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18 hours ago, Prince Albert Cycles said:Were you on a Revolt ? Saw you on Saturday morning riding back to town
Nah, I do gravel on my Steel HT. I did the PA to the Top and back on Saturday though.
As more and more of SA's roads turn to gravel, so the demand for the bikes increases. Gravel is the new road?
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2 minutes ago, Prince Albert Cycles said:No . No tracks . We just ride the dirt roads . We have a local who is trying to build a track between running a guest house and a restaurant. The rest of us are old geezers who are just trying to stay upright.
Thanks. Spent the Easter weekend there and loved it. The dry river beds have some potential for technical riding I think...
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HTA from a 2011 Enduro bike. Took them 13 years.
* which is not to say I don't like the new bike. I think the geo and features like a dropper seatpost are great.
2 minutes ago, Pandatron said:Also lets be fair, getting to Stage 7 of the Epic i can only believe that your legs are effed and that downhill might be a bridge too far competence wise in the reduced state.
That applies to all riders, or are you saying the people who overtook you on the climb to dive into the single track ahead of you and then walk, did it on purpose?
3 minutes ago, sirmoun10goat said:For all the technically blessed riders caught behind people walking single track, maybe you should work on your cardio and speed and get into the single track before the walkers.
I’m pretty sure these walkers probably think the technical riders are holding up the show while they try cruise past them on the district roads.
Oh really. but we're talking specifically about flowing tech single track with a few rocks and bumps, not the very wide gravel roads where anyone can overtake, even the single track walkers.
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6 minutes ago, Pandatron said:If your so fit and skilled, then you wont be behind the plonkers
I am somewhat skilled but not very fit.
4 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:The number of social media influencers in the event has definitely increased. The number of people incapable of riding a mountain bike over anything remotely technical has also increased but these have always been part of the event.
I don’t think it’s easy to point at one particular cause for higher drop out rates the last three years other than COVID.
we can’t prove that having disposable income equates to incompetent MTB skills you’d think that they could buy that also although one cannot buy commitment.we can’t prove that riders are less capable whilst being offered bikes with lower slacker longer attributes that makes anyone a Danny Mccanskill.
we do know that covid has hit everyone globally with effects not well understood. If we consider the 2026 cape epic used a similar route to 2024, had longer stages in more adverse temperatures whilst suffering a lower drop out rate of riders on steeper angles bikes with narrower tyres and longer stems then it is clear that 650B was a far superior wheel size…
Danny rides a carbon trials bike with a very long stem most of the time...
Maybe if the Epic 8 had come out a bit earlier, you know around xmas time, more people would have been riding the slackerest marathon MTB out there and flowed down the tracks like Beers?
23 minutes ago, PygaSchmyga said:"who have no business riding the epic" - lots of judgerigteid around today, yoh
True, but his comment needs expansion.
Imagine paying over R120k to do the event only to discover numbers of plonker riders riding so slowly or even pushing their bikes and of course failing to get out of the way (cos they know no etiquette and their big ego's wont allow it) and therefore ruining your very expensive single track experience.
Now of course everyone knows that this is what happens on the Epic and lots of other marathon type events so I have to wonder why guys like Kolesky even bother moaning. This and the fact that so many other people come back time and again even though they know the best tracks will be littered with riders makes me think many people aren't necessarily doing this for fun, but rather for a bit of masochistic bragging rights.
I'll wait for your response 🙂
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1 minute ago, PygaSchmyga said:That's a bit bitter and smacks of sour grapes, no? And so what if people have this view - surely its a good thing to have a goal and achieving it without others pi$$ing all over it? If I were ever insane enough to try run and actually finish comrades you'd hear about it from the freaking rooftops!
Why say I'm bitter, its not like I've tried and failed. Actually i tried to enter once and failed at the first hurdle. How do you know someone's done the Epic? They tell you. 🙂
Met a guy recently who has done 7 Comrades and is aiming for 10, notwithstanding a recent back op. No ego on display at all. Makes me think its just the limited X section of my sample of epic riders. Type A personalities in the main.
23 hours ago, DieselnDust said:funny but I missed the context . I do love the term snowflake. Reminds me of Lewis Hamilton
He left so you're wasting your breath tough guy...
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23 hours ago, Jewbacca said:In a weirdly roundabout way, I have no affinity towards anyone having to be a 'real' anything.
A 'real' mountain biker because you can suffer? Eish..... Lest we all forget, Burry was 25 when he died. I'd not quote the wisdom of a 25 year old kid, regardless of how good they are/were at a sport. I'm sure the sentiment was sincere and I'm sure he meant well by it, but it just isn't something we should revere.
I also don't buy in to anyone having to prove anything to anyone in any field to earn 'respect'.
It's a weird thing that people feel they need to endure voluntary hardship in order to garner support in an imaginary pecking order.
If it isn't fun or you aren't doing it for your own benefit or introspection, I'd question the motives.
Agreed. And yet there are a whole bunch of riders who view the Epic as the pinnacle of achievement and have enlarged egos as a result of riding it.Or perhaps its just attracts the kind of personality who make lots of bucks and think that way.
Sorry to hear. Please clarify exactly where this happened.
12 hours ago, love2fly said:On day one Gerald got his riders confused, day 2 or 3 said Speed Company off the front yet they were dropped. Today he mentions Forster.....didnt know he was riding (must have meant Fini). If the Epic wants to be international and so it seems, judging by all the Spanish YouTube comments, they need to get a professional commentary team. Agree that Gardiner waffles but Gerald always waxes so lyrical, even on Toyota Cadence.... I can't imagine the rest of the world believing this is quality commentary....c'mon Epic, you can do better!
The commentary is in-house and also a promo for the Epic and they don't let you forget that. I'd still rather have this free stream than a paid subscription broadcast however.
Just hang around for a few months and they'll be selling "as new for R150k less. I see a world cup edition (80mm travel) 2024 is on sale here for R155k in "mint" condition. Talk about a massive depreciation.
19 hours ago, DieselnDust said:On that’s just horrible. I’ve never had good life out of their chains. One lasted 500km
Taya chains are 50% worn on a Park gauge when you fit them or at least the one I had was. KMC are just way better.
2 hours ago, i24 said:The new Honda Transalp 750 is currently on offer for R169k
https://www.hondacentral.co.za/product/honda-xl750-transalp/
Zack Courts of Daily Rider rated this his best bike tested in 2023.
What is the equivalent MTB, and what does it cost?
That's the same price as that new Titan superbike.
Bike Check: Matt Beer's Cape Epic Winning S-Works Epic
in The Bike Room
Posted
That's what I always said until a rock smacked my valve and I could not undo it without pliers. Thats once in maybe 25 years though. I still ride without caps 🙂