Skubarra

I 100% agree its too pricy for my liking - but comparing it to trail permits doesn't make sense, compared to a trail permit there is probably not a single event worth the money? Apples and pears 🤷‍♂️ Also part of me wonder if this is now the new going rate for the privilege of doing mtb events? Where are all the alternative well priced options for March/April? Seems mostly on the list of dead events on Rouxenators thread.... Only other mtb race I could find near Cape Town for April/May is the Darling Brew (for just more than half the price of this one), so given the lack of options and the need to do a mtb race again I have entered both... I have got all the other weekends to use my cheap trail permits and free gravel options.

I think it depends on how serious & how often you want to follow Strava routes (and I assume in places that are unfamiliar to you) If only very occasionally, sure the breadcrumb thing on the 130 will do the basic job for navigation. But if regularly I think the limitations on the 130 will probably outweigh the usefulness and just frustrate you. Even on devices like the 520/530 with better features the navigation can be temperamental at times. Just this weekend I got a bit lost in the Riviersonderend mountains trying to navigate a private mountain pass on the 530 😃 If you want to navigate regularly, I wouldn't go with anything below the 530.

Just to note - at least 20% of entrants don't pitch on the day and then there is a whole bunch that don't finish. So the actual entrants will be significantly more than the results you see on racetec. For me its also a no-brainer that if moving the event a week or 2 means a few extra 1000 can participate then organisers should do it. Flipping around the whole cycling calendar to move the event to October which was suggested earlier probably not practical though and cant see that happening.

In principle I don't have an issue with the organisers changing the date to make it accessible to more people. A week earlier later or earlier makes no difference in my world. Only issue would be logistical? I'm sure applications and approvals must be in place long in advance, changing dates could cause clashes with other planned (non-cycling) events. Also probably the whole January cycling calendar would have to be moved one week earlier. Probably won't be a trivial excercise to change dates.

The benefit of flying to Joburg for the 94.7 - family not particularly keen to join the trip to Mordor so getting a dad only pass much easier 🤣

Someone told me they lost their sponsor and the local Lions club felt it wasn't financially worth the effort to host the race without one

The road race through West Coast national park was also an underappreciated event. Mostly full road closures through a nature reserve next to the sea during spring. Another event killed off by covid 🙁

I have heard rumours the road race will be back soon... If so I will do Knysna again next year

A few good events we lost 😪 Add to that the Trans Karoo MTB Hex Valley Autumn Splendour Stellenbosch Road and MTB Events (old Burger races) even the old TipTrans Citrusdal race.

Sorry - what I meant would the date also be an issue? Given its always close to the CTCT.

Curious - would this be an issue for the Epic as well?

Did not realise the timing board had a timing chip on it 🤣 Have to phone my lawyer now to retract that letter! Only changed the number on my back.. Great pics of you and your laaitie! 💪

WhatsApp Video 2023-03-12 at 21.02.21.mp4 @ bunch climbing Edinburgh WhatsApp Video 2023-03-12 at 21.02.21 (1).mp4 and & with the little breakaway (Not sure if my copy & paste from whatsapp will work with the video formatting)

The 42km was probably also quick because its wrong.... Still waiting for my time 😛

I wouldn't say ALOT... Last year the first few kilos were tricky with the rain & wet roads but after Edinburgh it was easy going as long as you didn't puncture or slip on a drain or painted line somewhere. Last year & this year's winning times in $ and @ are pretty close. This year though the group did have to work hard in the headwinds until Smits if you wanted to be in line for a sub-3 - it seems in the racing groups this year there were more working bees willing to burn some matches upfront than in 1B upwards.

And now I have to take back the snarky comments I made about 1A riders being lazy and unskilled. Congrats on your sub-3s guys, think it is way up on last year from 1A so clearly there were some hard workers in there 💪

First cut of results usually have some errors, should be fixed in the coming week. My 42km result also not showing yet

So slower and less bike handling skills 😜

What went wrong with 1A?... Seems you were a bunch of lazy wheelsuckers 😉 Both 1B and 1C had faster times and more sub-3s...

Agree with you - not sure stopping at a crash have ever been a requirement... I would not be able to be of any real assistance anyway, I'm not a doctor nor a mechanic. But I certainly get the resentment towards the person causing the accident riding away unaffected by the mess he/she caused.

Until recently it was like a 1min and later 2min gaps between 1A and 1B, at 1 point 1B would start in their lane before all the 1A guys even crossed the timing mats. Which made it a certainty that groups would combine in 1 big mass. I think with the 5min (?) gap its less likely that the groups will merge unless 1A is REALLY lazy. Guess the one benefit of not having 30K+ starters anymore

Listed under road events that are official seeding events for the 94.7 🤔 Unless they just picked random events from old racetec results 🤣

And nice to see the Knysna Road event is back on...

Most if not all are Racetec timed events? Do you think they dropped the current timing company and moved back to Racetec? Would not be entirely surprised given the timing and seeding shambles of 2022

https://www.capetowncycletour.com/lifecycle-week/ctct/2023-cape-town-cycle-tour-start-times/ So glad that disasterous experiments of 30 second and 1 minute splits are now officially over