JMBC Dam2Dam

[DonB]

Dam2Dam (copied from chit-chat)

JMBC
will be holding their annual Dam2Dam ride from Emmerentia to
Hartebeespoort Dam on Sunday 27th December 2009. So....it is a Sunday
this year, making it possible for all those who work during the week
between Christmas and New Year, to ride this awesome event. Your
logistic support will be easier to organise as well. This is a long
ride (100km) which is not for beginners and you will be required to
register with us in order to participate. Get
your name in early (by sending me an email indicating which ride group
you would like to participate in), we will cap the groups to 20 or so
per ride group and will be publicising this ride for non-JMBC members
as well. 

 

Details are as follows: 

Dam 2 Dam:  Sunday, 27th December 2009 

Distance : About 100 km for the blue and red groups

About 80 km for the yellow group

Starting From: Emmerentia Dam Car Park (red and blue groups)

Fritz Pienaar Cycles, Paulshof (yellow group  - if there are not enough takers for the yellow group, we may call it off so make sure we can contact you when you register)

Start time: 04h45 for 05h00 (red and blue groups)

05h30 for 06h00 (yellow group)

Duration of Ride: All approximate durations include the stops but no time for mechanicals/accidents

Blue group - 7 hours

Red group - 8 hours

Yellow Group - 9 hours

Ride Category : A SERIOUS RIDE

Ride Groups: Blue and red only from Emmerentia

Strong yellow riders from Fritz Pienaar

Technical Rating : 7/10 Hill Rating : 9/10 (Mystic Dolphin area)

Ride Description:
For those of you left in JHB, and can ride at a min average of +12km
per hour offroad, then this is your post Christmas ride of note.  JMBC Blue
leaders (16km/hr plus) and red group leaders (14km/hr plus) will take 2
groups from Emmarentia Dam to Hartebeespoort Dam. A slower but strong
yellow group (12km/hr plus) taken by  JMBC Yellow Group leaders will
leave from Fritz Pienaar Cycles in Paulshof for a 20km shorter ride to
the same destination. It's a great ride but very long and tough in the
middle. There will be stopping points along the way (Maggies Farm [The
Home of the Chicken Pie] - Lanseria), Nikita Pub and Grill
(Broederstroom) and then the end @ Yasmyn's in Meerhof Hartebeespoort
(Big Dutch Windmill). The route has small sections of tar but we have
kept these to the minimum possible (about 10km of the 100km).

The
ride will take 6 to 9 hours. You need to be well prepared for this
ride. It can be viciously hot in the valleys from midday (40 deg in
2004) so do not run out of water. Do not assume because you have done
the 94.7 road ride that this is well within your capabilities - it is
equivalent to 200km by tar.

The
basic route is down the spruit to FPC, up Witkoppen to Lonehill, down
Main road to Leeukop prison, through Helderfontein, Daynfern, Northern
Farm Sewerage Works, down to
the Juskskei, through Le Farge Quarry (sshhh! we aren't supposed to be
there), up to Lanseria, around the runway and on to Chicken Pie,
northwards through Mystic Dolphin, Kalkheuwel, down to Nikita, into the
Harties mountains, through the gorge to Pecanwood via the quarry, the
dreaded railway line, back through the mountains and round to the
Crocodile river, up and down the concrete strips at the dam. The JMBC recce groups are trying to change the route slightly out beyond Chicken Pie so be prepared for route deviation.

You
also need to organise transport back from the Dam or from the various
stopping points. We must all plan to have a late lunch and lots of
beers at the end.

If
you are keen, please send Don an email at donb@nexusmanagement.co.za
with your details and also indicate which ride group you wish to be
part of (see the section Notification below).

Non-members at R20.00 per rider

Contact: Don Buchanan 083-228-0145

 

Here is more information you must pay attention to if you are coming on this ride:

Start Point....

We will meet at the Emmarentia Botanical Gardens entrance (

Olifants Road

,
Emmarentia) just before the dam wall. The parking will be closed at
that time of the morning. Leaving your car in the side streets nearby
will be at your own risk (cars where broken into two years ago). It
would be better to have your logistic support drop you off.

Fritz
Pienaar cycles parking in Paulshof will also be closed. There is public
parking across the road near the Mugg and Bean but it is also
recommended that your logistics drop you off there.

Logistic Support....

You
have to organise logistic support for the day because you have to get
to Emmarentia/FPC, be collected from the stop points or any convenient
point if you abandon the ride, and be collected from Yasmyn's at the
end point at Hartebeespoort.

Start Time...

We
will leave at exactly 5h00 (Emmerentia) and 06h00 (FPC) because of the
potential heat during the day - if you are not ready to ride, you will
be left behind.

Cell Phones ....

All
riders must have a cell phone with them. If you have a mechanical
failure or you simply blow out physically, you will have two choices:

1)
Drop back to the other groups if you are part of the red or blue group
(the other groups could be someway behind). The blue and red group will
not wait for you - fixing punctures or mechanicals is no fun for a
faster groups like this.

2)
Make your way to the nearest main road and phone your logistical
support vehicle in order to come and fetch you. The 2005 punctures and
mechanicals turned the ride into a 10 hour nightmare.  The other years have been much more successful because of these rules. 

Punctures and Mechanical Failures.....

