2015 Momentum 947

[KanonDonkie]

there's a test...  if you can ride the suikerbosrand loop in 2h15 or faster AND have enough gas in the tank left to ride the first hill again in under 13 minutes (timed from the cattle grid), then you can pretty much TT the 94.7 in 3 hours starting in most groups barring that are are not so far back that congestion becomes a problem and that you get stuck behind lots of slow riders on the hills.

 

Yeah, congestion is definitely an issue. The one piece of advice that I can impart is that when starting further back than group C be very careful of the folk breaking at the bottom of the hills. Many inexperienced riders are fairly heavy on the breaks and inadvertently become quite dangerous because the speed difference is quite substantial, especially at the bottom of the hills when you'll be wanting to kick to conserve momentum and they'll already be throttling back into low gears for an easy climb. Eyes forward all the time, I guess.

[HBO]

Clearly many learned fellows here so some advice please - my first 94.7, my usual ave riding speed is around 31 km/h.

Q1 ; any chance of a sub 3 (or at least close to that)? 

Q2 : Have a K start - is that too far back to sink any chance of achieving Q1?

The most important thing for you is to be at the very front of your start group. There will definitely guys that will go hard from the word go. Just stick with them.

 

Chances are also good that riders from L might also come past at some stage and if they do, just go with them.

It will be difficult to do a sub 3 TT, so it is important to work with a group.

 

As said by others your biggest obstacle might be the "traffic" that will slow you down especially at the hills.

[Frosty]

Clearly many learned fellows here so some advice please - my first 94.7, my usual ave riding speed is around 31 km/h.

Q1 ; any chance of a sub 3 (or at least close to that)? 

Q2 : Have a K start - is that too far back to sink any chance of achieving Q1?

Is your usual average speed on flat terrain or rolling hills?

 

An average of 31.7km/h is required for a sub-3. It's doable from K, but you have to ride smart. If there is a group riding at 28-30km/h, and you're riding at 31km/h it is better to sit in and help with the pace making. You can up the pace a bit when you're on the front, but I wouldn't ride away from them - at least not a on the flatter bits and downhills. If the do ride slower up the hill, and you can see another group in front, then this is where you can ride harder to catch them. Hop on, hop off.

From my quick analysis of a few riders (in a number of different groups), the first half is slower than the second, even though there are more climbs (more in quantity) on the second half. There are longer descents in the middle third of the race, so you make up good time here.

 

There isn't a reliable split calculator available, but I'm guessing your average speed at the following points are key:

• Dip after Kyalami (17Km), 32-33km/h
• Onramp to M1 (24.5Km), 30-31km/h
• Ponte (39.2Km), 29-30km/h
• Jan Smuts (before descent 50.5km), 30-31km/h
• Randburg CBD (61km), 32-33km/h
• Dip on Witkoppen Road (71Km), 33-34km/h
• Lion Park intersection (80Km), 32-33km/h
• Entrance to Steyn City (87Km), 32-33km/h

[Kevin11]

Gerald, and everyone else who commented to my query, thanks a mill - very helpful and informative advice, just what I was looking for.

[mecheng89]

there's a test...  if you can ride the suikerbosrand loop in 2h15 or faster AND have enough gas in the tank left to ride the first hill again in under 13 minutes (timed from the cattle grid), then you can pretty much TT the 94.7 in 3 hours starting in most groups barring that are are not so far back that congestion becomes a problem and that you get stuck behind lots of slow riders on the hills.

I am going to do that on Sunday and report back. 

[davevdm]

My TT is around 25km/h over 100 km and I sub 3ed last year from G.

[Dragon]

Doing my first 94.7 this year. Starting at 9:15 with my charity group. I'm coming from Boksburg. What time do you guys advise I leave in the morning to get there latest 8am with the bad traffic?

[Hennie VR]

My TT is around 25km/h over 100 km and I sub 3ed last year from G.

 

Ummmmm. Really?

 

Would like to know how you manage to ride a sub 3h over 100 (95km) if you avg only 25km/h 

[ScottCM]

Ummmmm. Really?

 

Would like to know how you manage to ride a sub 3h over 100 (95km) if you avg only 25km/h 

 

think he meant that if he does an individual Time Trail of 100km he averages a speed of 25km/h, but starting from Batch "G" last year he managed a sub 3 on race day with a group of other riders.

