The ARGUS 2025 Thread (AKA CTCT)

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, Wannabe said:

We were in the same start group then. We were already lined up when the decision to cancel was announced. To say I was slightly peeved is an understatement, because even today I'm still convinced 2009's wind was a lot stronger. (was also the year I was best prepared, did an 3:30 the wind notwithstanding)

My goal was to do 21 in a row, but the two cancelled races put an end to that. Then I had a back operation in Feb this year and could not ride. This means my goal to have my 21 in the bag before I turn 60 is now "blown" away. So, 61 sounds like a good number to do 21, is it not?

 

 

What time you aiming for ?

[HdB]

6 minutes ago, Wannabe said:

To say I was slightly peeved is an understatement, because even today I'm still convinced 2009's wind was a lot stronger. (was also the year I was best prepared, did an 3:30 the wind notwithstanding)

 

Agree on the wind, I have accepted that it was a sum of the wind, protests, fire.
2009 was fun, dodging cardboard bins blowing back and forth, seeing people with deep-sections walking back before even getting to Edinburgh Drive.

Didn't have time to be upset. Just went off to try and find my dad, who had been running around trying to find someone to fix his gear cable and didn't hear the announcement.

[Wannabe]

24 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

What time you aiming for ?

If I can get my motivation up again, and my fitness on par, a Sub 4 would do nicely. 

[Skubarra]

2 hours ago, Wannabe said:

We were in the same start group then. We were already lined up when the decision to cancel was announced. To say I was slightly peeved is an understatement, because even today I'm still convinced 2009's wind was a lot stronger. (was also the year I was best prepared, did an 3:30 the wind notwithstanding)

 

Worst winds were in the city bowl and that wind funnel beneath the civic centre. Once you got over hospital bend to uct it was fairly normal conditions, was bizarre when they stopped us at the blue route.

That said there were reports of very strong winds on Chappies which could potentially caused serious issues, and of course the unrest and fires, not a great day for the cycle tour.

[ChrisF]

7 hours ago, Wannabe said:

If I can get my motivation up again, and my fitness on par, a Sub 4 would do nicely. 

 

Did a 4:02 last year .... I was gutted about that.

 

Sure I stopped for coffee in Houtbay Seattle.  But that was planned into my overall strategy.

 

Somehow losing time in large groups up Smits and similar, then that nice little breeze on the way back ....  I was doing a zone 4 solo from Chappies .... too little too late.

 

 

Working hard to be able to make up some time in a few areas to enjoy the race in others ....

 

Helping a buggy team up a hill ...

 

Seattle coffee in Houtbay .... history to this spot ... good cycling history.

 

 

A perfpect day for me would be one where I manage to enjoy mixing these fun ride elements into a sub 4 result .... going to have to really give it my all when the road opens.  Racing through traffic is not an option for me, I am not adding fuel to the ebike debates.... that said, I always look for a clean line up Suikerbossie, nice to try for a zone 5 PB

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, Skubarra said:

Worst winds were in the city bowl and that wind funnel beneath the civic centre. Once you got over hospital bend to uct it was fairly normal conditions, was bizarre when they stopped us at the blue route.

That said there were reports of very strong winds on Chappies which could potentially caused serious issues, and of course the unrest and fires, not a great day for the cycle tour.

 

One of my clients is a health and safety practitioner.  He gets roped into the CTCT team each year.

 

He is also a keen cyclist ....

 

Our meetings are scheduled to finish in the afternoon.  Nice parking spot under the watchful eyes of their own security team.

 

Then he advises me of the route options, noting present conditons ... road works, weather, crime flare up spots ... off I go half argus, or a Chappies to Seattle, or some fun on the Silvermine trails.

 

Timed right, I get to take photos of the sun setting. And drive back to Bellville after peak traffic.

 

 

 

Sorry, back on track.  Imagine the inner stress these people go through when they have to provide risk matrix answers for their section ... full knowing that the combination of answers triggers a go or no-go response.

 

 

 

 

 

My biggest problem now .... waiting for them to start their next project ....

[Prince Albert Cycles]

12 hours ago, Wannabe said:

We were in the same start group then. We were already lined up when the decision to cancel was announced. To say I was slightly peeved is an understatement, because even today I'm still convinced 2009's wind was a lot stronger. (was also the year I was best prepared, did an 3:30 the wind notwithstanding)

My goal was to do 21 in a row, but the two cancelled races put an end to that. Then I had a back operation in Feb this year and could not ride. This means my goal to have my 21 in the bag before I turn 60 is now "blown" away. So, 61 sounds like a good number to do 21, is it not?

 

I am hoping to do the official nr 21 in 2025 at age 76 .  First one was in 1988 . Actually finished 21 Tours already but was DQ in 2015 for starting 5 min early . No idea how that happened. Included were 2 with my wife who is not a cyclist but wanted to do it on a tandem and 2 with my youngest son when he was 15 and 16 years old respectively.  Despite a few sub 3 ‘s on the old Kamps Bay finish my best memory is my 2hr 43 ride with my son on the tandem when we were 16 and 45 respectively.

 

[Wannabe]

We should be (I am for sure) feel very blessed that we are still able to do what we love in the "advanced stages" of our life's.

 

[RustyHWR]

17 hours ago, droo said:

And since nobody's asked yet...

What's the wind going to be like on the day?

Hope the Goodie bag is lekka!

