Cape Town Cycle Tour 2022

[jcza]

Learn how to hide in the bunch assuming you have form to get into the correct start group. Pointless looking at numbers during the race. Watch the wheel and don't lose it!! 

['Dale]

Process goals:

- stay in top 25 wheels

- if slow on gradients, don't panic, pace yourself and don't kick with the puncheurs

- communicate calmly, don't scream as it startles.

- don't drink, sip and swirl

- sleep well Thursday and Friday night

 

[Mamil]

3 hours ago, Frosty said:

First of all, you need to be capable of averaging >36.5km/h for 3 hours. That's the ticket just to be there. Secondly, you need to be able to withstand the surges/attacks and then recover, and do it again while still maintaining that average. If you can't do #1 then whatever you do for #2 won't matter.

You can't plan for the exact conditions on the course, but you can train to see how you perform under similar circumstances. Example: Ride at Tempo (upper half) and Sweet Spot zones for 2 hours (+/- to the start of Chappies), then see how you perform at the same effort required for little Chappies and Chappies proper. It needs to be as hard, or harder, than what you would do in the bunch. It doesn't have to be measured with power, but it's easier to quantify. The winner of the race is the one with the fastest average speed, not the person with the highest power. So you could also time yourself on a climb of similar length/gradient after having done the 2 hour ride at "race pace". If your speed is on par with the data, and you "feel" okay, chances are you can do well. If not, then you need to work on the 9-11 minutes that is required from bottom to top (and it's not all full gas all the way). 

Number 1 I can do - managed it at the 99er and the last sportif I did so I can tick that box. As I say it's when the jokers in my group smash out sustained efforts that ask me to hold vo2max levels for longer than 2 or 3 mins that I fade like a granny whose been taken out of the old age home for too big a day.

I try to explain to them that I can hold threshold forever and a day and if they just slowed down a bit on the big hills I would happily offer up a 93 kg wide slip for more than my fair share of the flats and that this would amply compensate them, but they tell me there's something about the concept "race" that I'm missing. 

So having identified this after bashing my head against it in every event since I started riding, I am attempting to do something about it.

After this morning's noodle .... I'm not optimistic but I'll have fun trying.

Just a point about the data - I don't think anyone is suggesting that one rides staring at the head unit - the data is just a way of recognising areas of relative strength and weakness and using that to implement some kind of remedial action for the weaknesses.

Also - "just moer it" can be a great approach if a person has a naturally strong engine but when you're in an underpowered 4 cylinder sedan with a soft suspension, careful attention must be paid to the engine before "moering it" otherwise it just doesn't "moer".

And I live in dread of the day that bloody Jewbacca beats me on his BMX - for shame,  I'll have to open a new hub account and make my Strava private or something.

 

 

[DJR]

4 minutes ago, Mamil said:

...................Also - "just moer it" can be a great approach if a person has a naturally strong engine but when you're in an underpowered 4 cylinder sedan with a soft suspension, careful attention must be paid to the engine before "moering it" otherwise it just doesn't "moer".................

 

😁Lekke laugh at myself

[DJR]

6 minutes ago, Mamil said:

............And I live in dread of the day that bloody Jewbacca beats me on his BMX...............

 

It's not as painful as I imagined it would be.........at least I could console myself that I "lost" to a rather magical beast.............and the charity angle also helped softening the blow.😜

[DJR]

All this talk on data and how to ride a fast CTCT got me thinking. Perhaps I should add some advice for the slowcoaches who are riding in the middle of the race, perhaps trying to just finish? Here it is:

1. Ride the first part from the start to Simons Town so that you feel you are not really putting in enough effort. In other words: Well within your abilities. Don't let anyone drag you into pulling long stretches in the front. Hide from the wind and wheel-suck all you can, Enjoy the scenery. chat with fellow riders.

2. From Simons Town to the top of Chappies you should still feel strong enough to ride it at the edge of your abilities. In other words: As fast as you can sustain. Yup, going up Chappies, you should no longer be able to talk much more than a single word or two, forget about striking up a conversation. 

3. From the top of Chappies, rest and recover until the bottom of Suikerbossie. From there, provided you have not had little cramp warnings, throw caution to the wind and go flat out. At the summit of Suikerbossie you should be near falling over and puking, then rest down Suikers and when you hit the flats, go flat out till the finish line.

4. Down a Coke, really fall down in the shade until you feel strong enough to go find a cold beer! 

That's my very well tried and tested "race plan", but for some reason it never produces a sub 3 ride, must be the shortage of data. (OK, to be honest, it is that little genetic thing and inherent laziness getting in the way, I know)

 

 

[Mamil]

18 minutes ago, DJR said:

All this talk on data and how to ride a fast CTCT got me thinking. Perhaps I should add some advice for the slowcoaches who are riding in the middle of the race, perhaps trying to just finish? Here it is:

1. Ride the first part from the start to Simons Town so that you feel you are not really putting in enough effort. In other words: Well within your abilities. Don't let anyone drag you into pulling long stretches in the front. Hide from the wind and wheel-suck all you can, Enjoy the scenery. chat with fellow riders.

