Jewbacca Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 Broken ankle played up and the congestion was horrible. Forced to walk really easy climbs, really slow through a lot of sections and why oh why is everybody afraid to ride through river crossings? If you slow down they become harder! Unlike Milky I didnt walk down any of the descents with the rigid fork but saw a lot of folk who did. The section where the pipe crosses the road and then drops off to the newly placed big rocks was a bit hairy though! Really slow time considering I rode the Bit from Spur stop to end in 2:45.. Tuckd my arms in, hands inside my brakes on the bar and spun away with a cadence of about 5 gazillion running 34 - 20 on a 650b. But as with every year, I really enjoyed the race. The mission, the fun, the dust, the swim in the river afterwards, the trip up and the sleepy ride home..... This is a must do on my calendar every year. The ankle isnt loving me but the endorfins and the smile say thank you guys for an awesome time out there. tunariaan and milky4130 2
Thug Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 Just got back from an awesome weekend. Started in D batch along with singlespeedGuy on my Surly with a 32x20 gearing. 1st part of the race was extremely slow with most people walking up the climbs. Rode within myself not knowing what was coming and eventually stopped the clock in 8:03. I had to adjust my chain just after waterpoint 2, had an endo on that stretch and then had a puncture later on in the race. Highlight of the ride was the rocky technical downhill just before waterpoint 3, where 3 of us singlespeeders with rigid forks all rode the downhill together asking riders with suspension and gears to get out of the way. leona, tunariaan, Jewbacca and 1 other 4
milky4130 Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 Matt Beers 10th SA rider, 16th overall. Just turned 20, 1st ever ultra-marathon and this can't be much more than his 5th ever mtb race.I think he could've done soMuch better if he had not rocked up late & tried scaling the fence, one of the Marshall's was having none of it & told him no less than 5 times to join the start chute via the back but he kept trying but she was watching him like a hawk. He eventually had no choice & started right at the back having to expend way too much energy to get to the front of the group by that time Bulls & Sauser put down the hammer.
milky4130 Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 (edited) Broken ankle played up and the congestion was horrible. Forced to walk really easy climbs, really slow through a lot of sections and why oh why is everybody afraid to ride through river crossings? If you slow down they become harder! Unlike Milky I didnt walk down any of the descents with the rigid fork but saw a lot of folk who did. The section where the pipe crosses the road and then drops off to the newly placed big rocks was a bit hairy though! Really slow time considering I rode the Bit from Spur stop to end in 2:45.. Tuckd my arms in, hands inside my brakes on the bar and spun away with a cadence of about 5 gazillion running 34 - 20 on a 650b. But as with every year, I really enjoyed the race. The mission, the fun, the dust, the swim in the river afterwards, the trip up and the sleepy ride home..... This is a must do on my calendar every year. The ankle isnt loving me but the endorfins and the smile say thank you guys for an awesome time out there.nice report & good going for u even with injured ankle.Haha there some sections possible to ride but I was having none it after literally doing a nose stand i.e. rear wheel in the air. So decided to play it safe. Edited January 19, 2014 by milky4130
milky4130 Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 The last 30-40kms there was quite a few of us running the 1x10 setup, everyone on 32's & I was the only one on a 36, hammering that last km's, guys were happy for that at least as we could keep Our top end up. I tried motivating everyone to go for the Sub6 (10kms in 30mins) how wrong was I. As we hit one of that rutted corners every muscle decided to cease up. Forearm muscle looked a tennis ball under the skin. Both hammies pulled stiff as well, forced to dismount & stretch. Luckily last water point I could down some Cokes to help alleviate the cramps.
