Groot Marico MTB Race

[_David_]

Who else is doing this one on the 3rd of August?

 

http://www.entrytime...fo&EventID=3862

[Hennie VR]

Did the race earlier the year in Groot Marico. Great fun!

Might just do this one as well.

[TucknRoll]

We'll be there, its a good race

[Kranswurm]

Highly recommended

I have done this event 3 times in the past Tough but enjoyable

[Hennie VR]

Dont think it's flat!

Here is a profile of the race we did. Not sure if it's going to be the same route though.

 

http://app.strava.com/activities/57635249

[Kranswurm]

Dont think it's flat!

Here is a profile of the race we did. Not sure if it's going to be the same route though.

 

http://app.strava.co...vities/57635249

 

It is 60 km and def not flat.Goes up and down like a yo yo......hate that 200m portage

The best is from that last water point thru the trees down the valley back to the road..flat out

[NotSoBigBen]

It is 60 km and def not flat.Goes up and down like a yo yo......hate that 200m portage

The best is from that last water point thru the trees down the valley back to the road..flat out

 

 

Did it a few years ago when it was part of the Dirty Double series (anyone remember that?). Enjoyed but definitely not 'easy'!

 

My laaitie and his partner won the dirty double event (in fact my son won the 'solo' event as well that day )

[Hennie VR]

I rode the very first Marico race as well years back. Now that was an awesome route! You cross the Marico river about 9 times whilst going up and down the valley. Some spectacular views on top of the mountains on most of those farms. The Marico river is so clean in the valley that we filled up our water bottles with the fresh water.

 

Later that same year we did like a fun ride (+- same route) and on that day we rode as a group and stopped at some of the water crossings to swim and enjoy the views.

 

I would love to do that same route again.

[Hennie VR]

 

Did it a few years ago when it was part of the Dirty Double series (anyone remember that?). Enjoyed but definitely not 'easy'!

 

My laaitie and his partner won the dirty double event (in fact my son won the 'solo' event as well that day )

 

Never did those but sounds great. Had a look on their 2008 Dirty Double race profile and it might be the same route (part of) we did years back. As far as I can remember it was called the Groot Marico Mampoer Classic........ in fact I think it was part of the Drifter series then.

[Kranswurm]

 

Did it a few years ago when it was part of the Dirty Double series (anyone remember that?). Enjoyed but definitely not 'easy'!

 

My laaitie and his partner won the dirty double event (in fact my son won the 'solo' event as well that day )

 

I did it that year.........still got the torch I won in a lucky dip.Cool beers afterwards

I was going to ask what happened to the dirty double series?

[beanz]

Really cool race. The race starts off with Egbert, a distinctive Marico character with a beard down to his waist, blowing the kudu horn. The first 12kms follow the valley up the dirt road, pretty fast with some climbing. Then it turns off into the bush, crosses the river, and hits a long climb up into the kloof above. The next 30 odd ks is just marvellous stuff, with great views into the valley and great riding, fast punishing descents down slippery loose shale, several river crossings, some short steep climbs, and a nice fast section wending through the river valley. All of it rideable, with the possible exception of an uphill section halfway through that just gets ridculously steep. The last 12ks is hoofing it back on the dirt road, mainly downhill. By that stage the body and bike is a bit relieved, because it's taken a bit of a hammering. Overall a very satisfying ride. The shorter distances are less technically demanding so there's really something for everyone.

The whole vibe around the event is super chilled and has that special Marico flavour made famous by Herman Charles Bosman. The community gets involved - the post race vibe at the Feesterrein is very cool, with good food made by the locals. There's marimba players and other live music, not the usual rubbish blaring out at most events.

All proceeds from the race are apparently fed straight back into uplifting the community. Conspicuous in their absent are the big corporates and in general any form of commercialism. I think the organisers are just too chilled to interact with sponsors.

[Wyatt Earp]

Really cool race. The race starts off with Egbert, a distinctive Marico character with a beard down to his waist, blowing the kudu horn. The first 12kms follow the valley up the dirt road, pretty fast with some climbing. Then it turns off into the bush, crosses the river, and hits a long climb up into the kloof above. The next 30 odd ks is just marvellous stuff, with great views into the valley and great riding, fast punishing descents down slippery loose shale, several river crossings, some short steep climbs, and a nice fast section wending through the river valley. All of it rideable, with the possible exception of an uphill section halfway through that just gets ridculously steep. The last 12ks is hoofing it back on the dirt road, mainly downhill. By that stage the body and bike is a bit relieved, because it's taken a bit of a hammering. Overall a very satisfying ride. The shorter distances are less technically demanding so there's really something for everyone.

The whole vibe around the event is super chilled and has that special Marico flavour made famous by Herman Charles Bosman. The community gets involved - the post race vibe at the Feesterrein is very cool, with good food made by the locals. There's marimba players and other live music, not the usual rubbish blaring out at most events.

All proceeds from the race are apparently fed straight back into uplifting the community. Conspicuous in their absent are the big corporates and in general any form of commercialism. I think the organisers are just too chilled to interact with sponsors.

 

Sounds like a pub crawler.

[D Vader]

Loved the race!

Funniest race briefing yet.

The 60km was slightly longer than before( 61.5) and the route was awesome, plenty of rough , rocky descents.

General vibe at this race is really great, very nice change from the usual overcrowded noisy s!!t.

Highly, highly recommended, great weekend for a family outing.