Mtb Bike Tours

01/12/2021

Epic 2022 route revealed! First few stages in our back yard.

17/10/2021

Their bravery know no bounds!

One gear, one goal.

It isn’t difficult to spot the Steel Challenge pairing of Max Menzies and Fernell ‘Fykz’ Regue on the Absa Cape Epic route. They are either spinning their legs off, or grinding a gear that strikes fear into every knee in sight.

Actually, the best way to spot the McGregor residents is by the smile. “Riding single speeds is just lekker, there is no excuse when you finish last, and joy when you don’t.” The simplicity of a rigid fork and no derailleurs to clog in the unexpected mud that greeted riders on the 2021 Prologue at the University of Cape Town, makes some sense…

This is the sixth single-speed start for Max - in 2018 he had a massive heart attack driving from the Prologue to Stage 1, robbing him of his 5th finish early on. So, there is an element of redemption, too. But mostly, Max is here to enjoy the journey, and share it with 21-year-old Fykz; a solid wheel to follow for a rider who only started cycling in 2015. And he already has adopted his senior partner’s Maxim of riding to have a good time. “I really enjoyed the first stage, I was very excited this morning” said Fykz. “ It was slippery, I nearly crashed on the one bridge, but I just follow Max, he is so experienced and I trust him.”

Max just smiles, demonstrably proud of his young charge. “We had such a fun day, I love this event and I finally have a partner on a single speed! Normally, the answer is ‘stuff you’ and they ride normal bikes. Which is cool, but the purity of the Steel Challenge is wonderful.”

Fykz is a member of McGregor’s Young Warriors cycling club, and the team is riding rigid steel single speeds partly on a Cape Leopard Trust ticket, raising awareness for both the trust and the club. They are filming from their bikes, and have a dedicated camera person on the route, all of which will culminate in a 52-minute documentary after the Absa Cape Epic. “The people at the event have been wonderful, helping us document what happens towards the back of the field, rather than what the pros are up to. That is where the real spirit of the event lies, where the human stories are.”

The Steel Challengers finished the Prologue in a healthy 1h35 - nowhere near the leaders, but equally not last. “This stage is hard for us, with the steep climbs. But it was short and sweet. The real battle comes this week, but at least it will be warmer and dustier, like we are used to. Friday [Stage 5] scares us a little, though. I have ridden it before, and it is very tough.” As it will be for the whole field. Those battling it with Max and Fckz will survive and flourish; their enthusiasm is infectious.

06/10/2021

We asked a range of experts a bunch of questions about the Cape Town Cycle Tour – the ones you were too afraid to ask.

01/10/2021

We asked the top favorites how Paris-Roubaix in October will be unique: they gave some surprising answers.

01/09/2021

We had super day out last week with the gap year students from PNX global! Fun was had by all. Book your function on [email protected]

18/08/2021

https://www.news24.com/ride24/riding/turning-railway-tracks-into-singletrack-20210817

An exciting new project aims to create a huge network of linking singletrack, for South African riders.

28/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 12 - Final day - photos

27/05/2021

Cape Cape - Day 12 - Knysna to Plett - 71 km 1125m climbing - Final day

I awoke on the final morning with the rain beating down again, which had started the evening before. Warnings of flooding on the South coast were once again rife and my heart sunk with the storm raging outside. The weather God's were up to their tricks again!

I was determined to finish the cross cape after all that I had been through, though, and was prepared to swim if I had to. After consulting with Team Ryno and offering the option of baling for the final day I was seriously impressed that they all agreed, no ways were they giving up.

We had a stunning breakfast at Laguuna Inn and said our goodbyes to Alison. After a short transfer to the top of Simola hill we hopped on the bikes. Amazingly it had stopped raining and although the road was wet the conditions were good.

Our toughest day yet had started! A 4km downhill to the Gouna River got our blood racing to be followed by a very steep climb of 17%. We we're doing the last 30km or so of the Karoo to Coast, a well known race, in reverse.

The temperature was ideal, however and although we had a climb of 25km, along Kom se Pad, the scenery was spectacular. Indigenous forest with a background orchestra from the frogs.

Climbing, climbing and some more climbing, until eventually breaking through the forest canopy we arrived at our high point, for the day, Diepvalle forest station. A quick descent to the turning to Plett brought us to our lunch spot. Lunch was a quick affair as the temperature had dropped to 10C and a cold wind to boot. We were thankful for the backup vehicle.