Please
make sure your bike is good working order. Failures of the bike will
also result in you being left behind to be evacuated by your logistic
support. We suggest
that all riders carry spare tubes with sealant in them. Do not assume
that because you have tubeless tyres, that you do not need these tubes
as backup. We punctured several tubeless tyres in 2005 year and had problems getting them to seal. There are a lot of thorn bushes (think Sun City) and dolomite (side wall cutter of note) out there

Riders Joining on Route....

Several
riders have said they will meet the groups on route. Please be sure to
calculate the arrival time accurately. Make sure you join the correct
group as well. You could kill yourself joining the wrong group and hold
them up which would be unfair. Those that wish to meet the groups on
route need to notify me in advance as to where they will be meeting the
ride.

Distance....

The
distance of the ride will be between 80 and 100km long. We will adapt
the ride on the fly depending on how well it progresses.

Notification.....

NB: Please
do not just pitch on the day. Tell us if you are coming. We would like
a feel for numbers. Each ride group will be limited to max of 20
riders. Indicate whether you will possibly eat or drink or both at
Yasmyn's after the ride and how many other people (support) will attend
there. This is to give Yasmyn's a feel for how many people will pitch
on the day. Yasmyn's is very popular and is always busy but a far
better venue than Dockers we used to use in the past. 

Pace....

The
Blue group will run at a pace of about 16 km/hr average. The red group
will try to average 14km/hr and the yellow group will average 12 km/hr
- If you cannot do this pace off road for
the kind of distance planned, you will end up being left behind. The
group will try not to go faster than this average speed. If you cannot
keep up, you will be asked to drop back or be collected.  Please
remember, we are a social club and this is a social ride so do not try
to push the pace of the groups to a higher level.

Stopping Points....

Two
stopping points are envisaged. These are Maggie's Farm (The Home of the
Chicken Pie) on the R512 and Nikita Pub and Grill (before you reach the
Crocodile River on the R512). We will
stop their for short periods for refreshments. They are also good
abandonment points. Bring money on the ride so that you can buy things.

End Point.....

The
end point of the ride is Yasmyn's in Meerhof. We can grab a bite to eat
(alla cart menu) and plenty of beers there with your logistic support.
Directions to Yasmyns: Take William Nicol North past Diepsloot, under
the N14, and then turn left onto the R511/Brits road past Idle Winds,
Hennops, the N4 toll plaza, etc. As soon as you see the dam, take the
next road/robot to your left (first robot before Hartebeespoort
proper), you will see the big Dutch Windmill fronting Yasmyn's in front
of you.

[DonB]

Bump

[DonB]

Bump for the last time. Red and blue groups are almost full, yellow may be cancelled for lack of interest.

[Dirtbreath]

Anyone here riding? Anyone done this ride before?

[Flea]

I will be joining the Red group at FPC

[Dirtbreath]

Cool.  You ridden it before?

[Omlette]

are entries still open??

[Dirtbreath]

Contact Don. I mailed him last night. It's not a race.

[Flea]

No have not ridden before

Treating like a good long slow day

[Dirtbreath]

Been wanting to ride to Harties for a long time. I do however see that rain is predicted for Sunday. 

[gremlin]

I was signed up but had to cancel as I broke my collarbone on Sunday, was actually looking forward to this ride. Everyone doing this one, you must enjoy and have a blast.

[woodee]

Enjoy it guys, am down in Plett but as a JMBC member counting this as a big ride to miss! Did the Tour de Jozi a few months back and the JMBC rides are always so well organised

[DonB]

 

@dirtbreath - come on man, what's a bit of rain to a mountain biker?

 

Accuweather says only rain in afternoon.

 

Details for Sunday Dec, 27

 

 

 

 

Sunday Day

http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/icons/standard/wx/45x45/17.gif	Partial sunshine with a couple of thunderstorms around in the afternoon
High	27?C
RealFeel?:	30?C
View the Hour-By-Hour? Forecast
Winds:	N at 9km/h
Wind Gusts:	22 km/h
Max UV Index:	Very High (9)
Thunderstorm Probability:	60%
Amount of Precipitation:	2.0mm
Amount of Rain:	2.0mm
Amount of Snow:	0.00cm
Hours of Precipitation:	2 Hrs
Hours of Rain:	2 Hrs
Hours of Daylight:	13.6 Hrs

Sunday Night

http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/icons/standard/wx/45x45/38.gif	Mostly cloudy with a shower or thunderstorm in spots
Low:	15?C
RealFeel?:	13?C
View the Hour-By-Hour? Forecast
Winds:	NE at 11km/h
Wind Gusts:	32 km/h
Min UV Index:	N/A
Thunderstorm Probability:	40%
Amount of Precipitation:	1.8mm
Amount of Rain:	1.8mm
Amount Snow:	0.00cm
Hours of Precipitation:	2 Hrs
Hours of Rain:	2 Hrs
Hours of Dark	10.4 Hrs

 

 

Watching the Sky

 

DonB2009-12-24 04:40:01

[Dirtbreath]

 

Bummer gremlin.

Dirtbreath2009-12-24 04:44:09

[Dirtbreath]

Thanks Don. Looks perfect. Rain makes my mascara run.

[Omlette]

Thanks Don. Looks perfect. Rain makes my mascara run.

must be a roadie!!!!