The ARGUS 2025 Thread (AKA CTCT)

[mikkelz]

6 minutes ago, Madone69 said:

The speed 🫣

You'd be forgiven for thinking that was on the M3 downhill after Edinburgh Drive. 😂 So fast.

[BMCfan]

Lets turn the discussion back to the FUN that was had ....

 

 

I'll start ...

 

With the onderstebo oom .....

[ChrisF]

2 minutes ago, BMCfan said:

Lets turn the discussion back to the FUN that was had ....

 

 

I'll start ...

 

With the onderstebo oom .....

 

She did well 

[The Ouzo]

19 minutes ago, Madone69 said:

The speed 🫣

they were going about the same speed as I was ..............................................on the downhills

 

that is quick

[Denis Dell]

A buddy of mine and I were roped into pushing a buggy.  We haven't been able to do the training we needed to do a proper CTCT time, so figured, hell why not.  If you know any of these guys I am referring to in this post, please give them a shout out.

So, here is a fun one. 

At the top of Chappies, I spotted Father Christmas.  First, I thought I was hallucinating (chappies can do that to you on the best of days), but when I spotted more than one and they were all “ho ho ho”, I realised maybe this was more than just hallucinations.  So I tuned them that they look way too happy for this event.  Why don't they contribute some of that holiday spirit on Suikerbossie to us… also, if that spirit can take physical form and push as well, then awesome!

As we descended towards Suikerbossie, I saw one Santa pass us after the next.  I was thinking to myself, Yeah, thanks for nothing.  However, true as nails, when we reached the bottom of Suikerbossie, this brigade of Santas awaits us next to the road.  I shout, they shout, I wave, they wave, they kickstart their sleighs… They shout, we move over, the Christmas Spirit is here.

I just thought, awesome, this is exactly what I need, an army of jolly old men in red spandex… I can now use Suikerbossie to recover somewhat.  Now, I appreciate that just the thought of using Suikerbossie for recovery may well be very indicative of permanent brain damage, but that should give you an idea about the intensity of the rest of the event.  (If you haven't pushed a buggy yet, add it to your bucket list!)

And then, it happened: the Santas started pushing. And when I say “pushing,” I mean they weren’t just helping a buddy out. No, they were launching themselves forward like rocket-powered reindeer. I glanced down—ah, okay, e-bikes, that makes sense. I think, “I’ll recover on the downhill. Let’s stick with these guys rather”

And then it happened. One of them hits the big red button. The kind of button you’d see in the Oval Office. I’m talking about a button that screams, “WARNING, Nuclear Launch Button.” It had a safety cap and everything. They press it, and it takes about a second or two, but then the bikes start belching smoke like a factory on fire. The top tube, the rear tube, hell, even Father Christmas’s ears started smoking (okay, maybe I imagined that part).

I look down again. Oh boy. These weren’t the cute little e-bikes I was used to seeing on the road. Oh no, these were the kinds of bikes with batteries big enough to power a small village.  Through winter.  In Greenland.

Long story short, I got dropped so hard on Suikerbossie by my buggy and the Santa brigade; it was not even funny.  Fortunately, my buggy had the good sense to wait for me on the top of Suikerbossie, but apart from losing out on my recovery, it also meant I never got a chance to thank the Holiday Spirit for taking on physical form and helping us out.  So thank you Santa!

 

Also a big shout out to Andrew and Mark (sorry, I did not get their surnames), for helping us out when the going got hard on Smits Winkel and Chappies.

 

For those who have never pushed a buggy, seriously add it to your bucket list; you will not regret the experience.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Denis Dell

[Skubarra]

57 minutes ago, andydude said:

84kg which would make 350w equal to 4.2w/kg. Won't last in $ with that, but I would think good indication of racing groups. If more guys and girls share here, then we can do some comparisons.

Well done, also @, I was generally speaking about 30w less than you on the climbs with roughly the same weight. Which would explain why I got dropped on Chappies 😀

[Mayo916]

This is my Stats in & at 60.1 kgs. NP for race 250w.
I was at the front of the group most of the climbs.

Edinburg 1.72km 5.5% │ 347w 3:53

Smits last 1.65km 5.5% │ 327w 3:56

Little Chappies 1.42km 4.1% │ 318w 2:52

Big Chappies 1.72km 4.8% │ 342w 4:07

Small Suikerbossie 0.62km 4.7% │ 268w 1:29

Big Suikerbossie 1.86km 6.7% │ 331w 5:08

 

[andydude]

23 minutes ago, mikkelz said:

Mine at 62 kgs from &:

Edinburg 1.72km 5.5% │ 313w 4:07

Smits last 1.65km 5.5% │ 303w 3:57

Little Chappies 1.42km 4.1% │ 276w 3:12

Big Chappies 1.72km 4.8% │ 273w 4:45

Small Suikerbossie 0.62km 4.7% │ 250w 1:34

Big Suikerbossie 1.86km 6.7% │ 277w 5:55

@andydude looks like you smashed Chappies and Suikerbossie. 💪 What was your finishing time?

2:43:51 although I did drop on chappies and suikerbossie from the front guys, but managed to get back on on the descents.

