With the pleasant reminder of the challenging but forgiving Sabie Expirience Lite and it’s awesome , no, BEST single tracks I have ever ridden in any race, I was anticipating some of the same exhilarating sections in the Sabie classic 45k . Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, repressed memories of the heat and humidity , and hellish climbs were screeching to be remembered. I started in group C, after doing a fast few flat races in Gauteng, with a field that seemed pumped and focus for the task at hand. After the whistle went , and a merry cheer of encouragement from the of spectators the few first kilometres went by fast , and we found ourselves on the first of a lot of mountain to be conquered. This did not faze me. As a matter of fact, the only reason I bear with the climbs, is to get to the downhills and single-track (and spectacular views of Sabie river valley)! The climbs tested my endurance for a weekend rider. I know now that I AM UNFIT. I realised this because I was constantly looking for a non-existent great granny gear. The water points were well organised and placed and literally kept us alive during the accent. My expectations were rewarded with fast downhill curvy stretches through pine plantations, ,challenging pine needle and red earth tracks (the eagle bit) and blistering fast jeep tracks and dirt roads that made my brakes smoke and adrenaline surge! A bonus was the wooden bridge with a crowd to edge on competitors right at the end to coax the last bit of strength out of unwilling legs. Tough climbs, challenging tecnical sections, exceptionally arganised, overall, a true mountain bike race! I still have to convince a few of my colleagues to come down to the Lowveld and experience real mountain biking. Some are still convinced that they can find tougher and more enjoyable in Gauteng... (Aggies)
