[Event] THE CANOLA ROLLER

[guidodg]

[bleedToWin]

Most important question is how much sinkplaat?
Almost none

Great route and organising last year. Looking forward to it!

[Chingy182]

Will there be Allergex available at the water points?

Jokes aside, looks spectacular.

[Zebra]

Once photographed my Daughter and Wife standing in a newly-flowering Canola field just outside Greyton; Wife walked away fine, Daughter had 10-odd allergic ‘mounds/bumps’ on her uncovered legs, just from STANDING in the Canola!
 

Which made me Google this interesting factoid:

…canola" is the name given to the edible-grade version (of the Rape Seed plant). The term "canola" is a portmanteau of "Canadian oil, low acid" and was chosen to avoid the negative connotations of the word "rape".

[Shebeen]

On 1/22/2025 at 6:53 PM, milky4130 said:

I'm sorry but an event less than 2 hours from Cape Town wins hands down. K2C is +-7hours away if you factor in at least 2 stops along the way, fuel, accommodation if you can still find any Uniondale these days. 

bizarrely I'm doing the Voet van Afrika marathon in a dorpie south west on the same day. I've actually ridden my gravel bike from a bredasdorp breakfast to a greyton pub lunch before.

[Ash_]

Hi! I was wondering if any event-newbies/very chilled riders have previously done the 30km and have any insights re: if this is a good option for a first-time event rider?

Edited September 9, 2025 by Ash_

[MongooseMan]

27 minutes ago, Ash_ said:

Hi! I was wondering if any event-newbies/very chilled riders have previously done the 30km and have any insights re: if this is a good option for a first-time event rider?

My mom does it every year on her ebike. It's the only race she's ever done.

[guidodg]

3 hours ago, Ash_ said:

Hi! I was wondering if any event-newbies/very chilled riders have previously done the 30km and have any insights re: if this is a good option for a first-time event rider?

it's a perfect route for newbies and chilled riders...and the weather predictions are really good!!

 

 

 

[NC_lurker]

@guidodg when is the canola generally harvested? I can't make the event but am hoping to get out for a ride in October...it would be sad if the yellow fields were gone.

Also do you find that the quality of the gravel roads decreases significantly with the heavy usage over harvest time?

[guidodg]

canola flowers are disappearing already… will all be gone in October, canola will be harvested end october , november 

the roads don’t change much during harvest… they just get bad when it rains a lot but everything has been bone dry this winter 

[HdB]

I'm already doing the Karoo to Coast this year, but I think this one will go on the bucket list for next year.

It looks like something my wife would actually be able to do and enjoy, unlike the event this past weekend that she walked nearly half the route due to the route being far more technical than what she is currently comfortable with, and an ebike-to-water malfunction.
I have since been instructed to not enter her for any events not explicitly marketed as a gravel event 😂

Edited September 9, 2025 by HdB

[Kom]

Looking good for the 80km folk, the 130km folk have a little extra to contend with 🌼

 

[Sid the Sloth]

1 hour ago, Kom said:

Looking good for the 80km folk, the 130km folk have a little extra to contend with 🌼

 

Luckily that is a tail wind on the flat section and a head wind on the climb. 

[MongooseMan]

18 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

Luckily that is a tail wind on the flat section and a head wind on the climb. 

Better than the block headwind on the tar from last year 

[Jbr]

I just had flashbacks from my 2nd half of the race last year after cresting the main climb just a few meters behind the front group, stuck in no man's land in the headwind, desperately trying to not get caught by the guys behind me, but seing the group ahead of me slowly disappearing 😅

[MongooseMan]

21 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I just had flashbacks from my 2nd half of the race last year after cresting the main climb just a few meters behind the front group, stuck in no man's land in the headwind, desperately trying to not get caught by the guys behind me, but seing the group ahead of me slowly disappearing 😅

Just don't miss the turn this year 😆