2019 Amashova

[donovanmcdonald]

Coke and a Tex Bar at the next Caltex in Koster will do me

I did the 100 km and only started at 08h15 so I rode the whole ride in the heat.It was especially hot and did not stop at the first wp as I wanted to go to the second one.On arrival there was no water at wp two so had to ride for 30 km without any.I realize that I should be better prepared but if ALL races only cater for the pros then we would not have any of these races at all.The so called weekend warriors actually pay the bills at these events AND the local bike shops too to be honest.I can appreciate the difficult logistics but feel that maybe the starting times could be adopted slightly.I will however do the event again.

[scotty]

Am I??

WTF have I been doing wrong all these years.

What else do you do when out for a 150k jol on the road

I'm not going to carry all that sh*t

The challenge comes with a 100k jaunt on the mtb.Again the odd spaza comes in extremely useful

I did a 105km ride yesterday, those hubbers that follow me on strava can vouch for, admittedly I started early 5am. I rode with 2 water bottles an energy bar and 1 gel, pulled up outside my house with a full water bottle and half an energy bar. Some of the riders i was with finished both bottles and ate numerous stuff. Not everyone is the same. 

[Frosty]

PS Frosty : Hope you have water points with uber alles for this weekend. #goodluck

Our water points are exactly that... water points, and not feed stations.

 

Energize, Coke and Water.

 

I think the MTB event will have some food - will find out tomorrow when I speak to the guys helping at the water points.

[LongDonkey]

I did the 100 km and only started at 08h15 so I rode the whole ride in the heat.It was especially hot and did not stop at the first wp as I wanted to go to the second one.On arrival there was no water at wp two so had to ride for 30 km without any.I realize that I should be better prepared but if ALL races only cater for the pros then we would not have any of these races at all.The so called weekend warriors actually pay the bills at these events AND the local bike shops too to be honest.I can appreciate the difficult logistics but feel that maybe the starting times could be adopted slightly.I will however do the event again.

ANY race that runs out of water is BS. At any water point!! Number of entries and general temperature and race conditions should give organisers enough info to prepare. 

Well done on getting through in that heat. Food is kind of secondary but something basic should be available. Even if it is lousy quality bananas.

[LongDonkey]

Our water points are exactly that... water points, and not feed stations.

 

Energize, Coke and Water.

 

I think the MTB event will have some food - will find out tomorrow when I speak to the guys helping at the water points.

Good man. Hoping to ride, but 3 races in 3 weekends is rubbing the missus the wrong way. 

[Kranswurm]

I did a 105km ride yesterday, those hubbers that follow me on strava can vouch for, admittedly I started early 5am. I rode with 2 water bottles an energy bar and 1 gel, pulled up outside my house with a full water bottle and half an energy bar. Some of the riders i was with finished both bottles and ate numerous stuff. Not everyone is the same. 

I understand that...just pulling your leg.I have never understood this demand for huge amounts of food and whatever at water points ridiculous.At least in Botswana it did not go to waste as the local lads and lasses were happy at pack up time.I was certainly never a Sub 3 Argus but always finished with half a bottle left and a back pocket full of sticky sultanas

[Kranswurm]

I did the 100 km and only started at 08h15 so I rode the whole ride in the heat.It was especially hot and did not stop at the first wp as I wanted to go to the second one.On arrival there was no water at wp two so had to ride for 30 km without any.I realize that I should be better prepared but if ALL races only cater for the pros then we would not have any of these races at all.The so called weekend warriors actually pay the bills at these events AND the local bike shops too to be honest.I can appreciate the difficult logistics but feel that maybe the starting times could be adopted slightly.I will however do the event again.

Why did you not just stop at the local filling station and top up your bottles?Or pop in to a house and catch a fill at a garden hose

[bmw1za]

B bunch crash update ... just before the last water point ... yes the one where the injured lady was in a pool of blood, spoke to the team and she is home recovering . Stitches in the face and back of the head with a concussion . Scan came back clear. She is in good spirits and we wish her a speedy recovery

[King_Crispy]

I did the 100 km and only started at 08h15 so I rode the whole ride in the heat.It was especially hot and did not stop at the first wp as I wanted to go to the second one.On arrival there was no water at wp two so had to ride for 30 km without any.I realize that I should be better prepared but if ALL races only cater for the pros then we would not have any of these races at all.The so called weekend warriors actually pay the bills at these events AND the local bike shops too to be honest.I can appreciate the difficult logistics but feel that maybe the starting times could be adopted slightly.I will however do the event again.

Prepare better.

I'm a weekend warrior and my riding mates ranged in time from 2:55 to 3:10.

I've only ever stopped at 1 WS for a coke in 1989 at Argus when there was a heat wave. I also didn't train for that, so maybe that's why I felt the need to stop.

I get so pissed off when i see all the useless riders at 94.7.

