handmade from Gary Perkin on Vimeo.

Every once in a while, I come across a brand that I truly love. Puma, Rapha, Orca, Swiftwick. Products that speak for themselves, rather than shouting weights and marketing from the rooftops. I am fortunate enough to have a working relationship with Morewood. I recently sold the 29er I have been riding for 8 months and the delays in getting a new one due to courier service mishaps have been epic, frustrating and got me a little grumpier than I imagined. It’s because I love these bikes. They are incredible to ride and the video above highlights why they are so unique.

I am off to collect the new Kwela 29er in about an hour and I cannot wait to show you the pictures. I chose the parts carefully. I went long on details and I am proud to say that this is the very first top-spec MTB I will ever own. I feel I am ready. Will Xterra Switzerland reward me with the same notions?

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Boys love gear. It’s not a life changing statement and one that is pretty much widely accepted in the world. Equipment makes us happy. Whether its power drills, Morewood bikes or iPad2′s, we like our toys.

We are confined to keeping it in its own area, which I am sure you have become accustomed to. Let’s reflect on this area, often known as the Drawer of Death or the Man Drawer (kudos to TheHousemate for sending this along):

Excellent way to set the tone for the rest of this article. It is indeed extremely important for a man to have toys. If you do not believe me, please attend an Ironman race or a Geek conference. Worlds apart, they have 1 common fact: He with the most toys, wins.

So it is in this vain that I am doing a toys research program for O till O. A reminder of what that is…

54km of running.
11km of swimming.

Continuously.

Here are some images:

Really, equipment choice is going to make or break this day. Having the right wetsuit to be able to swim and run in, the right nutrition, the right shoes, the right paddles, pull buoy, socks, base layer, goggles, etc etc can all potentially ruin what is one of the toughest days in the world, anywhere. This is why I am researching and testing products already, possibly having custom stuff made and going about making it as easy as possible for my partner and myself.

Equipment plays a huge part in that. During Cape Epic 2009, we had ZERO issues with our Morewood bikes. In a race where mechanical issues can break you, our bikes held out perfectly. The 1 mechanical we had was human error, but there is no cure for that.

I have recently started riding a new bike and can honestly say that it’s a completely new animal. The work that has gone into every element of it’s design is incredible. I had years ago ridden it’s “older brother” for a season. It was considered the worlds fastest time trial bike for 10 years. This new, younger, more virile version has absolutely knocked my socks off. Want to guess what is it?

Testing equipment and making sure you have the best at your disposal nowadays is not that tough. Bike shops will try organize a ride for you. Running stores have demo shoes for you to take around a few blocks. Take your time. It’s possibly a big money decision, one which could affect you for years to come.

While I am nursing this knee of mine back to optimal health, it’s been fun to think of all the gear that makes getting from session to session just a little easier and analyse what I need to keep and what needs to be adapted. We should never stop innovating, testing and playing with gear. It’s an essential part of our nature.

A more inspirational post coming tomorrow…

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It’s 4am and the alarm goes off. 4am. I am wondering how I am going to drag my tired self out of bed and across to Grabouw to race the best guys in the world. A cup of Brazil’s finest coffee gets my system purring and a big bowl of cement cereal settles the hunger for a while. Car is packed and gear is loaded and off we go for the 50min drive to Grabouw, where it’s time to let it all hang out and see who has the mostest on the day. We carpooled 5 of us into the car to keep out footprint down, something you can read more about on Pure Planet Racing’s Website.

I count the names in my head that should be ahead of me. Stoltz, Hugo, Murray, White, Boonstra, Horner, Pfitzenmaier, Porteous. That leaves me in 9th on a great day. 8 top level pro’s at a South African Xterra. It’s a growing sport, thanks to Stillwater Sports and the team. Cracking a top 10 will be a great day for an age grouper like myself. I like that people still think I am pro, that at some stage I must have been pro. It’s proof that doing the work means you can feature with the pro guys, even if you are working 9 to 5 within a high pressure environment. While I have never been pro and never will, I like that you think I am.

Back to the race. It really was a glorious day in Grabouw. Essentially a little moody, with that hint of excitement and notion of adventure in the air. I got set up next to Stoltz, greeting familiar faces and a few new ones who read Urban Ninja. Thanks to all who come to say hello. I can be very much in my own space on race days. I appreciate your efforts.

