Long distance mtb training around Cape Town

[stillerjudith]

I am riding a mtb and want to get in the distance, but it seems like when the long rides come, people get on their road bikes, which makes me too slow on my mtb. I do not have a road bike, and need to do the training on my mtb. I know you get good secondhand deals on road bikes, but I do not have the extra funds for that. If there are groups that I can join for long training rides training in and around Cape Town, I would like to join. I want to do a 100 miler in October (Prince George) and need to train with people doing longer rather than technical. Any advice?

[DieselnDust]

Find a group of E-bikers. They love long road rides on their e-mtbs.

[DieselnDust]

Also in and around Cape Town is a big geography/ there are guys from Tygerberg MTb who do king road rides in Mtb as well Morne Veer in the imbuko thread can hook you up.

I’m a southern soutie so we don’t punish our mtbs on the tar for more than a few Km a time. Down here it’s gravel bru

[gemmerbal]

Ive done many 200km + rides of mixed surfaces. Im based in Brackenfell and have done Worcester and back via Bainskloof and Eensaamheid, thats about 235km. Lots of options in and around Wellington as well. You can also go out to Theewaterskloof and Steenbras dam via Franschhoek or go around Rooiels. Loads of options, no need to get a roadbike as long as you are happy to roll on your donkey. 

[Zebra]

…for long rides on a MTB, I cannot speak highly enough of INNER bar ends, SQ Labs in particular, they weigh under 100 gams/pair, and give a couple of different hand positions, useful when pulling serious distance. SORT of like ‘riding on the hoods’ on a road bike,  but on a MTB.

….brakes/gears all within reach.

A nice S. suburbs long loop is Hout Bay to Cape Point, then back to Black Hill, over Black Hill (Glencairn Expressway), then turn LEFT, and do the route in reverse, round Cape Point and back to Hout Bay. 122km, and much (not all) of it on quiet-ish roads.

And consider slicks!

Edited January 30, 2023 by Zebra
Added pic

[gemmerbal]

Training for long rides is an interesting topic. In my prep for Munga, I focused on 4/5 2hr rides in the week mostly in zone 2 with intermittent maximal efforts on these rides. On weekends I’d do longer rides and I only did a handful of 200km plus rides just to get comfortable sitting on my bike for 10-14hrs. Learning how to feed properly is very important as well. If you get your base fitness up you should walk the 100miler I reckon. Watch as much of Mark Beaumont’s videos as possible, he is the king when it comes to LOOOONG distance riding. Also check out Benkie’s social media posts, he shares lots of useful info. Good luck OP!

PS: ive done 1 Munga so I am by no means an expert. But i finished it comfortably so i guess my training was in the right ball park, fwiw. 

Edited January 30, 2023 by gemmerbal

[stillerjudith]

Thank you for this reply.  Which long rides did you do to train?

[gemmerbal]

3 hours ago, stillerjudith said:

Thank you for this reply.  Which long rides did you do to train?

 

[stillerjudith]

Sjoe, dis nogal groot ritte! Baie dankie hiervoor.

[gemmerbal]

40 minutes ago, stillerjudith said:

Sjoe, dis nogal groot ritte! Baie dankie hiervoor.

Plesier!