947 Cycle Challenge 2019

[Iron]

Saw the route map just now...40km batches starts basically in town. That means even more traffic when the organisers thought the new route will ease congestion. Not a brilliant idea...

Agreed ,

 

this in my option is a monumental F.....up .

 

the 40km guys are supposedly provided with a shuttle service to get back to there cars from the finish ,

 

we all know the traffic nightmare this race creates so i feel those poor dudes will get back to their cars by sunset ...........maybe.

[Nettie R]

Me too, consecutive...............I want that green number and then that's it !

Green, blue, red, it doesn't make me faster.

 

Rather a sliding scale for discount on entry fees. The more you have completed, the more your discount will be.

[Frosty]

#18 this year.

 

I do it because I want to, I enjoy the day out on closed roads, and I get 50% of my entry fee paid back by Team Vitality.

[scotty]

I got my blue number last year, but don't see myself in a rush to get red. I take it that now a shorter route has been introduced the green, blue and red will still only apply to those that complete the longer race. 

[Spinnekop]

I am with Frosty on this one.

Fun day out on the bike on car-free roads.  What more can you ask for?

 

#19 coming up.

Also paid half price on black Friday last year.  

[The Ouzo]

#15 for me (skipped a few years somewhere).

I dont get to ride those kinds of distance during my normal training, so its a nice challenge for me.

 

Dont recall what I paid, but I've apparently entered and paid.

[Frosty]

I am with Frosty on this one.

Fun day out on the bike on car-free roads.  What more can you ask for?

 

#19 coming up.

Also paid half price on black Friday last year.  

More downhills   

[Vetplant]

Shuttles in the morning to the start line for the 40km riders make more sense than shuttles at the end of the day. That way you finish at your car and you can leave when you want to. Other option is that people carpool and have one car at the start and another at the finish.

 

Would be more ideal to use the same start and finish line as the full route.

 

My suggestion is to take the shortest route from the start point to get to midrand, and then have them riding counterflow to make up their kilometers and then ride back down again to join the main field.

 

Proposed route and the merging of the two routes showed below. The roads going through Midrand are super-wide and can surely allow for a counterflow lane:

 

 

 

[Frosty]

Shuttles in the morning to the start line for the 40km riders make more sense than shuttles at the end of the day. That way you finish at your car and you can leave when you want to. Other option is that people carpool and have one car at the start and another at the finish.

 

Would be more ideal to use the same start and finish line as the full route.

 

My suggestion is to take the shortest route from the start point to get to midrand, and then have them riding counterflow to make up their kilometers and then ride back down again to join the main field.

 

Proposed route and the merging of the two routes showed below. The roads going through Midrand are super-wide and can surely allow for a counterflow lane:

You forgot to send them through Kyalami race track (twice).

[Vetplant]

You forgot to send them through Kyalami race track (twice).

Yep, I missed that part. Kyalami makes it more complicated to have counter flow.

 

And there doesn't seem to be another obvious tarred route to get to Midrand without major additional road closures, which one wants to avoid.

 

Amashova makes different start and finish locations work, but it has been running for years. Let's see how the 947 Ride Joburg handles it.(Gonna take a while to get used to the new name)

[Red Robin]

 

I am doing my first 947. I am riding for charity and to enjoy the day and not really stressing to get a fast time so a ride not a race for me. However, having said that I don't want to be an idiot and not be prepared.

 

What sort of bench markers should I be aiming for? Should I be able to ride 97kms a few times before the ride? What sort of training should I actually be doing per week?

I normally only ride mtb and I must be honest, my fitness is nowhere near what it used to be.

[RocknRolla]

I am doing my first 947. I am riding for charity and to enjoy the day and not really stressing to get a fast time so a ride not a race for me. However, having said that I don't want to be an idiot and not be prepared.

 

What sort of bench markers should I be aiming for? Should I be able to ride 97kms a few times before the ride? What sort of training should I actually be doing per week?

I normally only ride mtb and I must be honest, my fitness is nowhere near what it used to be.

 

 

Sounds like me last year.

 

Went in with 0 fitness. 

You still have some time to get going, obviously not chasing a time, but not to die 1000 deaths on the midrand climbs.

 

Last year was exceptionally hot, which if starting just before lunch (felt like it was so late) you are riding in the hottest part of the day. Obviously Hydration is key, and nutrition. I grabbed some bars from the water tables, and made sure I had cold water (lots available last year) in my bottle.

 

If you do a couple of distance rides, you will be fine. Completing a 100km ride before the event does help mentally, obviously it helps with fitness as well.

[RocknRolla]

Still in two minds if i'm doing it this year. The sufferfest that was last year is still fresh in my mind.

 

I did not mention in my previous post, I rode this on a MTB with 2.3 tyres and a ghetto 1 (32) x 10 (34)

 

IF (big one) I ride it this year, it'll probably be with my steel roadbike (2 x 5) because suffering

[Vetplant]

I am doing my first 947. I am riding for charity and to enjoy the day and not really stressing to get a fast time so a ride not a race for me. However, having said that I don't want to be an idiot and not be prepared.

 

What sort of bench markers should I be aiming for? Should I be able to ride 97kms a few times before the ride? What sort of training should I actually be doing per week?

I normally only ride mtb and I must be honest, my fitness is nowhere near what it used to be.

Some pointers for the coming months, you still have allot of time to get your fitness up:

 

1.Try to do multiple exercise sessions throughout the week instead of holding our for a "big" ride on the weekend. Run, Walk, Cycle, Swim, Gym, Crossfit, bootcamp, whatever tickles your fancy. Do things that will exercise you heart and lungs for 30mins to an hour for 3 to 4 days a week. You want to get the cardiovascular system sorted. The more you cycle, the better your cycling will be on the day. But if you can't cycle during a given week then a different exercise session is better than doing nothing. Get your heart rate up.

 

2. Consider doing some other events beforehand, especially events timed by Racetec. This does a couple of things. Firstly your official results from those events might move you up the starting ladder because you will  at least have some seeding value, but then again I see you are riding for charity, which should give you a decent starting time. Secondly you will become used to riding with a bunch of people around you and you will figure out your race-day preparation sequence, the first one is always daunting. After a couple the sequence becomes 2nd nature and you tend to forget less stuff at home

 

Don't stress too much about your preparation, just do what you can in advance and listen to your body, rest when you need to. You'll be fine.

[Frosty]

I am doing my first 947. I am riding for charity and to enjoy the day and not really stressing to get a fast time so a ride not a race for me. However, having said that I don't want to be an idiot and not be prepared.

 

What sort of bench markers should I be aiming for? Should I be able to ride 97kms a few times before the ride? What sort of training should I actually be doing per week?

I normally only ride mtb and I must be honest, my fitness is nowhere near what it used to be.

As a few have already said, enter a few events leading up to the 947, as this will give you the opportunity to ride in race conditions and find out how far you can ride before having to refill your bottles.

 

Some races worth entering:

 

Sep - Rand Water Race for Victory, 105Km and a shorter distance

Oct - Satellite Classic (can’t remember their distances)

Oct - Carnival City Macsteel National Classic, 110m and 58km

Nov - Tshwane Classic, 98km and a shorter distance.

[Red Robin]

Thank you so much.

 

Will definitely follow the good advice given.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Red Robin