Big Phil

was absolutely awesome out there today. Riding in the clouds with jhb below shrouded in morning fog. and no wind whatsoever. Signage with emergency numbers would be welcome if they have a response system. Had a crash there in Dec and waited two hours for a buddy to collect me. Riders who passed me were requested to inform personnel at the second gate for assistance. None materialised. I would like to think the riders fulfilled my request,which would mean SBR staff were not too interested in assisting. I could be wrong though.

Dammit. not making any headway with the live streaming sites. Tiz is off air despite earlier showing their 'count down' to the event. Steephill and Procycling having similar issues.

There are so many good things about event and like you say best value for money local race. If only they could sort out the wind....

I missed the email mentioning the contribution to charity as opposed to some kind of goodie bag. I am not beholden to the receipt of a goodie bag and i am sure most hubbers will freely forego a goodie bag if it translates into a contribution to a charity. If the ASG email that I missed is real, then I am midly miffed by the fact that I had no choice in the matter. Or maybe I am just grumpy and need to ride my bike more.

Goodie bag?

just received email from ASG..all good.

Not received any info about start times or group however ASG site shows I am registered. Spoke to a mate ofvmine and he too has not received any news. Perhaps a delay? System issues?

Thanks for the info. I will post my results.

Mini should do the trick?

Would have loved to have read all 284 pages, but made page 200 the starting point and took me all week but i managed to get through around 80 pages during which i learnt a heck of a lot bout coffee but its really only a drop in the ocean compared to what is out there. So i am going to make a start with an AP and get it from Truth along with some beans. I consider it a 'pay back' for the knowledge i gathered from iteachcoffee. Thanks dude. next step is the grinder. I am looking for an average grinder that will do the job. Any suggestions? Then the scale. I am regarding this as the least important item and i could probably do without it for now. I guess what i am after is a decent cup of coffee. Instant coffee is not up to scratch and i disliked Nespresso even before i found this thread. I am also not keen on being bankrupt in the search of the perfect cup. cycling is doing a good enough job of chowing my disposable income.????

Simply doing this event as part of prep for Tour of Durban, otherwise would have ignored this and probably will going forward.

Cheers Gen

thx! I am like an old diesel. I need to warm up and dont enjoy tackling that first hill from the main parking area on cold legs. Besides i am looking forward to the extra kms.

Is the circus open before 7am? would like to park there and ride to SBR and then back for an after ride coffee

I recall someone posting that the you need to have your CC race number to join the Twitter ride, however it looks like entry to the Twitter ride is closed.... Registration only opened at 8:30 today, Twitter ride entry closed when I checked at 10:30....... https://events.primedia.co.za/index.php/eventSite/twitter-ride-2016-2016-11-19

Is there any chance of reseeding at registration this week?

I can confirm receipt via courier of the bottles for the early bird entry. Thank you ASG. However this entire episode was preventable so let's hope lessons were learnt and preventative measure were implemented.

Considering that I only started cycling less than a year ago, I was merely aiming to finish before the cut-off point and I achieved that. This medal will have a special place on the mantelpiece. Next year I will be back to focus on improving my time. The organization of the race was really good, the water points were first class and many thanks to the many volunteers who contributed to a fantastic experience.

Anyone know of or does a route from Woodmead/Buccleuch to JHB CBD (close to ABSA Towers). Louis Botha is the straight line route but a bit of a death trap with the taxis. Only alternative I can see is Katherine ---> Sandton Drive --> William Nicol --> Jan Smuts --> over Nelson Mandela bridge --> Ntemi Piliso --> left in Marshall Street. Any advice from fellow hubbers? Should I stick to using my car?

And there-in lies my answer

Some serious hairy moments on the downhill. I know that a cyclist came off their bike coming down Hekpoort. Not sure how it happened but I hope and pray the guy is doing better. The event is relatively small and I guess the guys are doing the best they can under the circumstances, however, I was struggling to get the logic of having a cycling event on roads with numerous signs stating "HIGH ACCIDENT ZONE". I love the cause the race represents, but I am in two minds about riding this event again.

Anyone know what time the 78 starts? I have seen 07:00 but would like to confirm so that I can plan accordingly.

In the same boat as you. Going to give it a go as part of my 94.7 & Amashova prep and it's for a good cause.