MtbOnline Updates

Mountain Bike Trails in Pretoria

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 03:06:10 GMT

Pretoria has some of the coolest mountain bike trails all located on the South Eastern side of Pretoria in the Fountains area. Here you will find Groenkloof, Voortrekker Monument and Klapperkop.

Mountain Bike Race and Events Calendar

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:10:05 GMT

If you are looking for MTB races or events to participate in then you are in luck we have added a 2012 MTB Calendar to our website. This is a list of all official MTB races in South Africa and is very comprehensive covering the whole year and the whole country. We have used the Google calendar function so you should be able to share it easily. The calendar gives you the date, venue and short description of the events.

Howick Mountain Bike Trails

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:50:41 GMT

Tucked away in a dip less than a stones throw from the busy N3 in the Natal Midlands lies the little town of Howick. It is all hustle bustle but unassuming, old school and filed with farm vehicles and people. Over the rise in the bordering Sappi forests lies the secret network of some of the most awesome single track that you will find in SA.

Shimano Deore XT 2011/2012

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:08:54 GMT

The shimano XT groupset is a favorite amongst the majority of serious mountain bikers. It has always offered great technology and durability at a reasonable cost. The first XT groupset was born in 1982 and the last major XT upgrade was in 2008.
The trickle down effect of technology is evident with the new XT benefiting from the last upgrades to the XTR race groupset. The new XT groupset available in July 2011 features a 2x10 crankset, xt servo-wave brakes and new xt wheelsets for xc and trail riding.

Turner Sultan 29er Review

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:56:50 GMT

The Sultan is one of the new breed of bikes out of the legendry Turner stable. After a few years in the doldrums thanks to some patent disputes Turner has adopted and licensed Dave Weagle’s DW Link and produced an entirely new line of once more highly rated bikes The Sultan is one of these and the first to adopt 29 inch wheels at that.

ABSA Cape Epic 2011 Updates and News and Resources

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:46:07 GMT

Stay up to date with the Absa Cape Epic 2011 racing with our Epic resources page

MTB Bike Transport and Flying with a Bicycle

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 02:59:39 GMT

Flying with your bike used to be the domain of pros but now it is a regular activity for almost any keen cyclist. Nowdays events are all over the country, flights affordable and time of the essence so you have to fly with your bike. This traumatic experience is manageable by knowing how to pack your bike and transport your bike so that the airlines don’t end up destroying it. There is no fool proof method and they all have their pros and cons ....

Mountain Bike tyre puncture prevention

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:56:13 GMT

Punctures and flats have been a part of mountain biking and cycling from the very beginning. Fixing flat tyres and punctures is not difficult but can be an irritation and a waste of valuable riding time and worst case can end your ride in a long walk home. The main choices are tubeless tyres with sealant, tubes with sealant, tyre liners and thorn resistant tubes and sometimes a combination of many of these methods.

MTB Tyre Rolling Resistance Testing

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:21:04 GMT

Mountain Bike Tyre rolling resistance has always been a debatable issue. What really affects rolling resistance, wide vs narrow, low vs high pressures and what type of tread pattern. Everybody has their own opinion and very little if any of it is based on actual scientific testing. Most rolling resistance tests are done on tarmac with skinny wheels, so how does this compare to the varied terrain that mountain bikes cross. The answer is that it does not compare at all. Hard and skinny is the rule for low rolling resistance on tarmac with road bikes, but mountain bikes have their own rules.

New MTB trails in Gauteng, KZN and Cape added

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:08:41 GMT

New MTB trails have been added to the trails section. The trails are Holla trails and Sani Spoors in KZN, Lebanon trails in Grabouw and Kingskloof MTB trail in Gauteng. check out the updated trails listing

MTBOnline now on Facebook

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:05:32 GMT

Facebook users can now find us at our new facebook page MTBOnline on Facebook.

We have introduced an MTB page on facebook where you can connect with us to find all the latest updates and posts to our website and blog.

Mountain Bike Tips Free - MtbOnline - Free Updates

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:24:52 GMT

Stay up to date with our free weekly MTB TIPS and site updates

Every week we will send you a brief MTB tip of the week. Something to inspire, help, teach and motivate you to enjoy your mountain bike more.

It maybe to ride more, faster, further or to fix your bike, understand your bike, buy a new bike, find a new ride buddy or any one of the other thousands of MTB tips that we will dig up.
Join our mailing list and we will drop you a mail after we have done site updates.

You can expect a mail at most once a week. We absolutely won't share or give your e-mail to anyone and you can unsubscribe whenever you want to.

ABSA Cape Epic 2010 - How the race was won

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:04:03 GMT

The who's who of mountain biking were at the 2010 Cape Epic event. The only other place that you will possibly find a more star studded line up would be at the Olympics. This race drew the best riders from the World Cup cross country circuit, marathon champions and stage racing professionals. It made for the most exciting and dramatic racing so far in the 6 year history of this event.

