Pick N Pay Knysna Cycle Tour 2012 - July

[T-Bob]

Just wondering if anyone is doing / had done the race before and what the vibe is like for the road event.

 

Route profile doesn't look very intimidating so I'm guessing it's a bit of a roller and pretty fast. Driven that road a lot but can't remember what it's like for riding.

[Ratty]

I used to like the road race, nice vibe and ride, but the problem for me was all the mtbers with huge smiles on their faces after riding Harkervilel etc instead of doing the road race.

[nickc]

Done both the MTB and the road event many times, road event is cool and a nice ride up to Hoekwil but you cannot compare it to the MTB event through the Knysna forests.

[Hearts*]

_{I have entered both 50km MTB and 100km road race...looking forward to it!}

[Meezo]

plan to go for my 2nd time this year, the mtb was icy cold last and i was hurt. but the road race made my weekend, loved the ride to plett, note this year road race goes opposite direction, and not to plett

[fabes]

Done both the MTB and the road event many times, road event is cool and a nice ride up to Hoekwil but you cannot compare it to the MTB event through the Knysna forests.

I did the 75km mtb race last year and the first 45km was great but the last 30 was absolutely terrible with all that mud. It is a very scenic ride but if it rains the week before i will not do the 75km route

Edited March 14, 2012 by fabes

[mulmi]

About races in that part of SA. Does anybody know anything about a roadrace in Oudshoorn sometime in Sept or Oct? I need to plan my ride long in advance for fitness purposes.

[Let's Ride]

Tour de Oudtshoorn (Argus seeding event). Don't waste your cash traveling there. I did it last year. The seeded group was very small and I came second in the seeded groups with little training. If I were to do it I would insist on starting in the front bunch/vets/subvets etc. Very small field. Nice race if you need to try increase your seeding but that is all.

 

Knysna race always goes to Plett even though they always say they will change it back so I would be dubious - If it goes to Plett it's a darn difficult race. Hill after hill. No flat sections. I rate it's more difficult than the argus. It's also no longer a seeding race for the Argus (well at least 2011 wasn't).

[petatodd]

The road race has lost it's Argus seeding status due to the excessive use of the N2 to Plett which was deemed unsafe. That and the politics around the whole Oyster Festival sponsorship by Pick 'n Pay and other multinationals like Heineken.

 

This year the ride has reverted to the traditional route along the N2 to Hoekwill with about 10kms off the N2 heading up Hoekwill Hill, a nice 2.4 km climb with 200 metres climbing before turning and heading back to Knysna.

 

Maybe the numbers in Oudtshoorn will not pick up and the Knysna ride will resurface as a seeding event.

[Zac.A]

Its awesome!

Quite a cool vibe going on.

 

Did the 100km a 2 years ago and it was awesome!

quite fast too, age restrictions now limit me to the 50km though

 

Also did the 50km mtb 2 years ago, wasn't the complete route like it is now with the hill at the end, (world cup soccer players, huge story), hill at the beginning, flat and downhill at the end.

 

Do it, won't regret it!

Edited March 14, 2012 by Zac.A

[Slowbee]

two yrs back entered the mtn ride and the road ride. After doing the mtn ride, I thought, bugger this, going to spend another day riding in the forests. The mrs and I spent the day riding in the forests while everyone was sweating it out on the road for what we thougth was an argus seeding event.

[Zac.A]

Ok, age restrictions have been lifted on the 100km to an extent but I can ride.

 

So I'll be entering the 100km road.

50km mtb.

14km trail run.

Half Marathon.

Xterra Lite.

 

So amped!

[T-Bob]

Nice, will deffo be entering. There needs to be more late season road events around so you can keep that side of training going longer.

[walkerr]

Knysna race always goes to Plett even though they always say they will change it back so I would be dubious - If it goes to Plett it's a darn difficult race. Hill after hill. No flat sections. I rate it's more difficult than the argus. It's also no longer a seeding race for the Argus (well at least 2011 wasn't).

 

I did it few years back (2009 I think) when it was the Plett run - was my 2nd season road cycling. Damn near killed me as I hadn't trained since the previous Argus. Was a nice ride though, with a good vibe as I recall. Partner and I made a weekend of it, with our boy who wasn't even 1 yr old, had a really good time.

[walkerr]

There needs to be more late season road events around so you can keep that side of training going longer.

 

Agree - I always find it a long gap from Argus to One Tonner. Road bike gathers dust, although it gives me an incentive to do more MTB - and that's never bad

[Zac.A]

Route alternates every year for the road events doesn't it?