[Event] Trans Baviaans Repeat

[Cookie88]

Harrowing Wind & Treacherous Road = Epic Adventure

[Pure Savage]

Harrowing Wind & Treacherous Road = Epic Adventure

You going to get a lawyer letter for using that word for the wrong event.

[GAP]

Harrowing Wind & Treacherous Road = Epic Adventure

Your wish came true..Trans always delivers.

[UnclePolli]

Now that my kit is on the washing line, shoes properly drying out in the sun and my bike washed before it goes to the shop for a rear wheel rebuild i can "sit down" finally (relative term, technically im in front of a standing desk)

 

Being a two first timers for this one and some tips from those whom have gone before we ended-up being a newbie team of 2 we headed to willowmore with high hopes of a 14hour finish time.

That night during the racebiefing and having some pasta from the tannies in the kerk saal the question was asked whom is first timers.  90% raised their hands and the guy with the mic just smiled. qurious about the amount of first timers, i left it there in the back of my mind.  Usually these events are more a 70% repeat splits.

 

The koshuis where we stayed really brought some old memories back and when the bell went off the next morning to get up and again for breakfast i was transformed back in time and really enjoyed the experience again.  You will only understand this if you where a koshuis kind at some point in your life.

 

The morning we started the cloud covering was friendly gift to not overhead, it also kept the temp higher than a cloudless karoo night in the end of winter.  The wind was perfect for a pilot flying from george to cpt in a prop powered two seater and we knew our time was a 50/50.

 

the open plains provided some scenery for the next 100km with some excitement of sinkplaat.  Saw a couple of crashes due to some hiding in the wind and overlapping, but all got up and carried on.    As per clear instructions from those who went before, we kept our time at checkpoints fast and had a max allowance per cp.  All went smooth and according to plan our time was touch and go at cp2, but the wind died down and wasnt an issue in the real kloof.  then 2km before the little gate into the baviaans my partner commented on whobbly running back wheel,  looking down a saw it had 2mm of tyre clearance on the seat stay at the valve when it went round - odd i though and carried on looking down now every couple of minutes.  That gap got smaller and smaller and we stopped just after the gate to have a look. Time does not apply when you are in mechanic mode and this helps to fix once only instead of every 10 minutes.  

The culprit was found to be a broken spoke and we played a bit with the odd and end spokes to get it more to a acceptable clearance wobbly.  8min unplanned stoppage, bit time still good....Careful riding was needed till CP3 after this so the smoothest lines and flattest rocks where chosen with limited weight on the back wheel when there was an unavoidable obstacle.

 

Enter CP3 and straight to mechanic stand whilst partner sorted the crate.  i was number 3 in the Q and seeing the bikes that was before me i realized that i am fortunate.  broken derailleurs, missing jockey wheels and a wheel with 4 spokes broken....Here the decision was made to wait for the mechanic cause another broken spoke will spell disaster for us in a kloof at night with zero reception and someone to pick you up.  the wonder kid did his thing by trying to get my wheel as close to center as he could and just to get me till the end.   Thanks bud you are my rock star.  After this our time was not of any consequence anymore and that made the riding relaxing (mentally speaking as the MAC would quickly dispel the zen)  I really would like to see what it looks like in the daytime because it must be spectacular with the line of lights zigzagging up when you look at it from the bottom.

 

After the left turn to CP4 i felt empty like all my cells in my body was drained of their essence.  Here i decided to do a complete kit change, filled up on koffee had a chokkie melkie and was on my way again, the full kit change was just what the shrink would have ordered and this turned out to be my race defining moment.  Dry, warm, clean ready for the slog homeward.

 

CP5 came quickly after my 2200 lum decent from CP4 and here we had a chip roll as ordered by a friend that did it last weekend.  The proper solid food felt great and a koffie to enjoy, chains lubed we headed out.  as we left CP5 there where no lights in front or the back and we almost missed the turn right onto the gravel road.  I know there is no route marking etc, but at such a critical turnoff right after the CP i felt it would not harm to have just a little arrow when you are tired an easy mistake will be to just carry on with the tar road.

 

we went up the first hill out of the valley and i thought what is this never ender nonsense only to  realize that we haven't even started it yet !!  CP6 finally greeted us and a battery change swop was performed.  My partner showed his first sign of being human when the road went up a tat more after CP6 and i think i heard him say this is enough now its not needed anymore.  I think the fact that this is ridden at night for me makes it not so daunting, i can only imagine the mental effect this will have on you to see where it snakes up and around for km's on end.

 

We caught up to a bunch on route to CP7 and suddenly we hear a whistle being blown...did someone fall, are they OK, turns out he was celebrating the double century mark!!  CP7 - coffee and a jaffle and after this the pace significantly increased.  We flew up mini MAC and really pushed the pace after that.  heading into the last right turn railway line i though to myself why, why to race organizers always do this when you have suffered so much already.  I decided to use this energy and channel it into watts per kg and just hammered the tailwind for the first time during the whole ride just made me do it harder. i emptied myself here and when i turned left after the wall to see the finish line i knew it was over.  There was no crying, no emotional outburst nothing nada, just a calm blissfulness.  Missed our target time by 1 hour, but that did not matter anymore the fact that did not have to sit on my saddle anymore was a better achievement that chasing that 14hours.

 

Great event, good people, well behaved fellow cyclists with good attitude and manners.  one of the best i have experienced.  Lost of technical and i still cant figure out why.  Yes it is rough, but only really for the 80km jeep track its not as if is mountainous trail-riding terrain.  the rest is district gravel roads.

 

Congrats to all finisher and best of luck for non-finishers, i hope all got home safely.

 

I have already started planning for next year in order to make sure i DONT have to that again......at least till next week, then i will reconsider 

[Pure Savage]

Our Race report is done! Well done to the Savages Waldo and Malcolm, I have never shouted at a whatsapp thread so loudly!

 

It was really exciting to 'watch', also good training for DC.

 

http://bit.ly/SavageRepeat

 

Enjoy

[babse]

Our Race report is done! Well done to the Savages Waldo and Malcolm, I have never shouted at a whatsapp thread so loudly!

 

It was really exciting to 'watch', also good training for DC.

 

http://bit.ly/SavageRepeat

 

Enjoy

guys did well!!!

 

even manage to get brendon into the race report. #respect 

[Pure Savage]

guys did well!!!

 

even manage to get brendon into the race report. #respect

What, I didn’t even see that!

[Pure Savage]

What, I didn’t even see that!

I see it was a para that was replaced this morning before release [emoji1787][emoji1787]

[milky4130]

guys did well!!!

 

even manage to get brendon into the race report. #respect

thanks babse it’s time you take on a real MTB race ????????????

[WaldoZ]

guys did well!!!

 

even manage to get brendon into the race report. #respect 

 

You have to sneak him in there..