Big 5 MTB Challenge Posted January 19 Posted January 19 Event Name: The Big 5 MTB ChallengeWhen: 21/02/2026Where: Imbuko Wines, Wellington, Western CapeCategory: Mountain BikeImbuko Family Vintners will be hosting “THE BIG 5 MTB CHALLENGE” on 21 February 2026. In this unique challenge, riders will endure a total ascent of 3 000m over 80km, making it the ultimate one-day event to test your strength and fitness only four weeks before the 2026 ABSA Cape Epic.Go to Event Page. dewaldsss 1
Big 5 MTB Challenge Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 (edited) Watch the 2025 event highlights! Keep an eye on our socials! Edited January 19 by Big 5 MTB Challenge Kylie 1
dewaldsss Posted January 19 Posted January 19 This thing broke me in 2023 🤣 2025 I wanted revenge but had to pass due to broken collarbone. this year, I'm ready for this beast! 👌 Beautiful trails and every climb is worth it for the descent that follows. LFK, Big 5 MTB Challenge and babse 2 1
babse Posted January 20 Posted January 20 What a ride this is. Pity the event is not a week earlier. Last year I was slightly undercooked and the last 12kms I died proper and limped to the finish. dewaldsss and LFK 1 1
Fisan Posted February 18 Posted February 18 Having some second thoughts about my impulse-buy-entry 🫠 LFK 1
Bub Marley Posted February 18 Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Fisan said: Having some second thoughts about my impulse-buy-entry 🫠 Yeah we are going to die. LFK and dewaldsss 2
Bub Marley Posted February 18 Posted February 18 Im not even sure how to approach this race. My thinking was always just dont go too hard and save your legs. With this heat im gonna die regardless. Thinking of just going harder while its cooler and hopefully spend less time in the heat. dewaldsss 1
babse Posted February 18 Posted February 18 2 minutes ago, Bub Marley said: Yeah we are going to die. at least you'll be dying on some sweet single track... LFK 1
Bub Marley Posted February 18 Posted February 18 1 minute ago, babse said: at least you'll be dying on some sweet single track... You did it last year. How much shade coverage is there on each climb?
babse Posted February 18 Posted February 18 Just now, Bub Marley said: You did it last year. How much shade coverage is there on each climb? To be fair, a lot of the route is shaded (up and down). The early start means first hour or so is also shaded with sun still rising. First 3 climbs are cool and even bottom section of cliffhanger is also forest until the switch backs on top (wind was howling here last year). The heat only becomes a factor after 50kms. The last 15kms is all exposed. Hear is my heat graph from last year. dewaldsss 1
Bub Marley Posted February 18 Posted February 18 2 minutes ago, babse said: To be fair, a lot of the route is shaded (up and down). The early start means first hour or so is also shaded with sun still rising. First 3 climbs are cool and even bottom section of cliffhanger is also forest until the switch backs on top (wind was howling here last year). The heat only becomes a factor after 50kms. The last 15kms is all exposed. Hear is my heat graph from last year. Cool. Yeah so based on this I definitely think try and get the first 3 done as quickly as I can without obviously blowing up completely but definitely not just spin up in the hope of saving legs. And then yeah just survive that patatskloof climb in the baking sun and cry essentially and somehow crawl to finish line. babse 1
armaDiLLo_87 Posted February 21 Posted February 21 (edited) Rode this morning,temps were fine early but really started heating up after i went over cliffhanger. Two last climbs were brutal in the heat, garmin measured 44.9deg on last exposed climb. Borderline dead currently 😅 Edited February 21 by armaDiLLo_87 Completed half a word since I'm too tired to write properly it seems openmind, babse, Mamil and 2 others 5
babse Posted February 22 Posted February 22 On 2/18/2026 at 11:40 AM, Bub Marley said: Cool. Yeah so based on this I definitely think try and get the first 3 done as quickly as I can without obviously blowing up completely but definitely not just spin up in the hope of saving legs. And then yeah just survive that patatskloof climb in the baking sun and cry essentially and somehow crawl to finish line. Did you die?