Warm-up went well and the legs feel a little less than spectacular after another wonderfully busy week, but I am ready to rip. A year ago I had been on the MTB for 2 months. I lost 23minutes to Dan Hugo on the bike a year ago. This year I wanted to improve that. Into the wetsuits and down to the swim start, where emotions are worn on sleeves and a pat on the back can make your day.

2 minutes before the start I opt to move from far right to far left, the best decision I`ll make all day. The gun goes and the pace is not mad, I can hang on and manage to hang feet until the first buoy in the top 6 guys but have to let the first 4 go on the return journey. I swim with a small crew including Stoltz on the return journey, trying to minimize damage and maintain form, saving the legs for the rest of the day. I hear 60 seconds down as I exit the water in 19:30, which is not a great swim for me. In the last year, I have let it slide and it’s something I have to work on, I tell myself.

Stoltz powers past me in the run up to the bikes and before I have my wetsuit off, he is out of T1. As I exit T1 I hear it’s now 2 minutes down. Clearly, transition is not my forte and I curse myself for not doing some practice. Onto the bike and the legs feel great. I catch Wood at 2km and go by, riding sections of tight trail and sand that a year ago would have cost me major discomfort and walking. The course is beautiful, lots of 90 degree turns in sand, fun single track and amazing views. Ty White comes by like a freight train around one of the corners and I know he is never to be seen again. The kid has class and he is going to have an amazing year. At the top of the hike-a-bike I hear I am 7 minutes down, not at all suprised to hear Dan is tearing up the course. I see Boonstra and Pfitzenmaier has come past on the hike-a-bike actually riding his bike. Porteous is just behind me and I attempt to follow his wheel when the road is open but as soon as we hit the single track, he is gone.

The rock garden is epic and slow going for a guy like me just trying not to fall. I manage to not put a foot down and get through the rest of the ride without issue. Into T2 I lose a shoe and have to go back to get it. More wasted time. It’s 2:30 down to Porteous, 3:30 to Boonstra and 11minutes down to Dan after the ride. I pat myself on the back for being relatively 14minutes faster than last year on the ride. Time to hit the run with gusto as its a tough one and I have seen some guys implode horribly on this run. I am in 7th and I know that with a perfect run and some luck, I could run myself into 5th. The run is brutal and your legs need to be perfect.

At the 5km mark, I count my split to Porteous at 1:30 (love the big boulders as time reference points on the route) and my legs are done. My hope is fading of catching him. I go into survival mode, happy with my 7th until I hear someone behind me at the top of the hill, not 15 seconds down. Sneaky russian! I have a quick overview and decide that I am going to hit the downhill with everything I have, letting age and experience (and some weight advantage) plus a little gravity give it one last go. I am operating on 100% instinct and 0% control as I blaze down the hill. He is nowhere to be seen as we hit the beach and I judge Porteous at 1min ahead of me. I am not going to close it in the last km as he is chasing Boonstra so I ease up and run home with a little grace, a little finesse and with a smile on my dial.

7th, just shy of 13min down on Dan, the winner. Stoltz out on account of a bronchial infection. Horner 2nd, Pfitzenmaier 3rd, White 4th and the do or die battle between Boonstra and Porteous for 5th and 6th. I am very happy with my performance. Last year, I was just shy of 40min down on Dan who won then as well. The sun is blazing and the rest of the Xterra Warriors are coming in thick and fast after me. We sit in the spectacular Rehidrat Recovery Zone, drinking jugs of the electrolyte mix, eating bananas and talking war stories in the shade. This is what it’s all about. The stories, the tales, the excitement, the adventure. From the slowest people doing the Lite version in a team to the fastest guys at the top of the sport, world wide, we are here to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to prove to ourselves that we are able to conquer convention and overcome ordeal to walk victorious into the afternoon with a sense of self worth, of achievement.

A big thank you to all who made the event possible, to everyone who came out to be their best and to my incredible crew of sponsors who make it all worth while. Pictures a little later in the week…

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Quite a bit is going on this time of the year in terms of product innovation and new toys being delivered. I always attempt to be progressive and find simple ways to improve my performances without necessarily training more. Some people like to call this “free speed” but really, its hardly ever free. These things cost money. I am fortunate enough to be able to work with some amazing companies to play with the newest, latest and greatest and test them out to see what works.

