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The Ceder is a self supported gravel ultra endurance bicycle race. The Ceder takes place in The Cederberg, situated in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Cederberg is known for having some of the most grueling gravel roads in the region. It is stunning in its brutality. Beautiful but not forgiving. The views are special  and the place has a magical feel to it. The Ceder is a circular route which covers 245km, mostly gravel, featuring 3700m of elevation gain, starting and finishing at Cederberg Oasis. A lovely campsite and backpackers. Be sure to book your accommodation there if you...

Polarized training is a contentious subject in the world of endurance sports. What is it? How does it work? Most importantly will it make you faster?? Polarized training is the principle of training 80% of the time at low intensity (zone 1 & 2) or endurance pace. Roughly 70% of your max heart rate.  The other 20% should be done at a high intensity. At threshold and above. This training method includes no tempo (zone 3) or sweetspot. It is either easy or flat out. This differs significantly from the more traditional pyramidal approach, which includes a portion of zone...

Zone 2 describes the intensity at which we exercise, based on metrics such as heart rate and power. Coaches usually use 5 training zones to guide their athletes. Most reputable training programs for endurance sports will advise about 65-80% of the training sessions to be done in zone 2. With more zone 2 sessions in building phases and slightly less during race season. Below is a rough guide of your zones, however everyone is different and your zones can only be identified accurately by doing a Functional Threshold Power test (FTP). Zone       Intensity        Percentage...

The Gallows is a 1 day gravel race taking place on the 4th of June 2022, in McGregor.  The route is  about 110km with an elevation gain of 2200m. The first 99km is mostly flat with some rolling hills, and then you will hit a 11km climb, which takes you to the summit of Galgeberg. A mountain in between Greyton and McGregor.  The race finish is on the summit of this climb otherwise known as Galgeberg mast.  The climb is on private property and is not accessible to the public without special permission.  With some of the most spectacular views,...

How to Fuel For Swartberg 100 The Swartberg100 Gran Fondo starts and ends in Prince Albert, arguably one of the most attractive Karoo towns in South Africa, it covers 171 km of which there are 3 gravel sectors covering 79 km. The final climb is over the gravel Swartberg Pass, a relentless climb of 28 km, the last 9.8 km being on gravel with gradients of 16% in places. Swartberg is the most talked about gravel race in South Africa. It starts off like a road race, flat and fast, bunch riding skills will help you here. The smoother flatter...