'Dale Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Saw somewhere a suggestion made: 150 bunch of Elites.5 mins later > Ladies Racing 20 mins, the rest. Hmmm... interesting.
MTB_Roadie Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Saw a guy go down last 5km in the C bunch.. Looked serious! What kit were you in? I was in the front of the bunch when that happend and just heard some scraping behind me and people yelling...
Bianchisti Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Spotted on FB. Rumuor mill suggesting they may run the race in reverse to split the groups on Suikerbos and make the race safer. How would that work as an idea?
(Deon) Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) must admit, it felt like my head was going to explode from the heat up that climb. What was your time? I was dared to ride so got my entry 2hours before bedtime.. woke up with a sudden realization that I have not done more than 20kms in over a year!! Noakes may be onto something regarding that water only thing, it worked! Turned down every offer for croak or loseraid.. and only had one small cramp instead of every muscle like three four years ago!.. elbows are stiff though.. odd! As for crashes.. ! Crap man, how's that guy who went over chappies?? Edit: Just been corrected, it is two years ago since exceeding the 30km mark! Edited March 12, 2012 by Pain or Shine
Pure Savage Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Agree with the sprints at the end. Unless you know what to expect and how to do it, should not get on the way! I call it quits with 800m to go and get out the way, get a good few of finish and smile at cameras
eddy Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 Spotted on FB. Rumuor mill suggesting they may run the race in reverse to split the groups on Suikerbos and make the race safer. How would that work as an idea? IMHO, a very k@k idea. All that would happen is that you would catch up with the dregs of all the groups in front of you who would insist on breaking up your pacelines/bunches after Chapmans. I was in J and we were solidly into the backend of H (there was no I) by the time we got half way up Edinburg drive, they filled the width of the road and subsequently broke up the chase to reform the bunch down the blue route. I don't know if there is an answer to th problem
slowlady Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 I was the victim of a crash that happened between Ocean view and Noordhoek. Women stopped in the middle of the road(on a downhill) without warning. Guy in front of me crashed into her and I landed on the pile. Instead of finishing the race I spend the rest of the day in the medics tent and casualty. Fractured radius and ulna.Her excuse for stopping? "I was just looking for someone behind me"
Bianchisti Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Fractured radius and ulna.Her excuse for stopping? "I was just looking for someone behind me" Sorry to hear man. That is not good lady!
Bianchisti Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 I was in J and we were solidly into the backend of H (there was no I) by the time we got half way up Edinburg drive, they filled the width of the road and subsequently broke up the chase to reform the bunch down the blue route. I don't know if there is an answer to th problem The problem seems to be seeding cause in your "J" group it seems there was more stronger people than in "H". Thats if they'd gotten dropped, or that could also be the attitude in the 2 groups was just different? I know of someone who only every rides the Argus and gets seeded on his Argus result year after year. Maybe they should take a more global look at your riding activity through the year to gauge the strength of people and seed accordinly. Thats no good for me though cause I wont be doing any seeding events and no Argus this year will put me at the back end.
eddy Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 The problem seems to be seeding cause in your "J" group it seems there was more stronger people than in "H". Thats if they'd gotten dropped, or that could also be the attitude in the 2 groups was just different? TM, I think it is impossible get the seeding 100% and ao you will always have slower riders starting ahead of fast ones. The solution mut be in rider behaviour. I think the problem is that people who have been dropped by their bunches, try and jump onto passing groups without recognising the differential in speed. I mean, if you have been caught after 15 mins, it probably means that you are significantly slower than the passing riders,so why jump onto the first fast wheel coming past you with no consideration of the speed differential or following riders.
gogo@ Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 The problem seems to be seeding ...Maybe they should take a more global look at your riding activity through the year to gauge the strength of people and seed accordinly...Don't know how you can get that right for those who participate in few racetec (seeding) races?? Work, time, money and the fact seeding races are spread out round the country (and bad luck in December) meant I couldn't get to one last year. So because of that and because they changed the seeding system I got dropped a group this year. Only my second road race but I made a better time and finished well up in my group (66) compared to last year... Then there are the guys who have done a gazzilion Arguses who were started an hour ahead of me but came in in 6+ hrs...I like your suggestion that they broaden the system to seed using more races - tracking form more consistently. But... I think you're still going to get bunch riding problems because some of what happens is just dumb, lack of thought, or from people who have few bunch riding skills, or got slaughtered by cramp and from others who just take a chance. I don't think the organizers can be held responsible for all of that.At the same time, though, you're asking for trouble with the bond groups if they're mixed in the fast groups but don't follow the seeding system. Needs to be some work done by those groups to keep their riders from wobbling across the whole road. But then, when they do stay on the left, you can't have a paceline coming up behind them and overtaking from their left...There were a lot of problems with accidents but my experience this year was actually of more gaps and overall more manageable traffic, especially on the last 10kms where I got held up by big bunches dawdling on their way to the finish last year.Great race and great experience again, but do hope some seeding issues can be dealt with...
gogo@ Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 TM, I think it is impossible get the seeding 100% and ao you will always have slower riders starting ahead of fast ones. The solution mut be in rider behaviour.shnap!!
scotty Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 If there was a problem with 31000 i imagine there would be a bigger one with 35000 riders.
dev null Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Just wanna chime in as an inexperienced rider. I know that most of us has no bunch riding skills, but I believe we know this and adjust accordingly. I started off in the front part of the PA bunch, and when we hit Hospital Bend I was still among the first bunch of riders. In no way did I feel unsafe going through Hospital Bend as all the riders seemed to give each other enough room. Seems to me most of the crashes in the fast seeded groups were caused by too much rider aggression.
andydude Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 Spotted on FB. Rumuor mill suggesting they may run the race in reverse to split the groups on Suikerbos and make the race safer. How would that work as an idea? Suikerbos won't split the main, big group. Too flat. Now imagine this: 200+ cyclists going down the steep side of Suikerbossie at 80km/h+ heading to the robot where the road narrows and with a big island in the middle And then going down small Suikerbossie on a very narrow road and over the island
'Dale Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 I was the victim of a crash that happened between Ocean view and Noordhoek. Women stopped in the middle of the road(on a downhill) without warning. Guy in front of me crashed into her and I landed on the pile. Instead of finishing the race I spend the rest of the day in the medics tent and casualty. Fractured radius and ulna.Her excuse for stopping? "I was just looking for someone behind me" Get better soon, slowlady.
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