- Active Topics
- Forums
- Create Topic
-
51 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:It's always the same dudes with the same e-bike hate for the same reasons.
Guys have been banging on the 'they are dangerous' drum but I'm yet to see swathes of regular bikers being taken out and injured by e-bikes more than other regular bikers.
The same as the 'disc brakes are dangerous' gang.... I've not yet seen the hundreds of amputated limbs from deadly disc brake samurai swords as has been nay sayed all over the internet.
Riding bikes isn't always (or most often isn't about it at all) about achieving, it's about enjoyment. So if you're not troubling the podium, sit up, relax, enjoy the scenery and let your brain produce some beautiful chemicals.
Racing is a form of enjoyment isnt it????
Anyway, I dont agree with your post.
To give context, i think most people dont have an issue with ebikes on a local ride. Whether thats them wizzing past and then slowing you down on the descends etc.
The issue is about racing in a field with a mixture of ebikers and normal bikers and the safety concerns raised which i think are valid. The reality is that Ebikes have opened up "racing" to a group of society that would normally never participate for said events due to lack of fitness and skills OR mixing them up with other racers with higher kill and fitness levels.
I think most of the people on the thread would appreciate separate events or days for Ebikers.
Also calling out anyone who is not chasing a podium or top position that they should just sit up and relax is "elitist" mentality.
Anyone pushing themselves in a race, whether its for podium, top 25% percentile or even just trying to make cut-off deserves praise and not discouragement which what you doing now
6 minutes ago, I FLY said:My wife was always the stronger rider but due to health issues she is struggling to do longer rides with me. ( technical skills gained from 25 years of mtbing have not disappeared) .So I have ordered her an ebike so we can continue to ride together. I would be unhappy if we were forced to ride separate events. Maybe this will cause us to stop entering events
Specialized wants your number, they want to put you in contact with Anika and Christoph and explain the benefits of an ebike.
Remember, its not the bike, its you, only faster
2
1
So many ebikes i swear some days ebikers out number normal bikes at the local trails.
it wont be long before most people are on ebikes .
If the ebike market is growing as fast as we are all led to believe, i dont see the point of having an event that has both ebike or normal bikes.
Sure ebike only events are starting to make more sense?
Sani2C E? Cape Epic E? etc
3
47 minutes ago, Headshot said:I'll get things going...
You see most ebikes are borderline enduro weapons (hate that cliché 🙂) not really intended for marathon type events. They're meant to shuttle you up so you can ride down as often as possible. Fun in other words. Trust SA to turn them into stage race bikes. Eish.
In this scenario I can see application for Ebike and Ebike racing (Enduro and even Downhill).
Im just going to say it and I know there are others thinking this. BUT in my eyes Ebike are just some light weight pedal based dirt bikes – Which I have no issue with (phew).
So seeing them at my local trails doesnt phase me (I actually wish some of my buddies could get one so they can keep up – humble brag).
Watching them race at marathon events (and I see at the last WC XCO event) is still something I have to do mental gymnastics with to rationalise.
Ebikes do make sense if you want to explore long distances (provided you covered for batteries) which would make touring events with tour guide more appealing.
Just my 2cents.
3
51 minutes ago, Headshot said:.....should eBikes not have their very own events rather than being mixed up with fit able bodied riders?
Wondering if i should grab popcorn or if there will be a rational discussion about this....
2 hours ago, Vetplant said:
13:36:02A moment we never wanted to comment onThis is the moment when Miguel Angel Lopez is forced to abandon the Giro d’Italia.
The Colombian rider had staked a lot on this Giro. Now also the internal dynamics of Astana Qazaqstan Team will have to change, will Vincenzo Nibali become the captain?
do we know why?
1 minute ago, Hairy said:McConnell has been getting progressively better over the last few seasons, and last season she was showing signs of spark that would become a BOOOOM.
I am really happy for her.
Alan is also just brewing, hopefully in the new season he comes through .... given his last two seasons, he should really be the lead rider for team Crackondale.
I hope Alan doesnt pick up on Avancini tactic of "go till you blow"
3
Not gonna lie
Watching 35+ age groupers beating these youngsters really warms my heart. Cav winning (and Nino coming in at 2nd at the XCO) gives me false hope that I too wont get dropped by the young guns at my local trails.
2
1
i know this is off topic but
1) what is the specific reason why CSA wants to restrict registered cyclist from participating in unsanctioned events?
2) what is a unsanctioned event? PPA sportive? random MTB race etc? Is it normally stated at race entry?
DC bike for me
suitable XCM, XCO, long adventure rides and the odd enduro. Can pretty much handle most of what the Western Cape can throw at you
2
One technicality you may want to consider is that the Camber frames to my knowledge do not have boost spacing.
I would imagine for most of us this doesnt really mean much to ride experience (and there is a lot more to the way a bike rides than just boost spacing) but it does future proof your bike for upgrades you may want to make later on , specifically for wheelsets and groupsets.....
4 minutes ago, Steady Spin said:Get these from Haribo.
Guaranteed to make you ride 10x faster
what the hell did i just read
im in stitches rolling on the floor 😆
12 minutes ago, Shebeen said:i will be very disappointed if someone ever tells me these are not loaded with goodness.
