Transbaviaans 2022

[M L]

12 hours ago, RobertWhitehead said:

I've completed it a few times on that setup. It works a treat. 

That's not what he wanted to hear Robert..

[TyronLab]

13 hours ago, DKS said:

For those who have ridden, what was your drive train setup.

I am currently running 1x11 (10x46) Shimano SLX with a 34 oval on the front.

*looking for an excuse or a “valid” reason to upgrade to a 1 x 12 setup…..

 

I'd take @WaldoZ's advice with a pinch of salt, unless you're also a 380W FTP monster like he is 😁. It's a little dependent on what your fitness level is and how you fare with climbing in general. 34/46 should be more than low enough to get up the climbs while not exploding if you're reasonably fit and aren't too portly (like me), and at the point in the race you could spin out on a 34/10 (i.e. the first 100km) you shouldn't be riding that hard anyway.

[WaldoZ]

16 minutes ago, TyronLab said:

I'd take @WaldoZ's advice with a pinch of salt, unless you're also a 380W FTP monster like he is 😁. It's a little dependent on what your fitness level is and how you fare with climbing in general. 34/46 should be more than low enough to get up the climbs while not exploding if you're reasonably fit and aren't too portly (like me), and at the point in the race you could spin out on a 34/10 (i.e. the first 100km) you shouldn't be riding that hard anyway.

haha, yeah all relative...

Oval chainrings I find a bit more forgiving though. Remember in theory it acts as a 32 on the climbs but that also depends on your climbing style.

You will def spend time in 34/10... poor Andreas had a 32 on in 2018 and couldn't keep up but was smiling big smiles up the climbs.

Edited December 14, 2021 by WaldoZ

[eala]

14 hours ago, DKS said:

For those who have ridden, what was your drive train setup.

I am currently running 1x11 (10x46) Shimano SLX with a 34 oval on the front.

*looking for an excuse or a “valid” reason to upgrade to a 1 x 12 setup…..

 

Like this setup .Changed to 32 oval for ,That Race, 

[peetwindhoek]

On 12/2/2021 at 9:23 PM, peetwindhoek said:

As close as possible to the start line

But, anywhere within town or not too far away and you should be okay. Just remember you have to go into town the day before to drop of boxes.

[DKS]

My training started now in January and has been going well, included 3 session on indoor Trainer a week, using Trainer Road base build plan (low volume) plus a 50 to 60km club ride on a Saturday (on the MTB) and the odd night ride on a Wednesday evening.

Was a total of 25 hours in the saddle with just on 400km for the month.

Going to go into one of the Trainer Road build plans now, building to Race to the Sun. 

Plan is to try get to around 500km in the saddle for February, with minimum 1x 100km ride (MTB) 
 

 

 

[DKS]

[TyronLab]

I have mixed emotions about the 5am start. It makes the logistics a little easier (i.e. not driving home in the middle of the night), is closer to my normal start time, should need less cold weather gear for the night and you get to see the scenery after Bergplaas in the day (for us mere mortals).

But riding in a gigantic reserve in the dead of night was kinda part of the appeal. I remember stopping at one point and just sitting, in the pitch black darkness, and listening the absolute silence. One of my fondest memories of the race.

My training has... Not started. And probably won't in earnest until after my planned marathon in June. I maintain a moderate level of constant riding fitness, so I'm not too worried.

[WaldoZ]

I was against the whole 5am start but after doing it at Karoo Burn and seeing the sunrise, I realized how leka it is to get lost in that moment. 

[Dicky DQ]

On 12/3/2021 at 6:03 PM, madmarc said:

Looking at the profile i think its easy to overcook the 1st half and end up bleeding through your eyes on the climbs and the finish. 

You always overcook the 1st half, so don't follow the busses. But then again, it is fun till it is not. 1st 100km for midfielders is typically done in 3.5 to 4 hrs. Well for us it has always been, then the next 130 takes us between 6.5 and 7,5hrs

[WaldoZ]

6 hours ago, TDFN said:

You always overcook the 1st half, so don't follow the busses. But then again, it is fun till it is not. 1st 100km for midfielders is typically done in 3.5 to 4 hrs. Well for us it has always been, then the next 130 takes us between 6.5 and 7,5hrs

Always gets me when guys look at the profile and say "oh first half is downhill" 🤣

[TyronLab]

13 hours ago, TDFN said:

You always overcook the 1st half, so don't follow the busses. But then again, it is fun till it is not. 1st 100km for midfielders is typically done in 3.5 to 4 hrs. Well for us it has always been, then the next 130 takes us between 6.5 and 7,5hrs

I actually remember the start of the last one I rode in. The first 30min it felt like the entire field was racing past us in a moer of a hurry. I was slightly panicky as I was at 170BPM thinking I was super under prepared. Everyone seemed to settle down in the first climb though.

I'm focusing on training hard enough so that I could scrape in with a 10.5 / 11hr if I bled through my eyeballs throughout, so that I can enjoy the 12hr we have planned.

The more I ride the more I realise that these fictitious time limits we set ourselves are super pointless. I'm riding solely to have a great experience. If we take longer than 12hr it starts to become a pretty long day and starts detracting from the fun. Less than that and I need to train more than what I'd consider feasible while still enjoying riding my bike (i.e. it not feeling like work).

That's just me though. If you enjoy training your guts out to go from 150th to 110th then you do you bro. 

[Titleist]

The rolling start somehow prevents big groups forming. It’s easy to ride at your own pace because of this. I hope the -4 temps return this year. It makes the whole experience extra special….

[Nancy Drew]

On 3/10/2022 at 4:38 PM, TyronLab said:

I have mixed emotions about the 5am start. It makes the logistics a little easier (i.e. not driving home in the middle of the night), is closer to my normal start time, should need less cold weather gear for the night and you get to see the scenery after Bergplaas in the day (for us mere mortals).

But riding in a gigantic reserve in the dead of night was kinda part of the appeal. I remember stopping at one point and just sitting, in the pitch black darkness, and listening the absolute silence. One of my fondest memories of the race.

My training has... Not started. And probably won't in earnest until after my planned marathon in June. I maintain a moderate level of constant riding fitness, so I'm not too worried.

I agree with this sentiment, there's something special about switching lights off in the middle of nowhere and seeing more stars in the sky than anyone from Joburg will ever see. The dead quiet is cathartic.

Having said that, it could be a nice change to see Bergplaas in daylight and probably terrifying seeing the big dipper 🙃

[RearWheelDrive]

13 minutes ago, Nancy Drew said:

I agree with this sentiment, there's something special about switching lights off in the middle of nowhere and seeing more stars in the sky than anyone from Joburg will ever see. The dead quiet is cathartic.

Having said that, it could be a nice change to see Bergplaas in daylight and probably terrifying seeing the big dipper 🙃

I have done 4 TB this will be my 5th. I have had the whole mix. I also really enjoy the thrill of descending in the dark and the challenge for me was to get up MAC in daylight. I made it once 🙂 

But then last year it was a nice change to see sunrise in the kloof. Climbing MAC at 2pm was hot. The Dipper 😲 what the hell was I doing all these years?? There is literally nothing to stop you from flying over the edge. We never made curfew cutoff, so we saw another sunrise on Never ender. Jaffels for breakfast was awesome, really nice.

So this year I might see sunset on never ender. Going with a stronger team again.

Its such a magical ride. No bike ride is ever bad (unless you crash) wind, heat, cold, corrugations, mud, rain all just add to the story afterwards. And you're always happy when you're home.  I enjoyed them all (But having said that, I hope it doesn't rain🙊)

 

[DKS]

It’s getting close 😬