[Event] Cradle Quest 2012

[Meentb]

Okay - who's riding and who's drinking??

[Swift01]

We at the bar now

[Squier]

Disappointed, but it was just not on. Made it to the parking and then called it. We'll catch VG next weekend for the 24 hour!

[Swift01]

So we chickened out had a beer at the start line. Saved the new bike parts for another day. Sister rocked came first lady in 35km and used an SS bike. Nephew while leading crashed and broke his carbon frame eish..... Respect to all doing the 70km cause this pic is my sister after just 35km of riding

[ChUkKy]

I wasn't prepared to ride in that mud. Would have been nice to at least get a goodie bag at the registration desk with k@k in it for the entry fee paid.

Hats off to the guys that braved it, happy washing :-)

[b-unit]

Geez, I'm glad some of you chickened out. Me and a mate turned around on our way there when we saw what the weather looked like. Felt like a wuss, but my buddy has a messed up shoulder (getting an op in january) and I wasn't too keen on hurting myself before the holidays either.

[Paulst12]

With that downpour just before 7 i called it a day.... no point wrecking groupsets??

 

Looked liked u boys were carbo loading nicely and i agree that was a far better alternative in the end

[Karin]

My 14 year old son did the 35 km. It was gruelling in the rain and mud and I mistook him for a sasquatch when he finished! Recognised him again once we hosed him and his bike down, Wrote it down to a good adventure and his devoted mommy will nurse his scratched and bruised legs for him BUT a medal at the end would really have lifted the spirits. He's quite new to MTB races. He did very, very well in the 94.7 30 km - came 5th in his age group (give mom her bragging rights). He will definitely be back next year, but please guys, work on providing the cyclists with a medal at the finish. .............and maybe for the mom's that got up at 5 and sat in the rain until the end, a free coffee or 2.

[Li Mu Bai]

My 14 year old son did the 35 km. It was gruelling in the rain and mud and I mistook him for a sasquatch when he finished! Recognised him again once we hosed him and his bike down, Wrote it down to a good adventure and his devoted mommy will nurse his scratched and bruised legs for him BUT a medal at the end would really have lifted the spirits. He's quite new to MTB races. He did very, very well in the 94.7 30 km - came 5th in his age group (give mom her bragging rights). He will definitely be back next year, but please guys, work on providing the cyclists with a medal at the finish. .............and maybe for the mom's that got up at 5 and sat in the rain until the end, a free coffee or 2.

No Medal. thats a damn shame, considering the weather he had to endure.

No medal and no odds n ends in a goodie bag, 3day stage race now 1 day event - jeez, seems like cradle quest organisers have really gone the no frills route, and for R180? more expensive than a trailseeker event.

 

We watched as 30 odd brave souls set off on the 70km. The mud and rain just did not make it seem worth the wear n tear the race would have put on the bike and spirit. not sad to have bailed. We noted with smiles Roux'jies group enjoying their 7am beer under the start tent in the rain.

crap day to race the slippery clay at Van Gaalens. looks like I will finally have my first race there next time.

[Revel]

serious fun for real men of both sexes.... Does anyone know where the results are?

[rouxtjie]

Big up to jcza that went out there today, that is respect...hoe lyk jou fiets johan?

[Swift01]

My bike is all ready for a ride tomorrow morning. Didn't even need a wash ha ha

[Cyclenatic]

you shouldhve done rust de winter!! got meddals and everything

[jcza]

Big up to jcza that went out there today, that is respect...hoe lyk jou fiets johan?

 

Somewhat muddy but had a great time. Became a endurance event with chainsuck on the first climb, no front brake and stuck in same gear for last 20km. I dream about riding all weeek long so I loads of it today!

 

Got lost twice and no medal. Got handed a small bottle of water at the finish. Organiser must be proud of him/herself.

[ChUkKy]

No Medal. thats a damn shame, considering the weather he had to endure.

No medal and no odds n ends in a goodie bag, 3day stage race now 1 day event - jeez, seems like cradle quest organisers have really gone the no frills route, and for R180? more expensive than a trailseeker event.

 

We watched as 30 odd brave souls set off on the 70km. The mud and rain just did not make it seem worth the wear n tear the race would have put on the bike and spirit. not sad to have bailed. We noted with smiles Roux'jies group enjoying their 7am beer under the start tent in the rain.

crap day to race the slippery clay at Van Gaalens. looks like I will finally have my first race there next time.

 

Weather made it *** but no medals or anything is a bit lame for the brave ones that battled the elements and finished.

A kick in the nuts would have been better than nothing.

 

Well done to the finishers

[kosmonooit]

I tell ya I am a broken man!

 

Was committed to riding since last time I came out there I bailed (Rhinoster) and wasn't feeling particularly precious about my bike since its EOL even though I had just serviced it, and was up to a ride. I was hoping the trails would dry out a bit since it was a passing storm. Wrong! Was amusing seeing all the cars come in, contemplate the mud, then leave. More left than arrived.

 

There was some new routes on the 70 which were just plain goo by the time I got there. KInd of mud that almost sucks your shoes off. And riding in that soggy mud all the way really saps your energy. The climbs (which I have all ridden before) were awful, I found one couldn't even keep ones line, the back wheel slipping and sliding all over the place. But the worst was a recently graded road on the descent from the summit of the ridge from which your wheels conglomerated such vast quantities of sticky mud and cow pooh they stopped turning, and you had to keep scraping off this $h!t (literally) with your hands. Good stuff for a mud fight though, but I had lost my sense of humour by then. And why were they grading roads like that on the top of the ridge? Going to be some serious erosion there.

 

I was dreading the steep descent but the surface was good, dropped my saddle and released the brakes and had decent downhill. Unlike elsewhere, were there was a limit to how fast you can go with mud being flung into your eyes. Was the only part of the ride I enjoyed. After that I bailed back to base, having done my mud quota for the decade.

 

Was quite nice up there though in the drizzle, the lucid greens of the Proteas and Cabbage Trees were stunning in that light.

 

One question: these trails that are being cut, are they following 'accepted/ approved' guidelines? I think not. There is limit to the slope/gradient of a trail specifically to prevent it from becoming a channel for water to gush down it, which I saw in action in some sections of the new route above Daggapad which has recently been cut. It ducks and dives on pristine veld in the declared World Heritage site zone of the Cradle of Humankind (if that map in that proposal that was circulate here is to be believed).

 

from IMBA; 10 Most Common Trailbuilding Mistakes

 

Falling for the Fall Line

"Put simply, fall line trails are erosion nightmares. They turbo-charge natural and user-created erosion, exposing rocks and roots and generally living short lives before becoming loose, wide, ecosystem-damaging disasters. To build trails that last, use the Half Rule: trail grade, or steepness, shouldn't exceed half the grade, or steepness, of the hillside; and the 10 Percent Rule: overall trail grade should be 10 percent or less."

 

Some sections are straight down the hill.

 

 

So I left the event feeling defeated - first time that has happened in long time. At least no injuries except a bump on my LHS shin from a rock thrown up by my front wheel on a descent, and a bump on my RHS shin from a missed / slippery pedal mount.

 

 

Edit:typo

Edited November 24, 2012 by kosmonooit