[Event] The Munga MTB 2017

[Vetseun]

Dankie Vetseun!

 

What did you do wrt lighting? Did you have backup batteries for each night in the wild? I have an ExtremeLights Endurance that can do 200 lumen for 40hrs and 750 lumen for 10hrs. I guess the 200 lumens won't surfice in the middle of the Karoo?

I left my extreme light at home and took a led lenzer commuting light. Wrong decision imo. Next time I will take the extreme light. The led lenzer was super heavy on AAA batteries and didnt give sufficient light. It was full moon so there were times when I could ride without any lights on. But on the scary surfaces, an extreme light would gave been a better option.

[Slowbee]

We were in Sutherland I think. I was really tired, physically but more mentally from lack of sleep.

My ass was smashed. Just before we left I wanted to apply some Fissan paste to my bum as I knew what was waiting for me. By that time people didnt care anymore, you pull your bibs down apply whatever and dont give a crap if anybody is watching.

I dropped my bibs reached into my bag grabbed the tube , squirted a liberal amount into my hand and applied in one fluid motion. The tingling was instant,.I had squirted and applied colgate toothpaste!

The poor lady had to bring me a wet towel to clean myself with.It gave those present a good laugh.

 

you could have shaved another 12 hrs right there .. toothpaste and toothbrush, that extra weight would have made all the difference. I mean I know you want your teeth to shine at night so your fan club can support you - but that is hardcore at another level !

 

 

Nice one Vettie !!

[edgarblount]

Hope Vettie doesn't mind me getting involved in answering this.....I ran with the Extreme light at 200 Lumens the entire way.

 

You aren't looking at lighting up the Karoo, you just want to see whats ahead of you. At times you may switch to 750 Lumens, but that may be just for a short technical section.

 

200 lumens is more than enough.

Thanks Buffallo.

 

I guess some of the secondary battery packs were to keep GPS units going? I saw some photos of riders with at least 4 battery packs taped to their frames.

Edited December 7, 2017 by edgarblount

[DikBuffalo]

Thanks Buffallo.

 

I guess some of the secondary battery packs were to keep GPS units going? I saw some photos of riders with at least 4 battery packs taped to their frames.

 

The race lends itself to a huge amount of fear of the unknown, so yes, there are always going to be a number of people with backup batteries, and then backups of those. 

 

I had one backup, which was a small 150 lumen head lamp that runs on AAA batteries (very light and hence no neck ache).

Good to see the garmin on low setting and if there really was trouble with the primary light, I could use this as backup - and to carry 3 small AAA batteries as spare is not much weight.

 

This also lasted the entire way.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Buffallo

[gogo@]

Question re navigation and Garmin... would an Edge 500 do the job? Or do you need something more sophisticated to deal with mapping?

[Vetseun]

Question re navigation and Garmin... would an Edge 500 do the job? Or do you need something more sophisticated to deal with mapping?

I think an edge 500 will do the job. I think I saw one one Gerald Celes bike

[taito]

Thank the pope we are not in the Tankwa stretch now,,it's surely 50 deg out there

[gogo@]

I think an edge 500 will do the job. I think I saw one one Gerald Celes bike

Cool. Demn. There goes another excuse!

[Vetseun]

Cool. Demn. There goes another excuse!

Hahaahaa. Ja I also ran out if excuses. Believe me Bud. It is doable. It will change your outlook on life in terms of that you are capable of as a human being

['Dale]

We were in Sutherland I think. I was really tired, physically but more mentally from lack of sleep.

My ass was smashed. Just before we left I wanted to apply some Fissan paste to my bum as I knew what was waiting for me. By that time people didnt care anymore, you pull your bibs down apply whatever and dont give a crap if anybody is watching.

I dropped my bibs reached into my bag grabbed the tube , squirted a liberal amount into my hand and applied in one fluid motion. The tingling was instant,.I had squirted and applied colgate toothpaste!

The poor lady had to bring me a wet towel to clean myself with.It gave those present a good laugh.

Great story

Feel the burn baby

[JJS]

My quick (by no means in detail) account of my Munga 2017 experience

 

Bloem-VDK: Nice ride, hurricane winds for about 30min outside bloem, arrived 00:30, couldn't sleep (too much caffeine), set out 3am

 

VDK-Britstown: Falling asleep on the bike until sunrise, tricky navigation into petrusville, corrugations (im on a hardtail), had a tailwind from WP3 - WP4, some ice cold homemade choc milk! Really suffered last 50km into britstown, was hot and windy! had a good 2hrs sleep in britstown

 

Britstown - Loxton: I set out at about 17:00, it was hot and we had a head wind, trail magic at about 50km, coldest water ever from a friendly farmer! Some more falling asleep on the bike and a real struggle to get to WP6(treat of a water point, friendliest people they even made pancakes at 2am!), set out for loxton at 5am, arrived 7am. Had a nice scrambled egg breakfast in Loxton and 3hrs sleep!

