Karoo to Coast

[Sparki 1]

I was enjoying following this thread.....now it's becoming a bore with all the moaning.

[eddy]

And where on your bike would you put that umbrella? 

 

Think it is very constructive criticism from Nevermore, cannot be that expensive for organisers to add more tables & shade on the field. Like he said literally about 20 tables that were filled very quickly

Everything added costs money and must be paid for by the cyclist.

 

Perhaps people have gotten spoiled by full service races that lay on free beer and shady chill-out zones in addition to chicken burgers, three course meals and a wardrobe of clothing all for free but where entry costs as much as a two weeks overseas holiday.

 

This race has got it almost rigbt; you want a tee-shirt, you buy it. They should also say if you want a medal you could pay separately for one too.

[Robbie Stewart]

I was enjoying following this thread.....now it's becoming a bore with all the moaning.

 

This is so typically South African it's laughable. Same thing happens the day after a wedding, then all of a sudden the venue / food / bride's dress / flowers etc. are open and fair game for criticism and whining.

 

Such a frikken bunch of hypocrites were are.

 

[edit] - _{My only gripe with this whole race is that I did not train hard enough. But that's my own fault.}

Edited September 28, 2018 by Robbie Stewart

[RocknRolla]

oops.. wrong fred....

 

jammer mense

Edited September 28, 2018 by RocknRolla

[gogo@]

Seriously?? What was wrong with the water points?  I was out there for - ah hem - 8 straight hours which included having food aplenty offered to me.  Awesome to get salted potatoes shoved at you at the last water point!

One of my 'problems' with my time this year is I stopped too often to enjoy the vibe, the drinks and some food.  There really is no need to ride with your own supplies although I prefer to do that.

My only gripe is I didn't get two medals.  I deserve them for riding twice the average time 

PS: who was smoking doobie in the bushes past De Vlugt (if I remember right)??? My ride was properly on track until then...

[PeterF]

And where on your bike would you put that umbrella? 

 

Think it is very constructive criticism from Nevermore, cannot be that expensive for organisers to add more tables & shade on the field. Like he said literally about 20 tables that were filled very quickly

The point I am trying to make is that if they put out 500 tables and umbrellas then there probably still would not be enough but if the wife and kids have come down to support and drive the car from Uniondale to Knysna then it should not be too difficult to throw an umbrella in the boot and there you go, shade at the finish area.

[TIB]

Thing that bothers me is the lack of umbrellas and tables at the finish, they know there are 5000 riders then they put out 20 umbrellas and tables at the finish line every year, w8ing 3 hours in the blazing sun for my dad to arrive after klapping a sub 4 was not nice for us, or my wife and baby, or for the other spectators. Might sound stupid but after my 5th one its kinda annoying that we can never just sit at a leke table with a couple of beers

 

''96 kays with no shade

 4000 Mountain bikers on parade

 moaning......

 it's real hot with no shade" 

*Apologies to our Rasta Brothers

 

Where did all the hard men of mountain biking disapear to??  

[sias]

Where did all the hard men of mountain biking disapear to??  

We are all on here, bitching and moaning and subtly bragging about our sub 4 race times! 

We want someone with a brollie running alongside so we don't have to suffer in the sun and then someone must remind us (after four previous attempts) to bring our own umbrellas because we didn't learn from the previous times. 

Maybe I must stop for longer at the waterpoints - as I said, I think I missed all the good stuff, being in too much of a hurry. Next year...

[Malduik]

For me the race scored 9/10. Was my first time and I tried it on a cyclo cross. Managed a 4:08 which I'm very happy with.  I'll come back to try go get in under 4, but probably on a mtb this time.

 

The bad-ish thing was for the long que in the sun to get beer, which we eventually got from the waterfront. A tip here to the organisers is to rather serve cans like they do at the big races in GP. It takes 15 seconds to pass someone anything between 1 and 24 cans of beer but muuuuch longer to make the same supply in draughts. also you don't have the plastic waste. 

 

just my 2c.

[sias]

The bad-ish thing was for the long que in the sun to get beer, 

There was beer at the finish? 

[Rouxenator]

What I liked most about the finish is how easy it was to just keep on riding towards the exit, put the bike on the bike rack and hit the N2.

 

We did roll down the windows and cheered on the riders coming in as we passed them.

So yeah, quick exit, I like it. Good finish. 

[Skubarra]

The point I am trying to make is that if they put out 500 tables and umbrellas then there probably still would not be enough but if the wife and kids have come down to support and drive the car from Uniondale to Knysna then it should not be too difficult to throw an umbrella in the boot and there you go, shade at the finish area.

 

Sorry Peter I have to disagree, I can think of a host of other races that make a better effort with their hospitality area. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask them to up their game.

 

I last did this race 5 years ago, one thing I noticed was that everything was organised exactly the same as 5 years ago, only difference was probably the bike boards. In the last 5 years I have definitely seen races evolving their product offering with better hospitality areas and better water table offerings while these guys are still on autopilot.

 

Don't want to criticize too hard because it was an excellent weekend out for me that I would recommend to everybody but there is nothing wrong with taking notice what other events are doing and what customers are asking for. 

[EvanB]

As far as I am aware the proceeds go to charity - I am happy for more cash to go to the locals than creating hospitality for us more fortunate souls

[Nevermore]

Sorry Peter I have to disagree, I can think of a host of other races that make a better effort with their hospitality area. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask them to up their game.

 

I last did this race 5 years ago, one thing I noticed was that everything was organised exactly the same as 5 years ago, only difference was probably the bike boards. In the last 5 years I have definitely seen races evolving their product offering with better hospitality areas and better water table offerings while these guys are still on autopilot.

 

Don't want to criticize too hard because it was an excellent weekend out for me that I would recommend to everybody but there is nothing wrong with taking notice what other events are doing and what customers are asking for. 

What Skubarra said.

[PeterF]

As far as I am aware the proceeds go to charity - I am happy for more cash to go to the locals than creating hospitality for us more fortunate souls

This

[eddy]

What I liked most about the finish is how easy it was to just keep on riding towards the exit, put the bike on the bike rack and hit the N2.

 

We did roll down the windows and cheered on the riders coming in as we passed them.

 

So yeah, quick exit, I like it. Good finish. 

 

Ditto, but first had a quick hot shower, walked 200m to a restaurant in the next road for a Pizza and beer and was on the N2 less than an hour after I finished; settled into the passenger seat clean, fed and with a nice buzz going.

Edited September 28, 2018 by eddy