Jhb JUMA ends cycling for me ...my rant

[Wyatt Earp]

Its your skill bro

Bro has skill.

[marko35s]

An american woman eating at McDees who weighs 46kg?

That was per leg...

[Skylark]

I know that slime in drains, its like ice or an oil slick on roads, one minute you up next you down and down has hard and fast as gravity can pull you, no time to try protect yourself. I've had smashed wrists and a very sore ass from that slime, I have enormous respect for it.

 

From that perspective I'd say the organizers were negligent, they planned and tested the route, why leave in a dangerous stretch of riding like that?

 

Would putting a roadway that is contaminated with spilled oil in a rally car race be a technical obstacle?

[Spez247]

The medic on the scene had no authority to administer pain medication. Needless to say his wife gave hime the choice, her or the mtb. (yeah yeah he made his decision:) The issue is, there don't appear to be enough medics and enough trained medics to handle races of these sizes.

[VicanZA]

I didn't ride so wont comment about the race, but some of the comments before already gave an indication that there was going to be plenty of walking for technical and bottleneck reasons. OP, it sucks! I fell off my bike 1 week before sani. Just hit a rutt and it was all over. I feel for you.

The issue I have is the medical timing. 2 years ago a friends fell in the 94.7 mtb race. I arrived literally seconds after it happened. We could see the start but it took 1 1/2 hours to get him out of there and we eventually loaded him into a bakkie to get him out. Speaking to the radiographer afterwards, he told me that the first medic on the scene should have called in immediately with "patial amputation" which would have meant helicopter evacuation. he nearly lost the use of his hand. The medic on the scene had no authority to administer pain medication. Needless to say his wife gave hime the choice, her or the mtb. (yeah yeah he made his decision:) The issue is, there don't appear to be enough medics and enough trained medics to handle races of these sizes.

did he trade her in for a new model? 

[Onlybikes]

The problem is unskilled riders in my opinion . it was obvious the stuff was slick as ice but people still shot across it while still turning this is basic mountain biking . do you try turn in thick soft sand ... no because you are going to wash out the front tyre . just hit it with a straight line and it was easy to cross 

 

[Ryan100]

I didn't ride and I hear all the arguments.

 

all I want is a photo of MTB 0007 when he is on his sports trainer. Good like. Hope its titanium, its all about weight saving

[Skylark]

The problem is unskilled riders in my opinion . it was obvious the stuff was slick as ice but people still shot across it while still turning this is basic mountain biking . do you try turn in thick soft sand ... no because you are going to wash out the front tyre . just hit it with a straight line and it was easy to cross

If you've never experience it before you wouldn't be prepared for how slick it is, that's how I came pip so badly on some before, I had no idea what it was all about, totally unexpected.

 

The suddenness is also seriously disconcerting, it feels like it grips fine right up until the point it gives out completely. It's really funny watching people deal with it for the first time, funny until they slip and break their coccyx, then it's not so funny, that is a common injury on this surface if you are walking, your feet just disappear from under you, like greased lightening.

[Wyatt Earp]

I know that slime in drains, its like ice or an oil slick on roads, one minute you up next you down and down has hard and fast as gravity can pull you, no time to try protect yourself. I've had smashed wrists and a very sore ass from that slime, I have enormous respect for it.

 

From that perspective I'd say the organizers were negligent, they planned and tested the route, why leave in a dangerous stretch of riding like that?

 

Would putting a roadway that is contaminated with spilled oil in a rally car race be a technical obstacle?

This 

[Harryn]

Im not interested in any dirt roadie race, thats not mountain biking... whoever says it is needs to be dragged into the street and shot.

1. I say it is. Please at least drag me into a dirt road when you shoot me.

 

2. I like wuss mountain biking, because I feel safe. People are switching from road to MTB for safety reasons, so it makes no sense (to me anyway) to do madly technical stuff, above my ability, which dangerous. I cycle for fun and fitness, not to go to hospital or for bragging rights.

