Western Cape Road Cycling

[mtgoat]

Does anyone have a preferred route for a race in S/S, I was thinking, start at a school in Constania, over Ou Kaapse, right around Cape point, back along coast, up Boyes Drive, sneak back to finish on Ladies Mile.

 

https://www.strava.com/routes/10842076

 

https://www.strava.com/routes/10842151

BOTH ARE WICKED OPTIONS!

[dev null]

Shot, I have started writing the follow up article. I will even be going full journalist and actually interviewing event organisers and PPA. I think there is a lot of knowledge sharing that is required to the general public. 

 

You laugh, but for my 30th I want a gravel grinder, once thats between my legs I know my focus will shift from racing to stupid long gravel grinds with mates and kids etc. 

 

There does seem to be a short sightedness with these events. "The short routes are not profitable - can them" or "We cannot just give away entries" I also am surprised how few people actually understood the article. There is no youth coming through, in 10 years the membership will dry up completely as the whole field will be above 45. 

 

Need to make the events a Viab again, this race and go home straight away is killing the sport.

 

Exactly the same happened with river paddling (K1) versus open ocean paddling with surfskis. I had a race in my K1 down the Breede a few years ago. At the end everybody just put their K1s on their bakkies and rode home, while the surfski dudes always had a beer and burger somewhere after races.

[mtgoat]

I like that route. But no way you will get approval over the neck. Just too busy on sundays. And no shoulder. See my other suggestion, what about a basic red hill cape point loop times three to start things off?

 

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Red Hill Loop de Loop was one of the races back in the day. Good fun, but I always hated getting lapped 

 

EDIT: Parking was always an issue with this if i remember correctly

[J Wakefield]

....Getting back to subject of Road Cycling Event and location - In my opinion the biggest impact has been the lack of the 'southern suburbs' rides.  Be it the scenery or the hills or whatever the magic was that attracted different riders.

 

In summer there was a ride just about every weekend in the peninsula - with the years 1995 to 2010 (?) I think were probably the highlight with the number of S-Suburb events, participation and enthusiasm.

 

Moving away from the excitement and variation of hills, views, changing wind directions and challenges of the S-Suburbs has meant that 'country' routes with long, windy, boring, grinding stretches of road have been the new norm. Although more serious riders do longer distances in any weather for training, fun, DC etc the masses of more recreational riders, kids, wives, husbands etc. are killed by sitting grinding for 10km, 20km etc in a south-easter on a boring long stretch (like say, the exposed 30km from malmesbury to paarl.)

 

Southern Suburbs rides must be revived   (and I don't mean time trials up red hill)

 

 

If those races and routes are revived I will stop my job and train to race again. Nothing more in the world will make me happy to blow snot and tears out my body Mon-Fri to race those again.

 

Nothing anywhere was better than those old league route. Especially the Cobra and Rollercoaster.

[J Wakefield]

Red Hill Loop de Loop was one of the races back in the day. Good fun, but I always hated getting lapped 

 

EDIT: Parking was always an issue with this if i remember correctly

 

It was the Penguin Redhill challenge if I remember correct. I remember one year Darren Lill rode away basically at the bottom of Redhill during the 1 league event and all of us raced for 2nd. Was actually a good race once we got vision back trying to follow him which was futile at the time. 

[Meezo]

If those races and routes are revived I will stop my job and train to race again. Nothing more in the world will make me happy to blow snot and tears out my body Mon-Fri to race those again.

 

Nothing anywhere was better than those old league route. Especially the Cobra and Rollercoaster.

 

wait... Mr Wakefield, is your job not to train(yourself and others of course) anyway?

 

 

[mtgoat]

I see the PPA has started a Strava Club! Hope they will post race routes and perhaps they will see what we are saying about it all being the same routes out Stellenbosch way.

[Pure Savage]

I see the PPA has started a Strava Club! Hope they will post race routes and perhaps they will see what we are saying about it all being the same routes out Stellenbosch way.

