Buffs RR of the 2019 Tankwa XC Rally

[Johndog]

Lovely report, than you for sharing

 

[Cracker]

Thanks, Brett, that was a good read. It's been so long since I've ridden my bike that I've sort of given up. But reading this RR has put the spark back into my brain.

Time to get back in the saddle, methinks.  :biggrin:

AND, I'm glad to hear the green machine got you to the end ..........  :thumleft:

 

[Sheepman]

Excellent Race Report - well done on finishing it in style  :thumleft:

 

[exkdx]

Well done and thanks for sharing a very entertaining race ride story :biggrin:

 

[detour]

Very entertaining ride report!

At some point the track took a sharp right and climbed up the side of a very rocky and technical koppie. I marshaled near this point last year and everyone besides the front runners struggled with it. I knew I needed to hit it with some momentum to get all the way up but alas, not even that was enough. I hit one of the bigger rocks, lost momentum and stalled the bike, nearly falling over in the process  :-[ Getting going again was a mission, the rocks were loose and it was so steep they just kept on spinning out from under the back wheel giving you zero traction. It took some clutch work to finally get to the top where I found Dirk (GS1200) and Nadine having a water break. I stopped to check if they were okay before heading off again. With some help from good Samaritans ahead of us they somehow managed to get that GS1200 up that climb... respect  :thumleft: How he got it down the other side must be a story all of its own 

The last rider in the group and the guy furthest down the mountain was on a Honda XR650R and he managed to tag onto the back of me. I was later to find out his name was Riaan. The two of us rode a fairly decent pace from there until refuel 2 where we stopped and chatted. He mentioned he was held up for a long time when he stopped to help get the GS up the mountain and I mentioned to him that I had no GPS and was simply relying on my shaky memory of where the tracks are going. His words were “Don’t worry chom, stick with me and I’ll show you the way, we’re riding at a lekka pace together”. Right there, a new friendship was made, forged in the dust of the Tankwa  :ricky: The two of us rode the best part of the next 200km’s together, taking turns to set the pace and read tracks where possible. When I was leading and got to an intersection where there was doubt he’d point it out to me before reaching me and I’d take off again. On the fast open sections (which there was plenty of in the second part of this stage), he’d run ahead because he was reaching speeds of 160km/h and on the more technical rocky stuff then I’d pull ahead on the smaller bike. 

Riaan is making excuses

I rode the GS up the mountain without any help.  That was kind of a thing for me... to do the rally without needing any assistance - so not getting myself stuck.

He is right that there was a delay though.  I was forced to stop when someone fell in front of me - at that point I was convinced that I would have to start over from the bottom again to be able to get up with the GS.  Whilst stationary, more people tried to get up the climb.  Some of them made it, but others got stuck and two of them also fell.  That resulted in a bit of a pileup with some riders waiting at the bottom for the track to clear before they attempted to go up.  I helped one lady to get to the top to clear the track in front of the GS.  With some luck I got a bit of momentum with the GS and got it to the top.  I then assisted another lady who were still stuck by riding her bike - with a broken clutch lever - to the top for her and then assisted Nadene with a bit of advice to get going and to the top as well.  I lost probably 20 mins each at that climb and at the following descent to assist other riders.  Not that I mind... camaraderie is half the reason I ride bikes.  Sooner or later everyone needs a bit of assistance.

 

[Noneking]

Great RR! Well done

 

[BossPierreLombard]

Welldone Brett!! The last time I saw that Green 450 was probably while it was still owned by Andrew and making tracks with the Quarriors!

Stoked you managed to finish the race - real inspiration right there

 

[sgt]

Very entertaining ride report!

