Preride - The commotion started as soon as I stepped up to the registration table and the word got out that there really was a couple of lunatics that were going to attempt the race on single speeds. Just to add fuel to the fire and really break the spirit of the dual suspension riders the cushy 80mm fork went into the trunk of the car and the full rigid fork was slapped into place. I was determined to make it hurt as much as possible and have a smile while doing so! Rolling out through the streets of Knysna I could hear the cracking of more then a few necks as I rode by on a single speed, and a full rigid one at that. The most common comment coming out of competitors mouths - "you're kidding" or "you're not serious are you" - well hell yes I was, it was time to make history and put Independent Fabrication on the map as the first single speed manufacturer to complete the Cape Epic - almost 900km of riding and over 15000 meters of climbing (think of it as riding to the summit of Mt. Everest two times!).



Day 1 - In a race of this length the key was going to be intelligent riding and not getting sucked into doing something stupid (and trust me many thought what I was doing was stupid enough) like trying to hammer the first two climbs which were on the steep side. After riding/hiking the first two climbs of the stage I was able to settle into a nice pace that matched the field where I neither gained or lost ground. Once into the rolling hills it was time to show the gearies what riding a single speeds is all about and I proceeded to slice through the field on each of the climbs (there was a bit of motivation to ride hard as the forests trails are inhabitant by cobras). Finally after 70km of yo-yoing with the field it was time to really put it down......the Prince Alfred Pass.....12km of 6%-7% grade climbing on hard packed dirt road, a true single speed dream. And put it down I did, slicing through a field of geared bikes spinning along in granny and first or second while I ground it out in the equivalent of middle/middle gearing. After wrecking havoc on the gearie's minds it was time to throttle back and use the balance of the ride as a recovery for the next couple of days.


Day 2 - Perhaps on of the most challenging due to the profile and length of the course. The rolling downhill for the first 40km proved to be less then optimal as I couldn't pedal fast enough to stay in the pace lines and there wasn't enough climbing to claw back the ground I was losing on the flats/downhills. The day's strategy was to keep as far up in the pack as possible so that when everyone had to hike-a-bike (the great equalizer for single speeds) I wouldn't be caught at the tail end of the field in the preverbal traffic jam. The strategy proved successful and I was right in the mix when everyone came off the bikes. Coming off the Kamanassie was a slow affair and I took the pounding the trail offered up and I am sure I frustrated more then a few dual suspension riders that were caught behind me (then again if they were behind me at this point they deserved what they got). Again from here to the finish it was a game of watching the clock and keeping my pace constant to avoid any issues with the time cutoff. The longest day in the saddle had the surprise of an additional 5km added on at the end and more than a few riders were caught out by the clock with one team missing the cutoff by 2 seconds.




Day 3 - The fast jeep track across the plains proved to be quite slow as the gearies decided to ride most of this section in granny gear and second. Probably the worst combination I could encounter - slow riders and rocky terrain. Again I had carefully plotted time points along the course to ensure there would be no issues with the clock but due to the slow pace in the opening 40km I found myself almost 30 minutes behind pace at the first rest stop. This meant no rest and a hard paced push up Fielie's Folly (430 meters of climbing at a 14% grade) and an equally fast descent down the other side where one could really open it up. The following 30km again was a game of losing ground to the gearies as the pace lines would come blasting by and disappear in a cloud of dust. Once on the Calitzdorp Crusher (3km of stony jeep track with grades from 8%-14%) it was the great equalizer - hike-a-bike and I was back in the game and ahead of the clock. Another fast fun descent and it was onto the asphalt for more high speed descending (I recorded a high speed of 81kph on this section). From the base of the Huis River it was once again single speed heaven with 8km of asphalt climbing with grades of 6%-8% - time to eat the gearies for lunch. The grade was perfect for a single speed and I made sure anyone with gears paid the price on this one. Having to mind the possibility of STPs (separation time penalties and to break a few geared riders spirits) I actually rode back down the hill to hook up with my teammate before putting it to the geared bikes one more time before making the summit. From here to the finish it was time to throttle back and recover for the next day.




Day 4/5/6 - After a call to my coach it was decided that all of these days should be approached with the idea of using the shorter course and lower levels of climbing to let the legs recover, which is just what we did. Again plotting critical time points along the course and monitoring our progress we rode to recover the legs with the goal of making the finish in Lourensford Wine Estate.



Day 7 - Knowing that this was potentially the hardest stage due to the grade of the climb and the type of terrain (sandy/rocky jeep track) on the climb up Groenlandberg I was once again very mindful of the clock and had to push the early pace on the roll out of Villersdorp. The climb was all I feared it would be, the slow pace of the "Granny Gear Conga Line" being the absolute worst the a single. I was able to hold station in the line, although it did take it's toll on the legs, and was able to summit with the pack. After what had to be the most grueling descent of the race (due to the rocky and rough terrain) I pulled into the rest stop for a quick drink and to have all loose filling replaced before getting on with the task at hand. From here on it was a game of pacing and using sections of the ride for recovery rather then having to push the limit to make time. After a relaxing ride through the forest I had my heart set on being "rewarded with panoramic ocean views before descending into the sleepy coastal town of Kleinmond". Little did I know that Dr. Evil had decided to skip the view and send us on a bone rattling descent into what I refer to as the "Valley of Death" where temps hit 34C! Suddenly once again I was questioning the time allocation. The odometer showed 30km to the finish (at this stage I had learned that in Dr. Evil speak that could mean up to 50km) and now there were potential issues with keeping pace. The course had turned rocky/sandy jeep track and there was only one real line through. Given these conditions once again it was take a number and ride in the "Granny Gear Conga Line". By pushing the pace I was able to bring it home comfortably within the time limit and live for another and final stage of the race.



Day 8 - With the rising sun I realized that this was the day to make history and become the first single speeds to ever complete the Cape Epic! This alone was enough to carry me to the finish and that ice cold beer(s) that awaited. Most of the ride was along rolling terrain with a lengthy section of asphalt leading to Sir Lowry Pass and the Gamtou Pass (a national historic site where the original Voortrekker pioneers took their wagon trains over the mountains and inland to settle South Africa). This was followed by a run along the railway line (I actually did give it a go straight down the center but passed on the idea after about 50 bone jarring meters) before the final roll into the finish (with the Dr. Evil bonus of an extra 16km over the original distance) and the celebration. One of the great memories of the race will be all of the support and encouragement that we received from the peleton throughout the course of the race. There were constant jokes, words of encouragement, acknowledgement of what we were attempting and offers of free pulls from the pace lines when they came by, and more then one of these slowed the pace to let us get on the end and relax for a bit.