 

3. Even when I think you are speaking utter shite (as I do in this instance), I enjoy your passion, and the inimitable way in which you express yourself. For that reason I have liked your post, even I disagree with your sentiments.

[slowashell]

Again, well said

We can never win...

I remember when I got lambasted about the VG sattelite descent, I think its awesome but many others wanted it taken out as its too technical. FFS

 

Im selective over the races I do:

MTN - Van Gaalens

Magalies Monster

Mankele 3 Towers

Some of the USN races

 

Im not interested in any dirt roadie race, thats not mountain biking... whoever says it is needs to be dragged into the street and shot.

 

A ride like Crater Cruise... boring as bloody hell, its actually so crap in my books that if I was judge Masipa I's sentence Oscar to at least 5 crater cruises on a SS fixie, full rigid. Whether he dies of boredom or falls to pieces, who cares.

 

JUMA was awesome, a technical ride, if you cant ride technical.... dont ride the race. Dont come ride it then bitch because you want it dumbed down. These people must bugger off and go whine elsewhere, go ride up and down their roads on the pavement.

 

I want more technical races, they are fun and keep you awake.

Agree with you 100% here. I know what my abilities are, also based on age and health reasons, I am the ultimate dirt roadie. I try stay away from the hard races, especially if a lot of technical riding ability is needed for the following reasons.

 

I am K#@ scared to fall

I do not want to get in the way of other riders who have the right skills, thus spoiling the race for them.

 

About 3 weeks back, they had a mtb race down here in Bloem - 2 routes. 1 was advertised it had climbs and technical skills needed. The other was flatter, no skills needed. I was in dirt rodie heaven.

[Wyatt Earp]

1. I say it is. Please at least drag me into a dirt road when you shoot me.

 

2. I like wuss mountain biking, because I feel safe. People are switching from road to MTB for safety reasons, so it makes no sense (to me anyway) to do madly technical stuff, above my ability, which dangerous. I cycle for fun and fitness, not to go to hospital or for bragging rights.

 

3. Even when I think you are speaking utter shite (as I do in this instance), I enjoy your passion, and the inimitable way in which you express yourself. For that reason I have liked your post, even I disagree with your sentiments.

The thing is this.

Crater ridden hard at under 4 hours is hurt locker stuff.

I would rather meander at a leisurely pace with some technical riding than go full tilt at Crater.

Then again I don't mind anything that gets thrown at me, as long as I am turning pedals I am a happy man.

I just don't see the sense in long portages unless there is really no other way over or across.

I always say this, Attakwas is the great equaliser and do it in under 7 hours and you get the best of all worlds.

[Escapee..]

The thing is this.

Crater ridden hard at under 4 hours is hurt locker stuff.

I would rather meander at a leisurely pace with some technical riding than go full tilt at Crater.

Then again I don't mind anything that gets thrown at me, as long as I am turning pedals I am a happy man.

I just don't see the sense in long portages unless there is really no other way over or across.

I always say this, Attakwas is the great equaliser and do it in under 7 hours and you get the best of all worlds.

 

Come talk to me about skill when you have done Attakwas on a SS 

[fabes]

1. I say it is. Please at least drag me into a dirt road when you shoot me.

 

2. I like wuss mountain biking, because I feel safe. People are switching from road to MTB for safety reasons, so it makes no sense (to me anyway) to do madly technical stuff, above my ability, which dangerous. I cycle for fun and fitness, not to go to hospital or for bragging rights.

 

3. Even when I think you are speaking utter shite (as I do in this instance), I enjoy your passion, and the inimitable way in which you express yourself. For that reason I have liked your post, even I disagree with your sentiments.

Well said 

[Wyatt Earp]

Come talk to me about skill when you have done Attakwas on a SS 

We aren't gonna talk in a loooong time.

[Escapee..]

See you on the road son