Bicycling South Africa

Bicycling is South Africa’s leading cycling magazine and is aimed at both road and mountain biking enthusiasts. Launched in February 2003, it is published 10 times a year, targeting the fast-growing and affluent lifestyle cycling market – youngsters, adults, professional as well as casual cyclists. The magazine is filled with the best international and local content for every element of the cyclist’s life from training techniques and fitness information to inspiring human interest stories, event news, nutrition and motivation. Bicycling is also South Africa’s leading tester of bikes and gear with over 30% of the monthly magazine dedicated to the latest reviews so our readers can make the best choices.

Bicycling South Africa

What’s your bucket-list cycling holiday?

BIKES WITH SOUL

THE FRAME • THE BEAUTY OF THE RIDE

HYDRATION FOR THE NATION • FIRST ASCENT ENDURO HYDRATION PACK / R1 299 / FIRSTASCENT.CO.ZA

THE WEIGHT OF PERFORMANCE

DOES THE IDEAL CADENCE REALLY EXIST?

WHAT’S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING.

CROWDER HOUSE • JEREMY CROWDER, FOUNDER OF THE STANFORD 100 AND TANQUA KURU BICYCLE RACE

LONG LIVE THE INDEPENDENT BIKE SHOP

HAYLEY PREEN, RACING MACHINE • THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GRAVEL CHAMP IS ON A MISSION TO CONQUER THE UNITED STATES… AND ANYWHERE ELSE WITH A RACE THAT CROSSES HER PATH.

BOMBING THE BATTLEFIELDS • BERG & BUSH DESCENT, KWAZULU-NATAL

THE DETAILS

WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE • WHETHER YOU WANT A ONE-OF-A-KIND FRAMESET OR A WILDLY ORIGINAL PAINT JOB, GOING CUSTOM COULD BE THE SMARTEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE FOR A LIFETIME OF CYCLING. MEET THE LOCAL LEGENDS BUILDING TWO-WHEELED WORKS OF ART FOR OUR STREETS AND TRAILS.

THE PHILOSOPHER DAVID MERCER

THE REINVIGORATORS JARED & MEL MAHAFFEY

THE ICONOCLAST DAN CRAVEN

THE CONTRARIAN ADAM CONNOR

CUSTOM LITE • FULL CUSTOM IS ONE THING, BUT CERTAIN BRANDS ALSO OFFER HIGH LEVELS OF CUSTOMISATION USING STOCK FRAMES.

DELTA TO DESERT • LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF MOUNTAIN-BIKE ADVENTURE? JOIN US ON THE TWO-WHEEL SAFARI OF A LIFETIME: FROM MAUN TO THE MAKGADIKGADI PANS IN BOTSWANA, CHASING SUNSETS ALONG ANCIENT ELEPHANT TRAILS.

MAKGADIKGADI BY THE NUMBERS

HOW DOES IT WORK?

GRAZIE GRAN GARDA • A four-day tour around Italy’s Lake Garda is as startlingly beautiful as it is relentlessly tough. From epic climbs to gravel singletrack and swooping downhills, this is an adventure that will stay with you long after the pedalling’s done.

The Itinerary

RAINBOWS IN THE STORM • RWANDA WILL HOST THE UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPS IN SEPTEMBER – THE FIRST TIME THE CYCLING SHOWPIECE WILL BE HELD ON AFRICAN SOIL. BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN: IS THIS A COUP, FOR A CONTINENT SEVERELY UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE SPORT? OR IS IT A CLASSIC CASE OF SPORTSWASHING?

BY THE NUMBERS

HOW TO CARBO-LOAD LIKE A PRO • EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAXIMISING YOUR ENERGY BEFORE YOUR NEXT BIG RACE.

WHAT TO EAT THE DAY BEFORE YOUR EVENT

THE FIVE RULES OF CARBO-LOADING • THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT CARBO-LOADING. HERE ARE FIVE RULES TO HELP YOU FUEL LIKE A PRO.

CAFFEINE • THE EXPERTS’ FAVOURITE FORM OF (LEGAL) DOPING!

THE TEST ZONE

FAST RUBBER, ANY SURFACE • Looking for new tyres for your gravel bike? We tested six options that are fast on dirt and smooth on tar.

SHIMANO (Finally) Goes Wireless • After seven long years, the Japanese component giant has ditched internal frame batteries and junction boxes and followed SRAM into the world of wireless shifting. Our expert has ridden every XTR groupset in history; and while he thinks the wireless version is fantastic, is it not just a little… bland?

WHAT ABOUT...