In this Issue: From the Editor ...... 1

MTB News ...... 2 2021 - Ride Reports ...... 3 -6

09 Academy Profile #1 ...... 6

Tour Tales & Pilates...... 7

Ride Roundup ...... 8

Cyclists have until the end of March to renew #BurgWheelers their membership because, unfortunately, members who have not renewed their Why should I join Burg Wheelers? subscriptions by then, will be removed from the I am often asked what the advantages are of mailing lists and receive no further joining Burg Wheelers and when I sat down to list correspondence from the club. all the perks, I realise that BWCC offers exceptional value for money and its true value lies not in the financial gains but in the fellowship of its members. BWCC is more than a club, it is a family Our Chairman has said it all this week in the BT, where people genuinely care for one another. and provided excellent reasons to pay your subs. This is what you get for R480 per year: Bobby has also generously allowed us to make • Entry into a very vibrant cycling club that him out first Member Feature this month. If there caters for all levels of cycling over the three is anyone in our club who inspires us all to keep most popular codes: MTB, gravel and road, riding – it’s Bobby. With his humility, willingness to • Good quality, very popular and attractive share his knowledge and experience and his subsidised cycling kit – cycling shorts/bib genuine love of cycling - he is an excellent shorts and cycling jerseys at R350 each ambassador for “Burg Wheelers” and we are truly (normal price is R700 each), lucky to have him at the helm of our club. • A very professional weekly Burg Talk Thank you to everyone who submitted entries newsletter with current club news, items of for the February Photo Competition. The winner interest, event news and helpful cycling tips, will be announced next week. For March – our • Well organised group rides controlled by theme is “March Madness“. Please send in photos experienced group leaders where no rider is via email in jpg formats to left behind. These rides take place several [email protected] with March Photo times every week, including weekends, Competition in your subject line. • Well chosen coffee shops for post-ride banter A special thanks to Bobby, Rich, Mark, Gert, Bex and debriefings, and Chris for this week’s articles. • Established WhatsApp groups for all the Stay safe and sane - Mustang groups keeping its members up dated on all organised rides, with friendly banter thrown in, • Gazebos, with refreshments, at most popular

road and mtb race events for all BW competitors and their families,

• BWCC subsidised teams at the popular y… B

‘Double90’ race in Clarens, • Subsidised licence and entry fee for the more serious, competitive cyclists competing in KZN and SA Championships, • 15% discount on spares from Hattons Cycles owered

Now that is good value for money! P

BURG TALK | 09-20210 is just one aspect. Decide what your goals are in cycling: get fit, lose weight, ride a sub 3:30 Shova etc. and start We are introducing a new feature with achievable mini-goals. Don’t overdo it in the to our BT – with a focus each beginning. Any new exercise regime starts with month of on one of our members. developing new habits; doing little bits often until you Our aim is to share their stories, are ready to increase your riding inspire and help us get to know frequency, distance and intensity. Always ride with each other better. This month we someone to whom you are accountable and who is able are sharing the story of one of our to mentor you. It should never be a chore. most special and talented members – Club chairman, Bobby Nefdt. 5. Key role for Burg Wheelers as a club. We asked Bobby a few questions Burg Wheelers is, and should be, a club for all; it about himself…. caters for everyone irrespective of their goals in this I am a Burra boy through and great sport. I have felt that its focus on the competitive through; born and bred in PMB. I side of cycling was lacking and it would be great to see have been cycling for over 52 years those riders attracted to BW and catered for. We and was very privileged to be taken are currently seeing a resurgent A Roadies group. under the wing of top Natal Cycling However, I believe the key role of the club is to continue captain, Frans Berghoff, who offering challenges to all its members. Such challenges mentored me for many years. I represented the Natal might be for members to ride in a more challenging Senior Team from the age of 17 and first received my group or ride on a more challenging course. Most Springbok colours in 1977. I have raced on the track, on members are attracted by the camaraderie relating to the road and have done the occasional MTB race the social aspect of the club and I believe there are very (Sani2C, Berg 100…) My passion has always been for the few clubs who can rival BW in this aspect. It is also the road. I managed to win gold medals at the SA Road reason why BW is one of the top clubs in KZN, if not in Champs as a junior and an elite rider as well as 6 silver the country. And, who can compete with the variety and bronze medals in 7 starts as a veteran and master. of trails, gravel and road routes 2. Where and when did you start cycling and around Pietermaritzburg. what was your first bike? I started cycling at the age of 14 when my parents paid R35 for a 2nd hand yellow,“Jowett’s Super Responsive” track bike that was about several sizes too big for me. The following day I returned home with a red “Jowett’s Super Responsive” track bike that was the right size. My mother was furious! I had met a friend at the track whose bike was too small for him and we swopped Roadie: Brendan Els frames. I ended up racing that bike for several years. Age: 17 years old, turning 18 in 3. What do you consider your greatest achievement? July. Unfortunately, cyclists in SA were deprived of About me: A hard working, international competition in the ‘70’s so most of my enthusiastic boy, who always gives racing was confined to competing in SA. My first taste of his best. I love waterpolo, rugby of international racing was at the age of 19 when I was and of course cycling. I started selected to represent SA in the first Rapport Tour, a 9- cycling because I wanted to complete day international stage race from Cape Town to an Amashova and dedicate it to my late uncle (as he was a really big cyclist) and I fell in love with the sport Johannesburg. Several international teams from Europe and the rest is history. My cycling aspirations are to were represented in the race. I manage a 3rd place in firstly, have fun whilst I ride and secondly to do my the prologue time-trial and a 3rd place in the final stage best and reach my full potential. I’m planning on into Johannesburg but suffered food poisoning after the studying emergency medicine at WITS University next 2nd stage when I was lying 5th, losing over 30 min. year. I would love to pursue a career as a paramedic or 4. Best advice for someone starting cycling? a trauma surgeon. I would like to end off by saying Cycling is what one would call a ‘life sport’, a sport thank you to Burgwheeler’s for all the opportunities that you can do for the rest of your life and can be they have given me and will give me in the future. enjoyed at every stage of your life. Competitive cycling

