Ok let's hear it vangaalens,laps experiences,gossip??

[patches]

Same organiser and his small prizes, different year. Some years ago my friend's mixed team of 4 won and they won ONE hamper box ( probably donated) which they had to split. The lack of a coffee station is a deal breaker. Apparently they also removed the complimentary drinks for riders halfway through the event. Kind of makes the choice of which 24 hour event to support, so easy.

 

I didn't go there to get free beverages (hot or cold). I also didn't go there to try suppliment my salary with prize money.

 

I went there to ride my bike and have fun while doing so. Mission accomplished!

 

As far as which 24hr... I would have to make my call based on the trail (after all, I did say I went there to have fun on the bike, not freeload on drinks and win prizes)... then I'd say Van Gaalen has a better route with way more flow to it.

 

Plus ask anyone that did Rietvlei this year... I'm sur they would have traided their totally crappy weather and free beverages for better weather and no free stuff.

[DR ◣◢]

Exactly. The free cans of energy drinks were available right till the end.

 

Eric and his team kept the trail going for the whole event. A couple of times his team was in the reed tunnels cutting back sagging reeds to keep it open and clear.

 

I know of more than one rider that completely destroyed their bikes at Rietvlei due to the mud. I recall chatting to Eric and I quote "im not happy with how wet the one section of the course is at the moment. I never want to have riders on the course damaging bikes because of the mud."

 

That is dedication!

[Redness22]

Firstly a BIG thank you to everyone that attended the 24 Hour this weekend.

We appreciate all and any feedback.

 

There have been a number of issues raised here which we would like to address.

 

Catering: The caterer that was arranged to provide food and coffee was confirmed months ago. On Friday morning we received a phone-call from this company stating that something had come up but "not to worry" as he is sending someone else in his place. Obviously we were disgusted with what eventually transpired as the replacement had no idea what he was doing due to poor preparation. We will be sure not to use these people in future. We apologize for the inconvenience. We too had to make arrangements for our eating plans.

 

 

Announcer: We agree, the announcer was a little too much. However, we also had a lot of good feedback from participants with his music choice and light hearted jokes. However, we agree that some of the language and jokes were uncalled for and this will be addressed.

 

DNF Rule: Every team received a full colour double sided print with the maps and AMTRI rules. The entire set of rules is printed on this sheet. Competitors we encouraged to read and fully understand the rules. The DNF rule was also announced repeatedly over the PA system. However, we still made sure everyone received their medals.

 

BEER GAME: It seemed that this game was enjoyed by many. If there was a broken bottle on the field, we apologise. The van gaalen cleaning staff were working at full steam over the weekend and may have missed it.

Rehydration Drink: The drinks were never removed. The cases were covered up by the sponsor during the night as they were being dripped on when the rain started. Riders were still helping themselves at all hours. Drinks lasted right until the very end.

Prizes: The value of prizes has always been a difficult one. Running a 24 Hour is extremely expensive. Essentially everything that is hired, (Staff, equipment, showers and toilets etc…) are being booked for TWO days. So everything is twice the price. Compared to a single day event, participants had access to two days’ worth of camping, ablutions and showers (two massive trailers with an attendant) land usage, paramedics, timing personal, tents and the list goes on. Whilst we massively appreciate our sponsors, one must understand that the financial aid by them (most do not sponsor cash) doesn’t even come close to covering the costs. Therefore, as organisers, we prefer to keep the standard of the essentials as high as monetary possible so as to not compromise on safety and amenities. Then we try our best to provide prizes with what’s left over. Clearly, the more riders that enter, the better. But as suggested in another post here, numbers have been down. (The Vlei 24 Hour also suffered poor numbers from what we understand) If competing at cycle event was all about the prizes, then the massive races like the Crater Cruise, 94.7, Trailseeker etc…would have no more than 200 riders.

 

There are many costs associated with this event that may not meet the eye. Many people think that the usage of Van Gaalens and surrounding farms is free, it isn’t! Then the event must be sanctioned and insured, staff paid, office costs etc.. It’s easy as a competitor to ask where the entry fee goes but there is much more to it. At the end of the day, we want to do our best to bring the riders the best 24 Hour experience that we can.