I like sharing this information. In the last 3 months I have played with a variety of new toys. Many of them didn’t work and some were really fun and worked. Here is a short list of the stuff which has been great to play with:

The Morewood Kwela 29er (I currently have the only one in the world) has been a fun experience. 29ers are all the rage and it has been quite a learning curve as to where this rage is best located. There are times when my Zula is simply better and times when the 29er is the obvious choice. Tight single track – Zula. Open, flowing stuff, Kwela.

This weekend I am taking both bikes out to Grabouw to test ride the Xterra course on them both and will make the call then which one to use for that specific course. Either way, I am ridiculously spoilt to have the options.

I started running in Puma FAAS500 shoes this week and so far they have been a revelation. I have not felt a shoe that feels so different in the last 10 years. That is my honest opinion and I will stand by it. The Bioride technologies in the shoe are simple and work. They are very well cushioned, they force you to run with a natural motion (i.e. slightly more forward with a fast toe roll off) and they sit super snug on your feet. They are not for heavy overpronators but if you are a neutral runner or need limited stability, looking for anything from 5 to 21km running shoes, these would be my bet for this year. After only 3 runs in them, I am going to be doing almost all my running (ex trail) in these for the year.

Whilst that is not my arm, I am highly excited by this product from Garmin, which I have ordered here. The older versions of the quick release were nice, but the reviews on this one are the bomb diggity. Racing triathlons just got that bit easier if you own a 310XT, as this strap is secure and fast so that you don’t have to raise your arms off the aerobars to check heart rate, power, etc.

There are a few new items I am playing with which I cannot give a comprehensive review on just yet, as the test period is not quite over yet but I will report on these soon. They include energy drinks, foam rollers, socks, tyres and awaiting my new kit to arrive any day now. It’s all so exciting.

Boys and their toys. In this case, I am in heaven….

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As was now the tradition, there was much talk about doing the same trip we did last year, with less tar and more remote areas. 2010′s version did not disappoint. As is tradition, TheHousemate does much of the administrative side to the Tour and I bring the crew and am director of photography. This year we had a pretty rad crew, what with current World Number 1 Long Distance Triathlete – James Cunnama, neo pro Ryan Redman and the Yin / Yang combo of Collin Allin and TheHousemate (Guy Veysey) to compliment my own energy to the trip.

To say the boys were looking forward to the trip is quite an understatement. Email banter, threats, jokes and general smack talk started long before the 5 of us (+ Matt Blake, our expert return driver of the car to make sure we had no option but to ride) got in the car. World Smack Talk Champs ensued. 6 boys together in confined space makes for some radical conversation I tell you. This is not a trip you can bring a weak link or an unreasonable person on. The others would eat him alive and leave him out in the bush to be fed on by the giant red locusts that frequent the greater Klein Karoo area. We all have to get along, full stop.

The Rock Pedal Classic is a 2 day, 130km adventure for us to gently start the tour. 2 days of drinking beer, loading on food and sorting the bike issues before we head off into the wilderness to emerge a few days later, leaner, stronger and with a bit of blood here and there. Proper boys adventure, this trip. The idea is to throw yourself in the deep end and see if you can swim out. Some of us throw ourselves in super deep and others take a more measured approach, but really the week is about energy management, fatigue management and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery you will come across in the world.

The first 2 days are super chill with much of it being spent on getting James used to the mountain bike, sorting some tech issues with the newly built 29er bikes (no bike shops out here for a first service) and getting the 5 boys to gel well. James & myself set pace for most of the 2 days making sure the others were hurting just a tad at times so make sure their metabolisms kicked hard and their heads got into what is commonly referred to as the “Willingness To Suffer Zone” or the WTSZ. This involves some HTFU and some WTFY but in the end, we are all ready for the next few days. The Montagu Pass was exceptional with some great video being recorded by Ryan on his Go Pro camera. I will get this up once we’ve loaded the gigs of video to the interwebs.

