Category
Tips and Advice
Guides and advice on bikes and training.
The science of cross-country mountain biking: What does it take to succeed in XCO?
Cross-country mountain biking or XCO (the acronym given to the Olympic discipline) has increased in popularity in South Africa and globally over the past few years. So much so, that famed South African artist, Jack Parow, even wrote a song about it, Eksie Ou. Poor attempts at humour aside, the growth of this particular cycling […]
Podcast: Q&A with the Coaches – Episode 1
In our new podcast series Q&A with the Coaches, you can ask the experts from Science2Sport your cycling training and racing related questions. The team at Science2Sport, which includes leading sports scientists, Dr Jeroen Swart, Dr Mike Posthumus, John Wakefield, and Benoit Capostagno, will be addressing the answers to your cycling related queries, along with […]
Podcast: Ask the experts at Science2Sport
Bike Hub and the sports scientists from Science2Sport will be doing a series of podcasts to address common cycling training related questions, and we want your input to fuel the discussion. The team at Science2Sport which includes leading sports scientists, Dr Jeroen Swart, Dr Mike Posthumus, John Wakefield, and Benoit Capostagno, will be addressing the […]
Double Trouble: Racing Wines2Whales with a partner
With just over a week between us and the start of the Wines2Whales races, we are beginning to feel the stoke. From our recent stage racing experiences, we have learned a little about the ups and downs of team racing. Having a partner can be amazing motivation in the right circumstances, getting the best riding […]
Who needs a coach anyway?
The cycling industry as a whole has seen a tremendous boom during the last decade. Cycling has been coined the “new golf” and the industry has seen over 100% growth in both participation and sales during the last 10 years. But our new golfers are not satisfied with only participating, they want to be competitive. […]
A scientific guide to race day nutrition
Dr Jeroen Swart and Ben Capostagno from Science to Sport look at the science behind race day nutrition. Pre-race meal: Our bodies store carbohydrate in the form of glycogen in two main areas; our liver and our muscles. The liver stores approximately 100 grams of glycogen, while our muscles can store ~ 500 grams of […]
Video: Spur Sizzling Skillz – Nutrition
Eating and drinking can be the last things on your mind when you’re racing at full gas around a fast course. Ariane has some tips on how to make it through a race and avoid hitting the wall.
Video: Spur Sizzling Skillz – Track Stands
Sometimes it’s not about being the fastest! Trackstanding is an essential skill to master on the trail. It’ll help you climb and descend better when the trails get really steep. Besides, it’s impressive to watch and fun to learn this balancing technique with friends. South African Mountain Bike Champion James Reid shows you how to […]
Video: Spur Sizzling Skillz – Drop-offs
James Reid recently tore through the all-new Cascades course in Pietermaritzburg to claim his second South African Elite Cross-country title. Get some hot tips from our champion on staying fast and smooth when hitting drop-offs.
Video: Spur Sizzling Skillz – Bottle Handover
Bottle handovers have become an essential part of lap racing and are fun to practice. Our Five-time Absa Cape Epic winner and Swiss Marathon Champion Ariane Kleinhans relies on Team Spur’s Brent Botha for a seamless and skilful bottle transfer. Watch for a close look at the rules and technique…
Ensuring training progression with power
Last month we discussed the ins and outs of training with a powermeter and briefly touched on the analysis of training data. This month we will discuss how a powermeter can ensure that your training is actually paying dividends. Training is defined as the act of performing a given athletic task with the goal of […]
Video: Spur Sizzling Skillz – Fixing a flat
South African Mountain Bike Champion James Reid has been known to plug a tyre, inflate it, and get racing again in under 20 seconds! Here he takes you through the basics of this essential trailside mechanical skill.