Mountain Biking in South Africa

10 Years of Epic Riding

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:12:00 +0000

Just incase you haven't noticed the ABSA Cape Epic is rolling through the Western Cape for the 10th time. Its an amazing story of a race that started as an idea in mountain biker Kevin Vermaak's head. Now it is a world class event attracting the best riders in the world year after year.

Stage 1 of this years epic proved once again that this is not an easy race and you have to earn your right to cross the finish line in Lourensford. There was high drama in the openning stage with many of the favorites suffering at the hands of the harsh african conditions. The most spectacular was Mennen getting hit by a buck ending his race, others suffered in the sand and with punctures.

Our favorites are Sauser and Kulhavy riding for Burry Stander Songo. Follow the race live at www.cape-epic.com

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Burry Stander 1987 - 2013

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:13:00 +0000

In unbelievable news that can only be described as the worst nightmare Burry Stander was killed in a road accident on Thursday 3 January 2013 in Shelly Beach Kwa-Zulu Natal.

At 25 years old he was one of the best mountain bikers in the world, and he was just getting started. However it is not his success, ability and potential that make is loss so tragic but rather his humility, the fact that he was just one of us. He readily accepted the challenge of being a pioneer and carrying the hopes of a whole nation and being a role model. He was incredibly mature is this sense. He proved to all of us that we can be the best in the world, that we have what it takes. He proved that you can be a South African, live in South Africa and be a world champion. You don't need an attitude and don't need to be "based" in Europe. The irony of course is that he was killed in South Africa in his home town by a motor vehicle.

I had only met Burry a few times but regarded him as a friend, everyone who followed or knew him felt that way because that's the type of guy that he was. The emotion that has surfaced by everyone following his death is testament the quality of his character. The loss of any life is tragic, especially a cyclist hit by a car and especially Burry Stander. Burry a was not only a person, son, brother, husband and cyclist, he was a hero who touched and inspired so many people that his loss is enormous because it is profoundly felt by thousands of people together with his family and friends.

That inspiration that he provided can live on in many ways by those who felt it. Most significantly it should serve as a grim reminder of how unsafe our roads are and hopefully be a catalyst and inspiration to bring action to make our roads safer. Personally I will carry his memory and use it as strength when I ride, when I feel the pedal stroke pain and think that I can't anymore I'll remind myself that Burry would do anything to feel that pain because that is what he lived for.

Check out the Burry's Bicycles facebook page for ongoing action to make cycling safer.

Checkout the iol news story that sums ups this tragic event.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Riding into 2013

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:24:00 +0000

So 2012 is winding down, holidays are here and after next week it will pretty much be the new years. Its the best time to ride, sun comes up early, its warm, holidays and you have time on your hands.

If you have entered for the big races in the beginning of next year then this is perfect training time to clock some proper miles. If you are taking it easy its the ideal time to hit some trails new and old, discover some new routes.

2013 promises to be another huge year for mountain biking in SA. ABSA Cape Epic has its 10th edition, an amazing achievement and August sees MTB world champs taking place in Pietermaritzburg KZN. Plus there are all the other races on the calendar that will keep you honest and on your bike.

We'll take a break for a couple of weeks so see you on the other side.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Shop more, Ride more

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:57:00 +0000

It is the silly season, time to spend all your hard earned cash. What would be even more silly would be to waste time and loose out on valuable riding time in the process. So our answer is to make it short and sweet, get your stuff online and then get out on your bike.

At our bookshop you will find the best MTB books available so you can learn how to train properly, fix your bike and learn some essential MTB skills. Our pick of the bunch are the TOP MTB trails book to take you to some new places during the holidays and the Joe Friel Paleo Diet for athletes to get you lean and strong for 2013.

The other essential tool for the holiday riding is a GPS so that you can explore some new trails and make sure you find your way back again. The Garmin Edge 800 bike GPS will be ideal for this.

