Skubarra Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 So is it better or worst in knowing how much is left or not? Reason I am asking is if there is any benefit in loading the route in the gps to keep track of how much is left, or is that just to much... Don't know about you but I detest that sinking feeling you get to what you think is the top only to go around a corner and see "what may or may not be " the actual top way up ahead..
Robbie Stewart Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 Don't know about you but I detest that sinking feeling you get to what you think is the top only to go around a corner and see "what may or may not be " the actual top way up ahead.. This will happen on the second climb to Diepwalle. That damn climb just never ends... So is it better or worst in knowing how much is left or not? Reason I am asking is if there is any benefit in loading the route in the gps to keep track of how much is left, or is that just to much... On Cadre's point, I fully agree first objective is to enjoy the views and fellow riders have a few chirps and enjoy the race, the reason for at least going a bit harder at the start is that I am ok with the guys passing me on the last hill, but would prefer to ride out the start instead of walking it out. This is not really up to you, unless you are starting way up front. The determining factor is whether you find enough space to ride on that narrow ride, but you will inevitably find yourself dismounting a couple times in pure frustration due to groups of people pushing their bikes up, all bunched together in disorganized chaos. Best tactic of Ou Wapad is relax, take a hike, and conserve your pent up frustration for the climb out of Angies G-Spot....
TIB Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 How a seasoned back-marker pretending to be a midfielder sees the K2C... No matter what they say it is a great event. You see arid Karoo, dramatic mountains, trout farms, national wonders, indigenous and commercial forests. Yes, eventually the sea too. Call it the Argus of mountain biking. No technical sections (some call 10% incline technical), free-flowing with lots of people around you all the time. An abundance chirping and joking. All this going downhill. The ascent is 1750 but that is not too scary in the light of the distance and quality of the road. On the bright side you decent 2424m! The race starts with an easy loop of 5km on tar to string out the field before the Ou Wapad. Try and be in the front of the pack, once on the Ou Wapad you cannot pass. You cycle past the locals who might shout things as “sit djy agtesifoor op djou fiets of is djy net dik”!! Remember this is the biggest thing in Uniondale for the year. Very little malice. Lots of papsak. Die Ou Wapad is basically a tweespoor track (much smoother these days) and keeps you occupied for 5km and a 300m vertical climb. Don’t stop and if some poephol gets off his bike in front of you in certain sections you will walk for a while as you simply cannot get up again. But that is part of the race. At the top is the first water point and the first 10k’s are done. The decent is bone-ratteling. Konsentreer, of jy lê ook in die pad soos al die waterbottels. The man-boobs will indeed get a couple of stretch-marks. You meander through some farms and cross under the ODN/Kareedouw road at Avontuur. This hails the next drag up to the top of the Prince Alfred Pass. It is rather gentle, climbing 170m over 4.5 km. Now some serious and fast downhill. All 13 km of it. My favourite part. Mostly freewheeling and being easy on the brakes. Just be careful as the pass bottoms out. This is the most beautiful part but with very sharp corners. Either go slow or cut back on the sightseeing. The business end of the race looms. At DeVlugt (Known as Angi’s G-spot) you are 35k into the race and the first of the two main hills. 6.3 km en 310m climb should keep you busy for a while. Take it easy, there is more to come. Don’t be too happy if you see the water point. For some obscure reason it is 2km from the top of the hill! I think they might have changed it to the top.The following downhill gives some respite before another 4.7km uphill with 260 m of climbing. The first part (1km) is quite steep but thereafter it is pretty nice. There is a slight respite at 52 km with a fairly short decent. Rest well on this decent. Next up is the long drag of 7km and 160 m climb up to Buffelsnek. If it is very hot suffering on this part is par for the course. If you have looked after yourself on the two climbs you should pass a lot of cyclist here. At Buffelsnek you can consider yourself out of jail. 35 km to go and another long downhill from here! 10 km as a matter of fact! Once more freewheeling is at the order of the day. At Kom-se-Pad you turn into the proper Knysna Forest. Beautiful if you have anything left in the legs. It is slightly uphill with a few kickers. Normally one of the nicest sections if you are not cramping. 8 km and 170 m of climbing. It ends with a very steep short climb where you will get out of the saddle if you don’t want to walk…… especially with the race photographers lurking there! Another long very fast decent follows down to the Salt River. Exhilarating!! If you hit the cement road section please use the brakes – there is a seriously dangerous corner just before the river. The lads waving the flags are there for good reason. Now for the last little detail of the race – the climb up to Simola. Do not be dishearted by the steepness of the first 300m of the Simola Climb, it flattens out. If you can call riding in Granny Gear with tired legs flattening out! A lovely 2.7 km and 177m climb. Relief. Just love the some 80 odd km/h downhill that follows. Balls to the wall for the last 5 km. Flat but always a headwind. Do not listen to your legs, the beers are waiting…
