2017 Wines2Whales

[Adrian Fogg]

I did my fiirst W2W over the weekend & first 3 day stage race.

 

My 2c!!!

 

The registration was awesome we didn't wait at all, in and out. 

Day 1: Started in D Batch. The route was great, i'm also a proud owner of some land on Lourensford estate aswell LOL

The wind was terrible and at times we were either almost blown off the bike or weren't allowed to cycle over the bridges. The portage was great and humbling to see how the Ox wagons have carved the tracks in the rocks.

 

Day 2 : Started in D Batch. Was tough but enjoyable, i enjoy riding singletrack and my Anthem 650B was perfect for it. The weather gods did crank up the heat aswell, so the shade at waterpoint 2 was a welcome site. Vissie's Magic was the highlight of the day, i wanted to turn around and go ride it again. My partner was in the pretty much in the pain cave all day, so i didn't think he would approved. LOL

 

Day 3 : We started in E Batch. Now the weather GOD had fired the temp right up and we were cooking from the start. Route was great and the last bit of singletrack through the Hermanus trails was the best of the lot. From waterpoint 2 it was my turn to jump in the pain cave and i dug deep. I think the heat just kicked my butt properly. The loose sand from gaf se bos made for a few close calls and some uncleating & self correcting myself. The finish was a welcome relief and bit of a disappointment as it was all over. But I guess all good things must come to an end. 

 

The race village was great. We stayed in the normal yellow tents, the mattresses we comfy aswell. Ear plugs were essential as there was pretty of okes cutting wood all night. I would suggest to try squeeze in a small fold up chair. Not so great trying to put your shoes on or off and then the CRAMP in your calf says "HOWZIT".... LOL

 

My only cons would be:

 

To ensure that the waterpoint serve COLD water. The coke was cold THANK YOU.  

The guys/ladies talking at the waterpoints. NO i would rather have some good tunes it creates a better vibe.

AND mini butters at breakfast & dinner for the bread served. World Class events shouldn't serve big block of butter that is rock hard... 

 

Other than that i had an absolute jol, but would i go back next week. NO i would go ride another stage race. We have so many so i try something new..

 

Anyways my 2c.

 

Have a swell day!!!

[dev null]

We are here in Hermanus. I got her home. I was super strong today. She struggled at Gaf Se Bos and had to motivate her, but she made it somehow.

 

 

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[Wannabe]

Congrats Moridin.

Enjoy the rest.

[GLuvsMtb]

We are here in Hermanus. I got her home. I was super strong today. She struggled at Gaf Se Bos and had to motivate her, but she made it somehow.

 

 

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Well done! Have a good rest and come back stronger and better prepared next year!

 

 

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[LeoKnight]

We are here in Hermanus. I got her home. I was super strong today. She struggled at Gaf Se Bos and had to motivate her, but she made it somehow.

 

 

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Nearly made an accident trying to check if there was an update from your side confirming the good news. 

 

My partner who also struggled a bit with a bug the first two days, really came into his own today, and we started passing others along the way, and it made the ride so much more fun with both going at their own normal speed.  And I am sure your wife was very grateful at the end

 

PS, do they normally take in the boards to recycle them for the following year, because this time around they did not, so fair to assume there might be a change in board / branding / technology (especially in light of the Iron Man purchase)

Edited November 1, 2017 by LeoKnight

[Fox3]

Done and dusted...first ever all finished and safe at home. Man it was hot.

[Fox3]

Gonna give an opinion in due course...some rest first. So glad everyone is good.

[LeoKnight]

Done and dusted...first ever all finished and safe at home. Man it was hot.

 

Enjoyed the experience?  

 

For me it was a first time experience, and very glad I did it, all round fun and games.  And will not be able to listen to KONGOS - Come with Me Now without thinking of the ride / start

[dev null]

Well done! Have a good rest and come back stronger and better prepared next year!

 

 

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Thing is: how do one train your body to handle extended periods of 45 degrees on an exposed mountainside? Both me and my wife trained together. Her body could handle it, mine not. Mine went into a state where it started pushing out any water I took in. Obviously, I was not yet recovered properly by the second day.

 

When we climbed over Gantouw at 13h30 on Monday it was already 39 degrees that side of the mountain. On the A-Z trails side it was much hotter. With absolutely no moving air to cool you down.

