[Event] Nissan Trailseeker WC #1 BOSCHENDAL

[T-Bag68]

lerouc, I recall all the complaints (Plenty) about that here on the hub..i felt for the guys that didn't get reimbursed. I clearly was left with a better taste in my mouth when i was. I'm sure the organisers had to draw a line somewhere, but to not to even acknowledge it just pisses guys off. But there are talking great trails in stellies and I'm all for second chances... if we didn't do this we could possibly loose a potentially great series, a series where one can challenge your mates and so on 

 

No i don't work for them, but i might be looking for a job 

 

Have  great day all

[lerouc]

And then I saw that Skyfall is reserved for the full marathon...

 

I dunno if I gots the legs

ok you lost me again...hahahha

[lerouc]

lerouc, I recall all the complaints (Plenty) about that here on the hub..i felt for the guys that didn't get reimbursed. I clearly was left with a better taste in my mouth when i was. I'm sure the organisers had to draw a line somewhere, but to not to even acknowledge it just pisses guys off. But there are talking great trails in stellies and I'm all for second chances... if we didn't do this we could possibly loose a potentially great series, a series where one can challenge your mates and so on 

 

No i don't work for them, but i might be looking for a job 

 

Have  great day all

Yeah im kinda over it. I understand the whole issue with helderberg but not even an apology, but like i said im over it. Luckily for me i got an entry from a mate and actually didn't even pay for the event. Cost me a couple of beers though. I dont hold it against the series (well...) i will do grabouw and most likely hermanus again.

[KarlvN]

I am doing Meerendal again, cause it's close to home and I had a DNF last time round. This year I am focusing on riding all the great trails our province has to offer. No crowds, no stress, just good times all round.

[Skubarra]

On the same day as the Tru-Cape MTB race in Grabouw. What a fail 

 

 

H.K.G.K

same weekend as gravel and grape.....

 

The mtb calender is pretty full that time of the year, impossible to host an event in May that doesn't clash with something else

 

I don't think it is a problem, I like having choices 

[milky4130]

I would say watch the weather & make a call.

[VicanZA]

stop with this series over 2 years ago, it has become a victim of its own success. 

[lerouc]

On the same day as the Tru-Cape MTB race in Grabouw. What a fail 

 

60km apart. So do we choose A-Z trails in an established annual race, or Bartinney Skyfall in a series which has had a few hiccups, but is otherwise pretty good value for money ...

 

My old alma mater's race, maybe i should go great some of my old onnies...remind them of the "good" old days! 

[Donovan Le Cok]

Dear Wessel / Advendurance

 

Please take this as constructive criticism. It is great that a race organizer has a presence on the hub for us to communicate with. Most leave quite quickly because of abuse thrown at them, this is not my intention. To be honest, I realize how difficult it must be to host a race and keep everyone happy. I have said for some time, cyclist must the most whiniest, complaining bunch around. 

 

I find my mouse pointer hovering over the enter button on your site. It remains there for a few seconds then scurrels away scared, we open a new tab and read facebook or the hub or whatever. We will think about it and go back later. We have been doing this for the last two days. I want to enter I want to commit, if I enter one, I will be in for the series. My mind keeps going back to the last few advendurance races. Getting horribly lost, poor signage, no results, terrible routes (Ashburton Ultra in January.)

 

It was with great excitement last year when we found out that Advendurance would be running a series in WC. Although the Western Cape has fantastic race organizers, none ran a series, and few were as well regarded as advendurance, from what we had heard from our up country counterparts. These guys were tops.

 

We lined up for round one which was to take in the Helderberg trails, one of my favorite places to ride. It quickly turned into a stuff up, we all got so lost, nobody knew where we were, not even the lead out bike. It was so bad I found it funny. We eventually just rode the Helderberg trails and went back to the finish. We got a free entry to the next round in Grabouw and the results for this round of the series would get tossed. We were told that kids in the area had removed the signage.

 

Come time for Grabouw, the event was awesome. There were like 6 sign boards in every corner, a guy wouldn't get lost with his eyes closed. Great! I wondered how they got so many sign boards in from Johannesburg, it must have been a very big truck. Some nice trails too, this series is going to be great. Had a chill with my buds in the gazeebo, just missed out on a podium in my age category. Good day out!

