Joining in, riding the 94.7 Cycle Challenge for Thandulwazi

Joshua Nuttall is head of CRM at Purple Group, a CN&CO partner. He uses his IN THE SADDLE column on our blog to share the thoughts that pop into his head while he’s out riding his bicycle…

Brad and TC, two Purple Group team members at the start

Carel rehydrating

Rocking up at the 94.7 Cycle Challenge I am always amazed by the number of people who turn out to dominate the Jozi streets. The official figure this year was around 26 000 cyclists. That’s a lot of people and you have to see it to believe it. So, if you are reading this and haven’t ridden a 94.7, take up the challenge and put it on your bucket list. Who knows, I may even organise a bike for you like I did for Carel!

It’s special to see the city from a different angle and to ride down the M1, which is normally bustling with cars (definitely not a cyclist’s playground on a daily basis).

This year, the decision to join the crew for the 94.7 was very last minute… 8pm the night before, in fact. Luckily, I do have a bit of cycling fitness in my legs. It was a good last-minute decision, and one that I don’t regret.

A couple of work colleagues and mates gathered in the start at 8:15am. We were riding for Team Thandulwazi, which raises funds for St Stithians’ Saturday school. We joined in the cycling procession and made our way around Joburg.

It was an eventful, special and awesome day out. I have huge respect for all my mates who took part, from the racing snakes in the elite batch to mates who pushed through to the finish after cramping just 40 km into the ride.

Each cyclist who took part in the 2018 edition of the 94.7 will have his or her own stories and memories. If you were one of them, I hope you had a cracker of a day and cherished the opportunity to ride around the car-free streets of Jozi.

Carel’s ride may have been cut short, but as he said to me on Sunday, “It could have ended a lot worse!” At least he was still smiling, having not fallen off, and had a glass of wine for rehydration.

A massive thanks to everyone who rode for Team Thandulwazi. Thank you also to the team from Complete Cyclist Bryanston, who helped with last minute gear checks/requirements and provided Carel with his Specialized Levo.

A hard-earned medal, that is for sure! Kurt, the crazy leb made us super proud on Sunday. Congrats again to a legend and well done on having the guts to start (90% of the time the hardest thing to do) and the determination to finish it!

Kurt admires his medal