With just four weeks to go to the 2011 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour it seems we’ve had so much happening this year the event has almost snuck up on us with very little warning.
I don’t remember a previous Cycle Tour doing that in the way this one has, and I’ll be doing my 14th consecutive Tour this year.
Those of you who’ve done the Cycle Tour before will know the training required to get over the finish line in Green Point, and hopefully by now you would have had almost enough time in the saddle to cope with the rigours of 109km of Western Cape road.
There are, as always, the few cyclists who unfortunately don’t get out on their bikes for any amount of time beforehand who will curse themselves and all around them for the six or seven hours it will take them to complete the Cycle Tour.
For the friends and families of those who are in that boat, my deepest sympathies for the few days after the event.
It really doesn’t seem like 14 years ago when I set out to complete my first Cycle Tour, it feels more like five years ago. There are some people who’ve done more than 30 of them.
I do remember that I wasn’t as well prepared for the event as I’d hoped to have been, and I battled for six-odd hours in howling winds.
I swore never to do it again, and here I am 14 years later aiming to break the three-hour barrier.
The truth is that there is something so addictive about getting yourself prepared for an event like this.
From the training that you need to put in to the proper equipment required to cross the finish line, it’s all so worth it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the same kind of training required to complete an Epic or similar, but it’s enough to require a little more than the usual effort on your side when it comes to training.
The key to preparing properly is to allow enough time to get as much time out on the road as possible. Take advantage of the wonderful local rides on the Pedal Power Association calendar and you’ll find that you’ll be okay when it gets to the Cycle Tour.
There is nothing worse than the kind of sore bum you get from not having spent enough time on a bicycle seat before you cycle 109km, never mind the chafe that lasts forever and burns like hell.
Safety on the roads is a major concern at this time of year, and so it’s both cyclists and motorists who need to have mutual respect for one another on the roads. It’s always the irresponsible minority who give bad names to both parties.
Equipment is an area of personal preference and in this regard it is thanks to outlets like Cycle Lab who have kept my road bike in pristine condition for the past few years.
They are one of the few outlets that offer specialised bicycle services before events like the Cycle Tour. They also have all the essential gear to get you safely across the finish line.
If you are a novice and you have a late starting time and are starting in a massive group, try your best to get as many group rides in as possible. Learn the rules of cycling in a group and the etiquette when it comes to keeping left or slipstreaming. A special thank you in this regard to the overweight but extremely fit gentleman that I and 15 others slipstreamed in 2001 for the first 50km.
I don’t think any of us realised we were all supposed to take turns up front.
This coming weekend it’s the 99er out from Durbanville, and I’ll be doing the 108km route. It’s a reasonably tough assignment and the cyclists entering will all be fine-tuning for the big day in March. This will be one of my last long rides before Argus time, and my legs are feeling full of mileage!
To all the cyclists and those who go past them in motor vehicles over the next couple of weeks, be safe on the roads, be respectful of all your fellow road users and as always THINK BIKE!