[DieselnDust]

1A 

73.5kg

 

 

Edinburg 1.72km 5.5% │ 4.:30 @ 4.4w/kg

Smits last 1.65km 5.5% │ 4:27 @ 4.00w/kg

Little Chappies 1.42km 4.1% │ 3:30 @ 3.6w/kg

Big Chappies 1.72km 4.8% │ 5:00 @ 4.00w/kg

Small Suikerbossie 0.62km 4.7% │ 1:33 @ 3.9w/kg

Big Suikerbossie 1.86km 6.7% │  6:50@ 3.8w/kg

[Pure Savage]

Okes posting their watts and weights here - There is more chance of me getting into barney dinosaur costume than posting those.

[Pure Savage]

18 minutes ago, Mayo916 said:

This is my Stats in & at 60.1 kgs. NP for race 250w.
I was at the front of the group most of the climbs.

Edinburg 1.72km 5.5% │ 347w 3:53

Smits last 1.65km 5.5% │ 327w 3:56

Little Chappies 1.42km 4.1% │ 318w 2:52

Big Chappies 1.72km 4.8% │ 342w 4:07

Small Suikerbossie 0.62km 4.7% │ 268w 1:29

Big Suikerbossie 1.86km 6.7% │ 331w 5:08

 

a 5:08 on Argus race day is impressive. kudos

[karma]

..was in zone2 at 380w and 120bpm the whole way. Only I pulled my group for the whole race, but was out-sprinted by 1786 riders just before the line 🙄

[ChrisF]

Had a good start to the ride, happy reversal from the last few races this year.

 

The 3A seeding worked well.  Minor speed differences on the ups and downs with the normal bikes, but easy enough to negotiate the traffic.

 

Missed @Me rida my bicycle and the trailers.

 

Past Ladies Mile I was on the left yellow line, spinning 123 r.p.m. doing some 60km/h.  

 

Near oopsie near Muizenberg with the dog ... dropped my shoulders and pedalled away from the sound of freehubs behind me as got passed the dog.

 

Simonstown my bike did not feel right going through the bends ... loose wheel ?  Cant be, I checked the bike properly ....  Looking down I could see the rear tyre had lost some pressure, but was still okay on the straight sections.  Having seen spectators with floor pumps I kept going and searching for somebody with a floor pump .... I did not want to loose time playing with the mini-pump .... I pulled in at the tech-point on Smitswinkel.  The staff was EXCELLENT !!  BIG thank you !!  I used this opportunity to change the ebike battery (31 seconds) and the 2 GoPro batteries (almost 4 minutes).  Nothing like a dose of adrenaline to PUSH you up the rest of Smitswinkel !  Turn from the sea, and halfway up the climb a gent with a MTB is on the side of the road with a broken chain.  12 minutes later we realised the sram electronic derailure took some sort of a knock with the chain coming off.  I suggested he walk that 1km back to the tech zone .... he was a CTCT first timer.

 

I normally love that section after Smitswinkel ... nice time to spin up and enjoy the very slight downhill .... Not this time round .... Wind ?  Or did I overcook the first bit ?

 

Past the coke truck I got my rythm back, and had fun on the decent to Scarborough.  Just kept that pace through Misty Cliffs, and rocked the bike up the hill.

 

Okay, heavy traffic through the section leading to Noordhoek.

 

Recognised @BMCfan bib, and gave CHASE .... damn ... he can move on those narrow wheels.  Had a chat, and then it was Chappies.  Expecting heavy and slow traffic I was making up time where possible .... with less than expected traffic that meant I was red lining it by the time we got to the Oakley stand.  I slowed down a bit and took some photos along the decent into Houtbay.

 

Time for my Seattle coffee.  I stop, and ask the gent to start getting the coffee ready while I wait in line .... Lady with kids at the till.  The boy asks about the race number ... "Yes, I am in the race, just a pitstop" ..... "But then you must make it QUICK !!"  Some more fresh GoPro batteries while I wait the coffee.  

 

Suikerbossie .... I can tell you this much ... doing a "resonable speed" (19km/h) up Suikerbossie on a 250W ebike pushes me into Zone 5 .... Stares of Amish riders from the left ... and then a gent on a Trek ebike sitting down and idling past me like I am looking for parking ... In that moment I had a glimpse into the emotions of amish riders ....

 

I kept on getting out the saddle and rocking it to get to the top.  Still thinking I am on time to get to the Prominade at about 3:45, catch my breath, then finish in 3:51 ....

 

Past Llundudno I realised that broken chain had eroded my buffer more than expected.  I was not getting my 3:51 this time round ....  I dropped my shoulders and gave it my ALL !!  Before Sea Point I was feeling dizzy, sat up, some gummy-berry juice, and GO !!!

 

Happy with my 3:54

[Ed345]

1 hour ago, NGM said:

Was going to say, seems like a straightforward thing to prove or disprove:

https://results.finishtime.co.za/myresults.aspx?uid=35-5005-1-8037

 

He and a couple of others caught 1B before Chappies (I think). There was a 1D, @, and a & from memory. Started from further back and then surfing from group to group seeing how many they could catch. 

That 1D guy finished with me, so 6 minutes faster

[ChrisF]

Way toooo many word, not enough pics on this thread ....

 

 

[andydude]

26 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Okes posting their watts and weights here - There is more chance of me getting into barney dinosaur costume than posting those.

Don't worry, I have your stats already 😄