Adventure and Travel

Race Report: Isuzu Trucks PE Plett Day 1

· By BikeHubCoreAdmin · 1 comment

Earlier this year Isuzu Trucks invited BikeHub to take part in the Isuzu PE Plett MTB race. Some will remember the competition we ran giving away 3 team entries to the event. Naturally, were keen to head up the coast and check it out for ourselves.

The race takes place over 4 days with the 2015 edition running from PE to Plett. Each year the route direction alternates and in 2014 started in Plett.

Our team for the event, bikehub.co.za, consists of myself and 24 hour race daemon / video guy, Ray van Breda. Having spent far more time behind a keyboard than handlebars of late I was a little nervous for this one.

IMG_3919.jpg

Stage 1 Ride Report

Day 1 took us from Wedgewood Golf and Country Estate over slightly shortened route of 75km (thanks to the wet weather) to the Gamtoos Ferry Hotel.

On the way to registration yesterday the rivers flowing in what were roadside gullies gave us a clue that today would be wet and muddy. Just how muddy though, was far beyond any of our expectations.

Ray gives his take on day and the different flavours of mud we encountered:

Today was the muddiest ride I’ve ever done. Usually if the weather outside is this bad or the mountain this wet, we decide to stay indoors. There is a point you reach where you are so wet, muddy and dirty, that it really doesn’t matter anymore. There is no more point avoiding puddles or trying to keep your kit clean or shoes dry, you are just past the point of no return. We reached that point in the first ten kilometres of the stage today.

IMG_3920.jpgOur steeds for the event: Ray – PYGA OneTen29 | Matt – Momsen VIPA XT

Matt and I took the day fairly easy. We are not racing, more just stage-riding, which is great. It means we don’t have to take chances on dodgy sections. It means we can hang out at the water points and try out the chocolate banana bread, it’s great.

I can also definitely feel a difference in the ‘vibe’ from the riders around us. I usually try to hang at the lower end of the front of the field and even though we are only racing for top fifty or top one hundred, every person around there is ‘racing’.

The difference today was that no-one was trying to overtake you on dodgy corners, or making an effort to crest the climbs in front of you. No aggression just okes, and ladies, having a fun ride.

Anyway, back to the mud. We discovered today that there are a number of different kinds of mud. Matt Beers confirmed this when we interviewed him. He said that you need to watch and anticipate what kind of mud you are riding into.

Some mud you WILL slide on. Some mud will suck you down into the ground. Some holds you back and forces you to pedal max power in granny gear, on the flat, at walking speed. That kind of mud reminds me of peanut butter. It sucks.

The one that pulls you down we christened ‘wet cement’. Even when you step off your bike you can hardly lift it out.

We actually encountered one type of mud that we called ‘jelly’. It’s the first time either of us had seen it. When Matts front wheel hit it the whole piece, roughly five meters long, jiggled like a tub of jelly.

The best kind of mud was the dirty-looking-water pooled over fairly hard-packed ground. At least you can ride through that. It does splash quite badly though. Our nice new black red and white Isuzu Trucks kit is a mottled brown now and I reckon it’s like that now for life.

Today was hard because of the mud, but the scenery was cool. We went through the kind of mountains where the river streams look untouched and the water drinkable. Not a lot of people or towns along the way, mostly just pure open South African goodness. We really are privileged to be able to ride around in these places.

We were hoping if would get drier from here out but we just overheard one of the locals saying he reckons it’s going to be even worse tomorrow. I mostly just feel bad for the bike. I’ve already replaced front and back brake pads.

IMG_3922.jpgWhat was left of Ray’s rear brake pad.

Tomorrows stage takes us about 95km with 1680m of climbing to a new camp at Soloko, about 20km East of Kareedouw.

We’re still holding thumbs for just a little less mud. Or at lease the friendlier varieties.

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Comments

nonky

Sep 4, 2015, 8:54 AM

great review - thank you.  put this race on the bucket list!

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