Cape Town Cycle Tour 2022

[ChrisF]

The spectators were out in full force, lifting our drenched spirits ... Thanks again.

 

 

Now we could relax and actually start noticing the teams.  The "Ostrich team" ... and YES, we have all been invited for the Meiringspoort ride.

 

 

 

And then it was time for a nice warm coffee...

 

 

And just like that the rain was gone .... simply perfect riding weather, from this point onward.

 

 

Was nice riding with you two and hearing your sports journey ....

 

 

The views just kept on getting better ....

 

 

Chilling reminder to stay alert and safe ....  BIG thanks to the many paramedics that were on the ready around the route.

 

 

First of many walkers .... road was getting clogged, and passing was not safe ....

 

 

Camera time ....

 

 

Thanks to the gent that took this pic ...

 

[ChrisF]

Little did I know that stop was not nearly at the top of Smitswinkel ... lesson learnt .... 

 

 

Was nice to have a nice open, and level, section ....

 

 

And just as we got out hopes up for the return leg .... WIND !!  For a short section we were going into a serious head wind !!  Ouch, this can turn into a long day .... and then a few hard drops of rain ....  

 

 

And just as suddenly the rain and wind stopped.  And Misty Cliffs lived up to its name.

 

 

 

Riding a 30+kg bike has its advantages .... it desends like a ton of bricks .... my lead-sled glided past this super-tuck .....

 

 

And .....a bottle neck ..... SLOW .... no way to pass .... sit up, relax, take in the vibe.

 

 

Just a few drops to make us wonder what is waiting around the next corner .... thankfully this was the last for the day.

 

 

STEFAN .... RESPECT to the Pilot !!!

 

 

 

Photo time ....

 

 

Men are idiots .... testosterone driven idiots .... We were all just idelling along peacefully when a lovely young lady came blasting past like a racing snake ..... blink of an eye later I was alone with all the testosterone powered bicycles left my ebike behind .... (if I had the legs I would have joined the chase)

 

 

Thankfully Seattle was just around the corner, and so was my coffee ....

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by ChrisF

[Jbr]

Seeing this I regret even more not doing the 2nd loop last year. I must really make a plan for the next one

[ChrisF]

The SPCA riders were about to get to thee climb ...

 

 

THEEEE climb ....

 

 

 

And then the home straight ....

 

 

Was strange doing this section almost alone ....

 

 

Homeowner helping a rider to get going again ...

 

 

Last pic ....

 

 

Thanks to the riders and organisers for a stunning day out 

[DJR]

Lekker pictures Chris. I always regret not taking enough pictures, and I know I'll probably never have another CTCT with such an opportunity for wet shiny roads with riders reflected as if in a mirror.........glad you captured it properly.

[porqui]

How many cups of coffee did you have in Hout Bay ????

[porqui]

Best lube for this kind of day is just copious amounts of gewone used sump oil. 

Stry nou !!!

 

[ChrisF]

18 minutes ago, porqui said:

How many cups of coffee did you have in Hout Bay ????

Just the one cup.

 

Just liked framing the riders with the cup.

 

 

Actually only half a cup in Simonstown. That just to shake off the rain ....

 

 

Seattle in Houtbay is my post work stop, from where I have done a couple of rides.  My coffee mug at work is a Seattle cup I bought at that shop.

[Kevin Simon]

This was my first CTCT, and gotta admit, found it a lot tougher than what I was expecting. Thought I would manage sub 4, like I did with 947, but got 4:27, kinda disappointed. This was as well my first time riding in the wet….interesting to say the least. 
 

I will admit being one of those riders passing on the left, reason being, everyone (at least most people) seem to think that once they get on a bike, they can ride wherever they feel like. I started in 4B, and pretty much everyone was riding all over the place! I had slow people in the left, slow in the right, I would try overtake on the right, but found it easier to overtake on the left as most people were sticking to the right. Then, a fast group would come shouting and screaming on the right, I would try latch on, but on the downhills going past 40 they would all break, being on a gravel bike with gravel tyres, I would push ahead as I felt quite confident going fast on the downhills in the wet, only for them to overtake me again on the uphills, this would happen a lot throughout the race. Then on the uphills people CANNOT hold a line! O my gosh, some people swerve their bike from right to left, and then back again…. that is the most annoying thing ever. I would try stick to the right here and just shout at people to stay left, but if I saw an opening on the left to overtake, I would just do it.

I do have to agree with a comment about the homeless. I have to admit that CPT seems to have a serious issue that looks like it has gotten out of hand and unchecked. Being from Joburg, it’s not like we don’t have the same issues, but since I have been here and driving around, I have been quite shocked at how bad it is in CPT. Haven’t been to CPT for about 2, maybe 3 years, and it’s gotten a lot worse since I was last here.

It was a great ride, but still debating to myself if it’s worth all the effort to come down here from Joburg to do it…kinda leaning towards no….but we all know how this goes right…. see you all next year 🤣

Edited March 15, 2022 by Kevin Simon

[Wayne pudding Mol]

5 hours ago, Kevin Simon said:

This was my first CTCT, and gotta admit, found it a lot tougher than what I was expecting. Thought I would manage sub 4, like I did with 947, but got 4:27, kinda disappointed. This was as well my first time riding in the wet….interesting to say the least. 
 

