94.7 Hospitality

WONDERFUL NEWS!

We have booked a hospitality area for the 94.7 Cycle Challenge, thanks to an anonymous sponsor. This means we will have our very own Bulla area at the end with shade, tables and chairs. To make things even better, we will order food platters and a selection of beers and soft drinks for the Bulla riders at a cost of R50 per person.
If you would like to take part in the eating and drinking afterwards, please put your name on the list at the gym and pay your R50 before 26 October.
If you would rather do your own food and drink, you are still very welcome to join us at the hospitality area. Just a point to ponder: all food and drinks consumed in the hospitality area must be from the food stalls at the event. We are unfortunately not allowed to bring our own cooler boxes with food and drinks.
All family and friends who would like to welcome you back after the ride are also welcome to join us at the Bulla area. Just pay R50 per person for family and friends to also take part in the food and drinks afterwards. All must be paid before 26 October.

Summer Season
The summer season is here and with that a full gym again. Please make sure about your bookings so we can ensure a bike for you at your class. If you have to cancel a class, please cancel 6 hours before your class so we can give your bike to someone else if you can’t make it. Classes not canceled in time will be charged for.

Short October Break
The gym will be closed for one week only: 8-12 October. All classes will run normally from15 October.

Training programme

30 September: Time Trial

14 October: Vodacom Classic Race

21 October: Time Trial

27 October: Telkom Race

28 October: Hill training

4 November: Hill training

11 November: Bakwena Race

18 November: 94.7 !

September Racing

The racing season has really started with a bang. For many of us it is of course training rides for the 94.7 and Argus.

The Dome 2 Dome race of last week was a real tester of 116km and many a cyclist called it "Valley of a 1000 hills". The overall climb was 1240m. Hills, hills and more hills and throw in a howling wind, especially the last 20km when we had to turn into the wind, made every one's time take a dip. A lot of effort has gone into planning a new route, taking us past and through the Kromdraai area near Krugersdorp. Quite scenic and most of the cyclists I spoke to afterwards did indeed see the two rhino grazing on one of the game farms. Also the partial road closure of the busier intersections made it a worthwhile ride.

Dischem Vitathion 97 km ride with an overall climb of 1160m was tough with quite a strong wind blowing.What really made this ride a hair raiser was the continuous climb of over 400m over the last 40km. Looking at the results, it showed about 40 DNF riders. We had a glorious time afterwards, sharing our stories of how tough it really was out there, having our beers and Boerie rolls and by the time we said our good byes everyone was in a chirpier mood and will ride again.

Sunday 30 September brings us to our time trial out on the Boschkop road. We will be starting at 8am. We have a professional time keeper so come out in force. The route is fairly flat with a hill or two. We will be set off a minute apart and no drafting will be allowed. Slower riders starting first and the faster riders last so we all can have breakfast together at Kitty Hawk. RSVP by Friday so we can organise breakfast, ok.

Have fun! See you in the gym or out on the road!

The First Hill Training

So we started with the training programme, bright and early..............

I mean at 8 o'clock. Lovely cool air, not too hot.

I interviewed some of the riders before the hill and I think their facial expressions said it all. Not too sure, I dunno, will have to see, this is serious stuff, my legs are gonna feel it, I'm already tired......

We swung round the corner, pumped up the short hill, lungs burning, little bit of a breather, another short hill, not too serious, flying downhill, another corner, climbing at a steady pace, Phew, at the top, easy going, downhill and back at the gym, 4.7km in all! Some did 4 laps, some 5 and some 6 in one hour. It was enjoyable, not too tough, good training, will do it again were some of the comments afterwards.

And then the coffee and muffins and juice and the talk. How we will do it next time, harder and more. We had fun! Hope to see you next time.

PS. Remember to ask Janine about her legs.........