Descending again for another 10km we met with the final obstacle for the day another climb almost reaching the altitude of the Diepvalle climb. There was some groaning from the legs but the views of the Outeniqua were absolutely worth it and we were in for another 15km downhill to the Bitou River.

Arriving in Plettenberg Bay I was elated and emotional about the journey I had been on the past 12 days, a truly fantastic experience. I was also amazed by the performance and commitment of Team Ryno and found having the company and encouragement on all the days truly motivating. Special mention must be made to my wife (Juanita), daughter (Sasha), family and colleague Bianca. Also to all the encouraging messages I received from home and abroad, I thank you all.

Until the next adventure, keep.the wheels rolling!

Team Ryno: cyclists : Steve Johnson, Frans Slabber, El-Doree Grobler and Hagen Liebberger

Team Ryno: Support crew: Juanita and Sasha van der Riet, Bianca Potgieter and Ash.

25/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 11 - photos

24/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 11 - George to Knysna - 80km 1257m climbing

After a great reunion with Steve the night before we had a short transfer to the start of the 7 passes road, the old road connecting George to Knysna.

Team Ryno started out strong on a quick 10km or so tar section. Today's profile looked like a whacked out cardiac patient in resus and soon this proved itself true with steep downhills and steep uphills soon to follow. The gradients were in the region of 10 - 14%.

What was really awesome is on each pass we descended into the indigenous forest resurfacing into pretty farmlands with views of the Outeniqua and the Tzitzikama in the distance.

A much cooler day than yesterday, and smooth tar between the passes made for enjoyable cycling in general.

I found the going tough as I had seemed to have picked up a niggling quadricep strain, but felt buoyed by the fact that I had crossed the 500km mark with more than 7000m climbing, and the end was in sight. After some medical treatment, (a big thanks to El-Doree), and a very kind gesture of a gigantic piece of chocolate cake from a padstal owner for my birthday, I soon felt better.

Some more passes were conquered before we stopped for lunch where Steve showed his mechanical expertise by fixing some local kids bike in Karatara.

The challenge of the day loomed at the 50km mark and we descended in trepidation of the climb ahead. (Homtini pass). What a super downhill though, which made the climb out, surrounded by forest and the calls of a lorrie, well worth it.

The hard work done for the day, a gradual downhill with the final drop-off down Phantom pass to Knysna, awaited us. Another fantastic descent on gravel, could the trip get any better!

Arriving in the outskirts of Knysna we were greeted with our final surprise for the day, the Red Bridge, which crosses the Knysna lagoon.

Skirting the lagoon we soon arrived at our stunning accommodation Laguuna Inn owned and run by a friendly Allison. Dinner at the local pub, a great way to end the penultimate day.

23/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 10 - photos

23/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 10 - Oudtshoorn to George - 76km 1032m climbing

After a successful first day with Team Ryno, and a stunning stay at De Poort country lodge we had a short transfer to Oudtshoorn before heading out deep into the Klein Karoo. My second time crossing the ancient beautiful land on the trip.

Today we would be crossing the Outeniqua mountain range to George via the Montagu pass, built in 1847 by the prolific engineer Sir Thomas Bain. However we would be traveling up for the majority of the day.

We had a fast start on tar for the first 15km before turning onto the gravel and our first challenge for the day, Mount Hope. The going was blissful with perfect weather and we found Mount Hope doable but reaching a gradient of 18% in places the steepest terrain yet! The territory leveled out however and the going became easier with a series of rolling hills for 25km.

The temperature was rising ,28C, and I was very thankful for doing this ride in the winter, in summer the temperatures easily reach 45C. After some water crises we finally made our way through Zebra (such a great name) to the small village of Herold at the top of Montagu pass, for our lunch break.

After lunch it was time to hit the final climb and enjoy our 500m plummet into George! In true cross Cape fashion this hill was a sting in the tail and I was jealous as a couple passed us on E bikes before the summit.

We were soon at the top of the pass, however, and we were greeted by fantastic views of the Outeniqua mountains. It was time for our reward and what a reward it was, descending into George we were greeted with a stinger, "not mentioned in the brochure" to quote Frans, to keep the legs warm.

