Tuesday, April 26, 2011

POWERCOTE - CAPE EPIC 2011 SPONSOR


Powercote is a Cape Town based construction company which supported us for the Cape Epic in 2011. The kit which they provided were top class Bibs and Tops and certainly stood out amongst the Epic participants.


For Mike, it was particularly significant kit as he qualified for Amabubesi in it. Riders that have finished the Cape Epic three times are awarded membership of Adidas Amabubesi – The Absa Cape Epic Finisher Club. "Amabubesi" means "pack of lions" in Zulu - an excellent description for mountain bikers that return year after year to ride the Absa Cape Epic. In many respects the Epic has achieved cult status, with a large number of riders continually coming back each year. 15 riders have ridden all 7 events with about 230 riders having completed 3 events. It speaks volumes about the popularity of this event, that so many riders come back every year, at considerable expense to do the race.

For me it was significant as this time my children were there to see us finish. Nothing can quite match the glow of happiness coming from ones childrens faces as you see them for the first time in over a week.


The start of the last day is always great as all the riders are generally in high spirits and very relaxed. The finish is only 60km away and by this stage of the race the battle for honours has normally been settled.


A big thank you to Powercote for all the support received.


You can download high resolution images of these photos here

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

TRAINING FOR THE CAPE EPIC

It is useful to compare my training for 2010 with the hours put in for the 2011 edition of the ABSA Cape Epic. Hereunder, is a graphic summary of the training hourse per week, starting around the end of October of each year and running through to the end of the race.


The number of hours when totalled up is also illuminating. Looking at the plain bottom line, it appears that I only did seven hours more for the 2011 race. However, it was the distribution of training which made all the difference. The big weeks were done from weeks 7 to 10 which was over the Christmas period. Those three weeks on the trot seemed to have made the difference between a very difficult 2010 Epic and a comfortable 2011 ride. While 300 odd hours may seem alot, it actually averages out to about 2 hours per day. Not alot of time when one considers the health and fitness benefits of preparing for a race like the Epic. My drive commute is about an hour per day, which means that I actually spent about 1 hour per day preparing for the Epic. Thats less time than many peoples daily time pondering the meaning of life on the toilet!

Monday, April 18, 2011

PERSONAL PROTECTION

My personal toolkit has been updated from my post of 2010 There have not been many changes, but just a quick recap. I now carry tools in two spots.

JERSEY TOOLS (ON THE BODY)

I carry the body tools in a small neoprene bag which I stick in the jersey pocket, while the Scott minipump also goes into the jersey pocket. The following tools are kept in the bag:
-Spare Plugs
-Bomb & Attachment
-Glue
-Derailler cable
-Zip ties
-Stans 2 oz bottle
-Lezyne Multi Tool
-Money (R100 note can be used as a gator)
-Continental Tyre Lever
-Park Tyre Boot
-Toughie tyre boot
-Park Glueless patches
-No Tubes valve remover
-Stans Valve core
-Stans Valve stem
-Scott Derailler Hanger bracket
-Leatherman mini knife

On shorter rides I drop the Stans, leatherman and hanger bracket to save a bit of weight. However, most rides I simply go with what I have and that normally means all of the above, less the Stans, which is a pain to carrry around.

-Scott Mini pump

ON THE BIKE
-Barplug: Tire tool & plug loaded in handlebar (see my post on this great tool)
-Tube

The derailler cable saved the event for us in the 2011 Cape Epic. Mike's freehub popped after 40km on Stage 2 and we used the derailler cable to tie the cassette to the spokes. The makeshift repair which turned the bike into a fixie, lasted for 70km!

The barplag is the most effective tool and I have used it on a number of occassions. Its simply the best trick around!

Friday, April 15, 2011

CAPE EPIC 2011 - THE 29'er DEBATE


The one certainty is that 29'ers have gone mainstream. All the top contenders at the Epic were on 29'ers and the Cape Epic / Cycle Lab have issued a fact sheet recommending 29'ers for use in the Epic.

However, whether there are actual performance benefits from a 29'er, is dependent on a number of variables.

1) Marketing: Lets not kid ourselves, 29'ers are good for the bike industry. In the beginning, we all one bike for XC, Marathons, Downhills, Dual Slalom and even commuting. Today, the enthusiast has a quiver of bikes: 6" travel downhill; hard tail cross country bike; commuting bike; road bike for training; all resulting in a garage full of bikes which have added significantly to the bottom line of bike companies (still a bargain compared to the price of a car!). The lure of profits will generate growth in the 29'er section and every company will bring one to the market - be they good, bad, or downright ugly.

