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The sani2c is over and looking forward to next years event we would like to try and improve the experience for as many riders as possible. Your feedback means allot to us so this thread has been started to hear back from our riders that frequent thehub. 

 

The format of this thread will be a simple one.

 

Please post to the thread with up to 5 positives of the race numbered as indicated below. Number one being your favourite.

 

Please also post with your 5 worst elements of the race, number one being your worst.

 

Format:

1. My favourite/worst element was..."

2.

...

 

After these posts please feel free to make any extra comments you feel may be pertinent to helping us improve the race in future.

 

PLEASE: keep ALL comments constructive.

 

Thank you for your support.

 

sani2c Team

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5 favourite elements:

 

- Waterpoints were excellent

- Jolivet (everything about it)

- Trails were well thought out and balanced

- Food was great

- General organisation was world-class.

 

5 worst elements:

 

- beach finish (the parking and packing mess spoilt the finish entirely)

- bottlenecks on Umko descent even in I/J batches on race (seedings don't sufficiently account for technical ability)

- last minute changes to starting times 

- beggars en route

- goodie bag kit (my clothes have already started to come apart).

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Favourite:

1. Umkomaas on day 2

2. Floating bridge at Scottburgh on day 3

3. Camp life esp. Jolivet

4. Food and abundunce of refreshments

5. The helpfull attitude of every one involved from registration to the last water table.

 

Worst elements:

1. The begging children and even adults along the route. It may develop into a safety isue.

2. Riders dishing out sweets and energy bars along the route.

3. The long que for showers this year at mckenzie club. There was no que last year?

4. The parking problem at the beach.

5. The lack of basic mountain biking skills mid pack in the race. Stopping for rocks and turns in single track, and coming to a skidding halt before switchbacks. Some riders should spend 3K less on their fancy machines and invest it in some skills training.

 

Just a thought: How about giving entrants the option if they would like the branded clothes as part of the entry package or not? I, for one, would be happpy to pay a few Rands less for an entry and perhaps receive only a finishers T shirt.

 

Great event! If finances and time was not a problem I would be back every year!

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Ok, so I'll start.  :-)

 

This was my 4th Sani, so I have noticed a few things in those 4 years : 

 

Positives

 

1. Glencairn farm was stunning, great village, awesome setting, great facilities.

 

2. I really liked having a few vendors at Glencairn, especially Oakley as I have been looking to replace lenses for my glasses for awhile, that was very convenient.

 

3. Jolivet was a HUGE upgrade and very welcomed!  A much better environment with a lot more social interaction. Much better than the 3 separate areas.

 

4. As always, the bike wash at Jolivet was awesome as well as the new bike park.

 

5. The upgrade to the showers/toilets at Jolivet was much appreciated!

 

 

Negatives

 

1. The showers at Mckenzie were not adequate enough. This is the first year that I've had to queue for a long time at the showers, not sure what the problem was?

 

2. The coffee bands was a good idea, but the queues were also very long in the morning and evenings that we didn't get to utilize the coffee, so it felt like a bit of a waste to spend R100. Perhaps look at getting a sponsor and include the coffee in the entry fee from the beginning instead of a separate purchase?

 

3. The Supergroup riders appeared to be given preferential treatment during the Adventure ride, especially starting earlier on Day 2 which caused a lot of backups into the Umko.  There is another thread here on the hub expressing the same views. If they want to ride as a massive group then they should have started at the back of field, or perhaps have a separate event just for corporates?

 

4. Clothing fitted well for me this year, first time I've never had to do a swap, the quality wasn't too bad, but just not as good as previous years.

 

5.  I noticed 1 or 2 pebbles on the tracks this year, farmer Glenn is slacking with his sweeping duties..   :P

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5 best:

- I can't limit my best to 5. It was my first sani and i loved the ride, the route, the support, the water/food stops, the overnight camps and simply the organisation of everything to run like clock work. Overall it was a beautiful ride, can't wait for my next one (or the day i can do 8 days in joberg2c)

 

5 worst (not the end of the world, just areas to improve)

- Bottleneck on day 2 descent (was in later seeds of trail and the hold up was for over an hour, maybe closer to 2). Know there were accidents, but felt it was mostly from lack of ability on switchbacks and more technical parts of the trail from guys who shouldn't have been seeded in front of us.