Haribo is all Sagz wants, but pricey here
you know whats interesting about those Energade jelly sweets. The new packaging shows less calories and nutrients per weight than the old packaging...
did they change the recipe with the new packaging but charging the same price or was the old info incorrect to start off with🤔
Edit: to add, these are also my go to for longer rides. Anecdotal, these work better than any bars or gels
1 hour ago, love2fly said:This is now the THIRD time I find a Biogen Nougat Energy Bar pack with a smaller-than-normal bar inside. I buy them a dozen at a time and generally don't sift through to make sure the product is correctly packed. It might seem petty but I cycle at least 12 hours a week and go through a fair amount of bars a month/year.
I have given Biogen the chance but will now make some noise!
Time to switch solely to PVM who also make an effort and sample now and then out where I ride and are always happy to chat and advise.
The bar is about 25% under.
What makes this even worse is that I have tried to reach out to Biogen via Facebook AND Instagram and been ignored.
1 hour ago, ouzo said:so have you weighed it to see if its the stated weight ?
Weighing it would actually be the most correct measure to see if you being cheated or not
I am fully supportive of a free market
Demand vs supply
So reselling at a larger profit doesnt concern me. Even if I lost out on a deal or i was the original seller. I got what I asked and if someone made a bigger score on it then good for them.
Yes it feels like you missed out but so be it
What i do find unethical is if a buyer (who has the intent to resell) deliberately schemes to get the price as low as possible, taking advantage of the sellers "situation" or a sellers lack of knowledge on a product.
The opposite is also true. Some people really sell sh** on the hub at really questionable prices...
32 minutes ago, Shebeen said:the whole thing of the Epic being the "Tour de France" of mountain biking has taken a bit of a slide since most of the XC big names stopped riding it. they will need to find the new niche in marathon/epic series with a few list A riders. Nino does it because he seems to have it on his calendar in blackmarker. Who is the next highest ranked XCO rider in the field?
https://www.uci.org/discipline/mountain-bike/4LArSj7CKcytMrGEDtKwkb?tab=rankings&discipline=MTB
foster in #15, marotte in #16.
uh mean a bunch of privateers who pooled their cash last month, got their dad to get some leave from the carpentry shop he runs(i made that up) and are on the podium is an amazing story. it really is, but it also shows how the depth has fallen from the field.
to understand the whole TDF of MTB we need to understand see how does the Cape Epic stack up against other MTB Marathon stage races
Do these other races attract bigger names? More UCI points? Media coverage? Prestige? financial rewards etc.
I think the sport of Marathon MTB is still very small or less prestigious at a pro level (but big for amateurs) and thus way behind XCO.
Marathon MTB at a pro level needs to be boosted in prestige before it will attract bigger names in the sport.
Edit: This edition may have very little XCO rider participation but the field does have some high level marathon specialist which is what the Epic is supposed to attract
1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:the route appears harder but 16900m of vert still isn't special especially when measured against 680km. At best its slightly tougher. Maybe this is the hardest start in a while? I thoght it was the toughest route since 2008 but I'm not so sure due to the reduction in climbing fro 17000 odd to 16900
comparison:
2004 785km -> 17380m^
2005 901km -> 16020m^
2006 921km -> 16605m^
2007 886km -> 15045m^
2008 966km -> 18529m^
===================New Era for golfers
2009 685km -> 14623m^
2010 722km -> 14635m^
2011 707km -> 14530m^
2012 782km -> 16300m^ (longest since 2008 but 2229 short on vert or a whole stage)
2013 704km -> 15950m^
2014 729km -> 14850m^
2015 748km -> 16000m^
2016 646km -> 15050m^
2017 695km -> 14550m^
2018 653km -> 13530m^
2019 630km -> 16650m^
2021 611km -> 14900m^
2022 681km -> 16900m^ (most vert since 2008 but way short on distance)
I could probably do some math to check average speed of the winners or better would be calorie consumption but I don't have that data.
its very difficult to put a tag "harder" when viewing it from the just the route data
i always feel that looking at the numbers doesnt tell the whole story
havent the routes become more "technical" and less gravel bike friendly over the years?
8 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:You might be an exception to the rule.
The amount of times I've been sworn at by kids and old men fighting for 38th place because the timing pod took 1 second to beep is immense.
I've even see middle aged, mid pack men rage quit and throw their bikes into bushes while glaring at me with death eyes, despite having fallen on the trail already.
The same guy then complained about the timing while whinging the the events are getting too expensive without offering anything but in the same breath saying he won't pay more or come back unless the timing system is sorted out etc.... (this is a specific example, there are many).
The organisers haven't historically made any money in the past, so pouring time, effort and resource for free, just to cop abuse isn't ideal.
Also, as Nick said, the Enduro scene is usually a spring vibe in the Cape. But it will be very interesting to see how the new organisers balance the cost, offer and entry pricing.
I know I'm seriously considering not going back to volunteer after the abuse I copped at the last few by kids and middle aged men
dam, i thought his type of attitude was only prevalent with mid pack mamils at road events........
Edit:
In addition to this, you can understand why you dont see new faces at these events. If the participants are too elitist it wont encourage newbies to the sport
yep im also interested in this
but hoping the events are not in winter for selfish reasons (i absolutely hate riding in mud and wet)
Dear Trail Builders
in Routes & Trails
Posted
whats wrong with Tokai?