{"id":16192,"date":"2018-02-07T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2018\/02\/07\/taking-on-the-2018-tankwa-trek-r7086\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T06:11:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T06:11:38","slug":"taking-on-the-2018-tankwa-trek-r7086","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/taking-on-the-2018-tankwa-trek-r7086\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking on the 2018 Tankwa Trek"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since our last big outing as a team at Cape Pioneer Trek<\/a>, Kylie and I have been working very hard at recovery. Recovery and tapering. This has involved extensive eating, sleeping, and lots of \u201csoul riding\u201d featuring coffee, croissants, and whatever jovial crew can be mustered.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-29630500-1517917660.jpg\"<\/a>Team Bike Hub “crushing” the Swartberg Pass in the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek presented by Biogen. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

But the peace of our summer slumber needs to be shattered and so we\u2019ve signed up to tackle the Momentum Health Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen.<\/p>\n

Taking our lack of preparation into account, we\u2019re not in a position to be dishing out advice unless it is \u201chow not to do it\u201d. But here\u2019s what we wish we had done to prepare:<\/p>\n

Skills & Spares<\/h2>\n

There are rocks. Lots of rocks. Bigs slabs, loose pebbles, rocks in sand, rocks in clay. It is, if memory serves, some of the most entertaining riding you are likely to find in a South African stage race. You are going to need to be zen on the bike to conserve as much energy as possible, and have the most fun.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-20747200-1517918682.jpg\"<\/a>Sipho Madolo is not afraid of rocks but we certainly are. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

We have opted for dropper posts and solid tyres. Ain\u2019t nobody got time for crashes and sidewall cuts. With the very real threat of damaging a wheel, we’re taking few chances with carrying spares. We are hoping that two spare tubes, three bombs, plugs galore, and spare tyre back at camp will keep us rolling over the three days.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-98991700-1517918673.jpg\"<\/a>We are prepared for scenes like this. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

Get Hot<\/h2>\n

It gets toasty in the Karoo. Learn how your body reacts to the heat and if possible prepare accordingly. We’ve been doing the opposite this summer and getting up early to avoid the sweat and sunburn that usually accompanies the December and January afternoons. Frankly, it is too late now, but the team from Science2Sport have some tips<\/a> on how to acclimate to exercising in the heat for next year.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, it seems a cold front is approaching which will bring cooler weather this weekend but with the Cape’s unpredictable fronts, who knows what we’ll face come race day.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-67586400-1517919223.jpg\"<\/a>A bucket of cold water is a rare sight in the Bokkeveld, so get ready to sweat. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

Climbing<\/h2>\n

Be warned, the Merino Monster is one of the longest climbs in South African stage racing, and there’ll be no hiding undercooked legs. Throughout the route, surfaces are not always smooth and manicured, so you\u2019ll be working extra hard. We\u2019ve spent a fair amount of summer climbing on our road bikes which might not have been the best preparation for tackling this beast. At this stage, all that can be done is rest up and hope for the best and enjoy the spectacular views on the day.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-71143900-1517918945.jpg\"<\/a>The Merino Monster is the defining challenge on Day 2. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

Feel the gees<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s one part of our strategy that requires little preparation: get stuck into the vibe. Any racing ambitions went out the window when a mandatory croissant stop was added to our weekly morning ride. As the saying goes: \u201cif you can\u2019t beat em, make the most of the ample catering and enjoy the views\u201d. Tankwa Trek is an opportunity to ride incredible trails in a magnificent part of the country, with the added bonus of well-stocked water points. We intend to make the most of it!<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-95773400-1517918683.jpg\"<\/a>This man certainly got the gees memo. Photo credit: Oakpics.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n

Time for your say<\/h2>\n

We certainly claim no great wisdom, so please let us know your tips, tricks, and advice for surviving and enjoying the 2018 Tankwa Trek in the event discussion here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our coverage<\/h2>\n

Kylie and I will be doing daily reports from our ride after each stage, and possibly even a selfie or two. We will also be sharing all the action from the front end of the race every evening. So stay tuned to Bike Hub for our updates this coming weekend. Tankwa Trek will also be doing live coverage of the racing from the event – details are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-27887900-1517918134.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since our last big outing as a team at Cape Pioneer Trek, Kylie and I have been working very hard at recovery. Recovery and tapering. This has involved extensive eating, sleeping, and lots of \u201csoul riding\u201d featuring coffee, croissants, and whatever jovial crew can be mustered. Team Bike Hub “crushing” the Swartberg Pass in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[94,761],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-16192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-and-travel","tag-tankwa-trek","tag-tankwa-trek-report"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16192","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=16192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16192"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=16192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}