We believe we’ve brought a fun and enjoyable event. We’ve been inundated with compliments so far today and also a few complaints in line with what has been mentioned here. We’re not perfect but who is? Another thing to remember, you as riders (other than the crazy solos) take breaks, have family or friends to assist etc..but we the organisers don’t sleep or stop. When we’re not at the camps, we’re on the route. We were on shift the entire weekend, which for us, begins on Thursday morning and ends on Sunday evening. None of us slept at all making sure you were all safe, hydrated and entertained. The 24 Hour is an immense undertaking from an organiser’s point of view.

Please understand, we WANT you to have fun, we WANT you to enjoy and we WANT to hear feedback.

[DIPSLICK]

At about 1:30 in the morning Eric came past me in his van with one of his helpers and stopped at the steel bridge to move the concrete slabs cause he was not happy about the entry, hitting the blocks,

He is a awesome ROUTE planner no doubt, no one can complain about any of the 12 km route,

[MONS]

I didn't go there to get free beverages (hot or cold). I also didn't go there to try suppliment my salary with prize money.

 

I went there to ride my bike and have fun while doing so. Mission accomplished!

 

As far as which 24hr... I would have to make my call based on the trail (after all, I did say I went there to have fun on the bike, not freeload on drinks and win prizes)... then I'd say Van Gaalen has a better route with way more flow to it.

 

Plus ask anyone that did Rietvlei this year... I'm sur they would have traided their totally crappy weather and free beverages for better weather and no free stuff.

Dont get me wrong, many of us went to have fun and the trail did not disappoint, but some of us went there solo, took basics with and were quite happy to pay for coffee and other likewise beverages. The same applies to food, great when you are in a team and have skottels and coolers, and little gas hobs and kettles and and.... I went there with what I had - basic essentials with the idea that for an individual person its easier to buy your food and drink than take it with. Nothing wrong with the event, but there are a few details that could have been better - this event has been running for many years now and one would think that catering and coffee would be one thing that would be sorted from past experience. The ASG Rosemary hill 24 hour event got that right and thats what I based my packing on and presumed that is the general way things happen at a 24-hour. Went there to ride and have fun on my bike. That's what I did. Some food and coffee would have been nice.

[MONS]

Firstly a BIG thank you to everyone that attended the 24 Hour this weekend.

We appreciate all and any feedback.

 

There have been a number of issues raised here which we would like to address.

 

Catering: The caterer that was arranged to provide food and coffee was confirmed months ago. On Friday morning we received a phone-call from this company stating that something had come up but "not to worry" as he is sending someone else in his place. Obviously we were disgusted with what eventually transpired as the replacement had no idea what he was doing due to poor preparation. We will be sure not to use these people in future. We apologize for the inconvenience. We too had to make arrangements for our eating plans.

 

 

Announcer: We agree, the announcer was a little too much. However, we also had a lot of good feedback from participants with his music choice and light hearted jokes. However, we agree that some of the language and jokes were uncalled for and this will be addressed.

 

DNF Rule: Every team received a full colour double sided print with the maps and AMTRI rules. The entire set of rules is printed on this sheet. Competitors we encouraged to read and fully understand the rules. The DNF rule was also announced repeatedly over the PA system. However, we still made sure everyone received their medals.

 

BEER GAME: It seemed that this game was enjoyed by many. If there was a broken bottle on the field, we apologise. The van gaalen cleaning staff were working at full steam over the weekend and may have missed it.

Rehydration Drink: The drinks were never removed. The cases were covered up by the sponsor during the night as they were being dripped on when the rain started. Riders were still helping themselves at all hours. Drinks lasted right until the very end.

Prizes: The value of prizes has always been a difficult one. Running a 24 Hour is extremely expensive. Essentially everything that is hired, (Staff, equipment, showers and toilets etc…) are being booked for TWO days. So everything is twice the price. Compared to a single day event, participants had access to two days’ worth of camping, ablutions and showers (two massive trailers with an attendant) land usage, paramedics, timing personal, tents and the list goes on. Whilst we massively appreciate our sponsors, one must understand that the financial aid by them (most do not sponsor cash) doesn’t even come close to covering the costs. Therefore, as organisers, we prefer to keep the standard of the essentials as high as monetary possible so as to not compromise on safety and amenities. Then we try our best to provide prizes with what’s left over. Clearly, the more riders that enter, the better. But as suggested in another post here, numbers have been down. (The Vlei 24 Hour also suffered poor numbers from what we understand) If competing at cycle event was all about the prizes, then the massive races like the Crater Cruise, 94.7, Trailseeker etc…would have no more than 200 riders.

