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Looking at the website, they really dont like short people....... or is short people not people
flame suit on
I think this is a stupid route and puts cyclist in unnecessary danger (specifically the N2 section)
i know this route is an icon and held in reverence among local riders but I can easily map out alternative and equally epic routes that are much safer.
We could argue that all routes should be made safe for cyclist yes but thats not the world we live in.
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9 hours ago, Jewbacca said:Okes, the Ninja turtle on the Pina is in the Import/Export game, he knows the cost implications of the deal, I think th at's a moot point.
He is asking if you guys as serious cyclists would be interested in buying the bikes.
IMHO if he was able to land reasonably priced 'Frame Only' options he would have more success with the trail crowd as they tend to want Hope anodized bling and non standard components.
I imported a 2019 Vitus escarpe landed for under 10k 2 years ago. I swapped it for a Jeffsy locally with a fella as the bike was looooong and a lot of bike for me and he wanted such a thing for shuttle days.
I don't see the trail crowd buying into 'whole bikes' but I do see them buying into well priced frame only options if the frames are good.
BUT, having seen Commencal, Dartmoor and a host of other companies try to break into that market segment and fail, I think it's better left alone.
If it were my money and effort I wouldn't touch it.
what this guy said☝️
depending on the price I would seriously consider a frame only option
10 hours ago, OVERDRIVE said:Pro guys, is it easier to ride with all this tech though? Or needs twice the skill and twice the ability?
if you referring to the twinlock system.
As a Sparky rider i cant ride without a remote lockout. Honestly I scratch my head how anyone can ride without remote lockout.
I mean it makes sense to "set and forget" if you have a high end shock and fork with multiple levels of fine tuning adjustments but the idea of reaching down to my fork or shock midride just gives me cold sweats.
Edit: Answering as a CAT 5 pro
I dont know if this was mentioned but can we just recognize AMP achievement in the TT for a second
She finished 8th and the only one to finish ahead of her who is not a known TT specialist (as far as I am aware) was Grace Brown.
AMP has had an amazing season so far
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12 minutes ago, Vetplant said:From the horse's mouth:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRs-n0ID3k_/
Evie Richards got the memo
Edit: Did anyone capture how much air Nino got on that drop in the first lap or 2. That was insane
2 hours ago, Eugene said:As a beginner, the best advice I can give is to ignore all the technical jargon. Most of it is hype any way.
Just visit a few shops, tell them your budget and that you are starting and let them recommend a bike.
For R8k, a hard tail is probably your best bet. Try to get Hydraulic disc brakes.
Best bang for buck brands are Axis, Titan and Silverback.
I dont think I can agree with that...
Generalizing here, but the bike shop will most likely just point to a bike they want to sell you instead of whats actually best for you.
My advice, if you know someone whos been through the journey - as in started out with a budget bike and not a newbie starting on a sworks epic, then they can guide you. Double points if they ride the same trails you planning on riding.
Is France as a country been colonized????
Today I learned that David Gaudu is from Spain and Remi Cavagna is from Italy????
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McNulty and Pogacar UAE allies.
They could go all the way.
You would think the commentators at least watched a little bit of cycling
Edit: JW must be smiling
1 hour ago, Stephan said:Having just renewed my TMNP Activity Permit for another year, I couldn’t help but wonder why is the pricing so complicated and does this system actually work? I’m all for the Activity Permit if it keeps the awesome trails in and around Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point open to the mounting biking community, but there has to be a better, more effective way.
Here is a suggestion:
- Simplify the pricing to make it one standard flat fee for the permit per year (say R380 per person, which is what we now pay if you are able to get four people together when buying/renewing your permit).
- Instead of having only one pay point at Tokai office, allow people to buy permits at any bike shop in Cape Town.
- Instead of issuing a little pocket sized card, issue a colour coded board system, like many others clubs do, which is valid from Jan to Dec only. The board must be attached to your bike. It’s a self-policing system in that riders who try to dodge the system are instantaneously visible to other “legal” riders and/or SANPark rangers. I would bet that this system will also increase revenue to SANParks since more people will be forced into buying a permit.
