[Event] Race To The Sun

[Sidersky]

Just a thought, but… I signed up to do my first 100 mile ‘gravel grinder’ in April next year, the Swartberg 100. One of the aspects of that race which appealed to me was that you start and end at the same place, it’s a 170km round trip. Is that not preferable to cycling 160/170 kays and then having to make a plan to get you and your bike back to where you started in the evening when you are exhausted?

[Frosty]

Gravel race to loskop from benoni

 

 

Is a point to point race preferred to a round trip?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frosty]

Uhm... Cullinan to Tonteldoos....

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

That was/is in the first half of the year. The Carnival City Macsteel events are in October, so this would be a gravel race on the Saturday and road race on Sunday.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mr HED]

I was taken out by some idiot who did not even have decency to stop...went straight into the water canal after WP1 (in leading bunch)..thanks to the guys who fished me out and waited for ambulance to arrive

Edited August 6, 2018 by mr HED

[Pieter-za]

How many riders participated? 

[NotSoBigBen]

As I said before I prefer round trip!

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Frosty]

How many riders participated?

Results show just under 1000 across the 4 categories

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sidersky]

Results show just under 1000 across the 4 categories

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Impressive!

 

I reckon word of mouth will substantially increase that number for the 2019 edition.

[sias]

Looks like a good warm-up for the Dash next year! I'm in for next year!

[nathrix]

Looks like a good warm-up for the Dash next year! I'm in for next year!

 

Gravel or Mountain Bike?

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

I had a very enjoyable ride on my gravel bike (Cotic X) with 38C tyres. Had a slow puncher close to the end, but made it to Sun city without having to stop for a change.

I expected to be much more banged up, especially in my hands, wrists, etc, but the body actually felt quite good. I only found the section along the railway to be really "gravel un-friendly", the sand and corrugated roads were all manageable at low speeds. 

 

I'll definitely be back on my gravel bike next year.

Edited August 6, 2018 by Fred van Vlaanderen

[100Tours]

I feel like I missed out on a great day of riding! Took my new gravel bike out and punctured (side wall cut) as we turned off the road out of harties onto the first gravel section. Punctured and cut the side wall! Early pick up for my wife! I had a laugh when the next group of team riders came and the front guys on their mtb almost seemed to count me as the first gravel bike out... bad luck on my part but I guess that’s the way it sometimes goes. Will be back next year on my gravel bike but maybe on slightly more rugged tyres with stronger side walls!

 

yes the marshals told me I wasn't the first GG to fall out. I had a few snakebite punctures in the first 13 k's and ran out of tubes. limped home after tying knots in my last tube to ride back.

 

Poor preparation - I had not had those tyres out on the dirt before - and poor tyre choice on my part. I was on Conti cyclocross race tyres - the sidewalls are too thin and they don't support tubeless fitment (so they are basically pointless). Back next year with something more substantial. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by 100Tours

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

yes the marshals told me I wasn't the first GG to fall out. I had a few snakebite punctures in the first 13 k's and ran out of tubes. limped home after tying knots in my last tube to ride back.

 

Poor preparation - I had not had those tyres out on the dirt before - and poor tyre choice on my part. I was on Conti cyclocross race tyres - the sidewalls are too thin and they don't support tubeless fitment (so they are basically pointless). Back next year with something more substantial. 

 

I've ridden a few hundred km's on conti cyclocross (mainly commuting) and they are pretty useless on anything other than grass. I can highly recommend Ritchey megabite 38C, which I rode with. I was super impressed with the tyre!

[Craig8252]

I rode with the schwalbe G-One all round gravel tire. 38mm. Did quite a bit of gravel and corrugated and single track riding and never had a problem with them. First 1km of dirt on Saturday and that was me done for the day with a puncture and a side wall cut in the same place on the tyre.

 

All recommendations welcome for new tyres! I am going to give the Panaracer 38mm gravel king tyre a try going forward!

[100Tours]

I rode with the schwalbe G-One all round gravel tire. 38mm. Did quite a bit of gravel and corrugated and single track riding and never had a problem with them. First 1km of dirt on Saturday and that was me done for the day with a puncture and a side wall cut in the same place on the tyre.

 

All recommendations welcome for new tyres! I am going to give the Panaracer 38mm gravel king tyre a try going forward!

 

Those panaracers don't look to have enough knobs on them (for cornering). Ritchey megabits look like a good option though.

[Eveza]

Have a look at the Gravel Grand Prix event coming up in October at Verkykerskop near Harrismith. Two day gravel stage race that starts and finishes at the same venue on both days. www.gravelgrandprix.co.za