Urban Assault

At last the weekend arrived for our Urban Assault event. We were anxiously watching the weather for any rain and was holding thumbs that the weather would hold. The route was planned to minimize crossing over intersections and to keep it in the surroundings of the neighbourhood. 2.55km per lap, not a big distance but with enough sharp little hills to tame the legs and lungs. With everyone here and all the teams registered, the rules of the event were read and explained. A " baton" (a raw egg) was handed over to each team for safe keeping and was to be kept in perfect condition till the end of the race. Lots of penalty points were explained to the teams before taking off on their first lap.

The point scorer was Hybre, a previous teacher who is very stern, which resulted in all the teams playing according to the rules, except for a few unruly members.

One of the teams, Team Bling, was clever enough to get a pro to take part in their team. Jason,  better known as the Bling Machine,  did many consecutive fast laps, resulting in the rest of the team, resting, braaing the meat, loafing and laughing around. Well done to Jason for being such an inspiration to us all and for all the tips and do's and don'ts advice he offered throughout the day. It was fun having you around.

The event was in the form of a relay, so most members of a team would do a cycling lap and then hand over the "baton" to the next team member. Every 4th lap was a running/walking lap. The team members would anxiously wait in the street to see if there was any sign of the member out on the course. Of course, different teams were waiting in different ways for their team to come in.

It was tougher than anyone thought it would be. In the early hours team mates were still eager to complete laps, but later in the day it was difficult to decide who was going to do yet another walking/running lap. By noon we had a lovely fire going and soon the smell of the meat cooking,  drifted through the air. Everyone was ready to do a quick Boerie roll to still the hunger pangs. Round and round we went and the number of laps were piling up.

Coming 6pm, while I went out to get more charcoal for the evening, a decision was reached by the teams, calling it quits. They had enough and would rather end with a nice social around the fire. I wasn't going to complain. The winning team was crowned and their prize handed over.

It was good sitting around and milling the day over in one's mind. Well done to Team Bling with their 1st place; 48 laps doing a whopping 122,4km. Second was Team Bandana with 44 laps and 112,2km under the belt, followed by Team Speedy Conzales doing 40 laps, 102km and Team Caromba's bringing up the rear with 36 laps and 91,8km. They started late and Mario put in a huge effort to ride with his children as well as riding his own lap.

This sums up the whole event: GREAT!

It's February!

Only 5 weeks left to train for the Argus. Make the most of it. It is a good idea to enter a few races to sharpen your riding skills, just to see what is happening during a race and also to spend more time in the saddle.

Training Schedule:

Sat 6 Feb: MTB at Q Sera @ 7:30 25/54/72km

Sun 7 Feb: Emperor’s Palace Race 99km


Sat 13 Feb: MTB at Q Sera @ 7:30 25/54/72/90km

Sun 14 Feb: MTB or Road at Q Sera 7:30. Time trial lap 11km. At least 3 or 4 laps, ok.

Sat 20 Feb: MTB at Q Sera @ 7:30 25/54km


Sat 20 Feb: Bike maintenance course 13:00-17:00 R250p/p. Bring n Braai


Sun 21 Feb: Ride for Sight 116km


Sat 27 Feb: MTB at Q Sera @ 7:30 25/54/72/90km

Sun 28 Feb: Road at Q Sera @ 7:30 48/96km

Bike Maintenance Course

You always wanted to know how all the bits and pieces of your bike fit together, so here is your chance. On Saturday 20 Feb at 13:00-17:00 we will have our first course here at the gym. Course fee is R250. It will be a practical course with Gert v Rensburg from Karsten Cycles showing you the finer details of your bicycle. You will be working on your own bicycle. We will end the afternoon with a braai. Places are limited, so book now.

You will need:


· Pay R250 course fee and book your place


· Bring your own Mtb or Road bike

· Multi–tool and chain breaker


· Tyres; tubeless, normal or road


· Tyre levers


· Bike hanger (bike specific)

· Braai meat and drinks


You will get:


· Course material


· How to fix a broken chain

· How to replace tyres


· How to replace a tube or fix a puncture-gator or patches


· How to set gears


· How to replace cables and housings


· How to change your bike into a single speed to finish a race

· How to replace a hanger


· How to fix brakes


· Fun time with everyone at the gym!


