{"id":15702,"date":"2018-10-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2018\/10\/25\/ride-report-single-track-stoke-at-the-u-r7589\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T05:39:01","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T05:39:01","slug":"ride-report-single-track-stoke-at-the-u-r7589","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/ride-report-single-track-stoke-at-the-u-r7589\/","title":{"rendered":"Ride report: Single track stoke at The U"},"content":{"rendered":"

The third edition of The U mountain bike stage race took place in Piket-Bo-Berg from 19-21 October 2018. Billed as \u201cSA\u2019s Single Track Stage Race\u201d, the relative newcomer is a small boutique event which lives up to the hype.<\/p>\n

The U is a two and a half day mountain bike stage race which kicks off on the Friday afternoon with a short 7.9 km prologue to get in tune with the trails and set your seeding for the first true stage on Saturday. The event traverses the vast network of private single track laced across local farms around Moutons Valley.<\/p>\n

\nCheck out our race report from the 2019 The U MTB Stage Race<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Both stages are around 50 km long with approximately 1600m and 1400m of climbing on stages one and two respectively. Don\u2019t let the distances fool you, though. There are few restful kilometres in those figures, but that\u2019s a good thing. The U talks proudly of its single track density and so it should. Over the two (and a half) days riders are treated to absolute single track delight.<\/p>\n

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Episode 1 (Stage 1)<\/strong> is 49.8 kilometres long with 1567 meters of ascending. It features the 5 kilometre \u201clet the brakes go\u201d descent down \u201cLivingstone & Stanley\u201d followed immediately by the long climb back up the \u201cOssewa Pas\u201d. That morning we emerged from our battered tents to an uncharacteristic gale force wind pummelling the race village. With parts of the route placing riders precariously on the mountainside, safety was the key concern. After a slight start time delay, some route checks and calls for additional medical support, it was announced that the \u201crace\u201d would go on as a neutral, untimed stage.<\/p>\n

For the large majority of the field that didn\u2019t change much. We were there to enjoy the trails and challenge ourselves. And so we did! \u201cHello Kitty\u201d, \u201cDammit\u201d, \u201cFairy Meadows\u201d, \u201cRiver Run\u201d – just a handful of the single tracks of the day, all meticulously date stamped and marked by sturdy engraved wooden panels.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-2-0-83765400-1540488448.jpg\"<\/a>Craig Kolesky sporting the official The U trail shirt provided to all participants courtesy of good folks at Enjoy Fitness. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-25724100-1540453433.jpg\"<\/a>A good spread at the water points.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-64133600-1540453452.jpg\"<\/a>And even a little something to numb the pain.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Prologue and Episode 1 Video Highlights<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pbbtrails\/videos\/663239447409666\/<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

After a great day out on bikes, it was all about the beanbags and beers beside the dam. Sharing stories of stoke with fellow riders and high-fiving the trail builders. When it eventually came time to call it a night riders moseyed off to one of three accommodation options available at The U: standard tents, luxury tents, and deluxe tented cabins. The wind aside, each offered its own comforts and even at the entry-level it was comfortable with always clean ablution facilities and minimal shower queues.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-2-0-77492900-1540453185.jpg\"<\/a>An idyllic race village beside the dam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the only criticism to be had was that there just wasn\u2019t enough food on the dinner tables to fully satisfy hungry bike riders. The restaurant-chef prepared food was delicious… most people just wanted a little bit more. For a young, growing event it\u2019s no doubt a pain point that will be swiftly addressed, especially considering the sharp attention to detail paid to all aspects of the event.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-2-0-57648100-1540452634.jpg\"<\/a>The CBC beer station watched over by Ewie, the official unofficial race mascot often (or not) found hiding out on route.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"ccs-2-0-89677200-1540452244.jpg\"<\/a>Truth Coffee helped to kickstart the day. Each rider received a complementary The U \/ Truth takeaway mug along with two coffee vouchers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Episode 2 (Stage 2)<\/strong> took riders on a 51 km route across the opposite side of the valley with 1418 meters of climbing. Thankfully on Sunday morning, we awoke to less wind and clear skies signalling a hot day ahead. After some dusty and loose trails on Episode 1, the day\u2019s stage provided some contrast with its natural rocky trails threaded between giant boulders and dense fynbos.<\/p>\n

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Despite having experienced the magic of these trails at the same event in 2016<\/a>, it\u2019s almost impossible to comprehend how many of the trails were imagined, let alone crafted. Criss-crossing the hills above the race village, the trails weave audaciously over, through, between, and under rocks to create a near perfect flow on terrain which quite often shouldn\u2019t<\/em> be rideable.<\/p>\n

One of the defining features of this event is the trails. For most riders, they are physically and technically challenging, but generous in their rewards. Between the frequent rushes of stoke and fragrances of Buchu, you can\u2019t help but think \u201cWho on earth was bold enough to build out here?\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Episode 2 Video highlights<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pbbtrails\/videos\/1970895899876406\/<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"ccs-2-0-85526000-1540454972.jpg\"<\/a>Wait! Is that an E-bike? Participants could book a slot to test out a Specialized Turbo Levo on the 7.9km prologue course on a separately timed lap. No e-assistance for your race seeding, but it was a great opportunity to test out an E-bike in the wild with some prizes on offer for those atop the leaderboard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-75955700-1540455260.jpg\"<\/a>Adrienne Moolman was the leading Turbo Levo in the Women’s category.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-99565200-1540455263.jpg\"<\/a>Renowned mountain biker Fritz Pienaar claimed the Men’s Turbo Levo win.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\"ccs-2-0-25950300-1540454653.jpg\"<\/a>Even the race number boards each had a personal touch.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-11938600-1540453610.jpg\"<\/a>A nice take on a race “medal”. Custom plates and all.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-85466200-1540452110.jpg\"<\/a>A creative take on a seeding board. Find your photo to see your start batch. <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"ccs-2-0-48423900-1540453675.jpg\"<\/a> It’s (mostly) a family affair! Moutons Valley farm owners Eric and Michelle Starke, along with their daughters & partners were instrumental in keeping the wheels turning behind the scenes and providing warm hospitality to all.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n\"ccs-2-0-08671800-1540453699.jpg\"<\/a>Some parting gifts from members of the local community who benefit from the race.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
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\nIf you\u2019ve not had the privilege of experiencing the Piket-Bo-Berg trails be sure to keep a lookout for entries to next year\u2019s The U. And don\u2019t forget the one-day Piket-Bo-Berg Challenge<\/a> to ensure your single track soul is well fed.<\/p>\n

Find out more on the Piket-Bo-Berg website<\/a> or their Facebook Page<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The third edition of The U mountain bike stage race took place in Piket-Bo-Berg from 19-21 October 2018. Billed as \u201cSA\u2019s Single Track Stage Race\u201d, the relative newcomer is a small boutique event which lives up to the hype. The U is a two and a half day mountain bike stage race which kicks off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[172,517,289],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-15702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-and-travel","tag-piket-bo-berg","tag-stage-race","tag-the-u"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15702"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=15702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}