[Event] DBX presented by Retail Capital

[Pure Savage]

I'm glad about the thorns, helped me get rid of the last LTX777 <- (the worst sealant known to man) that I had left in my tyres.

 

There was this young guy, about 3km from the last water point (beer point) - he asked me if I had water. He looked really out of it. We stopped and I filled his bottle from mine. Hope he made it. Folks, you need two bottles on rides like these. Get a proper bike (hardtail) that can take at least two bottles. 

 

Also stop it with the cleats now. So many rideable terrain I had to wait for the clippy folk to push their bikes over it before I could ride it on flat pedals. Agility means more than a little bit of extra power. 

 

Will definitely be back for this ride again - it is just so good. 

Love the Rouxenator's top tips

[dannygirl]

my 2c...

 

did the 30, and quite enjoyed it, so I'll be back next year for a longer route.  

 

Positive:

• excellent route marking
• I found the water points more than adequately stocked
• nice vibe
• beer and glass instead of medals.  
• good and safe parking
• free secure bike park (should maybe be a bit bigger next year?)

 

Negative:

• seeding sucked.  Not only was seeding not accurate (just look at the results to see how far off it was), but there was also no control over what group you took off with (with there being no letter stickers added to the boards).  So you picked a start pen, the omie wrote that letter on your board, and off you went... Except for me, who wrote my letter on my board beforehand, and then started right at the back with the about 20 others who did not leave with an earlier group...
• no on-the-day registration:  I get that they can't administer all 2000 riders on the day (although - with the hugely staggered start times, maybe they could?), but there should be SOME allowances made for out-of-towners etc. 
• my main gripe:  start times for shorter routes.  I get why you want to stagger the longer routes, but 10min between each start group for non-technical routes?  15km guys only starting after 11am?
• marshalling where there's a conflict of cars and bikes:  I was involved in two very near misses - one in a car (coming in, the marshal directed us right into the start chute for the longer route!), and one on my bike near the finish.  These marshals should really be trained well, or be accompanied by experienced marshals - was just not safe.  

[Dave Fair]

was fun.

 

i was shocked how many people I overheard saying how 'difficult' it was during the ride. And we did the tame  31km ride which was basically a gravel ride. We had to ride the 31km since the 50km race was sold out, but there were plenty of over eager beavers who changed their minds at the splits lol...

I Hardly broke a sweat....almost felt like I didn't deserve the beer. 

 

All in all it was fun and we'll do it again next year. One thing that had me a bit miffed was that crappy part near the end where they basically took us through the 'rape-veldtjies' and past the treed area where the local 'wildlife' OBVIOUSLY hang out and drink. There was so much broken glass everywhere....almost like the event organisers were like...."if the thorns don't get them..the glass will.

 

Agree on the finish.. it is a bit of a downer 

[SeaBee]

Was in bed from Wednesday till Sat morning with illness, so did not even contemplate starting.

 

Having been entered for the duo, one friend of mine that went had one bit of negative feedback - and that was that there was a massive bottleneck on the singletrack of the last leg. Apparently it was the joining of the end of the routes for the duo, long route and 52. So maybe something to be cognisant of for future, that the trail run does take a good while and the timing around the join seems to have been a bit interesting. 

 

But for that she enjoyed it immensely! 

[Rouxenator]

One thing that had me a bit miffed was that crappy part near the end where they basically took us through the 'rape-veldtjies' and past the treed area where the local 'wildlife' OBVIOUSLY hang out and drink.

LOL -    very apt description. 

 

About the finish, having done this before there in not really much they can do to avoid it, unless they route us back like the start section was back in 2017 and before.

 

You have to look at what trails and routes they have around Darling and how they can work with that in such a way where they can put together different route lengths and handle the volume of riders. 

 

That is by no means an easy task so I for one am not going to complain about the route. 

 

I liked that it was a bit more demanding that your usual ride, many rides these days turn into gravel grinds (like Tru-Cape did) and I miss some of the more challenging aspect of riding. 

[ChrisF]

 

....

• no on-the-day registration:  I get that they can't administer all 2000 riders on the day (although - with the hugely staggered start times, maybe they could?), but there should be SOME allowances made for out-of-towners etc. 
•  

 

 

deal breaker for us ....

 

 

but as they are sold out, clearly we are in the minority ...

[Skubarra]

deal breaker for us ....

 

 

but as they are sold out, clearly we are in the minority ...

 

Why a deal breaker though? - if you live in CT surrounds it's relatively easy to pick it up at Tyger Valley or Rondebosch during the week?

 

For me the big frustration the last time I did the race was the seeding - especially when you are seeded in the middle or back and in a large field it means you will be stuck behind slower riders on singletrack for at least 2/3rds of the race.

 

SASeeding based seeding at any large event is my deal breaker

[ChrisF]

Why a deal breaker though? - if you live in CT surrounds it's relatively easy to pick it up at Tyger Valley or Rondebosch during the week?

