Roneblack46

Everyone has a different level of risk appetite. I stay in Rivonia and regularly ride these streets from 4am and have never felt unsafe (my biggest concern is the drivers who have been out drinking all night). If you're coming from Sandton you could go down Rivonia Road and left at Sandton police station into Summit drive. All the way down till you get the Circle (All downhill from here), then left up St James, at the T junction right (Ecclestone), then left into Bryanston drive and left onto Main Road. A short climb and the Engen is up on the left. The Engen to Engen route goes down Sandton Drive so you can always break off at Sandton back to your accommodation.

Super excited for this one. Lots of new for me: 1) MTB/Gravel Monster Cross bike - first time on a gravel configuration. (3 months now) 2) Gears this year not SS 3) New shoes - received today. 4) Changing to wider gravel bars end of September. On order from US. 5) New time goal - going to be a challenge. @Gemmerbal - pity you're not doing it - you have unfinished business... Updates on below pic: Front suspension added - Rockshox Sid Ultimate SL Brain Lowered aerobars - now on 60mm riser.

Here is the link to the 2023 Sedgefield 500 tracking. It shows the route that was set for last year. https://sedgefield500-2023.maprogress.com/

There is only a solo option but nothing stopping you from riding with someone. The nature of these events, and this one specifically, you will eventually end up on your own with no other riders in sight for hours. Obviously the longer the race distance the more isolated you will be. This Recce Raid event provides you with a tracking device for live tracking. Also they have a safety plan in place due to the remoteness. My first taste of this event will be next year. Doing the 400km/10 000m (more like 12000m looking at the Strava data from 2023). See below from one of their event newsletter's from the 2023 event: Race Safety & Security Safety and security of participants, supporters and crew during endurance events have become a major concern in many parts of the country. These concerns resulted in certain areas becoming no-go zones from a race organiser’s perspective. While the Recce Race operating zone is a mere 250 km from Gauteng, and crosses both the N4 Elandskloof and N4 Schoemanskloof highways, the routes are rather isolated and do not pass through or close to semi-urban or rural settlements or towns. This has its pros and cons, as large parts of the routes do not have any GSM coverage. We are deploying a Community Safety System that will include some of the local landowners, private security companies, regional community policing’s neighbourhood watch and farm watch initiatives, as well as support crew, including SARZA (Search & Rescue South Africa) and ER24 EMS. These parties will have access to a Virtual Control Room that will monitor any GSM based emergency SOS activated via the Herdum User App during the event on the event routes, as well as supporter routes. Their responders or patrollers will also be directly informed via the Herdum Business App for a rapid response to any safety, medical or other emergency in the event zones. As the areas that we cover with the Recce Raid are rather large, we have divided these into 4 operating zones as indicated on the maps below. Detail of how participants and supporters can register on the platform will be shared next week with all participants that have entered by May 6th.

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Thank you all for the comments. Much appreciated.

Thanks Snake Alley was one of the best pieces to ride. I think I had early onset of Shermer's so literally within two to three days I was fine again. it happens so quickly - there is no warning. One minute you are fine the next you struggle to lift your head even slightly. Also - on both my hands the outer parts and pinkie fingers were numb for 3 months after from all the vibration from the corrugations.

Part 4: RV5 (Matroosberg) to finish in Doolhof Gert had literally just left for the finish as I arrived at RV5. I went inside and I saw Rigel curled up under a blanket sleeping. I had the best chicken pasta ever that that morning. Armin had arrived and he was feeling just like me. He joined me with a coffee and a chicken pasta. Somewhere during this time I called home and obviously what came across from myside made my wife panic a bit – that’s probably what you get when you speak zombie. She called all our friends to send messages of support for the final stretch. That was amazing and definitely helped. Armin and I had seconds and literally smashed that pasta quickly. With food in our stomachs some sort of sensibility of our situation returned we worked out that if we leave at 8am we have 5 hours to complete 84kms. It was going to be tight. Rigel woke up and asked that we wake him when we are ready to leave and went back to sleep. I knew that from the race briefing there was a contingency by the Munga organisers in the event that Bains Kloof was closed. There have been truck accidents in the pass recently which has caused the authorities to close the pass. If that was the case your race would end there, and you will be credited with 1.5hours. So my next goal was to reach the bottom of Bains Kloof with at least 1.5 hours left. Also from the top of Bains Kloof it was all downhill to the finish. Right so I had my plan. Head down till the base of Bains Kloof. I woke Rigel up and I could see he was also very tired. We had the medics come spray some magic spray on the knees and the three of us headed off. As we rolled out of RV5 I said to Armin and Rigel not to wait for me as my single speed ratio would be no match for their gears on the fast gravel and tar sections coming up. They said they would wait for me. We hit a fast downhill section and they were gone in seconds. As the road inclined slightly I lifted my head to look up the road and my head took like two seconds longer to lift up. **** that’s weird. I tried to look up again and the same. Damn the onset of Schermer’s neck had begun. I stopped at the side of the road and rubbed some Arnica cream on my neck. Suck it up buttercup – not long now. I had seen riders with Schermer’s neck before, but I had no clue as to how fast the neck muscles would literally seize