Wednesday 18 June 2008
Italy is hosting its third UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships - this time in Val Di Sole. Go check out the website and cheer for the South Africans taking part:
XC Mens Elite
Johan Van Zyl
Justice Makhale
Ben Melt Swanepoel
Justice Makhale
Ben Melt Swanepoel
Downhill men elite
Greg Minnar
Andrew Neethling (Somerset West local)
Jonty Neethling (Somerset West local)
Greg Saharin
Jonty Neethling (Somerset West local)
Greg Saharin
4X Elite men
Greg Minaar
XC Women elite
Sara Muhl
Yolanda Speedy (I was at school with her)
Yolanda Speedy (I was at school with her)
XC U23 men
Renay Groustra
Burry Stander
Burry Stander
Junior men XC
Rourke Croeser
Adriaan Louw
Adriaan Louw
Junior Men DH
Hayden Brown
Luke Davis
Pierre Van Der Merwe
Luke Davis
Pierre Van Der Merwe
Junior Women XC
Caitlin De Wet
Mariske Strauss
Mariske Strauss
We stand a good chance of getting some medals this year, which shows just how SA cycling is improving
Some pictures:
Tuesday 10 June 2008
Before I begin, just let me state how crazy these chaps are. It is certainly impressive to watch, but I have no desire to do what they do. Utter madness (I know people think that what we do is mad, but this just takes the cake).
Before the downhill, we did a bit of a ride in Grabouw - nothing hard, just searching for singletrack, and having fun. It was good to be back on the bike, and surprisingly I didn't feel that unfit.
Anyway, here are some photos from the WP Downhill Champs
Before the downhill, we did a bit of a ride in Grabouw - nothing hard, just searching for singletrack, and having fun. It was good to be back on the bike, and surprisingly I didn't feel that unfit.
Anyway, here are some photos from the WP Downhill Champs
Friday 6 June 2008
My personal photographer (Bonte) took these pictures of my most favourite piece of road in the whole world. If you have already forgotten, read all about our daring move on Stage 5 of the Epic.
I think I want to have my ashes scattered alongside this road.
I think I want to have my ashes scattered alongside this road.
Since most visitors to this site (real visitors, not my mom and various other friends) seem to end up on Velo Tales after having searched for some info on TransBaviaans. With my fifth Baviaans coming up this year, I thought I would put up some handy tips and hints.
Here is an email I got 5 years ago (copied verbatim), and I still use it as a guide:
1.Spare battery or light
2.Spare clothing if it gets wet
3. Camelback drinking system or water bottles
4. Energy drinks and bars - get not only sweet ones, but also muesli type - one may get sick of sweet stuff, so consider potatoes, sandwiches,coffee and rusks, fruit.
5. Spare tubes, chainbreak, spare link, spare tyres, pumps, chainlubrication, spare chain, puncture kit
No wonder it takes the back markers so long - they are virtually shipping an entire bike shop through the Baviaans bit by bit. Remember, it is a team event - each person doesn't have to carry their own spares.
6.First aid kit
Somehow this has ended up in my CamelBak for 4 years now. Thankfully we have never had to use it yet
7. Camera
Nice to have - the scenery is quite spectacular, and now that the backup vehicles don't go through the Baviaans anymore, proof that you rode it is harder to get.
8. Tents
Some people do sleep along the way, or you can sleep at the finish. Obviously, this goes in the backup vehicle, and not in the CamelBak.
9. Water - in the backup vehicle
10. Bakkies
Although with the vehicles no longer going through the Baviaans Kloof, any vehicle will do.
11. Trailer
DO NOT TAKE A VENTER TRAILER THROUGH THE BAVIAANS KLOOF. Been there, done that, destroyed a trailer. And it wasn't even ours!
12. Space blankets
13. Gas stove and gas for coffee
No wonder it took us 18 hours
14. A light that works off either gas or car battery.
15. Wood,grid and meat,bread/rolls - you could do with it after eating energy bars all day !
Very sound advice - why isn't this #1?
