Cape Town Cycle Tour 2021

[MORNE]

16 minutes ago, porqui said:

I have a solution for the e-bikes.

Get them to start just after the pro-ladies in Fishoek.

Then they can give it hammer and tongs amongst themselves and not run out of battery.

 

yea was kind of funny seing guys on ebikes with extra 4kg batteries strapped to the top tube like frame bags haha

[DieselnDust]

Here's my ride report with a bit of post covid perspective:

Since I was in the headspace that 2021 was going to have to be a year of rebuilding after having covid end January and that I didn't think we'd move out of lockdown level 3 to Level 1 so quickly, I didn't really train for CTCT. I planned to use it as a prep ride for the Old Mutual Wealth Double Century. The initial plan was two laps but then  decided that maybe I'll ride to the start from Lakeside, ride the CTCT and then join my pals pulling the Warriors Buggy. This plan required a 4am wake up and 5am departure. 

I pulled onto Main and shortly thereafter was joined by a Pure Savage also riding in 1A. This bearer of bad news informed of the presence of the sub vets in the 1Agroup....Stunning I thought sarcastically. Just what ballie who didn't train for CTCT needs is a bunch of recently ex-pro's spoiling my coffee ride.

I picked up some chums along the way into town. What amazed me wasn't the amaount of peeps riding into town (there were very few) was the amount of shacks on Main Road Mowbray and Woodstock. Literally on the pavement...shacks!!

We pull into Town just before 6am so plenty of time to find a porto loo, get some Zinger Wings at the KFC and find another portaloo. Glorious day for a portaloo too. No wind to spoil the party. I arrive at the 1A chute and the marshall asks me "are you riding in 1A".

"Yes" is respond and he lets me in.... ????

Doesn't even check my number. Inside I meet up with my Paduwan and a few other mates. So we're chin wagging, cracking jokes... just generally shooting the breeze when this horn goes off. We all sort of look at each other and wonder what that all about???

In teh distance there's riders tearing up the tarmac, shortly followed by the riders right in front of us. "oh **** this is the start" and we hastily clip in and ride off.

fortunately I had the presence of mind to realise there is always a bottleneck at the on ramp and sure enough....there were all the trackies track standing. Phew we were back on the group and moving up. Past University Estate I looked back and saw what looked like a meteorite ...no silly not a real one but riders getting shelled out of the back of 1A one by one. Thanks to this phenomenon I was constantly at the back fighting to stay on.

Over Hospital Bend and down the hill toward the plot previously know at Mosterts Mill and up past UCT. We were going so fast that hill felt like a little bump. 

When I looked up again we were rushing up Edinburgh. I knew this because my HR hit 170...172...174...178...184..???? and then we were over. Paduwan was up the road burying himself to stay with the leaders. I looked around me and saw I had some heavy hitters for company so I let that group go over Wynberg Hill and allow the engines behidn to sweep me up and close back up to the leading 1A. We caught them just after Ladies Mile.

We hit Lakeside at about 7:00am, averaging 40Km/hr. Jislike it I figured no e-bike was going to maintain this pace for long without a battery swap or three.

Thus far no accidents. Just a tjop or two riding like they owned the road but they were the exception. Everyone was well behaved, and quiet, no swearing, no crapping each other out...a civilised ride.....well as civilised as 40km/hr average speed gets

Fish Hoek , Glencairn, Simons Town, Froggies Pond and then the fun began at Smits. The gradient went up as did the intensity . The pace didn't feel slower. 

Hitting the last 1km of the climb I realised my legs weren't as good as last year. I knew this so it was more confirmation than a surprise. i've been on a rebuild program since April with no intensity higher than threshold in the workouts. and here I was trying to duke it out at VO2max... eish!!

Still I hung on by my polony skin. The rush down to Scarborough was rough but I made it back and I knew I was going to ay for that effort later. 

Ocean View repeated the exercise of me dropping back and closing back up on the descents. My Paduwan pulls up next to me and tjunes me he thinks he's going to cramp soon. "just sit on the wheel, son and don't you go closing any gaps now, let the Diesel do that. I kept us in the game till Chappies when the ex-pro's lit the burners and the smell of JP-7 filled the air. We continued at our own pace and hooked up with another ex 1A riders over chappies and into Houbay where some more cramp and pace managemnt was called for. With the pleasantries dispensed we hit the run home to Cramps Bay. We made some headway into the group ahead an then got picked up by a tandem with about 6 riders hanging on the back like their lives depended on it. Through Bakoven the pace started lifting again as we caught another group in front of us. A few times I had to play aero bridge for my Paduwan who was digging deeper than the Marianas Trench at this point.  A few times I dropped behind him to push him back on. The kids got all the Wright Stuff. He'll go far in this sport. 

