Events that are getting postponed again...

[Robbie Stewart]

So I see Karoo to Coast just got postponed again to 2022. With the Western Cape being the epicentre of this pandemic in SA at present, would it be unreasonable to think that CTCT and ABSA Cape Epic are next in the firing line?

I am not sure why people even bother to enter anymore. With crowds not being permitted and with limited numbers when they do, what's the point of it all anymore anyway? And then I'm not even talking of the ramifications to tourism due to travel restrictions, empty guest houses, closed down restaurants etc, all of whom had been thriving only 2 short years ago.

I feel bad for the event organisers and charities, but these are tough days and there seems to be no respite on the horizon.

Would there even be any events being attempted next year. I have done 3x K2C's and will not enter again till this pandemic is well and truly behind us.

[DieselnDust]

Too easy to cancel and say sorry than to be creative and offer innovative solutions

[Darryllk]

Isn't the Boland 100 Miler still taking place in October?

[Jewbacca]

What is crazy is that an event like CTCT implements methods to still host the event and then gets lambasted because those methods don't allow a fair reflection of who came 26142nd........

I am one of those guest house owners who was flourishing 2 years ago and now not so much. I've stopped taking deposits, stopped implementing charges unless it is a blatant no show, allowed future bookings to stay on the calendar with zero commitment, started renting apartments out long term  and dropped the rates massively just to pay my staff and cover my bills.

The issue with bike events is often the cyclists and their demand for certain things. Field size, support staff, food/water supply stations etc

Trail running events are happening unsupported, carry your own, register on line, rolling starts, times loops etc... 

Call the event organisers lazy, but the backlash over cancelling the event is easier to handle than the backlash over hosting an event that in any way doesn't suit the narrative of cyclists.

 

[DieselnDust]

I for one won't be stopping at any water points at any future event.camelbak all the way. personsal hygiene at water points is a bit offputting

[Mountain Bru]

Just now, DieselnDust said:

I for one won't be stopping at any water points at any future event.camelbak all the way. personsal hygiene at water points is a bit offputting

Such a convenient excuse for why you need a camelbak rather than admitting you actually need 2 cages on your bike...... 

[tubed]

Was interesting to see first hand how Chris and Julia staged the Freedom Challenge events, most of the riders were 100% supportive of whatever they required the riders to do and extra expense the riders were asked to incur. The race office itself made a lot of expensive adjustments as they went, so from everyone involved there was an appreciation that we were lucky to be just riding bikes when many others in society were making/ suffering real sacrifices in their normal lives. 

Notwithstanding these challenges the races went ahead and there were no incidents, but it takes a co-operative approach which recognises that these are extraordinary times and we are just riding bikes.

The gravity of it was brought home when a small nature reserve manager tells you of the sacrifices they are willing to make to host the riders, for without the riders they would not have seen a paying client for 2 years, this on the back of already challenging economic fortunes pre Covid. 

  

  

[Skubarra]

22 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Too easy to cancel and say sorry than to be creative and offer innovative solutions

I think the problem is convincing the authorities involved that your creative & innovative solutions will pass all the covid related red tape, and then secondly as Jewbacca said, whether people will be convinced to pay to enter your creative alternative.

Seems to me Attakwas and Trans Baviaans are going ahead so hopefully things are starting to turn around

[Mountain Bru]

7 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

What is crazy is that an event like CTCT implements methods to still host the event and then gets lambasted because those methods don't allow a fair reflection of who came 26142nd........

I am one of those guest house owners who was flourishing 2 years ago and now not so much. I've stopped taking deposits, stopped implementing charges unless it is a blatant no show, allowed future bookings to stay on the calendar with zero commitment, started renting apartments out long term  and dropped the rates massively just to pay my staff and cover my bills.

The issue with bike events is often the cyclists and their demand for certain things. Field size, support staff, food/water supply stations etc

Trail running events are happening unsupported, carry your own, register on line, rolling starts, times loops etc... 

Call the event organisers lazy, but the backlash over cancelling the event is easier to handle than the backlash over hosting an event that in any way doesn't suit the narrative of cyclists.

 

Shucks man. Sounds like a super crap time, but I guess this season will pass, especially with the vaccines being rolled out to more and more people. 

