Shrek1 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Hi all I am stepping out my comfort zone and getting off the trails and doing a ultra endurance event. I am looking for assistance in Bike choice. Do I take the hardtail or do I use the dual suss. The are a few notable climbs and long stretches of just pedaling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanWC Posted February 15, 2016 Share Take your soft tail. 247km is 'n lang pad I'm going to ride my hardtail, but it is all that I've got ( = FondTF2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubarra Posted February 15, 2016 Share Ouberg pass you will walk so do you prefer pushing a hardtail or a dual suss up a mountain? But seriously, I think it is up to personal preference, I did it on a hardtail, few of my training partners preferred the dual suss for longer events like TK. Mads 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouxenator Posted February 18, 2016 Share Do it!!!! You will not regret it. This year will be my 5th, so I am one of the 4 entrants eligible for the "Windpomp Club". Made a post about this earlier : https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/157358-event-trans-karoo-mtb-2016-up-ride/ Can't wait - I love Trans Karoo and the fact that they open it for solo riders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowbee Posted February 18, 2016 Share being lazy, when is the ride ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouxenator Posted February 18, 2016 Share 30 April Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrek1 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Do it!!!! You will not regret it. This year will be my 5th, so I am one of the 4 entrants eligible for the "Windpomp Club". Made a post about this earlier : https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/157358-event-trans-karoo-mtb-2016-up-ride/ Can't wait - I love Trans Karoo and the fact that they open it for solo riders. Any advice for an absolute novice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouxenator Posted February 20, 2016 Share If it is your first time I would recommend the following : 1) Make sure you can spend a lot of time in the saddle. Before I did my first TransKaroo I did a few rides that took me close to 5 hours, yet that is nothing compared to the 12+ hours I did on TransKaroo 2) Study the route so that you know what to expect. Many people are caught out by the distance between checkpoints and find themselves dehydrated and in a state where they have to bail. The hardest part is checkpoint 2 to 3 where you cross the border between WC and NC. This is a long stress - ration your water. 3) Plan your ride - ride your plan. There is a reason they keep on mentioning that. You cannot over plan this ride 4) Go to the briefing. Snacks are good, Pieter's dry humour is entertaining. Most of all you get your boxes and that gives you time to think about what you might need on checkpoints where no support crew is present. 5) Don't stress about it too much. My best ride was the 2nd up ride (2014) because I did not worry about it too much. You can do this, it is not impossible, you just need to have the endurance, never give 100% (save some for the end). 6) Be in the moment. Most normal human beings will spend from sunrise to sunset (and beyond) on their MTB - but the next day you find yourself thinking about what you did 24 hours before, you won't stop thinking back. So make sure you take it in as it happens. Hope that helps, ask if there is anything else you want to know. Personally I always ride solo, those long stretches where no signs of civilization are to be seen gets under your skin. Enjoy it. Mads, Skubarra, FondTF2 and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubarra Posted February 20, 2016 Share Good advice by Rouxnator. Especially number 2 - this is not your normal funride where there are waterpoints every 10 kilometers. Take note of the distances between the waterpoints, how long you expect to cycle between those points and that you have enough fluids with you. I will add 2 things 1) Start Slow - don't get caught up with the testosterone at the start and be tempted to start to fast. You will catch a number of the okes that fly away to fast later in the race when they bonk. Once you bonk there is no way back, the rest of the race will be a suffer fest. Rather bonk with 30 to go than 100 to go. 2) Ouberg - There is no way you can pace yourself for that massive climb 180km into the race, the best you can do is prepare yourself mentally. Be ready for between 2 and 3 hours of suffering (depending on your fitness) and make sure you have your sense of humour ready because you will hate life & yourself during that time. Personally, I am going to practice walking up long steep hills before the race, my theory, you can't ride Ouberg anyway, walking them use different muscles than cycling so if those muscles are prepared you might avoid cramps the last 40km. Lastly - don't stress too much, it is actually not that hard, much more of a mental test than physical. Good luck Edited February 21, 2016 by Skubarra EmptyB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milky4130 Posted February 20, 2016 Share I have heard a lot about this Ouberg, can someone post some stats i.e. Distance (length of the climb), gradient, elevation, ascent, ASL, etc or even the actual Strava segment. I would Imagine what makes it tough is where you get it on this route? If it was any other day & you only rode 10km as a warm up & then hit it, will it still be as tough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubarra Posted February 20, 2016 Share I have heard a lot about this Ouberg, can someone post some stats i.e. Distance (length of the climb), gradient, elevation, ascent, ASL, etc or even the actual Strava segment. I would Imagine what makes it tough is where you get it on this route? If it was any other day & you only rode 10km as a warm up & then hit it, will it still be as tough?Milky, in my biased opinion it is the toughest climb I have done in a race. But yes, a big part of it is because you do 180km before you reach it. It would be much more doable 10km into the race. Out of interest, in 2014 the guy who won it (in record time) walked parts of it. The guy in second place right behind him cycled the whole climb but still fell further behind on the climb. milky4130 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky DQ Posted February 21, 2016 Share Depends where you start looking at it as a climb....https://www.strava.com/segments/1312192 (5%) https://www.strava.com/segments/4252688 (6%) https://www.strava.com/segments/6144212 (8%) https://www.strava.com/segments/7101658 (11%) But the big thing is the road surface. Lots of places that you just don't get grip due to loose sand/gravel. It is a very boring ride for me, done it twice up, once solo and once in a team. I think solo is better, too many variables in a team event. milky4130 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outoftowner Posted February 21, 2016 Share Quick question: Anyone done 360 one, and followed it up doing the Trans Karoo? Just need to know if a 2 week recovery will be sufficient. Doing my second 360one,but this event has really tickled my fancy. Any feedback will be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outoftowner Posted February 21, 2016 Share Quick question: Anyone done 360 one, and followed it up doing the Trans Karoo? Just need to know if a 2 week recovery will be sufficient. Doing my second 360one,but this event has really tickled my fancy. Any feedback will be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubarra Posted February 21, 2016 Share double post Edited February 21, 2016 by Skubarra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mads Posted February 21, 2016 Share I have heard a lot about this Ouberg, can someone post some stats i.e. Distance (length of the climb), gradient, elevation, ascent, ASL, etc or even the actual Strava segment. I would Imagine what makes it tough is where you get it on this route? If it was any other day & you only rode 10km as a warm up & then hit it, will it still be as tough?Milky it is rated a catogory 1 climb if that helps. The fact that you get him at 180km is not helping either. But there is no doubt in my mind that I will battle even with only 10km in my legs. Edit: But we know I am not in your league. You might find it easier. Edited February 21, 2016 by Mads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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