If you need bike stuff then checkout the online stores on our shops page or find your local bike shop and see what is new.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Thanks to all of you mountain bikers

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Together we have reached another milestone in our quest to share the love of mountain biking. Our Facebook page has 999 likes so the next one will be 1000. That is 1000 more people who are happy to share the love of mountain biking. Thanks to all of you for being out there, committing and spreading the word.

We created our site back in 2004/2005 just as mountain biking was gathering momentum. Since then we have been sharing info, helping out and most of all having a blast riding our bikes with more and more people in more and more locations at more and more events. From humble beginnings our site mtbonline.co.za now services more than 13000 people per month who view more than 1000 pages a day from our site. The most popular pages are our shops page, races, mountain bikes for sale and MTB buyers guide.

Over the years we also added our average guy blog, newsletter and our facebook page to provide more regular info and as additional platforms to share more.

So if you have benefited from our info and like what we do why not share the MTB love and invite a friend, because the more the merrier.

Share your tips and experiences at our blog or leaving a comment on MTBOnline Facebook.

www.mtbonline.co.za

MTB Trail Bucket list

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 04:23:00 +0000

If you take a look at all the different MTB trail options available in South Africa you have to ask yourself where have you ridden and where would you still like to ride? Most of us just head out to our old favorite but there are many other options and new trails coming up all the time. Now days there are many different groups of people involved in trail building and the results are evident with many quality marked trails around the country.

We have just updated our trail listing with some links to trails in south of Johannesburg and in Karkloof KZN. One of the greatest pleasures in mountain biking is riding a new trail that you have never ridden so spoil yourself and break some new ground. Start that MTB trail bucket list and experience the variety that we have on our doorstep.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

An Epic Fail

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 03:09:00 +0000

The fairy tale mountain bike film An Epic Tale turned into an epic fail this week as a small bomb hit South African mountain biking with David George from the Nedbank 360Life team testing positive for EPO use in August. Unbelievable and a huge disappointment to everyone but not complete surprise to some pros. David came from road cycling and had spent time in Europe where he had been warned about suspected EPO use before.

Twitter was full of scathing comments immediately after the Cyclingsa news broke. One of the first was Robbie Hunter "@RobbieHunter: 15 year time bomb just went bang....". Christoph Sauser also didn't hold back tweeting @Sauserwind "wish that guy never turned to mtb". Downhiller Gred Minnaar had this to say @gregminnaar "I don't even know why I'm disappointed in David George's positive test, it was only a matter of time.... You can only dodge so many bullets". But my favorite tweet was from Amarider @meurant "At IMBA summit doping was 10sec joke. We then spent 3 days talking trails and advocacy. Doping affects those with commercial interests..."

Nedbank pulled their sponsorship of the team leaving innocent riders Kevin Evans and James Reid out in the cold. Many say they should punish only the guilty and leave the innocent?

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www.mtbonline.co.za

10 Years Untamed 2013 ABSA Cape Epic Route

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 03:19:00 +0000

Ten years ago Kevin Vermaak had an idea to put on an 8 day mountain bike stage race across South Africa, some believed and some thought he was crazy. Little did they know that 10 years later it would put South Africa on the mountain biking map, bring the worlds best riders to our shores year after year and start a mountain bike stage racing trend.

This week the tenth edition of the ABSA Cape Epic Route for 2013 was reveled. The anticipation and excitement of the route is almost as big as the event itself, this year they have not disappointed with some virgin routes and great stage locations. Merendal, Citrusdal, Saronsberg in Tulbach, Wellington, Stellenbosch and Lourensford are the stage locations for 2013. Looking at the distances there is only one big stage of 145km otherwise distances are around 100km or less. Don't for a second think that this means that it is an easy route. The Epic is always hard so shorter distances usually mean rough terrain, technical riding and steep climbs. But you can make up your own mind by checking out the route video, with 7000 views in just 2 days it is clear that there is great excitement about the 2013 event..

