Babba's short AGAIN!!!

[The expat cyclist]

Yoh, yoh, yoh. I did a 50km ride yesterday (most of it in Groenkloof) and decided to do babbas (70km) today. Man, I took shots. Also had some internal conflict about lap 3.

So you rode the crap out if it?

[b-unit]

So you rode the crap out if it?

 

Exactly, did you see?

 

But seriously, it felt like I was climbing the whole route. The flats had sand and the downhills were slow (and short).

[Trubie]

eish, how hard was that 74k's..............

I was going there hoping for the same route we did in June.......

 

there was quite a bit of wire lying around

a piece got tangled on my bike at the top of that second rocky climb....... fortunately no damage

 

Jules was awesome riding away from all on the SS

[Rob Mortimer]

Saw in the results that the race time was a fair bit longer than normal - was it a different route?

[Trubie]

Saw in the results that the race time was a fair bit longer than normal - was it a different route?

 

jip much different

 

lotsa climbing, lotsa single track, lots more sand than usual

we had to do 3 laps in the reserve...... enough to loose quite a bit of s\yr sense of humour

[Sharkie 2]

Alot tougher than before but nicer not just being the normal flat Babbas, 3 loops is mind numbing though

[Thug]

I think I was fortunate that I had to call it quits after a single lap as I'm sure I'd have had a sense of humour failure on lap 3.

[Underachiever]

jip much different

 

lotsa climbing, lotsa single track, lots more sand than usual

we had to do 3 laps in the reserve...... enough to loose quite a bit of s\yr sense of humour

 

Well, I am happy to read all these reports that the race was tough.

 

This was my 1st Babbas ever, and I found the route to be quite tough!!! Power riding all the way. Not a great fan of sand riding!! Got a puncture on lap 2, so I was not looking forward to the 3rd one!!

 

Yep noticed LOTS of wire!!

[TNOSE_E]

Missed this babba's but glad they are making it tougher. Not too keen on the 3 laps of same same though.

[Jules]

now that is mighty impressive, i wonder what gears he was using, because this had a little variation today in therms of rock climbs and fast farm roads.

 

i mean after my little incident with the wire, was left with 3 gears at the back, never mind one!!!. well done jules on that result and by 7min nogal

 

Thanks guys. Yes, I was on a 32X14 on a 29er. A good gear for most of the course, but it was quite challenging on the rocky climb.

 

The 35k okes might have been short-changed on distance but the 70k riders were in luck: we got an extra 3 or 4k. The new route is nearly ten kays longer than the old one, and instead of climbing the hill twice, we do it three times. The approach is also harder and more rocky.

[NotSoBigBen]

Thanks guys. Yes, I was on a 32X14 on a 29er. A good gear for most of the course, but it was quite challenging on the rocky climb.

 

The 35k okes might have been short-changed on distance but the 70k riders were in luck: we got an extra 3 or 4k. The new route is nearly ten kays longer than the old one, and instead of climbing the hill twice, we do it three times. The approach is also harder and more rocky.

 

Well done Jules! 32*14 one day when I'm big

[RABUBI]

The new route is quite hard, enjoyed it a lot, did the 70km, but it was just over 75k

[Nettie R]

A 35km race??Even is if it was too short,it was too short to begin with

 

Next time enter a 100km race and then if its short by a couple of km's then you wont care

And you ride all the ultra marathons, right?

Middle distances are the most popular. I like my 35kms too.

Unless it's an emergency route change on race day, it's not cool to change the distance on the start line.

[bradwentzel]

Did anyone have a Garmin for yesterday's race? Chatted to some okes at the finish and the chaps said 71kms and i see here it was 74kms?

[Wil6]

And you ride all the ultra marathons, right?

Middle distances are the most popular. I like my 35kms too.

Unless it's an emergency route change on race day, it's not cool to change the distance on the start line.

Doing the Trans Baviaans in two weeks.Still got a spot available in our team if you want to join?

[IanJ]

Did anyone have a Garmin for yesterday's race? Chatted to some okes at the finish and the chaps said 71kms and i see here it was 74kms?

 

My Garmin had 73.71km so call it 74km.