Tankman Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I was late so I started with H group or whatever group it was that started after Cat4. Took some shots to keep me busy! Leaving Paarl:
Tankman Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Cresting with an open road, picked up some of the Cat4 stragglers...
Tankman Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Cat4 pretty much dominated by the blue train of Outriders! Some jerky, swerving, braking and dangeroug riding by the laaities in this group. I hope the more experienced guys show them the correct way. A note to the laaities: When you stand up to pedal, you will not go any faster if you rock your bike from side to side so far that your knees almost touch the tar on every stroke. It does not make you look cool either. If you do decide to stand up an pedal, kick into the standing postion so that your bike does not loose speed an move a meter back before you start pedalling. Probably what caused the crash at 10km/h going up Voorperdeberg. In other words, learn to control you bike.
FuzzyJ Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Does anyone know if the guys that crashed by the cones coming towards finish in D group are OK? Sounded pretty nasty behind me. Thanx for the concern Kent and congrats on taking 1st position in group D. Yes, lots of pushing and shoving going on in the last 3km as all those lazy riders, sucking wheel the entire race, lining up for the sprint. I suppose the beacons in the road didn't help much either. I sustained some bad injuries on my left knee and I guess it was the adrenalin still pumping that made me get up, fix my wheel and carry on to finish the race. Death before DNF I live to ride another day! Thanx againStar Rider
Tankman Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Heading home ... Going past Fairview, I could sense the nervousness of the bunch and decided to take myself out of danger (and into the red!) by putting in an attack with one goal in mind ... get through the last right hand turn at the robot before the bunch, which I managed to do All and all a good day out on the bike and glad the normal Paarl temperature was a bit subsided!
SL7 Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks for the race report for Cat 2 Luke. Sounds like it was a good one. I raced in Cat 3 and the only thing I can say is that I let those okes from Robert Daniel catch me on Botmas!
dee_biker Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Being watched ... Nice pics Tankman. Looks like you were MOOOOVVVING! Nice time too!
Sportsworld.co.za Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Cat4 pretty much dominated by the blue train of Outriders! Some jerky, swerving, braking and dangeroug riding by the laaities in this group. I hope the more experienced guys show them the correct way. A note to the laaities: When you stand up to pedal, you will not go any faster if you rock your bike from side to side so far that your knees almost touch the tar on every stroke. It does not make you look cool either. If you do decide to stand up an pedal, kick into the standing postion so that your bike does not loose speed an move a meter back before you start pedalling. Probably what caused the crash at 10km/h going up Voorperdeberg. In other words, learn to control you bike. As one of the Outriders in the Blue Train I have to agree with you. Some of the youngsters allow their shoulders to control the handlebars so they end up basically riding in constant swerving motion. It's off-putting when you're alongside them. They also tend to wait until they're actually standing before putting pressure onto the pedals which brings them back towards your front wheel if you happen to be behind them.
Wannabe Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Started in combined F-G group.Start was quite relaxed, in fact, pace up to Botmans Kop / Riebeek Kasteel was chilled. Pace started picking up going up Botmans, and as I'm not the strongest climber (but I climb at a steady pace) , a small group got away on the front. Going down the other side we formed a small chasing group, with myself and four other riders doing the bulk of the work chasing the front group down. A couple of km after the T junction I managed to bridge the gap to the front group (and brought the groupetto with). We then kept the pace nice and high and steady. Once joining up with the shorter distance riders it became interesting, trying to get past riders all over the road without going over the white line too often, the watchfull eye of the Motorcycle Marshall always on us.Things became a bit easier after turning left on the Voorpaardeberg rd, up to Windmeul. Pace was ever increasing on this stretch, trying to make the bunch a bit smaller.Once on the R44 it again was difficult to pass the slower shorter route riders. Once on the "Fairview" stretch the pace was hot right up to the end. A few riders tried to get off the front, but they were closed down quickly.The final stretch was really hairy, with the pace we were going (I clocked 65.8km/h on the run in to the mats), the cones placed all over the show, and the slower riders behaving very erraticly.I actually decided that safety was more important than sprinting for 300th position (if only I knew we were at the sharp end of the F-G bunch) and did not go all out in the last couple meters and some riders came past me.Was surprised to see on the results that I ended in the top 10 of the group. Like I said, if only I knew. But I'm happy with my ever improving form, did not suffer from any cramps or fatique at all.
Pure Savage Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Thanx for the concern Kent and congrats on taking 1st position in group D. Yes, lots of pushing and shoving going on in the last 3km as all those lazy riders, sucking wheel the entire race, lining up for the sprint. I suppose the beacons in the road didn't help much either. I sustained some bad injuries on my left knee and I guess it was the adrenalin still pumping that made me get up, fix my wheel and carry on to finish the race. Death before DNF I live to ride another day! Thanx againStar Rider Good to hear you were not hurt too badly, was just off the front when it happened, there should have been a marshal directing us into one of the lanes, was a little confusing and scary when the poor Mtb guy was over taken as we turned right.
Tankman Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 As one of the Outriders in the Blue Train I have to agree with you. Some of the youngsters allow their shoulders to control the handlebars so they end up basically riding in constant swerving motion. It's off-putting when you're alongside them. They also tend to wait until they're actually standing before putting pressure onto the pedals which brings them back towards your front wheel if you happen to be behind them. This is your golden opportunity, you race with them, you teach the correct way. If they are not made aware that there is a better, safer way of doing whatever they are doing ... they are going to keep doing what they are doing. Dont be agro or the big guy shouting orders, teach them the way you would your son and exlpain why. One of the laaities clearly had a problem with his cleats or pedals, uncleated very dangerously twice while accelerating. Chatted to him afterwards, turns out he has two different cleats, invited him round to the shop so I can sponsor him a set of cleats before he causes a crash!
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