How can I learn to do maintenance on my bike?

You don't need to be a mechanical guru to do most of your own bike maintenance but you do need to know what to do and how to do it.

The best way here is by trial and error, but you should get some guidance to help you along. If your local bike shop is any good they will be will to advise and help you, if they don't then ask yourself if the are the right bike shop for you. They will also be able to sell you your tools that you need. Checkout our maintenance guide for an idea on what tools you would need and how to use them. The other ideal resource is to get some mtb maintenance books, they will provide a good overview on how to maintain things. For specific details on certain parts you can find most info online at the manufacturers website in their online manuals. Start small with the things that you do on your bike regularly with the basic tools then move onto the more involved maintenance.

With the right tools and practice you should be able to do everything except shock servicing and brake bleeding.

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Where can I go and ride?

Okay so this week we are back to our Newbies guide. One of the biggest questions that people starting out have is where can I go ride that is safe and not too difficult?

There are many places to go and ride your mountain bike. The safest and most enjoyable to start with will be to visit one of the many mountain bike parks or trail centres that now exist. Many of these are in beautiful locations that are secure to ride. They usually also have some facilities and have marked routes of different difficulty and distance. Our recommended rides are Groenkloof in Pretoria, Northern farm or MTN bike park in Joberg, Giba Gorge in KZN and Koeberg or Dirtopia in Western Cape. Checkout our trails section for details of some of these riding locations and their access times and fees.

 

The other option is also to go to some events to ride as they will have routes and destinations that are not accessible at other times and there are medical and support people to assist if there is a problem while out on the trail. Don't be scared of "races" because its not all about racing, its mainly the few front guys who race, for the majority its all about the riding and there is no real rush.

 

Then once you have your confidence and riding buddies the world will open up to you and you can start exploring the variety of other informal riding locations and discover some new trails.

 

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What is the South African way?

I came across this video of The American Way on IBIS and Ritchey two iconic American bike brands. This is a great video and tells the story of how Ibis started and continues today as one of the coolest mountain bikes you can buy. The second part is an interview with Tom Ritchey and he explains how he built an iconic MTB brand and how he continues to live the mountain bike dream. Besides these videos being really cool and having some great content and shots, it got me thinking about what the South African way would be.

 

So far our industry is filled with more traders, dealers and agents than inventors and pioneers. Most probably because of our obsession with everything European and American and not having the confidence in what we have in our own backyard. Silverback was born in South Africa but it seems like the lure of "German Engineering" has seen this brand shrug off its South African roots to become another wannabee European brand. Our best story is probably Morewood Bikes, born and bred in South Africa and despite changing ownership recently, the built in South Africa logo is still in tact. Momsen is the most recent brand to emerge from South Africa and calls itself "an SA bike company" although everything is made in the east. Only time will tell if in 10 years time we are still only traders or have actually created something more sustainable and memorable. If we want the latter then we better start living up to our dream of being the leading mountain bike destination in the world and start inventing some cool stuff in addition to our cool races. 

 

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Team South Africa MTB at Olympics

We take a break from our Newbies guide to MTB and take a look at the other end of the scale, to riders who clearly know what they are doing, our pros at the Olympics. We are in with a real shot at the medals in the mens MTB cross country race.

Burry Stander is ranked at no 2 in the world so he is a clear favorite to win the race. However it will be tough because unlike the world cup races where you can win some and loose some, you only get a one in four year shot at the olympics so the pressure is on everyone for a win. Follow Burry on @africanmtbkid for updates. Phillip Buys is also riding the mens race and he will be hoping for a top ten finish after his excellent 15th place result at the Windham event. Phillip runs a cool blog with pics documenting life in the olympic village and life on the world cup circuit. The mens race is on Sunday 12 August at 13h30.

Dont forget about the ladies because SA has a rising star in Candice Neethling in the womans race on Saturday 11 August 13h30. Candice has been steadily improving on the junior world cup circuit and finished 3rd in the U23 race at Windham. She continues to learn at these races and writes in her blog "The World Cup journey so far has been all about understanding and learning how to win. You cannot win if you don't know how. And the only way to learn, is through experience". Follow Candice on twitter for updates.

 

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How can I get into riding if I don’t want to join a club?

Today with the internet, online groups, twitter and facebook there are many other virtual ways to get in touch with people to ride with.

 

The first is to get out to some events or races. Just because they are called races does not mean that you have to be a racer, you can participate in a variety of distances and ride at your own pace. Most of these events are more like gatherings and group rides and you will find it easy to fit in. You can also ask at your local bike shop as many of them also organise rides and have ride groups

 

The other way is to find some ride groups or "clubs" on the facebook where you can interact get info and meet up for some rides. Email or online groups are also easy to join and find out information on where to ride and join in with some group. The most active groups for this is thehubsa, or checkout our facebook page.

