Transbaviaans 2022

[madmarc]

Back in the office - I'll keep it brief.

Departure 8:20 - too late 

Weather up to CP1 was insane - every km i wanted to turn back, thinking that i would have to ride back through that weather was the only thing that kept me going.

CP1 - CP3 - we rode strong - weather & conditions were lekka  - k@k but lekka

CP3 - CP4 - Bergplaass cement strips broke my mentally I was done (Did i mention i suck at climbing) - When they told me i would wait 2.5 hrs for the sweeper i dragged my sorry ass back on the bike.

CP4 - CP5 - We hammered it - all downhill, nearly crashed a number of times in the dark. When i saw a buffalo 5m in front of me i stopped because i was clearly hallucinating, until he sauntered off into the bush.

CP5 - I was properly broken and called it - got into our support vehicle, wrapped up in a blanket, hating life at that moment

My teammate joined another 2 man team and did the last 55km in 5hrs 45min. When i saw him at the finish and the condition of his bike it kind of justified my decision.

We were kitted properly - probably over did the layers

Food - we probably had too much

The rain jackets and pants were a winner

Nitrile gloves and waterproof 2 finger mittens worked better than expected

Neoprene booties, Army socks was an excellent choice 

Can't say i ever got cold and stayed 90% dry.

Our moving time ave speed was 16.2 km/hr up to CP5 - Target was 16 - Moving time 10:50 - Elapsed time 15:49 - We clearly spent too much time at the CP's - We planned 15 min at each CP with 2 min at CP6, that plan flew out the window at some point.

Disappointments 

A DNF is always disappointing.

The CP's catering was under par for a race of this stature, they were clearly running out of the famous foods on offer for the back markers or late starters  - Even our support driver was denied any food or drink at CP5 & CP7, which I thought kind of sucked seen he was not only there for us but any other rider that may have needed help according to the support rules

Other than that its a great event and respect to all those that finished.

The monkey on my shoulder i left at CP5 - hope he never finds me again.  

Edited August 23, 2022 by madmarc

[TyronLab]

 

3 hours ago, madmarc said:

Back in the office - I'll keep it brief.

Departure 8:20 - too late 

Weather up to CP1 was insane - every km i wanted to turn back, thinking that i would have to ride back through that weather was the only thing that kept me going.

CP1 - CP3 - we rode strong - weather & conditions were lekka  - k@k but lekka

CP3 - CP4 - Bergplaass cement strips broke my mentally I was done (Did i mention i suck at climbing) - When they told me i would wait 2.5 hrs for the sweeper i dragged my sorry ass back on the bike.

CP4 - CP5 - We hammered it - all downhill, nearly crashed a number of times in the dark. When i saw a buffalo 5m in front of me i stopped because i was clearly hallucinating, until he sauntered off into the bush.

CP5 - I was properly broken and called it - got into our support vehicle, wrapped up in a blanket, hating life at that moment

My teammate joined another 2 man team and did the last 55km in 5hrs 45min. When i saw him at the finish and the condition of his bike it kind of justified my decision.

We were kitted properly - probably over did the layers

Food - we probably had too much

The rain jackets and pants were a winner

Nitrile gloves and waterproof 2 finger mittens worked better than expected

Neoprene booties, Army socks was an excellent choice 

Can't say i ever got cold and stayed 90% dry.

Our moving time ave speed was 16.2 km/hr up to CP5 - Target was 16 - Moving time 10:50 - Elapsed time 15:49 - We clearly spent too much time at the CP's - We planned 15 min at each CP with 2 min at CP6, that plan flew out the window at some point.

Disappointments 

A DNF is always disappointing.

The CP's catering was under par for a race of this stature, they were clearly running out of the famous foods on offer for the back markers or late starters  - Even our support driver was denied any food or drink at CP5 & CP7, which I thought kind of sucked seen he was not only there for us but any other rider that may have needed help according to the support rules

Other than that its a great event and respect to all those that finished.

The monkey on my shoulder i left at CP5 - hope he never finds me again.  

