The definitive Sani2C 2013 thread

[rouxtjie]

We did the Trail and we had no bottle-necks on day 2, I think we were seeded C for day 1 & B for day 2.

did the race last year, had an absolute blast, with no traffic. Same with j2c this year.

[MTBer]

I reckon they need to have enduro type sections on day 1, where you're timed down pieces of singletrack. Then that gets used for your batching on day 2. After racking my brains while stuck behind people that can't even ride around a switchback, this is the only viable idea. The lack of basic bike skill on Sani is astounding.

My partner and I said the same thing while we were doing day 2 this year

[Mr SingleTrack]

 

 

yeah... but what he's saying is that day 2's batching should be done from day 1's technical descending singletrack times. Like a race within a race.

 

Some people get good overall times/batching cos they're fit and climb well. But they can't ride off a kerb, so on day 2 they hold up other more technical riders on the descending.

there is a term for these folk - dirt roadies. Sani2c is full of them...

[DJR]

there is a term for these folk - dirt roadies. Sani2c is full of them...

All stage races are full of them. We rode the tail end of the race and had no issues. Ok, maybe 1 or 2 holdups at really muddy slippery rocky bits, that added perhaps a minute to our already slow time. Those same dirt roadies then dropped us again on the climbs.

[Skubarra]

 

If you want a clear umko, up your fitness and get a better seeding....you know, do 5 extra star jumps in your training sessions.

 

+1 on that. Yes there are some dirt roadie exceptions but generally speaking how closer you get to the front of the field, the better the technical skills and the better the trail etiquette.

 

Day 1 of Sani2C was a write-off for me, started at the back and every single track section we were stuck behind sloooow riders. However from Day 2 onwards we were seeded near the front of the field and had virtually no problems.

 

So don't skimp on those star jumps just because you have amazing technical skills

[davetapson]

Hey - you guys need to stop complaining and make a plan.

 

If there are bottlenecks, let the guy in front of you get far enough ahead so that you can ride at least section by section as you would like. You don't have to sit on his wheel and raise your blood pressure.

 

I've had clear runs down Nick's, and congested runs. On the congested run, hold back, chill, let the guys get a zig in front of you and bomb down your zag until you catch up, then let them ahead again.

 

Clear runs are fun - but it's all over too quickly. Congested runs are fun - you get more time to play on the zigzags.

[Pipsqueak]

But Sani is batched, even day 1 is batched using your sas seeding. But for day 2 they use your day 1's results.

Ya, but the seeding doesn't take into account that you actually can't ride a mountain bike properly. There's a difference between a cadence class and riding singletrack well.

[Pipsqueak]

Hey, no ones' saying that it's not fun. But it could be funner.

[rouxtjie]

Ya, but the seeding doesn't take into account that you actually can't ride a mountain bike properly. There's a difference between a cadence class and riding singletrack well.

mmmm dunno so much, you finish day 1 in a good time, you get a good seeding for day 2 and front row seats for the umko. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

Its a timed point to point race, surely riding the mountain bike "properly" as you say means getting from point A to B the fastest or am I missing something

[VicanZA]

if you wanna run ur best times and play race snake do the race, leave trail and adventure to the campers vans.

[patches]

mmmm dunno so much, you finish day 1 in a good time, you get a good seeding for day 2 and front row seats for the umko. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

Its a timed point to point race, surely riding the mountain bike "properly" as you say means getting from point A to B the fastest or am I missing something

 

It's never that cut and dry...

 

As stated before, there are riders who can get good times on day one because they an keep a good pace riding up a farm road. But put them on anything remotely challenging (descent wise) and the hills come alive with the sound of brakes locking and cleats unclipping

 

On the other hand there are riders (not saying myself), who can seriously tear whip down a mountain. For example Jonty Neethling in that vid that I hear they have played at a few Sani's (not sure if the vid I have attached is the one, but you get the idea). The guy is one of the country's top DHers, has raced World Cup and IXS Series in Europe. But I bet (as fit as he may be) he gets passed on climbs by dirt roadies. Who dismount to get up a kerb.