up. No time to think of that. The road rolled under my wheels at a fast pace. I could catch glimpses of Armin and Rigel in the distance. They were pulling away. As I reached a right turn and turned there they were waiting for me. Wow I thought – that was amazing. We rolled on together and then they pulled away only to wait at the next turn for me. I don’t have words to describe how that boosted my morale. We hit Ceres and stopped at the Caltex garage and had a red Bull. Downed it. Two passes to go – Michells Pass and Bains Kloof. It was now getting hot again and my thoughts were just to climb at a steady pace and push the flats. The three of us headed up Michells Pass and the road was smooth and the climbing was not too bad. The scenery was spectacular and that did distract me from thinking how tired I was. A the kms rolled on the adrenaline started to kick in. That magical 1130km on my GPS was coming closer. As I rode towards Bains Kloof I was calculating what it would take to make that 96 hour mark at midday. I grew up in the cape but had no idea of how long the Bains Kloof climb was. I estimated around 9-10km. I had two Powerade energy gels in my pocket and I was going to use them both as I hit Bains Kloof. Second plan was to start lightening the load on the bike by getting rid of the water in my water bottles systematically. I don’t think it worked but it was positive thinking. I turned onto the Bains Kloof pass with 1 hour 40 minutes to go. I had time in the bank. The three of us started the steady climb up Bains Kloof. The scenery is spectacular and I was mesmerised by the clear flowing river down the pass to my left. The road was smooth and my wheels rolled fast. I sucked the first of my gels – mojito flavored. The pass slowly increased in gradient and I felt like I was flat out giving it my all. Once or twice I pulled over just to rest for about 20s then headed on. The three of us took turns leading the charge. I had a second Mojuti gel and at the same time was dousing my legs and neck with water from my water bottles. Just when you think you have reached the top the road snakes around the mountain to for another uphill portion. It was a brilliant late morning in the pass. No wind – that I can remember at least – the adrenaline was pumping and all I focused on was getting to the top. Finally the top came and I stated to roll downhill and towards the finish. Not long to go now. I kept half a bottle of water just in case Alex Harris had another surprise for us. Now just to get to the turnoff and the singletrack section down to the finish. Now I had heard stories of this turn off singletrack section and it has caught many a tired rider out as it was rocky and sketchy. We saw the marshall in the road and headed for the turn off. Armin and Rigel ahead and I followed. I hit the steep descent at speed and scanned ahead – well tried to scan ahead. The steep descent meant I had to lift my head to see far enough in front to react to what was coming. Not happening. I could not lift my head up far enough to see. **** this could be critical, and I could fall so easily at that speed by not having enough time to react to the rutted sections. I pulled hard on the brakes to slow down and shifted as follows on the bike – I literally sat with my right leg on the top bar just in front of the seatpost. With my head tilted sideway – with my eyes now vertical to the trail – I was able to scan far enough ahead to keep a good speed going. Not ideal but it worked. I had to be super careful as my weight was now in front of the seatpost and crank so not ideal for a steep descent. I sped down the trail in this disfigured position until the trail smoothed out. A few sections of jeep track and then single track through a forest single track section and BAM – Munga completed. It was incredible. 1130km and in 95 hours 47 minutes. Goal achieved and a sub 4 day effort on a single speed. Position:43 Km: 1130 Time: 95:47

Part 3: RV3 (Loxton) to RV4 (Sutherland): After a huge breakfast Oren and I headed out for the stretch to Fraserburg. The clock had ticked on to 46:00 as we hit the route again. This is where the **** gets real and the road now literally is an uphill to the finish some 500 plus km away. I was waiting for this section as now my gearing should equal the playing field against the geared bikes. On the first long climb Oren said his knee was giving issues. He would soldier on through immense pain and discomfort to the end. And slowly I started to stretch the distance between us on the route. We had agreed to ride together as far as possible till the elastic snapped. I knew Oren would be fine – he was a survivor and finisher of Munga 2021 through the Tankwa storms. Fraserburg was just over 100km away and the uphills become more frequent. The temperature rose steadily and all I could think of is just keep moving forward. The wind picked up considerably and was blowing directly from the front. As anticipated the terrain gradient and single speed gearing synced and I was really giving it horns. Slowly I started passing rider after rider. After what felt like hours of toiling in the heat and headwinds, I reached WP6. The container stop. I had some small chicken pies, loads of watermelon and chocolate Super M. I did not stay long and headed out again on the last stretch to Fraserburg. I quickly passed another few riders that were up ahead and soon again was on my own against the uphills, corrugations and fierce headwind. The kms ticked over and slowly the town of Fraserburg came in sight. Even though I could see the town in the distance and it looked close,it still took forever to reach the town. By now the headwind was going full blast with no respite. Soon I felt the tarmac under my wheels and I rolled into town. From the briefing I remember there was an informal stop at the Total garage. This came into sight and I saw a few bikes parked outside. By now our bikes were literally grey/white from the dust. Walking inside I could see some very tired and dusty riders. I probably looked the same but did not care. I ordered a cheeseburger and chips, a lemon twist and a ginger beer. I wolfed down the burger - it was delicious. The change from just drinking water and coke was also welcomed. What a friendly impromptu stop this was. My water bottles were taken