 

The next round was Hemel and Aarde. All those lovely sign boards that were at Grabouw, they were gone. They obviously couldn't get that big truck again... We got lost... Again. The riding was amazing, but I spent the day fighting back the few minutes that I lost, getting lost.

 

I missed Meerendal, as I was away racing something else. I believe that went off without a hitch. Although I seem to remember someone whinged about something.

 

The series seems to be very hit and miss, some events are just spectacular others are a bit of a disaster. If I enter the series I want to know that they are all going to be as well run as they can be. Accurate routes, excellent signage, good parking and toilets. Actually I don't think this is unreasonable to expect.

 

The problem, it seems, and I am only guessing now, is that the events are run remotely from Johannesburg. One gets a feeling that a route is plotted on strava or google earth a few days before. No one from advendurance rides the routes before hand and they get hastily marked when you guys get here a few days before. The route for the Ashburton Ultra was just ridiculous (and we got lost.) I am not that fond of Meerendal, but how did the epic organizers fit an absolute amazing ride in a 26km prologue and the 100km Ultra was just awful? Do you guys know that area? Had someone ridden that route beforehand? It seems like you guys have a formula to fill. You have to get a certain amount of distance in per event, which has us off at some funny angles and turns to get extra kilometers in. I don't know, that is just how it seems, it also tends to get us off in the wrong direction.

 

As an outsider who has never organized and event before, but has been cycling for 20 years, it seems like advendurance needs a partner based in Cape Town. There are loads of guys / companies that could plot your routes, ride them and then take the time to mark them properly. You could even leave that truck load of signage boards here. Again, I have never marked a course, but how can it be so hard? In the week long race I did last week we did not get lost once in 500km (I eventually lobbed myself against a rock and did not finish so cant comment on the last 200km.) In my opinion you cant have too many arrows in a corner, and a bit of bunting or tape every 100m to 200m does the trick to let people know we are on the right track. The organizers in Cape Town have been getting this right for a long time.

 

It would also be great to have proper route maps and profiles available well before the event. It would just give us confidence knowing that YOU know where we are going to be riding. We tend to get a route map and profile which changes a day or two before and ultimately is just fiction in the end anyway.

 

I really want this series and advendurance to succeed in Cape Town, I think it could be a great series. We just need a little confidence in you at the moment.

 

Thanks

[milky4130]

Well said Donovan I think you just spoke for the majority of us.

[lerouc]

Well said Donovan I think you just spoke for the majority of us.

 

The only thing i could add is, dont say its going to be 600m climbing and then it ends up almost double that. Us fatties (speaking for myself not the bike type) take that into account when entering an event and double the climb is a HUGE difference for me over 40km.

[SSCC]

Dear Wessel / Advendurance

 

Please take this as constructive criticism. It is great that a race organizer has a presence on the hub for us to communicate with. Most leave quite quickly because of abuse thrown at them, this is not my intention. To be honest, I realize how difficult it must be to host a race and keep everyone happy. I have said for some time, cyclist must the most whiniest, complaining bunch around.

 

I find my mouse pointer hovering over the enter button on your site. It remains there for a few seconds then scurrels away scared, we open a new tab and read facebook or the hub or whatever. We will think about it and go back later. We have been doing this for the last two days. I want to enter I want to commit, if I enter one, I will be in for the series. My mind keeps going back to the last few advendurance races. Getting horribly lost, poor signage, no results, terrible routes (Ashburton Ultra in January.)

 

It was with great excitement last year when we found out that Advendurance would be running a series in WC. Although the Western Cape has fantastic race organizers, none ran a series, and few were as well regarded as advendurance, from what we had heard from our up country counterparts. These guys were tops.

 

We lined up for round one which was to take in the Helderberg trails, one of my favorite places to ride. It quickly turned into a stuff up, we all got so lost, nobody knew where we were, not even the lead out bike. It was so bad I found it funny. We eventually just rode the Helderberg trails and went back to the finish. We got a free entry to the next round in Grabouw and the results for this round of the series would get tossed. We were told that kids in the area had removed the signage.

 

Come time for Grabouw, the event was awesome. There were like 6 sign boards in every corner, a guy wouldn't get lost with his eyes closed. Great! I wondered how they got so many sign boards in from Johannesburg, it must have been a very big truck. Some nice trails too, this series is going to be great. Had a chill with my buds in the gazeebo, just missed out on a podium in my age category. Good day out!

