Rave - babbas lodge race

[Edgar]

I did not in the end. A combo of tired legs and not knowing the course. You were right though, easy enough. Next one is definitely on the SS

Babas Lodge Race[/url]Mountain bikingJan 9, 201163.56 km2h:55m:44sBreedts NekMountain bikingJan 8, 201173.54 km3h:38m:04sBroadacres TayganMountain bikingJan 7, 201143.80 km2h:21m:48sSpruit SSMountain bikingJan 6, 201126.04 km1h:28m:37s

[pezulu]

We measured 34.2 yesterday with the Edge 500.

The last couple of races last year all measured 35.3.

 

I think the difference comes in with the different starting location.

 

Yesterday all the riders started on the tar road, while the usual starting line is closer to the tents and finish line.

[Purnjap]

I LOVED it yesterday, but walk-through shower/big sprinkler would improve it 200% for quick rinse-down after the race, cos that mud does not smell so lekker...

Anybody know who the fellow on the tandem with his young boy on the back in the 70k was? I want to know if he had to walk through the rivers or whether that thing just trucks through them...he finished very well.

[mtbmaranata]

This was great fun. Lost a lot off time in slow traffic. I must start faster next time. First time in so much mud, must say I learned a lot. Hou jou lyn en gee gas

Edited January 10, 2011 by mtbmaranata

[Danger Dassie]

They gave me an Ice Lolly, what could be better.

 

Nearly took one as well, then I was distracted by the offerings of beer. Castle Draught, but hey after a ride like that, any port in a storm I say!

[Just Keep Pedaling]

It was fun. Needed something to rinse off the mud at the end though...

[Pix]

What a ride! Second lap after all the 35k riders had passed though just made the mud even more muddy and the puddles puddlier.

 

Loved every minute of it!

[Danger Dassie]

See the results are up 35km and 70km

 

http://www.spectrumsport.co.za/Biogen_MTB_Results_20110109.pdf

 

Keen to see the pikshas soon. Pure filth.

[29er]

Had a look at the results....said I did not finish the race ??

The bloke sitting on his a@@ at the finish line never clocked me......##@#$@%&!!.

 

Still think it was a great race !

[fubarza]

Great race and VERY muddy but overall quite easy without the bad luck.

 

Had a very big accident on the normal gravel road 7km from the start, fractured rib, minor concussion, broken my helmet in 2 places, a lot of scars(but chicks dig scars ) and semi-broken MTB. Managed to fix my bike and continue till about 20km when I got a flat and then on the other wheel another valve flat on 22km so I ran out of tyres and spares. Luckily a MTB'er came along after assisting an even worse crash involving a women at one of the rivers and gave me a spare tube and we manage to finish.

 

After 15 years of cycling I just really think that they should at least create 4 categories at the start based on previous babbas(or other) results(30+km/h, 25-30km/h, 20-25km/h and less than 20km/h or unseeded). Newbie MTB'ers should start in their category based on their performance. We started at about 25% from the beginning of the group and on 7km passed a girl with her boyfriend riding next to each other, after shouting "passing right" and doing 40kmh+, the lady started to go right in stead of left while only doing about 20kmh. I tried to miss her and my handle bars and hands got stuck in a thorn bush so the bike flipped.

 

It wasn't her fault I suppose, but cyclist should realise the importance of keeping to the left (even when riding in social groups) as much as possible except when over taking somebody as well their starting position in the bunch should be more or less based on their previous performance(with the results it is easy to calculated percentage wise more or less where in the start group you must position yourself)

 

However, the rest of the race was great and i would certainly do it again.

Edited January 10, 2011 by fubarza

[bontie]

Great race and VERY muddy but overall quite easy without the bad luck.

 

Had a very big accident on the normal gravel road 7km from the start, fractured rib, minor concussion, broken my helmet in 2 places, a lot of scars(but chicks dig scars ) and semi-broken MTB. Managed to fix my bike and continue till about 20km when I got a flat and then on the other wheel another valve flat on 22km so I ran out of tyres and spares. Luckily a MTB'er came along after assisting an even worse crash involving a women at one of the rivers and gave me a spare tube and we manage to finish.

 

After 15 years of cycling I just really think that they should at least create 4 categories at the start based on previous babbas(or other) results(30+km/h, 25-30km/h, 20-25km/h and less than 20km/h or unseeded). Newbie MTB'ers should start in their category based on their performance. We started at about 25% from the beginning of the group and on 7km passed a girl with her boyfriend riding next to each other, after shouting "passing right" and doing 40kmh+, the lady started to go right in stead of left while only doing about 20kmh. I tried to miss her and my handle bars and hands got stuck in a thorn bush so the bike flipped.

 

It wasn't her fault I suppose, but cyclist should realise the importance of keeping to the left (even when riding in social groups) as much as possible except when over taking somebody as well their starting position in the bunch should be more or less based on their previous performance(with the results it is easy to calculated percentage wise more or less where in the start group you must position yourself)

 

However, the rest of the race was great and i would certainly do it again.

 

Haha - Taking 11 years off to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, and drink waaaayyyy too much does not constitute being a cyclist for fifteen year bud! Glad you are okay!

