Sabie Experience 2014

[Paul Hunter]

I'm sure a number of you as I have done a large number of stage race over the years and have had my fair share of mud and testing conditions.  Yes, it is mountain biking and we take the good with the bad in terms of weather and conditions.  The thing for me is that if you look at the conditions over the past few years of this race it is always the same.

 

Big races like Berg and Bush and SANI2C have moved race dates as to try and avoid harsh weather and conditions but nature still happens and I can accept that.  However nature always happens in Sabie over december ;-)

 

Like I said I love Sabie and did the pre ride the month before the actual race a few years back and it was bone dry.  The route is still tough without the wet conditions.  Also agree that they should not shorten routes.  

 

All the best to the organisers but they won't see me until they move to a possible date that could be dry.

[River Rat]

I have done the last 4 Sabie's and each one was different this one was definitely the toughest of the four in terms of conditions but perhaps this quote from ultrarunner.za sums up my thoughts on this race.

 

"No matter how well you know the course, no matter how well you may have done in a given race in the past, you never know for certain what lies ahead on the day you stand at the starting line waiting to test yourself once again. If you did know, it would not be a test; and there would be no reason for being there."

 

It is variability of this race, the unpredictability that excites me and will most likely have me trekking all the way to Sabie in the second week of December 2015.

[River Rat]

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=792057030867190&id=150768518329381

[BarHugger]

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=792057030867190&id=150768518329381

Thanks for sharing,

[River Rat]

Thanks for sharing,

It's a pleasure the view from the top is an inspiration.

[BarHugger]

It's a pleasure the view from the top is an inspiration.

Found the rest of the stages including Prologue:

 

 

http://vimeo.com/114430334

 

Sabie Experience Prologue 2014.......how dof is that noob with his muddy bike......it is a Schwalbe Racing Ralph, not Racing Ron......he was most probably very konfoesed........poor humourless Buffalo

[BarHugger]

Sabie Experience 2014: Stage 1

 

http://vimeo.com/114477102

[BarHugger]

Sabie Experience 2014: Stage 2

 

http://vimeo.com/114567929

[BarHugger]

Sabie Experience 2014: Stage 3

 

http://vimeo.com/114706393

[BarHugger]

The Tandem Couple

 

 

 

The "Muddy" Rigid Single Speedster

 

 

 

The Swimmer

 

 

 

The Crazy One

 

 

 

(Sabie Experience Facebook Photos)

[River Rat]

I came very close to being the swimmer with the chain suck I had!

[Marijan]

My bike requires a complete overhaul. Bearings screwed, gears wrecked, and this clay dirt only comes off after 4 washes.