[Event] Karkloof Gravel (SA Gravel Champs)

[SSCC]

11 hours ago, Dobri said:

Silly question - why? It's a gravel race - why include single track? Single track should be for a MTB race only.

Says who? There are plenty of gravel races in the States that have single track sections. They pioneered modern gravel racing so I’m not sure that we should be telling them what a gravel race is or isn’t. 

[ajnkzn]

Hey guys - to paraphrase the immortal words of Monty Python - “Let’s not argue over singletrack or not, this is a happy occasion” 🤣. 
 

If you’re in KZN it’s a no brainer to come and ride and if you aren’t, what a great “excuse” to see a different and beautiful part of the world with lots to do before and after as well. 
 

The lap type course (56km laps won’t exactly get boring) should make the racing and spectating more exciting and the route is a sublime lap around the Karkloof valley. 
 

It is mostly fast gravel with a bit of tar and a few short sections of more chunky stuff to keep things interesting. 
 

Come a few days early / stay a few days after and take advantage of the miles and miles of quiet tar / gravel roads or one SA’s top trail networks. 
 

Go for coffee and a snack or lunch at Yard 41, The Old Mushroom Farm, Fable, Salt Slab, Rawdons, La Lampara, Bierfassel, Blueberry Cafe etc etc. 
 

Karkloof Club has an amazing vibe with excellent coffee and food, camping and space for the kids to run wild. 
 

See you there 🤘

[Jbr]

yeah, and single track can be fun, like at Gallows, but also, depending how you manage your positionning they can be the end of your race

Anyways, I entered, got a jersey to defend, looking forward to it although the distance and elevation doesn't really work in my favour.

[Gav.S]

A quick interview with Benky.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18zjLM7DQ5/

[Danger Dassie]

Smooth flowy singltrack on a gravel bike is absolute banging fun! Plenty of that in Karkloof!

[Spinnekop]

https://www.facebook.com/100064300525200/posts/1060128662807141/?rdid=Si33vBLh86ZqcR6p#

SA Gravel Championships taking place on 6 April 2025 hosted by @karkloofcountryclub 
❗️Important information ❗️
Elite Podium Finishers may only use a bicycle classified as a Gravel Bike.  All other age groups may use any bicycle.  The use of “aerobar” extension or “Tri-Bars” are not permitted on any bike.
Riders may use any type of bike (road bike, mountain bike, city bike, hybrid bike, cross bike, etc.) with the exception of tandem, E-Bikes or recumbent bikes. time trial road bikes are also forbidden. During the UCI Gravel World Championships, all bikes should have dropped handlebars.

So this course will be better suited to hardtail MTB?  But they carry the "weight" /bragging rights of being SA gravel champ?

Bhahhahahahahah.
 

[Scalpel]

Now my question will be! If I enter my age cat on a mtb and I win. Am I the gravel champ or the marathon champ??

 

This is a joke. If you want to apply UCI rules regarding age category distances then apply all the UCI rules consistently!! 

Edited Monday at 11:22 AM by Scalpel

[Jbr]

who cares, if you win on a gravel course/gravel race you're the gravel champ, regardless what bike you're riding

[NotSoBigBen]

28 minutes ago, Jbr said:

who cares, if you win on a gravel course/gravel race you're the gravel champ, regardless what bike you're riding

Take that back, no you're not 😎

[Spinnekop]

1 hour ago, Jbr said:

who cares, if you win on a gravel course/gravel race you're the gravel champ, regardless what bike you're riding

Sure.
Just like you ride a sub3 August in March on an e-bike.

Some bikes are easier.  UCI rules are there for a reason.
But its SA.  Let's ignore them.

[Jbr]

3 minutes ago, Spinnekop said:

Just like you ride a sub3 August in March on an e-bike.

please tell me you're not serious.... that's one stupid comparison

[Scalpel]

UCI rules are ignored in South Africa, oh no wait!! Only some of them. Apply the UCI distance rules but not the bike rules with dropped bars! But in the end no one really cares. The SA road champs rides on gravel bikes and other bikes with their road SA jerseys. So its a free for all. 

Edited Monday at 02:32 PM by Scalpel

[Jbr]

3 hours ago, Scalpel said:

Now my question will be! If I enter my age cat on a mtb and I win. Am I the gravel champ or the marathon champ??

to be clear, I was answering this, not talking about the TT bars

Gravel is so nice because there's a huge variety of possibilities, it can be hilly, technical, fast rolling, muddy, sandy, etc... you really have to think hard before the day to build yourself the fastest bike for the day, and often you'll get it wrong, but sometimes it will pay off. That's the beauty of it. If one guy was brave enough to rock up to a 168km gravel race on a road bike or a mountainbike and somehow ended on the elite podium, man I'd have all the respect in the world for that guy.

[binxc]

For the UCI Gravel World Series, which is applicable to masters categories, you can qualify for World Champs on any bike, but if you attend the latter, must be on a drop bar bike. Does the UCI also stipulate that country federations must enforce drop bar bicycles for national championships? I can't find any reference to it on the UCI website so stand to be corrected but it would seem CSA is entitled to make their own decisions in this regard (and probably in the interests of boosting the number of entries).

Riders may use any type of bike (road bike, mountain bike, city bike, hybrid bike, cross bike, etc.) with the exception of tandem, E-Bikes or recumbent bikes. time trial road bikes are also forbidden. During the UCI Gravel World Championships, all bikes should have dropped handlebars.  It’s not possible to participate in the UCI Gravel World Championships with a mountain bike.

[Jbr]

they should just specify that TT bikes or flat bars are forbidden

[sias]

A Gravel Championships taking place on 6 April 2025 hosted by @karkloofcountryclub 
❗️Important information ❗️
Elite Podium Finishers may only use a bicycle classified as a Gravel Bike.  All other age groups may use any bicycle.  The use of “aerobar” extension or “Tri-Bars” are not permitted on any bike.