Karoo to Coast

[gogo@]

I highly doubt there were 4500 riders. Last year in dry conditions there were 422 finishers in my group, this year 430. I'm going to assume a group size is then around 450 riders. 7 start groups plus tandems = 3200 riders at most. Entries did not sell out this year and many people did not pitch because of the weather.. I'd say MAX 250-300 people needed a lift on the trucks.

Riding at the back I can tell you it was a LOT more than that. At the 2nd water point already there was a queue to get on the truck. And plenty trucks came past me. My start group had the lowest number of finishers since I’ve been doing this (my 4th).

Just checked: 338 finishers over 390 last year. I think the dropout rate is higher in the later groups maybe?

[LuckyLuke]

those bikes on the trucks probably took a beating, I would rather freeze to death...haha

[ValeYellow]

I started this years event from G batch with a mate who was doing it for the first time. Unfortunately my body just couldn't do it anymore, and so at the bottom of Prince Alfreds pass, I called it a day. At the top of Prince Alfred there was a number of cyclists bailing and three or four trucks were loaded to the hilt with people and bikes. 

 

At the bottom where I called it a day, another two trucks came past and were full, there was even a truck which had the back covered in a canvas (reminded me of a buffel from the mag days) and there were people jammed in there like crazy. The truck my bike was on (i was lucky, no damage to report) had around 10 bikes on it and there was space for three riders. Two of the bikes on our truck were there cause their pilots were in an ambulance en-route to hospital, broken clavicle and a smashed elbow. 

 

The back of the field was crazy, and i reckon that there were way more than 300pax that bailed. At one point, almost every vehicle we saw had people wrapped in space blankets, was carnage. 

 

P.S. profile pic is from 2018

Edited September 26, 2019 by ValeYellow

[MORNE]

Yea the big truck i was talking about at the end....if I had to guess....was probably stacked with 50+ bikes. It looked like a box of fries. Carbon against metal rinse repeat.....through that mountain pass and those potholes?......lol

Edited September 26, 2019 by morneS555

[Curbie]

just WOW  ... what fun ! I can imagine that for all the racing snakes this would not have been a great day out, but for those that embraced the conditions and simply went out to have fun, the finish line will always be fondly remembered long before any time is even discussed.

 

I was chaperoned by a trained cardio nurse, whom unfortunately was forced to abandon at the 'Kom se Pad WP' due to pnuemonia HYPOTHERMIA - she literally passed out on her bike so special thanks to all the volunteers, medics and fellow cyclists in this regard for the help and attention getting her off the bike, loaded into a vehicle with heater and eventually getting her to the Hospital. I can't believe that there were so many that were not protected against the elements for the day and just how much it seemed the ladies were suffering the most against the cold. 

 

I proceeded and having not burnt any matches, was rather looking fwd to the Simola Climb until with about 4km to go uphill my rear brakes decided it was now time to seize  - hence for the final few 'downhill km' I was literally riding on 'lockout' 

 

Happy to say I kept to my promise of stopping at every WP, and ended the day with a HR ave of 140 which has made THE BOSS happy at least.

 

Besides the obvious weather conditions, the other disappointment of the day was just how many gel packets and bar wrappers were summarily tossed by what is for sure the A,B,C type front runners 

 

Ended in a moving time of 06h03 and for sure will be back for another attempt at better conditions in 2020

 

 

 

last did this event in 2013 so was really looking fwd to a great comeback 'race' 

 

A Group seeding sorted, however following the Trans Baviaans and a visit to the Cardiologist I am lucky to be participating at all.

 

9 water points  & an adjusted attitude and I will be smelling the roses on this one 

 

Going to be FUN - all the best to ALL

Edited September 26, 2019 by Curbie

[matthieup]

heard afterwards that people abandoned their bikes and got on the trucks. They were collecting the bikes with other trucks later. I thought all the bikes on the side were people peeing in the bushes   I'm still waiting for the feedback of the major service, but the bike took a beating on the transport back with still too much sand on that nicely sanded my frame...