2) Parking lot experiments: I had a chance to roll around on a few 29ers at trail heads. I have tried the Cannondale Flash, Specialized Epic, Fisher Superfly and a steel On One. They roll wonderfully and are very smooth. In the parking lot, they're winners.

3) On the trail: Here things get more complicated. Side by side on long open, often corrugated downhills of Longmore, they simply roll away from my 26er when coasting down a hill. But, the 29er pilots were big boys and gravity counts as well. When it comes to hills, be they short or long, the benefits fade. It seems you have to lay on more power to get them rolling and keep them rolling. Whether you have the legs and lungs to do that on a continual basis is dependent on each individual.


4) On the Epic: Lets be honest, even if Burry was on a BMX, he would still ride me off, and so would most of the factory pilots, paid to ride 29'ers. At my end of the field (in the 60 to 150 placed range) I came across alot of 29ers but also many 26ers. In contrast to my experience at Longmore, I could not see noticeable performance benefits. We rode with an Iron Deficient 29er clad Andrew MacLean and Paul Furbank for awhile. On a few occassions, MacLean lit the afterburner and got that motor going, but, we hung on. Later, we rode away from them, though its impossible to tell whether its because they stopped to take pictures, the benefits of the 26er, or our strength - probably the former. Not once over the eight days did I have a instance where I was absolutely convinced that the 29er had performance benefits. But, the lingering doubt remains, there could possibly be benefits and I will never know unless I race one.

5) Weight: Don't expect any 29'er to be magically faster. There is no ways that Burry Stander will ride a 29er unless its the same weight as his 26" bike. Rumour has it that Burry's 29er weights 8.6kg. My standard Scott Spark weighs 9.6kg and in race trim, probably about 10.4kg. I have no doubt that gram for gram, the 29er is a better bike. The reality, for mortal wallets, is that the equalization of weight is going to cost you plenty. The wheels are the most important, and 26" carbon wheels tip the scales at 1250 grams, while a similar 29er setup will come in at 1400 grams. You can skimp elsewhere to equalize, but, its going to cost.


6) Frames & other variables: I dont think aluminium framed 29ers work. You need components and frames which are equal to or better than 26" stuff. Its taken the mountain bike industry decades to optimize performance for 26", and there are still serious learning curves for 29ers. Some are just learning better and quicker than others.

So what would I do? Firstly, I would not touch a 29er which is anything other than high end. It would have to be the top of the line model. Anything less, and you are wasting your time. In most cases the wheels of even the top end 29ers would have to be replaced with a Stans or similar wheelset which is lighter or on par with the 26". Secondly, it depends on the type of riding. The majority of 29ers on the Epic were hard tails, and unless you were at the top of the field with a granite core, you were going to get hammered - and I saw plenty of 29er HT rides who disintegrated over the 8 days. For the full suspension crew, Burry Stander showed the benefits with his rig, but, I saw many mid field riders lumbering under the weight of their rather porky 29'ers.

So what would I choose. At the moment, the only bike I would consider is the Trek Fisher Superfly, but, I would have to customize it heavily, starting with the wheels. The other option is the Specialized Epic, but, I am not convinced that their current production model is robust or good enough. Even Willow Koerber's Trek Superfly HT weighs 9.6kg, so I am not convinced that the current offering of 29ers offer significant benefits over a standard 26" bike.


I think the best production 29ers are still under development or in production. Burry Standers 29er is one of those (I somehow doubt whether Burry's bike can be bought at this stage!). The other is the Scott Spark 29er which is apparently due for release in July 2011. I think the Spark 29er is going to be a bike which will shape the future of 29er racing and will provide the best out of the box performance benefits. Whether or not it will be affordable, is an entirely different matter.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

CAPE EPIC 2011 - RACE REPORT


2011 saw the ABSA Cape Epic kicking off with a Prologue in Tokai forest on the slopes of Table Mountain. The 27km Prologue was a Cross Country dash with 700 meters of jeep track climbing and descents on sweeping technical powderdy single track. Coega participated in team kit supplied by Indawo, a Cape Town based company. The kit really stood out and seemed to be well known amongst the crowds who had packed the course.