Soon after we arrived, with grins on our faces, at our accommodation for the evening. Tonight we were to be joined by Steve Johnson, an old friend, for the final 2 days of the trip.

23/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 9 - photos

22/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 9 - Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn - 74km 1314m climbing

After a really great reunion the evening before and having a days rest team Ryno set off on the Calitzdorp to Oudtshoorn leg.

Having the beast in the van, my bike now felt like an E bike, added in, a day's rest and the morale boost of the team, the going was good and I felt super strong.

Making our way through the beautiful Nels rivier Valley we made steady progress, this was amazingly scenic and I felt that it was days like this that made it all worth it.

After a series of rolling hills we reached the Cango Caves turn off and the option was taken to take this turning. This was a variation to the Cross Cape route but allowed us to end at our accommodation (De Poort) rather than be transferred from Oudtshoorn to our lodge. This added an additional 350m to the total climbing but we were in for a surprise.

Tough rolling hills hitting 14% at times, brought us to a welcome lunch brought to us by our support team of Jusnita, Bianca, Sasha and Ash.

After lunch we continued on into the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range and great views of the Swartberg pass. Here our surprise of excellent tar greeted us and we made short work of the final climbing for the day. What an awesome downhill, (22km), and I managed to reach my top speed of 66.5 km/h of the whole trip!

Joining the main Cango caves road we enjoyed the final kms to De Poort country lodge our accommodation for the night.

Team Ryno: Ryno, Juanita, Sasha, Ash, Bianca, Hagen, Frans and El-Doree

22/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 8 - Rest day

Having successfully done the Rooiberg pass the day before today was a day for rest and to catch up with washing and so on. I was due to be joined by the gang later that afternoon and was looking forward to seeing everyone again.

I must say it was a huge morale booster having my family and friends joining for the final four days riding, and quite an emotional reunion. After everyone had settled in we had a celebratory braai and I was most surprised by the gift I received! Specially made shirts for the trip and this made the experience all the more enjoyable.

21/05/2021

Day 7 - photos

21/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 7 - Vanwyksdorp to Calitzdorp 43km 837m climbing

After an excellent night's rest I awoke to a mist enshrouded Rooiberg lodge and headed for my breakfast hoping it would clear a bit before I left.

I left the lodge after a slightly delayed start, in trepidation of today's challenge, the Rooiberg pass. Having had some beta from a group of cyclists I had met in Swellendam and who had said that it was a major challenge I felt my legs protesting in advance.

After a short warm up following the river the first obstacle came into view, what I had named baby Rooiberg. I found this quite a consistent 10% gradient but leveling out after a short while onto the plateau before the main climb.

The mist was swirling as I started the main pass and in retrospect I was thankful for the cool weather and not being able to see what was coming up! After a short while the climb really kicked up and I found the going tough of about 3km of an 11% gradient.

Needless to say a few choice words were exchanged between myself and the beast (my pack), but I found myself breaking through the clouds onto the summit plateau with the most fantastic views and soon the suffering was forgotten.

Elated having conquered the Rooiberg I was greeted with a spectacular view across the Klein Karoo all the way to the Swartberg mountain range and the added bonus of the descent off the Rooiberg.

After a quick lunch, I prepared to make my descent and found this a great technical challenge, rocky and steep with lots of washouts from the heavy rain. I was in admiration of the participants in the 36one challenge, (361 km in 36hrs), who would be doing the Rooiberg the coming weekend, some of them at night!

Shortly I reached the bottom, luckily with all my teeth intact and no mishaps and really enjoyed the slight gradient downhill into Calitzdorp, my stay for 2 nights.

I must say I found the ride into Calitzdorp most beautiful with it's quaint houses and churches, a hidden gem of the Klein Karoo. Arriving at my accommodation The Calitz I was greeted by my warm host Colleen and looked forward to a day of RnR.

19/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 6 - route and profile

19/05/2021

Cross Cape Day 6 - photos

19/05/2021

Cross Cape - Day 6 - Riversdale to Vanwyksdorp 76km 1116m climbing

After saying fond farewells to Evan and Cameron the evening before and enjoying my stay in Riversdale, I headed out on my own again, looking forward to some solitude in the Klein Karoo.