Cycling is tough, and one needs to train for the event at hand. It's like me trying to run Comrades. I know my limits.

Cycling can kill you

[Vetplant]

Prepare better.

I'm a weekend warrior and my riding mates ranged in time from 2:55 to 3:10.

I've only ever stopped at 1 WS for a coke in 1989 at Argus when there was a heat wave. I also didn't train for that, so maybe that's why I felt the need to stop.

I get so pissed off when i see all the useless riders at 94.7.

Cycling is tough, and one needs to train for the event at hand. It's like me trying to run Comrades. I know my limits.

Cycling can kill you

A bit harsh, but I think you are right.

 

If you want to start your fitness journey, go do a parkrun and then go do some weekend rides with mates etc.

 

Don't enter the 947 in October and think you will "take it as it comes" in the 2nd half of November, which is never a cool day.

 

The problem is with the lack of shorter distance events for the masses in Gauteng to get some experience and fitness on. So I think the organisers have made a good move to finally bring in the short option on 947, it is long overdue.

 

We as a cycling community need to take responsibility to ensure newbies don't go for the big ticket 947 right off the bat.

 

You first do a 21.1km, then a Marathon and then a Comorades... Why aren't we doing the same thing for cycling? Greed?

Edited October 21, 2019 by Swift&Aero

[King_Crispy]

A bit harsh, but I think you are right.

 

If you want to start your fitness journey, go do a parkrun and then go do some weekend rides with mates etc.

 

Don't enter the 947 in October and think you will "take it as it comes" in the 2nd half of November, which is never a cool day.

 

The problem is with the lack of shorter distance events for the masses in Gauteng to get some experience and fitness on. So I think the organisers have made a good move to finally bring in the short option on 947, it is long overdue.

 

We as a cycling community need to take responsibility to ensure newbies don't go for the big ticket 947 right off the bat.

 

You first do a 21.1km, then a Marathon and then a Comorades... Why aren't we doing the same thing for cycling? Greed?

Harsh? Pragmatic and honest.

Greed, possibly.

But it's also the misconception that cycling is good for you.

Anything in moderation is ok. Cycling in adverse conditions can be lethal. The human body reacts differently and can be decidedly frail.

As someone pointed out in one of the earlier posts, you have to know what you're capable of, and listen to your body

[Roguemeister]

B bunch crash update ... just before the last water point ... yes the one where the injured lady was in a pool of blood, spoke to the team and she is home recovering . Stitches in the face and back of the head with a concussion . Scan came back clear. She is in good spirits and we wish her a speedy recovery

Good to hear! That looked nasty and our whole bunch pretty much rode to the finish in silence after seeing it.

 

Speedy recovery to her!

[TALUS]

I have never understood why you need a WATER table before 30km (I am being very generous here). 15km/h for 2 hours on two bottles must be within your reach if you choose to actually start. Thereafter even at 10km/h you can go 20km in between. Food on a roadrace…? really? What do you actually carry in your back pockets? Even at 6 hours you can carry enough food to not really want to rob a Spur at the end.

This is just part of the whole concept of passing on the responsibility for everything onto someone else. Train. Start early in the year. If you are not fit enough - do the short route or withdraw but don't always blame someone else.

No …..You cant just enter and expect to have a easy ride or to finish. It is actually your problem.

 

I have done many races. This was my first Shova (and my last- logistics is a bitch) but it was better organized than many other races/rides out there.

 

Problem is that nobody knows Rule #5 anymore.

[Frosty]

Good man. Hoping to ride, but 3 races in 3 weekends is rubbing the missus the wrong way. 

I'll be 5 races in 5 weekends. Luckily two are running races, so it's an early day back home. Two of the other three are away from home for the whole weekend (this weekend and next). Would've been 6 if I entered the Tough One, but I'm not ready to run 32Km yet.

[HdB]

I can't say that the organisation seemed any worse to me than last year. Our bus to the start left right on time, the bike pickup was fine, and the start times to try and stagger the different distances seemed to work better than last year - the front of the non-elite 160km fed in with some of the slower AL and BL riders, and my wife on the 35km didn't get buzzed by maverick decenders from the longer distances.

I saw two waterpoints on the Eston loop, so not sure about the statement that their first waterpoint was only after 80km+...

 

It was simply a very very hot day. Not the organiser's fault (though they should have had more water), not the start times, the 160km riders drinking all the water (all 24 of us), or not everyone being camels.

 

We spoke to a guy at the hotel afterwards, his wife's GPS measured 46 degrees somewhere along the route.

 

I am interested in knowing how two clearly inexperienced riders on mountain bikes with knobblies and ill-fitting helmets managed to start the 160km (in the lady's case, it was a borrowed bike). As far as I am aware, the criteria includes a sub 3 Amashova in the past two years.

[BMXER]

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Edited October 21, 2019 by BMXER