[Event] We Benefit 99er Cycle Tour 2019

[KingZA]

Here's my little clip of the day.

 

 

I started in E group which was mostly calm until the Pure Savage gents from G group came rolling through between Fisantekraal and the R44. A few minutes of huffing and puffing as they laid down the hammer before they dropped the bulk of us. I'm guessing that a few people from our group managed to stick with them.

 

The rest of the ride I just stayed up near the front of the group and finished 17/76 which I'm super stoked with 

[LeoKnight]

So my question, why at certain points did the groups again not only cross the white line but nearly crossed the yellow line on the other side of the road

Groups that got to big? Riders apathy? Fear of being dropped especially around corners? Or not consequences of being penalised ?

[KingZA]

So my question, why at certain points did the groups again not only cross the white line but nearly crossed the yellow line on the other side of the road

Groups that got to big? Riders apathy? Fear of being dropped especially around corners? Or not consequences of being penalised ?

 

For the most part I found that everybody behaved themselves back in the alphabet soup.

 

Some of the roads are pretty narrow and once we merged with the short route there was absolutely no hope of staying purely in the left lane.

[MDJ]

So my question, why at certain points did the groups again not only cross the white line but nearly crossed the yellow line on the other side of the road

Groups that got to big? Riders apathy? Fear of being dropped especially around corners? Or not consequences of being penalised ?

 

All of the above I'd say - its a bike a race and you have a group of people who do 70kph on skinny tires down hills, they aren't exactly risk averse.

 

The Marshall's didn't try and stop the crossing over from what I saw. Riders would probably get frustrated if they did, but in some races I've had the bike marshal stop on/just inside the white line to force the group back into line - has its own risks. The Marshalls did try to keep things as safe as possible, by warning the approaching cars, requesting space from the riders when there were cars approaching etc. When the groups are really big and they have to pass slower riders from the shorter distance on a narrow road - its dangerously nearly becoming the norm in the last few 'non-road closure' events . 

 

Riding in two different groups due my mechanical, I found B group much better at sticking to the left, because it was a smaller, faster group. In my opinion they need smaller groups spaced further apart, or a lot more climbs - works even better imho. If I compare the sportif series where the numbers are generally below 500, crossing the white line is rare ... never-mind the yellow on the other side of the road! In general I enjoy the sportif's more, smaller groups, less braking, everything flows - much better work-out.

[LeoKnight]

Was sort of my thinking too about the group sizes. The only viable answer (seeing as you cant really rely on all cyclists to stick to the rules of it will disadvantages them.. ie stuck behind a dead wheel). Is for more limits on the first few group on their size and time space.

[davidtinker]

Sharing the video of the race. I started on $, got dropped at about 50km

 

 

Those videos are cool. I always seem to end up riding in the same position as you. I was $67. Got dropped at the 4-way stop before Vissershoek.

[Mamil]

I was guilty of being on the wrong side of the road - the first time I've done this but I simply didn't see any other real choice. Staying in the left often looked and felt risky because the concertina effect in the dip between rollers meant a sudden crowding of riders and lots of braking compounding the issue behind. It seemed much easier and safer to slip onto the right where there were other riders but not as bunched up.

 

To be brutally honest it also meant that I often enjoyed shelter from the crosswind and could use my 97kg momentum to move up places and so ensure I wasn't dropped on the next incline but that was an added bonus I justified to myself in safety terms above.

 

It's not at all ideal though and I would suggest smaller seeding groups and further apart is a safety measure the organisers might consider.

[Americo]

Those videos are cool. I always seem to end up riding in the same position as you. I was $67. Got dropped at the 4-way stop before Vissershoek.

what was your finish time?

 

Did it get easier after I got dropped or was it as bad? 

[davidtinker]

2h34. From what I remember it was hard all the way especially the pothole road. I was in little groups chasing back a couple of times, longest after the pothole section. The train of cars behind the bunch helped a lot with that. By the time we got to Vissershoek I was toast.

 

My FTP is about 320w. Maybe with 350 its easier?

[dannygirl]

They weren't joking about the thorns in the overflow parking area...this was literally putting one foot down out of the car...

[Americo]

2h34. From what I remember it was hard all the way especially the pothole road. I was in little groups chasing back a couple of times, longest after the pothole section. The train of cars behind the bunch helped a lot with that. By the time we got to Vissershoek I was toast.

 

My FTP is about 320w. Maybe with 350 its easier?

 

 

Well done, 2h34 min is a great time. My FTP is definitely not there so it makes sense

[jandemoerin]

Sharing the video of the race. I started on $, got dropped at about 50km

 

Hi Americo. What camera and system is this? Thanks.

[billygoat0523]

 

The other highlight of the race was Bilygoat's seatpost on his new aero bike converting itself into a dropper and watching him alternate between emulating Contador's out the seat climbing style with sitting down and having his knees tickle his earlobes moving up and down the group asking anybody and everybody if they had a multi-tool. He said that he felt like he was riding a stolen BMX. 

 

I notice with pleasure that I was the fastest in my Strava feed (I think?) mainly because MdeJ dropped his chain and Billy his saddle - amazing what one can accomplish with a multi-tool and a heart set on sabotage. 

 

 

shout out to the gentleman who was on the R44 waiting for his friend, you were in the right place at my wrong time.  sorry I never even got your name, I was in such in headspin and my back ached from my dropped seat.

 

there was another person, who shall not be named, whose multitool I could see in his pocket but he replied "no, I don't have one".  Karma got you as you finished several minutes behind me.

 

in the end I finished halfway in my group, 8 minutes behind Mamil, not bad for a guy with a screaming back ache.

[DieselnDust]

Well done, 2h34 min is a great time. My FTP is definitely not there so it makes sense

 

 

 

FTP is meaningless without weight so don't be too discouraged. You could be within the thickness of a polony skin of staying with the sharp end

[Cat2forLife]

Sharing the video of the race. I started on $, got dropped at about 50km

 

 

That start was rough.. Tasted blood pretty much all the way 

[It's me man]

not sure if this is the right forum to chat about the race and little incidents, 

 

53km into the ride and some Kn%b clips my back wheel, ends up riding onto the wheel buckling it,  end of the race for me, 50 plus race rides and first crash so the ego is more bruised than my thigh that was gouged by the saddle. 

 

surely a rider is responsible for his own front wheel, move over or back down if bunch riding makes you nervous. 

 

thanks to the support team for collecting me rather quickly and almost every rider to pass asking if i was ok - must be Northern suburbs okes cos you hardly get that from some riders in the South.