back vibe with music and beer. All the ingredients for some good fun, then take away the sun and you have a night riding vibe. The route is usually interesting and technical, long enough to be interesting and short enough keep it safe. So pack your cooler box, camp kit, bike and load up your friends and family for a really fun event.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The most watched MTB video in Africa
Its been all over twitter, facebook, youtube and sky sports and must be the most watched South African MTB video on the internet ever. Evan van der Spuy proved that you can't outrun a red hartebees. At a race in KZN he found himself going head to head with the buck. The dramatic footage was caught on film by the rider behind him with a helmet cam. The video was put up on youtube and has clocked up almost 6 million views in less than a week. You can check it out on our facebook page. Buck van der Spuy as he is being called doesn't really remember what happened, checkout this Bicycling interview with him.
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