Mamil

Entered - first step, we admitted that we were powerless over .....

Here's that point where I rescind my annual decision that the risks are not worth it and I compulsively enter again.

After the tour and finding my S.O. on the short route and realizing just how broken my legs were as she dropped me on Edinburgh drive on her Titan nitric ebike, we rode back on the cycle path taking the Woodstock ramp. Dodge I know but I thought I'd risk that and was sure there would be a police presence there because of the tour. (There wasn't) This morning as I weaved through the log jam of cars all headed into town I had a mental picture of that first-class piece of infrastructure, a real asset to the city, lying derelict and empty while the roads are clogged and the air choking with unburnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and the picture of Winde crossing the line and just how far away we are from a sustainable, environmentally responsible, health-promoting way of life and how little will, despite the mouthings of politicians, there is to attain this. How many of the people in those cars would believe that their 40 minute traffic session into the CBD would be a 15 minute morning bike ride? Andif they knew would they take it up? Maybe the problem on the cycle lane isn't policing so much as it's that no-one uses it. What if even 20% of the people in the traffic were on the bike lane?

The event is perfect as is I feel - yes it's a commitment but if you treat it as a holiday you're spending on your bike then ... The problem is the marketing - poorly advertised and de villiers cycling is using it's mailing list to spam me with stuff for other events which speaks volumes about the marketing - it needs a proper social media presence and a "brand" to appeal to more riders. It's an important event I think - GC racing for age groups (there was a 17yr old young lady racing) - elites and for ordinary B and C batchers like me. I bumped into the crew from the open group at the CTCT finish and we had a reunion photo - good fun and a lekker gees. Here's some of the little bunch that finished stage 5 together at the end - that's me hiding in the back with my bike in the air.!

This makes about as much sense to.me as the weight dopers on zwift. Can't understand why anyone would want to do this. Surely it can't be to claim a sub 3 or sub 4? Why?

Ha Ha - We could have used your services in Stage 3 and in Stage 5 too!! For context - Zone 2 upper limit for this mamil is 245 and I weigh 92kg

You would need to be an incredible athlete to get a sub 3 on that setup. In fact I would venture that it's impossible - gearing, rolling resistance, aerodynamics, acceleration, top speed all well short of what's needed

I have never done a sub three. Of the 7 I've done so far 3:08 is my fastest although this year my fitness is better than it was on my fastest CTCT. I have found youtube channels on periodised and polarized training immensely beneficial and disciplining myself to ride in low aerobic and zone 2 on long rides has been a key part of this.

The narrowing at hospital bend is a good idea. I still don't like the cones.

1A was quite safe I think despite a lot of people still not understanding the concertina that happens on hills into a headwind. I didn't have legs or appetite to chase wheels so I let them go and noodled along being picked up by random groups and did 3.19

I agree in principle and it might work in elite bunch but in 1A there are 400 mamils all gassed from trying to hold on up the off-ramp and the freeway, anoxic, frontal lobes shut down by adrenalin .... Cones are are really stupid idea. You can't see them from in the bunch, they can be easily moved or knocked ... Narrowing the road early is a fabulous idea but it needs a long line of those plastic bulwark things that the road works guys use. Big. Immovable, bright yellow chest high jobbies. I don't think I'm up for the melee ... Think I'll ride at the back of 1A and try tag onto B somewhere just before Edinburgh.

Mention of cones on the side of the road makes me nervous. Cones have no place next to a peleton IMO

Stage 3 and the open group took off like jewbacca was threatening to overtake them on his BMX. The hooligans at the front only settled down once we were well on the way to Hermon. A glance at the Garmin said we had averaged a whisker under 42kmph for 20 km. There was damage. Then they all sat up. The drag up to the base of bothmas was the slowest I've ever seen any peleton take it and it's only 5 or 6 years since I was in group W for the PPA fun rides so that tells you something. And here I made a mistake and I didn't even know it until this morning when we did the post mortem on yesterday's ride on the start line of today's. Unbeknownst to me, the oke just in front of me on GC went up the road and got about a 500 meter head start on the yellow jersey group when eventually they accelerated. He's a strong climber this chap and apparently he was just able to hang on over the top and then got a free ride with the leading group to put minutes into me. You live and learn. As it was, I did my PR for the main bothmas climb acting as a 91kg climbing domestique for the second group and we time trialed at a gentle pace to the finish. No sense in blazing the legs before the Queen's stage today. The queen had a bit of setback, helshoogte taken out of the parcours because of roadworks and so we were routed around stellies to the road past Val de vie and on to dutoits. The racing was epic today. An easy start before the GC podium battle got underway. I pulled up next to the pure savage who was in 3rd at that point and asked him what he was planning back here in mid pack. To my surprise he told me "momentum into the rollers and force the leader and 2nd place to chase". 5km later he launched it and pre warned (unlike in stage 1) I saw it coming AND had the legs to hold on. Only by a shaved leg hair's width but when they sit up they sit up and then there you are... One MAMIL very excited to have escaped the zoo. Of course you only get 5 minutes to stuff a celebratory jelly baby down the maw before they attack again and this time me and my campadres from stage 1, including the sneaky bothmas guy from stage 3 got shelled. The tactics of the battle for podium were however such that we caught them on the R44 which was a mixed blessing because that meant that we were going to be subjected to more torture as they tried to rip each other's legs off. I almost forgot to mention another highlight, being part of the bunch sitting up while the yellow jersey took a "comfort break". That's another mamil first calling for another celebratory jelly baby. We proceeded towards the climb with pure savage riding off the front to try throw the gauntlet down to the other leaders who would responded by periodically thrashing us. Me and one or two others tried to persuade our little bunch of hangers on that this wasn't our fight but they were having none of it. Presumably they saw through the ploy of trying to save something for dutoits and correctly backed themselves to be able to wear out us bigger and slightly older okes and discard us like used wet wipes. Which is of course what happened. The leaders went off at about 90km. I had to let the little grupetto go about 300m into the climb and I zone twod my way to the top, telling myself that this was character building and muttering cliches about today's pain being tomorrow's strength. Tomorrow is the last day. 129km to Malmesbury and back, the usual route with the little sting in the tail back to the start. I'm loving it. I'm pleased to be fit enough to stay close enough to the action to be learning more about the sport first hand. The slower guys like me are still experienced enough to know how to ride in an echelon and are able and willing to roll turns when it's required. Very different to the C and B batches at the other local rides. In short it's a blast and if there are early bird entries offered again I'm in for sure. The future of the event seems fragile though. Someone told me it runs at a loss which is sad to hear.