Mountain Bike Stage Races for Africa

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:21:30 GMT

There seems to be no stopping the flood of new races onto the events calendars. Gone are the days when a couple of mates, or the local church group got together and plotted out the route, invited some locals to assist and put on a race. Now days its big fancy names with event management, sponsors, websites, all sorts of services, attractions and hundreds of other add-ons that you never even know about.

Cape Epic 2009 - the innovation continues

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:25:09 GMT

The Cape Epic was just a figment of imagination in Kevin Vermaak’s mind 5 years ago. Since then it has become world famous and spawned a whole multi day stage racing culture in South Africa. It is the benchmark that people have come to know and trust.

USA MTB Trails - Bootleg Canyon - Noble Canyon

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:23:45 GMT

Singletrack addict Christie has been out riding some USA MTB trails at Bootleg Canyon and Noble Canyon. See how he rates these trails compared to his local trails back home in SA.

Hayes Stroker Ryde Disc Brake Review

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:48:30 GMT

Despite my many years in MTB I have never actually had Hayes Disc Brakes. And since Hayes has been a stalwart of MTB braking it is definitely high time for me to give them the proverbial stroke.

West Coast Experience MTB Promotional Tour - May 2008

Fri, 30 May 2008 06:43:39 GMT

A great experience was had by all on the recent promotional tour of the West Coast Experience MTB tour. The diversity of the west coast was showcased as the tour party experienced the changing of the seasons with some wet riding conditions, mist and then warm glorious sunshine.

Mountain Bike Fork Reviews - Marzocchi, Rochshox and FOX

Fri, 30 May 2008 06:40:46 GMT

Rock Shox, Marzocchi, FOX, Rock Shox, Marzocchi - 6 forks in 5 years! During the last 5 years I have been able to own and try out a variety of forks. Each time I changed from one brand to the next so this is a great opportunity to do Rock Shox, FOX and Marzocchi fork comparison.

Eselfontein Singletrack a Long Time Coming

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:23:15 GMT

The mountain biking singletrack Eselfontein is legendry. Tucked away at the end of a dusty road up in the mountains of Ceres lies this little piece of singletrack heaven.

Argus Mountain Bike Challenge 2008

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:25:24 GMT

The Argus mountain bike challenge held at Boschendal must be the biggest MTB race at the moment. There were four distances to choose from and that’s probably why almost 3500 riders entered.

Logwood Mountain Bike Park Review

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:35:56 GMT

A bike skills park is an apt description no matter what your skill level. Every rider from beginner to expert will find a challenge there.

Herald VW Mountain Bike Race - ADDO 2008

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:17:10 GMT

For the first time The Herald mountain bike race took place at the Addo Elephant Park outside of PE. At this time of year one can normally expect scorching temperatures

Mountain Bike Parks in South Africa

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:39:06 GMT

Mountain bike recreation and social riding is making serious in roads in South Africa. More and more riders are looking for mountain biking venues and trails rather than races. In the last two years a lot of progress has been made in SA with more and more marked mountain bike trails as well as the appearance of some mountain bike parks.

Intense Spider XVP Review

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:50:40 GMT

When you take the frame out of the box, you immediately have a “red bicycle for Christmas” feeling. The frames are very striking. The decals are not covered by a clear coat. This adds to the raw, hardcore kind of sentiment that, I for one, associate with the brand. Intense are one of the few companies still making their frames in the states.

Mountain Bike Gear and Brake Cable Fitting

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:26:06 GMT

Mountain bike gear and brake cables should be checked and changed regularly. This is one of the best ways to make you bike feel like new.

Mountain Bike Sunglasses to buy online

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:20:11 GMT

MtbOnline now has a range of Oakley and Adidas mountain bike sunglasses available to purchase online. We have selected the best models from the range and the most suitable cycling eye wear for the trail.

How Mountain Biking is Changing

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:42:27 GMT

Find out why mountain biking in South Africa has a bright future

Mountain Bike Adrenaline PS2 Game

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:40:57 GMT

Mountain Bike Adrenalin PS2 game makes mountain biking easier than it has ever been. Just hook up your Sony PlayStation and improve your skills, free-ride, race XC and downhill with the new mountain biking game.

Lourensford 2007 Revisited

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:03:01 GMT

I returned for my second Lourensford mountain bike race and really enjoyed it. The last time I did Lourensford it was in 2004 in the wet and it was a very different race ....

An Epic Guide

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:01:14 GMT

An inspirational and practical guide to finishing the Cape Epic. It is also useful as a training program and guide for mountain bike races and stage races in general.

New trails bikes and rides

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:08:02 GMT

These last few weeks I have been fortunate enough to ride on some new trails and try out some new bikes. It reminded me how interesting and varied mountain biking really is.

New Trek Remedy

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:04:20 GMT

Bike design is where it is at these days.Trek has followed some of the design cues from Specialized with their new all-mountain bike the Remedy. Released at Interbike 2008 the Trek Remedy looks good.

Ibis Tranny

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:03:12 GMT

A carbon fiber hardtail mountain bike, single speed and foldable bike all in one. That is the all new Ibis Tranny, a super versatile light weight bike from the cool Ibis crowd. It will be in SA in early 2008.