Today's challenge being the García Pass traversing the Langeberge mountain range. My legs were a bit tender from the previous days climbing, and the return of the beast (my pack), but I made steady progress on excellent tar.

Again the weather God's had taken pity on me and I could not have asked for better weather! Making my way up I was thankful the climbing was early in the day and found my rhythm, an initial steeper gradient of 8 - 10% easing near the top of García.

After a short break near the summit I was treated to the most excellent downhill with a tailwind!

I was now in the Klein Karoo with an amazing change in the vegetation in the space of a few kilometers. Turning right off the R323 onto hard packed gravel I began to really enjoy the quiet solitude of this ancient land.

Rolling hills on good gravel finally brought me to Vanwyksdorp a tiny village at the foot of the Rooiberg. Throughout the day the evidence was there of the front that had passed the days prior.

I must say the last 10km's were tough with some steep short hills and arriving a Rooiberg lodge I was quite peeved to find the lodge 4kms for the gate up a steep climb! However, relieved to arrive I found this a beautiful oasis in the most scenic surrounding.

(My apologies for the delayed posting of the following days as communication was not the best)

11/05/2021

Check out my ride on Strava.

10/05/2021

Day 5 Pics

10/05/2021

Cross Cape Day 5 - Swellendam to Riversdale - 94kms 1238 m climbing

The weather gods smiled down upon us today providing perfect weather for perhaps the queens stage.

The plan was Ev would join for the first half and Cam for the second. We left Swellendam in happy spirits and well rested. The legs felt strong and we made excellent time on really excellent tarmac, through Suurbraak and onto the gravel. Here the first climb began. I found the going steep but manageable with flat sections to recover. What fantastic scenery and I can highly recommend the stage.

After finding cam on the road and a great spot for lunch we enjoyed his delicious sandwiches! (Here I must mention the awesome descent to the Duiwenhoeks river)

Cam hopped on his bike and Ev took the support. Evidence of the high water was everywhere and I felt now that the rest day was a good decision.

After some picturesque flats the harder climbing started with the gradient hitting 17%, in parts.

After a wrong turn adding to our altitude, we found the correct road which Ev showed his driving skills and cam his downhill skills! Special mention here must be given here as he was for the first time on gravel on a seriously rocky descent!

After an awesome flat we found ourselves in Riversdale.

10/05/2021

While the rain beats down, Ev explains his ebike. I try hard not to show my disappointment.

10/05/2021

Cross Cape - day 3 and 4

The heavens had opened and temporarily laid waste to my plans for the Thursday and Friday. Thankfully I was rescued from Greyton and transferred to Swellendam but the brilliant brother combo of Evan and Cameron. They had decided to join for a couple of days to ride and provide support.

Saturday was scheduled as a rest day so some great RnR was the order for the day. I had a nice walk around the Historic town of Swellendam in the morning and was fortunate to be able to provide support for the brothers in the afternoon. They had an enjoyable time riding to Barrydale through the Tradouw pass.

08/05/2021

Cross Cape - day 2 - photos

08/05/2021

Cross Cape - day 2 - Greyton to Riviersonderend 35km 300m climbing

What a day this would turn out to be. During the night the heavy rainfall continued but I rested well and prepared to get wet again. After catching up with a friend for breakfast I merrily set off with the rain pouring down. It wasn't long when I realised that today would be different. Water was streaming everywhere on the road and huge puddles everywhere.

After about 10km I descended a hill to find the drift crossing knee deep. A short while later I met a farm worker who said that it was the most rain they had had for 8 years. I continued on in trepidation crossing drifts getting steadily deeper.

After about another 10km I met a farmer who said there was no way through and they had already had 2 vehicles washed away. Greatly disappointed I made the difficult decision to turn back to Greyton.

Returning to Greyton with my tail between my legs I realised that this was the best decision as there had been a few drownings and the sea rescue had rescued 22 people. However I still had a great day out and even managed to complete the days distance!

07/05/2021

Cross Cape Day 1 - videos

07/05/2021

Check out my ride on Strava.

07/05/2021

Cross cape day 1 - Grabouw to Greyton 78km, 1014m climbing.

I left Grabouw in good spirits heading towards Greyton on the R321. A fair bit of traffic and some light drizzle but altogether amazing riding. Rain from 12pm or so and I arrived finally in Greyton a bit soggy but happy with the days mileage.