We were completely spoilt at The Goose Wines with a double rainbow which left us all very quiet and it was almost a sign of the amazing spaces we would be in for the next week, but we were all far too boyish to admit all of that. Instead we sipped our Jack Blacks and silently appreciated the full double rainbow overhanging the Outeniqua Mountains. There was also the realization that 2 days with limited vertical gain (1200m a day) and limited miles were over. The fun stuff was about to begin.

Day 3 for us is always a special one. Bit of a warm-up (read: 70km off road ride) to Oudtshoorn for a smashing breki in our spot there, with a 28km ride to the Cango Caves where we have another quick stop before we pop over (read: suffer) the incredible Swartberg pass into what is a super fun descent into Prins Albert for a legendary dinner. But first, we pack our tiny bags and enough bars, gels and powder to last a week and gingerly pedal out the door. Some early pace governance was the order of the day as the Yin/Yang combo have a habit of taking it out early with gusto. A couple of mentions of pace by James & myself seemed to calm them down and we were riding very, very nicely with everyone talking and me trying to take some photos in places where I could get a bit ahead of behind the crew. A wrong turn had us add 12km to the trip, but nothing we couldn’t manage from our side.

By the time we hit Oudtshoorn the lads were hungry and we opted for burgers and/or omelets (plural if you`re name is James), a fill of the bottles and a hop back onto the bikes for the ride through the flat pass to Cango Caves. The heat was rising and we opted for a stop to refill there, under the roof. The nervous energy was building what with a 1200m vertical rise left after 100km on the bike already. Last year Collin suffered immensely up the climb and was determined to exact some revenge. His willingness to cash in chips was exemplary of throwing yourself in the deep end when you know that tomorrow is just going to be bigger. We pedaled out of the pit stop to find it had increased in temperature somewhat and I had a little smile to myself. This trip brings out the best in us and the weather had been great all day. The new microwave type heat was just nature’s way of saying… “you are not done yet, son”. A couple profound words were heard as we turned to the Pass, which by the way, has a killer 15km section before you hit the tar. Do NOT overdo the first piece, all on tar. We learned this the year before.

My legs felt fantastic and I was happy to see all the training before Hawaii was still in there somewhere. James, Collin and myself pedaled off on the tar leaving Ryan & Guy to process the scenario for themselves. Day 1 is often the hardest when going ultra distance, so a moment here or there for someone is always going to happen when they are thinking WTF did I get myself into here. Day 2 is always better. We all regrouped at the bottom of the dirt road and we each went our own pace, James & myself setting out at a manageable pace with energy left for the kickers. I had no doubt he still had loads in the tank and I was riding at my aerobic limit, saving energy for the rest of the week while he was taking in the sights. A privilege to ride with someone who exemplified “economy of movement” to eloquently.

A couple stops on the way up to wait for the dudes to catch up and Collin had ridden a full 45min faster up the pass this year. He was suitably stoked and the rest of us were happy to admire the views and the peace at the top. It was one of the moments along the way when you realize why we do these crazy trips. To get up high, where the air is thin, on your own power with the element of adventure sets the mind free. There is no speak of work, of material things up there. There is merely the clear mind that comes from conquering the hill and your own doubts. No matter how bad it seems halfway up, the top always comes and the view is always amazing. Oh, and the ride down is simply the best, check this out:

The reward is going down that at 50km/h, passing cars and screaming like a fat kid at a cake buffet for more more more!! We rolled into Prins Albert to a great venue for the evening and proceeded to smash 6 beers, pizza and waffles after the snack of yoghurt, apple pie and 2 cokes upon arrival. Life was simple and there was the realization that the 151km we covered on this day would take us far less time than the 100km we had to cover tomorrow, which is always the toughest day on Tour. The new guys had no idea what was coming and it would live up to its name of The Hell in the morning. But I`ll tell you all about that tomorrow.

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So much awesomeness, this new toy of mine, my 310XT. I have never been able to review any race as thoroughly as this. Here follows swim, bike, run as well as transitions.

Swim:

I clearly swam about double the distance. I was told to swim with it in my cap for a better reading, but this comes out pretty good. 1500m swim with a 100m beach run, more or less. Thanks to Conrad for the suit to swim in, after somehow forgetting my RS1 at home. I misread the rules and understood that like Ironman, where I swam in my Perform suit, we would not be allowed these speed suits in Maui.

