SANI2C

[Funrider-CPT]

hi

we managed to get entry to new Sani2C trail for next year. Apart from my question on what tyres to use (which I will rather post in Tech area)

 

Can all you experienced multi-stage riders share any tips/tricks/advice - we have never done multi-stage ride OR done ride in KZN area.

 

thanks

[mojopup]

Train, train and train. Get used to riding 80km for 3 days in a row. 80km is a good rough average. Also learn to climb well. There is a lot of climbing. Another help will be to master downhills. (Day 2, if you can safely fly down the hills, it buys you time for the climbs)

 

Nutrition is as important, if not more important than training. Get a race drink that works for you and get a recovery drink as well. You get spoilt with food etc on Sani but drinks and recovery is something I advise you get used to and do it on the race despite temptation not to.

 

Otherwise: have fun in the preparation, make sure you are fit but have fun getting fit. Then, get yourselves Drift 170x cameras (the sd one takes aa batteries so is easier than charging), strap it to your head and film the trip. Also each take a camera and take as many photos as you can. I know this isnt a training tip but those pics and video will make you smile for months after and motivate you to do your next trip.

 

Sani is an awesome ride! Gimme a shout if you want a link to my youtube clip.

[Flea]

Get fit sothat you can enjoy it - do back-to-back training rides to get used to getting onto the bike with a sore butt and legs.

Day 2 can be tough, but it is only the climb out of the valley, it also has some of the nicest riding.

 

I have done it really unfir and then day 2 is tough.

[Christie]

Day 1:

Don't get carried away and push too hard over the relatively easy 1st 30km. Stage is 80km in total and there are some climbs in the last 20 that bite if you are tired. Also, day two is a hard day, so save yourself on day 1.

 

Day 2:

Prepare for a long day. About 97km, with 1700m climbing in total. First 40km is easy - enjoy the amazing 20km downhill to start with, buy don,t overcook it on the next 20km flat in the valley, from 40km to 75km you climb steadily almost non-stop, with 2 or 3 real leg burners along the way. There is a time limit and cut-offs, so you have to pace yourself. From there you will have 2 or 3 more bumps to go, one on about 90km with 130m of elevation gain made my partner lose his sense of humor.

Note: take enough liquids along on day 2, I needed 2x the volume I normally drink, and the middle stretch between water points is long.

 

Day 3:

Easy day, if you survived day 2, day 3 is no problem. About 3 noteworthy climbs, with a nasty long one at 50km, but nothing to stress about.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Christie

[Funrider-CPT]

thanks for the advice everyone ... sounds tough but am super excited already ... now just need to get training.

[GLuvsMtb]

On the race know 3 things intimately

Body:

- Understand what it is to ride within yourself, keep hydrated and fueled

- Use a recovery procedure that works for you (stretching routine straight after your ride, recovery shake, leg massage after a hard ride)

- Get proper rest, especially 2 nights before the race starts

- Eat the correct foods before and during the race

 

Buddy:

- Know your partner's strengths and weaknesses

- Pick a partner that you like and get along with

- Understand your race strategy as a team

 

Bike:

- Know how to fix a flat tyre (plug, boot, tube)

- Know how to mend a broken chain

- Know how to bypass a broken rear dereullieur to convert your bike to a single speed

- Know how to replace the rear dereullier hanger

- Know how to replace your brake pads

 

My standard 3 day pack list:

Spares:

- slimed tube

- CO2 inflator and 2 CO2 Canisters

- Tyger lever (1 set per team)

- RD Hanger

- Quick links x 2

- Plug kit (1 per team)

- tyre boot

- multi tool (1 per team)

- small leatherman (1 per team)

- cable ties

 

Kit:

- 3 x tightpant

- 3 x cycling jerseys

- 1 x rain jacket

- 3 x sets of arm warmers

- 3 x pairs of socks

- 1 x buff (handy for a cold morning)

- full finger gloves

- shoes

- helmet

- sunglasses

- cellphone

 

Civvies:

- 2 x t shirts

- 2 x shorts

- 1 x pair of strops

- 1 x track pant

- 1 x Sani2C all weather jacket

 

Toiletries

- tooth brush

- tooth paste

- ear plugs (silicon ones works best for me)

- body wash

- spare contact lenses

- contact lens solution and sterile container

- cataflam

- valoid

- rehydrate

- tabart

 

Nutrition

- 3 x energy bars

- 12 x race fuel (package it in small ziplock bags to stick in your back pocket / camelback)

- 2 x recovery shake

- 3 x rehydrate

 

Other:

- head light

- sleeping bag

- pillow

- single fitted sheet

- basic bike cleaning kit

- power monkey with charging cable for celphone and GPS

- gopro camera and spare 32 gig sd card

- pocket camera

 

Remember that all your luggage needs to fit into a 120lt crate. I pack my gear in ziplock bags that is marked for each day. This way I don't have to unpack everything every time I need to get something. (see my pioneer photo attached). After each stage I simply pack the dirty clothes in the old Ziplock bag from that morning.

[Funrider-CPT]

WOW - thank you very much for that amazineg response. Awesome - really appreciate it.

[Si-Sly]

Any fitness routines that one can follow? This is not my first multi-day event but have am not good woth climbs, need to bring the weight down as well

[Andre 77]

hi

we managed to get entry to new Sani2C trail for next year. Apart from my question on what tyres to use (which I will rather post in Tech area)

 

Can all you experienced multi-stage riders share any tips/tricks/advice - we have never done multi-stage ride OR done ride in KZN area.

 

thanks

 

sell your entry to me,that is my advise

[Mats]

I'm also looking for an entry.

[markgc]

hi guys, some good advice in here, looking forward to my first sani..

on the bike side of things..is full suspension really necessary or will i manage fine on my 29er hardtail..?

 

what are your bike recomendations ?

[GLuvsMtb]

hi guys, some good advice in here, looking forward to my first sani..

on the bike side of things..is full suspension really necessary or will i manage fine on my 29er hardtail..?

 

what are your bike recomendations ?

There's nothing wrong with riding your 29'er. The Sani2C trails are over prepared and you have a lot of duel track (2 stretches of single track running concurrently), so getting past traffic is a breeze. You also have 50 teams in a start group that is 10 minutes apart, so congestion is not a factor on this race (well not as much as other races).

[River Rat]

Here's a question what sort of training are you chaps doing at the moment. I'm doing 9- 10 hours per week with a 4 - 5 hours long ride is this enough?

[Stretch]

Here's a question what sort of training are you chaps doing at the moment. I'm doing 9- 10 hours per week with a 4 - 5 hours long ride is this enough?

thats way more than me. I have been doing about 6 hrs per week for january and Feb. Will step it up to 8 for march and see what happens in April. I wont be racing though

[River Rat]

Stretch although we're doing the race it's more a case of surviving for me. What are you looking at as a maximum for the week? If I read the advice given here it looks like we need to back to back 80 k rides. That would equate to 10 hrs for these sessions

[Squier]

Here's a question what sort of training are you chaps doing at the moment. I'm doing 9- 10 hours per week with a 4 - 5 hours long ride is this enough?

 

We're pretty much doing the same. Currently fitting in about 4 hours during the week on the spinning bike and then a long ride of about 5 hours on a Saturday morning. We need to start stepping it up a bit though.