947 Ride Joburg

[love2fly]

Good luck to everyone riding tomorrow. Be fleet but be safe. After 9 or 10 of them in the last 23 years I can confidently state I won't do another road race - did Ride 4 Sight and 947 about 3 or4 years ago and was appalled by how the STD of bunch riding had declined - even in seeded groups.

Wishing you good weather also.

[NotSoBigBen]

41 minutes ago, love2fly said:

Good luck to everyone riding tomorrow. Be fleet but be safe. After 9 or 10 of them in the last 23 years I can confidently state I won't do another road race - did Ride 4 Sight and 947 about 3 or4 years ago and was appalled by how the STD of bunch riding had declined - even in seeded groups.

Wishing you good weather also.

My favourite topic ... Has gotten even worse now that every man and his dog has a 'smart trainer'

Could just be me though .....

[love2fly]

6 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

My favourite topic ... Has gotten even worse now that every man and his dog has a 'smart trainer'

Could just be me though .....

🤣. Yip. I don't understand why it's either hell for leather or hitting brakes....if you're paying attention it's either stick your head up out the draft or a light feather of the brakes. In my last Ride For Sight guys were passing in the (expressly forbidden) oncoming car lane and in the bunch some hectic braking saw guys take to the dirt to avoid....I'm too old and like my skin where it is 🙂

[ChrisF]

Best wishes for your 94.7 👍

[OVERDRIVE]

17 hours ago, love2fly said:

Good luck to everyone riding tomorrow. Be fleet but be safe. After 9 or 10 of them in the last 23 years I can confidently state I won't do another road race - did Ride 4 Sight and 947 about 3 or4 years ago and was appalled by how the STD of bunch riding had declined - even in seeded groups.

Wishing you good weather also.

STD as in herpes? Apologies that abbreviation 

[love2fly]

18 minutes ago, OVERDRIVE said:

STD as in herpes? Apologies that abbreviation 

I suppose one of those nasties CAN affect the brain....🤣

[thebob]

Lekker day out on the fiets. Started in I group and found a top bunch of guys to work with right from the beginning. Managed a sub 3 hour so I am super happy!

[The Ouzo]

Firstly apologies to the guy right near the start that recognized my name from the hub and said hi. I realize I wasn’t that friendly. I was trying to stick with the Club 100 guys at the time. 
 

I burnt all my matches on the M1  Again. 
managed to stay with the bunch all the way to Kyalami. Even doing my turn on the front a couple of times. 
after turning off of witkoppen I bunny hooped the first speed bump and my right calve turned into a ball of glass. 
nursed it from there. 
then left quad decided to cramp at the top of Hyde park. So most of the second half was spent nursing my legs. 
 

still better than playing golf. 

[Frosty]

 

I watched as the already thinned out bunch had 20s at the top of the R55, which became 40s at the Jukskei river and eventually 8 or 9 minutes at the finish. Still happy with the effort, but disappointed I couldn’t get closer before the left turn. Get to sleep in my own bed tonight and perhaps ride again in the week, so that’s all that counts.

Quickly grabbed some food and some drinks from hospitality (thanks Team Vitality), then made my way out to Jan Smuts drive near Westcliff, to watch my club mates suffer over the hill, before returning to FNB Stadium with the last person, before the ride home. A lekker day out, with sad news of a local club’s member that passed away doing the race.

 

[NicholasT]

The Good.
 

My day and finishing were better than last year, so that’s enough for me. 
 

The bad.

 

I would have liked to have finished inside the stadium like the last couple I did. It just kind of puts the cherry on top of the ride.

Being told by a random car guard that I’d have to pay him R100, otherwise he couldn’t guarantee that my cars tyres wouldn’t be slashed and my bodywork damaged did not help put my mind at ease during the ride. He also said the same thing to the drivers that parked in front and behind me.

Edited November 19, 2023 by NicholasT

[The Ouzo]

10 minutes ago, NicholasT said:

eing told by a random car guard that I’d have to pay him R100, otherwise he couldn’t guarantee that my cars tyres wouldn’t be slashed and my bodywork damaged did not help put my mind at ease during the ride. He also said the same thing to the drivers that parked in front and behind me.

They demanded money from me too. Told him politely where he can stick his request. 

[Bike Dewing]

32 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

They demanded money from me too. Told him politely where he can stick his request. 

They also ran next to me to my parking that there was nooo ways I could have found on my own.! 🙄 nearly knocked over about three of them.. and then I heard him mutter “it’s just R50 for the parking..” I didn’t tell him to get bent till I got back.. 

[The Ouzo]

Just incase anyone thinks I was taking it easy

[thebob]

Those “car guards” are bloody vultures. One of them tried it on with me. Told him to sod off

[binxc]

When we parked, there was a collection of very untidy looking car guards with assorted bibs. One strolls over and hands us a piece of paper that had the Ride Joburg logo on that said, “Parking R150. Pay immediately”. We told him no as we know parking is free and he muttered something along the lines of, “You will pay; this is our parking area” but wandered off. Next thing the actual car guards arrived, all neatly dressed in matching uniforms. 
 

There was a bunch of fake car guards rounded up by the police when I headed to the starting chutes. Probably to be chastised and to be released into the wild to threaten some more people. 
 

Hopefully the race organisers can do something more effective about these scammers next year. They were rather aggressive and it puts a damper on the race mood. 

Edited November 19, 2023 by binxc

[Ispeed_V]

Fun day out. Coffee at Dunkeld. Helped a gent out with flat near the zoo. Helped a lady out going up to Wits who cramped and toppled over. @Frosty saw the poor person who passed just by Gold Reef. Condolences to the family