You can see I was completely focused on the race at this point…

Transition 1:

T1 takes a while in Maui. It’s a run out the water, over the beach, through the golf course and into T1. Put on socks, mountain bike shoes & gloves, helmet and off you go up the hill to the exit.

Bike:

There are some ugly numbers in there up some of those climbs. I was digging SO deep and not really managing to get anywhere. Nice to see how to course runs with the mapping feature and the overlaying land.

Transition 2:

Short & Fast…

Run:

Spot the areas where I walked! hahaha. I was a broken man, surviving with a grimace and a shuffle by this point…

In the end, it was all purely to get to this point…

Again, a biggest thank you to Fairbairn Private Bank, Garmin, Puma, New Media Labs, Morewood, Orca, Biosport, Rockets, Whasp and the never ending support from everyone who reads this blog.

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Today I am leaving our wonderful accommodation in Kona for this place:

I am racing this weekend, just two weeks after Ironman Hawaii. A whole new experience, this training immediately after an Ironman. Will I do it again – hell yes. I feel way better than I ever have, two weeks after any previous Ironman. A combination of better preparation and better conditioning, sure, but also nice to have stayed active and kept moving. Exercise has been very light with only a few runs and lots of short bikes and swims. Feels pretty good.

Will upload some more Garmin stuff after the race, so you can see how that went. I am going to go all in with the Forerunner on Sunday, covering all 3 disciplines. It’s going to be very important to watch my top end heart rate as I would imagine I am going to have very little speed but a very solid sub maximal effort in me, so its going to be all about those last 5km on the run where I am either going to lose or gain 5minutes, which is podium in age group.

THBK Jnr did quite a cool interview for Xterra TV and you can catch that by clicking here…

Also, have a read at this, It’s what i`m going to be reading on the airplane to Maui. I need a break from my current book which I am slightly obsessed with. Thankfully its 1200 pages so lots to be obsessed about and much going on there, but a break is needed today.

Here is a great preview on the weekends race too…

I have new tires, new chainrings, new (well, have run in them to wear them in) shoes, new clothing, gear and all the energy inducing nutrition a dude could dream of. I am ready, set and hopefully, will save enough for the Spooky Forest and the last few hills home.

Have a great weekend out there…

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I was asked by Bicycling and Morewood to give some quick words about their bike of the year, the Morewood Zula. I have a great partnership with Morewood and we continue to discuss to to get me to be a better mountain biker as I am still frequently running out of talent on the trails.

The video comes out well timed, as this weekend I am putting that exact Zula through some serious racing at Xterra World Champs in Maui, Hawaii. The course is brutal and there is just something about this bike which makes me happy every time I get on it.

A great opportunity to have gotten the Fairbairn Private Bank logo out there as well, one of the key anchors for 2010 and the amazing year it’s been.

On the note of bike partnerships – I managed to get onto the Triathlete site with the Katana – which is awesome for Ceepo as well.

Have a great day y`all…

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source.

Born, bred and built in South Africa, Morewood Bikes have grown from a small garage concern into an internationally recognised force in mountain biking. Their frames are famous for their combination of a dialled ride, strength and pin-sharp handling.

Until now, the most cross-country-orientated frame Morewood made was the 5in-travel Shova ST – a great trail bike, but not a racer. That’s all changed with the introduction of their new marathon machine, the Zula, which has a simple purpose: to climb and descend mountains at a fair lick without any hysterics.

Lycra up and race it; add baggies and a GPS and ride off-piste; or even run it in a four-cross race – the Zula will have a go at any of these, ticking so many boxes that our biro has run dry. We’re looking forward to racing it this year at the What Mountain Bike Dirt Crit Champs at BikeRadar Live.

Ride & handling: Great marathon race rig that also knows how to rumble

On one hand, the Zula’s stiff chassis makes it a natural born mile eater. It does everything it can out on the trail to only give you the pedalling to think about; perfect if you’ve got 24 hours of riding in front of you. On the other hand, Morewood were keen for the bike to retain something of the brand’s bad boy gravity bike feel, so they didn’t make the frame as long as many pure cross-country bikes.