Probably less likely -
16. Sunscreen
17. Sleeping bags
18. Prozac and condoms
19. Only joking
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into
20. Helmet and sunglasses
21. Towel and toiletries
22. Spare legs and neck
Here is an email I got 5 years ago (copied verbatim), and I still use it as a guide:
1.Spare battery or light
2.Spare clothing if it gets wet
- 3 pairs on cycling pants
- warm clothes for the evening
- rainjacket
- halfjacket for windchill
- armwarmers
- booties for cold and rain
- 3 pairs of socks for ride
- extra socks in evening
- earwarmers
- balaclava
- hoodie
- 2 pairs of gloves - one for warm and one for cold
- legwarmers or long bike pants(leotard type)
- newspaper can be used in early morning and discarded
- plastic bags for shoes if it rains.
3. Camelback drinking system or water bottles
4. Energy drinks and bars - get not only sweet ones, but also muesli type - one may get sick of sweet stuff, so consider potatoes, sandwiches,coffee and rusks, fruit.
5. Spare tubes, chainbreak, spare link, spare tyres, pumps, chainlubrication, spare chain, puncture kit
No wonder it takes the back markers so long - they are virtually shipping an entire bike shop through the Baviaans bit by bit. Remember, it is a team event - each person doesn't have to carry their own spares.
6.First aid kit
Somehow this has ended up in my CamelBak for 4 years now. Thankfully we have never had to use it yet
7. Camera
Nice to have - the scenery is quite spectacular, and now that the backup vehicles don't go through the Baviaans anymore, proof that you rode it is harder to get.
8. Tents
Some people do sleep along the way, or you can sleep at the finish. Obviously, this goes in the backup vehicle, and not in the CamelBak.
9. Water - in the backup vehicle
10. Bakkies
Although with the vehicles no longer going through the Baviaans Kloof, any vehicle will do.
11. Trailer
DO NOT TAKE A VENTER TRAILER THROUGH THE BAVIAANS KLOOF. Been there, done that, destroyed a trailer. And it wasn't even ours!
12. Space blankets
13. Gas stove and gas for coffee
No wonder it took us 18 hours
14. A light that works off either gas or car battery.
15. Wood,grid and meat,bread/rolls - you could do with it after eating energy bars all day !
Very sound advice - why isn't this #1?
Probably less likely -
16. Sunscreen
17. Sleeping bags
18. Prozac and condoms
19. Only joking
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into
20. Helmet and sunglasses
21. Towel and toiletries
22. Spare legs and neck
2007 - Dry
So, it looks like we might be in for a wet one this year.
On final thing - lights. Get the best light you can afford. But don't be silly. It is a team event, mostly on big wide roads, so the combined light of the team is usually more than enough. I rode two TransBaviaans rides with a head mounted Cateye halogen light that took 5 C batteries in a holder in my CamelBak. It wasn't great, but it did the job. It didn't cost me an arm and a leg either.
I spent a small fortune and got myself an Exposure Enduro from USE in 2006. I haven't looked back. It makes such a difference.
The better the light, the faster you go.
The race is very weather dependent. The best ride we have had was 12 hours, and the worst was 18 hours.
Oh yes - one last thing. Make sure you read the map. Otherwise you WILL get lost. You only have to make 5 turns throughout the whole race. Just make sure you make them at the right places. You have been warned.
So, it looks like we might be in for a wet one this year.
On final thing - lights. Get the best light you can afford. But don't be silly. It is a team event, mostly on big wide roads, so the combined light of the team is usually more than enough. I rode two TransBaviaans rides with a head mounted Cateye halogen light that took 5 C batteries in a holder in my CamelBak. It wasn't great, but it did the job. It didn't cost me an arm and a leg either.
I spent a small fortune and got myself an Exposure Enduro from USE in 2006. I haven't looked back. It makes such a difference.
The better the light, the faster you go.
The race is very weather dependent. The best ride we have had was 12 hours, and the worst was 18 hours.
Oh yes - one last thing. Make sure you read the map. Otherwise you WILL get lost. You only have to make 5 turns throughout the whole race. Just make sure you make them at the right places. You have been warned.
Wednesday 28 May 2008
How cool would it be to have a cycling culture like they have in Copenhagen in any of the big South African cities? Maybe the fuel price is the first factor that might kick start such a culture. I have already noticed a lot more people on bikes commuting to work and back (and in most cases riding away from me, but I will save the tales of my lack of fitness for another day).
I admit, I did have ulterior motives in checking out the second site... ;)
I admit, I did have ulterior motives in checking out the second site... ;)
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