Headshot

That was MTB TV overload, I almost forgot to go for a ride ???? I felt rather sorry for MN - what a k@k way to end the season. That said, it would have been VH's season even earlier had she not had a couple of crazy silly crashes in previous races. Seems to be a harsh place for punctures - quite a few in the XCO as well as the DH...

Unusually, the men's race was far more entertaining than the women's. It was great to see ER winning but where were the other contenders. I think BB paid ER a disservice when he implied she won because RM had a puncture. No way she would have kept up with Evie, puncture or not. Pity about NS puncture which i suspect would not have changed the outcome too much - maybe a place or two but not the win. CB was a machine. About time a yank won another XCO event - its been nearly 30 years, as they kept telling us.

Just bought some Shimano resin brake pads. Super friction filled. So happy ????

I suspect lederhosen would make good #enduro shorts. never need washing and great in a crash...

#Eurofanboi

That was a about a 3m22 run which would no doubt have got better in his quali run...Iles did well to go p1 with a 3m14. I think this track suits the North American riders. We need more races outside the Alps.

I would say, strap it up and race bro, you come from SA. Seriaasly though, what a bummer, he did quite well here in 2019.

I'd prefer it if you didn't refer to me at all..

Opinions on how to maintain a chain are like ...holes ????

I once tried to enter the Epic when it was only about R12k - didn't get in, but maybe I could get a tattoo - "attempted to get an entry for the Epic".

Where do you get the OEM lube from, because it sure as... doesn't stay on a chain for the life of the chain?

First post troll calling other people trolls.... you need to be educated, Cat Boy.

Most mountain bikers would love to do it unless you mean by target market, "company execs who recently gave up golf for cycling", then of course its not aimed at most of the commentators on this thread. The Epic of today is very far removed from what it started out as.

Nope, I think you'll find brakes on cars work for tens of thousands of km without the need to worry about bleeding them even once a year. Brake services don't happen every oil service/bleed and usually only when the pads require changing.

I guess it doesn't really matter what people are prepared to pay and you can argue the knock on effects - promotion of MTB, tourism, new trails and so on, but how about the other side effects - Other MTB events getting in on the act and prices going up all over? An expensive event makes bikes look cheaper, so make the bikes more expensive, because people are silly enough to pay for the best. Its a slippery slope I tell ya ????

I must say I don't bother to clean the factory grease off. I wipe the chain down a bit when I fit it and then after rides and eventually start lubing with Squirt or similar. So far no drastic drive train wear has been noted and the transmission usually shifts better than with any other lube on it.

I think both of you have valid points. It all depends on the circles you cycle in. There re definitely a klomp riders in SA who identify with the Epic, aspire to do it and have done it. The guys I refer to in my first post on this thread. There is no denying the Epic has inspired many people to ride bikes long distances, spend lots on bikes and kit and has also spawned a wrath of copycat races eg CPT, S2C etc... Its a cumulative effect. We are a skewed and somewhat unique market - nowhere besides Brazil is marathon riding so big and fun trail and gravity assisted MTB so small. That is changing slowly, possibly helped by the very thing that we are complaining about. Events like the Epic have alienated most of us with their pricing and terrible video propaganda and having to deal with those epic one track ego's who don't really want to know about anything else. And maybe even eBikes are helping, which are more like enduro bikes and encourage fun descending antics..

Is this guy like the bearded Barbie of Roadies? Eish...

Spent some time with an adventure moto riding buddy this weekend. His bike is oldish but cost R38k second hand. His kit cost R10k. He's off to an enduro event near Hogsback next year. Three days, three meals a day and a 3 man tent plus the race organization and ambulance etc. Total cost under R3.5k. Seems reasonable. Compare that to a 3 day MTB event in SA and you realize how the MTB craze has enabled a whole new kind of corporate greed. When it costs a fraction of the cost to travel to the EU, buy a lift pass and ride the Alps, than to ride the Epic, you realize how priorities are skewed in SA. The home of die hard endurance riders most of whom never learned how to have fun on an MTB and are more obsessed with FTP than how to bleed their brakes or do a manual or jump. Its quite sad really. ????

Agreed. Deore would be a better bet for relatively inexpensive powerful stoppers that will outshine most SRAM offerings. I am running a set of well used 785XTs on my enduro bike and they are superb, despite their age.

Just buy them already. You won't look back. Nothing beats Shimano brakes for value and power. SRAM brakes are the stuff of nightmares, especially the older ones. Just be careful you don't go over the bars when you first try the new front brake ????

They are indeed, but that said, Theo Erlangsen from Cape Town was 36th, only 13 secs behind Greg.

Wow, the weather must have made what is a serious challenge even tougher. Well done!

Watching the YouTube build up to the WC made me itch to ride my #Enduro bike. So I headed off to Tokai to do my own version down the snakes and DH track. So glad I did, I have been spending far too much time on my HT trying to get fit. The tracks are running superbly after the hail and rain...

That was way more exciting than a normal WC probably because it's a winner takes all event. Needless to say one of SA's greatest sports stars performance will be largely ignored by the mainstream media ...