SeanMort

It's positively insane as to how the organiser's come to a decision to seed only the top 30 tandems into # group ?? I really don't understand the rationale as to how this happens. Why not put the top 60/70 - 100 tandems into this one group, like practically every other race in SA, and then the rest into a social tandems group further down the starting order as they used to ? They will pretty quickly self-seed from the start, and it will be safer for all concerned with no fuss. It's pretty hair raising on a tandem in the 1's and 2's groups among the single bikes, which they don't seem to understand at all. We petitioned to be granted a spot into # as per last year, but they blah blahed about the top 30 seeding ad-naseum, and then yesterday didn't we just catch and pass 2 # tandems who didn't look anything like # form (or shape). Even my blind stoker could spot this a mile away. Ugottawonder !!

I am aware of the organisers efforts, and do sincerely hope that said communities embrace the efforts they are making, but this is flip-flop politics at play. So far all I have seen from their original grievances are just words. Here's hoping the situation is addressed and appeased.

Possible protests are my only concern. The protesters had a light-bulb moment last year and the light-bulb is still burning ......

The road surface has settled and, to me, is perfectly good for racing on, but there is that damn pothole in the road just coming into Hout Bay. It's been there for months and nobody 'official' seems keen to sort it out. Choice of wheels will probably come down to wind conditions in my opinion.

Unless you are competing in a licenced group, nobody cares what brakes you have. Perfectly good to go from A - Z.

We didn't have many issues with others drafting off our team, and for the most part we rode them off. There were the usual sections where we got stuck in the shoal, but it wasn't for km's on end. Our team also had some frequent unscheduled stops, due to a recurring mechanical (pilot/stoker chain on one of tandems came off about 30 times), which cost us at least 20min, but we finished as a complete tandem team in 6H32. There was one slightly hairy moment when some of us were blasting down the hill shortly after Op De Tradouw, and split some of the Pure Savages at the back, and then a car came up the hill while we were all a 'little' over the white line !! This caused much excitement with a pedestrian walking on the side of the road. Too much fun we had :-)

As per last year, it's likely that entries will only open at the end of August, but the event date has been confirmed for the 25th November 2017. So therefore, more than enough time to train for the event .. assuming you actually get an entry :-)

In light of the culmination of "obstacles" the organisers faced I think they made the right choice to cancel the event. The overall safety of all participants for the entire duration of the event is obviously not negotiable. Sure the wind was insanely crazy, perhaps more so than 2009 (which I also participated in), and although some of us in the racing tandem bunch managed to get to the end of the Blue Route, I pause to think of what may lay ahead of us with protest action or even further extreme weather conditions. We're used to riding in the windy Cape conditions but most of the CTCT field are likely not, and this poses additional risks. Even so, we found it challenging to get going. In light of yesterdays events, not matter the cause, I'm of the opinion that CTCT organisers need to have a Plan B route. Perhaps an out-and-back route on the M3, like 2 years ago, for most of the fun rider bunches, with an extended distance for the rest that qualify (over De Waal, through the CBD, over High Level Road to Camps Bay and back via the old finish route ?? .. or something along those lines). This way everyone gets a scenic ride, a finish time and of course a medal :-) My take on the protest action is that it was most certainly planned, but that the protesters had not anticipated on a consequential route change that robbed them of their opportunity of media coverage. Perhaps this angered them and they resorted to co-ordinating another action in Hout Bay (or elsewhere) ?? I fear that this is the start of things to come for big events such as CTCT, OMTOM, Cape Epic and perhaps even other events further afield such as the Comrades Marathon and so on. Consider the following screenshot posted by somebody on FB this morning, see where it ultimately stems from, and make of it what you will ...

Not sure how this this impacts the long route option, but saw this note in our latest club ride information; "Road works and Dangerous conditions. One of our favourite routes is off the books for the next few weeks. The Tiekie draai route has become un-ride able as a result of the road works just before St Johns Road and into Durbanville. We will not be able to take club rides on this route for the foreseeable future. If you do ride the route on your own or with a small group be very careful as the road has been narrowed to such an extent that it is not possible for a motorist to pass a cyclist at all in several places." Perhaps someone with more accurate info could care to comment ?

Spartikus and I rode tandem from Kenilworth to Fish Hoek yesterday, was a little breezy to start, but then we turned right at Fish Hoek and headed for Chappies, and then back to Kenilworth via Camps Bay and town .. it was a wind friendly ride mostly. Coming up Chappies from Noordhoek side we saw a guy coming down from the lookout go straight into the wall on the first left hand bend, on hitting the wall he carried on over it, seemingly into the big blue beyond, then after a serious wtf moment we saw his head pop up on the other side and he then hopped over the wall again. Think his bike was trashed but several riders stopped to help him. That's a damn lucky guy for sure !!

