Is 94.7 Joburg's safest race?

[Gumpole]

The most unsafe bit about this race is that they allow people who have never ridden a bike before or who hardly ride to compete.

 

Riding a 100km's in general is not easy and neither is this race - to do it when one is not fit and to allow people who are not fit to do it is looking for big trouble.

 

I still say like the Comrades marathon people should need to qualify first before being allowed to compete in races of 90km's and more.

 

I disagree, the only people that 'have never ridden a bike before' or actually haven't done a racetec/ WT race before will start in the last 4 groups OA to OD, these guys might die of a heart attack in the heat but not that I can ever remember.

 

Almost all the crashes that I recall happen in the single digit start groups and the racing Vets categories where people ride in tight bunches at high speed and are VERY serious about time and position. These guys will all have done many races but one little lapse of concentration in 2 and a half hours = serious crash.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Gumpole

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I disagree, the only people that 'have never ridden a bike before' or actually haven't done a racetec/ WT race before will start in the last 4 groups OA to OD, these guys might die of a heart attack in the heat but not that I can ever remember.

 

Almost all the crashes that I recall happen in the single digit start groups and the racing Vets categories where people ride in tight bunches at high speed and are VERY serious about time and position. These guys will all have done many races but one little lapse of concentration in 2 and a half hours = serious crash.

 

Hmm, somewhat, but I think thats because thats the only voice you hear HERE on this forum - its not an indication of issues in the other later groups.

 

Yesterday I rode in EE with my wife and my niece, and I saw a few incidents through Ferndale, Hyde Park, along the M14 and one on the final downhill, maybe not hospital cases and possibly 50% of them got up and finished, but there were lots of accidents amongst the late starters, and plenty of them have done it at least twice. They just dont report it here.

[scotty]

I dont believe qualifying is the answer, on TV they interviewed many cyclsist who took part only for the fun of it, a lot struggled but had a big smile, some riders in the O categories with no previous history posted very respecatble times. If one looks at the crash incidents, the crashes appear to have occured in lic and seeded categories where riders have race history but crashes still occur.

 

A concern must be the numbers though, yesterday the last batch left around 10am, if the race was to grow bigger the batches would become bigger or the start times later,

[Trubie]

I disagree, the only people that 'have never ridden a bike before' or actually haven't done a racetec/ WT race before will start in the last 4 groups OA to OD, these guys might die of a heart attack in the heat but not that I can ever remember.

 

Almost all the crashes that I recall happen in the single digit start groups and the racing Vets categories where people ride in tight bunches at high speed and are VERY serious about time and position. These guys will all have done many races but one little lapse of concentration in 2 and a half hours = serious crash.

 

 

my point exactly -and that is the same in all races................

for sure due to higher numbers in this race you will have more incidents, but the one's I saw happened in VB & VC.

[Nettie R]

I never rode with you, but did the hands free thing often - does that make me one, even though no-one was hurt in the process?

If you can hold your pose while doing it, it's all fine. But we were cruising @ 50km/h on the downhill past the garage, this guy was shaky and being in the middle on the group with his hands not even close to the brakes, I'd say he's an idiot.I've been accident free on road for 12 years, I'm not gonna have a show-off take me out.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Fester

[SamF400]

What about the water running across the road at the last water point after N14.

Way to many people came down there I heard and I had to miss a lady who crashed on that wet patch.

 

Did anybody else experiance this?

[Malduik]

Grumpy

Can you believe all those people entered out of free will!

 

Perhaps they should have done some training before attempting 'joburgs toughest race'?

 

Trubie: I wasn't aiming at you.

 

Coming from an MTB background it's strange to see people complain about this and that rather than praising that and the other.

[scotty]

Grumpy

Can you believe all those people entered out of free will!

 

Perhaps they should have done some raining before attempting 'joburgs toughest race'?

 

Trubie: I wasn't aiming at you.

 

Coming from an MTB background it's strange to see people complain about this and that rather than praising that and the other.

MTB has its share of gripes, some i recall as posted on the hub :----

course too hard, course too easy, too technical, not technical enough,, slow riders holding up riders, fast riders shouting at slower riders, course longer than advertised, course shorter than advertised, wp not up to scratch, direction boards not up.... the list goes on and on.

 

I doubt if there will be 1 race that will have 100% satisfation

[Gumpole]

Hmm, somewhat, but I think thats because thats the only voice you hear HERE on this forum - its not an indication of issues in the other later groups.

 

Yesterday I rode in EE with my wife and my niece, and I saw a few incidents through Ferndale, Hyde Park, along the M14 and one on the final downhill, maybe not hospital cases and possibly 50% of them got up and finished, but there were lots of accidents amongst the late starters, and plenty of them have done it at least twice. They just dont report it here.

 

OK the EE to ZZ's aren't exactly racing snakes, but they've all 'qualified' and are seeded riders just the same as a guy in group B.... so not related to having to qualify for the race.