I will admit being one of those riders passing on the left, reason being, everyone (at least most people) seem to think that once they get on a bike, they can ride wherever they feel like. I started in 4B, and pretty much everyone was riding all over the place! I had slow people in the left, slow in the right, I would try overtake on the right, but found it easier to overtake on the left as most people were sticking to the right. Then, a fast group would come shouting and screaming on the right, I would try latch on, but on the downhills going past 40 they would all break, being on a gravel bike with gravel tyres, I would push ahead as I felt quite confident going fast on the downhills in the wet, only for them to overtake me again on the uphills, this would happen a lot throughout the race. Then on the uphills people CANNOT hold a line! O my gosh, some people swerve their bike from right to left, and then back again…. that is the most annoying thing ever. I would try stick to the right here and just shout at people to stay left, but if I saw an opening on the left to overtake, I would just do it.

I do have to agree with a comment about the homeless. I have to admit that CPT seems to have a serious issue that looks like it has gotten out of hand and unchecked. Being from Joburg, it’s not like we don’t have the same issues, but since I have been here and driving around, I have been quite shocked at how bad it is in CPT. Haven’t been to CPT for about 2, maybe 3 years, and it’s gotten a lot worse since I was last here.

It was a great ride, but still debating to myself if it’s worth all the effort to come down here from Joburg to do it…kinda leaning towards no….but we all know how this goes right…. see you all next year 🤣

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but the Covid state of emergency has has an impact on the homeless and also means they cannot be evicted - another massive downside is that many parts of cape town smells like human excrement 

I was gagging at the start sitting on my expensive bike next to people getting up from their drenched tents and sideways wheelie bin homes 

[mecheng89]

My first attempt at the CTCT, but suffered a DNF 😭. I was seeded in the @ group, and the group seemed underwhelmingly small, but it could be considered obvious why. Got dropped about 13k in, but managed to regain the bunch until this happened..

So, I'm currenly 0 for 2 for this event. Might consider going back next year. 

Edited March 15, 2022 by mecheng89
Additional comments

[NickGM]

I've done lots of other 100km events at around the 36kph mark so a sub-3 CTCT has always been a target. But geez it seems like fate has other ideas! I can now add "solid rain for 90% of the route" to the list of things that happen when I decide to train for this event. Before sunday it consisted of fire (2016?), protest action (2017?) and severe winds (2019). To rub salt in the wounds I'd also entered the 2018 CTCT but at the 11th hour a friend organized an overseas trip with free accommodation which I couldn't turn down. Cue up the perfect weather. I skipped 2020 and it goes without saying that I rode last year's perfect weather from 4E with my partner riding her first CTCT. 

Anyway, I had a flipping brilliant time despite all the rain, and I'll keep coming back. And if any of you are squash fans, I plan on taking up the Ross Norman approach; a kiwi who vowed that he'd keep playing the unbeatable Jahangir Khan because "one day he will be be slightly off his game and I will get him". Norman eventually beat Khan in the 1986 world open finals, ending his run of 555 games unbeaten (a world record in any sport). Hopefully it doesn't take me that long but I'll keep showing up!

 

 

[Shebeen]

16 hours ago, Eldron said:

You were on the wrong bike! You should have been on this bad boy I have in the shop 😉

R90,000 and capable of 80kph!

No wonder the cheapie single piston Tektro brake pads don't last....

Cute. obviously not race/road legal or an ebike. Not sure if you knew that or still trying too hard to be funny about ebikes after all these years.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

50 minutes ago, NickGM said:

I've done lots of other 100km events at around the 36kph mark so a sub-3 CTCT has always been a target. But geez it seems like fate has other ideas! I can now add "solid rain for 90% of the route" to the list of things that happen when I decide to train for this event. Before sunday it consisted of fire (2016?), protest action (2017?) and severe winds (2019). To rub salt in the wounds I'd also entered the 2018 CTCT but at the 11th hour a friend organized an overseas trip with free accommodation which I couldn't turn down. Cue up the perfect weather. I skipped 2020 and it goes without saying that I rode last year's perfect weather from 4E with my partner riding her first CTCT. 

Anyway, I had a flipping brilliant time despite all the rain, and I'll keep coming back. And if any of you are squash fans, I plan on taking up the Ross Norman approach; a kiwi who vowed that he'd keep playing the unbeatable Jahangir Khan because "one day he will be be slightly off his game and I will get him". Norman eventually beat Khan in the 1986 world open finals, ending his run of 555 games unbeaten (a world record in any sport). Hopefully it doesn't take me that long but I'll keep showing up!

 

 

I have decided my ambition is to become a club21 member first and then do a first sub3.

 I am not sure if that has been done before, seems to unlikely but club21 is big now and it is an obscure thing of note. 

 

 

[Eldron]

24 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Cute. obviously not race/road legal or an ebike. Not sure if you knew that or still trying too hard to be funny about ebikes after all these years.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh sweet jesus. Did the winky face not give it away?

Or the fact that it does 80kph?

Of the fact that Chris and I were having a laugh about lugging a heavy e-commuter around the CTCT course?

Or the fact that it does not, in fact, have any pedals?

 

 

['Dale]

9 hours ago, Kevin Simon said:

This was my first CTCT, and gotta admit, found it a lot tougher than what I was expecting. Thought I would manage sub 4, like I did with 947, but got 4:27, kinda disappointed. This was as well my first time riding in the wet….interesting to say the least. 
 

SNIP

It was a great ride, but still debating to myself if it’s worth all the effort to come down here from Joburg to do it…kinda leaning towards no….but we all know how this goes right…. see you all next year 🤣

If your life allows, it is worth it to come a week long holiday, go see the penguins, check out Table Mountain, the museums, get a reality check at Robbens Island and enjoy our local trails and tarmac.