away, washed and refilled with water and ice blocks. Coming into Fraserburg my mind was working overtime trying to gauge how I felt, where I was in terms of nutrition, energy etc. What I realised at this point was that any distance going forward will take much longer than expected. The uphills and headwinds combined with fatigue and lack of sleep contributed to a longer ride time. So, for example a 60km stretch is not a 3-4 hour ride anymore. It’s more like 6-7 hours. My next stretch to WP8 was an 80 odd km stretch. By my calculations – about 8 hours. So, I ordered a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich with some slap chips to go with it. I had them wrap it up for me and that was an intended meal along the way. I felt ready to tackle the next stretch and my aim was to get to RV4 – Sutherland. Immediately out of Fraserburg, the road pointed uphill and the corrugations were bad. I passed a few riders gain and everyone was in their own world battling whatever dark forces they were experiencing. I really felt good, and my legs were great. I was 750km in and in a good space. Soon the route veered off the gravel road into the farms. What a great section and experience was to follow. The punchy terrain was to my liking and I soon put some distance between me and the riders behind. The jeep track was stimulating and I was watching the sun lowering itself to the horizon would be setting for my third night on Munga. I was so far into unknow territory now, in terms of riding and my endurance it was insane. I soon came up to a farm gate, there were plenty on this route, and after opening it I saw a rider, coming up from the jeep track ahead pushing his bike. He said to me that he is lost and that he has gone down the trail to the river and cannot find it from there. He has been looking for 30 minutes for a way out. We introduced ourselves, and he said his name was Gert. I said to him – don’t worry just follow me, we will find it. From the briefing I remember this section been explained as going along the riverbed and a narrow ravine. This is referred to as the infamous snake alley. If you get bitten here by a snake, there is a good chance you will die out here. You are so far from any form of help. The terrain was technical – steep inclines and declines, rocky with some sandy sections. I found the lost trail and pushed on. Gert following behind me. I relished in the technical conditions and slowly the sun set and my headlights guided our progress. Soon the sand sections were coming thick and fast. So thick that even my trusty Ikon 2.6 was pushed to the limits. Gert fell once or twice through this section, but we made it through. At one of the farm gates Gert told me he was getting cold. I was so exhilarated by the terrain change and focus required I did not notice the wind had started to push again and as we headed towards Sutherland the temperature dropped. Sutherland is the coldest place in South Africa for a reason. A few kms later Gert was really getting cold. I asked him if he had something to eat and he did not. I pulled out my toasted cheese and tomato sandwich and gave it to him. I ate the slap chips at the same time. Gert put on all his available clothes to keep warm, and we headed on. Soon we hit the gravel road again after a long section of hike a bike through another riverbed section. Gert was struggling now, and I knew I had to keep him awake and focused. WP8 was still 30 odd kms away. Up to now I had small pockets of chat with Gert. He was riding with a laminated board on his handlebars. This laminated board had photo’s on it of his daughter and a good friend. Both had passed away recently from cancer and he was cycling the Munga in their memory. Gert also had done all his training for Mung on the road with virtually no off road training. As the km went , I tried to keep Gert awake. I knew what Gert was going through as I experienced quite severe hyperthermia at a Cullinan2Tonteldoos event in 2021. I literally was counting the km down 1 by 1 as we neared WP8. It got seriously cold, and it was magnified by the howling headwind and the fact that we had been riding for 2.5 days and quite fatigued. The constant uphills were also tiring, yet we pushed on. The red lights of the Munga flags indicating the WP turnoff was coming up, was a welcome sight. We headed into the farm next to the road. The hostess was brilliant. She had hot coffee ready. Gert could not even hold the coffee cup still he was shaking so much. He went off to find a place to sleep and covered himself in two blankets. My initial plan was to go through to Sutherland, but it was now midnight and very cold. The wind was brutal and brough the real feel temperature right down to freezing. Also, I was 4okm from Sutherland – I did mention before the coldest place in South Africa for a reason. So, I decided to sleep a bit and head out at 4am. I found a mattress in the laundry room of the farmhouse compound and tried to sleep. It was warm inside, but my body could not get warm. I tossed and turned and heard riders coming in. Oren came into the room to find a spot but there was none. I asked him how he was, and he said his knee was painful, but he was surviving. He went to look in another room for a place to sleep. My alarm went off at 03:20 and I got up. I asked Gert if he was coming, and he said he was going to sleep some more. We would meet up later the next night in the Tankwa. I went to the kitchen of the farmhouse and it was still freezing outside. The wind was still blowing hard and I was figuring out my next steps. I put on the extra pair of socks I had, took my space blanket and stuffed it under between my base layer and cycling jersey hoping the space blanket would trap the warm air between my base layer and itself. Over that went my windproof jacket. The hostess gave me a large cup of boere koffie and that warmed me up proper. I had a second cup with some quiche and biltong to g with it. I felt warm and not too tired. My head was in the right space to tackle this next section of 40 odd kms to Sutherland. I headed out around 4am with no other rider in sight. The wind was freezing and stinging my face, so I pulled up my buff so that just my cycling glasses was visible. That set up only lasted till the next uphill a few minutes later when my cycling