[Event] Boland Gravel Monster

[Events Bot]

Event Name: Boland Gravel Monster
When: 10/04/2022
Where: Welbedacht Wine Estate/Schalk Burger & Sons, , Wellington, Western Cape
Category: Gravel and Cyclocross

Start/Finish Welbedacht Estate Schalk Burger and Sons (Wellington)

Entries limited to 1000 participants.

150km, 2000m vertical ascent on Gravel and tar.

Go to Event Page.

[Bub Marley]

Right, so anyone else doing this event?

 

Hopefully the weather is decent in three weeks time 🤞

[Jbr]

Yes it's on my calendar.... I'll enter when I'm sure I have a bike to ride 🤣

[Johan1983]

Im want to ride the 100km. Do they offer a Shuttle in the morning from the finish to the start?

[Dappere]

19 minutes ago, Johan1983 said:

Im want to ride the 100km. Do they offer a Shuttle in the morning from the finish to the start?

They do, but there isn't too much information available, other than an email address to contact: rethastigant@telkomsa.net

Ref: https://d1zwi51l39apzt.cloudfront.net/uploads/events/78433/BOLAND GRAVEL MONSTER EVENT OUTLINE V1.pdf [Slide 8]

[cadenceblur]

1 hour ago, Johan1983 said:

Im want to ride the 100km. Do they offer a Shuttle in the morning from the finish to the start?

I was told R400 

[Bub Marley]

Any early weather predictions yet? 
 

Really not lus for another mudfest. Feels like every event I’ve done this year has been mud mud mud. 
 

Not sure my drivetrain can handle another one 🤦🏻‍♂️

[no calves]

10 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

Any early weather predictions yet? 
 

Really not lus for another mudfest. Feels like every event I’ve done this year has been mud mud mud. 
 

Not sure my drivetrain can handle another one 🤦🏻‍♂️

Looks like a wet one. Fingers crossed the rain blows out to Monday

[JohanDiv]

"Ride forecast for 17 Sep 2023 at 07:00:

Temperature: 6.7°C to 12.8°C, feels like 6°C to 12°C
Wind: 3,6 to 7,9 km/h, with gusts up to 24,4 km/h
13% probability of 0.3 precipitation, 12% probability of 0.5 precipitation"

 

Probably going to get a bit wet in Bainskloof, but cold all the way.. Not very strong wind predicted, but that direction is going to feel like a headwind all the way if the prediction sticks.

[Jbr]

10 minutes ago, JohanDiv said:

"Ride forecast for 17 Sep 2023 at 07:00:

Temperature: 6.7°C to 12.8°C, feels like 6°C to 12°C
Wind: 3,6 to 7,9 km/h, with gusts up to 24,4 km/h
13% probability of 0.3 precipitation, 12% probability of 0.5 precipitation"

 

Probably going to get a bit wet in Bainskloof, but cold all the way.. Not very strong wind predicted, but that direction is going to feel like a headwind all the way if the prediction sticks.

I'm stressing a bit about the week of rain leading to the event... I've done Old Hermon and not very excited for a repeat. Anyone has the map showing where the road/gravel sections are? 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by Jbr

[MongooseMan]

15 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I'm stressing a bit about the week of rain leading to the event... I've done Old Hermon and not very excited for a repeat. Anyone has the map showing where the road/gravel sections are? 

 

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40365136
This is pretty accurate, aside from 10k - 18k, and a few bits near the end, which says tar, but is gravel.

Edited September 11, 2023 by MongooseMan

[JohanDiv]

Just now, Jbr said:

I'm stressing a bit about the week of rain leading to the event... I've done Old Hermon and not very excited for a repeat

 

I did a 4 hr gravel loop in the area on Friday, not specifically on these roads, but much the same, and it was so frustrating dodging mud and puddles all the way. Three/four days after the last rain, and the the roads were still sh#t to say the least. They are simply not draining fast enough at the moment. And all the fields are so saturated after this winter that the water just keeps collecting in the low points of the roads in the valleys, several days after the rain still.

Even if it doesn't rain on Sunday, there is definitely going to be mud and puddles to deal with here and there, especially on the Old Hermon section, and probably around Kasteelberg. From Riebeeck to Gouda the road should dry out quicker I think. Also the dirt road to Wolseley shouldn't be too bad. The sandy section before Bains will probably be a bit challenging though.

[Bub Marley]

47 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I'm stressing a bit about the week of rain leading to the event... I've done Old Hermon and not very excited for a repeat. Anyone has the map showing where the road/gravel sections are? 

 

I’m in the same boat but I’ve already paid for my entry. And I’m not going to just throw a way R1000. Not even sure why the entry is so expensive but it is what it is.

 

If it’s going to rain all week, I wonder if the organisers might postpone the event. It seems like loads of events are getting postponed. I think the farms where all the start/finish is held will probably also have a say. That farm was pretty much destroyed after Old Hermon. Not sure these venues will want that to happen. But I suppose we’ll see how it plays out during the course of the week.

[Jbr]

Just now, Bub Marley said:

I’m in the same boat but I’ve already paid for my entry. And I’m not going to just throw a way R1000. Not even sure why the entry is so expensive but it is what it is.

yeaaaaah.... said the same thing about old hermon then it cost me R4000 to get my bike back in race condition

[Bub Marley]

I thought about servicing the bike but then I figured I’d just do it after this race as this is my last off-road race for a while. If I had just spent R4k on my bike i would definitely not risk a mud fest again.

 

Im hoping the weather changes though and we get some relief. The forecast for the weekend seemed better this morning compared to yesterday.

[Jbr]

3 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I thought about servicing the bike but then I figured I’d just do it after this race as this is my last off-road race for a while. If I had just spent R4k on my bike i would definitely not risk a mud fest again.

 

Im hoping the weather changes though and we get some relief. The forecast for the weekend seemed better this morning compared to yesterday.

I had no choice, crank wasn't even turning once it all dried 🤣