 

There are many costs associated with this event that may not meet the eye. Many people think that the usage of Van Gaalens and surrounding farms is free, it isn’t! Then the event must be sanctioned and insured, staff paid, office costs etc.. It’s easy as a competitor to ask where the entry fee goes but there is much more to it. At the end of the day, we want to do our best to bring the riders the best 24 Hour experience that we can.

We believe we’ve brought a fun and enjoyable event. We’ve been inundated with compliments so far today and also a few complaints in line with what has been mentioned here. We’re not perfect but who is? Another thing to remember, you as riders (other than the crazy solos) take breaks, have family or friends to assist etc..but we the organisers don’t sleep or stop. When we’re not at the camps, we’re on the route. We were on shift the entire weekend, which for us, begins on Thursday morning and ends on Sunday evening. None of us slept at all making sure you were all safe, hydrated and entertained. The 24 Hour is an immense undertaking from an organiser’s point of view.

Please understand, we WANT you to have fun, we WANT you to enjoy and we WANT to hear feedback.

Thanks for that feedback - will be back next year.

[Redness22]

Dont get me wrong, many of us went to have fun and the trail did not disappoint, but some of us went there solo, took basics with and were quite happy to pay for coffee and other likewise beverages. The same applies to food, great when you are in a team and have skottels and coolers, and little gas hobs and kettles and and.... I went there with what I had - basic essentials with the idea that for an individual person its easier to buy your food and drink than take it with. Nothing wrong with the event, but there are a few details that could have been better - this event has been running for many years now and one would think that catering and coffee would be one thing that would be sorted from past experience. The ASG Rosemary hill 24 hour event got that right and thats what I based my packing on and presumed that is the general way things happen at a 24-hour. Went there to ride and have fun on my bike. That's what I did. Some food and coffee would have been nice.

 

You are right, if our plans for catering had gone through as arranged, this would not have a problem. Apologies

[MONS]

You are right, if our plans for catering had gone through as arranged, this would not have a problem. Apologies

The trail was top notch - and THAT is what counts at the end of the day! Learned a lot from it and that does over-ride everything else!

[Nettie R]

As far as which 24hr... I would have to make my call based on the trail (after all, I did say I went there to have fun on the bike, not freeload on drinks and win prizes)... then I'd say Van Gaalen has a better route with way more flow to it.

freeloaders? If it was so, I would've had 10 drinks instead of none.

As for the prizegiving, the guy wanted to know what's up with the small prizes. I told him why. You stick with VG then.

[Thug]

Everyone knows van Gaalens is a hard, break your bike type of route! But our families came to enjoy have fun with kids (great play areas) as we have many times in the past, and to compete! But unfortunately it came down to an announcer who swore the whole time, and didnt have time of day for kids . A beer competition was held, and bottels broken, and left on grass, which we had to cover by night to get to the toilet facilities. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt. As being competitive, the prize money for a team of 5-8 was a mere R1000, where entry was more than R2000 per team? Only the first of a category was acknowledged (which i think was about 5 categories). The second open team (8) was only high school kids riding their hearts out for no acknowledgement! This type of races hurts the spirits of our youth! And where did the entries fee's go to? Understand if stated (for charity from the beginning) but letting kids ride there hearts out for nothing? Is that the way to go? We did appreciate all the work of the undercover people, and organizing and Van Gaalens though!

 

My comment earlier about being in it for the money certainly looks to ring true.

[patches]

Dont get me wrong, many of us went to have fun and the trail did not disappoint, but some of us went there solo, took basics with and were quite happy to pay for coffee and other likewise beverages. The same applies to food, great when you are in a team and have skottels and coolers, and little gas hobs and kettles and and.... I went there with what I had - basic essentials with the idea that for an individual person its easier to buy your food and drink than take it with. Nothing wrong with the event, but there are a few details that could have been better - this event has been running for many years now and one would think that catering and coffee would be one thing that would be sorted from past experience. The ASG Rosemary hill 24 hour event got that right and thats what I based my packing on and presumed that is the general way things happen at a 24-hour. Went there to ride and have fun on my bike. That's what I did. Some food and coffee would have been nice.

