Long Wheel Base

I know the race meant so much to him so thought I would post this here. RIP @Tim Brink we have lost a legend.

Were you the guy I was chatting to about the smell coming from the castle and how you used to play there by the water as a lightie?

Finished my 33rd “Argus” in one piece. 35th for my dad. Realised after just a few km the wind would play a serious role in the dynamics of the race. After the top of Edinburg hill as usual we formed a biggish group that was the 2nd group of 1D. No one wanted to help at all when it flattened out towards the end. I actually got a bit frustrated and my dad had to calm me down. At one stage I moved all the way over to the right and slowed down to like 25 but still everyone just sucked out wheel. Eventually after fish hoek the entire group decided to come passed. had 2 near misses with dogs. First was near camels rock somewhere, a couple with a big greyhound looking dog crossed the road in front of the group. Had to slam on brakes. Then down towards the township, there was a brak that wondered into the road but it dived back as soon as it got a fright. finished in 3h30m. All things considered, I’m happy.

Well played @Pure Savage Just drove passed the 98km to go sign up Edinburgh drive and in the “o” of “go” there is a pure savage sticker.

Strange they stuck you both in different groups. Did you enter as a tandem? either way, that’s cool and yes, you need to have your finger pulled when riding a tandem with singles. But I must say, majority of the singles that are well seeded have some good knowledge in terms of riding with a tandem so they do give some space. Well that’s what I have found but I do try my best to stay at the front where the stronger riders are as they generally are more on the ball. We were in 1B last year and there was a crash coming down hospital hill. We slowed down with the bunch and some poepol from the rear didn’t and came racing passed everyone on the right because he thought he was just so much faster than everyone and he promptly rode into the back of us. His managed to bend our rear hanger and search the bike badly. We lost a few gears and had to do some babying of the hanger to get going.

Copy paste from my last couple years. We bleed up edinburg cresting towards the back but having passed dropped riders from earlier groups. Then put it in our 56-11, using my long 180mm cranks and the 66/88 deep sections to help us reach in excess of 70kph and by the time we hit the flatter sections we have towed everyone back and its one nice big happy family again. We will then do what we can till just before the end on the blue route and then kinda just recover along main road because it's actually a tough ride for a tandem all the way to the top of smits. Section through fish hoek is probably the easiest to be honest. So by all means, hook in and have a free ride. You will know when I want help, don't bother trying until then.

For me its the fact that my almost 68 year old Dad is still strong for someone his age, still motivated to train, still healthy and still wants to RACE. I don't know how many more years I got with him where he is still this competitive. We don't make racing tandems anymore but mostly down to the fact that I have chosen to be a decent parent to my 3 boys instead of riding for hours on end every weekend and leaving them with my wife or someone else to raise so we only do 3/4 races a year now and that is no good for our seeding. We still have an ok seeding at 1D this year and we will do well in that group if there are now outside issues but until the day my Dad says it's now just a chilled ride around the peninsula, I will want to be as high up as possible. Also won't be that many years and my oldest will be eligible to race and then I will still want a good start time ;).

Agree on your predictions and can also add Oscar will be right up there and probably challenge Lando for that McLaren #1 title. I somehow think that despite the brilliant move he made to McLaren, if Lando doesn’t move aside, he will possibly replace LH or SP? cars are closer but it seems like it will still be pretty much a copy paste. Max out front all boring and the rest of the guys make it exciting for the rest of the positions. o and I love the new green and black alfa stake or whatever it’s called now. Almost looks like they doing aero testing with that wet paint stuff.

Perfect, thanks.

How do we get into the expo? Previously we used our chips, this year we (well I am) getting the chip with our race pack. I saw in the booklet that non entrants pay R50 and kids free but nothing about us royalty.

Would love to know what has happened to the lady that made the claims? Is it a case of money can make a problem (or person) disappear?

Is there a spreadsheet this year with everyone’s start groups?

If they don’t move you, see you in the start pen. Racetec also has me in 1D. Down from last years 1B with what I believe to be better results but o well, it’s still ok I guess. # would have been better but I think my days of racing tandems are gone until I start racing every weekend again.

Is the racetec seeding the same as the cycle tour seeding? I have yet to receive my official seeding email because I raced last weekend but on racetec I see a start group.

My Mom has downloaded the app and loaded us as tracked riders. Let’s see how it works. I very rarely race with my phone on me, last year she wanted to track us so I took my phone with and we used either WhatsApp or garmin but I just hated carrying my phone and it kills the battery. I’m guessing it will work similar to racetec and update at each mat and then use an algorithm of sorts to kinda predict our location. Or they might have a lot more pick up points to make it a bit more accurate.