[Event] GP Koning Roller Coaster League & Funride 2014

[two hands]

Stunning, scenic ride.

But probably the most dangerous 80km I have ever ridden in my life! I was amazed by the incompetence of the marshals. Not sure I'll do this one again...

If we go over white lines and live dangerously, we deserve the blame. But we were pretty well-behaved today, barring a few numbnuts who wanted to play chicken with oncoming traffic.

Marshals have a thankless job, sure, but today they did nothing to endear themselves. The bike marshals looking after Cat 1 were okay, not great. The roadside marshals however, were downright appalling. Where does PPA get them? And how are they trained. Paying attention should be a minimum requirement.

Anyway. I survived. Still not 100% sure how.

/rant

[T-Bob]

Stunning, scenic ride.

But probably the most dangerous 80km I have ever ridden in my life! I was amazed by the incompetence of the marshals. Not sure I'll do this one again...

Anyway. I survived. Still not 100% sure how.

/rant

 

Jeez fellas, sounds hectic. I hope everyone actually logs complaints with PPA and the organisers. A lot of money is spent the safety angle and the involvement of the PPA so I'm pretty sure the guys running the event will be furious that this has happened.

[Karl Beaton]

This was not worth the R160 ... The route was unsafe and badly marshalled ... And then to top it some very rude bloke at the end saying we are only allowed one cup of coke... Was money being saved on this ... Sometimes cutting to many corners does not help. Will never ride this again.

 

[Karl Beaton]

And a person was knocked down in Fish Hoek .... Do not know all details, but looked like a young lady

[mikkelz]

Sucks to hear of any accident related to cycling. But even more so when taking part in a paid for (expensive?) event where non-participants (motorists) are involved in (cause) the accident.

 

Hope everyone is alright...

[F.C]

The worst part is when we hit fish hoek after the circle in cat3 the first set of robots there was no marshalls there cars where going on as normal had to dodge a few cars

[mikkelz]

The worst part is when we hit fish hoek after the circle in cat3 the first set of robots there was no marshalls there cars where going on as normal had to dodge a few cars

 

That is terrible. I find that is always the case at those robots with these "Cape Peninsula" events. And that main stretch through Fish Hoek is notorious. Mindless pedestrians, incompetent motorists...

[Pure Savage]

Also what was up with toilets on other side of field? What a joke. Terrible to hear about accident. Organizers should be forced to pay all money made to cover her costs and not to the charity.

[Sportsworld.co.za]

This was without doubt the most un-fun ride I've ever done. From the very start even the directions as per their email to the start and parking were wrong.

 

The combination of open roads and a cycle race on that route just does not work. Dodging cars doing the same speed as you going down OKW is dangerous and the marshalls at the bottom at the traffic lights were an absolute joke. They might as well not have been there for all the good they did.

 

Riding a race through the likes of Kalk Bay & Fish Hoek was just plain stupid and I'm just happy to still be in one piece with the cars on the main road just having no idea what was happening around them as bunches split and passed them left and right.

 

This was without doubt the most dangerous ride I've done and I wouldn't go back to it. It was a shambles.

[MyproDoll]

Have to agree with all the comments - the event had the most unsafe feeling to it! Terrible! At R160 it should not be the case!! Saw the young rider down in Fish Hoek. It looked ugly. Hope he/she is ok. Came as no surprise though. It turned into a war zone as we turned at the circle! Organisers should definitely figure out how they allowed this to happen.

[Meezo]

Organizers to blame PPA, PPA to blame organizers.

 

We rode on the opposite side of OKW, we were fencesitters yes, so my comments are peanut gallery material.

 

But i have to agree, the way groups were chasing down OKW and motorists not giving a damn was flipping scary. I saw a young(small) kid laying on he's back on OKW, looked like a passerbyer. He parked he's scooter in the yellow line, while other cyclists having to go around him. The young chap did look okayish, maybe just exhausted after the climb.

 

O, also the one coke is an every year thing. I know buddys, coke lovers, this what they said "to pay R170, and get a half a coke, I'm not gonna do this race, I'll wait for the BayCity". For this race the coke thing has always been a problem.

 

Two Hands comments shocked the most, in a CAT 1 bunch to have the same issues... Shooooo! Testosterone levels must of been very interesting

 

The saddest part for me is, motorists are gonna be screaming about this long and hard, makes the future of Southern Suburbs races in doubt, me thinks.

 

Anyone know if the OP is part of the event organizing team, hope he is taking note!

Edited February 2, 2014 by Meezo

[DMC007]

Besides the marshalls thingy. This is exactly why the City upfront refuses to make use of OKW twice in a Funride. Motorist attitudes towards cyclist in the southern suburbs is absolutely pathetic.

I wont be a bit suprised if these events is removed from the 2015 calender.

Edited February 2, 2014 by DMC007

[milky4130]

As far as I can tell we had no such issues in our Cat 2 bunch. Must've just been our luck or we were goig to fast for any motorist to give us stick. Our timing was spot on at most intersections where there were or weren't traffic lights & not once did we have to dodge cars. I suppose the benefits of starting early before most motorist are on the road.

[DMC007]

Organizers to blame PPA, PPA to blame organizers.

 

We rode on the opposite side of OKW, we were fencesitters yes, so my comments are peanut gallery material.

 

But i have to agree, the way groups were chasing down OKW and motorists not giving a damn was flipping scary. I saw a young(small) kid laying on he's back on OKW, looked like a passerbyer. He parked he's scooter in the yellow line, while other cyclists having to go around him. The young chap did look okayish, maybe just exhausted after the climb.

 

O, also the one coke is an every year thing. I know buddys, coke lovers, this what they said "to pay R170, and get a half a coke, I'm not gonna do this race, I'll wait for the BayCity". For this race the coke thing has always been a problem.

 

Two Hands comments shocked the most, in a CAT 1 bunch to have the same issues... Shooooo! Testosterone levels must of been very interesting

 

The saddest part for me is, motorists are gonna be screaming about this long and hard, makes the future of Southern Suburbs races in doubt, me thinks.

 

Anyone know if the OP is part of the event organizing team, hope he is taking note!

 

Yes he is part of the Organizing committe.

And I also doubt that these events will continue....

[Meezo]

Besides the marshalls thingy. This is exactly why the City upfront refuses to make use of OKW twice in a Funride. Motorist attitudes towards cyclist in the southern suburbs is absolutely pathetic.

I wont be a bit suprised if these events is removed from the 2014 calender AGAIN!!!.

 

Fixed...

[Grob Lord]

Have to add my voice here; the organization was really abysmal today. Have nothing new to be added to what has already been said. Marshall's were poor and clearly not trained/briefed, dangerous intersections were unmanned, the Fish Hoek circle was an accident in the making and Fish Hoek main road was downright dangerous.

 

Also coming off Boyes into Main Road was completely unprotected. Why not route through Steenberg.

 

Directions from the finish to the end were also poor.

 

The coke thing at the end is irritating and really just such a poor show. Leaves a bad taste.

 

On top of all of this, one of the organizers used safety and Marshaling to justify the high entry fee. What planet are these guys on??