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Preparation

2 bikers
2 bikers

Planning and Logistics

To make sure you have an amazing experience at the Absa Cape Epic, please ensure that all outstanding actions in your online profile are completed before you arrive in Cape Town.

Cape Town and the Western Cape has so much to offer you outside of the race, so thorough planning for before and after the event will help make your trip to the Western Cape that much more memorable.

Your USWE Rider Bag

At registration at Lourensford you will receive a 100L USWE wheelie rider bag with your personal race number on it. This bag is the only bag that we transport between stage locations and, if you are staying in the tents and rely on us to transport your kit, everything you need during the race (including your sleeping bag and pillow) must fit in here.

Oh, it’s big enough, there’s no need to worry about that. The trick lies in how to pack it so that it becomes the most conveniently possible ‘race cupboard’ to live out of during the event.

The specially designed rider bag itself comes with various compartments so keeping your ‘sub sections’ separate shouldn’t be too much of a problem and hopefully not lead to a bottomless pit through which you need to rummage each morning just to find your chamois cream. 

What to Pack

Much has been written about stage-race packing and theories range from fanatical scout-like check-listing to ‘throw as much as you can into the bag, until it’s full.’   

The trick, says multiple Absa Cape Epic finisher, Craig Kolesky, is to pack by compartments. “Invest in smaller (I find lightweight mesh ideal) bags for each of these sub-sections,” says Craig. Now, Craig is well known as a fanatically methodical packer in the adventure sports fraternity in which he works as a professional photographer. But, and trust us on this, he’s on to something… 

Take some time to read through the below packing list to make sure you know the best items to pack, and the best way to pack them. 


Taxis and Transfers

When booking any taxi or shuttle service, it is important to let them know that you will be traveling with your bike and specify if it will be in a bike bag/box or free standing.

Some suggested Taxi and Shuttle services:
Sport24hrs
Cape Town Shuttles
Unicab
Uber