Interesting to see that he's with Roberto in the one pic

It is him. He has another FB profile at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003531567692&fref=ts

I posted some weeks back about the "cheats" in another post https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/150014-another-adverse-analytical-finding/?p=2988809 Seems the same rider managed a 3rd place VC finish for this race too. Now if he was racing down here in the Cape with that result there would be more than a few raised eyebrows

Awesome ! Nice riding with you guys .. you're riding well as a tandem pair. I'm in training as a seeing-eye-dog/pilot for hubber Spartikus (Gavin my stoker) Our 2nd race together and so far so good before we try the track tandem which is Gavin's thing. Perhaps we can get enough tandems together one day for a league bunch :-)

The wind certainly made it tough going for us in the 90Km road event. We started out with a decent size tandem field, but by Fisantekraal airfield there were just 3 of us tandems left, and we worked together all the way to Adderley where we dropped 1 to finish 2nd a few seconds behind the other. The splintered groups ahead that we caught formed a sizeable bunch that worked together nicely with us 3 tandems.

Saw this on FB earlier ... Urgent Notice - Westcoast Express CANCELLED!! It is with huge regret and sadness, we have to announce the cancellation of The West Coast express Funride this Sunday. Provincial Traffic and their appointed contractors working on the R27 have retracted permission to use the route due to roadworks in the interests of cyclists’ safety. This late notice comes as a complete surprise and the cancellation was only triggered as a result of the race’s organising committee meeting with the contractors to request assistance in making the road as wide and safe as possible. This discussion about safety and the road use at the event, gave cause for the contractor to initiate cancellation proceedings late on Thursday 13th October. We cannot apologise enough and assure you every last avenue was looked at, officials called and spoken to, and options considered. Entrants will be refunded by Racetec directly and any late entries or EFT payments to the Outriders will be refunded by the club. Please let as many fellow cyclists know as you can. Regards and regretfully The Outriders

Argus Lite .. it's short, but you can ride it ! I haven't read all the related posts on the subject, but this is what has been suggested by my entered club mates (with a big thumbs up) saying that we all ride to the event, leaving Edgemead at 7am (we'll forgo the early start times for those that have), start in whatever relevant later start groups we can, thus giving most of us a nice sleep in, a really chilled ride with most of our club mates in a bunch, and a breakfast after .... SO, having this kind of atttitude/spirit (and I'm sure we won't be the only ones) we are sure to see a kind of pyramid structure taking shape to the volume of riders in each bunch, with the early start groups having less riders, the middle groups swelling quite a bit in number, and the later groups a fair bit larger too. It's going to be interesting to see this all unfold against the planned logistics.

Not related to Devin or his father Terence Shortt as far as I know

I've done this MTB Tour twice before and it's really a lot of fun !

Thanks David, I'll take it ! Seriously though, it's on order and just can't wait to get a new 42. Old one allows the chain to slip on tension and we can't ride out the saddle with it. It even slips sitting down.Too scared the chain breaks ! We broke away from the start with two other tandems and got to the base of Ou Kaaps with them, then had to let them go while we found the best gear we could, and then sat in and ground away at it at, around 12/13kmh all the way up. We knew beforehand that this was what we had to do, so the mental prep was there already ! Same story for Kommetjie, but there at least we could put in some out of saddle efforts. The leading two tandems finished 2H22 and we got caught by a mixed tandem just before Smits and rode all the way with them until Boyes, where we again knew we would struggle, and we finished 2min behind them. Rolled in as the 2nd mixed tandem which made my stoker very happy :-)

It was well organised and marshalled. A tough course and windy conditions for a tandem, and we struggled a bit, largely only having use of a 56 chainring and very minimal use of a 42 that has most of the teeth missing (awaiting spares), but we did ok. Finished in 2:46 which we were happy with.

Wow it was hot ! It was a last minute decision to enter for the tandem group, but with the understanding it was going to be a "training ride". Tandem wasn't quite ready for the job though after the recent Herald race, as the middle chain ring was worn, gear indexing out, and we seemed destined to ride the whole race in a 56 chainring. Painfully climbed over Hel's and then came tearing down the other side max'ing out at 94kph (did 104kph on Vissershok a few weeks back btw). Shortly before Kromm Rhee turnoff we got a puncture which we fixed after 2 attempts and 2 tubes. Decided to ride to Bottelary intersection and then turned around to ride back over Hels to the start/finish for a lovely DNF, and a mushroom burger and coke .. best decision of the day for us. Also came across a tandem on the way back to Stellies that had a broken drive chain and had turned back too. Seems the pilot got a lift back to Boschendaal and left the stoker to push and freewheel back to Stellies .. so we pushed him back to Stellies instead. Reminds me to carry a chain-breaker with in future. Now to get the tandem fixed up for Bay City ...

Please tell me more .. I've not heard about the recall and ride a Cannondale tandem.

I saw him yesterday at his home to drop off some of his things I brought back from PE for him, and he's having some deserved R&R. No doubt he'll update all when he's resurfaced. Kranswurm - I have relayed your kind offer to him and he'll be in touch soonest. I think he's a bit knackered !

You're unstoppable buddy ! Good to catch up with you in Stormsriver for lunch. You may have refused my offer of taking all my spare tubes and bombs, but the Mighty King Steer burger and Coke was too tempting ! See you back in CT. Call me so I can get your things to you before Friday. Ride safe David.