glasses misted up. So, I had to HTFU and pull my buff down and bear the brunt of the cold wind directly in my face. The plan was to ride this section in just over two hours. My upper body was warm and that’s all that mattered. I was literally 10 minutes into my journey towards Sutherland and just like that the wind dropped. Now I was just dealing with the cool air at my level and the world as I could see it in my headlight. The kms rolled by quickly and uneventfully. I was trying to work out my progress and eta for the next stops. It was difficult as I felt well and did not really know what to expect through the Tankwa. I checked back now and again but did not see any riders coming from behind. Sunrise on the third morning was spectacular. I had the Sutherland Satellite Array Telescope site on the mountain to my right and to my left the sun was hitting the crests of the ridges surrounding me. It was a beautiful morning and I felt very much in control – I had no niggles, legs were good, head space was good. 16km to go and all tar road into Sutherland. I was looking forward to a much needed shower, 30min massage and a big breakfast. I did not plan to rest as the daunting Tankwa section lay ahead. In fact, I felt so good rolling into Sutherland I even had an inkling of a thought that a Sunday morning finish may be possible. Km: 828 Time: 66:23 RV4 (Sutherland) to RV5 (Matroosberg): I reached RV4 at around 06:20 that morning. It was freezing cold in Sutherland. And not many riders at the RV point. I quickly showered and went and had a 30 min massage. I felt good and had a hearty breakfast. Another rider Armin was getting ready to leave and we rolled out from Sutherland together but not together. We were both in our own world of thought and calculations. The route out of Sutherland to Ouberg Pass consists of uphills and more uphills. The Karoo terrain is beautiful and as I ascended this part the temperature started rising. We turned off the district road and headed through farmland. The top of Ouberg Pass is spectacular. I stopped at the top to take in the scenery and when I looked out over the stark valley below, I tried to picture where I was heading for the day. I saw a range of mountains in the far distance and even though this was my first time in the Tankwa, I grew up in the Cape, so I knew that was very I was heading. **** its far. I descended the sketchy Ouberg Pass – my hardtail bouncing around and I had to focus a little extra to navigate the rutted sections. After all at this stage I had close to 900km in my legs in just under 3 days. A few kms off Ouberg Pass WP9 loomed. Tankwa Lodge. We were three riders there. I had a boerie roll and some watermelon. Filled my bottles. The wind started picking up and the hosts advised it will blow all day as it did the day before. By now it was proper hot. Around the mid 30s and it was just after 10am in the morning. I filled my water bottles. One rider headed out and I checked if Armin was going to join me. He said he was going to rest a while then head out. So, I headed out, solo with the first rider a few minutes down the road. Immediately the uphills began. The same scenario played itself out - crest after crest was reached only to see another one in the distance. The wind picked up even more and it was very hot but not unbearable. The rider down the road was now long gone – clearly his geared bike having the advantage. When they say the Tankwa is stark they were not kidding – there is no sign of any insect or animal life. It’s very dry and you can see for days. The road is extremely rutted and finding the smoothest path was often a challenge. I resorted to riding on the ridge of the hard pack and soft sand for most of the way. When I left Tankwa Lodge the next waterpoint, WP10, was Tankwa Padstal – 80odd kms away. By now I knew it would not be like a 4 -5 ride as up in Johannesburg. This was going to be an allday slog in the heat and wind. I just kept a steady cadence and rhythm and kept my mind occupied. This was the first time during the ride I listened to a podcast or two that I downloaded. The road turned left and onto the infamous R355 Road. The wind direction was directly from the front now and battering me constantly. The temperature kept rising and reached the mid 40s just as I was reaching an informal waterpoint at the halfway distance to Tankwa Padstal. A Jojo tank under a hessian cover was the waterpoint. It was around 15:30 and I had not seen any rider for hours. I took a breather there for about 15min trying to sit on the edge of the pallet the Jojo tank was standing on. This was the only bit of shade from the hessian cover that there was. I had two food bars, drank about 2L of water and filled my bottles. 40km to WP 10. As I set off on the mind numbing corrugated district road I was slowly feeling the heat. Even though I had drank enough water at the Jojo tank, my mouth went dry quickly. This next 40km was one of the hardest sections I experienced. The solitude, heat, wind and dust all was compacting my resolution and I was stretched to the limit of my will power. The mountains I saw in the distance standing on the top of Ouberg pass earlier that morning loomed closer. The district road then turned left again towards Ceres. Of course the wind woud be head on. It had picked up more and more in the last few minutes and I would estimate it was between 40-50km/h. Not gusting – constant. I literally could only pedal at about 6-8km/h uphill and downhill, it made no difference. It was now getting on towards dusk – and my thoughts were focused on the 60km after Tankwa Padstal to RV5 at Matroosberg. I still had the energy to go that distance. Just after 6pm that all changed. The wind picked up in intensity and it was literally blowing the sand at 90 degrees. The hosts at Tankwa Padstal estimated it to be around 70km/h. I was only about 12km from WP10 but that took me just over an hour and a half. Insane. I was pedalling at around 4km/h at times. Reaching WP10 just as the sun was setting was a relief. I had not seen another rider for the last 8-9 hours. My plan to ride on to Matroosberg changed after speaking to the host. He said the wind usually drops a little (I was not sure what that meant – by 5km/h or 20km/h?) around 2am. I decided then – I was going to eat as much as I can