I have to agree that the CP's weren't as stocked as I remember. At CP5 the gigantic, stuffed chip roll was replaced by a little packet of five undercooked chips, and at CP7 the tannie didn't want to give me two jaffels even though there were a bunch on the tray (much more than there were people at the CP). When I inquired why not, she said "you're going to give it to your support driver and he has to pay". So I took one, stared her in the eye while I at the whole thing, and then asked for another one for me and one for my team mate who was recovering outside.

To top it off, the "Spur burger and beer" that you got at the end of the previous races (and I understood we'd still be getting) is now a Wimpy burger you have to pay for. It's not about the money, don't promise a hungry, cold, muddy, wet dude food and beer (which he paid for already technically) and then not deliver. That's shitty. 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2022 by TyronLab

[madmarc]

34 minutes ago, TyronLab said:

 

I have to agree that the CP's weren't as stocked as I remember. At CP5 the gigantic, stuffed chip roll was replaced by a little packet of five undercooked chips, and at CP7 the tannie didn't want to give me two jaffels even though there were a bunch on the tray (much more than there were people at the CP). When I inquired why not, she said "you're going to give it to your support driver and he has to pay". So I took one, stared her in the eye while I at the whole thing, and then asked for another one for me and one for my team mate who was recovering outside.

To top it off, the "Spur burger and beer" that you got at the end of the previous races (and I understood we'd still be getting) is now a Wimpy burger you have to pay for. It's not about the money, don't promise a hungry, cold, muddy, wet dude food and beer (which he paid for already technically) and then not deliver. That's shitty. 

 

 

Haha - I heard the same story from some mates that were in front of us. They actually challenged Vikus on this exact point and he admitted they were trying to cut costs.

I don't wanna come out as a TB veteran - I am after all a DNFer - But with so many Ultra Endurance events on offer - TB gonna have to up their game if they want to stay relevant.

[hboli4]

I must say it has become quite expensive. I rode my first one in 2010. A four man team plus conservation levy plus pasta meal worked out to R875/person.

Yes, I understand inflation and increasing costs, but a four man entry now works out to R2335/person and will probably be more per person if you compete in a 3 or 2 man team and the offering has become less it seems. 

But it has been said before, nobody forces me to enter...

[madmarc]

On 8/21/2022 at 5:08 PM, TyronLab said:

 

 until just before CP3 my teammate's AXS derailleur died and left him stuck in 40x20 for the rest of the ride. 

 

 

 

I rode AXS as well - It really proved to me that this tech works as intended - never had an ounce of problems through the mud and submerged under the water on 1 or 2 of the water crossings and i changed gears while trying to ride the deepest one i think it was after CP3 - Just before CP5 I got a message pop up on my Garmin "RD battery critically low" I shifted to see the green light was now angrily flashing red - took me 2 or 3 minutes to change out the spare. Total gear changes on the app was 966 - so it was probably at 960 when the battery went flat.

Your teammate needs to invest in a spare battery and carry it in his tool bag. 

[Stefan_29]

We started just after 7 and the conditions up to CP1 were quite bad, fortunately we listened to everyone and had the appropriate kit. 

We paced ourselves nicely and still felt good when we reached CP3, had some lekker wors and sosaties and left the checkpoint ready for the climbs ahead. My teammate was really strong on fangs and MAC but I suffered on the steeper sections and was quite deflated as I felt I had the legs until we reached fangs. 

I was rather negative when we reached Bergplaas but we had some soup, did a complete kit change, sat by the fire a bit and we left feeling a lot better compared to when we arrived. 

CP5 was such a let down, I was looking forward to a chip role only to receive a small pack of chips (maybe 10 chips at most) and it seemed like you had to pay for the rest of the snacks. Fortunately my wife was there as a supporter and she had some extra snacks and a recovery drink that helped a lot. 

From CP5 - CP7 we passed a lot of teams, we maintained a solid pace on never ender and only stopped once to remove some mud from our wheels. I felt a lot better compared to earlier on fangs and MAC. 

