Cape Town Cycle Tour 2020

[Theyseemerollin]

Were you the guy just past Cape Point? Was that a head wound. I just saw blood. Chilled me to the bone. Releived to hear you are doing ok.

[Starchboy]

Ebikes started going past me at Suikerbossie. Pretty impressive seeing them walz up the climb compared to most of us at that point.

[Karman de Lange]

Unfair comment: If you can't do Comrades marathon because of whatever reason, you don't just force the organisers to create a new division just so that you can complete it with mechanical motorised assistance.

 

Start at Parkrun and complete one of those as your first challenge. Move up to each consecutive distance.

 

Surely there is fun to be had at shorter cycling distances? Is riding around the block no longer cool?

 

(I know this won't change anything, just needed a place to vent about the absurdity of e-bikes on a 100+ km event)

 

as said earlier, there was lots of elderly people who simply not able to complete the distance unassisted, they loved the fact that they could join in the fun.

 

maybe the ebikes category must be limited to disabled/elderly or some health issue.   There was 2 skinny guys jaaging that obviously could ride normal bike without any issue

Edited March 8, 2020 by Karman de Lange

[capediver]

I chatted to few of them, they were grinning from ear to ear,  Lots of 70+ riders having a joll.

 

only times they were issue was the tjops that jaaged up the hills showing of, most of others was very well behave

 

Wind was not issue.. they were cruising along.,  

Funny how it takes just one or two to spoil it for the bunch...most rode along nicely..but there were few who were just downright rude and obnoxious shouting at people to get out of there way....nah, they should have their own race or start at 3 in the morning......

Edited March 8, 2020 by capediver

[eddy]

There was a guy who started in 3C on an e-bike.

I'm sure he will take his PB. Dick.

[Stefalbertyn]

I started at 8:08 and rode about 5:30 tour (which was a reasonable time for me).

 

- I got passed by LOTS of e-bikes. Assuming they started at 9:30 they would have ridden about 4 hours.

 

- Most e-bike riders were courteous but a few were more "assertive".

 

- Near the end going round Camps Bay, the e-bikes were motoring. I suspect the riders had spare energy left and cranked up the power levels to consume what was left in their batteries.

 

- There is no obvious speed limiting device on many of the E-bikes. Many were going 35 or 40km/h.

 

- It is weird when someone passes you up a hill, calmly pedaling with cadence of 40/min while you busing your guts.

 

- Most e-bikes were dik wheeled MTB's but there was the guy with drop bars cutting through the traffic at an impressive speed.

 

Clearly even E-bike riders are keen on improving their time. Next year we will see more efficient bikes with bigger batteries and sporting electronics. Ultimately the guy with the biggest battery is going to get the fastest time (potentially faster than the wining pro). If I was writing the rules for the event, I would set a maximum mass for batteries (fitted and spares) and ban getting additional batteries from crew on route. Then set that mass so that riders have to pace their power to achieve a time of say 4 to 5 hours. This will keep e-bikes as an option to those with reason to ride them but not upset pure cyclists competing in their own race.

 

E-bikes should get different colored cycle boards, different rider numbers, different medals (if any) and e-bike rides should be "counted" separately from pure rides. Start chutes should be policed to keep e-bikes out of the pure cycle chutes. But pure cycles should have the option of dropping back and riding with friends and family on e-bikes.

I agree -  We were nor supposed to get times (but i did?) also - I carried my spare battery all the way - I only saw one other doing that - the rest picked them up along the route (some guy with a road e-bike had 2 stashed on route) . If you are not using your own (body's) energy - at least be forced to carry it with you! I DO NOT THINK THAT E_BIKES SHOULD EVER BE PUT IN A COMPETITION WITH CYCLISTS - whether that is for placing or timing. re-speed limiting - my bike cuts out the engine somewhere before 30k/hr - but obviously I can pedal it faster than that - like going downhill after Suikerbossie. I did leave my assist level at the middle setting after suikerbossie - but it was of no consequence as the speed was higher than the cut - off speed.

