Sports
Bicycling South Africa
Wheeltop for the win
AXS? Di2? No thanks. If you're shopping for a wireless drivetrain upgrade, here's why the EDS GeX gravel groupset from Chinese brand Wheeltop should be on your list.
7 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
"I'D RIDDEN HARD & WELL, BUT IT FELT AS IF MY EFFORTS - AND THE EFFORTS OF WOMEN COMPETITORS IN GENERAL – WEREN'T VALUED THE SAME."
IN THIS EXTRACT FROM HER BOOK GETTING BACK ON THE BIKE, FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPION AND TWO-TIME MASTERS GOLD MEDALLIST CATHY CARSTENS RECOUNTS THE EARLY YEARS OF WOMEN'S CYCLING IN SOUTH AFRICA - AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION IN A MALE-DOMINATED SPORT.
9 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE BIKE TOOLS EVERY RIDER SHOULD OWN... AND WHY
THE MUST-HAVE BIKE TOOLS FOR BEGINNERS – PLUS: WHAT TO BUY FIRST, WHAT TO UPGRADE, AND HOW TO BUILD A TOOLKIT YOU WON'T OUTGROW.
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE Italian RENAISSANCE
PEOPLE KEEP SAYING ITALIAN CYCLING ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE. THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT A BAD THING.
9 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE ART OF THE UPGRADE
It's the little things that matter. Okay, sometimes it's the bigger things, too! As we head into race season, spoil yourself with an upgrade or three. We have it all in this round-up - kit, bling, tools and more. Here's our pick of the coolest new products.
10 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
LUST FOR DUST
THERE'S A NEW PREMIER GRAVEL STAGE RACE ON THE BLOCK, AND IT KICKS OFF IN APRIL. WE CHATTED TO HENCO RADEMEYER, THE FOUNDER OF DRYLAND EVENT MANAGEMENT, ABOUT WHAT RIDERS CAN EXPECT ON THE INAUGURAL GARDEN ROUTE GIRO.
4 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
I'M IN A BIND. I'm facing a quandary. It's all something of a pickle.
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
MR DATA
WHEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPER DAVID TINKER COULDN'T FIND A TRAINING APP THAT MET HIS SPECIFIC NEEDS, HE DID WHAT ANY GOOD, TECH-SAVVY CYCLIST WOULD: HE BUILT HIS OWN! NOW, INTERVALS.ICU IS A GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICAN SUCCESS STORY, ADORED BY PROS AND KEEN AMATEURS AROUND THE WORLD.
7 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
CONQUER THE EPIC
RIDING THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN-BIKE STAGE RACE THIS YEAR? HERE'S THE BEST WISDOM FROM SOME OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED RIDERS IN THE GAME.
7 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
A NIGHT IN THE NAMIB
NEDBANK DESERT DASH
3 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
A NEW TASTE OF FREEDOM
RACE ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA (RASA)
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (WITH A CAVEAT)
FORGET CHRISTMAS. As a cyclist, it’s the few months after Christmas that make me happiest.
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
UH-OH! YOU JUST LOST YOUR CROWN!
IN THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF CAPE TOWN, there's a crew of ambitious, enthusiastic cyclists who gather every Wednesday for what has become known as... The Whip. Every Tuesday, a flyer confirming meeting point and start time lands in the WhatsApp group, even though the details barely change from week to week.
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
24 WAYS TO ACE YOUR RACE
CLASS IS IN, AND THE LESSON HAS BEGUN! WE SPOKE TO THE EXPERTS, TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF SOUTH AFRICA'S FAVOURITE CYCLING SUNDAY.
8 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
DANCING OR STAMPING? THIS IS HOW YOU REALLY CLIMB FASTER
On steep sections, one rider might spin their gears; another pushes a much harder gear, and rocks from side to side. Yet another stands on the pedals. Which method makes you fastest? Which is most efficient? We did an experiment – and can finally put this argument to rest.
4 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
DOCTOR OF ENDURANCE
NICOLA FREITAS: DOCTOR, CYCLIST, COACH. NOT ALWAYS IN THAT ORDER.
