Sub 3 Cape Town Cycle Tour?

[Long Wheel Base]

Focus on school first. You're still young. Your heart is in the right place but mentally someone of your age is usually not able to cope with disappointment and pressure as well as someone a bit older. So don't target a sub 3 and put things like school aside. At your age I had already done 10 Argus' and not one sub 3 but I loved every single one of them. The sub 3s came as I got older. All the advice above is valid. So for now I would just enjoy the riding and continue with the already good results. Good luck, your sub 3 will come.

[dirtypot]

At your age I had already done 10 Argus'

 

You did your first Argus at age six?

[Dadbod Racing]

Thank you. I'm based in Cape Town with Club 100.

Only Junior in the club, the other guys in my club are still a bit faster with A,B, D and E seeding.

I am currently faster than my school friends but the club is still a long ladder to the top

 

Are you really 16?? I don't believe this.... 

 

I agree with what the others say about your attitude, you understand that success doesn't happen overnight. Listen and observe the older club members, experience counts for alot. 

 

Don't worry about not having the best of everything, we've all klapped someone with a nicer bike and have been klapped by someone with a not so nice bike.  

 

Enjoy your riding, study hard at school, use condoms, train wisely and we'll hopefully see you on the big screen one day. 

 

Goodluck! 

[Escapee..]

You can see we have had some rough encounters with a couple of youngsters..

 

 

Here is some very good advice:

 

 

 

[DieselnDust]

Are you really 16?? I don't believe this.... 

 

I agree with what the others say about your attitude, you understand that success doesn't happen overnight. Listen and observe the older club members, experience counts for alot. 

 

Don't worry about not having the best of everything, we've all klapped someone with a nicer bike and have been klapped by someone with a not so nice bike.  

 

Enjoy your riding, study hard at school, use condoms, train wisely and we'll hopefully see you on the bog screen one day. 

 

Goodluck! 

 

 

 

????

 

eeerrhmmmmmmmm did you mean Big screen perhaps?

[NickGM]

You did your first Argus at age six?

I was about to ask the same thing. On a tandem?

[DieselnDust]

I was about to ask the same thing. On a tandem?

he's posted about his past Argust exploits with his dad in the annual Argust threads. Think he started his son quite young into the Argust on a tandem too, continuing the family tradition

[BassoBoy]

Are you really 16?? I don't believe this....

 

I agree with what the others say about your attitude, you understand that success doesn't happen overnight. Listen and observe the older club members, experience counts for alot.

 

Don't worry about not having the best of everything, we've all klapped someone with a nicer bike and have been klapped by someone with a not so nice bike.

 

Enjoy your riding, study hard at school, use condoms, train wisely and we'll hopefully see you on the bog screen one day.

 

Goodluck!

Yes. Im 16.  Just the guys I race against in WP league have already done subs 3 at age 15 already so just want to prove I can hang in with the big boys

[BassoBoy]

Focus on school first. You're still young. Your heart is in the right place but mentally someone of your age is usually not able to cope with disappointment and pressure as well as someone a bit older. So don't target a sub 3 and put things like school aside. At your age I had already done 10 Argus' and not one sub 3 but I loved every single one of them. The sub 3s came as I got older. All the advice above is valid. So for now I would just enjoy the riding and continue with the already good results. Good luck, your sub 3 will come.

Thank you. School is definitely no 1 priority

[American Flyers]

You can still do sub 3hrs in steel bike and you need to be in right group

[DieselnDust]

Yes. Im 16. Check my strava out: Joel Davis. Just the guys I race against in WP league have already done subs 3 at age 15 already so just want to prove I can hang in with the big boys

 

 

This is a good attitude to have.

The key aspect to look at here is to realise that most of those kids don't have a social life and their parents are pushing them. Fro what I can tell from your strava posts you've got a pretty experienced and supportive "family" at your club and at home. If you want to ramp things up my advice is to ramp it up slowly. 

Get some structured workouts that fits into the school schedule.

make sure whoever is helping you plan builds in time for school and social life. You're young you don't need 6-8hr rides on the bike like some of those kids you're racing against. They will burn out and will carry the scars long after you've gotten bored with sub3's.

Keep doing what you doing. Use the benchmarks in your club to better your riding. Ask questions, go for rides with the faster guys.Get dropped, go back for more. Just feed the beast enough every day so that it only just feels hungry. 

The approach you're taking is the right one in my opinion. Slower and considered. This is smart and mature beyond your years.

[DieselnDust]

Now I don't want to see a response till school's out at 14h00!!

[Dadbod Racing]

????

 

eeerrhmmmmmmmm did you mean Big screen perhaps?

 

I did this intentionally so J davis can see we all went to and paid attention in school.... 

[verandapanda]

@JDavis: 

 

My top points, speaking from experience:

 

1. Get this seeding value down- if your group can't ride at sub-3 pace and you can't ride away from them like "mini Thomas de Gendt", kiss that sub-3 goodbye;

2. Climbs - Your P/kg is high enough to hit those climbs with some electric pace - so you won't be dropped on any climbs so you're more than good in this dept.;

3. Gearing - If you can hold 65 km/h, with a light-ish SE, without spinning-out when you turn after Smits you will avoid being dropped. A 50-11 at 100 rpm is thereabouts (I think); 
4. Refuel - Eat before you're hungry & drink (ENOUGH) before you're thirsty. You'll be burning matches and you do not want to 'bonk'. 

Last but probably most important:

5. Be Safe - Ride defensively and avoid losing your mind in the heat of the moment! Some risks are worth taking but some are NOT. Only experience can define this distinction. You can't get a sub-3 if you don't finish. 

[Chingy182]

I would also like to add into the conversation here that, at 16, cycling should also not be your only sport that you do.

 

There seems to be a lot of emphasis in sports specialization at a younger age these (if you want to make it...) from coaches and or parents.

 

You still have a developing body and muscle recruitment patterns from other sports, Rugby/Cricket/Hockey, etc.. would greatly benefit your cycling in the long run in various ways.

 

Try being an all-rounder at this age, enjoy your sports for what it offers you, but also working hard at them to get better.

[BassoBoy]

@JDavis:

 

My top points, speaking from experience:

 

1. Get this seeding value down- if your group can't ride at sub-3 pace and you can't ride away from them like "mini Thomas de Gendt", kiss that sub-3 goodbye;

2. Climbs - Your P/kg is high enough to hit those climbs with some electric pace - so you won't be dropped on any climbs so you're more than good in this dept.;

3. Gearing - If you can hold 65 km/h, with a light-ish SE, without spinning-out when you turn after Smits you will avoid being dropped. A 50-11 at 100 rpm is thereabouts (I think);

4. Refuel - Eat before you're hungry & drink (ENOUGH) before you're thirsty. You'll be burning matches and you do not want to 'bonk'.

 

Last but probably most important:

 

5. Be Safe - Ride defensively and avoid losing your mind in the heat of the moment! Some risks are worth taking but some are NOT. Only experience can define this distinction. You can't get a sub-3 if you don't finish.

Thank you really appreciate this advice.