[madmarc]

Done it on a MTB - Once, never again

Done it on a Road bike - 10 X

Done it in very high winds - had to stand and pedal coming down after Smitswinkel 

Done it in very high heat - When they called it and stopped riders on Kaapse Weg, just managed to get past the mashals pulling everyone over, can't remember the year

Done it in the rain

Done the normal route

Done the Detour route

Did my 10th in 2010 = special medal

I was done with my goal of 10 - But was convinced to do an 11th in 2012 by my daughters ex BF after too many double Captain Morgans.

Entered in the era of paper entries you had to post in to orgainsers b4 online entries became a thing.

Entered online where we sat in front of our PC's at midnight over dialup modem waiting for entries to open

Never managed sub 3

Best time 3:24 with a broken pedal

Worst time 5:52 on MTB - took me a week to recover

My regret today - I should have carried on and joined club21 in 2021, that would have been special

[The Ouzo]

4 minutes ago, madmarc said:

Done it on a MTB - Once, never again

Done it on a Road bike - 10 X

Done it in very high winds - had to stand and pedal coming down after Smitswinkel 

Done it in very high heat - When they called it and stopped riders on Kaapse Weg, just managed to get past the mashals pulling everyone over, can't remember the year

Done it in the rain

Done the normal route

Done the Detour route

Did my 10th in 2010 = special medal

I was done with my goal of 10 - But was convinced to do an 11th in 2012 by my daughters ex BF after too many double Captain Morgans.

Entered in the era of paper entries you had to post in to orgainsers b4 online entries became a thing.

Entered online where we sat in front of our PC's at midnight over dialup modem waiting for entries to open

Never managed sub 3

Best time 3:24 with a broken pedal

Worst time 5:52 on MTB - took me a week to recover

My regret today - I should have carried on and joined club21 in 2021, that would have been special

lol, I remember the paper entries, in todays world that seems absurd, but it was not really an issue back then.

Even Action Photo posting you your photos, keep and pay for the ones you wanted and send the rest back.

[ChrisF]

4 hours ago, Prince Albert Cycles said:

I am hoping to do the official nr 21 in 2025 at age 76 .  First one was in 1988 . Actually finished 21 Tours already but was DQ in 2015 for starting 5 min early . No idea how that happened. Included were 2 with my wife who is not a cyclist but wanted to do it on a tandem and 2 with my youngest son when he was 15 and 16 years old respectively.  Despite a few sub 3 ‘s on the old Kamps Bay finish my best memory is my 2hr 43 ride with my son on the tandem when we were 16 and 45 respectively.

 

 

Hoop ons kan n plan maak om te kuier voor of na die tyd 👍

 

Dan kan ek jou dalk voorstel aan die Potch groepie ook ... tannie Ansie se eerste Argus was sy al 47 jaar jonk.

[Scary Rider]

4 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Hoop ons kan n plan maak om te kuier voor of na die tyd 👍

 

Dan kan ek jou dalk voorstel aan die Potch groepie ook ... tannie Ansie se eerste Argus was sy al 47 jaar jonk.

@Prince Albert Cycles vra maar vir Chris, as jy eers vir Tannie Ansie ontmoet het, gaan jou lewe nooit weer dieselfde wees nie😜

[ChrisF]

16 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

lol, I remember the paper entries, in todays world that seems absurd, but it was not really an issue back then.

Even Action Photo posting you your photos, keep and pay for the ones you wanted and send the rest back.

 

Bygone era where paper mail worked perfectly.

 

Postal order (?) for payment ....

 

 

Credit card payment on that machine where the details where rubbed onto a slip .... sometimes took weeks for that slip to work through the system .... now an instant tap of the watch/phone or card for the tech slow ....

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, Scary Rider said:

@Prince Albert Cycles vra maar vir Chris, as jy eers vir Tannie Ansie ontmoet het, gaan jou lewe nooit weer dieselfde wees nie😜

 

Arno dit kan n lang kuier raak ...

 

Ek sit nou al twee dae verlof in voor die CTCT vir die Potch bus ... 👍

 

 

JA, ek het laas aangeraai hulle ry via jou dorpie ... apple pie by Lazy Lizzard, ens.  Maar daai stuk RY hulle.  Dan is dit familie kuier in Rawsonville.

[madmarc]

19 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

lol, I remember the paper entries, in todays world that seems absurd, but it was not really an issue back then.

Even Action Photo posting you your photos, keep and pay for the ones you wanted and send the rest back.

Those were the days hey !

Our 1st Argus we were late with the entries and had to use courier - Remember phoning everyday to check they recieved them - We started in the last batch at about 10:30 - Pros and Vets had already finished and drinking beer.

We drove down in a combi - Was a 5 day excursion there and back. had loads of tools and spares, bottles, pumps, tjoobs, energy bars, bananas - the list was endless

We were always in awe of our mates who were seasoned vets riding in Vets A bunch

Fly down Sat morning check into hotel - quick coffee ride to top of Suikerbossie and back to Camps bay for a long lunch.

Only thing they took other than their bikes and kit was 2 bottles and a spare tjoob. 

Sunday race day - finish in A bunch with a sub 3 - shower and off to Camps Bay bowling club (old finish) for more beer 

On the 6pm flight back to Jo'burg - back in the office on Monday morning as if nothing had happened over the weekend.

By the 3rd Argus we were doing the same