BURG TALK | 09-20210

Richard Krusekopf Ride Reports: After a week of rain, a perfect Saturday dawned. The A/B’s undertook another adventurous route via Wartburg and Nagle Dam time. The C’s rode to Midmar, while the D’s did a steady local ride. The F’s, with Jumbo standing in, were rather thin on the Dave Bure has the fastest Burg Wheeler time on the ground. It seems the weeks rain may have scared away time trial segments. Well done for that Dave. However, some of the regulars. there must be someone to challenge his times on both Remember to use lights whenever riding on public the 8km and 18km routes. It would be great to see some roads. Give motorists every chance to avoid you. of the aspiring younger riders tackling the courses. Actually Dave told me privately he doesn’t think anyone will better his Strava times for the two segments.

Hilton Time Trial TT Results: Week 4 Timber Harvesting: The Supa Quick time trial has been in full swing since Harvesting of timber continues in the Cedara January and has continued through February. The plantations (Thekwani Timbers) in November through to trails, after the rain are awesome as confirmed by the February. A number of our regular trails have been improving times. Give the 8km or 18km a go during closed. Timber harvesting is also taking place in the March and stand a chance to win the Supa Quick Cascades plantations with certain trails closed monthly give away or even the CBT weekly lucky draw Harvesting operations are also taking place in prize. This week’s lucky draw winner of Karkloof. Please respect their trail and road closures a Nino’s breakfast and coffee is Dave during this period. Keep a safe distance from these Bure. Congratulations Dave. Contact me for your operations. voucher. The winners of a power bank each from Supa Quick are Mark Rowland and Larry Sanders. Congratulations Mark and Larry. Please contact Colin Club Rides: at Supa Quick to arrange collection of your prizes. The Wednesday rides leave from X-ways at 15:30. This Saturday the C, D and F groups will be riding from Hilton Quarry Centre at 6:30. These group rides are also communicated on WhatsApp. Gordon Borain has kindly offered to initiate an F group with the intention of riding a little slower and doing around 20km. If this is for you, please join him on Saturday at the Quarry Centre parking lot – the usual place. The D group needs additional leaders to help out on Saturday mornings. If you are a regular D group rider, your help will be appreciated. Further details will be found on relevant WhatsApp chats. Contact me if you would like to be added to the MTB groups.

