947 Cycle Challenge 2019

[Vetplant]

I will actually consider doing the 40km next year... with the two little ones in the trailer, wife on her bike.... fun family outing.

 

This 40km option can only be good for the event.

[NotSoBigBen]

Heard of someone that started in H batch who had a big crash. In ICU at the moment.

 

Anyone see anything or know what happened?

Saw this from a good friend on Fb

 

Dr xxxxxx , who had a bad fall at the 94,7 yesterday and is in a induced coma , a punctured Lung and swelling on the Brain , please Pray for a complete recovery and good report ,shortly . thanking you all ,,,,,,Jesus ,Please take the wheel , you , Lord are the God who healeth ...[emoji3531][emoji3531] hang in there Willie , the Lord is with you .

[Dexter-morgan]

I know there was some concern about the 40km mixing into the main race, but from my perspective it seemed to work fine. Haven't been training enough this year for the full race, so entered the 40km. Didn't see any real drama on the route (but wasn't in the unseeded groups from both races). Ended with 1:35

Seemed to be a success for the first time implementing a 40km on the route.

I started really late with my wife and must say, the short riders did not bug me as much as I expected, the roads were very full but we could pass easy, asking nicely to pass on whatever side of a rider was clear.

[Al Allen]

My Target was 2:59:59...got 3:01, can someone please recommend a coach who can help me shave off  the 60 seconds next year?

Target a 2:58:59!

[Carbon_Kooi]

Never understood that rule. If you can hold the pace you can ride the batch as far as I am concerned.

 

Clearly rules are different in racing categories but open seeded does not make any sense to me. Would be pissed if I was a non-p@nis

To be honest I do not think they can hold the pace of the A batch at all, but yes I do agree if their seeding puts them in A they should be allowed to race there.

[Ashchest]

I know there was some concern about the 40km mixing into the main race, but from my perspective it seemed to work fine. 

 

It probably depends from which side you look at it?   From a late start group in the 94,7 km ride (GG) it did present some mild chaos at certain points towards the end.    I realised something was different and that I had to be more awake after going down Woodmead drive and approached Kyalami.   There was a sudden increase in riders and a-lot of them going very slowly and without much consideration for fellow cyclists.   At first I thought how it was possible for the majority of this new bunch to have been in earlier start groups because they were going so slow and all over the road, but then I realised that I got to the merge and saw the different coloured race numbers   - Down Summit road I saw cyclists who would simply stop and get off their bikes in the middle of the road to have a rest and drink some water ( obviously not able to cycle and drink simultaneously?)  Some even blocking the road while having a "kuiertjie" - while others like myself wanted to ride and get to the finish line.    Personally I did not like the idea of the merge that much, but it will not be an event killer for me, I will just need to make a plan to get an earlier start time and therefore miss the 40km'ers 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Ashchest

[The Ouzo]

All of a sudden it makes sense why I was seeing all these riders with reddish/brown numbers but the start time on them was after 9, I was trying to figure out how all these riders got ahead of me when I started at 7.

[Ashchest]

All of a sudden it makes sense why I was seeing all these riders with reddish/brown numbers but the start time on them was after 9, I was trying to figure out how all these riders got ahead of me when I started at 7.

 

Exactly -  a complete change in vibe also 

[Bonus]

Does anyone know why your true ride time is not used? I.e. the time from when you rode over the mat at the end of the neutral section to the finish mat?

 

 

In that case it would be confusing for the pros as it would mean the first person crossing the finish line may not necessarily be the overall winner.

 

 

It would be possible, though unlikely, that a person starting at some point later in the day would finish the course in less time.

 

So it would be like a Time Trial at le Tour de France. They have an early finisher sitting in the Hot Seat because his time is the best "so far". Then at some point someone beats his time and takes the seat, and so on. Until the last few riders set off. Then you get a guy sitting in the chair who may or may not be unseated - depending on the performances of the guys still out on the course. 

 

Sometimes it's not clear who will take the final win until the very last rider crosses the line - because they are so evenly matched and there's only tenths of a second in it . Other times the rider in the chair knows he's won because the distance left for the guys out on the course just cannot be covered in the amount of time left.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Bonus

[David Marshall]

Had my wheel trued after Amashova, and I suspect the shop may have over tension-ed those particular spokes.

 

Just a guess, but I don't see what else would cause the hub to crack like that.

It is just a poor wheel design.  Paired straight gauge spokes, radial laced on the rear and flanges that can't take the strain.  Bontrager dropped this design almost as it was introduced (2006??) but for some reason Merida still sell a similar pattern.  Those spokes would not have been over tensioned  without pulling the wheel out of true. 

 

FYI you do get cassettes with a few more teeth on the large cog.  Respect for climbing with that!

[MattyEMD]

The wife and I both rode it on Single Speed road bikes and had a great time, except for the M1 . Well organized event. 

[Mojoman]

The wife and I both rode it on Single Speed road bikes and had a great time, except for the M1 . Well organized event.

well done...I had a tough time with gears....!

[The Ouzo]

Exactly -  a complete change in vibe also 

I was bleeding through my eyeballs and thought maybe I was not reading the time on their numbers properly. How could someone that started 2 hours behind me be infront of me.

I know I was going slow but not THAT slow, but as soon as the next climb started, even with me grinding my way up it I still breezed passed them.

Had me very confused as I totally forgot about the short route.

[Ozzie NL]

To be honest I do not think they can hold the pace of the A batch at all, but yes I do agree if their seeding puts them in A they should be allowed to race there.

I think you might be wrong on this. Done a few races where there were a couple of chicks in A batch who rode the k@k out of us.

 

Have noticed they tend to ride shrewd as well: wheel suck but ensure they stay in the front of the bunch so they can catch any breakaway....ie directly in line with what pro's do...eat other peeps plate empty before you start on your own

[Fat Boab]

Some oke came past me at Blue hills on a SS simple sam. Respect...he was charging!

 

The wife and I both rode it on Single Speed road bikes and had a great time, except for the M1 . Well organized event.

[Li Mu Bai]

For me, I prefer the non flipped route. I take a while to get going and the hard climbs from the start just killed me, or maybe I just need to get leaner and build more power

Well, the current route favours the lighter riders and very strong climbers. The constant sharp hills are so close together for the first half, culminating in the long drag up through craighall and past the Zoo up to NM bridge, that recovery is very difficult, allowing lighter riders great chance to break away and attack regularily.

The Motorway is quite short to make up lost ground for the heavier diesel engine riders, and Summit road provides the last gasp grind to try catch up after Kyalami/Midfeed hills.

IMO the new way round is tougher.

I weigh 95kg at 6'4".