Sani2C 2022

[Koos Likkewaan]

We received feedback that the trails are 100%. No damage.

Also doing Adventure.

[pedal menace]

Forum Subject Updated - so the event is ON and is one week away! I am super excited. I have followed the Joberg2C closely and as per video the route does look quite nice! At this stage - and probably too early to see as accurate - the weather on Thu/Fr looks rainy! I so hope that changes as my last Sani Day 2 (Umko drop) got cancelled due to weather. So really want a dry Sani with a good Umko drop! 

Training (or lack thereof) pretty much done! Just a few easy rides between now and then. 

[WIPEOUT 1000]

Farmer Glen and his team have done amazing work on the trail and although we were re-routed past the mud where possible, there was still some mud on the Sani2C section of Joberg2C, (see picture from day 9). However, compared to day 2 & 3, it was awesome and the track should improve significantly if it stays dry. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by WIPEOUT 1000

[pedal menace]

7 minutes ago, WIPEOUT 1000 said:

Farmer Glen and his team have done amazing work on the trail and although we were re-routed past the mud where possible, there was still some mud on the Sani2C section of Joberg2C, (see picture from day 9). However, compared to day 2 & 3, it was awesome and the track should improve significantly if it stays dry. 

Yikes - that is a sizeable mud pool! 😗

I can see myself going left or right there...

Hoping too it will remain dry-ish! I do not mind some mud - it is normal. Just hate riding in the rain and soooooooo want that Umko drop to be clear! Few things in the MTB-world more beautiful than that!  

[pedal menace]

What a magnificent event this year! I could not stop enjoying every moment.

1. Weather - perfect! Day 2 was bloody hot! 

2. Route - perfect! No rain but we had our fair share of mud - specially Day 3. I must admit compared to previous years the route is not as smooth as before in many places but that is completely understandable given all the rain. My arse was finished! Still the work that was done by Farmer Glen and his team - there are no words!! The gratitude and appreciation is HUGE!!! Let's be honest - Iconic is a B*TCH!!!! Specially when a very young bloke on an e-bike came past me at a speed I though was not humanly possible! 

3. Sleepover venues - perfect! Awesome food and perfectly organised. Although we did get a choccie milk on Day 1 at the finish - I do miss the good old days with unlimited vanilla milk drinks. Still - the rest was just the best!! 

4. Finish - perfect! I finished and within minutes someone collected my bike and took it for a wash! What a pleasure!! 

Kudos to Farmer Glen and team - you have outdone yourselves - AGAIN! Thank you! 

Edited May 16, 2022 by pedal menace

[PregoRoll]

that was a truly world class event!

Anything and everything was taken into consideration, food was great and the people were awesome! 

Day 2 was the best riding I have ever done in this country (just need to be faster overall so I can enjoy the drop down to the Umkho and not have to live on my brakes behind slower riders)

rookie mistake on Day 2, not turning my mattress sideways and found my feet poking out my tent in the middle of the night as I slowly slid down.

And having the pros start last on day 3 is a cool idea but what a mess for the fast guys towards the end.

My sister racing for the podium in Mixed almost wiped a guy out who decided to come to a complete stop before a little mud puddle.

 

apart from that, what an awesome event. should be on everyones bucket list

[rampies]

As we all know: great event. I do however need to make mention of the medical teams - they made my ride possible.

Two days before the Race I was good to go, but the 24hrs before day1 start, my back flared up badly. I could not endure the pain, which left me crippled (I literally could not walk or breath from the pain) , and feared a bulged disc (...after some bad Googling). After getting some medical advise over the phone (which is an unfair position to put any medical practitioner in) I decided to skip day 1 and drive down to Mackenzie where the doctor and physios were stationed. My wife and riding partner graciously offered to skip this bucket list event to accompany me for the 3 days while we support some other friends (note that by this time I could drive so she could easily do the race solo - she deserves an honourable mention; plus it scores me some browny points)

The doctor there could give me a 99% clear that there is no nerve risk, although disclaimer that only an MRI can tell me that and it was still my choice. He proposed I get some good physio and come back to him to check it again. Great news about the nerves, but I still could not move a lot or rotate my back. Then came the great physios - they were exceptional. Within two sessions that day and a strap up the next morning I was ready to take a chill ride down Umko. Day 3 similar with a session and a back strap up. Simone (physio from Ballito) was spot on with her prognosis and treated me well. The exercise and stretches helped a lot and I did them diligently every hour until bedtime on Day1 knowing what is at stake. Also knowing that if I do them and things do not get better, then I must definitely not ride. The next morning I could take a leisurely stroll to the physio tent to get strapped. Between her, the dr and myself, we determined the limitations of my ride, when to call it quits and which changes to make to my bike setup to help control the injury and take unnecessary pressure of the back. Luckily I was fit as well, so suboptimal bike setup for the legs was still ok to do a lekker ride with the missus.