At some point the track took a sharp right and climbed up the side of a very rocky and technical koppie. I marshaled near this point last year and everyone besides the front runners struggled with it. I knew I needed to hit it with some momentum to get all the way up but alas, not even that was enough. I hit one of the bigger rocks, lost momentum and stalled the bike, nearly falling over in the process  :-[ Getting going again was a mission, the rocks were loose and it was so steep they just kept on spinning out from under the back wheel giving you zero traction. It took some clutch work to finally get to the top where I found Dirk (GS1200) and Nadine having a water break. I stopped to check if they were okay before heading off again. With some help from good Samaritans ahead of us they somehow managed to get that GS1200 up that climb... respect  :thumleft: How he got it down the other side must be a story all of its own 

The last rider in the group and the guy furthest down the mountain was on a Honda XR650R and he managed to tag onto the back of me. I was later to find out his name was Riaan. The two of us rode a fairly decent pace from there until refuel 2 where we stopped and chatted. He mentioned he was held up for a long time when he stopped to help get the GS up the mountain and I mentioned to him that I had no GPS and was simply relying on my shaky memory of where the tracks are going. His words were “Don’t worry chom, stick with me and I’ll show you the way, we’re riding at a lekka pace together”. Right there, a new friendship was made, forged in the dust of the Tankwa  :ricky: The two of us rode the best part of the next 200km’s together, taking turns to set the pace and read tracks where possible. When I was leading and got to an intersection where there was doubt he’d point it out to me before reaching me and I’d take off again. On the fast open sections (which there was plenty of in the second part of this stage), he’d run ahead because he was reaching speeds of 160km/h and on the more technical rocky stuff then I’d pull ahead on the smaller bike. 

Riaan is making excuses

I rode the GS up the mountain without any help.  That was kind of a thing for me... to do the rally without needing any assistance - so not getting myself stuck.

He is right that there was a delay though.  I was forced to stop when someone fell in front of me - at that point I was convinced that I would have to start over from the bottom again to be able to get up with the GS.  Whilst stationary, more people tried to get up the climb.  Some of them made it, but others got stuck and two of them also fell.  That resulted in a bit of a pileup with some riders waiting at the bottom for the track to clear before they attempted to go up.  I helped one lady to get to the top to clear the track in front of the GS.  With some luck I got a bit of momentum with the GS and got it to the top.  I then assisted another lady who were still stuck by riding her bike - with a broken clutch lever - to the top for her and then assisted Nadene with a bit of advice to get going and to the top as well.  I lost probably 20 mins each at that climb and at the following descent to assist other riders.  Not that I mind... camaraderie is half the reason I ride bikes.  Sooner or later everyone needs a bit of assistance.

That's awesome sportsmanship !!

 

[KarooKid]

Good one Buff  :thumleft:

Last year I didn't have the money, this year work prevented me from going...but you're being bloody well convincing with this RR. I really need to pull finger and make a plan for next year.  :snorting:

If you want it bad enough then make it happen  :thumleft: My advice is to start the planning now already, a year passes very quickly.

Plan and train. One can never have enough time in the saddle for the Tankwa.

Well done and well written Brett. I hope this inspires others to line up for the 2020 event.

 

[Buff]

Very entertaining ride report!

Riaan is making excuses

I rode the GS up the mountain without any help.  That was kind of a thing for me... to do the rally without needing any assistance - so not getting myself stuck.

He is right that there was a delay though.  I was forced to stop when someone fell in front of me - at that point I was convinced that I would have to start over from the bottom again to be able to get up with the GS.  Whilst stationary, more people tried to get up the climb.  Some of them made it, but others got stuck and two of them also fell.  That resulted in a bit of a pileup with some riders waiting at the bottom for the track to clear before they attempted to go up.  I helped one lady to get to the top to clear the track in front of the GS.  With some luck I got a bit of momentum with the GS and got it to the top.  I then assisted another lady who were still stuck by riding her bike - with a broken clutch lever - to the top for her and then assisted Nadene with a bit of advice to get going and to the top as well.  I lost probably 20 mins each at that climb and at the following descent to assist other riders.  Not that I mind... camaraderie is half the reason I ride bikes.  Sooner or later everyone needs a bit of assistance.

Thanks for the clarity [member=11438]detour[/member], not that there would be any shame in getting help to get a GS up there. You did phenomenally well under the circumstances  :thumleft: As an ex-Super Tenere rider I can say with confidence that I do not have the skill set to take that bike over this route. Certainly many parts are doable but that mountain section and those riverbeds with the big rocky sections would be my "dood skoot ".

Glad to hear the bike held up well. When I first saw it standing at race HQ with a race sticker on it I thought "OMG, that pretty GS will never look the same again after this"  ;D

Kudo on the assistance and you're 100% correct, we take care of our own, it's what makes this sport so exceptional. The riding gods and the beginners can rub shoulders every evening in the pits without egos getting in the way  :thumleft:

 

[Buff]

Post race analysis;

While lying in a comfy bed this morning watching the rain falling outside I can't help but think how different last Sunday started. PRD (post race depression) is hitting hard at the moment, I need to get out and ride.