[GAP]

For Sale

2014 Scott Scale, excellent condition, 95km on the drive train

& only done one Karoo to Coast (2019)       

[MORNE]

if the organisers were smart they'll make jerseys/T-shirts that read "I survived K2C2019" lol....

 

 

EDIT: or even stickers for the bikes that made it haha

Edited September 26, 2019 by morneS555

[Chingy182]

just WOW  ... what fun ! I can imagine that for all the racing snakes this would not have been a great day out, but for those that embraced the conditions and simply went out to have fun, the finish line will always be fondly remembered long before any time is even discussed.

 

I was chaperoned by a trained cardio nurse, whom unfortunately was forced to abandon at the 'Kom se Pad WP' due to pnuemonia - she literally passed out on her bike so special thanks to all the volunteers, medics and fellow cyclists in this regard for the help and attention getting her off the bike, loaded into a vehicle with heater and eventually getting her to the Hospital. I can't believe that there were so many that were not protected against the elements for the day and just how much it seemed the ladies were suffering the most against the cold. 

 

 

Was this a relatively petite blonde girl?

 

I think I was standing right there next to her at the water point and could see she was about to fall down, before loading her into the back of a van trying to warm her up.

[Chingy182]

heard afterwards that people abandoned their bikes and got on the trucks. They were collecting the bikes with other trucks later. I thought all the bikes on the side were people peeing in the bushes   I'm still waiting for the feedback of the major service, but the bike took a beating on the transport back with still too much sand on that nicely sanded my frame...

haha good to know.

 

I also saw this strange phenomenon of bikes lying on the ground with no-one to be seen 

 

It all adds up now.

[Curbie]

Was this a relatively petite blonde girl?

 

I think I was standing right there next to her at the water point and could see she was about to fall down, before loading her into the back of a van trying to warm her up.

not this time unless it looked that way with the 'mud'  , dark head on a white Momsen Hardtail

Edited September 26, 2019 by Curbie

[MORNE]

heard afterwards that people abandoned their bikes and got on the trucks.

 

snip

they should keep them and re-home them with owners that will care for and love them forever. 

No real cyclist will ever abandon his bicycle. It's just morally wrong and these people should be named and shamed so other bicycles that may come upon their path don't suffer the same fate.

[Rouxenator]

My bike got a nasty scratch deep into the aluminium earlier this year on Cederberg. Looks like it was another bike's pedal that caused it. I did a poor job at fixing it with touch up paint.

 

By the sound of what went down at K2C I think people ended up with far worse damage. 

 

It's the Silverback 3rd from the back. 

[Sparki 1]

 

I managed to accidentally drop 2 gu gels, one empty gu wrapper and an energy shot without me even knowing. only realized once I tried to reach for another gel that all was lost. hands were too numb to even feel me losing my load. maybe this was the case for many droppings. I even saw sunglasses, gloves, wind vests, arm warmers, long sleeve cycling tops all over the place. the funny thing was that I took off with A batch and just over 100 cyclist finished ahead of me. I can well imagine what it looked like when the later batches passed.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Sparki 1

[LuckyLuke]

My gillet blew out on that long downhill, guy came past at the bottom and said he saw it at the fall out near the top, i could not see myself going back up to get it, hopefully someone picked it up, it was a nice one and still dry

[gogo@]

I joked at the start I was taking R100 cash to buy a carbon duallie cheap-cheap at the finish, but in the end, the joke was on me: all had left by the time I got there ????

Well nearly all.

The photographer at the Lagoon couldn’t hold back her laughter as I squelched through the last drag to the finish. The expression on my face is actually priceless. I think it was frozen like that from about Boskak on. Roughly translated into, I’m riding THIS until I’m either effing REMOVED or I get to the END where you WILL give me that medal even IF it’s tomorrow!!

(Never knew I’d care so much about a mass produced metal lump on a silly piece of ribbon ????)