and rest till midnight. Then head out to RV5. My plan was still the 96 hour target – noon on Sunday. Three riders who were at the WP were ready to leave and tackle the 60km to Matroosberg. Into that headwind – insane. (I later looked at the sign in sheet at RV 5. They checked in at around 3am after leaving WP10 at around 8pm) Inside I saw Oli – passed out fast asleep. He had been there for hours already. When I left at midnight he was still sleeping. There was a laptop there and they were tracking the riders. I saw a big bunch at the Jojo tank and felt sorry for them. The 40km that had to go was going to take forever. I had a great meal and even some custard and jelly and homemade ice cream. As I was getting ready to get some sleep 3 riders came in. Armin, Gert Pelser and Rigel. We chatted and decided to all leave together at midnight. Sleep came quickly and I slept well for about 3 hours. I got up, started to get dressed and woke the others. It was close to midnight and all forms of extra items of clothing was put on. It was cold and the wind was still howling outside. As we were about to leave a group of riders arrived. This was the group at the Jojo tank around 8pm on the tracker. 4 hours to ride the 40km. They look battered. My friend Oren was in that group. He was going well and felt strong. His knee still niggling. RESPECT MY FRIEND. We headed out – Gert, Armin, Rigel and myself. Rigel had ridden a few Munga’s before and he advised the next 60kms to Matroosberg was going to be tough. Its all a steady uphill climb that just goes on and on and on. The bloody verocious headwind also was not going to help. The four of us headed out into the headwind and I want to say we made light work of the 60kms but would be lying. It was hard. We even stopped at times just to catch a breather. We all had 3.5 days riding in the legs coupled with lack of any decent sleep and it was catching up on us. After many hours we finally reached the base of the big climb up Matroosberg. The sun was only just starting to come up and dawn was breaking. It was freezing cold. Armin was doing sideways swerves on the bike as he fell asleep and catched the bike before going down. I was not feeling much better. I was tired and could not keep my eyes open. Here is where the four of us split. Gert and rigel headed up the hill at a brisk pace and soon their rear lights were gone. Armin and I stopped and he decided to have a 15 min sleep on the side of the road. I was to cold to even think of that and I said I was pushing on. I was pushing my bike up the steeper parts and I caught myself falling asleep doing this more than once. To stay awake I would pedal for 20 revolutions then get off and push my bike about 100m and then pedal 20 revolutions again and so it went on. The steeper parts of Matroosberg were very steep and I could see footprints in the dust where riders ahead of me also had to push their bikes up the hill. As I reached the top of Matroosberg the sun was now clear of the horizon and it I was looking at the stunning cape mountains around me and thought this would be my final sunrise I will witness on the Munga. I had see such contrasting scenery and sun rises over the past 4 mornings. It was quite a moment to take it all in. The tar road beckoned now and I set of to RV5. I was checking back now and again but did not catch sight of Armin yet. The road to RV5 went quickly but the temperature was still very cold and when I reached the RV5 I was shivering. I could clearly feel the lack of sleep and when I stopped and climbed off my bike I had to take a moment to gather my thoughts – just to comprehend where I was and what I had to do. It was not easy as I was tired and cold so that process took a few minutes. One of the helpers from the bike shop supporting the RV came to me to offer assistance with my chain and bottles. I was still literally in a daze trying to gather my thoughts and my response was a bit abrupt I think. I immediately apologized to him and explained what I was feeling. I was literally feeling like a zombie. This stretch from Tankwa Padstal was 60km. It took me 6.5 hours to reach Matroosberg. Insane. We were relatively four strong riders making use of the allowed drafting rules for Munga 2022 and it still took 6.5 hours. Km: 1044 Time: 90:14

Part 2: RV1 (Van Der Kloof) to RV2 (Britstown): Oren and I were joined by Simon, and we headed off into the Rolfontein nature reserve. It was damp on the trail and the wind swirled – when it was blowing from the front it was brutal. The nature reserve was hilly with some steep inclines and declines. Once again, my 2.6 Ikon on the front was sure footed. Passing Petrusville – the town was like a ghost town – that went pass in a blur. I then headed out of town and turned right on the gravel road heading to WP3 at 308km. I had pulled ahead of Oren and Simon a bit and enjoyed the relatively smooth gravel road. This went on for km after km. Overhead it was cloudy and the smell of rain was in the air. Not a good sign. I had hoped that I would pass it. Not to be. It started spitting ever so slightly and then a little harder as each minute passed. I had my windproof jacket on but that was started to get soaked. I stopped and pulled out the black refuse bag I had brought with. I bit some holes in it for my arms and head. I also brought a light peak cap along and put that on to extend the cover over my face to keep the rain off. That worked so well. It started raining more steadily and in no time, it was properly pouring. The road slowly developed small streams of water and the jeep track became very soggy and slippery. A few times my rear wheel tried to come past me, but I powered on and corrected it. Time flew by as I was concentrating so much on keeping upright. Soon the rain stopped but the underfoot conditions were tricky. Mud quickly started accumulating on my frame. It was everywhere. The horizon started to lighten up and the first sunrise of my Munga was spectacular. Rolling into WP3 I saw a few bikes against the wall. Some riders were taking a quick break. I spotted a windmill and a hosepipe. So, first course of action was to wash down my bike. I reckon I washed off at least 1-2kg of mud from the bike. Once done I headed in and had some breakfast. Not long thereafter Oren and Simon arrived. It was good to