If you want to manual every dip in the trail, boost the bumps for air time or rail the turns four-cross style, the Zula has retained enough DNA from its gravity siblings to know how to have fun. We ran our Zula fairly soft, because the 165mm rear shock stays supple in the mid-stroke, gobbling up bumps big and small without wanting to pack down and bog at the three-quarter travel mark. It’s a common trait that can cause bikes to feel responsive early in the initial hit but dead on successive ones.

Not so the Zula; the slight falling rate of the design also keeps the shock moving freely deep in the travel. The travel indicator O-ring was always off the end of the shaft, but we rarely felt it bottom out. Plus, if we felt like we wanted it firmer, we only had to reach down and flick the blue lever on the shock. All bumps were dealt with absolute efficiency, so much so that we got to wonder why, when a single pivot can feel this good, we bother with linkages at all.

We built the Zula up with SRAM X.0 transmission, Avid Elixir CR Mag brakes and a FSA 386 K-Force carbon 2×9 (42×29) ring crankset, then paired it with a 2010 110mm Cannondale Lefty DLR fork using the new ‘Lefty for All’ fitting kit – we figured the frame could cope with 10mm more travel up front, and we were right. The slightly higher than normal bar position that the twin-crown Lefty fork provided aided the Zula’s long-distance ride abilities, since you don’t want to be too stretched out with your nose on the front tyre all day.

It also makes it better for fun time, because the front end is easy to pop or pump even with a flat bar fitted. The Lefty can be locked out with the ProPedal platform damping switch, and you’re suddenly on a firmly sprung bike that can burn up smooth trail or road sections – just the job for marathon racers and long ride adventurer/explorer types.

So does ‘Made in Africa’ translate into a bike that’s good for wetter weather? Mud room is massive – 2.3in tyres fitting in with plenty of space for gloop. We’ve got a local 10-mile loop of technical trail that takes in ‘a bit of everything’, and the Zula just wanted to ride lap after lap of it. The more we rode it, the more we learned about what it seems to do well: a list that’s only getting longer.

Frame: Why bother with complex linkages when a single pivot can be this good?

Morewood could have bought and branded an off-the-peg carbon frame as many brands do, but they didn’t. They’re also big believers in aluminium – their entire range is made from the stuff and while many riders are clamouring for more and more carbon, Morewood have stuck to their guns and 6069 T6 alloy. The weight of a medium semi-integrated head tube frame is 2,450g (including shock) – neither heavy nor especially light, although we think the built bike rides lighter than the weight suggests.

Traditionally, Morewood have used lots of square-section tubes, giving the longer travel and gravity-orientated bikes a distinctive and attractive look. However, Morewood invested heavily in a new purpose-made tubeset for the Zula; tubes with the kind of swoops, swells and delicate curves that give their new cross-country offerings sex appeal and set cycling forums alight when they were first shown at last year’s trade shows. The verdict is unanimous: the Zula looks the business from every angle.

The single-pivot layout places the sealed Enduro Max pivot pretty much bang on the middle chainring position (if you’re using a standard triple-ring crankset; it sits somewhere between the big and inner ring on a compact double). This gives the bike a fairly neutral pedalling style with a slight tendency for the rear wheel to ‘dig’ in on steep pitches – no bad thing if you’re scrabbling for traction.

The frame comes fitted with a new 2010 spec Fox RP23 Boost Valve rear shock, a ‘platform’ (the tuning setting available on RP23s that reduces pedal-induced suspension actuation) unit with a great reputation for consistent quality, but also for its ability to polish the rough edges out of suspension systems. Thankfully, the Morewood Zula doesn’t need much platform. The net result is a ride that feels deeper, plusher, more controlled and more active than any other single-pivot bike we’ve tested.

The closest comparison would be a Cannondale Rush, but the Zula’s action feels more slick, more like a linkage bike. This is down to the designer, Patrick Morewood, who spent time prior to the Zula’s birth studying the benefits of other linkage systems, and came to the conclusion that he could achieve his performance goals with the traditional Morewood single-pivot design.

Designer says

We spoke to Patrick Morewood about the Zula…

BikeRadar: Morewood are traditionally more closely associated with the gravity side of the sport. What was the reason for taking a crack at the cross-country scene?

PM: We were receiving a huge number of requests locally for a cross-country range, as well as some interest abroad for more than just gravity bikes. So about two years ago, I began designing a full-suspension 100mm-travel cross-country/marathon frame.

