ED’S LETTER
THE EVOLUTION OF A
CIVILISED CYCLIST
n 1993 I toured Europe and
pretty much cycled halfway
around the world. I rode the
Dolomites, posing next to
Induráin and Lomond’s names on the
tar, and even got to meet my hero, “The
Badger” Bernard Hinault, during the Vuelta.
I spent hours in Italian bike shops checking
out steel frames like Colnago and Bianchi
we hadn’t seen in sanctioned SA. I bought
a touring bike with panniers and got off on
maxing mileage each day to get to famous
landmarks. I was a true cycling grommet.
Simply in awe of the sport.
Today my life still revolves around all
things velo. I publish three different cycling
magazines – road, MTB and tri – and
I now realise I’ve developed an evolved
appreciation of the sport. I still love to
witness the gladiators, and I find the
tactics and nuance of road racing more
fascinating than any other sport. I drool
over new bike tech like a kid on Christmas
day. But my desire to go faster and harder
has undoubtedly taken a back seat to sheer
appreciation of the space around us.
Historically, I was more conscious of my
new bar tape and breathing softly, or even
whistling a tune, while passing someone I’d
just bled through my eyeballs to catch, than
simply enjoying the ride. I was always aware
of the distance still to go and constantly
mentally computing how long my current
pace or effort would get me to where I was
headed. I was more attached to finishing
the ride than actually riding. Perhaps this is
how cycling evolves, from fitness and fun
to embedded lifestyle and even addiction.
Where do you feel you fit on that spectrum?
When I ride now I anticipate undulations,
shifting gears and body weight to flow
with the combination of the unique terrain
and the particular bike’s structure. From
gravel to pavements, tar to tyre pressure,
volume and wheel rigidity, width of bars
and frame compliance to maintain smooth
momentum – each aspect controlled by
10 000 hours of ingrained second nature.
While this complex, elaborate interrelation
of human nerve and carbon fibres occurs,
I
our minds are freed by the chemical release
of endorphins which, combined with
muscle contractions, create the ultimate
zen state to focus on the world around
us. With the wind in our hair and the sun
on our skin, the world floats by and we’re
suspended, like birds in the sky, free of the
stress of daily routine minutiae. It’s in this
trance-like disposition that our senses
magnify the earth’s natural beauty normally
missed as we rush through life. When we
ride, we truly get to smell the roses, with an
awakened sense of intimacy and empathy
the grand scale landscapes littered with
medieval castles and quaint wooden
chalets, and the surrounding history and
ancient glaciers, each linked by amazingly
engineered endless smooth, open roads.
Bike shops and rider names covering the
velo tourist shrines of now famous Tour
passes were far less compelling. It was
more about how those steep, endless
switchbacks felt as my bike and I worked
(hard) in union, snaking our way through
history. And details like art, architecture,
poetic scriptures, interactions with wise
and wrinkled locals, rock formations and
bird noises provided far more compelling
context to a magical week on my bike.
I’m more excited than ever to witness
the action of the year ahead. This issue
of Road Bike provides a deep look at who
and what went down in the pro pelotons in
2019, a year that a possible greatest-ever
bike rider was emphatically introduced
"THE WORLD FLOATS BY …
WE’RE FREE OF THE STRESS
OF DAILY ROUTINE MINUTIAE."
PAUL INGPEN, EDITOR
[email protected]
that modern life tends to shrink as we grow
older. The oldest form of non-motorised
mechanical transport has become more
relevant than ever as we strive for healthier
bodies, minds and the planet we inhabit.
Fast forward 30 years and I was back
in Europe exploring the Alps by bike. I’ve
been editing the Tour de France Guide for
10 years, among even more years covering
global cycling. As such, watching every
stage of the Grand Tours and with my
post-university bike travel experiences,
I felt a intense desire to explore what
seemed like familiar spaces. Instead, I was
seeking out off-road undiscovered trails.
Not realising how much my cycling senses
had changed I was more enchanted by
to the world. Our cover star, Mathieu van
der Poel, dominated and will be the most
marked man in any bike race, from road
to XCO and cyclocross. A breath of fresh
air, he has raised the bar when riders like
Sagan and Froome had seemingly made
that impossible. Our African pro tour team
has a new name, and a bunch of new
riders looking to build on a tough learning
year for Doug Ryder’s men. Find out what
they plan to do as team NTT on p50-55. If,
like most of us, you’re more motivated by
your own riding, whether it’s Cape Town
Cycle Tour or any of the many road races,
check out experienced coach Donovan van
Gelder’s training plan (p86) to smash your
goal times for each. See p110 for a nifty list
of races you should think about entering
on a local bike holiday or in your ’hood,
because despite how spectacular Europe
may be, it’s tough to beat our weather and
well-managed events.
Have a successful racing season, and
Happy Holidays.
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