share our experiences over a boerie roll and a Super M chocolate milkshake. On to the next section to WP4. I don’t remember much of this section as it was not very stimulating. Endless corrugated gravel roads. The wind started to pick up and the thermometer started rising steadily. I felt good though and it was not long into this section when I passed 361km. My longest ride to date. I took a moment to take that in. Now I was in completely unknown territory – physically and mentally. That was scary. I tried not to think to much about it. **** what would 600km and even 800km feel like. I smiled and looked forward to that feeling. The kms rolled on and Oren and I kept up a steady pace. WP4 came and went. It was proper hot now and the wind started to blow that much harder. The last stretch of gravel road just before the Britstown tar road into town would not end. It was now blistering hot, but we kept a steady pace. As we reached the tar road we had to concentrate as there was a short detour section along the railway line. Soon we were rolling into Britstown proper and pulled into the RV2 at around noon. On target. 24 hours was my goal and I arrived feeling good but tired. 24 hours and 408km. I had booked a 30min massage here - the thought was that I could kill two birds with one stone. Remove lactic acid from my muscles and also get some sleep. After a quick shower and a meal I had my massage and decided to sleep for 2 hours. The plan was to leave at 4pm. Sleep did not come easily. It was hot and the small fan in the room did nothing to cool me down. My mind was wired, and I was thinking of the next sections and what my timing goals were to be. On the Munga you are constantly calculating and recalculating distance and time. When I started out from Bloemfontein the day before I made a conscious decision I was not going to check or monitor my heart rate and would just ride on feel. Km: 408 Time: 23:58 RV2 (Britstown) to RV3 (Loxton): My alarm went off at 15:30 and I was relieved to be going again. In hindsight if I reflect on what was to come, I should have headed out after my massage earlier. Oren and I met downstairs and we headed out of town onto WP5 around 16:30. To our right was a spectacular Karoo thunderstorm brewing and it was super hot. Probably in the low 40s. The terrain was quite stimulating with rolling sections and some inclines. As we rode on the storm to our right came closer and the rolling thunder became louder and louder. It started spitting around me and I just thought – its very hot so even if I get wet I would not get cold. I kept riding with the ever-threatening storm only slightly wetting me. I was experiencing one of those Karoo phenomenoms where it will rain on one farm and the neighbouring farm gets nothing. I was on the cusp of that storm. Just as the sun was setting for the second time on this ride, I saw a flickering light in the distance. I was catching the rider fast. They must be in trouble. Riding alongside I saw it was Jacques. He was suffering with nausea and was not in a good space. He was just trying to get to the next waterpoint. Till now I had been feeling great. I had good legs and had no niggles. Seeing Jacques like this the reality struck me – you can take nothing for granted. Even the seasoned and experienced riders can be struck with nausea or injury at any time. Nothing is a given. Up to now I was riding solo with Oren just a way off behind me. His knee was playing up and he was pushing through the pain barrier. WP5 came a few minutes after the sun had set. I filled my bottles, had a few snacky things to eat and once Oren was ready to go, we left. This next section was mind numbing. It was a long stretch to Pampoenspoort and I quickly started struggling. I think the greyness of the road in my head light and the slight uphill incline was boring. My mind struggled to focus and I quickly felt sleepy. This is where Oren really pulled me through. We tried to keep the conversation going to stay focused. We even resorted to pushing our bikes for short distances to stay awake. After what felt like an eternity, I saw a row of lights slowly catching us from behind. Ok how long can I stay ahead of them. Anything to stave off the numbness I was feeling. Not long I am afraid. The group of NIKA riders flew by us and were soon off into the distance. Seeing their lights disappear into the distance I tried to figure out the trail ahead –it looked like uphill all the way. Head down I soldiered on. As we got to a right turn, I heard a beep from my Garmin GPS. Battery low – ****. That cannot be. I was using a 10 000mah power bank that had done duty at SaniNonStop and after that 17 hours was still showing ¾ full. Based on that I was only going to charge on the next night. I stopped and checked if the cable had not popped off. No, all good. I changed cables and still no power. Lesson learnt - for a race like Munga get a new power bank for the start and don’t rely on an older one that was faithful till now. Oren to the rescue. He borrowed me his power bank to charge up. I was so stressed that I will lose my ride – you know if it’s not on Strava it did not happen. I had just clocked over 500km and did not want any issues. WP6 came eventually. Pampoenspoort. It was around 01:00 and I was sleepy. I plugged in my light battery and power bank to charge. I decided to sleep for one hour. Oren set his alarm and I tried to get some sleep. For those that have not done Munga this is what the typical water point sleep set up is like – usually a section under roof is set aside with mattresses and blankets to use. You arrive – find an empty mattress – sleep for a bit and then head off. Like a hot bed set up in a sweat shop. If you are a light sleeper, like me, you don’t really get sleep as there is a constant movement of people arriving and leaving, alarms going off etc. In what felt like a blink of an eye Oren was waking me up. Time to head out. I grabbed my light battery, power bank and packed my bike. Grabbed some bits to eat and we headed out. Next stop would be Loxton, RV3. But an uphill battle lay ahead. When you crest a hill – instead of a downhill you see another crest up ahead (this would become the norm over the coming days. All uphill). The road seemed to go on and on forever and soon the first rays of dawn was teasing