Munga musings from a novice - The Race - Part 4 of the Trilogy

[Shebeen]

 

Regarding the Leatherman, do you really feel it's necessary? What on the bike has a chance of breaking that will require the use of a Leatherman above that little mutli-tool you have packed?

 

you want to work with bloudraad with your fingers? nee man leatherman is not a bad move, can also use it to cut biltong and cableties.

[Trackz]

Handy thread!

 

From Freedom Trail experience ...

 

"sew his tyre together with fishing line and a needle to prevent the tube from popping out."

I carry a needle & tooth floss as standard item in my puncture bag. Have always thought it could double as stitches to close up a wound but haven't tried that yet ;-). Works perfectly though for keeping a badly cut sidewall together.

 

I didn't see any sealant in your kit pics, may have missed it. Carry one of those free Squirt Cleaner bottles filled with Stan's + a 10ml syringe, has saved me many times. Can either be used to top up a leaking tubeless tyre or once you are forced to a tube .. can get some sealant into the tube. If you lucky it helps prevent using a tube by extending the tubeless (if that makes sense).

Edited November 1, 2018 by Trackz

[V12man]

Enjoyed putting my thoughts in permanent memory.  For the bum cream - yup that's it.  I didn't put it directly on the chamois as its quite thick and gets in there anyway.   As you're probably read in other posts everyone gets chafe of some sort so it looks like it comes down to how much is bearable.    

I know you will discover that on the chafe issue you get bib's and bib's... some are much better than others in terms of reducing chafe - as in the difference between raw and bleeding and wondering what the fuss about saddle sores is all about.... what seems to works for 80km can turn into a bed of nails by 120...

 

Whatever you do - keep the area sterile........ my favorite is a spray bottle  of surgical spirits... at every support point.

 

Please at all costs avoid using NSAIDS - Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories - they are kidney killers - I have posted about this a lot and a simple search will find everything.

 

Also - avoid sending your friends video clips mid race.... the level of rambling disjointed incoherence is very high... although the fat boy might just be like that normally..... he nearly got extracted.....

[DJR]

..........I carry a needle & tooth floss as standard item in my puncture bag. ..........

 

The dental floss advice is good!    Multi purpose stuff. Much more multi purpose than fishing line. In sample kits it takes up no space at all and weighs nothing. Good for fixing torn tyres, torn bibs and cleaning between your teeth, daily, like you are supposed to! You can actually catch fish with it as well. In fact, just for the Munga, ditch the toothbrush. (Or chop off half the handle to save weight and space - if you must have a daily brush.) Flossing alone will see you through!

 

As for a needle, get a curved one. They are better and easier to stitch with. Especially when stitching a wound.

Edited November 1, 2018 by DJR

[tinmug]

Fascinating read, thank you kindly for the thoughts.

 

What is the feeler gauge for?

[taito]

to measure the depth of your saddle sores.

[Carlog]

Fascinating read, thank you kindly for the thoughts.

 

What is the feeler gauge for?

What feeler gauge?

[AJG]

 

 

Whatever you do - keep the area sterile........ my favorite is a spray bottle  of surgical spirits... at every support point.

 

 

 

 

The best people I know that win multi day races that last up to 10 days or longer do them in the same pair of bibs. They may rinse them after 5 days. It's not bacteria that causes saddle sores it's friction and pressure. Now if you have an open sore thats a different story. Once the skin is broken you have to consider potential bacterial infection. 

[Slowbee]

Also remember to spray the surgical spirits in the correct place.

[tinmug]

What feeler gauge?

[RustyHWR]

Not a feeler gauge its looks like a blade to cut the plugs.

[Fitbull]

 

Unless my eyes deceive me that is a knife to cut the plugs but it isnt needed anyway because he can use the knife on the leatherman (if it has one??? mine does)

[Fitbull]

I am no expert on this and have not done the "research" you have done on the tyres but Schwalbe Rocket Rons would probably be my last choice. I gave up on Schwalbe a few years ago due to their lack of puncture resistance. What even "proves" it to me is your statement of having "only" 5 plugs in 2900km's of riding. My Rocket Rons ended up looking like a pin cushion with all the plugs I put in. Since switched to MAXXIS and with probably 5000kms, yes 5000..... I have 1 plug in the back because I thought they were invincible and rode over a broken bottle so stupidity on my part but otherwise I cant fault them. Probably not the lightest but I wont trade them for anything else.

[Baracuda]

I am no expert on this and have not done the "research" you have done on the tyres but Schwalbe Rocket Rons would probably be my last choice. I gave up on Schwalbe a few years ago due to their lack of puncture resistance. What even "proves" it to me is your statement of having "only" 5 plugs in 2900km's of riding. My Rocket Rons ended up looking like a pin cushion with all the plugs I put in. Since switched to MAXXIS and with probably 5000kms, yes 5000..... I have 1 plug in the back because I thought they were invincible and rode over a broken bottle so stupidity on my part but otherwise I cant fault them. Probably not the lightest but I wont trade them for anything else.

 

Similar experience with the Rockets, now on Vittoria saguaro / barzo combination and as tough as hell.

[Carlog]

I am no expert on this and have not done the "research" you have done on the tyres but Schwalbe Rocket Rons would probably be my last choice. I gave up on Schwalbe a few years ago due to their lack of puncture resistance. What even "proves" it to me is your statement of having "only" 5 plugs in 2900km's of riding. My Rocket Rons ended up looking like a pin cushion with all the plugs I put in. Since switched to MAXXIS and with probably 5000kms, yes 5000..... I have 1 plug in the back because I thought they were invincible and rode over a broken bottle so stupidity on my part but otherwise I cant fault them. Probably not the lightest but I wont trade them for anything else.

Good point of view.   I suppose that's the beauty of this pasttime.  Almost all decisions are a tradeoff.  There are very few cheaper solutions that will at the same time do the job faster at a higher quality.   All they have to do is the mungas 1000km's without a puncture!  I hope they do or its be BF Goodrich Mud terrains next time  

[Carlog]

Unless my eyes deceive me that is a knife to cut the plugs but it isnt needed anyway because he can use the knife on the leatherman (if it has one??? mine does)

Eyes like a hawk The leatherman is in my down tube with the kit for more serious issues.  I carry the blade, 4 plugs, plug tool (whatever its actually called), bomb and inflator in the jerry can bag where i can access it without having to dismantle my bike.