Deadly South Easter

[carlo_sg]

Just a heads up...

 

Anyone who trains around Cape Town will know that the South Easter has been particularly strong of late.

I even saw one or two riders pushing their bikes up Chapman's Peak yesterday due to the rediculously strong headwind!

 

Yesterday I went for a training ride, and was coming over Ou Kaaps from Noordhoek to Tokai. Along the top, past the road to Silvermine, the South Easter (now a cross wind) was so strong I was battling to stay upright, and was constantly aware I could over-correct and land up in the traffic!

 

The real problem started on the descent, now with a tail wind I was clocking 85+km/h (86.8km/h to be exact!) FREE-WHEELING!!!

I went into the 180-degree right hand bend halfway down, and the tail wind became a dangerous cross wind. I was blown across the lane, into the yellow-lane shoulder, and missed the barriers by millimetres! I struggled to come to a stop, but when I did, sense took over me and I decided to walk down the rest of the way...

 

My concern is:

If the wind is blowing like this for Sunday's Bay Cyle Tour, and the route decends the steep side of Ou kaaps, there are going to be crashes (plural)! The cross wind in this FAST, DOWNHILL corner is unbelievably dangerous, and is going to put riders (plural) over the edge.

 

PLEASE RIDE WITH CAUTION!

[Robotech]

Hey Carlo,

 

Thanks for the heads up & welcome to the Hub...

 

 

[Baltazar]

Eh --- Whats going to happen for the Argus ?

[Bateleur1]

Baltazar, wait and see.  I remember the 2005 Argus the SE also caused a bit of a problem.  I remember being in the H bunch (still met Wannabe there) and we crunched through Simonstown at 17 km/h.  Almost got blown off Chappies two or three times.  And the pressure was on me ... my plane was waiting.  Crossed the line in 3:17, downed a coke rushed to the car, pulled a pair of shorts over my cycling bib and flew off to the Airports.  I remember getting on board of the plane when someone noticed the cycling short sticking out underneath my shorts.  With absolute amazement he asked .... did you just do the Argus

[Mrs Colonel]

This wind has been really unkind to us this year.  Normally the wind stops in February...but it seems to have just got stronger in February this year!  Last night I was positively sick to death of the wind, so I rode my mountain bike in Tokai.  Normally if the wind is blowing, there isn't a breathe in the forest - but not last night!!

I'm staying positive though.  Perhaps we are having a "late summer" and the weather will be just fine and dandy for the Argus

[Jamm]

Thanks for starting this thread, I was about to post some bad news myself with regards to an accident over the weekend, but as the two issues are  related, its probably best to post here.

The General Manager of City Lodge Grand West (Cape Town) was out cycling on the West Coast road near the Dolphin Beach Hotel when he collided with a car and was dragged along. The info I have is that it was a freak accident caused by a gust of very strong wind.

He is in a very serious condition in the ICU at Milnerton Medi Clinic. Please take a moment to say a prayer for him and his family today. He is a very nice guy and was also voted the Best General Manager in the City Lodge Group.

Be safe out there.

 

 

 

[Big JD]

Sunday is forecast for a 30 km/h South WESTER with a 60% chance of rain. Should be very interesting racing....

[Wonder Woman]

Baltazar' date=' wait and see.  I remember the 2005 Argus the SE also caused a bit of a problem.  I remember being in the H bunch (still met Wannabe there) and we crunched through Simonstown at 17 km/h.  Almost got blown off Chappies two or three times.  And the pressure was on me ... my plane was waiting.  Crossed the line in 3:17, downed a coke rushed to the car, pulled a pair of shorts over my cycling bib and flew off to the Airports.  I remember getting on board of the plane when someone noticed the cycling short sticking out underneath my shorts.  With absolute amazement he asked .... did you just do the Argus [/quote']

 

Hey, I remember that, the wind blew me right across the road. I ended up going faster up Chappies than down it!!

There goes my sub-3 out the window

[Bateleur1]

Yip, WW, that was the one.  I remember that I just stayed with the front of the bunch the whole time.  Later Wannabe told me that the wind was wiping the guys out in the bunch left right and center.

[2 X 2]

I'm currently in Capetown on business.  Yesterday on my way from Plattekloof to Bloubergstrand I saw about 20 riders on my way.  I was anazed that people cycles in this wind.  If the wind is blowing like this in Gauteng, you'll hardly see any cyclists on the road

[niterider]

 

Thanks for starting this thread' date=' I was about to post some bad news myself with regards to an accident over the weekend, but as the two issues are  related, its probably best to post here.

The General Manager of City Lodge Grand West (Cape Town) was out cycling on the West Coast road near the Dolphin Beach Hotel when he collided with a car and was dragged along. The info I have is that it was a freak accident caused by a gust of very strong wind.

He is in a very serious condition in the ICU at Milnerton Medi Clinic. Please take a moment to say a prayer for him and his family today. He is a very nice guy and was also voted the Best General Manager in the City Lodge Group.

 

 

 

Be safe out there.[/quote']

Was that Saturday morning near the Milnerton high school fields? We rode past just after it happened and it didn't look pretty. Hope he makes it through.

 

[slowpoke]

Thanks for starting this thread' date=' I was about to post some bad news myself with regards to an accident over the weekend, but as the two issues are  related, its probably best to post here.

The General Manager of City Lodge Grand West (Cape Town) was out cycling on the West Coast road near the Dolphin Beach Hotel when he collided with a car and was dragged along. The info I have is that it was a freak accident caused by a gust of very strong wind.

He is in a very serious condition in the ICU at Milnerton Medi Clinic. Please take a moment to say a prayer for him and his family today. He is a very nice guy and was also voted the Best General Manager in the City Lodge Group.

Be safe out there. 

[/quote']

 

not good at all. i truly hope he'll be fine.

[butafly]

i rode 90 km yesterday out to Stellenbosch and back. there was wind but not as bad as what you would encounter along the coast.  Today went to Hout Bay and back , amazed at the amount of cyclists along the road to Llandudno. btw....purrfect weather

[Domestiquehated]

Ja us Kaapies have it tough.  On the Cape Cobra funride the route decends toward Glencairn after going up Red-hill.  Not a steep descent, but definitely downhill..  We had to STAND on our peadals just to maintain any sort of momentum...  It was crazy!  But goingup Blachill (in the opposite direction) thereafter was a blast.

[Jamm]

Was that Saturday morning near the Milnerton high school fields? We rode past just after it happened and it didn't look pretty. Hope he makes it through.

 

Yes it was on Saturday morning, not sure of the exact location, but it was on that stretch of road. Velo and I went out with City Cycling Club also on that road on Saturday, so it must have been before or after we went out which was about 07H15.

 

 

[SeanMort]

I remember last years Nola race .. the wind on the Tarlton stretch wasn't fun. It was demoralising to ride into. This is one race that I will defintely skip this year. Bad memories !! Let's hope the Argus weather behaves.