To answer my own question, does the current system actually work? Well, judging by people I have spoken to, I would guess 3/10 people riding the trails have a valid Activity Permit. In terms of policing the system, in one year of having done roughly 4000km on the TMNP trails (Table Mountain, Rhodes Mem, Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch, Tokai, Silvermine and Cape Point) I have been stopped twice. Is the system working? No.
I would love for those in the know to say if alternatives to the current system has actually been discussed with SANParks?
I dont like boards on my handlebars. I crash a lot and keep breaking any boards I had on my bike.
Also those Activity cards are not just for cycling, they cover other activities as well (looking at you dog walkers)
I think the current system can be made better with an app and standard pricing for both day pass and annual pass. This can be an addition to the current system for sure.
10 hours ago, Mountain Bru said:I unfortunately think Vingegaard is going to be a bit of a one hit wonder too in terms of GC podiums. You can't just look at the results, but also how and when those results were obtained. Tao G won the Giro in probably the weakest field possible after all the Covid stories and Thomas etc crashing out. I mean 2nd and 3rd where Jai Hinley and Kelderman that year ????♂️. Mitchelton and Jumbo pulled their whole teams from the race. So yes, he won, but he's not a serious GC contender when the big boys come out to play. Even the year Carapaz won the Giro, I think he got a bit lucky not being marked closely enough when he was 2 minutes down, and then making all that time up on 1 stage. But a guy thats loosing 1:30 to his rivals in a 30km time trial is always going to struggle against the "favourites" like Pog, Rog or Bernal.
Ben O'Conner got lucky this year too. Yes he finished 4th, but he was 10 minutes down, and that's after he made up 6 minutes on the stage he won when UAE didn't bother chasing him down in the break. If he was a serious contender, they'd have chased, and he'd likely have ended 16 minutes down in the end.
So in my opinion, Jonas' coming second this year in a really weak field proves he's maybe on the "Mas, Lopez, Carapaz, Kelderman, etc" level, but he'll get smoked as soon as there's an uninjured Pog, Rog, Bernal, maybe even Thomas in the field. In previous years, if he finished 5:20 back on the leader, he'd have been 6th or 7th which I think is about right for him.
Different Opinion
I disagree with your views on Jonas and Carapaz.
Jonas finished 2nd in the Tour of the Basque Country ahead of Pogs and only second to Roglic this year. Tour of the Basque country is one of the tougher week long stage races on the Calendar. Now at the tour, if Jonas didnt have to wait on Roglic on stage 3 and perhaps was the leader with more confidence during the first week of the tour i reckon results would have been much closer than 5min gap. Jonas may in future be the only one to take the fight to Pogs.
Carapaz doesnt have the same level of TT ability as Rogs, Pogs, or Jonas and at a clear disadvantage, but climbing he is pretty much there or there about with the best. His win at the Giro in 2019 is not be scoffed at and he did push Rogs very close at the Vuelta last year. I think if you removed Rogs time bonuses from the Vuelta, he would have won Rogs. However any GT with more than one ITT in and his at a clear disadvantage. But definitely a level higher than Wilco, Mas, etc
Bernal is the anomaly. When on form you have to wonder if anyone can climb like he does. But he is not strong at ITT so whether he can beat Pogs will depend on the parkour of the GT
Right now I just think Pogs is a level above everyone else.
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i wonder if Mohoric saw that buttcheeks that was just flashed at him ????
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8 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:So 3 world tour cyclists bust in 2020, the lowest in 15 years, 8 World Tour riders in 2019..... There were also WAY less tests conducted.
Then there's this
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/12/sports/cycling/cycling-freeman-team-sky-doping.html
So no, things are very much still happening and the 'change in attitude' won't happen unless there are a number of years between guilty parties and adverse findings. If there are multiple naughty people caught every single year, there can be no shift away from the perception.
would be interested to see what the numbers are as a % of total pro athletes in each sport.
Weightlifting and MMA i assume would take the cake.