 

Loxton - Sutherland: Started just after 2pm. TOUGH as nuts. it was hot, it was windy, I hurled a few times 30km from loxton, WP7 very nice, slept an hour here, Fraserburg was closed at 9pm, and then some horrible jeep track to WP8, didn't sleep at WP8 and made for Sutherland. arrived in Sutherland just after 6am. broken...finished...klaar.

 

Sutherland - Ceres: had a nice breakfast, 3hrs sleep, made for ouberg pass just after 2pm again hot and windy. Ouberg pass is much higher than I thought, you reach frightening speeds on your way down. WP9 was good, 1hrs sleep. Luckily had the Tankwa during darkness, WP10 had no sleeping space for me, had 5min on that red capret! Made for Ceres at 00:30, more falling asleep and sleeping in the road next to red romans, had some hallucinations and a coloured oke chased me to steal my bike, no really it happened. Got into Ceres at 6am.

 

Bain's kloof feels never ending and it started to rain.

 

I finished the Munga in just under 4days.

I could have been more efficient in the race villages in terms of time. Try to keep momentum even if you're going slow and if you can practice and learn how to fall asleep real quick, it will help.

 

I will do it again in a heartbeat! I think the entries open 1st of Jan!

[Help.Me.]

Vettes please share your training regime for this Munga BEAST....

Vettes please sommer hier op die draad....

[Wet Ears]

My quick (by no means in detail) account of my Munga 2017 experience

 

Bloem-VDK: Nice ride, hurricane winds for about 30min outside bloem, arrived 00:30, couldn't sleep (too much caffeine), set out 3am

 

VDK-Britstown: Falling asleep on the bike until sunrise, tricky navigation into petrusville, corrugations (im on a hardtail), had a tailwind from WP3 - WP4, some ice cold homemade choc milk! Really suffered last 50km into britstown, was hot and windy! had a good 2hrs sleep in britstown

 

Britstown - Loxton: I set out at about 17:00, it was hot and we had a head wind, trail magic at about 50km, coldest water ever from a friendly farmer! Some more falling asleep on the bike and a real struggle to get to WP6(treat of a water point, friendliest people they even made pancakes at 2am!), set out for loxton at 5am, arrived 7am. Had a nice scrambled egg breakfast in Loxton and 3hrs sleep!

 

Loxton - Sutherland: Started just after 2pm. TOUGH as nuts. it was hot, it was windy, I hurled a few times 30km from loxton, WP7 very nice, slept an hour here, Fraserburg was closed at 9pm, and then some horrible jeep track to WP8, didn't sleep at WP8 and made for Sutherland. arrived in Sutherland just after 6am. broken...finished...klaar.

 

Sutherland - Ceres: had a nice breakfast, 3hrs sleep, made for ouberg pass just after 2pm again hot and windy. Ouberg pass is much higher than I thought, you reach frightening speeds on your way down. WP9 was good, 1hrs sleep. Luckily had the Tankwa during darkness, WP10 had no sleeping space for me, had 5min on that red capret! Made for Ceres at 00:30, more falling asleep and sleeping in the road next to red romans, had some hallucinations and a coloured oke chased me to steal my bike, no really it happened. Got into Ceres at 6am.

 

Bain's kloof feels never ending and it started to rain.

 

I finished the Munga in just under 4days.

I could have been more efficient in the race villages in terms of time. Try to keep momentum even if you're going slow and if you can practice and learn how to fall asleep real quick, it will help.

 

I will do it again in a heartbeat! I think the entries open 1st of Jan!

Some funny stuff in there - thanks for sharing. Did the red romans steal any hair for a nest?

Heard about a few guys throwing up, do you think that is due to something you ate/drank or just due to fatigue/circumstances?

[eddy]

I noticed some of the big guns were wearing two bibs. I saw Tracy Campbell wrapping her extra bibs and warm jacket over her saddle and then taping it to the seatpost in Sutherland. So her bum must have been really eina.

 

in retrospect, and knowing what a lovely bike you rode on, would the ideal bike be a HT or DS ?

[Vetseun]

in retrospect, and knowing what a lovely bike you rode on, would the ideal bike be a HT or DS ?

HT all the way . It was amazing how many HT bikes with Lauf forks there were. And if you really want to go hardcore, you put a Jones H Bar on as well..Im already ordering mine.

The mechanics were working overtime with the duals. That fine baby powder dust gets in every where. I had no issues at all.

[Sepia]

HT all the way . It was amazing how many HT bikes with Lauf forks there were. And if you really want to go hardcore, you put a Jones H Bar on as well..Im already ordering mine.

The mechanics were working overtime with the duals. That fine baby powder dust gets in every where. I had no issues at all.

@ Vetseun

 

If you are ordering a Jones bar, please would you include an order for me?

Can PM further details if possible.  Split the postage.

Thanks

Edited December 8, 2017 by Sepia