ATTAKWAS - 1ST TEST FOR THE CAPE EPIC

The good news is that I finished, the bad news - it took nearly ten hours. I thought I better write a post to so my Epic partner does not dump me!

So what happened. I think the Latin phrase, Diem Horribilis (I think that means a horrible day - though Latin's just not me) is an understatement. Check the heart rate and ride time screen shot. It basically says the following:

1) Total race distance = Km 135 over 10 hours
2) Section highlighted in yellow = 3 hours to complete 13km
3) Distance of section in yellow = 13 km

What happened in that 13 km section was a comedy of error and the biggest lesson I have had in puncture repair! It sort of went like this:

1) Slow flat due to not having tyre topped up with Stans at the start - hey I have not had a puncture in months!
2) Bomb the tyre to bring up the pressure
3) Valve unscrews with bomb and all air lost
4) Remove tyre to add Stans
5) Cannot get tyre inflated with hand pump
6) Remove tyre and give Stans back to donor
7) Fit tube but forget to check for thorns in tyre casing
8) Ride, but, slow puncture from old thorns and then a snake bite due to loss of tyre pressure
9) Attempt to repair tube, but air continually lost - goes flat every few hundred metres
10) Attempt to go back to tubeless by using plugs and a borrowed bomb
11) Plugs come loose after a few kms and will not hold air - no Stans
12) Get tube from fellow cyclist (Berhard Beutel), and finally it holds and I gingerly start the remaining 80km of the race

Yes folks, over a period of 3 hours I managed to cover 13km - all because I never checked my Stans sealant at the start, did not carry sufficient spares (valve core tool) and most importantly - did stupid things.

All in all a timely wakeup for the Epic which emphasized the old boy scout motto - Be Prepared and the adage of less haste and more speed!

I will show you my revamped tool box in the next few weeks.

Oh, and for the record, Kevin Evans won and you can read his blog for a review.

The Attakwas is really a fantastic and well organized race and I'm really thankful that with the assistance of fellow competitors (I will try and track down Bernhard and Bertus to return the tube and bomb) at least I finished on my bike and not on the back of a bakkie (did you sit in front or on the back Burry Stander!) and I have felt what it feels like sitting 10 hours on a bike saddle!

All things considered, and having lost say 2hrs 30 min in race time, I dont think the day was a total disaster! 10 hours riding is 10 hours in the bag towards Epic training!

STUMPJUMPER TRAIL CREW - MAKING IT RIGHT!

Tan @iamspecialized posted a comment in response to my previous blog. Great - Fantastic - That's all it takes! We simply want to be part the Worlds greatest bike brand. Hat's off to Specialized for being wide awake on this one and responding immediately. I have looked at a whole range of bikes over the past few days and keep circling back to one - Stumpjumper 29'er. In South Africa Andrew McLean is punting the Fisher 29'er as the weapon of choice for the Cape Epic. I think his plain wrong. Unfortunately, according to the Specialized South Africa website Specialized SA are not importing the 29'er. What a pity - time to take a plane trip? Oh, and about the Silverback - just does'nt cut it for me!

Stumpjumper Trail Crew: Making a Mess of Social Media

A beer company once told its customers they were changing the label, but, not the beer. The brand plummeted in popularity, with the consumer being of the view that the beer had in fact been changed. Its a classic example of marketing gone wrong.

The Specialized Trail Crew is a spectacular concept, but, on current form, they're heading for a marketing disaster. About 76 Specialized enthusiasts registered and poured hours into the competition. There were six winners. The 70 others show every sign of becoming ex Specialized fans. While the Specialized fans keep up the sporting facade of congratulating the winners, I suspect that deep down there is lingering resentment.

Vance set up The Trail Crew to support the losers. Though there was lots of initial enthusiasm, little materialized. Now the Crew seems to be looking at other brands - Giant and Fisher. Mountain biking girl is disappointed and amazed at the choices.

I would not be surprised if you get other seriously disgruntled ex-Specialized fans amongst the 70 non winners. Let me tell you why:

1) Every one of the 76 entrants are hard core Specialized fans. How do you possibly say that one is more committed than the other without running the risk of seriously offending the one who does not win.

2) We live for our bike brand. We put effort into this and then - well nothing --- you hear nothing --- only much later you hear about the winners. No rationale, just simply 6 gloating winners with new bikes. Are we convinced that they will be great brand ambassadors - I really am not sure at this stage.

3) Brands are about building a community of users. That community of users merely want to be part of the brand. They buy the apparel and anything they can lay their hands on. They are seriously committed. Now you are telling 70 of them that they are not good enough to represent the Specialized brand! Will they look elsewhere - almost certainly.

4) So what makes more sense. Keeping 76 fans or making 6 happy and running the risk of loosing your 70 best brand ambassodors?