The trail was top notch - and THAT is what counts at the end of the day! Learned a lot from it and that does over-ride everything else!

 

Exactly! I was also there as a solo rider, so yeah better catering would have been nice, and Redness22 knows this and was let down by the caterer. I'm sure next year this will be covered.

 

but to say:

 

The lack of a coffee station is a deal breaker.

 

...then rather ride your road bike and stop at Vida. As stated before by myself, Mons and just about everyone else that participated... the trail was superb! Well worth it. The deal maker!

[patches]

freeloaders? If it was so, I would've had 10 drinks instead of none.

As for the prizegiving, the guy wanted to know what's up with the small prizes. I told him why. You stick with VG then.

 

then why bring up the allegation (a false one) that the complimentary drinks were removed halfway through the event.

 

As for prize money... I personally am not phased (and yes, cos I know I won't win, haha)... but if that is ones reason for competing... then maybe they should switch to golf, or move to europe.

 

Remember Malcom Lange's tweet about the 94.7 MTB (A race which brings in way more than the VG 24hr AND has more sponsorship)

 

"I can't believe how poor the prizemoney was for the Mtb challenge!! Shocking 5000entries and first place R1500 no 2nd place money??" - Malcom Lange

 

I also recall him saying that after splitting winnings with his team he only got something like R2000 for winning the 2010 Argus. So yeah, one isn't going to get rich on events like this, but should that be the only reason we ride?

 

So are you really that surprised that the winner of the 24hr didn't get to go home in a brand new BMW 3 series?

Edited December 2, 2012 by patches

[Redness22]

My comment earlier about being in it for the money certainly looks to ring true.

 

Thug, please see my reply below. This 24 Hour barely covers expenses. Please feel free to research it. Not a single member of the organizers does this for a living, we all have our own, very different occupations. If we were it doing purely for our own profit, why would we organize The Paige Project as a charity partner? We insisted that proceeds from the bike wash went to Paige, we insisted that proceeds from the Catering (admittedly, a failure) went to Paige. PLEASE, contact The Paige Project who will confirm all of this, including Mucc-Off who did the bike washes.

 

What about the silly games we don't HAVE to actually include?

Each and every silly game we had this time had a prize supplied by the organizers. Except for the Bike Chuck which was a R1000 voucher from Linden cycles. We even gave away free toys and games to kids.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Redness22

[Paul Ruinaard]

At about 1:30 in the morning Eric came past me in his van with one of his helpers and stopped at the steel bridge to move the concrete slabs cause he was not happy about the entry, hitting the blocks,

He is a awesome ROUTE planner no doubt, no one can complain about any of the 12 km route,

 

Eric's route and his attention to detail were awesome.

 

My comments are that it is a brilliant event, and VG is a great venue. We met and chatted to Eric about the trail. Truth be told I haven't loved all his routes but I love his passion and openness to input, taking it inboard and acting on it. His trails have amongst the best flow ever. He has learned lots and this had all the right elements of a challenge in it. I am now a fan. Well done and compliments to him and the team of trail builders and the level of care for people's safety, worrying about mud on the course etc. You guys did a great job, weather didn't play along.

 

You could raise your game on the Java though.

 

Prize money and catering, well I am there for the fun and the opportunity to be with like minded folks and mates. I enjoyed the announcer.

[patches]

The Freedom Challenge is arguably the toughest test of MTB endurance in SA. Entry fee is R18 500. There are no coffee stations, free energy drinks, borewors roll stands... and the winner gets a pizza and a blanket. So to all the monetary-reward-racers out there... dry your eyes.

 

EDIT: I personally don't drink coffee, but I see it's a big deal to some... so I will sponsor a tin of Nescafe for next years event

Edited December 2, 2012 by patches

[DIPSLICK]

I think it is safe to say 99% of " normal everyday Hubbers " are def. not cycling for prize money, like I said earlier I saw tons of smiles, job done