I agree though that there are many ways to have an event that would reduce risk, especially mtb races. Road races are trickier because of the desire to ride in bunches, but most people would prefer no "bunches" on mtb races.
And if you did away with start bunches, and gave everyone a rough start time, and then let everyone start whenever they wanted between like 6am and 9am, there would be way less exposure between riders. Water points could also be made to be lower risk by making them bigger, spreading the field out more, having more stops so that there's fewer people at each stop, handing out water sachets and asking riders to keep moving rather than stand at the tables, not having any tables to sit and eat at at the finish etc etc etc. But all of this is admin, and I guess at some point the event stops being financially viable. 

What I do think though is that there is a market now for well organized, "covid safe" events because loads of guys want to do races/events and everything is being cancelled.

[DieselnDust]

13 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

I think the problem is convincing the authorities involved that your creative & innovative solutions will pass all the covid related red tape, and then secondly as Jewbacca said, whether people will be convinced to pay to enter your creative alternative.

Seems to me Attakwas and Trans Baviaans are going ahead so hopefully things are starting to turn around

Well the nature reserves are selling hiking permits and taking accommodation bookings and allowing trail running events to pass through....

CTM is opting for 300 person start groups...

K2C cancelled

something is very wrong here. What can create such divergent options?

Cape Pioneer was also cancelled...again. relatively small field. i would have been happy to be self sufficient re-nutrition with maybe prepared bottled at the water points ala cape epic nutrition service.

 

I'd be ok if there was a blanket rulin g that says no sporting events till 31/12/2021.

But now I enter and I lose my money. If I don't enter the event goes under. Its a lose lose scenario with a small chance of victory

[roodie]

South Africa is beautiful and so big with so much opportunity to ride. I have decided long  before the pandemic to stop racing and started doing bike packing and gravel riding for a different riding experience.

It is a specific riding style , but I can book my weekends and plan on short notice as well as be much more cost effective and have a great time cycling. You can bikepack camp style or pick routes with a more luxury oriented overnight stay.  

Keep riding there are plenty of  opportunities that fit the current conditions we live in.

  

[_David_]

I hope and pray that we can get back to "normal" as soon as possible, I'm am so over this pandemic.

[Yyyy]

what do you think of the Pursuit Challenge concept?

I did the wellington one and although having a one water bottle bike brought its challenges i still liked the "unsupported" event.

they even had an unmanned water station at the halfway mark.

Edited August 11, 2021 by YaseenEnos

[Mountain Bru]

Thinking of @Jewbacca's trouble with tenants, what do you guys think of "bike packing" races? Almost like a stage race, but not everyone is doing the stages at the same time, but everyone stays at the same places when they do it.

Not everyone wants to do hardcore million km races where they have to fend for themselves like the Munga. Some guys do races just so that someone else organizes a nice ride for them, sorts out all of the logistics, and maybe gives them some form of ranking afterwards. If a group of guest house/campsite owners got together, organized a beautiful route between their accommodations, and then made a "bike packing" race where you get timed from exit of one to entry on another (or from some point outside of town to another point in the next town), they could basically offer a 3 or 4 day "stage race" where riders could start on any day of the week, and then move along a set route each day to complete the race. And then at the end of the month, the winner of each stage and the overall "GC" is announced. (Timing by strava I guess)

In my mind, this would be a gravel race, be in the western cape, and be "semi-supported" in that breakfast and dinner are provided, but everything else is your own problem. Maybe also with a "crate" system that is transported from one place to the next each day. And like 100 -120 km a day. 

The big win for the guys planning the story would be that they'd get people using their accommodation more regularly if the event was popular. And there would likely be good exposure from more cyclists seeing their place as a good option for future bike packing adventures. And for the riders, you basically have a bike packing adventure planned for you, and it's also a race if that's what you're into, and it basically can't be cancelled unless guest houses have to close and you can't ride your bicycle outside anymore.  

Does this already exist though? I often have "novel" ideas and then find out it's already a thing that I'm unaware of. 

[Bicycle Yard WESTERN CAPE]

58 minutes ago, Darryllk said:

Isn't the Boland 100 Miler still taking place in October?

Heard it got postponed to next year... 

[Bicycle Yard WESTERN CAPE]

12 minutes ago, Zarras said:

Heard it got postponed to next year... 

Nevermind, seems i heard wrong...