Brighter-Lights

If it's your first 24hr there's much more to than to learn to suffer. Wiesenhof is a tough course, it's hard on your body. 2008 Wiesenhof was my first try at the 24hr thing. I had flue 2 weeks before the event, an injured knee, and still decided to go... totally inexperienced and uneducated. Started waaaay to fast and chose to ride a hardtail.... got so sick after 10 hours that I just called it a day and went home... Big lesson learned for someone who drove 800km to the race. There's lots of great info on the web... many top XC riders did extremely well in 24hr solo's in the past, even though they didn't follow a specific 24hr training program... but they did lots of high intensity work and had WC XC type power... It all depends on whether you plan to ride the race competitively, or if you want to finish the race. Besides getting used to suffering and being fit...the most crucial element will be to dial in your hydration and nutrition on the bike. You've got 8 weeks to experiment and choose what works, and what you like. Training for ultra events becomes more than just riding, you have to study the science behind your body's operation, and then keep track of what you took in food/drink wise, and how you felt/performed on that day. Doing this a few times you quickly learn and remember what works for you and soon it becomes natural. It's not neccessarry to do lots of 10 or 12 hour long rides, but getting your VO2max and thresold high is key... then a few long rides to test your eating plan. In preparation for Omni-Motion I did 2x 9 to 10 hour rides in a local plantation - only to fine tune nutrition. I marked a 17km loop with 471m vertical per loop - that's 2770m per 100km... much tougher than any 24hr course here... My advice: Thinking riding 24hr solo is a big deal? Logistics are an even bigger deal. Start making lists and check equipment long before the event...be prepared for the financial side of things... a 12 hour training ride can easily cost you R500 with some nuts, biltong, carb drink, petrol to the forest, etc. Start preparing some friends to be your support crew now already... supporting a solo rider for 24hr is a tough job for one person... take a few friends who you can trust and who know how to encourage you and support you when you're hating life. Do some upper-body workouts. After hours of riding those roots EVERYTHING will hurt. Focus on recovery after hard sessions on the bike... you don't always have to ride to become faster... pushups, stretching a lot on those off days... The most important.. PACE yourself...learn to pace yourself in training... ride with slower riders to keep the pace down... A 24hr start can be XC like and many of those fast starters will pull out after a few hours (like I did in Wiesenhoff 2008) Ride singletrack... Wiesenhoff caught me off guard because I mostly ride on gravel roads... Set high goals and slowly work towards them. Train your mind to visualize negative events and cope with them in your mind before they happen. Search the web, read the pro's blogs, get tips from them and try them in training... many work, some don't... What is your fitness like? How often do you race? You can do a lot in 8 weeks, and your final form will depend much on where you currently is... Hard to tell you what to do exactly, because it works for me and might not work for you. In the past 2 months I've done a 300km 3 day race. I did a few marathons and XC's. My training didn't change much from the norm which is high intensity work and 2 hours rides every second day... then I started working towards a fast 24hr solo race and increased my rides to 3 and 4 hours with 5 and 7 hours some weekends... I still pushed myself at max at some points during these rides... Then one 9 hour ride of 140km and 3880m on a 17km loop with my car as support station and stopped every 2 hours for refill and food. Then 10 days later beat Shan Wilson and John Lee in Mondi 85km for 4th with Max Knox 6 mins ahead of me...(me riding full suspension) my average HR was 180bpm for 3:39:15 with 62% of time above 180... (just to give you an idea of what I was capable of before I started reaching towards longer workouts at lower intensity. (which at thresold is not easy at all) Since then... another 10 hour ride at Thresold and shorter harder rides in between, but less all out effort now...more recovery and spinning and the occasional sprint up a hill... Taparing now and can ride all day at AVG 140HR, but most noticably is my power increase at Thresold... where I would average (offroad) 27km/h all out effort, I do 24.5km/h now at 140 to 150 HR.... Thats just what I do... by reading the blogs most guys still does lots and lots of high intensity workouts with long rides thrown in now and then... Good luck! Listen to your body... Jo Gerber

ok... so the propedal on RP2 - equates to propedal setting #1, 2 or 3 on RP23? (I would guess #3 (stiffest)) Any ideas what the RP2's fixed propedal is like in comparison with RP23's propedal settings?