BURG TALK | 09-20210 Mark Rowland Gert Roos After a lot of rain over the course of the three days preceding the ride, I did not expect much of a turnout on Saturday. Wet conditions have a tendency to deter riders inversely in proportion to their ability, with faster riders more likely to grind it out in the wet and slower riders more likely to cash in a rain cheque and opting instead for an English or Continental breakfast in bed, depending on their dietary preferences. The Grace College tracks are surprisingly ridable in wet conditions. Many riders tend to target dirt roads in muddy conditions, but in my experience, it is best to stay It was with some trepidation that I peeled back my on the single track in muddy conditions barring a few eyelids at 05h20 on Saturday. Would it still be caveats. It also helps to have the right tyres for the raining? It wasn’t. Our undercover people in Hilton conditions. I use a Maxxis Forekaster on my front wheel confirmed that it was dry there too. The ride was on. which is an excellent all weather tyre which is known for The two days of persistent rain had clearly its ability to grip in muddy conditions. We discouraged the more delicate C’s, SpiderWoman and I did 18km of the pre-COVID-19 old school tracks at being joined only by His Reliability the Kruppenfuhrer, Grace College and finished off with 8km of Cedara DisaPierre, and Chris G. Jumbo was there for the F’s, roads, proving to Andy that, even if it is wet, there is which turned out to be him and his nephew. Gert took absolutely no need to get your feet the D’s, and had the largest group, which included His wet. 26,5km, 2h13 active time, 11,95 km/h average Larryness, Paula, Andy G and the Bears. Who were – speed, 490m ascent, Andy, Larry, the ferocious, shock / horror – late. Once again, we appreciate the fertile, pure, light, wise and wealthy land barons, commitment of the group leaders and the Keeper of the the Booysen Bears (Google it), and Paula joined me. Sacred Roster – thanks everyone. Word spreads slowly, and we have little doubt that the F Group demand is out there somewhere. Please spread the word at the bike shops that the F’s are now operational. They must have a regular stream of beginners. Mindful of the sogginess, the C’s set off on what would hopefully be the least muddy route to Midmar and back. We were largely successful and incident free. It was a Goldilocks day – not too cold or too hot. Just right. There were very few other people on bikes, and so we had the trails largely to ourselves. Only a few muddy patches, which we picked our way through. We routed via the Birnam Wood Rd and the Howick Airfield, doing a brief loop along the dam shore, before heading back. Pierre picked up some wire in his wheel, which was quickly sorted. Chris easily kept up with Ali, firming up his nomination as our most improved rider. He blames Dave Stewart’s judicious use of electroshock therapy for Something old and something new his steady progress. Route finder JP found us a gem on Sat 27th Feb. As can been seen from the stats below, we moved Starting out from Izimbali Coffee Shop on the Table along at a good clip, arriving back at the Quarry just Mountain road, the group of ten enjoyed a beautiful before the D’s, who we joined at Nino’s for an sunrise as we dropped into the valley heading out to exhaustive caffeine-enriched debrief. Wartburg on the tar road. The hills had already begun! Garmin Stats: 40km, 2h20 riding time, 17,3km, 525m Passing through Wartburg and then right towards ascent, 12-19 degrees. Bruyns Hill and then right again. this is where ‘the new’ started and the gravel roads.