I ended up placing 5th in the Silver Class, a result far better than what I was expecting but considering my GPS issues, I could possibly have ended up on the podium. Obviously there's no certainty about this because each rider faced their own issues over these 3 days which influenced their placing as as well.

Looking back on the race, what do I need to do different next year to make my race go smoother?

What didn't work:

The GPS issue:
The normal bicycle mount doesn't work, it supplies zero shock absorbing quality. I need 2 x GPS units and then mount them in a silicon mount to avoid the harsh knocks and vibrations from those Tankwa rocks. 2 units also allows you to set each one at different zoom scales so you don't have to stop and zoom in at points where tracks cross. I knew this before the race but finances didn't allow the extravagance this year and I raced with what I had. Even one reliable GPS in a silicon or equally suitable mount will get the job done.

The Bike:
Prep everything at least a month before the race and go test it in rocks, preferably on a weekend in the Tankwa. That will allow me to get the suspension dialed and get comfortable on the bike.

The clipper card:
Although I had a brand new clipper card holder strapped to my seat, I never secured it sufficiently. Staple it behind the seat to ensure it goes nowhere.

Petrol cap:
Tether it to the bike somehow  :

Water:
Take an extra bladder to avoid running out of water on the marathon stage.

What worked well:

The bike:
I had zero issues with the bike besides the carb draining at wide open throttle which I could live with. It cost me some time but not so much that it would make a difference in results. Dux and myself spent a lot of time making sure everything worked well before leaving for the race.

Mousse's:
They don't have the same feel as a tubed tyre and I'm not overly fond of riding with them but they gave me the peace of mind to hit everything without worrying about punctures. I won't race this event without them again.

Air Filters:
Take 2 extra pre-oiled filters with and some disposable rubber gloves.

The food package with the race entry:
It took the food prep and schlep out of my hands (or rather my wife's hands). You simply had to go and collect your meals in the morning and evening. The food was good and it was ample, lekka boere kos  :thumleft:

Portable fridge with solar charger:
It allowed us to keep our drinks ice cold  ;D A big thanks to Richard McC for helping out with this and lending me his solar panel  :3some:

None of the above are absolute necessities to ride this event, they just make the experience easier. Really hoping to see even more WDs on the start line next year  :thumleft:

 

[Buff]

Thanks, Brett, that was a good read. It's been so long since I've ridden my bike that I've sort of given up. But reading this RR has put the spark back into my brain.

Time to get back in the saddle, methinks.  :biggrin:

AND, I'm glad to hear the green machine got you to the end ..........  :thumleft:

Then the time taken to write this has been worthwhile, it would be great to see you on the line next year [member=3430]Cracker[/member]  :thumleft:

 

[Buff]

It takes some time to get the Tankwa out of your system... especially the thorns  ;D This one decided to now was a good time to come out 

 

[Fuzzy Muzzy]

Lekker man Buff

Tankwa is not for sissies, you rode like a star.. well done mate :thumleft:

Make a plan to come for a few rides in the quarry in prep for 2020.  :thumleft:

 

[ClimbingTurtle]

Lekker - and thank you for taking the time to write - many of us appreciate that!!

Mousses - what where you running?

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Buff]

Shot Muzz, thanks for your support out there as well  :thumleft: Plenty Quarry training will be on the cards for sure  ;D

Pleasure [member=10050]ClimbingTurtle[/member] , glad you enjoyed it. I was running a 2ndhand set of Michelin Desert Rally tires with matching Michelin BIB mousse's and they held up very well  :thumleft:
I'm guessing the mousse's are probably still good for another Tankwa but the rear tyre is moeg, the 450 did some damage to it.

 

[sgt]

PS Awesome RR... that KLX looks sick

 

[PLUTO]

Very good RR Buff - congratulations!  You have a unique ability to put the reader right behind the handlebars.  after reading the report, one comes away with full sense of what the Tankwa Rally is all about.

Mooi

 

[Snafu]

Well done Buff!! lekker RR

 

[Offroad2]

Great RR Brett - well done