I've been looking for info about the Norhern Farm trails but could hardly find decent photos of the surroundings and trails there... Any photos would be appreciated very much! I at least want to know what the place looks like before going there for Omni-Motion. JG Eastern Cape...

My favourite morning ride - pics. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22313&l=e872c&id=730046909Brighter-Lights2008-10-27 07:38:19

No flex at all... Brighter-Lights2008-10-01 10:13:26

10.3kg as pictured. The Pivot Mach 4 really is as fast as my HT on gravel races and a lot faster over rocks and bumps... The suspension feels firm, almost like it's a 50mm travel bike, but after every ride the indicator o-ring on the shock shows that I used all 100mm. What I love is that the suspension feels active, and that it doesn't bob when I up the power.

I smell a troll... That's exactly the point... how many full suspensions without lockout can keep up with hardtails in a hardtail race? Just about every full susp I've ridden behind bobs like uncle bob when not locked out... thinking of scalpel, element, spark... Still doubt its real technical terrain performance? Well, coming from Chris Cocalis of Titus all doubt should be wiped out. This bike glides over technical terrain.

Ok this thread is about the bike, not about who were faster than who... This years winner, who won by 5 minutes over #2 averaged 29.9km/h. The point is... this is a full suspension without lockout and hardtail like pedal performance. Just imagine how this bike will perform in more technical terrain... Stage 2 had a good 30km+ technical terrain and that's where I got away on day 2. I made it too easy... Pivot Mach 4... PS: Johan as jy die jaar gery het was jy beslis 2de

Which full suspension WITHOUT lockout and an average rider would be fast enough to average 29km/h over a 3 day 300km marathon? The setup: UST tyres 700g each 2L Camelbak + 500ml bottle 68kg Rider When I first saw this bike I thought it was just another full suspension...It looked cool with its cobalt blue anodized finish and red anodized bolts, but I had no idea what I was in for when I got the oppertunity to ride this marvelous machine... Coming from a very light carbon hardtail, I'm convinced that this is the perfect bike for me... and possibly everyone... I'll let you guess.... It's the new brand from a suspension genius who designed and manufactured a very famous brand for years... He's old bike used a Horst Link, his new bike features an anti squat DW link system with integrated BB and direct mount bolt on front derailleur. Pedal performance is hardtail like and I reached 80km/h in the recent Oudtshoorn Maxxis 300km 3 Day Marathon. I never needed to use the pro pedal lever on the RP23 Fox rear shock. The 308km (according to my speedo) took me 10:42min , and I used heavy UST tyres and a Camelback...Ask my why I did this? Because I wanted to prove that I can be fast without weight weenie goodies.... This bike sets a new standard at a level others won't reach for a while... What is your guess? 4 times the speed of sound its pivot's are anodized red The DW link gives 100mm of rear travel A correct guess will earn you some photos and more testing results...

The perfect saddle for me is a Selle Italia SLR 135 (on my mtb) Did Trans Baviaans with not a mark on my ass, could've ridden it again the next day. Head to head 6 hour rides with a 4kg backpack no problem, no chafing, no wounds Used to ride a carbon only Amoeba SCUD before but it was too wide, the SLR 135 I love! I'm 172cm and 68kg

Nicely put. I've been using automatic transmission fluid (the red stuff) on my foam rings AND in my dampening chamber for how long... 2003 RockShox SID SL with Ti cartridge. Cheap and I always have 'slippery' stanchoins... feels like I AM actually floating on air...

Ek wil nie eintlik oor die tyd praat nie... 14 en 'n half ure.... Ek't darm oor die 200 fotos geneem so dis 'n nice memory om iets van die race te he... maar die stadig ry was later nie meer lekker nie... Was darm 'n nice training ride en nice ouens langs die pad.

Here's a few pics I took during the race... First time that I didn't race it and was loads of fun and perfect weather!! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=46430&l=2f720&id=730046909 But now I really need a fast partner for 2009...

Some riders consider leaving from PE and surrounds on Sat morning only... I gt advise you that it's pushing your luck... You'll miss the the amazing vibe and spirit of the race. The backup trucks leave early and to register + get your bags ready for the trucks you gotta be there in time. You'll hardly have a stress free trip even if you leave PE at 5:00... Sleeping in Willomore we get up at 7:00... and even then it's packing and running around... Good luck!