- Not technical enough... I would enjoy some more technical parts or options to pick a more difficult route, even if it were slower to the guys doing the chicken run.

- Clothing sizes not consistent. Large T-shirts are too small, yet large hoodie/vests are too big. And too big by a massive margin. Branding also average (sorry aca joe). Would rather have a hat with a big sani2c logo than some retailers logo i'll never wear.

- Last minute changes to starting times... Surprised us on day 1 but we were ready for the following days

- The registration day could be a bit more organised earlier in the day. However i know now just to be there around 2pm in the future. Late enough for the vendor stalls to be open and early enough before nando closes...

 

Overall amazing event - couldn't recommend it more to anyone who asks...

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This was my first Stage race so I have nothing to compare it too, but i'll give my humble feedback.

 

Positives:

 

1) Race villages especially Jolivet

2) Food, plenty and delicious

3) Day 2 single track into the Umkomaas, great fun.

4) Ablution facilities. I had no problems getting to a shower or toilet.

5) Water point were great!

 

Negatives:

 

1) My transport box was cracked and would not close properly.

2) Bike organization after bike wash at Jolivet was a shambles. Not arranged by number as the day before. Took me 20 mins in the dark to find my bike.

3) Broken floating bridge over the Umko during the Trail event.

4) Finish was a bit of an anti-climax, after all the excitement of the previous days. 

5) Confusion of starting times. 

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Second one for me, and you can see why it's so difficult to get an entry for this event!

 

Positives:

1. New Jolivet.... absolutely awesome. Small operational change for the bike washers.... if they could arrange the bikes in some sort of order according to race number...

2. Trails. The route is amazing! Even though riding with a beeping gps can be a bit distracting from the actual route buy I guess I'll have to get used to the self navigation idea.

3. The repair of the broken bridge on trail day 2. I know it took a little while but to be able to fly out there and repair a bridge mid event is really great and just a testament to how hard these guys work.

4. That down vest from the goodie bag. Wow it's warm! And sizing was spot on this year.

5. Race villages. The catering, layouts, massage services... All awesome. Doug will need some more jokes next year though ;)

 

Negatives.

1. The logistics at the finish. The finish itself is awesome. But the logistics is a bit of a nightmare.

2. GPS navigation. Just because I feel like I'm staring at my little screen too long instead of the scenery.

3. Charging stations. At Jolivet the amped guys made a plan. And I have an amped device so was sorted. But to have a GPS self navigated route with limited charging facility is a bit of an issue.

4. Really scraping the barrel here.... the arranging of the bikes after washing at Jolivet. We got in early and it still took 20 mins after the wash to find our bikes. Can't imagine what the later finishers felt.

5. I didn't win the Subaru.

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Best

1 - jolivet camping

2 - atmosphere at waterpoints

3 - floating bridges

4 - Talisman bike washes

5 - dual single tracks

 

Worst

1 - congestion on trails, so I bad I am unlikely to do S2C again

2 - kids begging and slapping women on butts

3 - food, not the same standard as what you get on W2W

4 - showers at Mckenzie

5 - Goodie bag did not live up to the hype

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Good

1. Glencairn start.

2. Joliviet.

3. Bike Wash Mackenzie.

4. Chill Zone Mackenzie.

5.Umko descent was pretty good.

 

Bad.

1. Some trails on Day 1, Muffin top was terrible. Needs some work. I smashed it and don't know how I didn't come off. Lost my bottle there.

2. Some trails at end of Day 2 from Highflats to the end, very degraded. Don't know how to ride this fast without crashing. It seems the dryness and thousands of riders makes some stuff a lot worse. Seriously, some of the trails need work.

3. Chill zone at Jolievet was a bit small. Couldn't get a spot there. Bit of a disappointment as Day 1 was so lekker.

4. Need a shower or something at Scottburgh. After being treated like a king for three days, get to go home without a shower.

