Madmac

I have to agree with the above advise. Perhaps use the next 2 weekends or weekdays if you have some time to get in some midday rides to prepare you for the heat. Also, start slow and find a nice rhythm, H2H allows you to do that and the hard part of the race starts from Bartletts hill at 70km and then the Arc, only because you have covered a lot of distance and the heat has set in (if it's a hot day ofcourse) so pace yourself and you will enjoy it. Most of all, have fun!!

Don't stress too much chaps, if you don't get an entry from been on the waiting list, keep checking the hub because entries do come available, especially the last month building up to the event. I went on to the waiting list 3 years back and when i realized that i was going to struggle to get an entry, i kept my eye on the hub and got one 2 weeks prior to the event. Saying that, i saw half a dozen so they do come available, i even saw entries at hugely discounted rates a week prior to the event because guys wanted to get some money back when they realized they couldn't make it.

Hey Tea Lady, your trip sounds amazing and i'm absolutely jealous. I went to Zermatt lat year (Matterhorn mountain) and had the time of my life and think about it daily so hopefully i will have a good business year and plan for next year again. I organised my trip with some friends and we worked through a British tour operator based in Zermatt. He is a licenced Swiss rail ticket issuer and organises some great rates on train fares (and might assist you too with cableway tickets) so perhaps send Jeff an email. I don't have his email address on hand but his website is otp.com. It might save you a buck or two. One possible way to save your bike and luggage weight going there which my brother did on his trip last year. If there is a local bike hire place near to where you staying, ask if they prepared to sell you one of their bikes. Because they at the end of their summer season, they flog them off at decent prices. My brother bought a 2011 Specialized Camber Comp for CHF(swiss franc) 1,000 (Approx R 9,000). When he got back to SA, he serviced, cleaned it up and sold it for R 11,000. It's not the best spec bike but it was indestructable for the trail riding we were doing and i wish i done the same because my Cannondale took a pounding. Food and beer is damn expensive, be prepared to pay CHF9 for a beer and a McDonalds burger meal was around CHF14. Zermatt is a tourism town so it might have been a bit more but atleast you get the idea. Please post an update on your trip when you get back. I am interested to hear as it would be nice to try some new areas in Switzerland. If you have any questions, drop me a message. Cheers, Madmac

Whatever you do, don't change the wife!!

Allow me to help after been on the waiting list for 3 years. Keep an eye on the hub and when you see a race entry up for grabs, buy it without hesitation. I waited patiently to get an entry and it never arrived. Saying that, i rode my first Sani2c this year after picking up my entry 12 days before it started and it was in the race event. What an awesome 3 days, everyone talks about day 2 which is simply awesome although it's tough! However day 1 and day 3 are equally spectacular, with the beautiful scenary of the berg and the lovely forest singletrack of day 1 and the fast and furious day 3 jeep tracks and wicked rough downhills coming out of Vernon Crookes. My partner and found all 3 days to have their own highlights and all days equally as good as eachother. For all the moaners out there, there is a fine line between success and failure. Perhaps the guys who go back year after year can compare their previous adventures and start been critical. The fact that Sani2c have tried their best to increase the numbers so more can experience it is fantastic. I have been to Switzerland and ridden some of their best trails and can proudly say that Sani2c is up there. Remember the beading band that Farmer Glen gave us to put on our bikes and don't forget that we can get on our bikes and ride them. Sani2c will be something i cherish forever and although i plan to be back for next year, i hope i will never take for granted what it means to everyone involved, whether you are a rider, a supporter, a volunteer, an organiser or one of the many thousands that live along the route that benefit from it. To have experienced Sani2c is to have experienced what mtb'ing is all about and i hope that if you find yourself starting to doubt how good it is, give up your entry for next year so that someone who hasn't ridden it yet, can go experience why it is the most popular event in SA, if not the world!!

I just heard from my friend on his way from Jhb to the trial tomorrow. He said there are a few cars on the road with bikes on the way there and everything is buzzing!! I'm leaving early Wednesday for the Race event and can't wait, i just want to get in my car and leave now. Bring it on!!

5-6 hour drive. You have to be there the day before to register and you need to arrange your own accommodation.

Hi there, I see the entries for the 75km is full and i am hoping that someone who entered can't make it any longer and are prepared to sell me their entry. If so, Please contact me on 082 708 0922 so i can arrange a substitution entry with you. Thank you, Gareth

Hi There, There is a MTB group that rides on Saturday's led by Laurie Jespersen under the banner of Edenglen Riding club. Start points are either Karaglen Virgin active or Granslam depending on the route at 6am. You can email Laurie on lauriej@netactive.co.za. There is also a group that ride from Modderfontein on Saturday's led by Anton Tjabring (atjabring@plasticomp.co.za). If you have any other questions, let me know on garethmack@gmail.com Regards, Gareth

Hi guys, I am not sure if anyone else has had the same frustrations with buying tickets for the World Cup in PMB next weekend but just so you are aware of it. I purchase through Cycling SA website via credit card but my payment came back with an error message which told me to contact Cycling SA which i duly did. I was then asked to make payment via EFT and send proof of payment via email to them which i did. I had no confirmation from them once this was done (i waited 5 days for a response). I then also checked my credit card statement and saw too that payment was received by them on that payment method, once again, no confirmation of purchase. I have subsequently contacted them and notified them of my problem and now waiting for them to refund me. It just seems like no one there knows what is going on and this is obviously a very disorganised process. With all the bad rap that has gone their way in the last while, you think they would get their house in order. I hope you don't have the same issues as i have had.

Thanks Bwana for your info, i will look into those links. I have asked a few people i know that live near to the alps and they say it starts getting cold more in Oct so beginning of Sep is stil fine. My friend in the UK (who initiated this trip) did a tour in 2005 with a tour group (http://www.otp.co.uk/otp/) and he rates them highly. They are quoting us GBP499 pp which includes 7 nights accommodation, 6 day tour with dedicated tour guide, transfers from Geneva/Zurich to Zermatt. It's very much fun factor stuff, catch ski lifts up and ride down. My brother has done a lot of touring in the alps (not Switzerland though) and he says that there are mountain cabins scattered all over the alps which are very reasonably priced but known more to the locals than tourists. With us also wanting to include Northern Italy (Lake Garda and Dolomites), we want to keep our trip as cheap as possible (within reason) to include as much as we can. Keep the info coming and i will update from our side as things happen. Cheers.

Thanks SwissVan, i will look into this links.

Hi there, i am looking at doing a MTB trip to Zermatt (Switzerland) and Northern Italy with friends in September. Anyone got first hand experience to these spots that can share some guidance. I am trying to weigh up between using a tour group option or our own thing. I look forward to hearing some views. Thanks.