They are racing. They tag along at the back of the open group. Have their own category in daily results. There's one guy and one girl, the guy told me he did stage 1 (102km) in 3.15 ish I think.

I'd say about 10 or 15 percent down on last year maybe? Could check on the results

There are 2 people on e-bikes there .... #justsaying

Stage 1 was great. Weather was cool and all but windless and about 35 open category riders headed out towards Tulbagh at an easy pace. So easy that I thought I'd pretend to be a proper racer and put in a little dig which the proper riders ignored and once me and another guy were hauled back in, the proper riders declared amateur hour over and put down the hammer. I tried to chase but I was boxed in (my story and I'm sticking to it) and after about half an hour of me and a few others trying to get a paceline organised, we realised we weren't going to catch them. At Tulbagh they had 3.40 on us when we picked up one of the racing group who had had a mechanical and he soon had us strung out in a straight stripe. He thinned the herd and those of us left in the bunch at the bottom of Bains agreed that we'd enjoyed having him and please could he come again in stage 3. The pass was gorgeous in a light misty drizzle and every man for himself as usual. Averaged 34kmph and pennies for the 102km which is good by my standards. Today's TT was great. I caught 3 or 4 of the riders ahead of me and only 2 caught me. One was the animator of the break.... Everywhere I go there's someone in a pure savage jersey dropping me like a cheating spouse. A good thing I didn't make the break actually because he put 4 mins and change into me and I was 2 mins faster than last year to come in at 29.59. I'm claiming it as a win. 3 big rides to go... Including bothmas tomorrow where I've lost count of how many times I've been shelled out the back. It's great fun but a little tiring. Early starts and driving back to CT because I have to do some work in the afternoons could get old by the end of the week but smashing out everything I had through the misty rain this morning and crossing the line under 30 mins at about 60kmph and then cruising down the pass back into the morning sunshine I counted myself a happy man. More of us should support this event IMO, as logistically challenging as it might be. Alan hatherley currently leading the elites with Kent main in second place. Strava tells me the latter put 10 minutes into me and did 435 watts for the 20 minutes. Amazing!

I got on at Searle street after riding through town and up towards Walmer estate

Reckon you can expect to feel quite shaken and more than a little vulnerable - consciously we know we are vulnerable but we still walk around at the center of a cocoon of safety and an incident like yours can leave us feeling that safety is breached. Also not helped by the helplessness of not being able to do the simple things properly - like wipe one's backside or have a shave. (Beard is the way to go - all the fashionable mamils wear them). Probably I'm preaching to the choir here - I expect you know this. Gentle patient recovery. Also - I'm angry on your behalf with the muppet who did this. I hope he is found and that some punishment will ensue to correct his behaviour and that of the many others like him/her that are out there. See you on the road in 6 to 8 weeks.

You'd get pulled from the start chute by a PPA Marshall for listening to earbuds ...

Offence looks like it's yours..... Narrow road, cyclists riding .... Roll down the window, relax, take in the scenery, wait the 39 seconds until the road widens, indicate, checkmthat it's safe overtake... That's your responsibility in the situation.

How long were you held up? A minute? 3 perhaps? Shame.

I have had problems with the little rubber gasket onntje Garmin HRM. Currently have wahoo tickr but have had the studs come loose on the strap. Currently using tickr with a Forza strap which seems a winning combo.

Oh god @Daleso sorry to hear this. Appalling what's happening. Every prayer and strong wish for full recovery. So glad all the essential bits are intact.

Yr suggests an ark may be a better mode of transport than a bike. Biblical levels of rain predicted.