I'll be there

Aaaaah.... all defensive... ) I take it you're one of their (CSA's) representitives? I'm welcomed and warmed by you're attitude... makes me love them even more... We could just as well put money into some European club's account... The point is... we're paying for... what?

I'm a bit in the dark here... Now that CSA is mentioned... As a mountainbiker from Eastern Cape (PE area) I can't remember seeing, or hearing anything that's been done for MTB in the EC the last 3 years I've been riding. But at every Provincial XC and some other races, day license fee's are charged or registration numbers demanded... Are we paying a ghost organisation..? ..... for what...? I'd like to hear about a single thing CSA has done for MTB in the EC... Specially the PE area where the country's oldest MTB club is... What do we pay for?

Colin... het jy nog daai K2C Google Earth Map wat ek gemaak het? Kan dit nie met gprs oplaai nie... post daai 2 maps bietjie as jy hulle nog het... Jo

Twisters are very simple compared too triggers... it's really easy to open them and grease the 'axle' My twisters never got sticky, but the cable housings did.... After 2006 Trans Baviaans I had to open them as some sandy water mud, whatever you call it got inside... I think most will agree that the fine sand and mud got in everywhere..

I've used twisters for the past 2 years and sweared that I will never go back to triggers. I got x9 triggers in the parts kit for my new bike and decided to give them a go since the look so nice... After a few rides this is my opinion: I got used to always have my hands on the twisters. With the triggers I have to release my grip to shift. The downshift lever requires very little force to be activated and sometimes, on high frequency bumps I accidentally shift down 2 gears instead of one... Triggers have no display. Easy to remove. Can put bike upside down. I still prefer the twisters. They are all the same.. from X7 to X0, just painted differently and use different grips. My twisters have started wearing into my carbon bar after 2 years. Twisters are hard on gloves and slippery when wet. Could damage twister gear display when bike upside down on hard surface. From a shifting point of view, they outperform the Triggers by a long way, You just crank the shifter and shift as many gears down or up in one movement, where with triggers you have to click how many times. The Trigger actually pulls 5 gears on the up with one full push, but by the time it clicks at 5, the lever is waaaay out of my reach... Triggers 230g without cables Twisters 180g without cables Brighter-Lights2008-08-05 03:39:57

R420 for the token sounds silly cheap... most alu cassettes on ebay are $180 to $280 XT is pretty much the best value for money and weight... 256g for 11-32 and R480 at solomons... Now I want a Token too....

It's nice to have a lighter bike, but be warned.... the weight weenie thing eventually becomes a sickness... ask me... i've been through all stages from stripping paint off frames, drilling holes everything... etc etc.. BTW... expect to save only about 80g by stripping paint off a hardtail... pfffftt - that for all the hard work... Light wheels will make the biggest diff on your current setup... 8 months after I started riding in 2005 I did a 3:27 Karoo to coast on a 11.5kg duel... I had AMC hubs with DT comp spokes on some Alex rims of 430g with Larsen mimo Exception at +- 400g each and tubeless... I was lucky to survive that day because I soon discovered how easily they cut.. Non UST crossmarks work well tubeless and are cheap. I've weighed them at 510g to 580g in shops with average 550g... I wanna check out these new Kenda SWS sidewalls... feel like a plastic sidewall but looks like it won't leak through the sidewall and wont rip easily... could be perfect to run tubeless on race day

Well... I'm not a roadie... AND... I'm here to see what all my previous V-brake rims look like... I used to say I will never change to disk brakes because my vbrakes stop me wherever I go... but I'm tired of spending money on expensive wheels just to have it look like crap a few months later... The Rigid is not really a weight thing... it only saves 560g over my sid... it's more of a maintenace thing...

Because v-brakes mess up nice wheels. I did 95km on the rigid yesterday and it was a breeze... no stiff wrists or anything today... my max speed was 70km/h on this downhill... The biggest fallback is less traction on fast bumpy corners

It's beautiful! We did it during day to map the terrain in our heads... It's gonna be much easier at night now... like I said the worst is to never know if you're on top or not... I think I'm still gonna need a fast partner... Asked Wesley Augustyn but things are a bit unsure now... Anyone know about someone who's keen and would be able to do a Sub 10hr TB?