Lizzard30 Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 How a seasoned back-marker pretending to be a midfielder sees the K2C... No matter what they say it is a great event. You see arid Karoo, dramatic mountains, trout farms, national wonders, indigenous and commercial forests. Yes, eventually the sea too. Call it the Argus of mountain biking. No technical sections (some call 10% incline technical), free-flowing with lots of people around you all the time. An abundance chirping and joking. All this going downhill. The ascent is 1750 but that is not too scary in the light of the distance and quality of the road. On the bright side you decent 2424m! The race starts with an easy loop of 5km on tar to string out the field before the Ou Wapad. Try and be in the front of the pack, once on the Ou Wapad you cannot pass. You cycle past the locals who might shout things as “sit djy agtesifoor op djou fiets of is djy net dik”!! Remember this is the biggest thing in Uniondale for the year. Very little malice. Lots of papsak. Die Ou Wapad is basically a tweespoor track (much smoother these days) and keeps you occupied for 5km and a 300m vertical climb. Don’t stop and if some poephol gets off his bike in front of you in certain sections you will walk for a while as you simply cannot get up again. But that is part of the race. At the top is the first water point and the first 10k’s are done. The decent is bone-ratteling. Konsentreer, of jy lê ook in die pad soos al die waterbottels. The man-boobs will indeed get a couple of stretch-marks. You meander through some farms and cross under the ODN/Kareedouw road at Avontuur. This hails the next drag up to the top of the Prince Alfred Pass. It is rather gentle, climbing 170m over 4.5 km. Now some serious and fast downhill. All 13 km of it. My favourite part. Mostly freewheeling and being easy on the brakes. Just be careful as the pass bottoms out. This is the most beautiful part but with very sharp corners. Either go slow or cut back on the sightseeing. The business end of the race looms. At DeVlugt (Known as Angi’s G-spot) you are 35k into the race and the first of the two main hills. 6.3 km en 310m climb should keep you busy for a while. Take it easy, there is more to come. Don’t be too happy if you see the water point. For some obscure reason it is 2km from the top of the hill! I think they might have changed it to the top.The following downhill gives some respite before another 4.7km uphill with 260 m of climbing. The first part (1km) is quite steep but thereafter it is pretty nice. There is a slight respite at 52 km with a fairly short decent. Rest well on this decent. Next up is the long drag of 7km and 160 m climb up to Buffelsnek. If it is very hot suffering on this part is par for the course. If you have looked after yourself on the two climbs you should pass a lot of cyclist here. At Buffelsnek you can consider yourself out of jail. 35 km to go and another long downhill from here! 10 km as a matter of fact! Once more freewheeling is at the order of the day. At Kom-se-Pad you turn into the proper Knysna Forest. Beautiful if you have anything left in the legs. It is slightly uphill with a few kickers. Normally one of the nicest sections if you are not cramping. 8 km and 170 m of climbing. It ends with a very steep short climb where you will get out of the saddle if you don’t want to walk…… especially with the race photographers lurking there! Another long very fast decent follows down to the Salt River. Exhilarating!! If you hit the cement road section please use the brakes – there is a seriously dangerous corner just before the river. The lads waving the flags are there for good reason. Now for the last little detail of the race – the climb up to Simola. Do not be dishearted by the steepness of the first 300m of the Simola Climb, it flattens out. If you can call riding in Granny Gear with tired legs flattening out! A lovely 2.7 km and 177m climb. Relief. Just love the some 80 odd km/h downhill that follows. Balls to the wall for the last 5 km. Flat but always a headwind. Do not listen to your legs, the beers are waiting…This is the best layout of the race ive ever seen.. well done on giving a perfect run down....
Boerklong Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 After a bowl of 2min noodles and a couple of glasses of wine I have decided to start training for this on Saturday. With 4 weekends of training remaining I have set myself the goal of a sub 5:30.