It gets complicated - but maybe have a "too fast" cutoff at the cutoff points - if you are on an ebike and you are on track for under 4 hours you have to wait there until your projected time is more than 4hrs? Just an idea - not easy but would be easier if e-bikes had different colour numbers? We should not be there to irritate - just partake. I do not understand the idea of racing with a motorized bicycle against cyclists- whats are one actually proving (that your battery is bigger ?)

[capediver]

The Pain Train has had a wash.....time to get serious...

WhatsApp Image 2020-03-07 at 16.49.03.jpeg

What a day, sun, heat, no wind, near misses, breezes, rain, gales, hills, manhole covers, cats-eyes....hills, drizzle, wet tar, dry tar...oh and ja cramps....downhill cramps...that's a real thing on a fixie!

All in all a great day! The Beast bucked and swerved round the mountain, and got me home with a PB of 4h45. Crossed the line with my eldest, elated, next year, a normal bike!!!!

[Stefalbertyn]

Unfair comment: If you can't do Comrades marathon because of whatever reason, you don't just force the organisers to create a new division just so that you can complete it with mechanical motorised assistance.

 

Start at Parkrun and complete one of those as your first challenge. Move up to each consecutive distance.

 

Surely there is fun to be had at shorter cycling distances? Is riding around the block no longer cool?

 

(I know this won't change anything, just needed a place to vent about the absurdity of e-bikes on a 100+ km event)

Taken - but the Cape Town Cycle Tour is not a "race" it is a funride - in any case from groups 4 onwards I've done the Comrades - ther is zero to compare...to start off you have to qualify for the Comrades - if the same rule is applied to the CTCT then only half the entries should be allowed - no ..

[Stefalbertyn]

as said earlier, there was lots of elderly people who simply not able to complete the distance unassisted, they loved the fact that they could join in the fun.

 

maybe the ebikes category must be limited to disabled/elderly or some health issue.   There was 2 skinny guys jaaging that obviously could ride normal bike without any issue

Karman is obese = disabled then ? And people with arthritis? Should I send in my Xrays to qualify as "somewhat" physically challenged. It is a complicated can of worms that has been opened up - I want to do it on an e-bike but I would also feel a bit P*ssed off when being passed up Suikerbossie like I passed people today...

[Karman de Lange]

Karman is obese = disabled then ? And people with arthritis? Should I send in my Xrays to qualify as "somewhat" physically challenged. It is a complicated can of worms that has been opened up - I want to do it on an e-bike but I would also feel a bit P*ssed off when being passed up Suikerbossie like I passed people today...

Dunno , I think it has very big place in events like CTCT,  Just thinking out loud on how to try control it without major admin

[buchanan]

I crashed near cape point in the & group. Am now in hospital injured.

 

Can anyone tell me what happened as I have no memory of it at all.

 

Thanks

Glad you are still alive and can post on bikehub!

Heal up and take it easy. Looked like you had a horrible smash. Was quite shaken after seeing you, but you were getting the care you needed.

[Equity]

6A will have a report up tomorrow.

E-bikes and wind will feature heavily!

Along with freezing rain up Chappies, and a guy racing in Crocs, playing the Titanic theme on repeat!

[ShovaTours]

What a fantastic day out! ... But to the Self Proclaimed "pro rider" on his 2nd lap that started gobbing off at a Fat hacker like me for 'drafting' him and putting his career at risk...

You my friend need to Recalibrate your thoughts.

The back bunches are a Zombie Scene, it's the people Enjoying the experience... Sucking wheels, dodging wreckage, getting rained on... You had 1 lap of fun, dont bring your Chipped shoulder vibes to the rest of us Punters!

Well done to everyone...!

[Mountain Bru]

This was my first CTCT, and I did a 3:01 from 1B which I'm happy with (would have loved to be a minute faster though).

 

 

The 1b/c/d group was ridiculous though. By far the biggest group I've ever been in.

Are there always so many crashes though? It felt super sketchy to me at times, and riding past the 1b/c/d crash after Smitwinkel and seeing a pool of blood on the road made me really nervous for the rest of the day.
 

[Nutty Cyclist]

Thanks. Have a broken collarbone and facial injuries. Also a cracked skull. Plastic surgery tomorrow to fix the face.

[ChrisF]

WOW !

 

Seeing how busy Cape Town international is this morning ... LOTS of bike bags in sight ... makes one realise the magnitude of this event