TECH | BUSH MECHANICS
spook and erica groenewald from daisyway coaching systems
have put together this handy guide to ensure you get your bike
to the start (and finish) line each day. plus our tech guru
andrew kenny weighs in with his sage advice.
ith the hours of
training spent for
a race like the Cape
Epic, you and your
bike should have forged quite a
tight relationship. If something
is getting worn, creaky or
needing to be replaced, your
bike will tell you. But no matter
how prepared you are, when
you’re out there and something
goes wrong, you’re going to
need your “stuff”.
124 | MTB | tech talk
First up, we recommend
that you send your bike in for a
full service at your LBS a week
before the race start. This will
give you time to do a few rides
and feel comfortable that all
is in working order. Here they
should check all the basics and
also replace all the suspension
bearings. Having a bearing
creak, or even collapse, is
probably the one thing you can’t
make a plan with along the trail
and you can’t see it until it is
too late. Besides, new bearings
make a bike feel like new. For
the less-diligent, a well-stocked
repair kit at the start line will
have to suffice. Never rely on
others! Often the piece of kit
you need is bike-specific, so
best pack your own “stuff.”
Being organised is key. For
Andrew that means having all
his “stuff” really small and super
organised. What he doesn’t
have attached to his frame, ready
to grab and use, he puts in a
CamelBak tool roll (other brands
have similar products). It’s got
little compartments, and he can
separate tyre stuff in one place,
metal stuff like extra pedal cleats
or an extra derailleur hanger in
another, and it all rolls up into
a tidy pouch. This means that
if he does have a repair, he can
pull out that one thing and get to
work immediately.
EPIC/SPORTZPICS
BUSH MECHANICS 101