Christmas day training

Bakkies snoozing.

Wakey wakey. Its Christmas! And there is some training to be done.

Shona eating my moms Avia Avi STOLTZ for breakfast

A hearty breakfast to put the POW in Power. Some of us has Avia AVI STOLTZ for breakfast…

Conrad Stoltz Africa training bike Specialized Epic Comp

Get the bike ready. My trusty old Specialized Epic 29er Comp. I love this bike. Rode the heck out of it the past 2 years and now it my farm bike. (The top tube still says “Field Test #151 XL”) Too sorry to drag my World Champs winning S Works Epic 29er through these conditions.

Conrad Stoltz Farm driveway

Out the driveway.

Conrad Stoltz The road gets bigger

Onto the main road.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

Which gets a little bigger and a little less wild animal-y. Saw the white (albino) Impala grazing. Here the export citrus farmers do their thing.

conrad-stoltz-training-white-impala

Its a wonder the leopards let this guy reach adulthood…

Conrad Stoltz swaping bikes

After 30min of mostly downhill. Civilization! I store my bike at friends house near the tar road, and swap my Epic for my Specialized Transition and head onto the road.

Conrad Stoltz swapping mountain for road bikes

Fat in, skinny out.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

Tarmac and Acacias

Conrad Stoltz Specialized Tarmac with Power Cranks and TT set-up

Specialized Tarmac with Power Cranks (no, cranks arent brokin, see link further down) and Time Trail set up. I know, bars arent very low, (yet) but the stem is directly on the bearings already. Waiting for a flat bike with a lot of handlebar drop…

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training. Pot holes

Roubaix cobbles is no match for Africa potholes… “Dear Specialized, I have been a good boy this year. For Xmas, please send Specialized S Works Roubaix (61cm) with 28mm tires, Airloc tubes and 2 rolls of handlebar tape.” The Roubaix is the perfect bike for rough roads. Go check it out on the link.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training potholes

A joke my mate Rory from Zimbabwe told me before South Africa had potholes: “Which pothole is best to drive through: a) The one filled with water. b) The one without water.”

“Answer: a) The pothole with water. Because, if it contains water, it means there is a bottom to it…”

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training roads

Mpumalanga is a beautiful province. The potholes are in Limpopo province- yes, I rode straight across 2 provinces. (Actually, we live close to the border)

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

One of the few shops open on Xmas. This guy is selling baby Weeping Wattles and Prickly Pears (to eat) by the bucket load.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training Weaver

This little Weaver didnt want to get out of the road. When I tried to pick her up, she finally flew off.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training caterpillar

I was in the aero bars when this dragonfly flew straight into my hand and its wings stuck to my sweat uk kamagra. To set it free, I had to flick it off after the photo op.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training Cyclops Power Tap

Did a few intervals in the TT position. Profile Design bars– I’m getting ready for the South African Road Time Trail Champs, on Feb 3. I did 10 x 3min at about 375W and 106 rpm. Which, (along with doing 25min with the Power Cranks open) was the reason I did some road riding, sandwiched by MTB- part as warm up and part not wanting to drive the bumpy 15km to the road and back. (or even ride the dirt bike-as it takes me 30min to get dressed in safety gear. Without ATGATT* I feel naked) *All The Gear All The Time

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

Did I mention the scenery? Its Xmas morning and I have the road to myself.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training route

After a quick bike swap, back on the dirt.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

The 15km uphill home… Our farm is at 25Deg South and as you can see, there is almost no shadow- the sun just about blistered the paint on my bike. Afterward, my ears were throbbing and red despite a thick sunscreen coat. Wonder if we could make a Specialized helmet with a wide brim, SA farmer style?

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training. Prickly Pear picker

This guy (notice his hat covers his ears!) is getting ready to pick Prickly Pears. (My favourite wild fruit as well) They are very thorny and grow fairly high up on thorny cactus leaves. The baked beans can at the end of the stick fits perfectly over a Prickly Pear and with a deft twist if the wrist, you can break them off one at a time. Drop them in the bucket after brushing the minuscule thorns off with a leafy branch.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

Like a horse heading for the barn. Almost home. Notice the little light. It packs quite a punch, and has saved me on many a dark ride. Procrastination is a beautiful thing…

conrad-stoltz-south-africa-training

After a traditional roast leg of lamb (my mom works magic with lamb) with my folks and a bit of a siesta, it was time for much needed “skills training” on my KTM 950 Adventure…

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training KTM 950

Actually, I have my wetsuit and swim stuff in the box on the back- was hoping to find a lake or dam to swim in, as my weekly swim mileage must be below 1. Alas, got dark before I could find a body of water and had to ride the hairy 20km dirt/mud in a tunnel of xenon.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training KTM 950 Adventure

With or without engine, I LOVE ROCKS! Followed this mostly sandy river bed for a few kms.

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training KTM 950

Somewhere the line between “skills training” and just pure “having fun” got a little blurred…

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training KTM 950

UG-2. The richest Platinum reserve in the world. With 80 years worth’ mining. My cousin Stephan is a geologist at one of the mines in the valley in the background. Still no swimmable body of water to be found. The wetsuit stays dry. The weekly average dips below 1…

Conrad Stoltz South Africa training

This one is for the poor folks stuck under snow… Merry Christmas!

Comments

Superfly 21-01-2011, 08:09

Conrad….I absolutely love your blogs, especially the pictures. i read them all and get inspired to keep livin the fun simple life. I would have been out of t2 before you finished(my main goal for the race) at Pelham if I had not flatted so badly. I was rockin’ Oak mountain and zipped right through Blood Rock and i was on my rim 30 seconds later. after 15 minutes of trying to fix it a volunteer lent me their 10 year old 35 pounder which at least got me to t2 and the opportunity to suffer for another hour of running…oh well,that is XTERRA!!! hope to see you again this year….I am glad it is earlier (may) because that run was suffocating…regards…..Christopher “superfly” taylor

Reply
sk_burnett 27-12-2010, 00:13

awesome stuff! what happened to the home made farm pool(AKA the trench)?

Reply

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