[Event] Amarider 50 & 100 Miler

[Spike Milligan]

I got one as a category prize in the 50 Miler, was mighty chuffed!

 

What happened to the buffs like we got last year? I was looking forward to getting a 100miler one to go with my 50miler one. 

 

Overall a very nice ride, the headwind and rain in the 2nd half made things a bit more interesting, missed my sub-8 by 5mins. Will have to go do it again next year 

[Mamil]

IT's a great question and one I'm going to face a lot in the coming months - granfondo - karoo battle of bikes - around the pot....

 

I honestly don't know how proper gravel riders manage those corrugations. Obviously line choice is key but there were lots of occasions where I was bombing along at 35 or 40kmph on a downhill, corrugations ahead, changing line felt risky and not guaranteed to take me onto cleaner road --- hit the bumps and all speed evaporates and the bike is thrown all over the show and staying upright felt like it was all I could do.

 

I realise that the limitation is the rider more than the bike and the gravel riding has shown me exactly how much I rely on the technology to compensate for lack of ability.

 

I am seriously considering putting a dropper onto my gravel bike. Don't judge me for this. I'm 191cm tall and 95kg AND I'm made of spare parts. If the rest of my body was in proportion to my legs I would apparently be 198cm tall and I've got orangutang's disease (long arms - buying a shirt difficult) so my center of gravity is very high and I think I may be better able to handle the gravel bike if I could get lower on the bumpy descents and use my legs to absorb more of the impacts.

 

I battled on Saturday to be sure - if I knew what I know now at the start line would I swap bikes? For comfort and the feeling of safety I think I would have. Not sure if I would have been faster though.

 

Karoo battle of bikes - Gravel

Swartberg - Gravel

Around the pot - The jury is still out

Next years' Amarider - I think I might do a recce of the roads beforehand and then make a call.

 

  

 

 

I'm curious - how well do gravel bikes handle dirt roads with bad corrugation? At what point would do you say "MTB would actually have been better"

[Spike Milligan]

Mamil, it was indeed dicey at best. I did the 50 miler on my 29er full squish, but with the back locked. Worked wonders for smooth sections, but as we jostled for position those first few kays, it was nerve wrecking. A few times I tried to make a move, breaking the line to go around which nearly ended disastrous as I hit corrugation at full speed. You shudder to a halt with the group flying off. Can imagine its hard on the gravel bikes when the road isnt smooth as I struggled with the surface myself. 

Then again, I never saw any of the gravel riders make a break on the smooth sections either. They held the line and eventually dropped off.

 

Lots of truth in your comment about scoping out the road before the event.

 

IT's a great question and one I'm going to face a lot in the coming months - granfondo - karoo battle of bikes - around the pot....

 

I honestly don't know how proper gravel riders manage those corrugations. Obviously line choice is key but there were lots of occasions where I was bombing along at 35 or 40kmph on a downhill, corrugations ahead, changing line felt risky and not guaranteed to take me onto cleaner road --- hit the bumps and all speed evaporates and the bike is thrown all over the show and staying upright felt like it was all I could do.

 

I realise that the limitation is the rider more than the bike and the gravel riding has shown me exactly how much I rely on the technology to compensate for lack of ability.

 

I am seriously considering putting a dropper onto my gravel bike. Don't judge me for this. I'm 191cm tall and 95kg AND I'm made of spare parts. If the rest of my body was in proportion to my legs I would apparently be 198cm tall and I've got orangutang's disease (long arms - buying a shirt difficult) so my center of gravity is very high and I think I may be better able to handle the gravel bike if I could get lower on the bumpy descents and use my legs to absorb more of the impacts.

 

I battled on Saturday to be sure - if I knew what I know now at the start line would I swap bikes? For comfort and the feeling of safety I think I would have. Not sure if I would have been faster though.

 

Karoo battle of bikes - Gravel

Swartberg - Gravel

Around the pot - The jury is still out

Next years' Amarider - I think I might do a recce of the roads beforehand and then make a call.