Karooryder

Does that mean that you will definitely be back next year? Yeah!!!!

Thanks Octaivian!

Ah yeah nochain, I think Klapperkop could easily be included in the current route! That's a super idea!!!

No man, there is a way around that! Waffle waffle...

Hell yeah I saw you dude...was sucking your wheel there for a while (in all honesty LOL)...and I should have stayed there it seems . I was in a Craft Leopard Trek bib on the green / black Merida. Lekker man!

You know what, onpar I happily pay the R3500+ that the ARGUS weekend costs (race entry, bike transport, airfares from Gauteng, accommodation and other expenses). The reason: you’re not paying for a race entry...you’re buying a once in a lifetime experience, and the tremendous privilege to: …be part of the largest participation sporting event in the world. …experience the excitement and exhilaration at number pick-up, at the ARGUS show and pretty much across Cape Town where everybody, talks, eats and drinks cycling for that entire weekend. …do the world’s best pre-race training ride, taking Victoria Road out to Noordhoek past Camps Bay and Hout Bay (and quietly crying when you see, and ride Suikerbossie and Chappies…). …feel a sense of being part of history when riding down to the start in Hertzog Boulevard with its Colonial buildings and rich heritage, at daybreak. …feel the fine, salty sea mist on your skin when you descend into Scarborough…on cycle back! …that first beer after the finish line…and one hell of a party where the race is ridden over and over again in many conversations. And finally …enjoy sore-leg-sun-downers in Blouberg, glancing across Table Bay and the peninsula with a sense of achievement, pride and nostalgia – knowing that you have conquered it. I hope that this will ease the pain of paying and training… Indemnity: I’m not a Cycle Tour PR employee…I swear!

I assume then that you were at the front of that B-front bunch that absolutely nailed Lynnwood up to the Babsfontein road! Jeeez you guys made us sweat to keep up! It's been a while since I have had to do Lynnwood Road with its notorious gradual but hard incline at that pace!!! Hehe. Well done on the batch win!

What an absolutely cool ride! Ja, this was the first (AND HOPEFULLY NOT THE LAST) Silver Oaks Challenge and teething problems are to be expected. But all in all, I think the organisers did a superb job in putting the race together – and also in managing a number of issues that came up on the day. And check this – add 2 muffins which I had eaten by the time I took the pic. Call it a goodie bag; call it a rubbish bag; call it what you want, but this is really nice! (hey, what can I say, I’m easily amused!) The only “gripe” I would have is working my butt off at the front of the large B-batch group for most of the race, only for all the wheel suckers to do the usual fresh-leg sprint to the finish after Pretoria road – Hans Strydom right-hand turn off. But that, in part my own stupidity, is a topic for yet another road etiquette thread.

Not going to start an SAS discussion here again...yes I have followed the numerous rants about Trailseeker seeding on here and yes, we all know how the calculations are supposedly made. I was seeded in the wrong batch for every single Trialseeker this year and so was every single guy in our training group (eventually resolved upon query every time, but there has to be something wrong if they can't get it right the first time). Over and out.

"Be assured though that it will not negatively affect your seeding for the next event, as the SAS system only takes your best results and discounts your bad results". Could have fooled me...trying to figure out how the SAS system calculates seeding batches is about as hard as fishing a Vicks chappie out of Patricia Lewis' hair... As someone noted elsewhere on this forum, there are enough great MTB events in Gauteng - time to start voting with our cleats...

I will definiely be there, looks like a great ride and right around the corner for all of uis here in Snorstad! SantaReynolds, how will the seeding work?

Naaah Athianl, I was actually impressed by the accuracy of the projected D2D distance. I got 92.7km on my Polar CS200. I agree that in extreme cases many extra miles are just annoying and usually an indication of a poorly organised event…I’m thinking of the terrible Sondela Classic’s “80km race distance” which turned out to be 93km.

My first full D2D and after a bone wrenching Berge & Dale earlier this year along almost the exact same route, today went better and I think a winter of staying on the bike payed off. Unofficially, 2:48 after yesterday's 70km (or was it 77...Or just my Polar again...) in Irene has me satisfied :-)

Ja, yesterday's Trailseeker was definitely not the most exciting 70km I've done on my bike (and the seeding is, as usual, totally and randomly messed up in my opinion). But, I must admit that I was silently thankful for the bit of waiting at the bottlenecks which gave the legs some necessary breathing space for that bliksem of a climb to the finish at this morning's Dome2Dome. Maar nou's ek moeg...

Yep - me too...Sunday is gonna be fun...

I must add, if at all possible go the DHL route and split the shipping costs (again - if you are ordering with a few mates). I waited 16 days for the delivery of my first ever CRC order and after that, happly paid my share of having the goods in my hands 3 days max after ordering...and the luxury of tracking every single move of the parcel.

CRC is really secure and reliable, and they are notably cheaper than e.g. buycycle (and their product ranges are endless ) TIP: try to get a few buddies together who also need gear and place a large order. This way you will not be billed for shipping and the import and handling fees decrease exponentially (we are 5 guys who usually run a CRC order every 2 months or so…it works great!) Damn…now I also want to buy something! Again…

Also, if you are relatively new to road cycling, bunch riding can be a very intimidating thing - not to mention taking the front, keeping the pace and observing obstacles. In my experience, some of the so-called wheel suckers are pretty much just not that experienced in bunch riding and they would rather hide in the bunch and try to keep out of the way of the serious-looking, clean shaven, colour matched die-hard roadies on their Bianchi's .

Any idea who the event photographers were for Sunday's race?

Loads of fun! Must say the race is flat but unexpectedly tough! Very trots with my sub 2:20 (haha is there such a thing...) for the 63km...

Haha thanks, ja ek dink nog aan 'n comeback op daardie een...al wat ek kan se is dat daardie legwarmers BAHHHH-ie warm is

Point taken, thanks Sias (though, I suppose I could add a cliché philosophical line like “however, one is not likely to change the world by remaining un-stung” but I should probably shut-up right about now )

..and with that, the Pirelli necklacing begins. Suppose with my meagre 38 posts, my naïve love for cycling and my uncompromising believe in the bit of good that still remains, I will just never be an angry person. Touché.

I absolutely realise that this is an off topic discussion...an off topic discussion not befitting the hub, in my opinion.