News Flash!

Baviaans mountain bike marathon entries open 1 February 2010.

The Fast, BUT Wet One

The new year brought along a challenge to the first ride of the year. Rain! And lots of it. Buckets full, until the rivers were springing their banks, the mealie fields next to the road pouring muddy waters right onto our path and the roads, heaving with the load of water, breaking up into big, huge potholes. Did that deter us from taking part? Never! We were there, like many more cyclists, dressed up in the brightest colours of the rainbow.

Some of us were dressed in the latest fashion jacket which had no more sticky, scratchy velcro, but had smooth magnets to keep the jacket's bits and pieces together. Just remember to fasten your helmet properly before diving into the Fast One. Remember it is fast.

As this is an open-ended race, one is always stuck for transport back to the car, or, more difficult, find a driver that would be prepared to be dragged out of bed in the early hours of the morning just so we could satisfy our little habit. We found such angels in Bennie and Richard. Thank you guys for supporting us!

The angel in the middle is Marle

A big "well done" to the organisers and marshalls who braved the rain to give the cyclists a safe ride. There were marshalls more than ankle deep in watery potholes waving red flags to warn us of the danger. A lonely marshall underneath a red umbrella with a plastic crate covering a crate(r)-hehehe and bright red cones in many a deep pothole. With the rainwater filling the potholes it was very difficult to judge how deep a hole really was, so the marshalls did just such a splendid job. I told you it was going to be fun! We all made it to the end in one piece and sat around our beer table, reliving our ride.

Congratulations to Mario and Marle with excellent times. They had every reason to smile and smile big!

Now for the next competition at the gym. The next photo is showing off some of our men here at Bulla. Your task is to write a speech bubble above each head or just one, or whatever good or funny quip you can come up with. What is Ian, Rodney and Mario saying? You tell me!

Urban Assault Saturday 30 January 2010

WHY??

The aim of the event is to have a fun time together and to get to know the other people in the gym and a new and different way to train and get fit.

WHEN??

This is a 12hour event and is happening on Saturday 30 January 2010. Start time will be at 10am-gives everyone enough time to get out of bed. Prize giving will be at 22:00.

HOW??

This is a team event with the emphasis on T E A M. You have to be 2, 3 or 4 members in a team of which 1 member must be a walker/runner. This event is not only for cyclists. If you can’t find a walker/runner then one of the cyclists will have to sit out a cycling round and walk/run the lap. It will be a lap of about 4km, so before you are really tired it will be your teammate’s turn. So the distance will be well within the means of everybody.

Beginners this is for you! Of course you don’t have to be here all the time, you could arrange with your team for you to sit out a few rounds if you have to attend to work/family/shopping and then fall back in and complete another few laps. So get your teams together, dress up in team colours, decide on strategy and tactics, and have fun.

If you don’t want to run/walk/cycle but would like to be part of the event, please speak to me. I need a hand with lap timing etc.


MORE!!

Braai fires will be available throughout the day to turn some meat around. The gym will supply rolls for that wonderful Boerie rolls.

• Coffee will be available throughout the day.
• Hot shower will be available.
•  Cold swimming in the pool will be available.
• Music throughout the day.

Everyone is welcome!


YOU WILL NEED!!

•  A bicycle-road/mountain
•  Running shoes
•  Energy drinks/foods
• Braai food
• Change of clothing
• Towel
• Lights for evening
• Enthusiasm
• Smiles the whole day
• Teammates
• Team Name
• Rain Gear
• Jacket for cold weather

Prize Giving
Prize giving will be at 22:00. Decision of the judges will be final.


Team entries close on Thursday 28 Jan. to give enough time for final arrangements.

Be observant and obey all traffic rules.

Happenings at the gym

What is happening @ the gym?

Welcome everybody! I am looking forward seeing everyone at the gym again and also seeing how you jump into your training programme with enthusiasm. I will try and communicate news through a monthly newsletter but as always lots more is happening on the blog as well as on Facebook www.facebook.com. You can become a fan of Bullamakanka Spinning and get all the latest news and bits quickly. If you want to, you can even provide me with your email address and I will then keep in touch with you with the latest at the gym if you’re not interested in blogs and facebooks.