The mud after CP7 was really not ideal but fortunately we managed to get through it without too much hassle, one lady really lost her **** and phoned someone to send a marshal (still not sure how that would have helped with the mud but anyway).

Mini MAC on tired legs was a real challenge but so pleased with myself that I managed to ride it, walked it in 2018 so it was a personal challenge to stay on my bike this time. The single track at the end was terrible but we made it to the end in a time of 16:34:00. The goal was 15 hours but I'm happy with our time as the conditions were quite tough. 

 

 

 

[ACE Cycles]

Yes, TB are trying to cut costs, but not for the reasons you might think. Politics have come into play and everyone wants a bigger cut of the pie. Willowmore, the taxi association, the reserve just to name a few.

You'd think that a one horse town like Willowmore would be more thankful. 

[Wil6]

I had a cold that showed up early the morning Wednesday before the race. Went to the doctor and she gave me a three day course antibiotics and was advised not to ride. Friday morning I started to take a turn in the right direction, and with only mild symptoms above the chest and a low resting heart rate, I decided to pack my bike and kit as if we were going to ride. On route to Willowmore our spirits were high and the evening before the race I knew I was going to start.

Race morning my vitals were OK and we started at 7:10. The light rain, mud and very strong icy cold wind had us fighting for every kilometer for the first 2-3 hours only averaging 14km/h. We could not bunch up or even sit in your partners slip as it was not worth getting all that mud in your face.  At checkpoint 1 the spirits were low and you can see everyone around us had a very tough time getting there as well as it was still a very light rain falling and icy cold.

Between checkpoint 1 and 2 I started to really suffer with my heart rate not recovering at all. HR was staying between 75% and 80% at a very easy pace. At checkpoint 2 it was still raining and I almost pulled the plug. We were wet, cold and covered in mud. Our bikes looked like someone submerged it in a bath full of flowing mud. It was everywhere and in between everything. We waited in the que for 15min to pressure wash all the mud of our drivetrains, had a something to eat and decided to try and push for CP 3.

The rain stopped shortly after CP 2, and I could feel my body slowly but surely starting to recover. Started making jokes again and we had a lekker very easy ride to CP 3. At CP 3 you could see the people around us starting to enjoy the ride and life again for what was a terrible ride thus far.

Between CP 3 and 4 the weather was cold but no real wind or rain. Fangs and MAC was tough as always, but managed to ride it out at a very very slow pace. We had the last of the hot dogs at Bergplaas, had a full kit change, put on our lights and off we went. First time descending MAC in daylight. WOW it was fun! We flew down there and had a moerse jol and by now we could ride a decent pace and my body was getting better and better.

It was easy miles between CP 4 and 5 until the start of Neverender. The clay mud sticking to everything was incredibly tough. Stopping every now and again to scrape the mud of our tires with rocks just to get it turning again. The last 52km was brutal and was not expecting this kind of clay mud and wet roads. It was a battle even greater than the start of this event.

Finished in 16:50 and was TB number 6 for me. By far the toughest one of them all, finishing 3 hours behind the worst time we thought we were going to ride. Well done to all who finished or even tried to take on this event in such conditions. 💪

 

 

 

 

[_David_]

1 hour ago, ACE Cycles said:

Yes, TB are trying to cut costs, but not for the reasons you might think. Politics have come into play and everyone wants a bigger cut of the pie. Willowmore, the taxi association, the reserve just to name a few.

You'd think that a one horse town like Willowmore would be more thankful. 

Ironman had the same problems in PE / Gqeberha a couple years ago. Cut your nose to spite your face.

[Wil6]

17 hours ago, madmarc said:

Haha - I heard the same story from some mates that were in front of us. They actually challenged Vikus on this exact point and he admitted they were trying to cut costs.

I don't wanna come out as a TB veteran - I am after all a DNFer - But with so many Ultra Endurance events on offer - TB gonna have to up their game if they want to stay relevant.