 

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I have a mountain bike and want to start riding, do I need to join a club?

Continuing with our newbies guide we ask the question. I have a mountain bike and want to start riding, do I need to join a club?

There are many ways to get into riding and to find people to ride with. Mountain bikers are generally speaking easy going and so you will find most of them very approachable and willing to assist to get someone new onto a bike, they love to share!

Clubs are still the traditional and most comfortable route to start out riding for most people. Many of the clubs are originally road cycling clubs or a mix of road and MTB, then there are a few that are only MTB. Clubs can also offer you the affiliation to Cycling South Africa which you need of you want to race competitively. Our clubs section has a list of many clubs around the country. Find one in your area and try it out. As with any club they will have rules, committees and a certain way of doing things. If you like the way they do things then you will fit in fine, if not then try another club to try one of the other routes to get into the community.

 

If you are looking for a cause and a club then consider AMARIDER, the African Mountain Bikers Association. Their soul purpose is to build and develop more mountain bike trails.

 

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Newbies guide to getting into mountain biking

Everyone who starts out in mountain biking follows a similar path and asks the same set of questions. So we decided to put together the Newbies guide to getting into mountain biking. Each week we will answer a few common questions that pop up.

 

I am starting mountainbiking, what bike must I buy?

The first thing is to decide how and why you want to ride, for example racing, recreational, trails, downhill, stage races. This will give you some idea as to what type of bike to buy, hardtail, full suspension, 29er, long travel short travel etc. The second step is to understand the options and technology and what is available out there. There are so many options and it comes down to comparing the options and chosing the right type of bike, spec level, size and price. Best source for this is our Buyers guide which contains some basic information on what to look out for when choosing a bike.

 

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So what is your MTB winter carrot?

Riding through winter is not only for the pros or the obsessed bike riding mad mountainbikers. We ride for enjoyment so motivation is not normally needed. But then along comes winter and warm light is replaced by dark cold. So the a great technique to see past the winter is to find yourself a winter carrot. It must be juicy and tempting.

 

There are many options like setting a distance target for the month to keep you on the bike, picking some MTB races through winter to keep you honest, preparing for a big race at the end of winter that needs some focused training or hooking up your trainer in front of the TV everyday for Tour de France. Then the biggest carrot of all is that when you hit spring you will be feeling good and not have to start all over again.

 

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What to wear on your winter cycling date

Living in South Africa we are lucky to have such great weather to cycle in. But the downside is that when winter arrives so do the excuses. But it doesn't have to be that way, you will be surprised how comfortable cycling in the cold can be if you are dressed properly. Hence the saying, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just poor cycle clothing". Also you are better off mountain biking than riding on the road. Riding on the road you go faster and the wind chill is a big factor so you really need to have some serious clothing.

 

Mountain biking the speeds are slower and you are often climbing so there is almost no wind chill and the heat you generate keeps you warm. Get some decent warm gloves to keep your hands warm, that will keep you comfortable and able to operate shifters and brakes. Next you should keep your neck and head warm, a buff works really well if you pull it over the back of your head. It is light and not too hot and keeps the wind off. On your body you need to go with layers, ideally with everything moisture wicking so that your skin stays dry and warm. Start off with a short or long sleeve thermal top, then add a long sleeve cycling top and then on top of that a wind breaker vest or jacket. This should be more than enough and allow you to remove layers if it warms up later. On your legs a set of knee warmers will add that little bit extra leg warmth. Quality rather than quantity is the secret, get some good quality gear that is designed for being active in the cold.

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Sweet singletrack at van Gaalens

Sweet singletrack doesn't come much better than the trails you find at van Gallens Skeerpoort MTB trails in the Magaliesberg. It is at this time of year that these trails are in perfect condition, especially the sections along the river. The van Gaalens cheese farm is eaqually accessible from Pretotia and Johannesburg, and is the start location where you will park your car and pay the R40 trail fee, dont worry you will get your moneys worth and then some extra.

 

There are really two sections to the van Gaalens mountain bike trails, the mountain hilly section to the south east of the farm, this is rocky with some tough technical climbs but also some awesome single track down the back of the mountain and the super cool daga pad section down the Skeerpoort pass. The other section to the west is along the river and alot flatter with the tons of singletrack, the furtherst section seriously fast and flowing and then the section closer to the farm that is tighter and more technical.

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Freedom challenge – Freeze trail

On Saturday as a freezing cold front crossed South Africa the first batch of riders set off from Pietermarizburg to Diemersfontein on the Freedom Challenge. Ahead of them 2300km of essentially unsupported mountain biking. For the racers it's a race against time and the one who can ride the fastest and sleep the least is the one who arrives first in Diemersfontein. The record currently stands at 12 days 15 hours for the whole ride, that is an average of 191km per day! This amazing record was set last year in 2011 by Alex Harris, shattering the previous record set by Tim James by something like 2 whole days. This year legendary adventure racer and multiple Duzi winner Martin Dreyer will take another stab at the event as he races to win.