The crowd support at the Prologue, and throughout the event, was an outstanding feature. For the first time ever, the event had live television coverage on the first and final day. It seemed that Cape Town had come out for a picnic and there was a Tour De France type of support at all the major action points (normally the most technical sections). Crowds willed the riders up tricky ascents and dared them to take on the treachearous descents. Our aim was a incident free ride with a time to place us in the first start group for Stage 1 at Tulbagh and we got precisely that in a time of 1 hr 25.

Stage 1 was the first serious business with a 89km stage around Tulbagh. We started strongly and had a fairly uneventful ride ending up in 77th overall. The route was marked by some treacherous technical descents, where I took a heavy fall into a Protea bush, emerging largely unscathed, except for bruising on the inner calf. Later, I was to learn that Kevin Evans had fallen in a similar spot, but, had broken his shoulder, bringing his Cape Epic challenge to an end. Mike and I were both on DT Swiss forks and after finishing the first stage we both agreed that the forks were just not up to the Epic. Mikes was locking up and mine went sloppy after two hours. The Supporters village is something to be experienced, with tech crews working through the night to prepare bikes for the following day.


The guys at SRAM sorted us out with Rock Shox XX SIDs and by Stage 2 we had broad grins from their performance. But, 40km into the ride, those grins turned to grimace. Mike's freehub in the rear cluster packed up and for the next 6km it was a case of run, push and pull. We realised that unless we could get it repaired, our chances of finishing as a team were bleak. I first tried zip ties to lock the cluster to the rear spokes, but, these ripped out in seconds. We then used a spare derailler cable to lace the cluster onto the spokes and that solution got us home.

We limped in at a fraction under 8 hours, loosing more than two hours on the day, but, we had survived the day albeit with our chances for a good overall finish in tatters. Fatigue was also a major issue as you not only loose time, but, also the energy of being in the saddle longer and less recovery time. The highlight of Stage 2 was undoubtedly the export grade apples of the Witzenberg valley. They are undoubtedly the sweetest and most unblemished ever, and must have been the apples which tempted Eve!


Stage 3 was probably the hardest of the entire Epic, massive climbs, technical rocky descents, and sandy flats, switching between vineyard and mountain slopes. For me, this was one of the nicest days as it suited my riding style and Scott Spark perfectly. Whereas I normally struggle through thick sand, on the day, body, bike and tires were perfectly balanced, ripping through everything which Dr Evil could throw at us.


Stage 4 was the time trial at Worcester. This is undoubtedly, South Africa's secret Mtb Mecca, with endless miles of singletrack. We again stayed with Phil and Di, who had mobilized the Worcester community to support the Cape Epic. Many businesses and houses were decorated to welcome the Epic, and Phil's - probably the oldest home in Worcester - was the Pride of the Cape.

On the day, Phil has whipped up what seemed like the entire community of Worcester and covered the road leading to the climb of the day in chalk messages of encouragement. There was even one for Coega! A week later, the roads were still covered in chalk, with the Coega one still visible - Rachel was very impressed!

Stage 5 was the Queens stage - 143km - over the Groenlandberg to Oak Valley. On the 2010 Epic I had started to fade on this stage, my core having been pulverized by the Specialized M5 Aluminium hard tail. 2011 was a different story - I was thriving - the full suspension Scott Spark absorbing everything the terrain was throwing at it -leaving me to glow in its handling responses. On the single track running into Oak Valley, the bike was on rails and we rode away from everyone trying to stay with us.


Stage 6 has a monstrous 2700 meters of climbing, basically twice over the Groenlandberg. The single track of Lebanon was sublime, but, very familiar from 2010, and left me with the impression that Oak Valley will not be seeing the Epic in 2012. That night, we had a thorough sitting in the Oak Valley wine tasting tent, numbed with their stunning blends and glowing in the prospect of finishing the final day. Stage 7 followed the traditional route and finish to Lourensford. As usual, the portage over the Ox Wagon route, offered stunning vistas of the Mother City and coming into the Lourensford finish, I felt like turning back and doing the whole think in reverse! But, nothing can explain the feeling of finishing strong and seeing ones loved ones again.

The record shows our results as follows (our posistion in the Masters category is in brackets)

Prologue: 124 (27)
Stage 1: 77 (15)
Stage 2: 309 (93)
Stage 3: 98 (19)
Stage 4: 88 (17)
Stage 5: 92 (19)
Stage 6: 105 (21)
Stage 7: 111 (24)
Overall: 119 (25)

Our overall finish was worse than last year (104 overall and 17th in Masters), but, in many respects it was a far better race for me. The Scott Spark made the entire race an experience of Grins and not Grimaces. In 2010, the top 30 teams were basically Professionals. This year, it was the top 50 who were Pro's. Every year, the bar is being moved higher and higher as more Pro teams see the marketing benefits of this race. Like last year, I had a fantastic partner and I would love to do this race again. I had thought I was over the Epic flu, but, Im afraid its one of those viruses you never shake off!


