Sani is coming Part 1 - The Mast Challenges (The Donkey Edition)

With Sani2C just around the corner, three weeks to be exact, consisting of three days of agonizingly beautiful riding from Underberg to Durban. This epic ride starts on the 15th of May, averages 80km and climbs as much as 2200m a day and goes through the “HOME OF THE BLACK MAMBA”. All the more reason to prepare and prepare well. No one wants to get stuck out there with +3m albino mambas. Even if it's just to get value for money after all the big G you had to drop to get here.

[Ed. note 1: (Because the BOditor always has something to say) Donkey? Mamba?]

Final preparation starts with “The Mast Challenge”. This is a hill in the Tokai forest at Cape Town. The specs are 11.5km and 900m of climbing. Simple math should tell you that’s 8% average all the way with spikes over 20%. Some people run and some people cycle and a select few (not even the Donkey was brave enough) do both to claim the title “King of the Mountain”.

[Ed. note 2: (stating) You walked!!!]

To get here Donkey had to board a flight. A Flight that would start a series of events that would ruin everything…

[Ed. note 3: (yep) The curse of the BObbie...]

Arriving in Cape Town only at 18h00 on Friday night and the race is at 07h00 the next morning. So no time can be wasted re-assembling the bike. Handle bars turned, pedals re-installed and … WTF !!! … The derailleur is bent into the wheel!!! A simple adjustment broke it clean off. Not to worry Stevie says, here in CPT we have bicycle shops that stay open till 21h00, so off we went.

[Ed. note 4: (huh) Simple because you just break off the dropout hanger?]

[Ed. note 5: (huh) And who the heck is Stevie?]

Long story short, I had to borrow a bike for the race and for most of the riding that was done during this week. Simply put, “Viper” is not a brand that is available in the country. Seven bike shops told me the same thing. “Sorry dude, we cannot find a dropout that fits your bike”. One of the bike shops even suggested that we contact a man called Terry. Many have heard of such a man, but no one believed it to be true. Could it really be possible that he exists?

[Ed. note 6: (snickers) Yeah Stevie, Cape Town's bike shops may open till 21h00, but can they fix a dropout?]

Terry would later prove to be the real deal, but let me explain. Terry is a 80 year old retired engineer with a workshop second to none in his garage. He can machine anything the heart desires as long as you provide him with a template, R100 and a bottle of Brandy. A deal was struck and the broken dropout left with this man of myth and legend waiting patiently and hoping that this is not another hoax. Sure enough, two days later he called. “I have made you two so long that you can try out and I will be done with the other 5 by Thursday”. Could you believe it ?!?

[Ed. note 7: (suspicious) Could you believe he could make two dropout with a bottle of brandy?]

By the time the race was over, Stevie had claimed “King of the Mountain” and Donkey simply managed the climb on a bike two sizes too small for him in an average, yet respectable 1h12. The climb was tough and the views were spectacular. Pictures and Graphs below will illustrate what words simply cannot explain.

[Ed. note 8: (Oh) Oh, that Stevie!]

More riding followed during the rest of the week with similar views and lots of climbing... Stevie, the "Machine" who happens to be my Sani2C partner dragged my ass up and down Table Mountain and Devil's Peak all week long. In total, we must have rode about 100km.

Oh yes, before I forget, Stevie did the "King of the Mountain" in 1h04 for both run and the cycle respectively. To make matters worse, he will 46 years old this year. The Donkey don't feel so long next to Stevie...