Maybe I'm wrong on these observations or I've seriously missed something. However, given the posts that I have read so far, if we cut through the facade of good sportsmanship, you'll quickly realize that the 70 out there feel like they've been kicked in the teeth. Do I want a free bike from Specialized. Well actually no - what I really want is to be recognized for being a true blue Specialized fan. A sticker, a letter, a thank you - is all it takes. Now, well what about that Silverback brand - they seem to be committed to their fans?

REASON 47: LOTS MORE TO COME

So, I only got to reason 47 before the cut off for the Specialized offer! 101 reasons would have been great, but, hey, if I don't get the bike you can still follow the progress of the GoGreenSpot initiative. GoGreenSpot will be developed over the next few months irrespective of whether or not the Stumpjumper Trail Crew slot becomes available. A big thank you to Specialized for having the vision to come up with this type of initiative. Whether I get a slot or not, it was a great motivator for what's to come. If you're interested, you can follow the progress of GoGreenSpot at the Cape Epic in March 2010. Or will it be the Stumpjumper Trail Crew?

REASON 46: CAPE EPIC OFFER STILL OPEN

Its 186 days to the 2010 Cape Epic and my offer on the earlier posts still stand. I am talking to a few potential partners, but, the spot's still open. The hype for the event is just starting and you can take a look at the official Cape Epic website for the latest news. Some BIG Surprises (is Lance riding or not?)in store! Someone from the Stumpjumper trail crew simply must participate in this event to give a trail riders perspective!

REASON 45: TRAIL CREW ABC

Want to know what the Stumpjumper Trail Crew is about, or should be about?

A = ACCESS

You need land to ride on. Its owned by someone and even when it falls under public use, there are normally some conditions attached. Access for mtb trails must be negotiated and established. Failure to do this, will result in long term trail failure.

B = BUILDING

The sweat of building the trail is the fun part. Other aspects of trail building are difficult: arranging dates for work crews; planning the route; finding resources; amongst others.

C = CO-OPERATION

Co-operation is the most difficult of all. Getting people to share trails, ensuring that all assist with maintenance and making interpretive information available on a consistent basis are crucial for long term sustainability.

Its great to have expertise in all these areas!

REASON 44: THE HOGSBACK TRAIL

The Hogsback Trail was one of the trails initiated while I was with the Provincial Environment Department. As pointed out by Jacques Marais at his South African Mountain Biking routes website, "this was once the Holy trail of South African MTB, but a lack of maintenance has seen many of the attractions of the trail fade over the last few years"..
This trail was established through the efforts of myself and Mpumi Fundam of the Amathole District Municipality (amongst others). It was brilliant, but, it needs to be revamped and maintained. I have not seen it or ridden it since I moved back to Port Elizabeth about 5 years ago. Being on the Stumpjumper Trail Crew means that I can turn my attention back to this type of work. The Stumpjumper trail crew needs to be a galvanizing force, to bring riders, community and government resources together. We need to build publically accessible trails which are marked, graded and have appropriate trail information.

REASON 43: BE PREPARED STUMPMAN

Stumpman is not gender specific. Years ago the debate was settled that manholes are not personholes and that chairman is not chairperson. Which one applies to you after seeing a cyclist stranded on the side of the road?

a) Wave, ask if they're alright, but pretend not to hear the cry of distress as you zoot on by.

b) Stop, check that they're OK, if the bikes broken fix it, if the bodies finished, organize an evacuation!

To be on the Stumpjumper trail crew (which earns you the title of Stumpman) you have to be the later. A Stumpman is not a weight weenie. You always carry a multitool, pump, tube and tyre repair equipment. The Stumpman is like a leatherman knife - she / he has got a solution for everything!

Oh by the way, did you see the sunrise on the way to work this morning?

REASON 42: I AM NOT SLOW

Certainly not this slow! And getting faster by the day as the Cape Epic gets closer. Being on the trail crew will give me so much more motivation to excel as a complete rider. What is the complete rider? You ride at the top end of your genetic capacity, but, most importantly - recreational mountain biking is of paramount importance!

REASON 41 : DON'T RIDE ALONE

This is golden rule number one - don't ride alone on the trail. For years I have ignored that rule and I have been lucky - so far. But, how long can that luck last. Sure, I have a few rules like:

1) Don't ride to hard

2) Always carry a phone and a GPS

3) I sometimes log my ride on the Nokia Sports Tracker and do it live.

4) Tell people where I am going

However, it's still not right. The incentives for riding alone are huge. I ride when I want and where I want. I don't wait for anyone and I do my own thing. Its also intensely educational as I listen to Podcasts constantly! However, joining the Stumpjumper trailcrew will force me to go back a few years and start riding in groups again. You cannot work on a trail crew alone and it has to be a team effort. In 1996 we used to get 200 people out on trail related work and we can definitely do it again with Specialized's assistance!