It's tempting to rue the two hours lost on stage 2, which derailed a double digit finish. But, we could as easily been robbed of finishing through the mechanical failure of Stage 2, my unscathed fall of Stage 1, or Mikes near high speed endo on the rocky descents of Stage 3. Ultimately, unless you're contesting a podium, this event is about finishing, and finished in style and comfort!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

CAPE EPIC 2011 - WEAPON REVIEW


My choice of weapon for the 2011 Cape Epic was a Scott Spark RC. I purchased the bike in May 2010 (see my blog post here) and have had some wild times with it ever since. Quite simply put, its the best bike I have ever had. Here are some points from my experience with the Scott in the ABSA Cape Epic 2011.

1) Spark frame: This frame has withstood the test of time. The Peter Denk design has remained largely unchanged since its launch in about 2006 and the changes from the 2011 model over the 2010 model are largely cosmetic. Most other companies change their frame designs on a very frequent basis. Stuff that works persist, and that's the reason the Spark is still around after so long. There have been minor changes since 2006, mostly related to increased strength and lower weight. The Spark was undoubtedly one of the most popular weapons of choice on the Epic. The proof of a frames success is how often people try and copy it. A look around the Epic Bike Park clearly indicates how many brands have copied the Spark design!


2) Tire choice: I tossed the stock Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVO 26 x 2.1 tires largely because I wanted to bling up my 1994 Marin Eldridge SS with them. I fitted 2.2 Continental Mountain King UST on the front and 2.2 Conti Race King UST on the rear. I initially experimented with a Race King on the front and non UST tires. On the slippery, marbled corners of Longmore, I quickly discovered that the small advantages in rolling resistance were not worth the loss of traction on the front and switched to the Mountain King. While non UST tires are lighter, I preferred the slight weight penalty and reliability of UST over non UST. Running tire pressures ranging between 1.8 and 2 bar, the tires chewed up the notoriously harsh Cape terrain without any hassles. Not a single plug, tire change, tube or patch required. I tossed a cupful of Stans in each tire and that ensured no leaks from the ever present goat head thorns in the apple orchards and vineyards of the Western Cape.


3) Forks: I used the stock DT Swiss XC100 for the Prologue and 1st Stage of the Cape Epic while my partner used the XRC100. I am a great fan of DT Swiss, but, can't say I am convinced by their forks. Perhaps its because they bought the British Pace fork company and rebranded it as DT Swiss? After 160 hours of use (service interval is 200 hours), I had to have the lock out mechanism on the fork replaced due to dirt and corrosion. Doug Patterson at DDP Tech did a great rebuild replacing the seals and lockout mechanism and the fork performed flawlessly on the prologue. However, after two hours on Stage 1, the fork started flopping around like an overcooked piece of spaghetti while my partners XRC started locking out. At Tulbagh, the SRAM tent sorted us out overnight with Rock Shox SID XX Team forks, ready for stage 2. These forks, while slightly heavier than the DT Swiss, performed flawlessly and were well worth the weight penalty. In defence of DT Swiss, it should be noted that the XC and XRC are cross country race forks and the duration of such races are 2 hours max. DT Swiss has the more robust, but heavier, XRM range designed specifically for marathons. However, the one fact that swung me in favour of Rock Shox was the availability of workshop manuals. Rock Shox provide a comprehensive manual for rebuilding the entire fork with no special tools. In contrast, it is impossible to find a rebuild manual for the DT Swiss as it must be serviced by the agent and special tools are required. I will probably never rebuild the Rock Shox myself, but, it gives great piece of mind to know the internals of your fork. The time and cost for a rebuild also weighs in Rock Shox's favour. Whereas the DT must be couriered to Joburg, the Rock Shox can be serviced locally and spares are easily available. I am still a great fan of DT Swiss as a brand, particularly of its hubs and spokes, but, I think they have some way to go to match the overall package of reliability, functionality and weight offered by Rock Shox.

4) Saddle: Saddles are highly personal choices and I switched the standard Ritchey WCS saddle to my road bike (largely for cosmetic reasons)and fitted a Fizik Gobi. This saddle, while heavier, is stunningly comfortable.