the horizon. My second sunrise on the Munga was again an experience to see. How many more would I see crossed my mind. It was too early to tell. I was hoping for 4 in total but did not want to jinx myself. As I reached the turn onto the tar road into Loxton I had to focus. There was a detour coming up and I could not miss that. It’s a 6 hour penalty if you do. Oren and I had ridden well till then. Once off the tar the trail was literally a sheep track between some really small and scratchy bushes. Thick sand in patches also made the going hard and eventually we made it to the tar road to just be put back through another farm. Alex Harris really knows how to keep us on our toes. Riding through this sheep farm I saw the carcass of a lamb lying next to the side of the road. Freshly killed and its internal organs removed by some hungry jackal during the night no doubt. Again, onto the tar road and after a short climb I started my descent into Loxton. Through Loxton and onto a very corrugated section of road with some steep inclines. All that was on my mind was to reach RV3 and sleep. Over the last few kms I thought back as to why I struggled the night before. I came to the conclusion that at RV2 I ate first, then had a massage and sleep and then headed out without really eating anything substantial before heading out. So RV 3 will be different – get a bed, shower, sleep for 2 hours, kit up, have a huge meal and then set off. Km ridden: 615 Time: 43:18

My Munga journey 2022 Part 1: The lead up to Munga: So, I have had time to reflect after Munga 2022 and seeing other participants providing their experiences I have decided to do the same. I have always had an inclination to do the Munga. Just watching from the side lines my interest grew year on year as the event took off. Then in 2021 I had a friend who did the Munga and the bug bit to do it in 2022. I was inspired by what it takes to complete the Munga, and the conditions of 2021 and hearing rider stories of their experience sold me. I won’t add that I turned 50 in 2022 and as many other riders this seems to be a turning fifty mission. So, in early January 2022 I committed to the Munga and paid my entrance fee. I read up all about the Munga, googled every article, forum thread, YouTube video as a start. I got into the bikepacking/racing mode and researched all that I could. I set myself some goals: Only 3 races in 2022: 1) SaniNonStop n June 2) Cradle Munga Grit October 3) Munga November From January to June my aim was to get my bike set up correct. What made it slightly more challenging was that I was going to do this event on my trusty Single Speed. Having been riding a single speed over the last 8 years and having competed various events/stage races and some longer ones on it – made sense, it is my go to bike after all. The steel hardtail frame was suitable to these longer distance races. Having enough space to attach bags and extra water bottles it was a good base to begin with. Bikepacking websites gave me ideas as to what type of bags to look at and I became obsessed with looking at previous bike packing races rider rigs. What they carried and where it was put on the bike. I was very cognisant that the more bags I have the more I will carry and that I had to balance the need versus the risk. Also having only 1 gear there is no bailout options when the legs are tired and the terrain is pointing up, so weight was imperative. Goal 1 came very quickly. SaniNonStop. Having done some long rides in preparation for it I felt good and the team format of the event meant I could enjoy the ride with some good friends. However, I knew that after this event the next few months were going to be focused on much longer rides and mostly solo. The Munga is a long event and there will be times when riding solo is part of it. Best I get my mind around that. (In the actual Munga I probably rode about 400+ km on my own). My next goal was Cradle Munga Grit and that did not happen due to work travel. I was hoping to do the Grit as it would mean at least 2 consecutive nights out on the bike and that is valuable experience needed for a first time Munga participant. Up till that stage my longest ride was SaniNonStop at 253km and in training I managed to do a few 200km plus rides over consecutive big days. But that through consecutive nights experience eluded me. Then I decided to do a big solo ride to simulate the Munga conditions – the plan was to start a ride at midday and do about 180km and then rest/sleep for about 4 hours and head out again for another 180 -200km. It was all planned for early October and then I got Covid. To my knowledge I have managed to evade catching Covid and now 2.5 years later I get it at the peak of my endurance training for Munga. Luckily, I only had a sore throat for 4 days. I waited another 7 days of being symptom free and embarked on my big solo ride. Ended up doing 361km over a 27 hour period and 6 weeks out from Munga. During November I again read every article, blog and forum post on the Munga and it finally dawned on me that this race is HUGE. I started to get nervous. Till now I was comfortable with the 34/18 gear ratio I had decided to use for Munga and was training on that gear for months now. In the weeks leading up to the Munga I had many silent discussions in my head as to is that the right ratio – I was leaning to thinking it may be to hard. But sense prevailed and I stuck with it. Start in Bloemfontein to RV1 (Van Der Kloof) Fast forwarded to November 28 – driving to Bloemfontein I was nervous. I had plenty of thoughts going through my head as to the magnitude of the task that lays ahead. Arriving at Sun Mill Casino in Bloemfontein – I was alive – my head was buzzing and seeing the whole start line was amazing. Registration was smooth and having number 111 in my hand I realized this just got real. I drove down with a good friend, Oren, who was doing his second Munga. “021 was his first and he finished in around 116 hours. He was back for more. Wednesday morning came and I tried to sleep as late as possible to bank some sleep. I had all these plans worked out in my head as to my race strategy – how to deal with various scenarios that may arise. In the end I decided that my first priority was to go 24 hours before trying to get some sleep. That should put me in