5. The floating bridge down to two lines of floating bricks that wasn't secured. I think this was pretty sneaky and bound to cause a lot of crashes. It was impossible to ride if you were close to anyone behind. It also stops a sprint finish with the pros.

 

Thanks, will be back next year.

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This was my 3rd Sani so I am comparing to previous years:

 

Good:

1. Jolivet. WOW, what an improvement

2. McKenzie. It just keeps on improving. Yes the showers was a bit of an issue but it wasnt the end of the world

3. The Umko drop - This is a yearly highlight

4. Food - The quality and quantity is amazing

5. The Route - This is mountainbiking, so I enjoyed the route very much

 

Not so Good:

1. A definite decline in the quality of clothing received. The clothing is not bad, just not at the same level as expected from previous years

2. GPS navigation. If you want to go full GPS(as was communicated at last years registration already), then go full GPS. I found that there was still enough route markings to get you to the finish without a GPS. Either go full out, or dont do it at all.

3. Techincal skills of riders. I rode with my wife in a batch I would not normally ride in and was shocked at the lack of skills of the riders in those batches. I am not saying that you should ride the technical sections at a hundred miles an hour, but to stop for a small rock on a single track is shocking.

4. Coffee Bands - The event is already not cheap, and then to ask R100 extra for a coffee bangle is crazy. Most of the people I spoke to also didn't feel like the got their money's worth and it felt like they just collected the money to fund the one machine they gave away as a prize. 

5. Begging kids along the route is highly irritating. Our entry fee already go a long way to support the community and a lot of the locals come out to support the event but to ride 100km with "GIVE ME A CHOCOLATE" in your ears is ****!!!

 

I still love Sani2C as an event, and would probably do a few more in the coming years. Just make sure the quality of the event does not suffer even further

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1]New registration venue great. 

2]Joliviet great upgrades

3]Route and trails were great

4]Orginasation in general was great 

 

1]Queing for coffee...only to get half full cups

2]The red brigade not beeing seeded as per there ability

3]Chaos at the finnish

4]Beggars on route

Will be back next year

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I seldom post on The Hub (rather read), but after recently having completed my 3rd Sani (my father his 6th), this is something I feel strongly about:

 

Good (as always, too many to put into 5 points, but these my highlights):

 

1. The new setup at Jolivet - everything about it! Wonderful, in comparison to the rabbit warrens of the past...

2. Umko was in the best condition I have ever ridden it - really stunning (contrary to other people, no significant descent delays experienced by me)

3. Glencairn farm. Although the start at Underberg school was always good, the extra space afforded by the farm, as well as the stunning views, will certainly add an extra element to the event in coming years. This year we didn't see the full benefit, due to the change being a bit last minute, but I think that when things are properly ready next year and we have all moved our accommodation for the first night to the right place, the new start will be awesome.

4. The water points/seconding tables were top class, as always

5. The post ride "gees" was really well done this year. From Max's antics, to the photo montage and video presentation which is seemingly miraculously made in just a few hours, these special few hours in the race villages in the evenings, sharing war stories from the day that has been, really made it for me.

 

Bad:

 

1. The quality and sizes of the kit this year was really bad. With an event that has a reputation for the best commitment to quality possible, this really let the brand down. I feel that after 11 years of doing this, "it is what it is" simply isn't a good enough excuse anymore. You guys felt the loss of Salomon and Aca Joe in a big way this year... An idea to curb these issues which are experienced every year would be to leave blank (unbranded) items of kit in stores (depending on the sponsors for the year) in the major SA hubs during the year prior to Sani. That way people can try on the kit for the coming year's event and get their size orders right in advance. If you have a sponsor on board, that would also be a great way to push people to their stores and boost their own sales (win-win).

2. Although it didn't impact me directly (fortunately I was in front of them), I have heard a lot of very negative feedback about SuperGroup starting in D batch daily on the Adventure (also refer the Hub forum on this). The fact that many of these riders were real novices, riding in a high up batch, caused chaos on any and all technical areas of the route (especially Umko)

3. This really speaks to the point raised in 2, above. Farmer Glen, you always speak about how you are a farmer first and foremost. Please just guard against your events becoming too commercialized, with some boardroom in Joburg calling the ultimate shots on what currently is the greatest stage race on earth. The SuperGroup debacle is a good example of this.