Edited November 1, 2017 by Moridin

[GLuvsMtb]

Thing is: how do one train you body to handle extended periods of 45 degrees on an exposed mountainside? Both me and my wife trained together. Her body could handle it, mine not. Mine went into a state where it started pushing out any water I took in. Obviously, I was not yet recovered properly by the second day.

 

When we climbed over Gantouw at 13h30 on Monday it was already 39 degrees that side of the mountain. On the A-Z trails side it was much hotter. With absolutely no moving air to cool you down.

I guess you can look at the time you go training. We all, particularly in summer, tend to go riding early to miss the heat. Perhaps move a few training rides to say 11am to 2pm this summer. Muscle memory will be built for next summer. Its the same for riding in the wind. We tend to not go ride if it is unpleasant. Force yourself to do at least one in five rides in the wind, even if it is a short ride. It helps.

 

Edit: also try to do a few day hikes. Say 1 a month. Many struggle with the portage and cannot recover sufficiently for the remainder of day 1.

 

 

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Edited November 1, 2017 by GLuvsMtb

[dev null]

My heroes for this W2W were the medics.

 

They had a hard day at office on Day 1 and 2 with people dropping like flies from heat exhaustion, dehydration and crashes caused by exhaustion from the heat, and they were everywhere.

 

My wife came upon a lady on the top of Gantouw that passed out and barfed from the heat. She had no idea where she was and where her partner was. He was nowhere to be seen and my wife sort of tried to get a description of him. She could not even recall his name. Lucky the medics were there within 10 minutes.

[fabes]

Well done guys. That was brutal. Also finished my first W2W today. Moridin well done to even consider giving it another go on day 2 and 3 after the punishment your body took the day before shows character. Will post my opinions when I’m back in PE

[DIPSLICK]

Well done guys. That was brutal. Also finished my first W2W today. Moridin well done to even consider giving it another go on day 2 and 3 after the punishment your body took the day before shows character. Will post my opinions when I’m back in PE

We want a Myles type, detailed report please big guy

[Pulse]

Thing is: how do one train your body to handle extended periods of 45 degrees on an exposed mountainside? Both me and my wife trained together. Her body could handle it, mine not. Mine went into a state where it started pushing out any water I took in. Obviously, I was not yet recovered properly by the second day.

 

When we climbed over Gantouw at 13h30 on Monday it was already 39 degrees that side of the mountain. On the A-Z trails side it was much hotter. With absolutely no moving air to cool you down.

There has been some studies done in running.

Smaller riders have larger body surface area per unit of weight, so they have a bigger area to sweat and cool off. Thats perhaps why your wife wasn't affected so badly.

Training in the heat should help, but be aware that the more you push too far and develop heat exhaustion, the more prone you will become to developing heat exhaustion

[Skubarra]

There has been some studies done in running.

Smaller riders have larger body surface area per unit of weight, so they have a bigger area to sweat and cool off. Thats perhaps why your wife wasn't affected so badly.

Training in the heat should help, but be aware that the more you push too far and develop heat exhaustion, the more prone you will become to developing heat exhaustion

 

dr told something similar to me after the Epic Day 1 earlier this year where a number of people fell out due to the heat (wasn't that also on the W2W routes?) Apparently some people's bodies are just better at dealing with extreme heat than others, more to do with genetics than fitness.

[PhilipV]

Thing is: how do one train your body to handle extended periods of 45 degrees on an exposed mountainside? Both me and my wife trained together. Her body could handle it, mine not. Mine went into a state where it started pushing out any water I took in. Obviously, I was not yet recovered properly by the second day.

 

When we climbed over Gantouw at 13h30 on Monday it was already 39 degrees that side of the mountain. On the A-Z trails side it was much hotter. With absolutely no moving air to cool you down.

Conditioning.

When the 24hr moved to Oak Valley for the first time the heat caught me out. As a solo rider I did a lot of laps over the heat of the day and it smashed me. In the face. With a chair.

 

Then in the coming summer I changed all my rides to start at 8am, riding until 1pm (I was a single man, had a lot of time,) to allow my body to adapt to the heat, and for me to learn how to read my body's signals.

Next time round I was fine on 24hr even though it was lank hot again. And it helped for other warm rides as well.

 

Your W2W was a bit of an outlier, so even with good conditioning you would have been at risk.

Genwtics also play a role, but I'm a firm believer in training for conditions the you'll race in.

Alot of the Scandinavian and European riders at Epic train in saunas on indoor trainers. That must really suck, but every bit helps.