at Britstown RV2. The morning of the race I checked the weather App which I normally use and checked each point on the route for the possibility of rain over the coming days. Only Van der Kloof Dam showed heavy rain that evening to pass by 10pm I was going to arrive there at midnight so should miss it, or so I thought. I made the decision I will ditch my two rain jackets and only take my windproof jacket. I packed a black refuse bag just in case of rain. A decision that saved me from getting very wet and cold in the early hours of the next morning. Standing on the start line with a few minutes to go I could not fathom the distance I am about to ride. 1130km is massive. What am I doing here? **** that’s far. All I had in my mind was to just keep going forward. Failure to finish was not an option. All too soon and I find myself spinning like a hamster trying to stay with a group fairly near the front. And all the gravel road was either flat or downhill. Soon I found myself being passed by many riders - I just kept telling myself that this is a long haul. Day 3 is what matters - just keep pedalling. WP1 came and went – I was very efficient – probably like 3-4min in and out. Here I met a young man – Oli – who was on a Specialized gravel bike with very skinny tyres. We would have paths cross until Tankwa Padstal. I was happy for my 2.6 front and 2.4 back as I could see him been bounced around quite a bit on that skinny steed. Where it was flat and fast, he would pull away but as soon as the terrain became a bit more uneven and bumpy, I would catch up. I passed him again a short while later and he looked in bad shape. He had just gotten back on his bike after stopping to eject the contents of his stomach at the side of the road. At around KM93 I saw a bike in the road and a person laying next to the bike. He said he was ok – just resting. About 2 km later there was another rider sitting on the side of the road – shirt zipped down and someone was pouring water over his head. The heat of the afternoon was making riders suffer and they probably were also suffering the consequences of going out to hard. An informal farmer waterpoint was set up just before the police station turn. A stopped and refilled my bottles. One thing I learnt from reading Mike Woolnough’s blogs is to fill up with water at every opportunity. Do not pass by EVER without filling your bottles. Finally, at around 140km the first inkling of a decent uphill came about. I was so relieved. It was flat and fast till then. Not ideally suited to fresh legs and the gearing I had chosen to do this race. Just before passing over the steel bridge over the Riet River I came across a camper van and the guys had put out a small table and an impromptu water point - refill again. As I climbed out over the Riet River I was passed very hastily by two riders. They were going like the clappers and I thought that’s a bit intense for this early in the race. I passed them about 10km later – one was clearly blown and the other limping along as well. Not a good sign so early in the race. I saw them finish on day 5 just a few hours before cutoff. The Joggie waterpoint at 145km was reached just as the last suns rays were greeting the day. The brandy and coke did look inviting though. But it was just plain coke that was consumed. Lights on and off to waterpoint 2. In the distance the weather gods were putting on an ominous display. A lightning storm on the horizon was spectacular. I was praying my weather app was correct and that it would have passed by the time I got to Van der Kloof. Rolling into waterpoint 2 there were a mass of bikes on the lawn. Some riders look very tired already while others had nervous looks on their faces as the infamous Aardvark section lies ahead. In the past this section has put an end to a few riders Munga aspirations. A quick stop and off I went eager for some different scenery other than endless gravel road. The terrain suited my gearing and those that ride single speed know that feeling of nirvana when the terrain and gearing syncs – I was flying. My front light gave me a good spread of light and coupled with my helmet light gave me excellent vision of the trail, and I quickly started picking off riders one by one – I was definitely less cautious than those riders I was catching and passing, but still felt I was not taking unnecessary risks. Aardvark holes popped up all over the place and I quickly identified an easy way to spot them – at the entrance of each hole there would be a small heap of sand and almost always that heap of sand would be laying in the jeep track. So small heap of sand = adjacent to an Aardvark hole. Easy – and it worked so well. About 20km outside of Van der Kloof the terrain changed again – hilly, rocky and muddy. The aftermath of the ominous storm I witnessed was clear to be seen. I was in my element – I probably passed 20 riders in this section as I relished some technical trail. It was wet on the trail and my 2.6 Ikon on the front was sure footed. I bombed the rocky downhills feeling very confident. The hill up to RV1 just over the dam wall was pretty steep and I did not want to burn matches so early in the ride – so third gear it was – hike a bike. Just as I got to RV1 I felt the wind swirl and turn around a bit and it brought the rain back over RV1 – and it poured. I arrived at 23:52. On target. I had ridden most of this first section on my own – There were short sections where I enjoyed the company of other riders. Average speed till now was around 22km/h. I decided to wait it out and while I was having something to eat at the race village the storm passed over. Riders were prepping for the next leg and incoming riders were soaked as they came into the race village. I was glad I missed that. I shared some war stories at the eating table. Oren was there already having arrived a few minutes before me. We decided to leave together once the storm had stopped. 45 min later it had stopped raining and we were ready to head out on the next leg. Km: 228 Time 11:52

Upgraded (ie. lighter) from a suspension fork to a new Rapide carbon rigid blade. The 38T direct mount chainring fits perfectly. Running 38/18 ratio - nice a quick on the flats for some fast gravel riding. Eyeing the Cradle Grit in September.

Thank you for the replies. 38T it will be.