 

So I guess all that Pipsqueak is saying is that it would be nice if guys like that be given space to do what they do best, based on the merit of their technical descending skills, not based on an entire stage with 1500m of climbing.

Edited June 7, 2013 by patches

[patches]

if you wanna run ur best times and play race snake do the race, leave trail and adventure to the campers vans.

 

It's not about the racing at all. My total time was pretyt bad, but I didn't care about that. At no point during the Umkho descent traffic jam did I think "oh no, these people are killing my time". It was a frustration because I couldn't play and have fun on the trail, the way I wanted to.

 

Some of the most talented riders I've seen, don't race at all. They don't care about times, or getting to a specific destination on a ride just so they can turn around and go back. They ride for the journey. If they don't make it from A to B but have fun along the way, then they have had a good ride.

[Skubarra]

It's never that cut and dry...

 

As stated before, there are riders who can get good times on day one because they an keep a good pace riding up a farm road. But put them on anything remotely challenging (descent wise) and the air comes alive with brakes locking and cleats unclipping

 

 

 

I'm repeating myself here but my perception is that those kind of riders are more the exception than the rule. Most (yes not all) riders in the front groups of the Sani had at least the basic technical skills and most would agree that Sani isn't the most technical race around anyway.

 

Besides, it's easier to improve your fitness than your technical skills. So no good reason why good technical riders should be stuck behind the slow noobs beyond day 1.

[rouxtjie]

It's never that cut and dry...

 

As stated before, there are riders who can get good times on day one because they an keep a good pace riding up a farm road. But put them on anything remotely challenging (descent wise) and the air comes alive with brakes locking and cleats unclipping

 

On the other hand there are riders (not saying myself), who can seriously tear whip down a mountain. For example Jonty Neethling in that vid that I hear they have played at a few Sani's (not sure if the vid I have attached is the one, but you get the idea). The guy is one of the country's top DHers, has raced World Cup and IXS Series in Europe. But I bet (as fit as he may be) he gets passed on climbs by dirt roadies. Who dismount to get up a kerb.

 

So I guess all that Pipsqueak is saying is that it would be nice if guys like that be given space to do what they do best, based on the merit of their technical descending skills, not based on an entire stage with 1500m of climbing.

I am afraid it is quite cut and dry. Faster over the day gets you an earlier start time for the next, end van prent, You get the benefit of getting home earlier and having a longer recovery time, a clean run down the technical sections and the fastest buses to hang onto. To earn that luxury you need to train your mielie off, drop some fat and hurt every now and again.

 

I am sticking to my previous comment...5 more starjumps every morning in the buildup to the sani or look at jcza's doing "sani in 14min a day program".

[VicanZA]

It's not about the racing at all. My total time was pretyt bad, but I didn't care about that. At no point during the Umkho descent traffic jam did I think "oh no, these people are killing my time". It was a frustration because I couldn't play and have fun on the trail, the way I wanted to.

 

Some of the most talented riders I've seen, don't race at all. They don't care about times, or getting to a specific destination on a ride just so they can turn around and go back. They ride for the journey. If they don't make it from A to B but have fun along the way, then they have had a good ride.

 

get what u saying here Patches but as the sport becomes popular u gonna get allot of guys on the trails that just wanna have a good time and dont wanna hammer the downhills. the fun in it for them is the 4,5 hours of suffering.

 

I think the sani has become too big to find long stretchers of no riders. when I got to the finish on trail i got a tweet that "today there would be a rider every 50m from underburg to scottsburg".

[rouxtjie]

I'm repeating myself here but my perception is that those kind of riders are more the exception than the rule. Most (yes not all) riders in the front groups of the Sani had at least the basic technical skills and most would agree that Sani isn't the most technical race around anyway.

 

Besides, it's easier to improve your fitness than your technical skills. So no good reason why good technical riders should be stuck behind the slow noobs beyond day 1.

To be honest I haven't seen a dirt-roadie with a pathetic amount of technical skills....They are fast on any of the terrain at Sani as an example. I think they are confusing dirtroadies with weekend warriors, and I agree those are the guys that walk and cause bottlenecks.