The Argus Cycle Tour Is Looming

Well, not quite looming but getting closer every day! For all of you training for the Argus, this is the time to really knuckle down and work hard. It is just such a short period of time and then it is all over till next year.

By now you have booked your flight, if you are flying down, booked accommodation, and making sure your bike is arriving in Cape Town in one piece.

Transport for bicycles to Argus
The following companies are providing transport down for your bike to Cape Town and back. Check them out and make a decision quickly. I have made use in the past of JH Retief and of Nightwing.


JH Retief: www.cycletransportation.co.za
R720 per bicycle

Nightwing: www.nightwing.co.za.
R675 per bicycle


Elliott: www.elliott.co.za
R850 per bicycle

Training Schedule
I have worked out a programme, which might help you with your fitness and also to keep you exercising instead of giving up after a few weeks. It includes Time Trials, which are short fast rides. It includes long slow rides, which are to help you with endurance, and it includes fun events as well as races. Just a reminder that the Argus is 109km and the dreaded Boyce Drive seems to be a reality if they don’t fix the roads before then.

•  Sat 9 Jan: 25/54/72km mountain biking @ Q Sera leaving at 7:30
•  Sun 10 Jan: 48km road biking @ Kitty Hawk leaving at 7:30
• Sat 16 Jan: 25/54/72km mountain biking @ Q Sera leaving at 7:30
• Sun 17 Jan: Time trial @ Q Sera at 7:30. Road or mountain biking; a short lap of 16km. You can do 1, 2 or 3 laps and try improving your time with every lap.
• Sun 24 Jan: Race day - The Fast One. I will try and organise transport back from the race. Anyone out there that might be able to help?
•  Sat 30 Jan: Urban Assault – more details on attached newsletter.
• Sun 31 Jan: Rest or Ride, it’s your choice!

This is quite a rigorous training programme but keep it going and I’m sure you will see a difference in your fitness quickly.


Check out the Urban Assault event on Saturday 30 January!

Baviaans Mountain Bike Marathon, August 2009

This was my 5th Baviaans event and my team mates were two guys, Carl and Peter, both from Cape Town. The other team from the gym was Rodney as the captain, with Amanda, Marle and Mario as team members. My ride went well with Carl and Peter but I do think it is better to train with your team so you know their strong and weak points. This is a marathon event starting at 10:00 on the Saturday morning and ends at 12:00 the next day. Be prepared for your teammates to go through euphoria stages as well as down in the dumps stages. Euphoria when you reach the top of yet another mountain and can appreciate the view and scenery and down in the dumps stages when the legs are getting very tired and there is still 60km to go and it is two in the morning.

We reached Willomore at 8 o’ clock after driving through the night. Rodney and I took turns behind the wheel and at some stage did 120km/h through the sleepy town of Graaff Reinet. Totally unintentional, but I think at that stage we were as sleepy as the town. We phoned through to Willomore to wake up Amanda whom we had to pick up and then drove through to Jeffreys Bay where we would leave the cars at the end point of the race. Mario and Marle were waiting for us there to drive us up to Willomore again. I know, it sounds a total muddle but because this event is an open ended race it means you have to get the riders at the start without their cars so that they can have their cars at the end waiting for them. Still confused? Come and be part of this great ride and experience this confusion firsthand.

Both teams decided to make use of the boxes provided instead of the 4x4 support. So on Friday night every team had to pack their boxes with the stuff they think they might need at that stage of the race. Careful planning is needed here, as there is only one box per checkpoint for the first 3 checkpoints and nothing after that and also only one box per team was allowed. These boxes had to be dropped off on the morning of the race so the truck could drop them off at the different checkpoints.

Saturday morning dawned beautiful and warm, in fact the warmest of all the times I have done this race. More than enough food was available at the different checkpoints. The riders had to make sure to fill their water bottles as this was the driest ever I’ve seen the Baviaans. Normally there would be enough water in the rivers we had to cross. This year the riverbeds were dry.