BURG TALK | 09-20210 disappeared into the mist. Paul L and visiting rider Justin Short motor paced us all the way to the Airfield where SphaN tested a pothole only to lose the battle. Doug T was quick to offer Spha assistance and we were soon ‘on the road again’. Going up through Drummond Darrel G ‘poked the bear’. We were climbing at a steady rate when he decided to surge off the front, passing Paul. Those of us who known Paul well know not to pass him when he is climbing steadily on the front. As predicted, Paul upped the tempo, caught Darrel and put the hammer down. Soon it was Justin and Paul riding side by side trying to see who would crack first. After regrouping at the top, we discovered that Marcel, Kole and Darrel had turned for home. The remaining eight were motor paced by Justin and Paul to Kearsney The mighty ‘Valley of a Thousand Hills’ lay before us, College, hurting us on every incline. We refuelled at the countryside looking magnificent in it’s lush green the nearby service station and headed back. The ride up summer gown. Lots of ups and downs and one big, the reverse Drummond climb was no less easy where I steep descent into the valley heading towards Nagle scored a PR up the climb. Tired legs accompanied us for Dam. Of course, where there is a down, there has to be the remainder of the ride with Polly’s proving to be our a up! After a brief ‘breakfast stop’ at the dam, we faced final test. Tired, but contented, we parted our separate a monster climb back up to the Table Mountain road – ways with the promise of a nap on arriving at our climbing a severe 18-19% gradient for about 3km. The respective homes. legs were crying! It then eased off for the next 4-5km before the final hill back to Izimbali where we enjoyed milkshakes, coffee and breakfast. A delightful place, run Cornel van der Venter by the Price family. ive seasoned veterans (in the sense of Ride stats: 82km, 1843m ascent, 4h30 ride time. F “experienced”, rather than “covered with spices”) departed from Crossways, destination Curry’s Post, on Saturday morning, with the resolute motto of No Rider Bobby Nefdt Left Behind. We immediately left behind mottoes, and Kearsney College Ride: Distance: 126,3km; Ave Speed: Suben. He managed to catch up with us again at 27,1 km/h; Elev Gain: 1 649 m; Time: 4:39:13 Midmar, so we left Davey D behind, halfway up No Yellow Cards! Ten of us set off from the Eye Widowmaker Hill out of Howick. Such is the nature of Hospital at an easy pace heading up to the Lion Park. I the Buzzing B’s: to live is to ride and to ride is to live. A was surprised by the amount of mist as we got closer to hive, the group goes on, however unfortunate the the Lion Park. Appearing from the mist was Paul L who individual bee. (Debates over exactly who the queen is was looking for a group to ride with. Marcel S and continue.) That’s the way it has always been for them Kole S, having time restraints, picked up the pace and out there on the unbroken tarmac. There’s no such thing as stress or disappointment when you’re out gliding toward the endless frontier; there’s only the grey sky above — so perfectly grey, you’d swear it was one of those bad paintings for which you have curious fondness — the hard, sometimes damp, sometimes missing, asphalt below, and the soothing music of the incipient arrhythmia alerts of the beeping heart rate monitors. That’s how it is for roadies. By all outward indications, this appears to be a labour of love. Or a crime of passion.

BURG TALK | 09-20210 like to take part, we will have a backup vehicle. You will need to enter on www.capetowncycletour.com and you will need Strave to verify your qualifying ride. You will also need to link Strava to your RaceTec profile. Please enter A.S.A.P.

We established a steady rhythm of pacing ourselves up Nosebleed Climb (“rhythm” doing a lot of heavy lifting here): Simon caning it at the front to get the picture looking back at us from Unscenic Peak, and then Chris de Witt regrouping as a peloton for the flattish bits, ably led by On Saturday 27th @ 5am – 11 of us left the Doctor Dutton. Between Simon’s climbs and John’s Ashburton Training Centre to do a popular route that descends, each new Strava segment was devoured like hasn’t been done for a while due to roadworks: We hungry wolves would devour live chickens – quickly, and went from ATC via Polly shorts, Fox Hill, Thornville, without thought for table manners. Unfortunately, we Manderston, along Umlaas Rd into Cato-ridge and then had to slow right down for the final, steepest downhill straight back to Ashburton. We managed to do 70 km coming back into Howick. The Laws of Physics can be a with 1000 m climbing and it was a very pleasant ride – cruel temptress and a harsh mistress, but Dante’s Seven nice cool weather. The piece between Thornville and Potholes from Hell were enough to make even Tony Umlaas road is progressing well – with about half eventually pay attention and commit to an already newly tarred – and there was only one stop/go unobjectionable line and velocity and stop that awful which was a downhill section – allowing us to get humming of ‘Flight Of The Valkyries’. through quite fast. I would like to thank Lucky from Ultimately we covered 85 kilometer (with 1400 Compendium for doing the backup duties on this ride metres of elevation gain) in three and a half hours, and, for us. We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Ashburton to save you the maths homework, fabricated the Club House Zebra and Porcupine. average speed at around 25km/h over some This was my last ride as D Group Leader and I would cappuccinos at Nino’s. like to thank all the regular riders that supported the D Group while I was leading and I wish Warrick, LLew and Sandy all the best as they take over the reigns for the meantime!

