[Event] Winelands Cycle Race 2025

[ChrisF]

9 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

That lady on the Le Jeune!! 😍

pure class , steel is real 💐

 

And they were moving !!! Up hill I could just pass them, as soon it leveled out they passed me. First downhill my 40+km/h simply was not enough, they dissapeared in the distance.

 

Group of about 7 or 8, and that Le Jeune stood out 👍

 

Those downtube shifters brought back memories ....

Edited Tuesday at 03:30 AM by ChrisF

[Kom]

8 hours ago, Skubarra said:

I am sure anyone that wheelsucked from D at a 39km/h average for 100km in the heat and on a route including Bothmas, would be fine wheelsucking in B & C bunch at 35km/h at the next funride - so you really don't have to worry about loads of weak cyclists suddenly being over-promoted.

🎯

[Dri]

11 hours ago, Skubarra said:

I would love a seeding debate but I suspect we would bore the rest of the hub to death. 

Will just say I dont particularly like the robbing analogy 😀, what we did is perfectly within the rules and imo not at the expense of anyone else. At the end of the day we are all just having fun participating in the sport we love and should not take ourselves too seriously. Some days I prefer a fast ride while helping my fellow club members over trying to negotiate the negative tactics in A (on Sunday) bunch.

When you & me started out cycling we had a road race every second weekend to improve our seeding, now there are 2 or 3 seeding races over a whole season, so times have changed and opportunities to improve seedings are limited.

I am sure anyone that wheelsucked from D at a 39km/h average for 100km in the heat and on a route including Bothmas, would be fine wheelsucking in B & C bunch at 35km/h at the next funride - so you really don't have to worry about loads of weak cyclists suddenly being over-promoted.

It comes across as a bit contradictory to say  `It's just a fun ride and we're here to enjoy ourselves, but we're also going to hammer away at 40km/h to boost our teammates seeding`

If I was in the D group looking to enjoy a race with people around my level, I'd be a bit bleak having my batch blown into pieces within the first 10km because a group of MUCH stronger (not even a little, based on the finish times) riders dropped down categories to get their friends a better time.

I was giving it some thought and i'm not sure what the organizers can realistically do about it without impacting people with more genuine intentions. Oh well🤷‍♂️

Edited Tuesday at 06:33 AM by Dri

[dexterdent]

11 hours ago, Skubarra said:

*snip*

I am sure anyone that wheelsucked from D at a 39km/h average for 100km in the heat and on a route including Bothmas, would be fine wheelsucking in B & C bunch at 35km/h at the next funride - so you really don't have to worry about loads of weak cyclists suddenly being over-promoted.

I hung on for about 5 km before my chain dropped at the hill. I was really looking forward to try and stay with you and maybe try some turns to prove I should get a better seeding, but the mechanical took that away. It was a good opportunity for people to prove their worth, and if you were able to use it, then you deserve the upgraded seeding.

[bleedToWin]

14 minutes ago, Dri said:

If I was in the D group looking to enjoy a race with people around my level, I'd be a bit bleak having my batch blown into pieces

I guess this is the crux.
95% of D did not sign up for this (time and money exchanged with a certain expectation) and it might have only been welcomed by a small handful of them.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

11 minutes ago, Dri said:

It comes across as a bit contradictory to say  `It's just a fun ride and we're here to enjoy ourselves, but we're also going to hammer away at 40km/h to boost our teammates seeding`

If I was in the D group looking to enjoy a race with people around my level, I'd be a bit bleak having my batch blown into pieces within the first 10km because a group of MUCH stronger (not even a little, based on the finish times) riders dropped down categories to get their friends a better time.

I was giving it some thought and i'm not sure what the organizers can realistically do about it without impacting people with more genuine intentions. Oh well🤷‍♂️

Seriously? This has been happening ever since they introduced seeding, it's not something new.

If you can sit anyone's wheel at a 39km/h avs speed for 100km's then you deserve to be in a better seeding group, end of story.

You can still stay in D group and enjoy a race with riders of your level, the rest will just be up the road enjoying riders of their level 👍

[BuffsVintageBikes]

13 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

Roadie or a MTB'er ?

 

 

There is a MTB'er on Bottelary that is insanely strong !!!!

Road 👍

These guys don't muck about, they finish most training rides at above 36km/h avs speed. I've tried to hang with them a few times but lost both lungs and had my legs torn off repeatedly.
Not even my Steel Classic could help me 😉🤭

[bleedToWin]

2 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

If you can sit anyone's wheel at a 39km/h avs speed for 100km's then you deserve to be in a better seeding group, end of story.

Seeding in road cycling is generally broken (and always has been) exactly because of said "sit the wheel" situation. Further complications from tactics, bunch dynamics, and at the top end teamwork.

[Dri]

13 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Seriously? This has been happening ever since they introduced seeding, it's not something new.

If you can sit anyone's wheel at a 39km/h avs speed for 100km's then you deserve to be in a better seeding group, end of story.

You can still stay in D group and enjoy a race with riders of your level, the rest will just be up the road enjoying riders of their level 👍

I'm not disagreeing with you that the people who managed to hold the wheel 'possibly deserve to get the better seeding' , my issue with it is that they wouldn't have gotten the same time without the help of their much stronger friends who do not belong in that category.

I'm not trying to single these guys / you out, it's the attitude and inability to see it from the perspective of the riders it could be affecting that rubs me the wrong way.

Edited Tuesday at 06:55 AM by Dri

[BuffsVintageBikes]

They will, it will just take them longer to get there and there aren't enough races on the calendar anymore to be able to do that.

[Bub Marley]

People have been dropping down groups all the years to ride with mates. This is nothing new. Most of the lower groups are all about wheelsucking anyway. And if there are stronger riders there to help push the pace, then it means more wheelsucking so win win really.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I'm not saying it's right either, just mentioning that it's been happening forever. It's also the reason why when you get to the Cycle Tour, so few of the bunches below A ride Sub 3 times because everyone is great at sitting a wheel but they're not so great at sitting on the front and eating wind & pace setting.

[dexterdent]

1 minute ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I'm not saying it's right either, just mentioning that it's been happening forever. It's also the reason why when you get to the Cycle Tour, so few of the bunches below A ride Sub 3 times because everyone is great at sitting a wheel but they're not so great at sitting on the front and eating wind & pace setting.

There's the crux. If I only wheelsuck I'm probably an A seeding, if I spend time pulling I'm likely a D. 

[WW87]

Chapeau to the guys from Sweet-Orr Racing who pulled group E basically all day!  

Wonderful day out, congrats to the organisers. Let's hope we get to see more road races on the calendar again...

[bleedToWin]

2 minutes ago, WW87 said:

Let's hope we get to see more road races on the calendar again...

Calendar is pretty full till early June

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Road 👍

These guys don't muck about, they finish most training rides at above 36km/h avs speed. I've tried to hang with them a few times but lost both lungs and had my legs torn off repeatedly.
Not even my Steel Classic could help me 😉🤭

 

Jip, some fast roadies on Bottelary.

 

Few weeks back I was catching up to that MTB'er .... he was way ahead, and track standing waiting for his buddies to catch up.

 

I came past at 35 to 40km/h, and asked if he wanted to play ... big grin as he got out the saddle.

 

I got out the saddle and gave it my all .... I might as well have applied the brakes the way he flew past me !!!  Looking back with a big grin ....

 

Daar is n paar STERK manne ....