[Event] Winelands Cycle Race

[Cycle1234]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

rest of D bunch swerving to miss this idiot.

I was that person with a flat. It happened as we had to start. So there was no time for my fellow riders to get out of the way. After Group D left all my fellow riders moved out of the way. The groups was very packed as always no way to move out of the way in split seconds. So to call a person a idiot is not very sportmans like and you do not have all the facts . Rather say nothing if you can't say something good. Hope your race ended well after major discomfort you had to go through at the start.

[bleedToWin]

8 minutes ago, Cycle1234 said:

I was that person with a flat. It happened as we had to start. So there was no time for my fellow riders to get out of the way. After Group D left all my fellow riders moved out of the way. The groups was very packed as always no way to move out of the way in split seconds. So to call a person a idiot is not very sportmans like and you do not have all the facts . Rather say nothing if you can't say something good. Hope your race ended well after major discomfort you had to go through at the start.

Breaking your 7 year silence. Welcome. 😀

[ChrisF]

32 minutes ago, Cycle1234 said:

I was that person with a flat. It happened as we had to start. So there was no time for my fellow riders to get out of the way. After Group D left all my fellow riders moved out of the way. The groups was very packed as always no way to move out of the way in split seconds. So to call a person a idiot is not very sportmans like and you do not have all the facts . Rather say nothing if you can't say something good. Hope your race ended well after major discomfort you had to go through at the start.

 

Uhhmmmm ...

 

By the time the race started you were already on the pavement fixing the flat.  The 4 or 5 friends standing along the side was an obstruction, and "silly" as they could hop onto the pavement easily.

 

The gent STANDING in the middle of the road most certainly was DANGEROUS !!!

 

You were where the official is standing in this photo, i.e. front half of the field

 

 

It was just luck that the back half the field managed to swerve around the person standing in the middle of the road .....

 

 

 

EDIT - I do hope you managed to get the tube replaced and had a good race 👍

 

Edited January 29 by ChrisF

[Cycle1234]

28 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Uhhmmmm ...

 

By the time the race started you were already on the pavement fixing the flat.  The 4 or 5 friends standing along the side was an obstruction, and "silly" as they could hop onto the pavement easily.

 

The gent STANDING in the middle of the road most certainly was DANGEROUS !!!

 

You were where the official is standing in this photo, i.e. front half of the field

 

 

It was just luck that the back half the field managed to swerve around the person standing in the middle of the road .....

 

 

 

EDIT - I do hope you managed to get the tube replaced and had a good race 👍

Always 2 sides of a story then the truth. Calling people idiots is not nice👍. Had a awesome race thanks

[ChrisF]

5 minutes ago, Cycle1234 said:

Always 2 sides of a story then the truth. Calling people idiots is not nice👍. Had a awesome race thanks

 

Sorry for my choice of words.

 

PS - I changed my previous post.

 

Glad you had an awesome race.

Edited January 29 by ChrisF

[Heina13]

Also started in D. Didnt expect that start. Would also like the start to be neutralised if possible. It was frantic getting out of town and by the Hermon road I decided that I was just spending too much energy trying to get to the bunch. Just not technically good enough to handle that start at that pace and hold the bunch. A buddy and I did a long stretch almost solo till the F bunch came flying from behind, which was still difficult to catch any wheel with the speed difference. Got over Bothmas and formed a small group of about 8/9 with a very nice experienced rider who organised a group and we flew the last half of the race and ended just over 3:15 and left wondering what could have been if the start was easier and I could just hold a wheel. Thats how you learn I guess. Must admit I also started a bit back and got held up by the man with the puncture! But no hard feelings. That is possible my worst nightmare starting a race with a flat. All and all a good day!

[Kom]

2 hours ago, Cycle1234 said:

 So to call a person a idiot is not very sportmans like and you do not have all the facts . Rather say nothing if you can't say something good. Hope your race ended well after major discomfort you had to go through at the start.

I rode in D-Batch too. Im the guy in black, on a black giant, with black socks, helmet etc etc and those who knew, noticed me on the front taking turns to do work, no complaining or advice giving etc i was there to have fun and work for a result.

It amazed me how D-batch was full of peanut-gallery advisors critiquing literally everything going on from the center of the batch, sucking wheel.

[ChrisF]

26 minutes ago, Kom said:

I rode in D-Batch too. Im the guy in black, on a black giant, with black socks, helmet etc etc and those who knew, noticed me on the front taking turns to do work, no complaining or advice giving etc i was there to have fun and work for a result.

It amazed me how D-batch was full of peanut-gallery advisors critiquing literally everything going on from the center of the batch, sucking wheel.

 

Absolute newbie question .....

