Events you are missing because they are no more...

[cat-i]

Sabie Shenanigans

 

And the nightrides at Mintek

[Kranswurm]

The Great Outeniqua Mountain Bike Tour by Ecobound

Was held a week or two before xmas and the best way to finish the year.Did three

[arendoog]

+1 really miss babbas

Ditto !

[letsride]

All these were in my backyard

 

The Benoni World Champs series that ran from Rynfield Terrace

All the smaller school & church races

Serengeti

Dome 2 Dome

Are you referring to the bi-weekly Sweat and Gears series that was held at Rheinfield dam? XC shortcourse with a new lap route every second week? 

[Underachiever]

Are you referring to the bi-weekly Sweat and Gears series that was held at Rheinfield dam? XC shortcourse with a new lap route every second week? 

Nope, referring to the frequent road races out towards Bronkies and back.  Was organized by a Kempton crowd...

[Patensie]

Many moons ago there was a 2 day Baviaans , you cycled from the Patensie side to Geelhoutbos(over BergPlaas en the Fangs) and sleep the night in your own tents, which a truck transported with all your other gear. The next day you will then cycle back to Patensie.

my boet was the farmer organiser on that one with fattracks. That event had a lekker vibe. A few years ago we sommer did the ride to Doodsklip and back as a fun 2 day ride. Edited October 18, 2018 by Patensie

[LeoKnight]

what I am taking from this is that I started cycling to late, can just imagine the races that was more geared around a passion before they became to expensive to run, to many issues, etc.

 

Why do you think those races stopped? Was it all the hassles that go with it and those people that always complain about what went wrong on the day vs what went well?

[Knersboy]

Vasbyt 165km.

[Transporter]

All the Trapkrag events in and around Pretoria. Well run well supported and safe....till the CSA took over and killed it.

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

Kamanasi Bergspook. Oudtshoorn.

[Li Mu Bai]

Koranna 2 Mountain

Hill2Hill

Lowveld Quest

Induna

Drifter Series

 

Bakwena Super Classic

Dome2Dome

Carousel

Campus2Campus

Serengeti Classic

Clover Tour (Graskop)

Edited October 18, 2018 by Li Mu Bai

[Skubarra]

I hacked together that graphic to bring across the fact that there are harder things to do than a little ride down to the coast from Willowmore. 

 

I think that is part of the reason the race never flourished, was just too intimidating for the average weekend warrior and you didn't have 24 hours to do it like the TB. But yes, great memories - no mtb challenge will ever beat climbing up Ouberg with 190km in the legs & we always had a lekker weekend in Sutherland surrounds after the race (never bothered with the downride)

 

Other one for me is "Die Burger Fietstoer", technically not dead but the new venue & new timeslot will just not be the same, the race was at it best when we still had that mad rush up the Old Helshoogte road right after the start - the new road, meh.

[thisismyotherbike]

I think that is part of the reason the race never flourished, was just too intimidating for the average weekend warrior and you didn't have 24 hours to do it like the TB. But yes, great memories - no mtb challenge will ever beat climbing up Ouberg with 190km in the legs & we always had a lekker weekend in Sutherland surrounds after the race (never bothered with the downride)

 

Other one for me is "Die Burger Fietstoer", technically not dead but the new venue & new timeslot will just not be the same, the race was at it best when we still had that mad rush up the Old Helshoogte road right after the start - the new road, meh.

 

The middle distance 109km on One Tonner must be very similar to the previous Burger route?  Much smaller race, but hopefully better weather!

[Skubarra]

The middle distance 109km on One Tonner must be very similar to the previous Burger route?  Much smaller race, but hopefully better weather!

 

Just 3 years ago this race was attracting 6K riders. I think if the organisers & Stellenbosch Municipality had a bit more vision they could have had closed roads (or at least partially closed) & double the amount of entrants, maybe also if they moved the race a week forward into the first week of the December  school holidays to make it more attractive for people from up country holidaying in the Cape. Anyway, was not to be..

[thisismyotherbike]

what I am taking from this is that I started cycling to late, can just imagine the races that was more geared around a passion before they became to expensive to run, to many issues, etc.

 

Why do you think those races stopped? Was it all the hassles that go with it and those people that always complain about what went wrong on the day vs what went well?

 

For road running races it was down to the cost of Metro Police securing the route that just grew way ahead of inflation to the point where smaller races were no longer feasible.  I remember being shocked the first time I had to pay R100 to do a half marathon a few years ago, now you you'll maybe find a 10km for that cheap unless it's run somewhere the Metro are not required.  Between 2012 and 2016 entry prices more than doubled - far ahead of inflation.  This despite participation seeing steady growth.

 

It's probably mostly increasing cost putting pressure on races.  Despite the pro-CSA "lobby's" insinuation of a shortage of volunteers being cycling's largest challenge, there always seems to be plenty of people volunteering their time or their land for awesome races.

[Icycling]

Don't often post on the Hub anymore - PPA ditching of The Giro del Capo - was the beginning of the end of the road funride calendar in the WC. Possible the start of the decline of the "goose that lays the Golden egg for PPA" now called the Cape Town Cycle Tour.

 

Thus the event, WC road cycling should miss the most which formed part of the development  of many TDF cyclist must be hands down the Giro del Capo!