4. Like many complaints on the forum so far, the MacKenzie Club showers need to be expanded and improved.

5. The finish in Scottburgh. Although I accept that there will always be congestion because of the physical layout of the beach (and personally love finishing at the sea), perhaps a bit more thought could be put into the logistics at the finish to reduce the congestion experienced for the last 3 years. I know this isn't easy, but I believe with enough good planning, it can be done.

 

As always, we will see you next year!

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The good:

 

1. Jolivet was amazing

2. Two-ply toilet paper at Jolivet - AWESOME

3. For a self navigation route, there were ample additional route markers

4. The food was excellent

5. Farmer Glen being everywhere and responding to email queries after the event in double time

 

The bad

 

1. The beggars on route on day 3

2. The clothing in the boxes was a debacle - sizing was a mess and nothing fits

3. No luggage straps in the boxes to secure your lid. One of our boxes was dropped and the whole thing broke open

4. Being asked to pay extra for semi-decent coffee. I paid online and at registration they had no record of my payment so I had to pay again and then claim a refund after the event. The coffee was not that brilliant, they had machines going down and this increased the queues

5. The finish is a shambles. Nowhere to load up vehicles, have to park far away up a hill

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Best:

1. Descent into the Umkomaas and the riding in general

2. The general vibe between the riders

3. I enjoyed the supporters en route (for the most part). They really create a cool vibe and you do get the impression that the race does a lot for the community.

4. Water points were great- well stocked and everybody always so willing to help

5. Chill areas, especially at Jolivet

 

Worst:

1. Ladies bathrooms at Jolivet- this was an absolute shocker especially as I had heard a lot about how nice Jolivet was going to be. No water, no privacy and only a muddy floor to put our stuff on.

2. Logistics at the finish

3. Broken floating bridge on the trail day 2.

4. There were a number of things that were done better the pervious time I did Sani2c in 2012. The quality of the kit is a good example but there were several other things that were better in 2012 as well. As the price has gone up since then but the quality has gone down it just left me with a bit of a feeling like its become all about money and getting as much of it as possible. Sani2c is obviously a business and people are willing to pay but it just didn't leave me with a good feeling.

5. The climb out of the Umkomaas. Just playing :P

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Positives:

1. Food was amazing, incredible given the number of people being catered for.

2. Logistics/flow all worked well - tents, finding the boxes, getting them back in the mornings.

3. Trails were great

4. Women's toilets at all facilities were clean 

 

 

Negatives

1. Women's shower facilities at Jolivet were appalling. Nowhere to hang your dry clothes/towel, no tiles, shower pipes hanging so high off the wall that short women had to stand on chairs to reach - all very degrading when you are standing naked in an open room with no privacy of a shower cubicle.

2. Not enough ladies loos at Joliviet.

3. Having the Super Group bunch grouped together at the start of the Adventure on Day 2. I had a technically challenged rider uncleating at the first minor downhill in front of me because she "didnt like riding downhill" - why should the rest of us cycle hard to get upfront but they just get put there even when they do not have the skills to ride? 

 

 

General feedback: I drank Clover milk when I was thirsty instead of water, because I would not slake my thirst with a tiny styrofoam cup (nor walk over to the water tanker and drink out of my camelbak). So I would prefer some other kind of container for drinking water out of - such as a 500ml bottle or a glass/cup of a decent size. 

 

Really good event, would be great to do it again in a few years. 

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Trail

 

Overall an awesome experience

Good:

  1. Fabulous ride, immaculate trails, beautiful scenery, did not stop smiling the whole way.
  2. Friendly and patient fellow riders
  3. Great new start venue
  4. The expo/suppliers at the start venue

 

Not good:

  1. Overall toilet and shower facilities for women
  2. Quality of race clothing, I want to wear my "I've done Sani" kit with pride for many years to come, this hardly made it through one wash
  3. Being harassed and grabbed at by children on Day 3 at the school by the river section
  4. Coffee bands were a rip off; because of queues I managed to get 2 cups - R50 a cup!
  5. Miscommunication and no communication of changes to batch start times
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