Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge 2014

[Bomberman]

This may be a stupid question, I don't know. I noticed a lot of people with snapped chains on the up hills...... is it just me that has extra links and a chain breaker? 

[Gandalf]

I went through the 5 stages of loss while waiting in the car as I missed my start time. Once I was over that I decided to start in the charity bunch with one of my mates and try help him get his pb. He had a flat while waiting to start. we sorted that and ended up in DD. From there it was a chilled ride/cruise. He beat his pb by 20min. Had some good laughs back there, so it was a fun day out. Route was tough, and roads are in a poor state. "Free tequila" anyone?

[Wyatt Earp]

Thought you just did that? 

Nope, but here goes.

 

The Choc Cows.

I know some of them quite well, most of them really nice people with sincere intentions.

My issue lies with the arrogance some of them have.

 

At one stage on my second lap I saw a Choc Cow riding in to all the riders as they were struggling up Witkoppen, he showed no signs of slowing down.

He came down the hill shouting "Cow coming through, I need to help someone"

Now that is all fair and well, but at this stage I quite had enough of some of the Cows and some of the charity riders out there.

 

I must have heard "Cow on the road" "make way for a cow" "cow on the way, make way" and a few more I have forgotten by now.

They are also not the only guys doing charity type rides that thought they were anointed with water from the liquid Gold fountain.

 

Going up the R 55 a guy riding for the Husky group though it was ok to stand in the middle of the road and wait for his companion .

I understand you are riding for a cause, but every person out there is on the same mission, and that is  to survive and finish what they see as a "gruelling event"

 

My rant is not to belittle or drag groups and names through the mud, but more a case of it takes one or two bad apples to make an entire group look bad.

These are just two I mentioned of many .

 

I noticed one thing yesterday, those back-markers starting in UU/XX/WW and anywhere near the back, they are the people who make the event and one can only but take your hat off to them.

Now feel free to flame me.

[eddy]

.

[canfan]

I went through the 5 stages of loss while waiting in the car as I missed my start time. Once I was over that I decided to start in the charity bunch with one of my mates and try help him get his pb. He had a flat while waiting to start. we sorted that and ended up in DD. From there it was a chilled ride/cruise. He beat his pb by 20min. Had some good laughs back there, so it was a fun day out. Route was tough, and roads are in a poor state. "Free tequila" anyone?

Have to agree, the road surface was pretty bad in some spots yesterday. One could see they tried to fix some areas, but the amount of places they just put spray paint around was pretty crazy.

[StevieL]

 

I noticed one thing yesterday, those back-markers starting in UU/XX/WW and anywhere near the back, they are the people who make the event and one can only but take your hat off to them.

Now feel free to flame me.

 

Agree 1000%... Those are the real heroes, not the okes starting at sunrise breaking 3 hrs...

Takes real character to start at 10h00 and ride for 6 hours through the midday afternoon heat.

Hats off to u all.

[Wyatt Earp]

Ag lekker man...did the mordor batch, for a grand time of 7:20. stopped lots for beers, pies, monster, tequila..and kakpraat.

 

Anton...your bike is but flippen nice hoor. 

Thanks tjom, I love that fiets .

[StevieL]

The real road issue I have with this race is the downhill section just after the left turn at Sandton Clinic (Homestead).

 

That is an incredibly fast section, and the road is in a real bad state there (bumps, bad tar, and big bumps). Luckily I train down there a lot so I know what I'm looking for, but for an out of towner I think there should be BIG banners there warning about the road surface.

 

Every single year I have done this event, I have seen busy paramedics attending to another scalp that that road has claimed.

 

Please organisers, I don't have much bad to say about this race, as it is an awesome event, but that is one of my gripes.

[Gandalf]

Nope, but here goes.

 

The Choc Cows.

I know some of them quite well, most of them really nice people with sincere intentions.

My issue lies with the arrogance some of them have.

 

At one stage on my second lap I saw a Choc Cow riding in to all the riders as they were struggling up Witkoppen, he showed no signs of slowing down.

He came down the hill shouting "Cow coming through, I need to help someone"

Now that is all fair and well, but at this stage I quite had enough of some of the Cows and some of the charity riders out there.

 

I must have heard "Cow on the road" "make way for a cow" "cow on the way, make way" and a few more I have forgotten by now.

They are also not the only guys doing charity type rides that thought they were anointed with water from the liquid Gold fountain.

 

Going up the R 55 a guy riding for the Husky group though it was ok to stand in the middle of the road and wait for his companion .

I understand you are riding for a cause, but every person out there is on the same mission, and that is  to survive and finish what they see as a "gruelling event"

 

My rant is not to belittle or drag groups and names through the mud, but more a case of it takes one or two bad apples to make an entire group look bad.

