Cycle Travel Company MTB Race at Northern Farms

[Scott24]

Well I entered the 40km race at Northern Farms yesterday.....what a rip off of an event!!

 

 

 

The race entry fee was R120-00. What did we get for this? Not much.

 

 

 

We got a dodgy little goodie bag that had the usual stuff in - disposable razor, sample packet of sweets and a bar of soap.

 

At the start line we were told that it is a non-timed event. This was not published on entrytime on the page for the race.

 

Also at the start line, the race organizer gives the few riders at the front verbal directions. At first T-junction turn right, go under bridge and then at next T-junction, turn left. Seriously?? What happened to marker boards?? There were very minimal of this along the route. Very badly marked route.

 

We were in the leading group and when we got to the one marshal point, the actual race organizer sent us back saying we had gone the wrong way......only to end up back at him having gone the correct way. He got confused as you approached that marshal point from 3 directions, so he sent us the wrong way. This seriously messed us around as we lost quite a few positions like this.

 

First water point was not set up yet when we passed it and the second water point was like 6km from the finish.

 

And at the finish, they ran out of water/juice for the guys that were still coming in with reasonable times.

 

Seriously not impressed !!!

 

 

 

 

What happened to the days when you paid your entry fee, got a decent goodie bag, free t-shirt, well organized event with lots of water points which were well stocked and at the finish you were given a whole bottle of juice (either powerade / energade). Now you lucky if you get a paper cup of dodgy juice.

 

 

 

Scott242009-11-08 23:41:57

[2wh33ls]

This is not good news, I have only done one race at NF was not bad, fairly marked.

 

Lesson learned not to ride in front,

 

As for the water/juice for R120 you will expect more

[dirtrider]

The event was timed , results will be up somewhere , sometime , but the web site did say that this event will not be timed !!! I had no problems with water points and the one 6km from the finish was at the right spot for a 40km race as this was about where I ran out of water . You must have been VERY,VERY late not to receive a juice at the end as my little one did her race starting at 10am and she got a juice . It was a normal North Farm race and no diffirent from any other North Farm race I have done before . Fast , flat and lotsa beers . As far as the goodie bag goes , well I really don't care to much for that cause we did win a few thing at prie giving and I have not even opened my bag yet . Hope I got that razor , those things are like R40 these days . The only race I know that still gives t-shirts to ALL onlne entries are Babaas .

[thehermanator]

I was there on Saturday afternoon, watching two kids putting up orange markers on the route, attaching it to tuffs of grass and branches. The bunting was attached to rocks and trees and flapping in the wind. Then I thought to myself this is not well planned or organised. Recent events were actually not badly planned except for a few water problems. But at least the organisers tried to make this special. When I saw this half heated effort to mark out a route I thought to myself this can be disastrous. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

[GeeTee]

late entries were r150, what a rip off marking was really up to poo. Was guessing at alot of crossings, i think one of the problems was the fact that the the route often passed close by to a part that you had already passed, at one crossing there were riders in three different directions in different stages of the race.

[Scott24]

Dirt-rider......I was actually very close to the front and finished as one of the top ladies with a 1hr50 time....yes i still received a dodgy poisonous Take 5 packet juice but my sister who finished the 40km race in 2h25......no juice.

 

How do you explain being sent in the wrong direction by a marshal (actually the race organizer)? There was no dodgy tiny orange marker board at that point as we converged on the point from 3 directions. I had completed direction 1 and 2 and was approaching from direction 3 with at least another 15 riders and we were all sent back from where we came????

[TNOSE_E]

Dirt-rider......I was actually very close to the front and finished as one of the top ladies with a 1hr50 time....yes i still received a dodgy poisonous Take 5 packet juice but my sister who finished the 40km race in 2h25......no juice.
How do you explain being sent in the wrong direction by a marshal (actually the race organizer)? There was no dodgy tiny orange marker board at that point as we converged on the point from 3 directions. I had completed direction 1 and 2 and was approaching from direction 3 with at least another 15 riders and we were all sent back from where we came????

 

Yes, was in that group too. you where wearing the MTN kit?

Was also sent back......

[Scott24]

TNose E.....That was me.....was very frustrating !!

[Dean_Machine]

Wow - seems as though I'm lucky I missed it! I entered, paid, but was a very good mate's bachelors party the day before - so was not "feeling well" the next day haha...

[flipper]

At least it was a different route than the usual right out the tunnel course used over and over again b race organisers. Therefore goingto be a few clitches that are ironed out after a ride with numbers.

If you dont like paying the penalty fee ..then pre enter!

I must say me cold icey at the end was refreshing compared to  a cup of hot coke / Powerade at most races.

 

It was a great family day out with an atmosphere not found at many other rides.