I was properly peeved at the finish. Not even a water or any kind of drink after doing such an event. Did 5 in a row between 2011 and 2015, and this was my first one after 7 years. This event has taken a huge hit regarding catering for their clients. Also made a loud unhappy comment when Wikus walked past us about this. 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Wil6

[splat]

1 hour ago, ACE Cycles said:

Yes, TB are trying to cut costs, but not for the reasons you might think. Politics have come into play and everyone wants a bigger cut of the pie. Willowmore, the taxi association, the reserve just to name a few.

You'd think that a one horse town like Willowmore would be more thankful. 

What the Eff does the taxi association want ?

[Spartacus88]

13 hours ago, madmarc said:

I rode AXS as well - It really proved to me that this tech works as intended - never had an ounce of problems through the mud and submerged under the water on 1 or 2 of the water crossings and i changed gears while trying to ride the deepest one i think it was after CP3 - Just before CP5 I got a message pop up on my Garmin "RD battery critically low" I shifted to see the green light was now angrily flashing red - took me 2 or 3 minutes to change out the spare. Total gear changes on the app was 966 - so it was probably at 960 when the battery went flat.

Your teammate needs to invest in a spare battery and carry it in his tool bag. 

I must say I was impressed with my AXS, worked flawlessly and the battery lasted the entire 12h20min ride time

[madmarc]

9 minutes ago, splat said:

What the Eff does the taxi association want ?

Maybe they want to be payed to be sweeper vehicles - I'm sitting here visualizing a mini buss with 20 riders and 20 bikes trundling up Bergplaas 🤣 

[ACE Cycles]

44 minutes ago, splat said:

What the Eff does the taxi association want ?

They weren't happy with the main road closure, so wanted to be compensated. Hence the new start and registration venue

[madmarc]

53 minutes ago, ACE Cycles said:

They weren't happy with the main road closure, so wanted to be compensated. Hence the new start and registration venue

The start and registration worked exceptionally well - food in the bassaar was also great We stayed in the tent town which also worked perfect - Other than the wind flapping the tent against your head all night 🤣

But those toilets and ablutions - eisch !! they were siff

[dave303e]

On 8/21/2022 at 5:08 PM, TyronLab said:

My buddy and I got around in a smidge under 18hrs. The conditions were trying but, if I'm honest, I think 99% of people brought their hypothermia / discomfort on themselves. If after the facebook photos, the race reports, the weather reports and the rider briefing on Friday night you still decided to roll out with just a jersey/bib and light rain sleeve, its your own stupidity. I counted at least 30 riders rolling out exactly like that. I over-prepared and over-dressed, and was toasty 95% of the time with minimal effort. I saw a bunch of people at CP1 in the aforementioned attire under space blankets freezing their balls off.

Weather was actually fine. Few bits of rain but never to a hampering degree. I was insulated enough that I'm not really sure if it was cold or not, until we stopped at the last two CPs and the standing still made my sweat layer cool.

We were making really good progress at our target low intensity, and when we got to the Baviaans Back we overtook probably 30 riders on the climb, while not going above Z3. We were on target for a ~13hr ride even with dawdling at the stops and were feeling great, until just before CP3 my teammate's AXS derailleur died and left him stuck in 40x20 for the rest of the ride. He took a mental hit when that happened and we really struggled up MAC which ate up a bunch of time. Luckily I had done some SS riding so I rode his bike a lot on the remaining climbs, knowing how to ride low cadence without exploding my knees.

Our progress was also hampered by the muck after CP6 and CP7. I had PTSD from the Grit Cradle last year, but also luckily experience on how to best manage it. 

Overall a great experience as always. I am quite proud of myself that my "training" had paid off and my mental fortitude got reinforced. I was really intimidated by the MAC, but I realised that I could ride up it relatively comfortably this time around.

Also, my hands/shoulders/back are also hunky dory even though I rode a rigid, and my buddy's is too even though he did it on a gravel bike. Lots of "you have to ride a dual sus" dudes are just too lazy to pick a line or even just stand up on descents. 

I'll be back next year and, hopefully, get the chance to ride everything and not be forced to walk due to some team circumstance.

 

There is a very old saying, no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing...

Glad you had a good ride though.

Also on the clothing front- remember- Cotton KILLS!