Then we dropped down t the traffic circle on Beach Road and I decided to take the wide line because the boys in front were holding that inside line just too tight. We came out of that without incident...just. and kit the burners. JP5 isn't as potent but we were out of RP-1 a long time ago. The okes were now in a rush and trying to build for a sprint. Look even at position 193 peeps want to dice. Robot to robot racing is a Kaapie thing and there were few Gauties to spoil the party this year. With 1 km to go I get swamped by everyone trying to come forward for the sprint. My wingman is still on my wheel (notice the promotion) but we're at the back of the group now. 

600m,...tanddem still on the front

500m tandems engine splutters

400m flame out

300m okes are thinking who's going to lead us out

250m I decide to play lead out man

 

Ok so no one gave me the memo that says the lead out is not supposed to keep it going all the way to the line but ya no well. Dutch tactics

 

That was my 23rd coffee ride on the bed post.

 

cy'all in March with  more RP-1 in my tanks

For my wingman, it was his first sub3 so we have to celebrate that at some point. The finish marshalls kept telling people to move along but no one really bothered listening to them. The logic of it didn't quite gel with the moment

Edited October 11, 2021 by DieselnDust

[MORNE]

4 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Here's my ride report with a bit of post covid perspective:

Since I was in the headspace that 2021 was going to have to be a year of rebuilding after having covid end January and that I didn't think we'd move out of lockdown level 3 to Level 1 so quickly, I didn't really

didnt really what????!! 

wow...it's like kill bill vol 1 all over again

[Zebra]

.dot.dot.dot.

he REALLY should have placed dot/dot/dot after “I didn’t really….”

then he leaves it OPEN for Part II, the sequel!

[DieselnDust]

posted above LOL

[MORNE]

surprisingly...I beat my PB from last year. Not by much...only 20 minutes.

I was WAAAAY fitter last year, as well as ±10kg lighter then (basically race weight - I cant go lighter tyhan 78kg at 2m lol). Also, i cramped like a mofo last year When we hit Hout bay...rode through it though.

This year i chowed Biltong and winegums all the way. Wheel sucked like a leech. It works for me for sure (winegums and biltong haha). Considering how little prep I did for this compared to last year. Starting in beter/higher ranked groups also makes a massive difference though.

onwards and upwards

Edited October 11, 2021 by MORNE

[MongooseMan]

6 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Starting in beter/higher ranked groups also makes a massive difference though.

Flip, I hope so. The race was fun, but you get absolutely no assistance in the "8s".

Time to get a decent seeding for next time... 

[MORNE]

4 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Flip, I hope so. The race was fun, but you get absolutely no assistance in the "8s".

Time to get a decent seeding for next time... 

for sure. hanging onto a train that is going just about as fast as you can manage is way easier than trying to bridge gaps between slow bunches and faster bunches imo. you just cant when you hit a certain point. Well I burn myself out trying lol.

[HenryS]

14 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Flip, I hope so. The race was fun, but you get absolutely no assistance in the "8s".

Time to get a decent seeding for next time... 

Your 3:46 has already earned you a decent seeding for next year. I would guess maybe early in the 3's. 

[TNT1]

15 hours ago, stringbean said:

Is it me or is the CTCT loosing its appeal?Not to us cyclists but to general population.Old days Lemmer live TV coverage,lots on social media.

Thus year very little.I know it was streamed but just not the same.

Loss of interest or just saving money?

Nah, when someone finds out you have a bicycle, the first question is still "have you ridden the aurgust?".

[Mamil]

9 minutes ago, TNT1 said:

Nah, when someone finds out you have a bicycle, the first question is still "have you ridden the aurgust?".

True that. And then when you draw breath to give a detailed exposition or to say that actually it's all about the tbv or whatever else they say "did you finish" cos for most people riding 100km is an inconceivable thing! 

[Jbr]

My neighbour I ran into yesterday after a family beach ride "How was your argus ? did you do a sub 3 ?" I didn't even remember telling him I was doing it, he probably just assumed since he sees me go in and out on a bicycle every single day ????

[Pieterlab1]

First CTCT done! 3:19:22

What a great race and a great day overall!

I will be back for a few more!

[The Ouzo]

1 hour ago, TNT1 said:

Nah, when someone finds out you have a bicycle, the first question is still "have you ridden the aurgust?".

my helmet did not fit into my carry on luggage, so I had it hooked to the straps. every second person was asking me if I came down to cape for the august.

[MTBeer]

17 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

The dads and kids on tandems were out in force yesterday. It was so awesome. I have to wait 9 more years before my little dude is eligible. It gives me enough time to save up for one!

what is the lower age limit for kids to ride the CTCT?

[Karman de Lange]

1 minute ago, MTBeer said:

what is the lower age limit for kids to ride the CTCT?

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