HUBS ‘ N’ CUBS

Strong and durable is the name of the game with Malan’s choice of wheelset. Front and rear rims are built with 32 holes by Japanese company Ukai, while quick- release hubs with sealed- cartridge bearings are also Japanese, from Suzue Industrial. Rear hub spacing is 135mm, while up front it’s 100mm.

A pair of SOMA Cazadero 700x42C tyres with fast- rolling solid centre ridge perfectly bridge the gap between a traditional 33C CX tyre and a 2.1 MTB, Malan says. They’re best for mixed terrain – such as the gravel roads of South Africa.

Currently Malan is running tubes, simply because he hasn’t got around to converting to tubeless. And one of his goals is to get a second 650b wheelset that will allow him to run 2.1 MTB tyres.