Sani2C May 2021

[Dexter-morgan]

AND there is enough to eat, you will not go hungry.

[Steady Spin]

In terms of hydrating. Make 100% sure that you don't change anything when the race starts. Stick to exactly the same stuff you trained on. 

Don't think that taking gels with for the race will help you if you've never used them before. Your stomach will thank you later.

[TCTG]

S2C is not that technical so dont fret to much about that. The only really technical part is the Umkho drop and that can be done with relative ease (get you descending & cornering up to scratch). Fitness over multiple days is far more important, so the best is to ride a few weekends of 100km on Sat & Sun each. Thats really all the prep you will need. The rest is pure enjoyment factor. Check the scenery and even if you are in the hurt box appreciate the fact that you have the chance again to do a Sani stage race!!

Is this the Umkho drop you referred to?

https://youtu.be/BTbA_j5u1eU

Edited March 9, 2021 by TCTG

[JK7]

Go and do 2 yellow laps of Moddefontein, will give you a good workout as mentioned before can get boring doing more than 1 lap on one day

Really that easy? Never ridden Sani so genuinely curious if two loops is comparable. I ride modders a lot. So this surprised me.

[Paulst12]

Even if I was and maybe this is just me personally, I would not be able to move if I ate too much. Rather have more fluids and less food. But to each their own I guess. 

Martin is right... You drink for today and eat for tomorrow. Its a 3 day event so make sure you arent missing out of your kilojoules input for the next few days.

[Paulst12]

Is this the Umkho drop you referred to?

The one and only... its what everyone wants to do when they do S2C or J2C

[mrcg]

The one aspect is of course the training preparation.

Part of that is to also train your daily race/event management - which essentially means prepping before and after your ride, as well as personal maintenance during your ride.

IF this is your first stage event, bear in mind:

• to have some basic knowledge of bike repairs, to be able to sort yourself out on track
• prepare your bike before the ride (check, wash, clean, lube chain etc.) - or get the mechanic package
• find out what works for you in terms of hydration (what type and how often), as well as nutrition. During a ride, the pro's tend to eat/drink every +-20min (subjective situation) to prevent bonking. Do the same, but sip and nibble, don't "overindulge". Try stay away from sugars unless your bonking...
• find your correct pace - if you look around yourself you might notice the same riders accompanying you. Don't try follow somebody else's speed if it makes you go too hard. Use other riders for some drafting (if you have the skill and experience) or to follow lines (if you seem to have a decent rider in front of you)

Then there is the shower, food tent and tent protocols....to ensure you eat, feed, relax and get all the nights rest you need (remember the ear plugs). Do the massage package to loosen any tenseness for the next day. Enjoy the evening dinner show and soak up the vibe. It's great.

Umkho Drop is an absolute highlight. Try and position yourself that you have nobody in front of you. This means in the lead up to the drop, check who is around you. A lot of the faster crew ("roadies") are faster on uphills and flats, but quite a few slow down a lot on descents. If you enjoy descending and don't use the brake much this is where you will be mindblown. Not many descents like Umkho (pity about the sun in your eyes when you start very early).
Anyway, don't overthink it. Soak it up and enjoy. You will be back for more. One day, J2C. That's epic. Sorry Epic. Then one day, when you're big, and keen: Epic.
We have awesome events here in SA. Trails and scenery second to none.

[Dexter-morgan]

Really that easy? Never ridden Sani so genuinely curious if two loops is comparable. I ride modders a lot. So this surprised me.

No not comparable but nice training ride for a Saturday morning.

[AdamA]

In terms of hydrating. Make 100% sure that you don't change anything when the race starts. Stick to exactly the same stuff you trained on. 

 

Don't think that taking gels with for the race will help you if you've never used them before. Your stomach will thank you later.

 

^^^^

This!

 

I trained and rode with USN Epic Pro All in one. Magic stuff that tastes disgusting. It's expensive but works. But I used it 9 years ago so there may be something better on the market now.

 

Apparently Pepto Pro is the magic ingredient and you can buy it separately and add it to any drink

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/179156-usn-epic-pro-alternatives/

[Dexter-morgan]

forgot to mention, we did the Magalies mountain trophy, 2 day stage race just to gauge our fitness over the 2 days and it was good training

[KirJOL]

Slight departure from the discussion around training. The logistics around getting to Sani2C from Johannesburg, and back, seems a little arduous. This is my first Sani, and I've planned 3 possible scenarios, and I'd like some of the seasoned vets' opinions on which ones work best and are overall most cost-effective.

1. Get dropped off at start, then take airport shuttle and fly home from end, transporting the bike back up.
2. Drive to start, pay for car shuttle to finish, sleep over a night after the race, and drive home next day.
3. Fly both directions, utilising dual airport shuttle, and bike transport to Sani and back. 

Appreciate your insights here gentlemen. 

[Spinnekop]

Slight departure from the discussion around training. The logistics around getting to Sani2C from Johannesburg, and back, seems a little arduous. This is my first Sani, and I've planned 3 possible scenarios, and I'd like some of the seasoned vets' opinions on which ones work best and are overall most cost-effective.

1. Get dropped off at start, then take airport shuttle and fly home from end, transporting the bike back up.
2. Drive to start, pay for car shuttle to finish, sleep over a night after the race, and drive home next day.
3. Fly both directions, utilising dual airport shuttle, and bike transport to Sani and back. 

Appreciate your insights here gentlemen. 

We have done #2 on all 5 occasions.

 

Sleep over on the farm the evening before.  Fun and enjoyable.

 

We normally hop in the car directly after the ride on day 3 and drive back to Pretoria.

But if you would like to sleep over, there is a small holiday resort about 8km from the finish called Happy Wonderers.

Stunning little place to R&R before you head out on the long road back

[Martin PJ]

Option 2, if you are a good rider then drive back home Day 3. If you expect to be a bit tired after the race then sleep over the night after day 3.

[AdamA]

Slight departure from the discussion around training. The logistics around getting to Sani2C from Johannesburg, and back, seems a little arduous. This is my first Sani, and I've planned 3 possible scenarios, and I'd like some of the seasoned vets' opinions on which ones work best and are overall most cost-effective.

1. Get dropped off at start, then take airport shuttle and fly home from end, transporting the bike back up.
2. Drive to start, pay for car shuttle to finish, sleep over a night after the race, and drive home next day.
3. Fly both directions, utilising dual airport shuttle, and bike transport to Sani and back. 

Appreciate your insights here gentlemen. 

 

Option #2

 

Drive down with your mates.

Sleep at the Underberg School Farm, 

Shuttle the car

after the ride. Beers and pizza at John Dories

sleep at one of the B&Bs

Drive back the following day 

[Zama7]

Hey guys probably left the training a bot late, with regards to tapering how  long before the race should you avoid a long hard ride ?

 

1. Rest required for legs ?

2. Rest required for bum ?

 

Thanks 

[Jehosefat]

My tapering is usually 2 weeks with the rides keeping the same intensity but working down to about 1/2 to 1/3 of the time of my full training.