Imagine walking out into your backyard and it was no longer there. It’s a bit farfetched, or like something out of a sci-fi flick, highly unlikely to happen but if it did… well that’s kinda what it feels like having watched Tokai and the Southern slopes of Table Mountain burn down. One of the most accessible, safe, beautiful and fun mountain bike trail networks has essentially been erased. The park has been closed indefinitely until it can be assessed and the trail fairies can move back in. Rob Vogel’s feature sheds some light on the situation. What assessments and plans can’t tell you is how we are all feeling. Without sounding too melodramatic, it really is like losing your backyard… I have been asked by so many people “where are you going to ride now?” Well we have the front of Table Mountain fortunately. It is a tough, good ride but without any of the umpteen challenging, fun singletrack options, and imagine the traffic. Meurant Botha told me that they have already noticed higher volumes of weekend riders on their Delvera and Simonsberg trail networks. I am sure that all the Northern Suburbs and Boland trails will be flooded with riders now. Let’s not forget that Jonkershoek was also affected by a devastating fire which has destroyed a large portion of the pristine trails that Bennet Nel and his team have put blood, sweat, and tears into. We need to help where we can folks. There will eventually be trail building days and in order to expedite access to these trails we need to pitch in. Watch our site and social media channels for information on when and how you can help. The disaster should also be seen as an opportunity and may possibly offer options for improvements and new trails opening up.
Full Sus would also like to thank all the firemen and women, the chopper pilots and their crews, and of course the volunteer fire fighters who fought the fire so bravely for days on end. You guys put your bodies on the line, not only to fight the fire, but to save property, people, and animals affected by the blaze. We doff our lids to you!
It wasn’t all doom and gloom; the ABSA Cape Epic came to town! And what a show it was! Besides the buzz created by having the world’s best in town there is a tangible excitement amongst all mountain bike riders during the Epic time. The toughest marathon stage race – certainly with a field of this size and calibre – in the world and its run in sunny SA! The racing was incredible, the guts by all tremendous. A few things stood out for me in this Epic: The Kulhavý and Sauser express – it really was a race for them to lose and they worked hard to ensure they didn’t. Well done Christoph on your fifth victory – a remarkable achievement! The pain it takes to continue as an “Outcast” – I followed Rob Vogel’s daily blog and it was intense, give it a read. The superb showing by Cherie Vale and Mariske Strauss to finish eighth in the ladies GC, with Mariske carrying a serious injury into the race. Of course the real story of the Epic was the one hour plus time penalty given to Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad, and how they made it up the next day and then proceeded to blow the field away. It was sensational to watch and truly inspiring for all young, aspiring athletes! Well done ladies.
My only request to the Epic is that in their highlights package (which is normally 30 minutes – with ads I suspect) devote at least 10 minutes of it to the general field. Yes we want to see the race, but we also want to see what the “normal” folks go through. Hear their stories, their challenges and triumphs.
I look forward to exploring some new trails while we wait for Tokai to recover and to meeting some of you at our Readers Bike Test Day in May. Cycle safe and see you on the trails
Cheers
Shayne
Shayne’s Review: crankbrothersCandy 3
If you haven’t seen “eggbeater” type pedals, when you do get to see them they appear quite different. I do confess to having a pair of eggbeaters and they lasted a couple of rides and were put into the back of my cupboard never to be used again. The Candy pedals are eggbeater style pedals but set inside a platform. They are specifically aimed at XC and MTB and having the small platform immediately gives you a more confident ride. I really like them. Clipping in is a lot easier with the platform, you also have a much bigger surface area on which you are pushing which for me felt better, and should stop hot spots on your feet where the cleat is. The stroke felt stronger on both the downward and upward movement – the pull felt more obvious and I enjoyed the confidence it gave when pedalling hard. My only reservation is that you cannot change the tension on the pedals and I like to run my pedals very loose – it’s going to take some getting used to. There have been rumours of durability issues, but I am going to stick with them and see how they hold up, and report back. Besides like most crankbrothers products, the Candy’s do look mighty fine!
Sus the crankbrothers Candy 3’s
Weight: 317g per pair
Construction: Machined alloy body and cast steel wings
RRP: R1 600
Find a dealer: www.omnico.co.za