Highlights of the race will be the prologue at Merendal with great views and awesome singletrack, the remoteness of the Cederberg, and then more world class singletrack in Wellington and Stellenbosch. By now riders will have started their training for the start in March next year as a good 4 to 5 months of training are needed to if you want to cross the finish line after 8 days of riding. For some training tips, program and guidance checkout the Epic training guide.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

How to start mountain biking FAQ

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Over the last few months we have been answering a few common questions that keep popping up from newcomers to mountain biking. All of these tips and answers can now be found on The How to Start Mountain Biking FAQ - Newbies Guide page at MTBOnline.co.za.

The questions answered there are

I am starting mountain biking, what bike must I buy?

I have a mountain bike and want to start riding, do I need to join a club?

How can I get into riding if I don't want to join a club?

Where can I go and ride that is safe and not too difficult?

What to wear on your first cycling date.

How do you know what to expect when you enter an MTB race?

How can I learn to do maintenance on my bike?

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www.mtbonline.co.za

What to expect when you enter an MTB race?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Mountain biking is so much fun because of the variety of terrain and discovering the unexpected on a ride. If you are going out on a trail ride then this is exactly what you are after. But if you are going to ride in a race then the more you know the better, otherwise you may just not make it over that finish line.

On a road ride all you need to know is the distance and the expected amount of climbing and you will be able to pace yourself properly using some of your training rides as a benchmark. With a mountain bike race you will also need to consider the type of terrain. If you are on district roads, farm roads and smooth track then its going to mean an "easier" ride. However if the route has rocky tracks, tight singletrack, technical descents, loose climbs and steep up hills then you can be sure of a tough ride taking longer than you would expect. At the start it helps if you start with riders of similar ability and speed so that you can pace yourself. Once you are into the ride you can assess terrain first hand and review your speed and pace.

The route profile will also tell you where the major climbs are and how steep they are. This is vital info that you must use to pace your race and conserve your energy especially if you are expecting big climbs towards the end when you will be tired. Race routes will often be harder or at least seem harder than your training routes. That is because they also cater to fitter faster riders than you and you will be riding faster than normal so it becomes harder. So find out as much as you can but still go into it expecting the unexpected because being over confident can lead to real disappointment.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

MTB'rs take note - How to ride a road bike properly

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:40:00 +0000

If you happen to find yourself on a road bike for what ever reason we will forgive you as long as you ride like this guy

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Which bike computer, gps, app do you use?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:30:00 +0000

A couple of years ago cycling was simple, all you needed was your bike and off you went. You would go as far as you felt comfortable and as fast as you could handle. I remember getting my first speedo for my Raleigh bike, a cable driven bar mounted speedometer with a needle just like a car, for the first time I could see how fast I was going and how far I had gone. That was the beginning.......

Then along came a electronic bike computer, small accurate and packed with features. Next was the heart rate monitor that gave you even more performance data. Then came the GPS, even more data, now you could navigate and track your routes. Today we also have power meters, some more data to keep us informed and make our rides interesting.

The internet and mobile devices introduced connectivity so now you can get mobile devices that can do all of these things, measure, track, calculate and record and you can access it centrally off the internet. But it still makes it difficult to workout what device, system and manufacturer you should go with. It all comes down to priorities.

If you want serious performance analysis and training information then go with a dedicated heart rate or power measurement system. If you want to navigate, track and measure while out riding then go with one of the GPS bike computers. Lastly if you want a bit of everything with little fuss and don't need packed features in either then go for one of the mobile apps than run off your mobile device.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

More world class MTB action in KZN

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:23:00 +0000

This past weekend was the Hilton Dirt Fest and it sure did live up to its name. The previous weeks Hill to Hill in KZN was literally a wash out but the dirt fest was just plain dirty. Once again I was blown away by the awesome riding conditions and trails in KZN. The trails in Hilton were varied and endless with almost no district road and plenty of single track and forest trails. With the bulk of the riders coming from Gauteng and riders in the Western Cape claiming the Utopia of mountain biking the riders in KZN just seem to get on with it quietly and confidently. If you haven't already spent time on KZN MTB trails then you better make a plan because you are missing out.