Bub Marley Posted February 22 Posted February 22 (edited) 7 hours ago, babse said: Did you die? Nah. Race actually went way better than expected. I handled the heat pretty well even the last climb I was baking in the Sun but never cramped at all. The only time I did have a minor twitch was while climbing some of those steep switchbacks especially when you have traffic ahead of you and they slow down and then you either need to unclip or it just throws your rhythm out and you get like a twitch in your muscle. I have been riding later in the day while preparing for the race so maybe I just acclimatised well. But you were right, there is loads of shade on the route which also helps a lot. What an amazing Race though. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely do it again. All that stressing about the heat and I managed it quite well so yeah definitely wanna do it again. The descent from the cliffhanger all the way down to the waterpoint… Just wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had a smile on my face that long ever on a MTB. People talk about the cliff hanger switchbacks but the real fun comes after that in my opinion. Just a pure adrenaline rush. Just a few thoughts. When I do the race again, I will definitely push harder on the first climb to get more forward. I was obviously in 2 minds because of the heat situation but yeah moving ahead of The pack is important for the rest of the race. I did get a stuck a bit in traffic on the 7 peaks climb and then again on the cliffhanger. It wasn’t as bad as some mtb races as I think you have to be quite fit to do this event but I definitely would’ve liked to climb at a faster pace especially the Cliffhanger ascent but was very difficult to overtake. And then the cliffhanger descent I also kinda ****** it up. Should’ve given the guys some distance before I went down because everytime someone unclips it just throws you out as well so that kinda spoilt it a bit at least the first 2. But yeah after that it was smooth sailing and I was just in awe of where I was riding. That section before you hit the forest where you essentially just riding on side of the mountain with a do right next to you. Just amazing. And how long of that cliffhanger ascent? I felt like I was just climbing and climbing and climbing, switchback after switchback and then all of a sudden… boom you pop up on the top of the mountain in the middle of nowhere. Unreal scenery. Edited February 22 by Bub Marley Daniel de V, armaDiLLo_87, babse and 5 others 7 1
daveno7 Posted February 23 Posted February 23 23 hours ago, Bub Marley said: Nah. Race actually went way better than expected. I handled the heat pretty well even the last climb I was baking in the Sun but never cramped at all. The only time I did have a minor twitch was while climbing some of those steep switchbacks especially when you have traffic ahead of you and they slow down and then you either need to unclip or it just throws your rhythm out and you get like a twitch in your muscle. I have been riding later in the day while preparing for the race so maybe I just acclimatised well. But you were right, there is loads of shade on the route which also helps a lot. What an amazing Race though. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely do it again. All that stressing about the heat and I managed it quite well so yeah definitely wanna do it again. The descent from the cliffhanger all the way down to the waterpoint… Just wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had a smile on my face that long ever on a MTB. People talk about the cliff hanger switchbacks but the real fun comes after that in my opinion. Just a pure adrenaline rush. Just a few thoughts. When I do the race again, I will definitely push harder on the first climb to get more forward. I was obviously in 2 minds because of the heat situation but yeah moving ahead of The pack is important for the rest of the race. I did get a stuck a bit in traffic on the 7 peaks climb and then again on the cliffhanger. It wasn’t as bad as some mtb races as I think you have to be quite fit to do this event but I definitely would’ve liked to climb at a faster pace especially the Cliffhanger ascent but was very difficult to overtake. And then the cliffhanger descent I also kinda ****** it up. Should’ve given the guys some distance before I went down because everytime someone unclips it just throws you out as well so that kinda spoilt it a bit at least the first 2. But yeah after that it was smooth sailing and I was just in awe of where I was riding. That section before you hit the forest where you essentially just riding on side of the mountain with a do right next to you. Just amazing. And how long of that cliffhanger ascent? I felt like I was just climbing and climbing and climbing, switchback after switchback and then all of a sudden… boom you pop up on the top of the mountain in the middle of nowhere. Unreal scenery. stunning part of the world...that descent would absolutely terrify me... Kylie 1
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