Dale Southern The C group will be doing the VIRTUAL CAPE TOWN CYCLING TOUR on 13 March, from St John’s Village, starting at 5a.m. We will ride up past Mount West to the end of the tar road, then stop at the garage for some food and water, taking the same route back, passing St Johns Village for 4km, to make up the 109km as per the CTCT. We will then double back, giving us 109km and +- the same amount of climbing. If, for any reason, the weather is not rideable on the 13th we will do it on Sunday 14th. Please will you contact me if you would

BURG TALK | 09-20210 Tour Trivia: Today, tyre punctures are easily fixed, but in the early days of the Tour the only way to patch a leaky inner-tube was to cut through the tyre, which then Stories from ‘Viva le Tour’ by Nick Brownlee had to be sewn together with twine and a sail-maker’s needle. Snippet #10 1915 : Unlucky Eugène Again. Dates: 27 June-27 July 1920 No. of stages: 15 Stages 1919 Tour de France: The Tour of Hope. Distance: 5 503km Dates: 29 Jun-27 Ave speed: 24 km/h No. of stages: 15 Stages , the great Belgian rider, became the first Race winner - Firmin Lambot man to win three Tours when he triumphed in 1920. As Distance: 5 560 km in 1913, his main rival was Eugène Christophe, and as Winner’s average speed 24 km/h ever Christophe would be dogged by bad luck. This The Tour of this year was, understandably, a sombre time, severe back ache forced the veteran Frenchman to affair. Three of its past winners were dead and the race withdraw. It was a year dominated by Belgians, however. travelled through a country ravaged by four years of As well as Thys, who won four stages and never outside ruinous war. Due to the scarcity of raw materials, cycle the top five in any stage, Belgians won 12 out of the 15 manufacturers were forced to pool their resources in stages and took the first 7 places in the overall order to ensure the riders actually had bike frames, classification. The best place Frenchman was tyres, brakes and gears. eighth – and Honouré Barthélémy staggered over the But in many ways the Tour was precisely what the line with a broken wrist and had dislocated collar French people needed after so long in the dark, bone after a crash on the final stage. Thys would have and they turned out in their hundreds of thousands to been the first man to wear the yellow jersey, had he line the route and cheer on their favourites. And of all accepted Henry Desgrange’s offer. Instead, he the riders there was no one they loved more rejected it, claiming it would make him more visible to than Eugène Christophe. The man his rivals on the road. This was in 1913 - six years before whose broken forks had cost him victory in the Eugène Christophe wore the first maillot jaune. Thys 1913 Tour was back, and for 13 stages he dominated the won his second Tour in1914. When the race resumed in race. By the time the peloton set off on the penultimate 1919, he was so fat and slow that Desgrange accused stage - a monstrous 468 kilometres between Metz and him of being arrogant and a disgrace to both himself Dunkirk – Christophe was 30 minutes ahead of his and the sport of cycling. Hurt by those comments, Thys nearest challenger, Firmin Lambot. But then, duly lost weight, trained like a madman, and won the astonishingly his folks broke again, and by the 1920 Tour by 57 minutes. time he’d repaired them he was two and a half hours behind the bemused Lambot. In a rare act of compassion, Henri Desgrange organised a subscription in L’Auto in which the readers were asked to contribute to a compensation fund for the hapless rider. The subscription raised 13,000 francs - far more than the 5,000 francs Christophe would havereceived as a tour winner. Like Raymond Poulidor in the 1960s, Christophe would never win the Tour; but like the legendary Pou-Pou he became more famous and beloved as the eternal second as any winner would ever be. For the first time the yellow Jersey was introduced to indicate the race leader on the road and the first person to wear it was Christophe. Unfortunately for Christophe the jersey made himthe laughing stock: all along the route, spectators called him a ‘canary’. The yellow jersey was called the maillot jaune.

BURG TALK | 09-20210 CLUB MEMBERSHIP 2021 Cape Town Cycle Tour Goes Virtual The Virtual Cape Town Cycle Tour, will utilize the Time is running out! FulGaz Virtual Cycling platform, and will take place Only 91 of our BW members having renewed between March 8-14. Enter online from Monday, 8 their Club membership so far February at www.capetowncycletour.com and ride You have until the end of March 2021 for this – 109km or more during the month of March ANYWHERE but please do it as soon as possible! ANYTIME. Membership forms can be downloaded from the club website. Please use a meaningful reference when making payments by EFT or into the Club account (NAME and WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR, e.g. UPFOLD SUBS, or WILSON KIT, etc),

Email proof of payment to club secretary, Moira Sherwood ([email protected]).

NEWSFLASH: Maluti Double 90 postponed to September – exact dates to be confirmed!

BURG TALK | 09-20210