2. From Simons Town to the top of Chappies you should still feel strong enough to ride it at the edge of your abilities. In other words: As fast as you can sustain. Yup, going up Chappies, you should no longer be able to talk much more than a single word or two, forget about striking up a conversation. 

3. From the top of Chappies, rest and recover until the bottom of Suikerbossie. From there, provided you have not had little cramp warnings, throw caution to the wind and go flat out. At the summit of Suikerbossie you should be near falling over and puking, then rest down Suikers and when you hit the flats, go flat out till the finish line.

4. Down a Coke, really fall down in the shade until you feel strong enough to go find a cold beer! 

That's my very well tried and tested "race plan", but for some reason it never produces a sub 3 ride, must be the shortage of data. (OK, to be honest, it is that little genetic thing and inherent laziness getting in the way, I know)

 

 

watch out for the little 1 - 2 combination coming out of Camp's Bay

[mecheng89]

Time to consult a website I forgot about a long time ago - BestBikeSplit. 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Also important for a Sub3 is to realize that very few people are able to ride a negative split on the Argus. So if you go through halfway with a 36.5avs you aren't going to ride a Sub3. You need to hit Ocean View with at least a 38avs to stand a chance. Apologies if I'm repeating what has been said already, I haven't been through the entire thread.

Edited February 18, 2022 by BuffsVintageBikes

[Frosty]

I remember that passing the Simon’s Town water point in an hour, or less, was a good benchmark for a sub-3.

[Frosty]

5 minutes ago, mecheng89 said:

Time to consult a website I forgot about a long time ago - BestBikeSplit. 

That’s where having the course file (and virtual partner) on your device comes in handy. It’s better than sticking the route profile on the bike.

[Yyyy]

doing hero pulls upfront and exploding later also makes for better story telling than sucking wheel all day.... just saying (1D riders take note)

[Frosty]

1 hour ago, Mamil said:

Number 1 I can do - managed it at the 99er and the last sportif I did so I can tick that box. As I say it's when the jokers in my group smash out sustained efforts that ask me to hold vo2max levels for longer than 2 or 3 mins that I fade like a granny whose been taken out of the old age home for too big a day.

I try to explain to them that I can hold threshold forever and a day and if they just slowed down a bit on the big hills I would happily offer up a 93 kg wide slip for more than my fair share of the flats and that this would amply compensate them, but they tell me there's something about the concept "race" that I'm missing. 

So having identified this after bashing my head against it in every event since I started riding, I am attempting to do something about it.

After this morning's noodle .... I'm not optimistic but I'll have fun trying.

Just a point about the data - I don't think anyone is suggesting that one rides staring at the head unit - the data is just a way of recognising areas of relative strength and weakness and using that to implement some kind of remedial action for the weaknesses.

Also - "just moer it" can be a great approach if a person has a naturally strong engine but when you're in an underpowered 4 cylinder sedan with a soft suspension, careful attention must be paid to the engine before "moering it" otherwise it just doesn't "moer".

And I live in dread of the day that bloody Jewbacca beats me on his BMX - for shame,  I'll have to open a new hub account and make my Strava private or something.

I wouldn’t recommend it either; staring at the head unit.

However, it can give some insight at critical points along the route. If the top of Suikerbossie is 92Km, and it’s 16km to the finish, and I know I can ride (on my own) at 32km/h, then it will take 30min to get to the finish. Therefore, to break 3h, I need to be at that point no later than 2h30. So even if dropped from the bunch, if a sub3 is the goal, and I know I can ride at 32km/h, then all I need to concentrate on is that speed. I would then make sure lap speed is displaying and I’ll press the lap button and “pace it” to the finish. No need to panic, and ride at 36km/h for 8km and then at 28km/h for the last 8Km.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

My strategy for winning this race is simple and fool proof

hammer down to kalk bay - coffee and croissant 

rejuvenated hammer down to noordhoek for 2 cokes and a a jig to eye of the tiger 

blitz chappies like it’s a downhill to houtbay 

stop for a full size Weiss (no halves) and KOM suikerbossie passing the pretenders and wannabes and dip for the line at greenpoint 

thanks and see you on my back wheel if you can hang on 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Wayne pudding Mol
Grammar

[jcza]

29 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Also important for a Sub3 is to realize that very few people are able to ride a negative split on the Argus. So if you go through halfway with a 36.5avs you aren't going to ride a Sub3. You need to hit Ocean View with at least a 38avs to stand a chance. Apologies if I'm repeating what has been said already, I haven't been through the entire thread.

Respectfully disagree 

[droo]

3 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

 If you've built a few bridges and someone starts telling you how to build a few bridges, there is little merit in it. 

 

But you **** just ONE goat...