Mountain Bike Gears Setup and Adjusting

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:30:07 GMT

Adjusting and setting your mountain bike gears is really quite a simple bike maintenance procedure. There are a few basic rules that need to be followed in order to understand what should be setup and what should be adjusted.

Karoo to Coast Race Review

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:28:48 GMT

It has been quite a few years since I had last done the Karoo to Coast race. I had completed it twice before, once in the pouring rain and once on a perfect day. So I knew that we could expect anything from the weather.

Ibis Mojo SL - WOW!

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:37:40 GMT

Ibis has improved on their already light full carbon 5.5 inch trail bike. For 2008 the Ibis Mojo is barely managing to tip the scales. This beauty is also going to be available in SA.

Commencal Meta 5 Ride

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:35:53 GMT

The Meta has some very relaxed angles and coming off a hardtail I felt like I was lying in bed. But when things got nasty on the trail, it just simply soaks everything up and you never have the feeling that you might go over the bars.

Identifying gear shifting problems

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:24:22 GMT

Mountain bike gears are a critical part of the bike, they work the hardest and are one of the main reasons why mountain bikes can go where they do. Poor gear shifting and mis-shifts are probably the biggest bike maintenance issue that you will find. Understanding how and why you can have gear shifting problems will help to prevent them.

Eurobike 2007

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:22:13 GMT

Pics from Eurobike 2007

Mountain bikers, mountain goats, dust and mud

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:21:01 GMT

Mountain bike races and riding: The Cape vs GP and a sweet singletrack video

Recommended mountain bike tools

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:27:19 GMT

Maintaining your own bike is not nearly as complicated as it seems. A good way to learn is to start slowly, gain confidence and build up a set of tools as you progress. If your bike needs a service, consider spending the money buying a couple of tools and then do it yourself.

Burry Stander Interview

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:32:07 GMT

Burry Stander is one of South Africa's brightest mountain bike racing prospects. He rides on the GT factory team in the world cup and world champ events. Check out the interview and find out why Burry is destined for success.

Trans Baviaans 24hr MTB Challenge Race Review

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:31:02 GMT

The Transbaviaans is not for sissies! It is the longest single stage race in the world. It could be a lot tougher. There is only 2600m climbing over the 230km. But, I think it is perfect.

Absa Cape Epic 2008 Entries Closed

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:29:37 GMT

The Absa Cape Epic 2008 machine has started up. The 2008 entries had to be paid by 15 August. So for those who acted on their lottery tickets there is no turning back.

Full Suspension vs Hardtail

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:24:08 GMT

Some pros are riding and winning on full suspension bikes. Burry Stander explains why he chooses full suspension over hardtail.

Stellenbosch Mountain Bike Challenge

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:20:38 GMT

The Stellenbosch MTB challenge in its second year was as muddy if not more so than the first year and had around 2000 dirty mountain bikers to show for it.

Raleigh launches new 2008 bikes

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:36:53 GMT

Raleigh has launched their new 2008 mountain bike range. The full range includes the race ready RM hardtails and Marathon full suspension bikes as well has the successful Trail range of mountain bikes. We get the low down on the changes, new models and the full range. Check out the new 2008 Raleigh Bikes and the link to the downloadable catalogue.

New mountain bikes 2008

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:54:04 GMT

New Stumpjumper FSR and other equipment from Specialized.
Giant bikes lose weight.
Rockshox testing new SID replacement?

Chain cleaning for mountain bikes

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:30:03 GMT

Chain cleaning is part of the bike washing process and is probably the most important part of mountain bike maintenance. A dirty chain means shorter chain life, poorer shifting and a noisy drive train. There are many ways to clean a bicycle chain.

How to wash a mountain bike

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:27:43 GMT

A mountain bike wash is the best thing you can do for your bike and is the second step to good mountain bike maintenance. It keeps it clean, looking new and makes it easier to spot damage and to do a service.

Mountain bike maintenance and repair guide

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:24:32 GMT

DIY bike maintenance - Keep your bike "off" the road and stay out of the bike shops with our online bike maintenance and repair guide

NEW Mtbforum now updated

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:22:53 GMT

We have upgraded our mountain biking forum - no more spam bots - register and get posting

New Specialized Stumpjumper 2008

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:15:37 GMT

Lighter and better, the new spaz is a looker!

Dirtopia Singletrack Heaven - Review

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:14:48 GMT

Single track heaven in the middle of the winelands

Knysna MTB Marathon Review 2007

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:14:04 GMT

A Review by the Average Guy

Cannondale Scalpel 2008 Prototype

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:46:16 GMT

Cannondale Vredestein team are busy riding a new version of the Scalpel XC race bike. With a new shock configuration and possible all carbon frame on the way, this will be a bike to look out for

Ibis Mojo - Ride More, Work Less!

Tue, 02 Jul 2007 19:58:39 GMT

I got my Mojo! The Ibis Mojo is comming to SA, you can own a piece of mountain bike heaven. Check out this full carbon beauty from Ibis bicycles - not your average bicycle company.