 

This being a reply to Kevin11's Question of being able to TT at a speed of 31km/h and hoping for a sub 3 but is starting in batch "K"

[New2tri]

Clearly many learned fellows here so some advice please - my first 94.7, my usual ave riding speed is around 31 km/h.

Q1 ; any chance of a sub 3 (or at least close to that)? 

Q2 : Have a K start - is that too far back to sink any chance of achieving Q1?

Personally I think you should be fine. 2013 was my first, I normally avg 25-28 on training rides and did a 2:41 from L. Ride from group to group, rest a bit while there and then move on. You should find a few guys along the way who are strong and can keep a good pace.

 

Best of luck

[davevdm]

I might be a little faster these days on a TT but I don't think I'll TT the 947  at 30km/h.

I am hoping for a 2:49:59 this year and with a TT of 25-29 the only way to keep the speed to 34-39 is to use the the group, they will allow you to only use 60% watts for the same speed.

Conserve, Conserve, Conserve and then wait for at least the Cedar before you try give it a go by yourself. Don't think you can pull the pack at 40km because you have energy and you think the group is going too slow, without the group you are nothing.

I have been luck to draw group B this year so I'm hoping to shave 10min off last years time.

[hayleyearth]

Ummmmm. Really?

 

Would like to know how you manage to ride a sub 3h over 100 (95km) if you avg only 25km/h 

 

 

Ya, riding solo and riding in a group...BIG difference, I have noticed my ave over 100km goes up by about 9km/h...

[rudi-h]

Personally I think you should be fine. 2013 was my first, I normally avg 25-28 on training rides and did a 2:41 from L. Ride from group to group, rest a bit while there and then move on. You should find a few guys along the way who are strong and can keep a good pace.

 

Best of luck

 

sorry for calling your bluff, but it doesn't tie up unless you are seriously messing around on your training rides...  with my math a 2h41 finish is at an average of 35km/hr.

 

in 2013 there were only 2 guys that managed a 2h41 from L, one other guy managed that time from K and another one guy from J.  That means that all of the bunches that you could have caught along the way, all of those bunches were riding significantly slower than what you needed to ride in order to get a 2h41.  This further means that your TT speed between bunches must have been more like 37km/hr if you say that you "rested" while hanging with bunches that probably did no more than 33km/hr if you spent half of the time drafting and half of the time time trialling.

 

Not saying you are not one of the two guys that did a 2h41 from L batch, Just saying that to advise somebody that they can ride the equivalent of a 2h41 94.7 form a late batch with a TT speed of 28km/hr over 100km's is a bit misleading...

[Zatek]

These avg speed over 100km, what is the amount of climbing.

Doing a 25-28 kmph over 100km doesn't mean much if there are no climbs but doing it with 1400m of climbing is really good. You also have to consider wind direction and wind speed as well as the route. 

 

Just my 2c

[Dexter-morgan]

After doing Suikerbos over the week-end with 1190M of climbing over 56k makes the 947 cycle challenge seem tame, I almost died.

[New2tri]

sorry for calling your bluff, but it doesn't tie up unless you are seriously messing around on your training rides...  with my math a 2h41 finish is at an average of 35km/hr.

 

in 2013 there were only 2 guys that managed a 2h41 from L, one other guy managed that time from K and another one guy from J.  That means that all of the bunches that you could have caught along the way, all of those bunches were riding significantly slower than what you needed to ride in order to get a 2h41.  This further means that your TT speed between bunches must have been more like 37km/hr if you say that you "rested" while hanging with bunches that probably did no more than 33km/hr if you spent half of the time drafting and half of the time time trialling.

 

Not saying you are not one of the two guys that did a 2h41 from L batch, Just saying that to advise somebody that they can ride the equivalent of a 2h41 94.7 form a late batch with a TT speed of 28km/hr over 100km's is a bit misleading...

Hi, did it from L as mentioned. I can honestly say that my longer training rides on weekends almost never exceed 30km/h avg, even these days. Wasn't saying that he will def make a sub 3, but taking into account that he already does a 31km/h avg on training rides, I would suspect that that would not be at race pace. Normally you should be able to push a bit harder on a race.

 

Sorry if I gave the impression that he would make it without putting in a good effort.