Single Speed World Champs SSWC12 this weekend in Winterton. More beers less gears is how this bunch rolls. If you are a nutter or want to see some nutters then you need to check this out. Follow the action on twitter @sswc_2012.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Its Bike Showtime!

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:52:00 +0000

Its bike show month with Eurobike in Friedrichshafen, Germany just ended and Interbike in Las Vegas just starting up. Both shows showcase the latest in bicycle developments from commuter bikes all the way across to serious downhill racing rigs. Both shows are mainly aimed at the industry but also open to the public for the last day or two. Besides the halls and halls of exhibits they also have the ever popular bike demo days where you can ride and compare the latest 2013 model ranges.

The trends at the both shows this year seem to be the continued change and battle for wheel sizes in mountain bikes with many manufacturers releasing 650B or 27.5 inch bikes to fit in between the traditional 26inch size and the big 29inch wheels. Fox also released the 27.5 inch sid shock versions. Lights also continue to develop at a rapid rate with LED technology allowing smaller higher powered lights with lower power consumption, a great improvement over those old 5W clunkers with bottle sized batteries.

Electronics also continue to develop with Shimano showing off electronic hubs for commuter bikes and Fox displaying their electronic controls for shocks that allow the front and rear shock to communicate. More at Eurobike and Interbike.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Listen to your body

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 09:17:00 +0000

Effective and efficient training has as much to do with following a good training program as it does with listening to your body and taking it easy. I was reminded of this fact last week while trying to do an interval session. After a couple of weeks off following some flu and a niggling cold I was keen to put in some hard efforts to get back up to speed on my now wobbly winter program. After a good warm up and into the third interval I found the going tough and literally gasping for air at the end of the interval. First thought was just ignore how I feel and press on, this is a hard training session after all. But on second thoughts I conceded that maybe this was not a good idea and I should rather tone it down, which is what I did despite feeling down at not being able to complete the intervals.

A week later I was feeling a lot better and did the very same interval exercise. This time I breezed through all 10 intervals and felt great. Thinking back to a week ago the penny dropped that I had made the right decision last week by listening to my body. By doing so, I had not lost out on some training but had in fact allowed my body to rest and recover allowing me to put in a good training effort a week later. Valuable lesson learned.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Whoohoooo Greg Minaaaaar!

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Greg Minnaar is a world champ again! The last time he won this title was 9 years ago in 2003 as a 22 year old. Greg has been riding as a world champion downhill mountain biker for more than a decade and won his first world cup race at the age of 20 in Kaprun Austria. Now classified as one of the old boys on the world cup circuit he has proved that consistency and experience pays off. He kicked off 2012 with a memorable world cup win in his home town Pietermaritzburg and then spent the rest of the season playing second fiddle to new comer and downhill wonder boy Aron Gwin. But Greg stuck at it as usual and when Aron had a crash on his final run at the world championships, Greg was the man with the fastest time and claimed the title of World Champion 2012.

Greg is not just some adrenalin junkie downhill mountain biker, he can hold his own on a regular bike on he flats as well. He has shown this with two convincing finishes at the Cape Epic where he finished comfortably inside the top 100 teams. He has also been seen spending the night close to a large beer filled cooler box at Sani2c while most other riders are passed out exhausted in their beds.

It is this natural ability that gives Greg the edge in his racing. His incredible ability and skill makes him smooth and fast on the downhill track at speeds of around 70 km/h and then his pedaling strength on the flats gives him the edge and makes him super competitive. Greg is a legend who does South Africa and mountain biking proud.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

How can I learn to do maintenance on my bike?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:04:00 +0000

You don't need to be a mechanical guru to do most of your own bike maintenance but you do need to know what to do and how to do it.

The best way here is by trial and error, but you should get some guidance to help you along. If your local bike shop is any good they will be will to advise and help you, if they don't then ask yourself if the are the right bike shop for you. They will also be able to sell you your tools that you need. Checkout our maintenance guide for an idea on what tools you would need and how to use them. The other ideal resource is to get some mtb maintenance books, they will provide a good overview on how to maintain things. For specific details on certain parts you can find most info online at the manufacturers website in their online manuals. Start small with the things that you do on your bike regularly with the basic tools then move onto the more involved maintenance.