These are just two I mentioned of many .

 

I noticed one thing yesterday, those back-markers starting in UU/XX/WW and anywhere near the back, they are the people who make the event and one can only but take your hat off to them.

Now feel free to flame me.

I noticed the same thing with some of the guys coming past on their second lap. They charge in like they are trying to do another sub 3. They shout and snake their way through groups of back riders struggling to keep their bikes upright on the climbs, they come past these riders so fast that they get scared and lose balance/momentum and eventually stop, causing a chain of events behind them.

[MuddyMike]

Well done to everyone out there yesterday.

 

That new route is tough, especially when you are convinced that Cedar is the last climb and looking down at your garmin and thinking "just get up cedar and that sub 3 is yours" So I threw everything on the fire going up Cedar, the last two matches, the couch, the cupboard doors etc etc. you get the picture. You can imagine how bleak I was when I saw the little Steyn City finale..... bliksem that hurt, 3:03 and a PB..... a good day out.

[Gandalf]

The real road issue I have with this race is the downhill section just after the left turn at Sandton Clinic (Homestead).

 

That is an incredibly fast section, and the road is in a real bad state there (bumps, bad tar, and big bumps). Luckily I train down there a lot so I know what I'm looking for, but for an out of towner I think there should be BIG banners there warning about the road surface.

 

Every single year I have done this event, I have seen busy paramedics attending to another scalp that that road has claimed.

 

Please organisers, I don't have much bad to say about this race, as it is an awesome event, but that is one of my gripes.

The first downhill in steyn city had a speed bump at the bottom of the hill, there was a marshal telling people to slow down. there was a rider down just after the bump, must have been about 4 paramedics around him. hope the rider is healing up.

[MuddyMike]

I noticed the same thing with some of the guys coming past on their second lap. They charge in like they are trying to do another sub 3. They shout and snake their way through groups of back riders struggling to keep their bikes upright on the climbs, they come past these riders so fast that they get scared and lose balance/momentum and eventually stop, causing a chain of events behind them.

Agreed, if you do a second you are SECOND on the road. The backmarkers have right of way, not you. Get out of the way of those fun riders at the back unless you want to give them a little push up the hill. Your race was over after the 1st lap.

[Wyatt Earp]

Agreed, if you do a second you are SECOND on the road. They ahve right of way, not you. Get out of the way of those fun riders at the back unless you want to give them a little push up the hill. Your race was over after the 1st lap.

Gandalf is right and I agree with you 100 %

It is now their race  and not the guys doing the second lap .

[canfan]

The first downhill in steyn city had a speed bump at the bottom of the hill, there was a marshal telling people to slow down. there was a rider down just after the bump, must have been about 4 paramedics around him. hope the rider is healing up.

I found those speed bumps in Steyn City extremely dangerous. 

[Paul Ruinaard]

The real road issue I have with this race is the downhill section just after the left turn at Sandton Clinic (Homestead).

 

That is an incredibly fast section, and the road is in a real bad state there (bumps, bad tar, and big bumps). Luckily I train down there a lot so I know what I'm looking for, but for an out of towner I think there should be BIG banners there warning about the road surface.

 

Every single year I have done this event, I have seen busy paramedics attending to another scalp that that road has claimed.

 

Please organisers, I don't have much bad to say about this race, as it is an awesome event, but that is one of my gripes.

Agreed on this. There were two that i know of caused by this hill. Back markers are tired and speed is high. Recipe for disaster.

 

I also have an issue with the Steyn City finish downhills which claimed some of the back markers. I saw a lady lying absolutely inert behind barriers at the base of the first downhill in Steyn City. Hope she was okay.

 

These accidents are being caused by high speed and bad road surfaces or bumps. If you could address that you would have avoided some of these problems.

 

And its not a small crash to have at the bottom of a hill. OTB at speed leads to a hospital stay if not worse.

[Jay_B]

The real road issue I have with this race is the downhill section just after the left turn at Sandton Clinic (Homestead).

 

That is an incredibly fast section, and the road is in a real bad state there (bumps, bad tar, and big bumps). Luckily I train down there a lot so I know what I'm looking for, but for an out of towner I think there should be BIG banners there warning about the road surface.

 

Every single year I have done this event, I have seen busy paramedics attending to another scalp that that road has claimed.

 

Please organisers, I don't have much bad to say about this race, as it is an awesome event, but that is one of my gripes.

 

I agree, some really dodgy sections of road on the fast descents through town... A guy next to me hit a hole pretty heavy and his front wheel disintegrated, how he stayed up right I don't know... I also clipped a manhole on homestead pretty badly and somehow didn't puncture, from there on I eased off on the downhills and kept a good 20m between myself and the riders in front of me so that I could see the road properly.