 

The survivors of this event will be aiming to make the overnight stations every day and not miss one or at best see if they can skip one, they will have 27 days to finish. This ride is not for the faint hearted, the riders will be tested by extreme weather conditions in the mountains including rain, wind and snow. Their bikes will be tested and mechanical failure is always possible. They will ride their bikes over every imaginable surface including long unrideable sections that require several hours of portage and carrying their bikes. But as all of them will claim, it is a journey second to none as they race across South Africa on a mountain bike for an experience of a lifetime. More info on the Freedom Challenge website on the race and the Freedom trail which is open to ride all year round on a touring basis as well.

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Pretoria Mountain Bike Trails

Pretoria has some of the coolest mountain bike trails all located on the South Eastern side of Pretoria in the Fountains area. Here you will find Groenkloof, Voortrekker Monument and Klapperkop. Even though they are in the same general area each of them is a little bit different with some unique features. Combined you could easily find yourself riding 50+ km of some of the best singletrack in Gauteng and finest in SouthAfrica.

Fountains itself has some great singletrack often used for cross country races, but Groenkloof is the most popular with its smooth flowing single track and varied terrain. Voortrekker monument is a bit more challenging with more technical sections and some steep climbs. Try out Klapperkop for some longer climbs and some fast technical descents.

Check out out trail review and video

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Electronic suspension - the future of MTB?

Slowly but surely electronics are making their way into mountain biking. Recently Shimano released their Di2 Dura ace electronic groupset for road bikes. It wasn't long before mountain bikers started experimenting and now the term Di2 hacking is used for an aftermarket version of the electronic shifting mechanism for mountain bikes. Ki2 has commercialised this and is offering what they call a new standard in high performance.

The first real OEM mountain bike electronics were announced by Fox this month. Fox unveiled what looks like the future in mountain biking suspension with their 2013 ICD ELECTRONIC SUSPENSION REMOTE SYSTEM. With acronyms like iRD (intelligent ride control) and iCD (intelligent decent control) MTBs are starting to sound like 4x4s. This system has been on the bikes of the team pro riders like Geoff Kabush for a while now. So now there is no more speculation about the mysterious battery and wire leading from the bar to the fork. Essentially it's an electronic switch to toggle between Climb and Descend modes on the fork and, on full sussers, the shock. A rotating switch activates this on the bar. Eventhough this technology has been unveiled now before the new bike season it is probably too late for 2013 bikes as they will have already have been specced last year and gone into production.

With more and more single speed rigid bikes hitting the trails, the arrival of 2X10 and now 1x11 XX1 from SRAM, it makes you wonder if all of this is electronics is necessary. With many riders looking to go back to the simplicity, reliability and lower cost of these basic machines well have to see if increasing the cost and complexity is going to be the right route.

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More online training fun with Strava

So what now? With Sani2C coming to an end this weekend the racing feast that kick started this year is now finished. So now its time to get off the race track and hit the trails. A while ago we posted about a free online tracking system for your rides, Endomondo, where you can track rides via a GPS phone or GPS and see your ride history online. Well we came across another system www.strava.com that is gaining popularity as it has some new and interesting features.

The main difference is that Strava is slightly more performance orientated as it keeps track of your ride and allows more analysis of your performance measurements from the ride. It also keeps track of who rides where and allows direct comparisons of entire routes or segments of routes. So there are leader boards of the various segments making it really fun to see how you compare to other riders on the same routes. But be warned it can become a bit addictive as timed segments become mini races and quests for KOM status, some call it "Stravacide".

Strava is compatible with Garmin GPS units and has downloadable apps for iphone and Android. You can also import gpx data so if you are on Endomondo just export files and then import into Strava, quite easy really.

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Sani2c getting bigger and doing more

Farmer Glen and the Sani2c team are hard at work as the Sani2C race series kicked off yestertay with the Trail event, then today its the Adventure and tomorrow the Race riders set off. Its no small operation moving almost 4000 mountain bikers from Underberg down to the sea in Scottburgh over the 5 day period.

 

As the event grows so does the amount and variety of community support and the development of the region. More than 1500 trees will be planted along the route thanks to rider donations this year. There is also construction of a cycle and walking path "Charlies catwalk" in the Highflats area to make commuting for the locals safer. Its a win win situation for all, the riders love to ride this unique route with its legendary singletrack and the community welcomes them in, knowing that they have contributed to making life better.

 

This year there is TV coverage on supersport every evenning at 10pm with a highlights package starting tonight. So look out for that if you are not one of the fortunate ones to be experiencing it all on your bike.

 

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--
Alan
www.mtbonline.co.za
Mountain Biking in South Africa - MtbOnline