Doringkraal checkpoint looked like a picnic, but after Doringkraal it was the big climb up to Bergplaas. After setting and attaching our lights to our bikes we tackled the beast!

Reaching Bergplaas we changed our clothes into something warmer for the colder part of the night. There was also a mechanical tent where you could have your bike checked over and the chain oiled etc. That was wonderful to just hand your bike over to the specialists and have something warm to eat in the meantime. Now it was time for the very steep descent. Take care and rather ride conservatively than having a fall and ruining your bike and the chances of finishing the ride. Once at the bottom of the mountain it is plain sailing to the next checkpoint, Komdomo.

From Komdomo to Suurbron lies a never-ending hill. Slowly climbing up and up. My lights were playing up with a loose connection because of all the corrugations in the road. Once we fixed it we could keep a good steady pace again. We arrived around 2:30am at the last checkpoint and what a lovely surprise. Vetkoek with mince and jaffles and enough hot coffee for an army. We almost didn’t want to leave the warm cosy friendly area, but with only 26km to go, we dragged ourselves away.

We arrived at the end, jubilant, relieved, mission accomplished. Waiting for us was a wonderful hot spur burger. We just sat down on the curb and devoured it. Yumyum! When last have you had a spur burger at 4:30 in the morning? Unfortunately for me, the spare key of the car didn’t want to open the boot of the car where all my clean clothes were waiting for me. So I just wrapped myself in a blanket and fell asleep in a chair while waiting for the other team to arrive. And they did arrive, everyone with their own story to tell. Till next year!

Kremetart 6 June 2009

Do yourself a favour and set aside a weekend to do the Krematart ride in Louis Trichardt. It is truly the best, friendliest, with over the top goodie bag, organised race you can imagine.

We arrived still in daylight on the Friday at our hotel, which was about 1km from the start. Perfect! Our rooms were brand new, not lived in before, but perfect. Once the bikes were off loaded and we were registered and while marvelling over the goodie bag, we settled in at the pub for a few welcome drinks. With the pasta dinner behind us it was time for bed, so we would be fresh for the long ride the next day, 175km in all.

There is just no better place to train during winter. While Gauteng is stuck in a bitter cold winter the northern parts of the country has very mild weather. Off we went on the first part of the race, which was about 48km. Starting off with a very steep climb of about 11km, but once over the top a race through the tunnels and a fairly flat stretch of road. Nowhere near the traffic like on the Gauteng roads. We reached the first stop for breakfast! Amazing! Everyone has something to eat, from soup, to sandwiches to yoghurt to muffins and coffee.

Everyone lines up for the second part of the race; about 52km. Every time the race was a precision start, with the pros starting first and ending with the Comrades, that’s us. This section is fairly flat and as long as you can stay with the bunch to help you through the windy patches, it is great. Reaching the next stop, we had lunch. Again, everything was so well organised. You could choose between a warm pie, or a roll with cheese and salad all nicely wrapped. Enough drinks to fill your bottles for the next stage. We found a nice shady spot to sit and were just watching the other riders and enjoying our lunch pack.
Lining up for the third stage after lunch and in the heat of the day, another 53km. This stage has always been to me the most difficult of the four stages. My legs were feeling a little lazy after the break and I know a few climbs were lying ahead. Here again, if you can stay with a few riders to help you set a pace, you will be ok. Every 100m of the last 1km were marked out. It was a steep climb and with very tired legs every 100m felt like a 1000. Reaching the top you were welcomed with a packet of sweets! Jelly babies, chocolates and biscuits. Very welcome indeed.
The last stage is only 22km, which would bring you back into town again. Put your head down and go as hard as you can, except you have to go over a climb first. On the other side of the climb is Louis Trichardt. Racing through town was quite something with the streets lined with supporters. We made it! We were over the line and were welcomed with a cold beer.

The prize giving was a fantastic affair with braai fires going and potjie kos and plates heaped with food. More cold beer and a lucky draw win made this one of the most memorable rides of 2009.

Leaving the town the next morning after another hearty breakfast, we were stopped by the traffic police, only to be showered with more gifts and fruit from the organisers. Tell your friends and be there next year. It is fantastic! Get even more information form www.kremetartcycling.co.za