The Zula has a much smoother aesthetic than any other Morewood. Why is this?

With the new swingarm design being more organic, we were forced to move in that direction with the rest of the tubing. This has opened new doors for us to explore the style on future models. I found that by using the organic shape of a bone, which is an inherently strong structure, along with the rest of the swingarm’s construction, I was able to exceed my expectations! We needed to get the tube weight down, but remain strong, so the only way was to go butted and change to 6069 aluminium.

The Zula has stuck with the single-pivot layout; did you consider moving away from it when you were dreaming up the initial concept?

Yes I did, but I felt that if any bike could remain ‘pure’ single pivot, it would be the Zula, since it is made for long stage races such as the Cape Epic and Sani2c, which always end up muddy. One of the criteria was to have as much mud clearance as possible as well as minimal maintenance.

Tester says

Justin Loretz: “We saw the Morewood Zula at a bike show last autumn and had an instant feeling that this bike could be a ‘new’ classic – the reality of the ride has only served to confirm our suspicions. The Zula is a real find. Why do we say that? Well, not many bikes make us get up before dawn just so we can nail a few extra miles – and that’s become something of a habit since we’ve got the Zula.”

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Day 7:

It goes without saying that the day had gloom written all over it, from the get go. We woke up to a cold and threatening-to-be-raining Elgin. The sun was threatening but we heard it was 4 degrees up on the mountain with some rain and yes, loads of wind.

Amazeballs.

I get cold in general, so today I donned warm gear as I knew the pack would hammer it out, killing themselves within 30min and we would again be stronger than the day before.

Indeed, it all began to plan. Riding tempo up the first climbs we were again ahead of schedule, so we had a bit of time to take it a bit easier. The legs felt great after about 15min. After the first 5km which are all virtually uphill we descended into the valley.

Coming around a winding corner on some loose gravel I felt the tell-tale signs of my back end sliding out. I am not the absolute best descending machine so this is normal, I corrected myself (which I was becoming increasingly good at), held the line and was about to unclip my left foot for a bit of extra turn when the corner of my handlebar, firmly attached to the bar-end, managed to tangle itself in a branch, which in turn, was attached to a rather large bush.

Not a problem going 15km/h.

By all estimations we were going about 40-50km/h at that point. I was ahead of Brett but I remember being able to look him in the eye before making contact with Mother Nature. This means a full 180 degree flick of me and the bike. Brett was quick to comment a little later that it was quite an impressive maneuver. Avoidable, but impressive.

Crashes are quick and unceremonious and this was no different. Tuck, hold, and hurt.

I was sore, all over, and not quite sure which hurt most until the throb started in my hand. Looked at the right glove to see it had a big gash in the palm where the throb was emanating from. Not good. Remove the glove. Blood is flowing, profusely, dread crept in.

This was going to be a long day.

The only words that I could come up with were “Duct Tape”. I had a 4cm gash deeper than I could see on the spot where I rest my hands on the bike. The skin around it was kaput. My heart rate monitor was missing, my head hurt and my right bum cheek was beginning to hurt too.

Brett taped me up (thanks bra!), helped ease the glove back on and we got under way again, slowly. I was pretty shell shocked and at first it was slow going. We got to a medic about 10km later and he removed the tape and got some bandage on me, shortly after washing the wound out with some alcohol. In my mind, I punched him so hard I decapitated him, it hurt so much.

Moving on. Stitches were going to be needed for sure, so best to suck it up, get some painkillers in, and get to the finish quick as possible.

Some of the crazy obstacles we encountered on the day, after hitting water point 1 in 180th men’s team (prob about 230th overall team) were:

1. Freakish headwinds.
2. A wall of sand about 500m long. I. Kid. You. Not.
3. Climbs so steep I had to get off and walk.
4. My chain lodged itself in between the wheel spokes and the back of the cassette.

Slogged it out I tell you. Brett was machine on the day. Kept me motivated all day. The myprodols may have helped a little as well, but just enough to take the edge off. We pushed and pushed and pushed until my body gave in with about 8km to go and I had to coast in. We had no idea we had ridden ourselves back into 65th men’s team. Had we known, I am sure I could have found one last gear, but I was emotionally done by 92km.