 

The next round was Hemel and Aarde. All those lovely sign boards that were at Grabouw, they were gone. They obviously couldn't get that big truck again... We got lost... Again. The riding was amazing, but I spent the day fighting back the few minutes that I lost, getting lost.

 

I missed Meerendal, as I was away racing something else. I believe that went off without a hitch. Although I seem to remember someone whinged about something.

 

The series seems to be very hit and miss, some events are just spectacular others are a bit of a disaster. If I enter the series I want to know that they are all going to be as well run as they can be. Accurate routes, excellent signage, good parking and toilets. Actually I don't think this is unreasonable to expect.

 

The problem, it seems, and I am only guessing now, is that the events are run remotely from Johannesburg. One gets a feeling that a route is plotted on strava or google earth a few days before. No one from advendurance rides the routes before hand and they get hastily marked when you guys get here a few days before. The route for the Ashburton Ultra was just ridiculous (and we got lost.) I am not that fond of Meerendal, but how did the epic organizers fit an absolute amazing ride in a 26km prologue and the 100km Ultra was just awful? Do you guys know that area? Had someone ridden that route beforehand? It seems like you guys have a formula to fill. You have to get a certain amount of distance in per event, which has us off at some funny angles and turns to get extra kilometers in. I don't know, that is just how it seems, it also tends to get us off in the wrong direction.

 

As an outsider who has never organized and event before, but has been cycling for 20 years, it seems like advendurance needs a partner based in Cape Town. There are loads of guys / companies that could plot your routes, ride them and then take the time to mark them properly. You could even leave that truck load of signage boards here. Again, I have never marked a course, but how can it be so hard? In the week long race I did last week we did not get lost once in 500km (I eventually lobbed myself against a rock and did not finish so cant comment on the last 200km.) In my opinion you cant have too many arrows in a corner, and a bit of bunting or tape every 100m to 200m does the trick to let people know we are on the right track. The organizers in Cape Town have been getting this right for a long time.

 

It would also be great to have proper route maps and profiles available well before the event. It would just give us confidence knowing that YOU know where we are going to be riding. We tend to get a route map and profile which changes a day or two before and ultimately is just fiction in the end anyway.

 

I really want this series and advendurance to succeed in Cape Town, I think it could be a great series. We just need a little confidence in you at the moment.

 

Thanks

Well said. I think this is s fair and balanced review of the organizers races in the Cape so far. I also felt that whoever designed the Meerendal Ashburton route in 2015 had never actually riden a mountain bike. That said I will continue to support them at least for one more year. Last chance if you will.

[B20]

I'll do the Tru Cape.

1) I have ridden Skyfall a few times and it is all its cracked up to be and more, but...!!

Being a local race, it will have a ton of entrants with various skill levels in every batch. So unless you are in A batch, you stand a good chance of being held up by a less skilled rider spoiling the Skyfall experience.

Skyfall has to be done in "anger" to experience it.

2) I have enough Nissan socks.

Edited March 25, 2016 by B20

[Sparki 1]

With all the good skyfall reviews I cudn't help entering. Cannot wait!!! Bring on those socks Wessel!

[Sparki 1]

I'll do the Tru Cape.

1) I have ridden Skyfall a few times and it is all its cracked up to be and more, but...!!

Being a local race, it will have a ton of entrants with various skill levels in every batch. So unless you are in A batch, you stand a good chance of being held up by a less skilled rider spoiling the Skyfall experience.

Skyfall has to be done in "anger" to experience it.

2) I have enough Nissan socks.

Why do I get the feeling you want the peeps to enter tru-cape so that you can have skyfall all to yourself B20. Sneaky u ☺

[Johny Bravo]

I'll do the Tru Cape.

1) I have ridden Skyfall a few times and it is all its cracked up to be and more, but...!!

Being a local race, it will have a ton of entrants with various skill levels in every batch. So unless you are in A batch, you stand a good chance of being held up by a less skilled rider spoiling the Skyfall experience.

Skyfall has to be done in "anger" to experience it.

2) I have enough Nissan socks.

See U at Tru Cape mate