[Event] The 36ONE MTB Challenge 2018

[Dogs]

I am of the opinion that you shouldn't need to do more than a 6-hour training ride for anything like 36One, Baviaans, 24hr etc. If you can keep your body and mind together for 6 hours, you're pretty much good to go. Longer rides incur the recovery penalty - takes me a month to get over a 24hr, probably 3 weeks to get over 36One, and 2 weeks to get over the BigDayOut.

 

Afterall - 36One is just 4 90km stages. And anyone can ride 90kms, especially if there are water points every 30kms. Date balls and coca-cola. Food of champions!

Are you riding again?

[GAP]

Had to withdraw, family commitments    

[TrailWarrior]

eish, got hand foot and mouth from my daughter. no training since sunday

 

at least the fever is long gone so I'm cleared for some riding from today

 

Fanie, You doing 36One on a hardtail? If so, have you done the others on HT too? I'm torn whether to do it on a HT this year. I haven't been riding/training on my soft tail much....

[Velouria]

Are you riding again?

Like a sucker to a get rich seminar...

 

We have a stupid rule - if you win your category, you have to go back to defend your title. And we both know that despite everything we might say, we don't know how to not be competitive.

[TrailWarrior]

Hi All,

 

Don't know if I'm missing it somewhere but is there a limit to the time before the race that the doctor can sign off on your medical?

I normally go about two weeks before 36One. Just a quick in and out, signed and done..... 

I don't recall ever seeing a time frame but I guess it just comes down to common sense that it should be done close to the event date....... (Its also good for you as you get a clean bill of health, no stress or it could be the opposite which could be a life saver....just my 2c)

Edited March 29, 2018 by TrailWarrior

[hboli4]

I normally go about two weeks before 36One. Just a quick in and out, signed and done..... 

I don't recall ever seeing a time frame but I guess it just comes down to common sense that it should be done close to the event date....... (Its also good for you as you get a clean bill of health, no stress or it could be the opposite which could be a life saver....just my 2c)

 

Thanks. I was actually at the Doc yesterday and took the form along to ask him so long. None of the questions he has to complete is time specific, more general stuff and history so was wondering....

[Velouria]

Fanie, You doing 36One on a hardtail? If so, have you done the others on HT too? I'm torn whether to do it on a HT this year. I haven't been riding/training on my soft tail much....

 

The deciding factor for me would be the bike's gearing. There are so many big flat wide roads that you want to be able to push a gear and not spin out. The hills are not that bad (yes, I know that they become awful horrible insurmountable mountains of suffering after 15 hours in the saddle), and you should be able to get over them with your granny.

 

If the gearing is the same, then ride the bike you know best. The one you trust. The one that you can ride on instinct. There is nothing worse than wondering for 14 hours if the sounds coming from your BB are the death throes of your 36One adventure and that you're going to be stuck in the pitch dark for hours on end until help arrives. You need to be in a happy place for this race, and anything that causes doubt should be left at home (I hope my partner isn't reading this - he is my biggest cause of doubt, yet at the same time I wouldn't consider doing this without him).

[jugheaddave]

I have done the last three 36one's on a Canondale flash running 1x10 (32-11-42), and never felt that I have ran out of gears. (maybe I dont pedal fast enough to run out of gears)

 

For me the deciding factor is weight (or the lack thereof)

[Dogs]

Like a sucker to a get rich seminar...

 

We have a stupid rule - if you win your category, you have to go back to defend your title. And we both know that despite everything we might say, we don't know how to not be competitive.

Great! So you'll be there in 2019 as well.

[Velouria]

I have done the last three 36one's on a Canondale flash running 1x10 (32-11-42), and never felt that I have ran out of gears. (maybe I dont pedal fast enough to run out of gears)

 

For me the deciding factor is weight (or the lack thereof)

We played a little game at 36One last year. Since the solo guys start ahead of us, we had lots of targets to chase down (chasing red flashy lights can become quite addictive). But as we moved through the field, we ran the risk of collecting some passengers, so we'd always pull our overtaking moves on the flats, or on slight downhill sections where we could out pedal the victims. It was like a cheetah stalking a gazelle, and then pouncing!

 

That kept us busy for about 6 hours. Then we had to amuse ourselves with each other's company, and that wasn't nearly as much fun.

 

(I run a 2x11 38/28 on the front, 9-46 on the back, and my partner has a 3x10 44/34/22 11-36)

[maidenmole]

I am of the opinion that you shouldn't need to do more than a 6-hour training ride for anything like 36One, Baviaans, 24hr etc. If you can keep your body and mind together for 6 hours, you're pretty much good to go. Longer rides incur the recovery penalty - takes me a month to get over a 24hr, probably 3 weeks to get over 36One, and 2 weeks to get over the BigDayOut.

 

Afterall - 36One is just 4 90km stages. And anyone can ride 90kms, especially if there are water points every 30kms. Date balls and coca-cola. Food of champions!

Yoh, that’s a brave statement Dane. I would’ve said being able to do an 8hr ride (with minimal stops) is the bar, and to do a couple of them at least. But hey, squashing in these kinds of rides at this stage is looking for ***.

 

I second what you had to say about the bike - if it causes doubt, leave it at home. (although I think a HT is gonna not gonna be your friend by the time Stage 4 comes along).

[maidenmole]

We played a little game at 36One last year. Since the solo guys start ahead of us, we had lots of targets to chase down (chasing red flashy lights can become quite addictive). But as we moved through the field, we ran the risk of collecting some passengers, so we'd always pull our overtaking moves on the flats, or on slight downhill sections where we could out pedal the victims. It was like a cheetah stalking a gazelle, and then pouncing!

 

That kept us busy for about 6 hours. Then we had to amuse ourselves with each other's company, and that wasn't nearly as much fun.

 

(I run a 2x11 38/28 on the front, 9-46 on the back, and my partner has a 3x10 44/34/22 11-36)

I remember the foul look I got from a pair of cheetahs when this gazelle re-passed them

[Velouria]

 

 

re-passed

By then my partner had lost interest in racing and was on a mission to eat as much as he could from the water points.

 

And it was impossible to get him to leave Checkpoint 3 - they have pancakes!

[fanievb]

Fanie, You doing 36One on a hardtail? If so, have you done the others on HT too? I'm torn whether to do it on a HT this year. I haven't been riding/training on my soft tail much....

Yep on trusty old #varkhart (Giant XTC)

Previous attempt was also on it

 

I'm "comfy" on it as long as the corrugations don't last too long

[Velouria]

Yep on trusty old #varkhart (Giant XTC)

Previous attempt was also on it

 

I'm "comfy" on it as long as the corrugations don't last too long

The section I hated most on the hardtail was the long straight road before the railway crossing. It just felt like a very "hard" road. And then there is the field before the railway line - I'm convinced that farmer is actually farming rocks!

 

After that, I don't recall getting too upset with the riding conditions - either my brain has blocked all that out, or I was having issues with other things.

 

Oh yes - that section of dirt road from the last water point to the tar is rather unpleasant, but after 330kms, anything is going to be unpleasant!

[fanievb]

The section I hated most on the hardtail was the long straight road before the railway crossing. It just felt like a very "hard" road. And then there is the field before the railway line - I'm convinced that farmer is actually farming rocks!

 

After that, I don't recall getting too upset with the riding conditions - either my brain has blocked all that out, or I was having issues with other things.

 

Oh yes - that section of dirt road from the last water point to the tar is rather unpleasant, but after 330kms, anything is going to be unpleasant!

 

  if forgot about that railway section