With the right tools and practice you should be able to do everything except shock servicing and brake bleeding.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Where can I go and ride?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:41:00 +0000

Okay so this week we are back to our Newbies guide. One of the biggest questions that people starting out have is where can I go ride that is safe and not too difficult?

There are many places to go and ride your mountain bike. The safest and most enjoyable to start with will be to visit one of the many mountain bike parks or trail centres that now exist. Many of these are in beautiful locations that are secure to ride. They usually also have some facilities and have marked routes of different difficulty and distance. Our recommended rides are Groenkloof in Pretoria, Northern farm or MTN bike park in Joberg, Giba Gorge in KZN and Koeberg or Dirtopia in Western Cape. Checkout our trails section for details of some of these riding locations and their access times and fees.

The other option is also to go to some events to ride as they will have routes and destinations that are not accessible at other times and there are medical and support people to assist if there is a problem while out on the trail. Don't be scared of "races" because its not all about racing, its mainly the few front guys who race, for the majority its all about the riding and there is no real rush.

Then once you have your confidence and riding buddies the world will open up to you and you can start exploring the variety of other informal riding locations and discover some new trails.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

What is the South African way?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 06:25:00 +0000

I came across this video of The American Way on IBIS and Ritchey two iconic American bike brands. This is a great video and tells the story of how Ibis started and continues today as one of the coolest mountain bikes you can buy. The second part is an interview with Tom Ritchey and he explains how he built an iconic MTB brand and how he continues to live the mountain bike dream. Besides these videos being really cool and having some great content and shots, it got me thinking about what the South African way would be.

So far our industry is filled with more traders, dealers and agents than inventors and pioneers. Most probably because of our obsession with everything European and American and not having the confidence in what we have in our own backyard. Silverback was born in South Africa but it seems like the lure of "German Engineering" has seen this brand shrug off its South African roots to become another wannabee European brand. Our best story is probably Morewood Bikes, born and bred in South Africa and despite changing ownership recently, the built in South Africa logo is still in tact. Momsen is the most recent brand to emerge from South Africa and calls itself "an SA bike company" although everything is made in the east. Only time will tell if in 10 years time we are still only traders or have actually created something more sustainable and memorable. If we want the latter then we better start living up to our dream of being the leading mountain bike destination in the world and start inventing some cool stuff in addition to our cool races.

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Team South Africa MTB at Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:00:00 +0000

We take a break from our Newbies guide to MTB and take a look at the other end of the scale, to riders who clearly know what they are doing, our pros at the Olympics. We are in with a real shot at the medals in the mens MTB cross country race.

Burry Stander is ranked at no 2 in the world so he is a clear favorite to win the race. However it will be tough because unlike the world cup races where you can win some and loose some, you only get a one in four year shot at the olympics so the pressure is on everyone for a win. Follow Burry on @africanmtbkid for updates. Phillip Buys is also riding the mens race and he will be hoping for a top ten finish after his excellent 15th place result at the Windham event. Phillip runs a cool blog with pics documenting life in the olympic village and life on the world cup circuit. The mens race is on Sunday 12 August at 13h30.

Dont forget about the ladies because SA has a rising star in Candice Neethling in the womans race on Saturday 11 August 13h30. Candice has been steadily improving on the junior world cup circuit and finished 3rd in the U23 race at Windham. She continues to learn at these races and writes in her blog "The World Cup journey so far has been all about understanding and learning how to win. You cannot win if you don't know how. And the only way to learn, is through experience". Follow Candice on twitter for updates.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

How can I get into riding if I don’t want to join a club?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 05:40:00 +0000

Today with the internet, online groups, twitter and facebook there are many other virtual ways to get in touch with people to ride with.

