RIP: The ability to overtake on an MTB

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

What's even more special is when you get to some of these events and the 34% more single track is in the first 5 clicks and people are standing in a queue waiting for all the other peeps ahead of them to uncleat and hike a bike the new piece of single track as no one is carrying any momentum into the stretch of track with the congestion!

 

Takes a forward thinking Organiser to get some functional info from established race crew on how their routes will practically work on the day!

YES!!!

 

I think as a pre-qualification thing, all MTBers should ride the Welvanpas White route and have their times recorded over various sections. The undulating terrain and short sharp punchy singletrack climbs and descents is are perfect for gauging just how good you are on ST. Especially on the way back to the farm - that loose rocky open singletrack has a few ninja climbs that catch you unawares, but is also reasonably technical with all the rock in there. 

 

Edit: Bloody hell, my English is shoddy this morning. 

[The expat cyclist]

YES!!!

 

I think as a pre-qualification thing, all MTBers should ride the Welvanpas White route and have their times recorded over various sections. The undulating terrain and short sharp punchy singletrack climbs and descents is are perfect for gauging just how good you are on ST. Especially on the way back to the farm - that loose rocky open singletrack has a few ninja climbs that catch you unawares, but is also reasonably technical with all the rock in there. 

 

Edit: Bloody hell, my English is shoddy this morning.

 

Yes. Agreed on the pre-qualify thing.

 

The current SA seeding index is not perfect. Like stage races bring your seeding way down even if you just finish. But that does not mean you can hang in 70km sprint race...

 

Last year in the K2C, starting in b-batch, I passed okes from the first batch half way up ou wa-pad already.

 

Nee man! Trap daai fing!

[Skubarra]

Yes. Agreed on the pre-qualify thing.

 

The current SA seeding index is not perfect. Like stage races bring your seeding way down even if you just finish. But that does not mean you can hang in 70km sprint race...

 

Last year in the K2C, starting in b-batch, I passed okes from the first batch half way up ou wa-pad already.

 

Nee man! Trap daai fing!

 

No seeding system in the world will solve fitting hundreds of cyclists on a narrow stretch of singletrack or jeeptack without slowing down the traffic. It's just basic physics. At any event big or small you will always encounter some people who are slower and some who are faster than you on singletrack, majority of them are courteous and a select few are arse%^s. Not sure why this is breaking news on thehub..

[Bub Marley]

Is yelling "track" a jhb thing?

 

I havent heard that phrase in cape town.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

No seeding system in the world will solve fitting hundreds of cyclists on a narrow stretch of singletrack or jeeptack without slowing down the traffic. It's just basic physics. At any event big or small you will always encounter some people who are slower and some who are faster than you on singletrack, majority of them are courteous and a select few are arse%^s. Not sure why this is breaking news on thehub..

It's not. But we can still whine about it. 

 

And Bub - it's cos we have the mountain, bruuuuu. It's like, lank kieff. 

 

But also - we just get on with riding. I don't recall the last time I wasn't unhappy being caught behind someone slower than me (mostly cos I am the slowest) and not just analysing the lines they take, where they could save a bit of time or wondering if they have any sneaky ninja lines that I didn't know of... 

[Patchelicious]

Yes. Agreed on the pre-qualify thing.

 

The current SA seeding index is not perfect. Like stage races bring your seeding way down even if you just finish. But that does not mean you can hang in 70km sprint race...

 

Last year in the K2C, starting in b-batch, I passed okes from the first batch half way up ou wa-pad already.

 

Nee man! Trap daai fing!

Last year at K2C, I crested the top of WaPad in the top 30, by the time we got to the bottom, had been passed by guys in the Z batch.... stupid rocky downhills!!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Last year at K2C, I crested the top of WaPad in the top 30, by the time we got to the bottom, had been passed by guys in the Z batch.... stupid rocky downhills!!

hehehehe... Skills session a la Peach. 

[The expat cyclist]

No seeding system in the world will solve fitting hundreds of cyclists on a narrow stretch of singletrack or jeeptack without slowing down the traffic. It's just basic physics. At any event big or small you will always encounter some people who are slower and some who are faster than you on singletrack, majority of them are courteous and a select few are arse%^s. Not sure why this is breaking news on thehub..

I agree, no seeding system is perfect. But, is that then reason enough not to search for further improvements?

We just agreed it isn't perfect so then there is mos room for improvement?

[The expat cyclist]

Last year at K2C, I crested the top of WaPad in the top 30, by the time we got to the bottom, had been passed by guys in the Z batch.... stupid rocky downhills!!

Iesh.

And it is harder trying to dodge dropped water bottels everywhere. You can't yell track at those things.

[Skubarra]

I agree, no seeding system is perfect. But, is that then reason enough not to search for further improvements?

We just agreed it isn't perfect so then there is mos room for improvement?

 

I agree that they should always look at ways to improve seeding. But no seeding system in the world is going to prevent bottlenecks on the ou wapad at the k2c 

[Guest notmyname]

Is yelling "track" a jhb thing?

 

I havent heard that phrase in cape town.

No. The cape blokes bottle it up and then one hit wonder on this forum when they've been home, showered and had some bitty.

[The expat cyclist]

I agree that they should always look at ways to improve seeding. But no seeding system in the world is going to prevent bottlenecks on the ou wapad at the k2c 

With that said, the first seeding thing they used, used the Argus as a sseding event! A road race seeding for a mtb event.

 

My SAseeding meant nothing. Neither did my Starva KOM's!!!

 

I was stuck in the back of the pile.

 

Eventhough last year and in 2013, I finished around the top 30, I was still only starting in b-batch (which was not a problem at all.)

 

I am not saying there is anything that can prevent bottlenecks, but from my experiences, the system can be improved.

 

If we are saying that it is what it is, organisers will just stop trying to prevent bottlenecks and then you and I should just shut up.

[Bonus]

Is yelling "track" a jhb thing?

 

I havent heard that phrase in cape town.

 

you have heard it, but it was pronounced differently . . .  :-)

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

you have heard it, but it was pronounced differently . . .  :-)

"trek"

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

What I HAVE done, is shout at people ahead of me when I see them struggling on a short sharp climb or when coming up to one, or if they're ahead waiting for me. Just a quick "GO GO GO!! You can do it!" actually helps them as well at times. A little bit of encouragement. Plus it kinda helps you as well, cos now it's also a test of how good YOU are at getting up the same hill / through the same section. 

 

Works very well with those ninja climbs after a blind corner. You know, the ones where you think "WTF Oh shaite!" and grab a fistful of shifter to get the right gear. Often followed by CLANK thwack CLANK as the chain and cassette make their funky mash-noises to cover your lack of preparation. 

[Eddy Gordo]

What I HAVE done, is shout at people ahead of me when I see them struggling on a short sharp climb or when coming up to one, or if they're ahead waiting for me. Just a quick "GO GO GO!! You can do it!" actually helps them as well at times. A little bit of encouragement. Plus it kinda helps you as well, cos now it's also a test of how good YOU are at getting up the same hill / through the same section. 

 

Works very well with those ninja climbs after a blind corner. You know, the ones where you think "WTF Oh shaite!" and grab a fistful of shifter to get the right gear. Often followed by CLANK thwack CLANK as the chain and cassette make their funky mash-noises to cover your lack of preparation. 

Like when you shouted pedal pedal pedal!! behind me at jonkers