2 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
EXHALE!
RESPIPEP
1 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
LEGENDS
From record wins to fast finishes, these remarkable riders of the Cape Town Cycle Tour will inspire you.
9 min |
March / April 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE RIDES OF YOUR LIFE
SOUTH AFRICA'S CYCLING EVENTS CALENDAR REMAINS STACKED WITH OLD FAVOURITES, TIMELESS CLASSICS AND DARING NEWCOMERS. STRETCH YOUR LEGS IN 2026 AND TACKLE AS MANY AS YOU CAN - OR FINALLY SIGN UP FOR THAT BUCKET-LIST RIDE...
10+ min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
BICYCLING'S GUIDE TO THE PERFECT BIKE FIT
JENNA FOLEY WISHES SHE HADN'T been forced to learn about the importance of a bike fit the hard way.
8 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
MOUNTAIN
AS WE RIDE INTO 2026, CROSS-COUNTRY AND MARATHON MOUNTAIN BIKING HAS MATURED INTO A HIGH-TECH ARMS RACE IN WHICH GRAMS, TRACTION AND RIDER EFFICIENCY MATTER MORE THAN EVER. THE GEOMETRY EXPERIMENTS SEEM TO HAVE SETTLED, BUT FRAMES CONTINUE TO SHED WEIGHT WITHOUT SACRIFICING STIFFNESS.
10+ min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
GRAVEL
AS WE HEAD INTO 2026, GRAVEL IS LESS ABOUT A SINGLE 'NEXT BIG THING' AND MORE ABOUT A CLUSTER OF PRACTICAL REFINEMENTS THAT BROADEN THE DISCIPLINE'S REACH: SUSPENSION HAS BECOME MAINSTREAM, ELECTRONIC SHIFTING IS UBIQUITOUS, AND FRAMES ARE ACCOMMODATING WIDER TYRES.
6 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE LIES WE TELL
ON A RECENT RIDE, I was deep in that zone where you let your mind wander far and wide... to take it off the fact that you're cycling up an exposed hill in the summer heat.
2 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
THE TRAILBLAZER
HENDRICO BURGER, MTB EVENTS GURU, ROUTE BUILDER & RACE COMMISSAIRE
3 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
ROAD
LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2026 AND BEYOND, DEDICATED 'CLIMBING' BIKES SEEM TO BE GOING EXTINCT. BRANDS ARE OPTING INSTEAD FOR ALL-ROUNDERS THAT ARE AS FAST ON THE FLAT AS THEY ARE ON THE HILLS. SOUTH AFRICANS LOVE TO RACE, AND THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF TOP-END BIKES THAT PROMISE SPEED BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS. WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE BEST - AND ALSO HAND-PICKED A FEW BIKES THAT PRIORITISE RIDE FEEL OVER PURE WATT GAINS.
10+ min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
I'M A PERSONAL TRAINER. HERE'S WHY I DON'T TELL MY CLIENTS TO LOSE WEIGHT.
IN MY 20-PLUS YEARS OF WORKING as a personal trainer, new clients have often come to me with fitness goals that include 'losing weight'.
3 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
BOULLES ABROAD
TO LIVE HIS ENDURO WORLD CUP DREAMS, JASON BOULLE PACKED HIS WIFE, HIS BIKE AND HIS WORK INTO A FORD TRANSIT VAN FOR AN EYE-OPENING JOURNEY ACROSS EUROPE.
7 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
TEST YOUR LONGEVITY
IF YOU RIDE REGULARLY, you probably spend some time pondering the concept of longevity. After all, you need to stay in good shape to keep riding your bike into your golden years.
2 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
BIKE TUBES - YES, BIKE TUBES HAVE ENTERED THE CHAT
RAISE A HAND FOR THE HUMBLE UPGRADE THAT WILL TRANSFORM EVERY RIDE.
10 min |
January / February 2026
Bicycling South Africa
BACK PAIN BE GONE
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT the majority (51.5%) of cycling-related injuries stem from repetitive damage over a longer period, also known as overuse.
1 min |