[Event] Eroica South Africa & NOVA Eroica

[Stan Engelbrecht]

Event Name: Eroica South Africa & NOVA Eroica
When: 14 March 2020
Where: MMACC, corner of Kohler and Long Streets, Montagu, Western Cape
Category: Road

On the weekend of 14 March 2020, one week after the famed Cape Town Cycle Tour, we are celebrating our fifth Eroica South Africa in the beautiful village and surrounds of Montagu. Come celebrate vintage Italian road cycling culture with us - bring your classic racing bicycles and ride with us through the beautiful Karoo around the dirt roads north of Montagu in the Western Cape. For those of you who are into a more modern approach, come and race our enduro-style NOVA Eroica race on your gravel bikes!

 

Of course there will be great food and wine, and lots of old bicycles to lust over. With South Africa's rich cycling history, we’re proud to have this celebrated Italian event honoured on African soil.

 

As before, we're hosting a vintage bicycle concourse, so prepare your most beautiful and rarest old bicycles for display and judging - it’s time to see what South Africans have hidden in their bike collections! Enter soon, and secure your accommodation and dinner bookings - it’s going to be a fantastic weekend.

 

See you there!

Go to Event Page

[Dirt Addict07]

Looking forward to this event! Installed 28mm tyres, makes a big difference on comfort level.

[Mamil]

Entered the Nova - my second one.

[DJR]

Entered Team DJR - Using it as a carrot to get myself up to full strength by then. Physio happy with my arm rehab, handed me over to the biokineticist recently, doing gym regularly as well as lengthening the rides. Good for about 3 hours at the moment, including roughish stuff. So, sanity prevailed and we entered for the 90.

Edited November 7, 2019 by DJR

[Wayne pudding Mol]

I was keen to do my first one but I see that my modern groupsets and cleats exclude me.

 

Might look at the Nova but that's a long ride for me

[DJR]

I was keen to do my first one but I see that my modern groupsets and cleats exclude me.

 

Might look at the Nova but that's a long ride for me

Two words: Bike build

[VASTLAND]

looking forward to this event.. 

[VASTLAND]

Entered Team DJR - Using it as a carrot to get myself up to full strength by then. Physio happy with my arm rehab, handed me over to the biokineticist recently, doing gym regularly as well as lengthening the rides. Good for about 3 hours at the moment, including roughish stuff. So, sanity prevailed and we entered for the 90.

The 90 is just the right distance to enjoy the festivities but also suffer more than a little. Good choice

[DJR]

The 90 is just the right distance to enjoy the festivities but also suffer more than a little. Good choice

I've done it a few times and I agree 100%. The first 50 is so easy, but the last 40 will make you regret any laziness in your training. I fully intended doing the 130 something the last time, but then ended up being "team manager" with a badly broken arm after a really nasty crash 2 weeks before. My team still rode the 90 and my youngest appropriated my bike for it - the bike I built especially for it!

 

Here is a picture of them, just for fun.    

[Loose cog]

done

Edited February 7, 2020 by Loose cog

[Mamil]

Ok I confess - on my first nova I left out the last little 20k add on ... in my defence it was very hot

[DJR]

For anyone considering doing Eroica SA, I'll add a few pictures, because it really is a colourful event. 

 

This was the start of the 1st one. "Stan the man" on the chair. Left of him the fouder of Eroica, Giancarlo Brocci.  On the start line in goggles, the late Luciano Berutti, "Mr Eroica", who rode it on a 1907 Bianchi.

[DJR]

Year 2 (I think) with the coolest lead out car any bike race ever had. Traguardo = Finish or goal

Edited November 9, 2019 by DJR

[DJR]

Year 3 we really had terrible luck with punctures - changed to bigger tyres after that and never struggled again. D with the tubes he and I destroyed that day between us. Plus some duct tape patches and sealant too!  I kid you not. 

[DJR]

This is what Eroica is all about. Long lonely roads of the beaten track. Beautiful landscape. Tough riding with like minded people. No stinky attitudes, only friendly brothers.

[DJR]

Oh, and cool old bicycles of course.....many of them. Every year I found another unusual name I have never seen before. From rusted locally made 1980s bikes to Italian race horses in shiny bling, all equally welcome.