[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023

[ChrisF]

2 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Spoiler : next year the DC will be a double half century

 

Turn LEFT just before Ashton ...

[Pure Savage]

Just now, ChrisF said:

 

^^^  THIS ^^^

 

Nope, age limit is still 11 unfortunately. 

Sorta ruins the whole, go ride and enjoy closed roads with your family vibes.

[Jbr]

Just now, Pure Savage said:

Nope, age limit is still 11 unfortunately. 

Sorta ruins the whole, go ride and enjoy closed roads with your family vibes.

yeah exactly what I thought, if this means I can take the wife on her ebike and daughter on a FEVA seat after my race, I'm all for it. But if min age is still 11 meh. Also don't mean to moan at anything they throw at us, but the route doesn't seem quite as beautiful as the actual tour, and you do it both ways (not a tour)

[Pure Savage]

11 minutes ago, Jbr said:

yeah exactly what I thought, if this means I can take the wife on her ebike and daughter on a FEVA seat after my race, I'm all for it. But if min age is still 11 meh. Also don't mean to moan at anything they throw at us, but the route doesn't seem quite as beautiful as the actual tour, and you do it both ways (not a tour)

My suggestion was on Saturday, during registration, closing Sea Point to Suikerbosie, single lane closed for bikes only. 30km R250 entry, go and enjoy. 

Maybe this is the first step....

Edited December 5, 2022 by Pure Savage

[SoloCyclist]

18 minutes ago, Jbr said:

yeah exactly what I thought, if this means I can take the wife on her ebike and daughter on a FEVA seat after my race, I'm all for it. But if min age is still 11 meh. Also don't mean to moan at anything they throw at us, but the route doesn't seem quite as beautiful as the actual tour, and you do it both ways (not a tour)

Flying down Wynberg Hill........... you mean we gotta go back up there......

LOL

[The Ouzo]

3 hours ago, edgarblount said:

A shorter route is a brilliant plan! Not everybody can ride in the Pro-Am World Champs and complete a 109km race. A shorter route gives more people a chance to experience what 'racing' is about and also experience the scenery and atmosphere. I am all for a shorter route.

BS. If my dad at 72 could do the full 109 with less the ideal training then you need to have a pretty good excuse to not be able to do it. 

[Bub Marley]

I wonder if you can do both routes then?

 

I wouldn’t mind doing the long route and then taking my son when he turns 11 on the short route loop.

[FootballingCyclist]

3 hours ago, edgarblount said:

A shorter route is a brilliant plan! Not everybody can ride in the Pro-Am World Champs and complete a 109km race. A shorter route gives more people a chance to experience what 'racing' is about and also experience the scenery and atmosphere. I am all for a shorter route.

Not much scenery going to the end of the M3 and back to be honest.

[Spinnekop]

"So.....bru......I hear you are a cyclist?"
"Yah........sure.......I did the August in March this year"
"Way out bru........so like.......what was your time and that?"
"Like.......you carrent belief.......1:30 bru"
"No way"
"Way"

[ChrisF]

1 minute ago, The Ouzo said:

BS. If my dad at 72 could do the full 109 with less the ideal training then you need to have a pretty good excuse to not be able to do it. 

 

Turn the clock back to the 90's ...

 

An abundance of FAMILY oriented road rides allowed people to progress from 20 to 30 to 60km events.  And the 109km was a nice carrot for the social riders.  The Burger-Sanlam ran two distance for decades, with the family progressing, and then moving on to the Argus.

 

My MTB friends are not going to join some crit race.  And joining a "road race" on your MTB is one sure way to get put off the road rides ....

 

 

And yet, when you finally do get to the Argus/CTCT start line, as a newbie in the late morning groups, you see a bunch of like minded casual riders.

 

Now to just get more casual riders to the start line .....

 

 

No matter my personal thoughts on this route .... Any attempt to get more people on their bikes should be applauded 

[Jewbacca]

Why is it 'a bad idea'?

Options, choices and a wider appeal are the spice of life.

Most MTB events have 2 or 3 route options, Iron Man has 2 other route distances, Trail running have multiple route distance options....... I know cold water swimming often has a 400m, 800m or mile option.... UUUmmmm.....

Off the top of my head I can think of quite a number of other successful race models that involve multiple distance options under one event umbrella.

UTCT has about 6 different length races. Not everyone doing the 15km is 'building up' to run the 100 miler.

I always find it so strange how change is met with such negativity, but then I look at the demographic usually opposed to change and it 35 to 65 white males who still think that 'proving oneself' is important because they did it.

It isn't. 

 

[SoloCyclist]

Roadies are the worst when it comes to welcoming new people to the sport........

[Skubarra]

 

48 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

My suggestion was on Saturday, during registration, closing Sea Point to Suikerbosie, single lane closed for bikes only. 30km R250 entry, go and enjoy. 

Maybe this is the first step....

Didn't they attempted to organise the Saturday funride option just before covid? I remember at the time the City flat out refused, combined with other logistical issues the idea was stillborn...

The Ride Joburg 94.7 also have the short route option on the day - seems to work quite well.

[Jbr]

1 hour ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Not much scenery going to the end of the M3 and back to be honest.

Agree, ideal would’ve been simons town or scarborough start, as is it’s the least beautiful part of the route, both ways. Shouldn’t attract many tourists 

[Jewbacca]

5 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Agree, ideal would’ve been simons town or scarborough start, as is it’s the least beautiful part of the route, both ways. Shouldn’t attract many tourists 

Imagine 5000 people trying to get right next to the start on those roads! 

I guess it's much like the 2 oceans half. It see's nothing of the beauty of the cape peninsula but instead runs through the sprawling southern suburbs.

Despite this it attracts tens of thousands of entrants a year.

I'm not going to even begin to understand what drives people to pay, stand in horribly overcrowded start chutes that smell like anxiety, deep heat and fart only to run past rich people's houses. 

Is the allure being a part/associated to an established event and having the excuse to drink beer at forries afterwards?

I'm all for having options, but I won't begin to try to understand what drives people to do things. That is an entirely different thesis on it's own. I'd guess a majority of the back half of the field in the 109km are too poked to care what Misty Cliffs looks like or whether the Sentinel looks majestic AF as you breast chappies. 

[babse]

1 hour ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Not much scenery going to the end of the M3 and back to be honest.

my thoughts exactly, Tour de M3 is worst possibly route for senery... lo