The first is to get out to some events or races. Just because they are called races does not mean that you have to be a racer, you can participate in a variety of distances and ride at your own pace. Most of these events are more like gatherings and group rides and you will find it easy to fit in. You can also ask at your local bike shop as many of them also organise rides and have ride groups

The other way is to find some ride groups or "clubs" on the facebook where you can interact get info and meet up for some rides. Email or online groups are also easy to join and find out information on where to ride and join in with some group. The most active groups for this is thehubsa, or checkout our facebook page.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

I have a mountain bike and want to start riding, do I need to join a club?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 05:40:00 +0000

Continuing with our newbies guide we ask the question. I have a mountain bike and want to start riding, do I need to join a club?

There are many ways to get into riding and to find people to ride with. Mountain bikers are generally speaking easy going and so you will find most of them very approachable and willing to assist to get someone new onto a bike, they love to share!

Clubs are still the traditional and most comfortable route to start out riding for most people. Many of the clubs are originally road cycling clubs or a mix of road and MTB, then there are a few that are only MTB. Clubs can also offer you the affiliation to Cycling South Africa which you need of you want to race competitively. Our clubs section has a list of many clubs around the country. Find one in your area and try it out. As with any club they will have rules, committees and a certain way of doing things. If you like the way they do things then you will fit in fine, if not then try another club to try one of the other routes to get into the community.

If you are looking for a cause and a club then consider AMARIDER, the African Mountain Bikers Association. Their soul purpose is to build and develop more mountain bike trails.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

Newbies guide to getting into mountain biking

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 05:40:00 +0000

Everyone who starts out in mountain biking follows a similar path and asks the same set of questions. So we decided to put together the Newbies guide to getting into mountain biking. Each week we will answer a few common questions that pop up.

I am starting mountainbiking, what bike must I buy?

The first thing is to decide how and why you want to ride, for example racing, recreational, trails, downhill, stage races. This will give you some idea as to what type of bike to buy, hardtail, full suspension, 29er, long travel short travel etc. The second step is to understand the options and technology and what is available out there. There are so many options and it comes down to comparing the options and chosing the right type of bike, spec level, size and price. Best source for this is our Buyers guide which contains some basic information on what to look out for when choosing a bike.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

So what is your MTB winter carrot?

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:56:00 +0000

Riding through winter is not only for the pros or the obsessed bike riding mad mountainbikers. We ride for enjoyment so motivation is not normally needed. But then along comes winter and warm light is replaced by dark cold. So the a great technique to see past the winter is to find yourself a winter carrot. It must be juicy and tempting.

There are many options like setting a distance target for the month to keep you on the bike, picking some MTB races through winter to keep you honest, preparing for a big race at the end of winter that needs some focused training or hooking up your trainer in front of the TV everyday for Tour de France. Then the biggest carrot of all is that when you hit spring you will be feeling good and not have to start all over again.

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www.mtbonline.co.za

What to wear on your winter cycling date

noreply@blogger.com (bUnDi) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 05:55:00 +0000

Living in South Africa we are lucky to have such great weather to cycle in. But the downside is that when winter arrives so do the excuses. But it doesn't have to be that way, you will be surprised how comfortable cycling in the cold can be if you are dressed properly. Hence the saying, "There is no such thing as bad weather, just poor cycle clothing". Also you are better off mountain biking than riding on the road. Riding on the road you go faster and the wind chill is a big factor so you really need to have some serious clothing.

Mountain biking the speeds are slower and you are often climbing so there is almost no wind chill and the heat you generate keeps you warm. Get some decent warm gloves to keep your hands warm, that will keep you comfortable and able to operate shifters and brakes. Next you should keep your neck and head warm, a buff works really well if you pull it over the back of your head. It is light and not too hot and keeps the wind off. On your body you need to go with layers, ideally with everything moisture wicking so that your skin stays dry and warm. Start off with a short or long sleeve thermal top, then add a long sleeve cycling top and then on top of that a wind breaker vest or jacket. This should be more than enough and allow you to remove layers if it warms up later. On your legs a set of knee warmers will add that little bit extra leg warmth. Quality rather than quantity is the secret, get some good quality gear that is designed for being active in the cold.

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