Marlene14 Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 Exxellent explained... Im nervous! How a seasoned back-marker pretending to be a midfielder sees the K2C... No matter what they say it is a great event. You see arid Karoo, dramatic mountains, trout farms, national wonders, indigenous and commercial forests. Yes, eventually the sea too. Call it the Argus of mountain biking. No technical sections (some call 10% incline technical), free-flowing with lots of people around you all the time. An abundance chirping and joking. All this going downhill. The ascent is 1750 but that is not too scary in the light of the distance and quality of the road. On the bright side you decent 2424m! The race starts with an easy loop of 5km on tar to string out the field before the Ou Wapad. Try and be in the front of the pack, once on the Ou Wapad you cannot pass. You cycle past the locals who might shout things as “sit djy agtesifoor op djou fiets of is djy net dik”!! Remember this is the biggest thing in Uniondale for the year. Very little malice. Lots of papsak. Die Ou Wapad is basically a tweespoor track (much smoother these days) and keeps you occupied for 5km and a 300m vertical climb. Don’t stop and if some poephol gets off his bike in front of you in certain sections you will walk for a while as you simply cannot get up again. But that is part of the race. At the top is the first water point and the first 10k’s are done. The decent is bone-ratteling. Konsentreer, of jy lê ook in die pad soos al die waterbottels. The man-boobs will indeed get a couple of stretch-marks. You meander through some farms and cross under the ODN/Kareedouw road at Avontuur. This hails the next drag up to the top of the Prince Alfred Pass. It is rather gentle, climbing 170m over 4.5 km. Now some serious and fast downhill. All 13 km of it. My favourite part. Mostly freewheeling and being easy on the brakes. Just be careful as the pass bottoms out. This is the most beautiful part but with very sharp corners. Either go slow or cut back on the sightseeing. The business end of the race looms. At DeVlugt (Known as Angi’s G-spot) you are 35k into the race and the first of the two main hills. 6.3 km en 310m climb should keep you busy for a while. Take it easy, there is more to come. Don’t be too happy if you see the water point. For some obscure reason it is 2km from the top of the hill! I think they might have changed it to the top.The following downhill gives some respite before another 4.7km uphill with 260 m of climbing. The first part (1km) is quite steep but thereafter it is pretty nice. There is a slight respite at 52 km with a fairly short decent. Rest well on this decent. Next up is the long drag of 7km and 160 m climb up to Buffelsnek. If it is very hot suffering on this part is par for the course. If you have looked after yourself on the two climbs you should pass a lot of cyclist here. At Buffelsnek you can consider yourself out of jail. 35 km to go and another long downhill from here! 10 km as a matter of fact! Once more freewheeling is at the order of the day. At Kom-se-Pad you turn into the proper Knysna Forest. Beautiful if you have anything left in the legs. It is slightly uphill with a few kickers. Normally one of the nicest sections if you are not cramping. 8 km and 170 m of climbing. It ends with a very steep short climb where you will get out of the saddle if you don’t want to walk…… especially with the race photographers lurking there! Another long very fast decent follows down to the Salt River. Exhilarating!! If you hit the cement road section please use the brakes – there is a seriously dangerous corner just before the river. The lads waving the flags are there for good reason. Now for the last little detail of the race – the climb up to Simola. Do not be dishearted by the steepness of the first 300m of the Simola Climb, it flattens out. If you can call riding in Granny Gear with tired legs flattening out! A lovely 2.7 km and 177m climb. Relief. Just love the some 80 odd km/h downhill that follows. Balls to the wall for the last 5 km. Flat but always a headwind. Do not listen to your legs, the beers are waiting…
Ferro Posted August 30, 2017 Posted August 30, 2017 "How a seasoned back-marker pretending to be a midfielder see...snip"Really enjoyed this description. Going to share it with a buddy doing his first k2c. Thanks!
Lizzard30 Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 After a bowl of 2min noodles and a couple of glasses of wine I have decided to start training for this on Saturday. With 4 weekends of training remaining I have set myself the goal of a sub 5:30.Nee wat jy is n natural...2018 wil ek ook n sub Boerklong ry...
bj horn Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 The hill that gets me every time is the little hill just before waterpoint 7,short, sharp,hot,thirsty,hungry & moeg .Ek verlang sommer huistoe!
Ferro Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 The hill that gets me every time is the little hill just before waterpoint 7,short, sharp,hot,thirsty,hungry & moeg .Ek verlang sommer huistoe! Is that the waterpoint where the forest opens up and there's deepheat rub-and-go volunteers?
Robbie Stewart Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Is that the waterpoint where the forest opens up and there's deepheat rub-and-go volunteers? I sat there on my toptube trying to stay upright, watching a guy summit this devil of a climb, dismount and walk away from his bike. He left the bike in the upright position, in the middle of the road. It crashed down in a spectacular fashion. It was a very high end carbon frame. I think it may have been Cannondale.
Boerklong Posted August 31, 2017 Posted August 31, 2017 Nee wat jy is n natural...2018 wil ek ook n sub Boerklong ry...Kry ek nou so suur smaak in my mond
Bosbrommer Posted September 1, 2017 Posted September 1, 2017 Also my first K2C. Looking forward! Some great tips here. I have been contemplating...to use my sub 9kg hardtail or my dual suss? How bad is the road in general? Leaning towards the hardtail at this stage. What do you guys think? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Neill Du Toit Posted September 1, 2017 Posted September 1, 2017 I would say light hardtail ????Did it last year on a rigid 26er and had no issues.
LeoKnight Posted September 1, 2017 Author Posted September 1, 2017 Also my first K2C. Looking forward! Some great tips here. I have been contemplating...to use my sub 9kg hardtail or my dual suss? How bad is the road in general? Leaning towards the hardtail at this stage. What do you guys think? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Ooo looking forward to the replies on this, also need to make a choice, but mine not so much a sub 9. So not a weight thing as a gearing thing. got a 3X10 on my hard tail and a 2X10 on dual sus
Skubarra Posted September 1, 2017 Posted September 1, 2017 Also my first K2C. Looking forward! Some great tips here. I have been contemplating...to use my sub 9kg hardtail or my dual suss? How bad is the road in general? Leaning towards the hardtail at this stage. What do you guys think? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Imo, if you don't opt for your hardtail for this race then might as well sell it
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