So I've been youngly quiet in the past few weeks.. sorry.. but its been an interesting past 3 weeks, doing the Isuzu 3 Towers in the first weekend of October, the Fedgroup berg & Bush #Descent in the 2nd weekend and then this weekend -The Bestmed Satellite Classic.. what happiness!!
So its not often ill say i enjoyed climbing or enjoyed being on the road bike but somehow i just loved the Satellite Classic.. i was meant to ride the 116 but ended up doing the 80km as a friend was really wanting to ride but not alone, so the easy paced ride was needed but my legs were beyond happy to climb.. it felt good.. :)
A young reflection on the last 2 weekends..
The Isuzu 3 Towers was hella tough - mechanical infested but tough.. every day we started on a 20km climb between 800-1000m vertical ascent.. then an additional 50km with another 1000m vertical spread out.. i suffered but Lord knows i love Sabie for one reason, yes it has crazy climbs but the downhills and single track are beyond rewarding**!
First day my partner had issues with gears not changing in the last 20 odd Km's, and big ring and Sabie rarely happens so that held us back. And on the second day i broke my saddle 12km's into the 1st 20km climb.. standing and resting to the top/ 1st water point was all that could happen, in between this drama was 2 different ideas on how we could keep the saddle 'on'.. oh boy.. at Waterpoint 1 another guy tried to make my spare tube a seat.. bless you all but we ended up having to go back to race village to get my saddle sorted, i was determined to ride still so i was dropped off at the last guy on the field and allowed to finish.. <3 MTB and that afternoon.. Rugby as the Springboks made us proud.. the race village was so warm.. loved it! Ps.. its called 3 Towers because you climb to a Tower each day.. i didn't know this.. :)
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The last day was beautiful.. lots of climbs, no mechanicals and lots of technical descent towards the end.. yes, i was one happy Bean!!
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The Berg and Bush is known for its never ending single track up, down, across.. hmm.. fair climbing, hard terrain as we transversed the Berg, sickeningly amazing single track.. yes, Solly's Folly is worth all the hype it gets... especially with a bit of rain and mist.. i loved it.. first day was a long 95km.. id lost my sense of humor in the last 5 km's - this was the longest 5km's of my life..
Ive always said mtb climbing is harder than road climbing, but Berg and Bush took it a tad further.. single track climbing is tough.. yikes! 2nd day the legs started arriving, and 3rd day they had arrived and i couldn't have asked for a better stage for them to arrive.. this brought great happiness :)
Having missed Cape Pioneer this year and being blessed enough to do these stage races i couldn't help but wonder.. if every race has climbs.. is it not that the natural or differentiating factor should be the quality of the technical single track?.. good races cater for the climbers and the technical riders/downhillers/technical single track lovers.. i think.. hence some pray for uphills... some pray for downhills was all i thought on day 1 as most of the riders dismounted down a technical wet Solly's folly.. we made up time on the technical bits on day 2 and 3.. perhaps its cause i live for technical single track and tummy curdling descents.. i wouldn't have it any different though :)
... Best single track ridden so far / the amount of effort put into insane downhills and technical single track
1. Bridge Cape Pioneeer
2. Fedgroup Berg and Bush
3. Sabie - everywhere.. in all directions going down :)
4. Sani2C Day 2
I love mtb'ing!!
So its not often ill say i enjoyed climbing or enjoyed being on the road bike but somehow i just loved the Satellite Classic.. i was meant to ride the 116 but ended up doing the 80km as a friend was really wanting to ride but not alone, so the easy paced ride was needed but my legs were beyond happy to climb.. it felt good.. :)A young reflection on the last 2 weekends..
The Isuzu 3 Towers was hella tough - mechanical infested but tough.. every day we started on a 20km climb between 800-1000m vertical ascent.. then an additional 50km with another 1000m vertical spread out.. i suffered but Lord knows i love Sabie for one reason, yes it has crazy climbs but the downhills and single track are beyond rewarding**!
First day my partner had issues with gears not changing in the last 20 odd Km's, and big ring and Sabie rarely happens so that held us back. And on the second day i broke my saddle 12km's into the 1st 20km climb.. standing and resting to the top/ 1st water point was all that could happen, in between this drama was 2 different ideas on how we could keep the saddle 'on'.. oh boy.. at Waterpoint 1 another guy tried to make my spare tube a seat.. bless you all but we ended up having to go back to race village to get my saddle sorted, i was determined to ride still so i was dropped off at the last guy on the field and allowed to finish.. <3 MTB and that afternoon.. Rugby as the Springboks made us proud.. the race village was so warm.. loved it! Ps.. its called 3 Towers because you climb to a Tower each day.. i didn't know this.. :)
The last day was beautiful.. lots of climbs, no mechanicals and lots of technical descent towards the end.. yes, i was one happy Bean!!
The Berg and Bush is known for its never ending single track up, down, across.. hmm.. fair climbing, hard terrain as we transversed the Berg, sickeningly amazing single track.. yes, Solly's Folly is worth all the hype it gets... especially with a bit of rain and mist.. i loved it.. first day was a long 95km.. id lost my sense of humor in the last 5 km's - this was the longest 5km's of my life.. Ive always said mtb climbing is harder than road climbing, but Berg and Bush took it a tad further.. single track climbing is tough.. yikes! 2nd day the legs started arriving, and 3rd day they had arrived and i couldn't have asked for a better stage for them to arrive.. this brought great happiness :)
Having missed Cape Pioneer this year and being blessed enough to do these stage races i couldn't help but wonder.. if every race has climbs.. is it not that the natural or differentiating factor should be the quality of the technical single track?.. good races cater for the climbers and the technical riders/downhillers/technical single track lovers.. i think.. hence some pray for uphills... some pray for downhills was all i thought on day 1 as most of the riders dismounted down a technical wet Solly's folly.. we made up time on the technical bits on day 2 and 3.. perhaps its cause i live for technical single track and tummy curdling descents.. i wouldn't have it any different though :)
... Best single track ridden so far / the amount of effort put into insane downhills and technical single track
1. Bridge Cape Pioneeer
2. Fedgroup Berg and Bush
3. Sabie - everywhere.. in all directions going down :)
4. Sani2C Day 2
I love mtb'ing!!
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