 

For me the big frustration the last time I did the race was the seeding - especially when you are seeded in the middle or back and in a large field it means you will be stuck behind slower riders on singletrack for at least 2/3rds of the race.

 

SASeeding based seeding at any large event is my deal breaker

 

By the nature of my business I simply dont know if I will be able to get to a pick up point before 18:00 on a week day ....

 

 

Client change the layout, contractor has issues and my day-planner goes out the window ....

 

 

 

No sweat.  I fully appreciate I am in the minority.  Thanks to the Tygerberg trails I certainly have more than enough options to string trails together.

[MORNE]

LOL -    very apt description. 

 

About the finish, having done this before there in not really much they can do to avoid it, unless they route us back like the start section was back in 2017 and before.

 

You have to look at what trails and routes they have around Darling and how they can work with that in such a way where they can put together different route lengths and handle the volume of riders. 

 

snip

yea,  guess at least we got to see ALL that Darling had on offer...the good, AND the places you wont ever find yourself with your prized bicycle...unless you are of course  into the extracurricular activities one finds in said veldtjies      

[SeaBee]

Why a deal breaker though? - if you live in CT surrounds it's relatively easy to pick it up at Tyger Valley or Rondebosch during the week?

 

And if you don't...?

 

Esp since I haven't noticed until one email dropped that they can't give you an envelope on the morning before the race.

[Skubarra]

And if you don't...?

 

Esp since I haven't noticed until one email dropped that they can't give you an envelope on the morning before the race.

 

You are right, if I didn't I wouldn't bother to enter

[Breezer]

Why a deal breaker though? - if you live in CT surrounds it's relatively easy to pick it up at Tyger Valley or Rondebosch during the week?

 

For me the big frustration the last time I did the race was the seeding - especially when you are seeded in the middle or back and in a large field it means you will be stuck behind slower riders on singletrack for at least 2/3rds of the race.

 

SASeeding based seeding at any large event is my deal breaker

This was my first time I did the race, but I am afraid it would be my last.

First of all, the seeding suck big time. I got seeded in D and in the first climb, I was basically stuck behind half of the C group. There is nothing you can do, but to sit and wait for a gap. Then you get the downhills. O my word, you think that someone who enters for the long route would be able to go down a bit faster.

 

There was no race office the morning, or if there was one, nobody knew where it was.

I guess that is why there was no registration on the morning.

I drove 240km Saturday morning to do this event. Luckily I had a friend who could pic up my racepack.

If he did not enter, I would not have been able to pick it up. So in the future this would also be a deal breaker for me.

 

On the plus side, the route was very nice. I stopped at the 2nd water point and there was enough to eat and drink.

 

Ps, I did not even see 1 thorn!

[Skubarra]

This was my first time I did the race, but I am afraid it would be my last.

First of all, the seeding suck big time. I got seeded in D and in the first climb, I was basically stuck behind half of the C group. There is nothing you can do, but to sit and wait for a gap. Then you get the downhills. O my word, you think that someone who enters for the long route would be able to go down a bit faster.

 

Don't see the point of entering a race to stand in long queues for singletrack and with no prospects of at least improving my seeding, (and when there are other options) 

 

But I'm impressed with the organisers for selling this event out year after year despite the minor issues, clearly they are doing enough right to appeal to the masses.

[mrcg]

Well, I'm not sure if this was/is the case with this event, but usually you can always query your seeding. Cite previous results. That should suffice. I was also batched in B instead of A, but just left it as is. Not a huge issue. But for groups lower down I can imagine it is a pain on single track.

ps the thorns were especially bad on one part of the bone crusher - middle of nowhere about 50km in (I think). I just saw my front wheel covered! Weird sh&t.

pps i recorded 79.9km with about 1560m of elevation. what did others get?

[Me rida my bicycle]

I did the 52 with being sick the whole week I thought I would just relax and have fun. Thanks to being placed the the last group, the only fun parts where spoiled by idiots with f all trail etiquette.

The times I slowed at the start of the single track to give some space so box jumps in front of me and then on the brakes the whole way down. I will admit there was 2 who p@##ed me of so badly I turned into a box and was on their tyre the whole way down!

I prefer the route of last year this year was much easier and boring.

[Jako De Wet]

 

pps i recorded 79.9km with about 1560m of elevation. what did others get?

iPhone 6 - Strava

81.56km 1903m

 

Apple 3 Watch - Outdoor Cycle workout

80.27km 1654m

 

Not sure why the big discrepancy, but I have seen my friends' Strava profiles for the race, all of us have different values.

 

Race was great though, pity I bonked a bit after about 65km. Being sick the week before didn't help much.

 

Also need to get a proper nutrition gameplan going. Eating a JungleOat peanut butter bar every hour doesn't cut it.