BikeLuddite

I am stuffed. Doing it this year - but no real training due to other personal issues. Total I cycled this year is 300Km! Am I facing an uphill battle (that's a pun - cos I can still laugh today) Really am **** scared about what I am going to face

Agree with your sentiments 100%. Today the CTCC showed that they are inept and like most South African companies will save a few bucks ( by not taking insurance out for example) because that's how we roll here. Excuse the pun. I lived in the U.K. for a long time and now live in JHB. My first race was the shortened 49km CTCT. Their immediate reaction today to say no refunds or even consider othen options means that I will never apply for this race again. With some international friends who are also down here from the UK - they will think very hard about coming here next year for a race. They came here specifically for the race with a holiday on the side ... the holiday part is not ruined but the race organisers actions and the fact that it is the second race in three years to be affected by weather means they will spend their hard earned pounds in another country. That is South Africa's loss.

I also spent a fair bit getting to the race. While I am not looking for a refund for flights /hotels - the organizers need to allow all entrants that did collect their race packs (implying we did show up for the race) to give us a place for next years race. It's a bull**** excuse if they say expenses were paid hence no refunds , I get that expenses were incurred - no doubt about that - but are you telling me these guys don't have Insurance cover to mitigate against these types of eventualities. In any case , a big wake up call. I may never do non-local races again.

Didn't want to ride, due to wind but made the decision to do so and we were on our way from Stellenbosch when we got the text to say it's been cancelled. We detoured and then decided to go to Franschhoek and rode up the windy pass - saw lots of bikers there on our way back - think many riders trying to find a way to burn off all the carbs ????

Don't know if that is true. But worrying if so

Thanks .. may aim for CTICC as it could be easier coming from Stellenbosch. We will see! Hahah

Thanks

Hoping for the best for the residents of Hout Bay. Some advice required please My friend and I are driving in from Stellenbosch for the race and we are not local to the area - where could we park as we saw only after we left the expo, that we could have potentially got a voucher to park at the stadium? Would appreciate any tips and tricks.

4G for me ... but I may need to pull out ... lack of funds to travel ... may have to do a substitution

So it appears being a bit unhealthy and slow works in one's favour - Did emperor's yesterday in about 3:10 and my average HR was 172 (Max for age should be 180) .... got 1500 points!

Roadie: Every 100km of riding - put some chainwax on each individual chain link After every 200km of riding - I will clean chain using the park tool jobbie - with Engine Degreaser as the solvent. Wheels then come off and cassette gets cleaned with Engine degreaser too. Chain is then lubed using chain wax - my bike is ultra silent After every 800km of riding - chain comes off bike - gets thrown in a plastic bottle with degreaser and shaken about. Do this twice. When I do this, I also sorta dismantle the rear derailleur too in that the jockey wheels come off an get individually cleaned. What this means is I do this once a month and the bike gets a really deep cleaned everywhere else too. I haven't had mechanicals with my bike yet - 3 years going strong - or perhaps it's the Canyon. I have replaced Chain once

Castelli - I think ... can't find a shop here that sells their stuff or I am totally blind

I have a Canyon Roadlite purchased in 2013. Purchased while I still lived overseas. At the time, when UK bikeshops were selling road bikes with Shimano 105 for £1000, I picked up my bike with Full Ultegra groupset and Aksium Wheels for a £100 more. The bike still rides like a dream today. For an aluminium bike, it weighs 7.8Kg for a Large frame! Not too shabby. My next bike will be a Canyon again - delivered to UK and then shipped or brought over by a mate when he visits. Their supply chain is seriously borked at the moment - unacceptable delays - so hope they sort their crap out soon because their bikes are lovely.

Referring to OP , that is quite sad - pathetic attitude by those MTB'ers I've been there a few times in the last few weeks (sunday) and have had excellent banter and conversations with those on MTBs and road bikes throughout the course especially just before the big hills... At the end of the day, we all in it together and we sharing a passion. Sidenote: Respect to the oke who did Suikerbos on a fixie two-three weeks ago ... he went up the first hill like it was flat!!