The Munga 2016

[Vega]

vroommm & Slowbee, it will be good to hear what you guys are up to. 

[vroommm]

 

I'll also be posting some odds and ends about what I get up to in preparation for the Munga.

 

I'm not going to panic about it 'till later in the year. In the meantime I will try to ride often with the odd longish ride thrown into the mix ..

 

It's gonna be great!

 

In the meantime, my desktop background. Tankwa Karoo ...

[Underachiever]

Guys. I suggest you need to treat this as a project!! (I'm an engineer)

 

So the 1st principle of project management is - the earlier you fall behind schedule, the more time you have to catch up.

 

Works like a charm!!

[Joeboy69]

 

The plan right now is to get fit for S2C and help the Mrs get ready for S2C (her first mtn bike ride over 30 km).

 

Moving from 30km to S2C is worth a thread of its own !!

[Slowbee]

Moving from 30km to S2C is worth a thread of its own !!

ja, that like another whole story on its own!

[Slowbee]

Guys. I suggest you need to treat this as a project!! (I'm an engineer)

 

So the 1st principle of project management is - the earlier you fall behind schedule, the more time you have to catch up.

 

Works like a charm!!

do you know if there are any randoneur events planned for the western cape ? Might be a good time to join up?

[Tim Brink]

do you know if there are any randoneur events planned for the western cape ? Might be a good time to join up?

http://audaxsa.co.za/schedule/

 

[Bat]

Well done for entering Slowbee ( and all the other guys and girls) I am so excited for you. After watching the race last year I was planning to enter now as well. However with our economy suddenly taking such a downturn during December and January, I do not think I will have sufficient time, and motivation to train properly due to increased business pressure. Hopefully there might be improvements soon, and I can then enter if all entries have not been taken. But for now I will follow your progress, good and bad, and be envious.

[Slowbee]

http://audaxsa.co.za/schedule/

 

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thanks Tim. Nice article on the Munga. Hope you have recovered.

 

How did you find using the GPS unit ? Did you toggle between screens for speed and distances or did you use another device for that ?

[Tim Brink]

thanks Tim. Nice article on the Munga. Hope you have recovered.

 

How did you find using the GPS unit ? Did you toggle between screens for speed and distances or did you use another device for that ?

I stopped looking at my speed early on. I was already depressed enough...

 

GPS worked ok - had some issues with the tracking unit messing with it, sitting too close on the bars, so it would jump about and overread by up to 5 %. Not ideal when planning by how much you are going to run out of water/humour.

 

The touch-screen was a nightmare with gloves on, even the dedicated touch-screeny ones. I haven't worked out why - some units it works fine, this one it doesn't.  Without gloves, sweaty or dirty fingers also rendered it fairly unusable. Not that I wanted to scroll through the numbers the whole time, but that one time you do need to see something and it won't scroll, is very frustrating. I kept it on the little-arrow-follows-pink-line screen, mostly. That is all you need. The rest is just distracting, and/or depressing. Not sure knowing you have ridden 80km, and only have 1005 to ride is at all helpful. You end up knowing when the next water point is near by feel, anyway. Not sure how, it just happens. 

[Dicky DQ]

I am going to see what my budget does first and if the 200 slots are not taken I will be joining.

 

In the meantime I will be doing the Audax rides in CTN, they are a jol. The 1000 looks like an awesome ride. R62 to Wilderness and back.

[Vega]

I stopped looking at my speed early on. I was already depressed enough...

 

GPS worked ok - had some issues with the tracking unit messing with it, sitting too close on the bars, so it would jump about and overread by up to 5 %. Not ideal when planning by how much you are going to run out of water/humour.

 

The touch-screen was a nightmare with gloves on, even the dedicated touch-screeny ones. I haven't worked out why - some units it works fine, this one it doesn't.  Without gloves, sweaty or dirty fingers also rendered it fairly unusable. Not that I wanted to scroll through the numbers the whole time, but that one time you do need to see something and it won't scroll, is very frustrating. I kept it on the little-arrow-follows-pink-line screen, mostly. That is all you need. The rest is just distracting, and/or depressing. Not sure knowing you have ridden 80km, and only have 1005 to ride is at all helpful. You end up knowing when the next water point is near by feel, anyway. Not sure how, it just happens. 

 

Tim, which GPS unit did you use?

[Slowbee]

Tim, which GPS unit did you use?

used the etrex touch 25, I think. But there is also the etrex touch 35. lots of good reviews, but Tims points remain valid for all touch screens.

 

I wonder if the garmin cycle specific touch screens have this issue ?

[Underachiever]

I stopped looking at my speed early on. I was already depressed enough...

 

GPS worked ok - had some issues with the tracking unit messing with it, sitting too close on the bars, so it would jump about and overread by up to 5 %. Not ideal when planning by how much you are going to run out of water/humour.

 

The touch-screen was a nightmare with gloves on, even the dedicated touch-screeny ones. I haven't worked out why - some units it works fine, this one it doesn't.  Without gloves, sweaty or dirty fingers also rendered it fairly unusable. Not that I wanted to scroll through the numbers the whole time, but that one time you do need to see something and it won't scroll, is very frustrating. I kept it on the little-arrow-follows-pink-line screen, mostly. That is all you need. The rest is just distracting, and/or depressing. Not sure knowing you have ridden 80km, and only have 1005 to ride is at all helpful. You end up knowing when the next water point is near by feel, anyway. Not sure how, it just happens. 

Hey Tim, I also enjoyed your article.

 

Question.

 

Will you ride the Cx again?  Perhaps a Cx with a Lauf fork to help the corrugations?

[Mike Woolnough]

I wouldn't use a Cx. Sure, it's fast on some sections but there are other sections where you are going to be tested. Apart from that, 80+ hours is a long time to be in the saddle. Comfort is a must. This year I'm sticking to an MTB. It was fine last year apart from a sore backside, but I have addressed that problem.

[Tim Brink]

Hey Tim, I also enjoyed your article.

 

Question.

 

Will you ride the Cx again?  Perhaps a Cx with a Lauf fork to help the corrugations?

Yup. The spindly steel fork was fine on the corrugations, actually. I loved it. But then I learned to ride MTB in the pre-suspension days, so I have some experience... rigid means one less thing to go wrong.

 

The drop bars are the winner. I suffer - badly - with numb fingers on any/all mtg bar/grip combinations. anything over three hours is sore, anything over six becomes dysfunctional. Not a hint of hand pain in the three days I managed, and that was on rigid forks. Better for neck and lower back, I think, too, with the variety of hand positions. They work for me. A gravel bike works for me - over a CX bike which has steep angles and is skittish like a road bike. Steel or aluminium (maybe) to soak up some of the roughness. Weight is not an issue on the Munga, with so little climbing and no carrying.

 

2016 - I might ride a steel hardtail 29er with skinny tyres and a suspension fork (just because aftermarket rigid forks are either harsh carbon, or not available) with drop bars. So, like a gravel bike, but starting with an MTB slant, rather than a CX slant.

 

This is presuming I get a sports pass.