[Event] Eroica South Africa

[Stan Engelbrecht]

Event Name: Eroica South Africa
When: 18 March 2017
Where: KWV Gallery, Western Cape
Category: Road

Clear the weekend of 18 March 2017 and come celebrate vintage Italian road cycling culture with us - bring your classic racing bicycles, and ride with us through the beautiful Karoo around the dirt roads north of Montagu in the Western Cape. Of course there will be great food and wine, and lots of old bicycles to lust over. With South Africa's rich cycling history, we’re proud to have this celebrated Italian event honoured on African soil.

 

Montagu is the official home of Eroica South Africa, and our routes will stay the same for the foreseeable future. Our three beautiful gravel routes -140km, 90km and 40km - have been named after the Keisie, Kogman and Kingna rivers that meet in the spectacular Montagu valley.

 

See you there!

Go to Event Page

[HeyYou]

 

[DJR]

DJRs' Ride Report:

 

Fort those who are not familiar with it, Eroica, it is a bike race that was started in 1997 in Italy by Giancarlo Brocci, as a tribute to what many call the golden era of cycle racing. All steel frames, down tube shifters and toe clips, from an era before big money, plastic and throw away culture. The word, Eroica, means heroes, or the brave, if you like, as a tribute to times when men and their cycling machines took on the rough roads, fought bravely, sometimes lost and sometimes won, against each other and against the road and nature.

 

Since then, several other events have gained somewhat of a cult status all over the world. Italy has several, there are races in Britain, California and even Japan, where young and old, classic bike fanatics gather, talk and ride. The bike talk part is huge! In 2016 Stan Engelbrecht brought Eroica to South Africa and staged it around the beautiful town of Montague, about 2 hours out of Cape Town. There are 3 routes, 50, 90 and 140 km, mostly on good gravel roads, with some tar, but always with spectacular scenery. The town and its’ people are as friendly as the routes are beautiful.

 

Since this ride is about colourful people and classic bikes, I'll try to stick to people and bikes. Those who did the long ride, please feel free to add your pictures and stories. Next year, we'll be with you again.

Edited March 19, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

This year, my two sons decided to ride Eroica with me, perhaps because I came back from last years’ one with a smile that lasted for weeks afterwards? The youngest wanted to ride his great grandfathers old Hercules that we restored a few years ago, so we decided to enter only for the short 50 km ride. I bought a 1980s Alan for the older one, but the frame turned out to be bust, so Niels from Woodstock Cycle works hastily built the components over on a Le Jeune frame. It turned out such a great ride, we decided to keep it. Very sadly, I have to report that the split window VW bus is not our team car, but I can confess that I seriously contemplated stealing it.

Edited April 19, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

This pristine Bianchi, you will notice, has a number 1 on it, indicating that it belongs to Giancarlo Brocci, the founder of Eroica, who joined us on the short route. His English is non-existent, my Italian only extends to food and primary school Latin, but we managed to talk bike. “Bravo” was used a lot!

[DJR]

The race briefing, done in Italian and English, with a smidgin of Afrikaans thrown in. I overheard some Italians saying something was “lekker”!

[DJR]

Of course this is what Eroica is all about - the love of old bikes! This Vitus was in particularly good shape and very obviously well cared for!

 

You did notice the Bike Hub name on the race number, didn't you?!

Edited March 19, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

My Colnago Bititan with C-Record, Deltas and Shamal wheels. Sorry for bragging!

Edited March 22, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

The 90 km braves starting with onlookers dressed to the T. Woolen jerseys, leather shoes, knitted gloves, leather helmets, cycling caps! Stylish!

[DJR]

The 1980s DJR LeJeune. Better in black & white, because it truly is "Davids amazing technicolour dreamcoat" of a bike! It rides like a dream too! He said it felt like the bike has a confidence of its own! Oh, and very fitting that both the builder and the restorer were there in person, riding the 90km.

Edited March 20, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

More bikes: The variety was fantastic. The Zini is a local. The Atala an Italian.

[DJR]

Traguardo = Finish, but this was only the start, with the lead out vehicle, a Caddillac that could have transported half the participants. 90kms, off you go!

[DJR]

Two more locals!

[DJR]

No stress, no fighting to be in the chute first, no bike computers, no Strava, no timing, no attitude, spare tubbie wrapped around the shoulders, just the way it should be!

Edited March 19, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

Seriously classy Italian, in perfect shape, shoulder to shoulder with a French named local, that looks like it was taken off the wall the night before, dusted off, and ready to go!

 

The Cinelli, I think, belongs to Loose Cog!

Edited March 20, 2017 by DJR

[DJR]

Out on the road, it quickly became clear that it was a good idea to keep it short. The old single speed Hercules was a handful up every hill and some comments were made about the upright riding position. Something along the line of “if giraffes rode bicycles”! It rides a bit like a bulldozer, one gear, one speed, with no way to make it do anything other than what it wants to do, which is to go slow. On the downhills, its 20 kg heft made it run like hell, but its old rod activated brakes didn’t really make it stop, just made some noise and slowed it down a little bit! To the young Ds’ credit, he rode it in style and refused all offers of help to ride it in a team relay!