The sight of my dad surprising me in the medical tent will long live down as a great moment. Family are so important and having them there on the day solidified my loss and gave me a bit of extra strength for the day. We even broke out the wine and had some great laughs in the afternoon.

By the time the anesthetic wore off the infection kicked in. It hurt far more than the crash. I was starting to get cold sweats by the time I went to bed and hoped it would work itself out by morning, going through 4 wet t-shirts through the night. I was almost sure it would be gone by morning.

Almost.

Day 8

It was not to be. I woke up with a fire in my throat and in a cold sweat at 6am. Every bone in my body was sore, like I had flu. I knew there was trouble as we had 75km to pedal over a huge, rocky mountain.

My hand throbbed as I ate my breakfast and I was contemplating how I was going to hold the handlebars as I was barely able to hold my cup in my hand.

Getting on the bike and pedaling to the start has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. I was cold and hot, sore and had no power in the legs. Crisis. The end was supposed to be a victorious day.

To say that we struggled on the day is an understatement. You want to race the last day, blazing glory, all guns firing in a splendor of hail Mary’s, French Bulldogs raining from the sky and 30 Seconds to Mars – Kings & Queens raging on a volume so high even Mick Jagger would ask for it to be turned down.

I could however, only soft pedal. My hand, well that felt like someone was stabbing me in it every time I rode over a rock and the downhills were total murder. I walked/crawled/swore my way up the big climb in the mass of riders, a space we were totally unused to. It took forever. I felt useless. I was beaten down.

On the downhill I had to stop halfway down to recoup, my pain was unmanageable by that point and I was going to slow I was in danger of falling off all the time. I had a choice to make as I could see Brett was frustrated as well. He had been so good all day. Patient. Quiet. Calm.

I had to either walk the hill, or ride and become one with the pain. I chose the latter. Screaming and yes, crying my way down the hill all in what must have been a huge cause of concern for those around me, I went as fast as I could, hanging on for dear life itself, balling my eyes out screaming the pain out for the remainder of the downhill.

Thankfully, that was it in terms of the rocky stuff. I was spent.

The release seemed to perk me up somehow once we got through the aid station and we started picking off some guys on the smoother road. My legs were still nowhere, and wouldn’t come back all day.

The walk down Gamtoos Pass was amazing, quiet, finding the peace that we were almost home. The neutral zone was frustrating as we got stuck in a group. The last 7km was in fact, 4km and in the end, we sat up and let the group go. We wanted to finish alone in the shoot. It has been a huge adventure and the realization that it was about to be over in less than a minute sucked, for just a second, before the crowds cheered us over the finish line.

Family, friends, they were all there. The way they look at you is incredible. Yes, we sucked on the day, but somehow, they still saw us as heroes. We were 44th team overall across the 8 days. We worked our way back from 98th including 3 hours lost over the week.

We were tired, but happy. Very happy.

Epilogue

To paragraph the experience is just never going to cut it I am afraid. First off, as is tradition, I need to thank everyone who made the journey possible.

Fairbairn Private Bank, Morewood, Sludge, Sport-X, Whasp, Biosport, Puma, Jack Black Beer, Rok Media, Rockets, Suunto, Legacy Cycles, ATC Multisport. You make us look great and we hope to do our best for you in return.

To Brett, my partner, I need to give out a personal 1min bear hug. The guy is amazing. I have known him for years but our week together was without a doubt, the best we had ever done. Generally we are trying to kill each other out on race courses (the occasional tequila competition may also have happened) but for this entire week, we were a team. We remained calm in all situations and we sucked the best out of each other when the going got tough. Mad love.

To the Epic, thank you for taking us over amazing landscapes and providing unique challenges each day. We salute you. It really is the greatest adventure.

The finish line was never enough and never will be. Already, we have Ironman in 2 ½ weeks time to keep our minds busy. After that I know I am intending to learn to surf ski and keep growing my MTB skill set.

This part of my journey was amazing, so amazing I had to split it into 4 posts. I urge you to find an adventure of any magnitude that involves physically challenging yourself. I am not saying go and do the Epic. We come from years of physical challenges. Build up. Start small. But make sure each one is a challenge.

Your life will never be the same.

See the light…

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