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3 hours ago, Nick said:As mentioned, Tokai is the best option if you want the mast climb and fun single track, but an alternative (depending on your preferred flavour) is cross over directly from the La Parada to the Constantia Nek car park and follow the signs. Ride towards town along the side of the mountain. The trails are less technical (for the most part) than Tokai but the views and workout are great. You can turn back at any point or loop around the front of the mountain (up to the blockhouse even) and ride the town and Camps Bay trails. Before heading back to La Parada via Suikerbossie - this bit is tar unfortunately but drop down through the security estate at the top of Suikerbossie for a little bit more dirt fun. The best route and finding the single track can get a bit more difficult to find once you get to the townside of the mountain.
I thought that section (rhodes, blockhouse sections) is still close?
17 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:There is a stream that flows all year round at the bottom of the bridal path.
Safe to drink? Rule of thumb is that you don't drink down stream from housing settlements or cattle crossings. As far as I know there aren't too many of either on the mountain. If there is nothing 'human' up stream from where you are, mountain fresh is usually the best water you will ever drink
thank you
17 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:There is lots! Rivers are flowing in every single fold currently. There is also the 365 option at the bottom of the bridal path
didnt know the water was safe to drink.
What is the 365 option?
29 minutes ago, copperhead said:Safety should be fine alone. The bakkie goes up Tokai at 9 for an hour or two for security. As mentioned there will be loads of riders around. Including myself. Silver rigid bike if you see me. Happy to join you for a bit and show you some stuff. 0795256841 if you want to whattsapp. Permit is only cash as said. Very quick and efficient. Lots of water on the mountain for drinking. Coffee at bootleggers after. It is a tradition. Hope to see you up there. Greg.
Serious question, where?
8 minutes ago, Jaco-fiets said:I must say it is rather ironic that doping has supposedly been brought under control but race speeds continue to rise and riders seem to old top form now for most of the season (some anyway). Genetics must be evolving faster than PED...
Listening to THE MOVE podcast often
I always listen how Lance and George speak about how current crop of cyclist would have dropped them on climbs even in their heydays. They explain this by advancements in Tech and training science
I dont know what its like to be a pro back then or now but i would like to think that todays pros are even more focused on marginal gains when it comes to training and nutrition where possibly pros back then were more "relaxed" about it....
I dunno.
My take is that not everyone is lifelong a clean/natty athlete and at some point took something to gain an advantage to speed up progression. However I would also like to believe that many are lifelong clean/natty athletes...
2 minutes ago, Long Wheel Base said:Anyone know what happened between Kwiatkowski and Mas? I saw a video where EM was not happy with MK, grabbing his arm and yanking it. They seemed to have a heated exchange of words.
that happened on that breakaway stage 7 where Movistar chased Carapaz down after he attacked.
Guess we have to wait for part 3 of the documentary
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8 minutes ago, Patchelicious said:Nic being interviewed and still getting coverage for Team Qhubeka even though he missed time cuts and is out of the tour.
unpopular political incorrect opinion
As good as an athlete Nic is and how awesome his life storyis, he didnt exactly feature in this years race.
All this publicity surrounding him not getting in car seems like they treating him like an amateur rider who shouldnt have been there but given the opportunity based on his race/background/life story etc.
Why is the benchmark set so low? South Americans have similar challenges and I am not sure whether their countries celebrate mediocrity?
Yes he had a touch race, crashed etc and all but shouldnt we be holding our athletes to higher standard?
Just tired of western media portraying non whites from Africa as second tier athletes and being held to a lower standard......
2 hours ago, corrie.kuilder said:
Kind of disappointed in MVDP, he is a very talented cyclist, but also found it kind of disrespectful to start a very prestigious and historic tour, only to abandon it after a certain goal was achieved. Have to agree with EM in the article.
Dont think it was disrespectful
He made it quite clear what his goals and intentions were.
I cant imagine what the tour would have looked at without MVDP this year animating the first few stages.
Will take a tour with MVDP for a few days than no days.
Maybe next year we get to watch him the entire tour
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Events that are getting postponed again...
in Events
Posted · Edited by YaseenEnos
what do you think of the Pursuit Challenge concept?
I did the wellington one and although having a one water bottle bike brought its challenges i still liked the "unsupported" event.
they even had an unmanned water station at the halfway mark.