2015 FNB Wines2Whales

[Donovan Le Cok]

The event was incredible as always.

 

Well organized. Good fun route. Good food and race village.

 

The perpetual complaining about people slowing others down in single track is going to continue forever, across all races, stage races and single day events. If it bothers you so much train harder and race closer to the front. In three days I think I had someone in front of me in one piece of single track. The berms section after the pine singles.

 

My original partner had to drop out with a few weeks to go, so I rode with a replacement rider. We did well considering.

[Patchelicious]

The event was incredible as always.

 

Well organized. Good fun route. Good food and race village.

 

The perpetual complaining about people slowing others down in single track is going to continue forever, across all races, stage races and single day events. If it bothers you so much train harder and race closer to the front. In three days I think I had someone in front of me in one piece of single track. The berms section after the pine singles.

 

My original partner had to drop out with a few weeks to go, so I rode with a replacement rider. We did well considering.

Maybe you were one of the slow guys

[Donovan Le Cok]

Maybe you were one of the slow guys

 

Ja maybe, I was too scared to notice the ques of people behind me. Is that why everyone was shouting at me all the time? What does "track" mean?

[raymakestv]

I have been to many stage races in south africa and I don't think you will find better organization and routes than W2W. From not having to wait in a queue for showers, to well-planned and prepared medical guys everywhere, you won't find a better event. Also, when you are preparing food for about 1600 ppl (staff included), it's pretty hard to do it to each persons particular fancy. The woman who runs the kitchen is a machine and very good at her job. If you didn't enjoy your experience then I reckon you are in for a disappointing and depressing life because you'll never be satisfied. Or perhaps you are one of the corporate types who has just recently jumped on the "I'm into mountainbiking" trend because it's the popular thing to do. Fact is, maybe you don't like MTB and should go back to playing golf and eating roasted duck with a raspberry glaze at the clubhouse.

[JohanC]

FFS guys...

I really enjoyed the event this year. But comparing the food to last year it was disappointing. The dinners last year was SO delicious! This year it wasn't.

All in all a brilliant event with top class organising and trails. 

[Jocklaw]

This is a superb event. Clearly marked routes and the quantity, quality and variety of single track makes it a tough but enjoyable event. Kudos to all involved in it's organisation!

[Benjamin]

I thought the food was cracker. Really nice event and riders well looked after. I bleated a few times while suffering that every rock in the Western Cape had been put on the bike track, but all good. Lots of the single track was hard work, and had to focus hard not to bin it .

Plus I met Admin en route which was cool.

[GLuvsMtb]

I enjoyed the supper on day 1. It wasn't a gourmet meal, but with events like this more is more. Supper on day 2 was made earlier to accommodate the rugby. It suited me to go for my massage and attend the supper and lucky draw early on. I skipped supper itself as I had a reservation at Open Restaurant on Wildekrans where we stayed. I think going forward that a more personalized dining experience may be the answer. Perhaps get some food trucks in and give everyone a coupon for lunch. You can then get something that suited your requirements. Food trucks get reimbursed for coupons redeemed, so the best trucks will get paid the most. Keep the food trucks going through dinner for the guys that prefer something else to what is on offer. It also helps with providing lunch for the many supporters. The only offering for supporters were Spur, the bar and the cuppachino stand. Looking after my supporters is vital for me. If they have a good time supporting me, I get to come back next year, if not, we go away for the weekend, I take my bike with and we enjoy ourselves elsewhere.

[Hairy]

Food not overly spiced might just be a good thing for riders who have been suffering on the bikes for a couple of hour's. ......Don't exactly want gypo guts the next day do you because your system is stressed and can't handle the food

[Hairy]

Also had issues at the water points.

My riding partner went to boarding school, so before his bike has hit the ground he has consumed the equivalent of three people's portions and is ready to ride. At this point I have just been able to see what is being served.

That watermelon was just flipping awesome and my first point of call when pulling in.

Thank goodness the beer's were all nice and cold and in plentiful supply.

Rehydrate station was a life saver.

[WrightJnr]

This was my first stage race so I have nothing to compare it to. My one and only complaint is that after 3 of the best days of my life on and off the bike they forced me back into the reality of my office desk.

[Jaco-fiets]

I loved the food (apart from the rubber chicken Friday evening)

[SCD]

tststs... I usually get pasta with cheese when out camping. So in my humble opinion the food was great and the whole experience subherb. But I also wouldn't touch junk like Spur burgers nor am I expecting an a la carte field kitchen equipped to feed 1000 people.... but that's just me

[raptor-22]

The spur bbeef burgers were atrocious. The meat was old. I bit into one at the end of the 2nd day and the meat was green. I spat it out and asked for chicken. They replaced with no hassles.

Day  3 at the finish same thing.

 

Sorry but entering a Stage race is not supposed to be avenue to get rid of old stock. If sponsoring food, the least Spur Steak Ranches can do is make sure the food is fit for consumption by humans and on the brink of being down graded to dog food.

 

That's the only complaint I thought worth mentioning. Fortunately there was pasta served in the main dining tent till 3pm.

[CleatsnCleavage]

To put things in perspective (ok granted i've just gotten home from the night race at Modderfontein and its midnight), there is really nothing to complain about at W2W. That is why there is a waiting list.

 

So yes this thread might just seem like moans and agreed, we could all think of more positive things to say. But yes generally social media seems to be reserve for negative. Also, the trails are not new, so to me it is race village experience that makes it topical.

 

And about this on my drive home now, I dont eat at chain restaurants - you will never find me at a Spur, ever. I am a DINK, high LSM person and they are capitalising on this and sitting pretty. Our target market likes to complain  

 

The fact is, we are paying a small fortune to sleep in a tent for 2 nights and ride trails which are open for most of the year. I last year rode 2 days of W2W on Houwhoek Tour and paid R750 or thereabouts. Now I'm riding for 3 days, very similar trails, and paying close to R6 000. That is excluding air fares and bike transport, since I now live in JHB, plus Uber, gifts for family that I stay with.

 

So if I want to have a minor grouch that the steak at w2w was not as good as the delicious Karan beef steak cooked by a local boer at Sani - guess what? I can! I'm bleeping well paying for it. Not sleeping in a  tent and eating pasta and cheese - because I don't ever do that.

 

 

[GLuvsMtb]

Criticism only has value to the organizers if it is constructive (i.e. they can use it to improve the event). All you's that took the time to complain, please enlighten us with cost effective and practically executable alternatives as without this, your complaints carry little or no weight.