taito Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 What a day,nice cool weather,great new start area that opens the field a bit.Quite a bit of powdery dust in the first 5 k`s but plain sailing after that.The rivers were also much less of a factor than expected I also battled with riders not even attempting to ride river crossing.As always the last 20ks is a bitch by that time im running on empty.Once again Stans did its job,running along the game fence 10k in some guy passes me and I feel drops on the face so not too worried.So yesterday washing the steed I find this really sticky mud all over the bottom tube yip hard Stans ,,had a puncture but no worries plugged in the ride. Thanks uncle Stan
Thug Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Make no mistake. This is a tough race because of the distance and amount of climbing but the weather made everyone's lives a lot easier. I really battled the last 10/15k's or so due to spinning out on the flat and downhill sections. Guys would come past me and I'd manage to catch a slip until the legs couldn't keep up anymore, then I'd wait until the next group and so on and so on. But all good in the end. WRT to the thought of doing it on a CX bike posted earlier in the thread, I agree, definitely not a route for a CX bike.
leona Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 What a day,nice cool weather,great new start area that opens the field a bit.Quite a bit of powdery dust in the first 5 k`s but plain sailing after that.The rivers were also much less of a factor than expected I also battled with riders not even attempting to ride river crossing.As always the last 20ks is a bitch by that time im running on empty.Once again Stans did its job,running along the game fence 10k in some guy passes me and I feel drops on the face so not too worried.So yesterday washing the steed I find this really sticky mud all over the bottom tube yip hard Stans ,,had a puncture but no worries plugged in the ride. Thanks uncle Stan seconded! someone tapped me on the shoulder in the start pen and pointed to my back tyre. there was a massive pin stuck in it. i didnt even think before pulling it out. spun the wheel a few times and job done, no more hole! taito 1
jcza Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Well done to all the singlespeeders! Thug and Jewbacca 2
timhoek Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 6:21 & 65th overall. I'll be the first to admit Rigid fork was a bad choice, 1x10 with a 36T chainring & 36T at the back another mistake should've just bought the 34T. I know that's suicidal, lesson learned. Advantages I gained with the light fork was all wasted when I had to walk some of the rocky descends or at times descended at snail pace which is usually my strengths. Also had to walk some climbs which other riders were able to ride out. Oh well, I'll be back next year for that Sub 6 but it really should've been 2014. My second attempt & love this event will be back for as long as I can ride.This morning was the league road race, Tour De PPA & I managed to finish with the bunch after being dropped up the Vissershok climb. Now for 2 days of nothing. Edit Spelling U passed me on the last climb and we had a quick chat at the finish, I ended up with a 6:23 and 71st overall. The last 2 climbs killed me, had nothing left to give and was bordering on cramping all the way home. Cant wait for next year! milky4130 1
Scott2luvit Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 U passed me on the last climb and we had a quick chat at the finish, I ended up with a 6:23 and 71st overall. The last 2 climbs killed me, had nothing left to give and was bordering on cramping all the way home. Cant wait for next year!julle manne is ysters! timhoek 1
Thug Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Well done to all the singlespeeders! How did you go?
jcza Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 How did you go? 7:24 - missed my target but was very nervous after last years hiding. Started too slow and never got it back despite going balls to the wall from 80km to the end. Perfect weather, great organisation and I prefer the new start. Saw you at the start but I was already in the chute. Well done on your ride
Scott2luvit Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 how did it go with the guys riding the Avalanche single speed bikes
Gerhardc Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 7:24 - missed my target but was very nervous after last years hiding. Started too slow and never got it back despite going balls to the wall from 80km to the end. Perfect weather, great organisation and I prefer the new start. Saw you at the start but I was already in the chute. Well done on your ride My 1st Atta.... Compared to you, I started off too fast and paid for it the last 53km.....from after the Spur Burger stop!!! But, I finished and am happy with my 7h49m. It was great....tuff, BUT GREAT and indeed EXTREME!!!! jcza 1
Thug Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 7:24 - missed my target but was very nervous after last years hiding. Started too slow and never got it back despite going balls to the wall from 80km to the end. Perfect weather, great organisation and I prefer the new start. Saw you at the start but I was already in the chute. Well done on your ride Thanks & Well done!! jcza 1
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