Lion Man 14 May 2011 Mabalingwe Nature Reserve

[GTRacing]

PLEASE!!!!

[brad890]

PLEASE!!!!

 

Dont worry GTRacing, I'm sure you'll find one closer to the time, i remember quite a few people putting theirs up for sale like 2 weeks before the race, you've just got to stay alert and snap it up quick

[GTRacing]

I have this awesome 6 sleeper in syferfontein booked for the weekend. The last time I went my bike fell of the trailer and I was left to be a spectator. Not this year.

[brad890]

I have this awesome 6 sleeper in syferfontein booked for the weekend. The last time I went my bike fell of the trailer and I was left to be a spectator. Not this year.

 

well I'll hold thumbs for you and if i hear about any entries up for grabs I'll let you know

[Guest agteros]

wow that profile makes it look allot worse then the one on their website lol.

 

agteros you dont have any idea on the total meters climbed by some chance

 

The race is a double lapper of sorts.. Second loop is longer and shares very little (experience, route, terrain) with the first loop. ~935m ascent in total

 

First lap (35.38km) ~242m ascent, biggest challenge here: traffic, sand, and keeping the speed steady. It took me 1:44 - was all fun and games, but I allowed a marshal to convince me to go on the second lap! Pity I had a cold brewing

 

Second lap (48.75km) ~693m ascent, challenges here: a few muddy patches, river/stream crossing(s), mother of a hill at the end (91m in 1km @ 8.7% gradient ) on loose rocks , followed by by a 210m descend in 2.45km @ 8.5% gradient - and somebody chucked those loose rocks over the mountain in the mean time Keeping speed in check on few the sement strips at a few places. 3:35 second lap - I blew big time due to that cold, had two punctures, and a stop and visit at the last waterpoint (very festive!) included!

 

The start down the airstrip is nothing but a dash for the first sandy corner & single track-ish section. Most of the race is on jeep track in tall grass, so unless you bump into it, the chance to see wildlife is somewhat slim.

 

Be early, there is a huge traffic queue from Bela-Bela to get to the parking area next to the landing strip. O, and check-in/registration is on the other side of the start chutes, on the far side of the landing strip - long walk to get there - rather cycle there to get numbers, and back to car to prepare & stash goodie bag.

Edited April 16, 2011 by agteros

[brad890]

The race is a double lapper of sorts.. Second loop is longer and shares very little (experience, route, terrain) with the first loop. ~935m ascent in total

 

First lap (35.38km) ~242m ascent, biggest challenge here: traffic, sand, and keeping the speed steady. It took me 1:44 - was all fun and games, but I allowed a marshal to convince me to go on the second lap! Pity I had a cold brewing

 

Second lap (48.75km) ~693m ascent, challenges here: a few muddy patches, river/stream crossing(s), mother of a hill at the end (91m in 1km @ 8.7% gradient ) on loose rocks , followed by by a 210m descend in 2.45km @ 8.5% gradient - and somebody chucked those loose rocks over the mountain in the mean time Keeping speed in check on few the sement strips at a few places. 3:35 second lap - I blew big time due to that cold, had two punctures, and a stop and visit at the last waterpoint (very festive!) included!

 

The start down the airstrip is nothing but a dash for the first sandy corner & single track-ish section. Most of the race is on jeep track in tall grass, so unless you bump into it, the chance to see wildlife is somewhat slim.

 

Be early, there is a huge traffic queue from Bela-Bela to get to the parking area next to the landing strip. O, and check-in/registration is on the other side of the start chutes, on the far side of the landing strip - long walk to get there - rather cycle there to get numbers, and back to car to prepare & stash goodie bag.

 

yeah i pretty much experienced what your talking about last year, I also did the 80 or should i say 85, and it was my fist race ( bailed in the single track and bent my front wheel that it was rubbing against my fork( had to do some bush mechanic'ing to fix it lol or should i say straiten it to some extent) but i managed to finish and was totally smashed at the end lol, but am glad i did it and am back to do it again this year will hopefully take a whole wack of time off this year, and not take any spills lol

[Guest agteros]

yeah i pretty much experienced what your talking about last year, I also did the 80 or should i say 85, and it was my fist race ( bailed in the single track and bent my front wheel that it was rubbing against my fork( had to do some bush mechanic'ing to fix it lol or should i say straiten it to some extent) but i managed to finish and was totally smashed at the end lol, but am glad i did it and am back to do it again this year will hopefully take a whole wack of time off this year, and not take any spills lol

 

Remember, last year they warned us about a deep mud pool in the road a few kays after the start? I was in a group behind a bloke who decided, while everybody is taking the chicken routes, to be the only MAN to ride through it. Well, the oke's wheel washed away in a rut or something, and he got a mud bath (top to toe)... Glad I wasn't him with mud and muck in all my clothing for 80kays! I promptly decided to take ALL the chicken runs after that, and one cost me a puncture

Edited April 16, 2011 by agteros

[brad890]

Remember, last year they warned us about a deep mud pool in the road a few kays after the start? I was in a group behind a bloke who decided, while everybody is taking the chicken routes, to be the only MAN to ride through it. Well, the oke's wheel washed away in a rut or something, and he got a mud bath (top to toe)... Glad I wasn't him with mud and muck in all my clothing for 80kays! I promptly decided to take ALL the chicken runs after that, and one cost me a puncture

 

yeah i remember it, i also saw a guy fall off there shortly after joking about falling off lol which also makes me think of the first stream/ water crossing and people trying to ride though it and coming pope lol

[kosmonooit]

Also a few thick sand patches in the first loop: the stuff of broken chains and can bring on the cramps!

 

That last big climb is up a 4x4 route which is really the worst part of the route for me, churned up klippe, my nemesis! Then its one awesome down hill to the finish, take it easy if you are bit fatigued, it gets steep, good surface but very rocky.

[brad890]

has the 80KM route changed from last year, does anyone who rode with a garmin have a profile or route marked out on google earth so that one can compare to the one that is posted on the race website? namely this one

[JoziNinja]

Go check the website they have the profiles on there.

 

But as per one of my other Posts.

Don't ever believe what you see cause i have never actually ridden a race that the profile or the distance they mentioned was the right ones.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[cois4]

hi

ek het n staanplek vir n karavaan of tent by mabelingwe die naweek beskikbaar 13/14 R300 per staanplek per nag moet altwee nagte vat max 6 persone per staanplek

 

as jy belangstel kontak my 0829280841

[brad890]

I have the image attached it the one i got off their website? that steep hill right in the middle looks like its new from last year, just all the profiles around are so different scale wise that its hard to compair

[Beer4Recovery]

Hi,

 

I read that there is quite a heavy queue to the event, we are leaving Pretoria @ 5am on Saturday morning, should this give us enough time to get a parking spot & prep before the race? Google-maps estimate 1 hour 56 minutes travel time to the venue?

[JoziNinja]

I don't trust these things they post anymore. This route if check as it is laid out is only 30miles which relates to just under 50km. somthing hectic wrong with the profile or half of it is missing. This is something that is starting to annoy me alot.

[dirtrider]

It's gonna be a rush but you should make the start .