 

How do you manage such an explosive start ?  Or do you do a warm up lap before going to the start shute ?

 

The two times I tried such fast starts I cramped up after 15 minutes .... 

 

 

 

As to the comment about the comments .... leading into Bothmanskloofpas I lead for a while.  IMMEDIATELY I got comments from the back about what pace to keep ..... apparently I was 0,5km/h too fast .... 

 

 

 

@MORNE  saw what happened last year, I got badly boxed in ... and had nowhere to go when the group sat up and slowed down for the climb.  This time I made sure to be in the front at that point.

 

Edited January 29 by ChrisF

[Jbr]

4 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

when the group sat up and slowed down for the climb.  This time I made sure to be in the front at that point.

The group slowed down for the climb ? That's usually when things get interesting (and by interesting I mean slightly uncomfortable)

[Renaldo Wessels]

36 minutes ago, Kom said:

I rode in D-Batch too. Im the guy in black, on a black giant, with black socks, helmet etc etc and those who knew, noticed me on the front taking turns to do work, no complaining or advice giving etc i was there to have fun and work for a result.

It amazed me how D-batch was full of peanut-gallery advisors critiquing literally everything going on from the center of the batch, sucking wheel.

You definitely worked hard , I rode in the white and orange kit and at times it felt if only 5 people took turns. Was relieved when the guys/power houses in yellow came past and literally pulled us to the finish. At the end of the day a very enjoyable ride

Edited January 29 by Renaldo Wessels
Spelling

[Kom]

1 minute ago, Renaldo Wessels said:

You definitely worked hard , I rode in the white and orange kit and at times it felt if only 5 people took turns. Was relieved when the guys/power houses in yellow came past and literally pulled us to the finish

Yeah - Arno and the Kirmack crew definitely made D-Batch come alive after Malmesbury.

Lekker to ride with you (and the other rider in the Pelegrino top).

[Kom]

15 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Absolute newbie question .....

How do you manage such an explosive start ?  Or do you do a warm up lap before going to the start shute ?

The two times I tried such fast starts I cramped up after 15 minutes .... 

A couple of thoughts:

1 - The seeding for the early-new year-events will always have the biggest mixup of those that should probably be in A or B batch and those that might not have trained to hard during and post XMAS. This mixup causes the "surge" differences that hurt the untrained.

2 - You dont have to start in the group provided, you can drop back as far as you like to a group with riders you might know or look like a bunch that are going to ride a relaxed race (nothing wrong with doing this, for those just wanting a good seeding for CTCT, just finishing Winelands will advantage your seeding.

 

[thisismyotherbike]

.

Edited January 29 by thisismyotherbike
Changed my mind, I don't want to post this

[MORNE]

15 minutes ago, Jbr said:

The group slowed down for the climb ? That's usually when things get interesting (and by interesting I mean slightly uncomfortable)

That group just settled into a cruising pace, drinking and stocking up on carbs before the hill.

@ChrisF just forgot he was on an e-bike for a second and not everyone (in that group) can go full taps all the way on an analog bike 😅 it was still relatively quick for a plonker like me for instance…like 3h and under pace.  
 

you didnt really get boxed in Chris (imo) ….you just didnt want to ride in the group in that spot haha. Ive passed people on the gravel shoulder too before because I was frustrated. Maybe it’s not as noticeable on an ebike, but you HAVE to ride in the group like that if you want to save energy and go faster on a normal bike. Its something silly like 30% or some number, one of these racing snakes will correct me im sure.😅

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, thisismyotherbike said:

Curious to know the rules concerning ebikes in this event. We had a rider on one in C batch.

He was at the pointy end of the bunch, rode away (at near zero cadence, so I'm guessing with assistance maxed out) on the rises and flats a couple of times, and finished second in his age category according to the results.

I realise C batch isn't competing to win, so I am hesitant to complain. However, having an ebike on or near the front does affect our "race". Is this just something I have to accept now?

 

I am an ebiker

 

Last year we had our own batch start ... after the fast groups, but ahead of the weekenders.  It actually worked very well.

 

 

No idea why we were seeded this year. It certainly worked better last year.

 

 

 

I also dont understand why the ebike results are included with the rest.

[MORNE]

Just now, ChrisF said:

 

I am an ebiker

 

Last year we had our own batch start ... after the fast groups, but ahead of the weekenders.  It actually worked very well.

 

 

No idea why we were seeded this year. It certainly worked better last year.

 

 

 

I also dont understand why the ebike results are included with the rest.

For that matter, while sitting in traffic on the way out of wellington, two guys came in on TT bikes with bars and the lot. Those are not allowed either in these events as far as I know.