How do you prep for what’s considered one of the toughest races in the world? A custom bike is a good start. The MUNGA is a 1000km single stage mountain bike race across South Africa – in the middle of the summer. With the race in their back yard, Momsen Bikes decided to build what they consider to be the Ultimate MUNGA Machine starting with the new VIPA Ultra.
The MUNGA is still a mountain bike race, but the long distance covered (in less than 5 days), means the addition of a drop bar could pay off thanks to the different hand positions.
In order to make it work with all of the mountain bike equipment, the bike has a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, the left shifter has been modified to work the DT Swiss OPM O.D.L. 100 Race fork’s lockout. Then at the end of the bar is a custom drop bar lever to work the X-Fusion Manic dropper seat post. The right shifter works the SRAM Force 1/Force 22 1×11 drivetrain.
Additional hand positioning is provided by the FARR aero bolt on bars which also serve as a perch for the Lezyne Mega XL GPS. Underneath that is a Lezyne X-Loc mount with a Lezyne Multi-Drive 1000 headlight and an Infinite Light Power Pack hidden in the top tube storage compartment.
Other details include a FARR carbon wheelset with the Gravel rim up front and the MTB rim out back. While the Gravel wheel is narrower and actually heavier than the 29″ MTB wheel, it’s deeper 35mm depth might be and advantage for aerodynamics over such a long course. Vee Tire Co. Rail Trackers in 29 x 2.20 are mounted to those rims for a fast rolling set up.
It’s not clear who is going to ride this bike in the race, but you might see it when the MUNGA kicks off on November 28th!