5) XX Components: I have heard various criticisms of the XX groupset. It is light, shaving 500 grams off the old XTR. XX is not for everybody. If you are even slightly over weight, you're going to be searching for a granny gear. The Avid brakes are not bombproof reliable and at the first opportunity I would switch to the new XTR's. They are difficult to service and do not have a great feel. Jan, from Kings Cycles swopped out the rear brake for a few stages and by Stage 5 SRAM had serviced the brake and thereafter it performed flawlessly, but, without the silkiness of Shimano. I have had regular issues with the BB30 bottom bracket as the bearings regularly fail and need to be replaced. I have not yet figured out what is going on here and need to invest in the bottom bracket tool and start doing this work myself.


6) Cockpit: I replaced the standard Ritchey 620mm WCS flat bar with the Ritchey Super Logic 660 mm rizer bar. The main reason was to ensure brake lever clearance over the top tube. I have seen far to many carbon frames trashed from a brake lever gouging the top tube due to inadequate clearance. The wider bar took a few rides to get used to, but, offers wonderful control. I like many others love the wider setup. I also fitted Ritchey WCS carbon bar ends and Serfas silicone grips which completed my cockpit setup. I am now considering a slightly longer stem and want to swop out the standard 90mm Ritchey WCS 4 Axis stem with a 130mm length.

7) Wheels: I love the stock Ritchey WCS wheels. The DT Swiss hubs are bullet proof and have a lovely resonance, while the rims have taken a pounding and are still running true and are tubeless ready. However, the use of alloy nipples is not a great idea. I weigh about 75kg and in the run up to the Epic was breaking nipples on every ride. Theuns Kotze from Cycle Service Centre rebuilt the wheels with DT revolution spokes and brass nipples, and the wheels have been running true ever since. There is a weight penalty of about 50 grams per wheel which is an acceptable trade-off for the reliability which I now have. In future, I would love to have the Ritchey Carbon wheels as I am thoroughly impressed with the reliability that Thomas Frischknecht has had from his pair.

8) Servicing: My race service was again provided by Kings Cycles. Jan is awesome and is there at the finish everyday waiting to sort out any issues. His shop is in Worcester, South Africa's answer to Moab. Whereas Moab has slick rock, crap beer and is unrideable for half the year, Worcester has a vast network of awesome single track, great beer, wonderful wine farms and hospitable people which easily matches and surpasses Moab. At home, in Port Elizabeth, my bike was serviced by Wayne and Roger from Wayne Pheiffer Cycles. They have provided wonderful service in both supplying and maintaining my Spark. Brandon and Robbie at ProBike, the Scott SA distributor, have also been extremely helpful in assisting with any issues which the Pheiffer's could not sort out. My long standing wrench, Theuns Kotze, also helped with specialist work on wheel rebuilds and I regard him as an outstandingly meticulous mechanic. Unfortunately, he is heavily involved with the Yster manne's bikes, so his time is limited and he requires long lead times.


9) Pedals: I fitted the 2011 XTR pedals for the Epic. I have never had sufficient confidence in systems such as those by Crank Brothers even though they weigh less and evidently work better. I have not had a great experience with XTR pedals and for a while used entry level Shimano pedals. The XTR pedals were great in terms of hold and feel, but difficult on entry. I was constantly lubing them to facilitate easy entry. Despite the fact that the tension was at its weakest, pedal entry remained the single most difficult thing I experienced on the Epic.

10) Drive Chain: XX Clusters are notoriously expensive and the best investment one can make is a chain wear tool. Make sure you replace chains as it reaches 0.75% wear, and you can use a cluster for years. Any wear beyond that, and you will have to replace the cluster. I use SRAM PC1091 chains and have gone through three chains since May 2010 - costing approximately R1200. Others I know have used one chain and one cluster - costing approximately R3400!

11) Performance: Simply put, the Scott Spark ran like it was on rails. The handling was awesome, the Conti's providing traction on the tightest turns and holding air over the gnarliest terrain. The wide riser bars provided great control, easing fatigue over long distances. The rear suspension soaked up everything switching effortlessly between full lockout, traction control and full travel.

The nett result was a reversal of my 2010 Cape Epic. In 2010 the weapon was an aluminium framed hard tail where I weakened as the race progressed, my core being hammered into submission. The Spark of 2011 translated into a well rested core, where I felt more comfortable and stronger as the race progressed.

Awesome Scott - Thank you!