[janneman72]

Haha - Taking 11 years off to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, and drink waaaayyyy too much does not constitute being a cyclist for fifteen year bud! Glad you are okay!

 

Bontie, I have to agree with fubarza and I think you might have missed the message here. It's not about experience its rather about proper cycling ethics or the lack thereof. I had a similar fall about a year ago, same thing.

[bontie]

Bontie, I have to agree with fubarza and I think you might have missed the message here. It's not about experience its rather about proper cycling ethics or the lack thereof. I had a similar fall about a year ago, same thing.

Janneman, I know - I was teazing him, we have been friends since way before he even started cycling the first time (early nineties). Shame, the poor oke really went down hard... I agree with what you are saying.

 

It as an age old problem though - the numbers (highly dependant on newbies) are required to make the races a success. I bet the girl got such a fright when the bunch came passed her at 40km/h. She looked at the guys going so fast and rode where she looked...

[leeu52]

Rather listen to your Ipod whilst riding on the left of the track than discuss stuff with the oke on your right shoulder and cause innocent veterans to crash

Edited January 10, 2011 by leeu52

[SteveS]

Great race and VERY muddy but overall quite easy without the bad luck.

 

Had a very big accident on the normal gravel road 7km from the start, fractured rib, minor concussion, broken my helmet in 2 places, a lot of scars(but chicks dig scars ) and semi-broken MTB. Managed to fix my bike and continue till about 20km when I got a flat and then on the other wheel another valve flat on 22km so I ran out of tyres and spares. Luckily a MTB'er came along after assisting an even worse crash involving a women at one of the rivers and gave me a spare tube and we manage to finish.

 

After 15 years of cycling I just really think that they should at least create 4 categories at the start based on previous babbas(or other) results(30+km/h, 25-30km/h, 20-25km/h and less than 20km/h or unseeded). Newbie MTB'ers should start in their category based on their performance. We started at about 25% from the beginning of the group and on 7km passed a girl with her boyfriend riding next to each other, after shouting "passing right" and doing 40kmh+, the lady started to go right in stead of left while only doing about 20kmh. I tried to miss her and my handle bars and hands got stuck in a thorn bush so the bike flipped.

 

It wasn't her fault I suppose, but cyclist should realise the importance of keeping to the left (even when riding in social groups) as much as possible except when over taking somebody as well their starting position in the bunch should be more or less based on their previous performance(with the results it is easy to calculated percentage wise more or less where in the start group you must position yourself)

 

However, the rest of the race was great and i would certainly do it again.

 

Furbaza. There are a few things in your post that confuses me. Firstly there were only 145 riders doing the 70KM. Do seriously want to split 145 riders into 4 smaller groups?

 

You say that you started 25% from the front. In other words there were 36 riders ahead of you. Not alot considering that the start was on a tar road (as mentioned earlier in the thread).

 

I find it hard to believe that it took you 7km to catch someone that started in the same bunch as you but travelling half your speed.

 

I have only done that race once but if you are refering to the gravel road after you turn into the reserve, there must have been enough space for you to pass two people riding next to each other, its a gravel road not single track or jeep track.

 

Babas is most likely one of the least technical races on the calander and there will always be loads of newbies doing it.

[fubarza]

Furbaza. There are a few things in your post that confuses me. Firstly there were only 145 riders doing the 70KM. Do seriously want to split 145 riders into 4 smaller groups?

 

You say that you started 25% from the front. In other words there were 36 riders ahead of you. Not alot considering that the start was on a tar road (as mentioned earlier in the thread).

 

I find it hard to believe that it took you 7km to catch someone that started in the same bunch as you but travelling half your speed.

 

I have only done that race once but if you are refering to the gravel road after you turn into the reserve, there must have been enough space for you to pass two people riding next to each other, its a gravel road not single track or jeep track.

 

Babas is most likely one of the least technical races on the calander and there will always be loads of newbies doing it.

 

Hi StevenS

 

We normally prefer to do longer circular routes rather than laps, therefore due to the rain and everything we decided to do the 35km. I think they said about 400 or 500 cyclist did the 35km also due to the previous event in December which rained out carried over to yesterday's race. I agree with you that with longer distances you ought to get less newbie's as well and it will be an overkill to split them into 4 groups.

 

The first part keeping left on the tar road and the gravel road took some time to over take the riders, sometimes at 20km/h, sometimes faster depending on the density of the bundles/groups in front of us. They could just as well been part of the 70km group, but I don't know that though.

 

You are correct in saying that the gravel road has more than enough space to over take 99% of the time, however when the lady moved to the right instead of the left, at that point one thorn bush had an overhang partially covering the "right-lane". So i had to decide either to push the lady back to the left hand side(whereby she might fall) or to try to push through a few branches and take my chances. Braking wasn't an option at that point because one of our club members were riding behind me.

 

However, it still remains that cyclist must cycle on the left hand side of the road except when they overtake somebody. I even agree with leeu52's quote "Rather listen to your Ipod whilst riding on the left of the track than discuss stuff with the oke on your right shoulder and cause innocent veterans to crash"