Royal Drakensberg MTB Challenge - 30 March

[Sephton]

Will I be seeing any hubbers here tomorrow?

 

The 50km is a tough one, proper mountain biking, not dirt roading.

 

Check it out here: www.royaldrakmtb.co.za/

 

If you're on holiday in the berg somewhere, it's a must-do!

[beanz]

Yes, I'm doing it. I can't understand why this one isn't more popular. It's a truly spectacular route.

[davetapson]

Fekkit - this was the hardest 35km I've ever ridden followed by another 15km (and that that was not the uphills either).

 

Gary Green and Solly Prinsloo rode this as well - posted good times - those ballies are not slow.

 

And anyone who likes to think Berg 'n Bush is not groomed, give this one a go....

[Twombles]

This was one of the toughest MTB rides that I have done.

 

Now that I have had time to recover... it is actually an amazing route. Yesterday, I did not think so.

 

I could not believe that it is only 1200m of climbing. It felt closer to 2000m!

[Sephton]

I must agree, the toughest race I've probably ever done. My average HR was 173!

 

It's probably the gradient of that first climb that made the difference, my 26t small chain ring didn't help...

[Twombles]

Glad to hear that I was not the only one that K@kked off. After the ride I seriously questioned my fitness. I suppose it did not help that this was the first time on my MTB this year. On the first climb I hit my Max HR of 194!

 

I always enjoy these small MTB races with few people, no fuss and just some good riding. I do, however, think that they could have provided more medical support on route. I did not need any, but there were a couple of sections where people could get into serious trouble and there weren't any one at those points. Maybe it just felt so remote because I was at the back of the race...