Kudos to the medical team and specifically the physios at this event who made my and my wife's ride possible and helped me determine the limitations of the injury and what to monitor. I was ready to call it a day, but we could finish days 2 and 3 with a smile and very relaxed. A few stretches ("cat-cow" and the likes) at each water point was weird to do, but damnit it worked! I will never call a physio exercise/stretch a dumb exercise again!

These people made my ride not just possible, but comfortable as well. Kudos to you guys and to the organisers for getting some of the best medical staff onboard.

Next year I will be back for day 1 and for some racing.

[Pieterlab1]

What a great event!

I had so much fun!

I'm now sitting in my office in a total state of depression.

Cannot wait for next year!

[StevieG]

A friend of mine offered me a ticket to ride, and with very little training i decided to take up this once in a lifetime offer. Not one single regret, what a spectacular event, and one I will definitely love to do all over again. Was a little shocked at the cost of entry, but after actually seeing what goes into it, and what you get for your money, it's worth every cent. A bucket list race for anyone into mountain biking for sure. My arse however isn't going to forgive me for a while, but totally worth it.

[StevieG]

Hats off to everyone that rode up Iconic in one sitting, pretty impressive feat that. Not so impressive on an E-bike, but still technical enough to make it tough.

If there was one thing I would change, is how to approach the Umko drop without having to stop for riders in front. Was looking forward to that section, only to be let down by riders who were either too slow, or didn't have the necessary skills to negotiate some easy switchback sections. Probably have to get fitter and start in a stronger batch, but it seems descending isn't a strong point for lots of riders

[Pieterlab1]

59 minutes ago, StevieG said:

Hats off to everyone that rode up Iconic in one sitting, pretty impressive feat that. Not so impressive on an E-bike, but still technical enough to make it tough.

If there was one thing I would change, is how to approach the Umko drop without having to stop for riders in front. Was looking forward to that section, only to be let down by riders who were either too slow, or didn't have the necessary skills to negotiate some easy switchback sections. Probably have to get fitter and start in a stronger batch, but it seems descending isn't a strong point for lots of riders

Next year you need to go faster on day one so you get into a faster batch on day two then you will not be held up. 

I'm wearing my E-Bike Iconic sokkies to the office today.

[pedal menace]

Absolutely agree - we were stopped a few times down Umko! Had to wait a while a few times for riding to get going again. But also understand they need to accommodate riders of all capabilities and skillsets. Also - you need to get nearly 1000 riders down Umko! No matter what they do - there will be some challenges.  For the first time I thoroughly enjoyed the view whilst stationary! Never did that before!! 

[StevieG]

14 minutes ago, pedal menace said:

Absolutely agree - we were stopped a few times down Umko! Had to wait a while a few times for riding to get going again. But also understand they need to accommodate riders of all capabilities and skillsets. Also - you need to get nearly 1000 riders down Umko! No matter what they do - there will be some challenges.  For the first time I thoroughly enjoyed the view whilst stationary! Never did that before!! 

There was one or two sections where it opened up in front of me and I was belting down there, almost took a short cut down the side of a cliff, so maybe its a good thing to slow down on occasion lol. At least we didn't map a cow, that was some funny shiite

[PregoRoll]

18 hours ago, StevieG said:

Hats off to everyone that rode up Iconic in one sitting, pretty impressive feat that. Not so impressive on an E-bike, but still technical enough to make it tough.

If there was one thing I would change, is how to approach the Umko drop without having to stop for riders in front. Was looking forward to that section, only to be let down by riders who were either too slow, or didn't have the necessary skills to negotiate some easy switchback sections. Probably have to get fitter and start in a stronger batch, but it seems descending isn't a strong point for lots of riders

Im just going to do more races to improve my seeding for next year.

was frustrating to say the least but got the change to enjoy the view this year

[swingTOpeddle]

So this was my first sani2c and I can definitely say not my last. I can’t wait for Thursday morning 8:00 to register. 
 

From only starting riding 8 months ago to doing my second stage race was challenging. My partner was targeting a sub-15 but we managed a 15:50 as day 2 was more than what my current abilities could handle. The views on day 2 down the Umko valley is on its own worth the price of admission. Next year I’ll be doing the Adventure with my wife, sister and her husband. 
 

I did, however, see some poor riders with bad injuries and I hope they recover properly. 
 

 

[pedal menace]

Quite interesting - see the event dates next year are a few weeks earlier that the norm of middle May-ish. Wonder why?