All road routes are also up on the Pure Savage one. https://www.strava.com/clubs/pure-savage

 

[mtgoat]

All road routes are also up on the Pure Savage one. https://www.strava.com/clubs/pure-savage

 

I am on the page, thank you. Hope to get to a point where I can join you guys on a spin. Just not there yet

[mikkelz]

Does anyone have a preferred route for a race in S/S, I was thinking, start at a school in Constania, over Ou Kaapse, right around Cape point, back along coast, up Boyes Drive, sneak back to finish on Ladies Mile.

 

https://www.strava.com/routes/10842076

 

https://www.strava.com/routes/10842151

 

Those are great routes! Reminds me of the old "Cape Cobra" and "Roller Coaster" PPA events:

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/225444912

https://www.strava.com/activities/110555547

[babse]

anyone involved or know someone involved in the roadworks happening in the main road?

wtf is happening and when will this stretch be completed?

 

as long as these roadworks continue we have no chance of a decent route in the south unless its a shortish route/circuit however these roads works affect traffic all around Boyes/ Red hill/ Black hill/ OKW / and all around the point.

 

Realistically constantia nek will never be an option unless full road closure and the chances of that happening is none.

[Skubarra]

I see the PPA has started a Strava Club! Hope they will post race routes and perhaps they will see what we are saying about it all being the same routes out Stellenbosch way.

 

I'm certain the PPA is well aware of what people say about the same boring routes. How hard PPA is & should be trying to get permission to race in the SS is a whole different discussion but there must be at least some truth in their excuse that it is very hard to get permission there.

 

Not so long ago we still had road races in places like Bonnievale & Worcester. Last year WPC hosted races in Piketberg, Slanghoek and Caledon - of all these only the Piketberg one attracted enough numbers to be repeated in 2017 while the rest dropped quietly off the calender

 

I wonder how many people complaining on here about the boring routes Stellenbosch way made the effort to support some of these races further out? If racing in the SS is the only option people are willing to support then we can't complain about road cycling dying out in the WC.

[Pure Savage]

anyone involved or know someone involved in the roadworks happening in the main road?

wtf is happening and when will this stretch be completed?

 

as long as these roadworks continue we have no chance of a decent route in the south unless its a shortish route/circuit however these roads works affect traffic all around Boyes/ Red hill/ Black hill/ OKW / and all around the point.

 

Realistically constantia nek will never be an option unless full road closure and the chances of that happening is none.

Small running races use the one side of the nek and they get partial closure for much longer than a bike race would require, so why not?

[babse]

Small running races use the one side of the nek and they get partial closure for much longer than a bike race would require, so why not?

i would think that the risk involved with a cycle race vs a running race is much greater. those running races are easily marshaled at slow speeds and hoping off and across pavements are never an issue.

 

Imagine a bunch of 60/70 Cat 1 guys racing the Nek descend in the narrow lane with constant traffic flowing in either direction!? 

[Pure Savage]

i would think that the risk involved with a cycle race vs a running race is much greater. those running races are easily marshaled at slow speeds and hoping off and across pavements are never an issue.

 

Imagine a bunch of 60/70 Cat 1 guys racing the Nek descend in the narrow lane with constant traffic flowing in either direction!? 

Thats why I would send them down the wide constania main road section, not into Hout Bay

[mtgoat]

I'm certain the PPA is well aware of what people say about the same boring routes. How hard PPA is & should be trying to get permission to race in the SS is a whole different discussion but there must be at least some truth in their excuse that it is very hard to get permission there.

 

Not so long ago we still had road races in places like Bonnievale & Worcester. Last year WPC hosted races in Piketberg, Slanghoek and Caledon - of all these only the Piketberg one attracted enough numbers to be repeated in 2017 while the rest dropped quietly off the calender

 

I wonder how many people complaining on here about the boring routes Stellenbosch way made the effort to support some of these races further out? If racing in the SS is the only option people are willing to support then we can't complain about road cycling dying out in the WC.

The point is there is no balance to the calendar and the issue remains that if I have to travel a couple 100kms every time to do a race and have the expense that goes with that in terms of time and costs lunches, petrol etc I cant afford more than 1 race a quarter. I have and will support the races but would do even more if there were some closer to home i.e. Southern Suburbs. 

 

As for the same old routes I agree that the other races around Worcester etc have disappeared. All races i have happily done before