devvydoesdonuts

I have to agree with point 1. To add to point 2, would it not be that because bicycle tyres are smaller than car tyres, they are more difficult to manufacture? I know in some cases the moulds and machinery used to make anything, become more expensive the smaller the items are, due to the intricacies of the tooling and machinery used, therefore making the manufacturing costs that little bit extra? With it all being said bike tyres are expensive, no matter which way you look at it. Sometimes we can get great life out of the tyres, sometimes we don't, it's luck of the draw I guess.

He did this on a cheaper frame so less stress with making a mistake but if you use the right tools should be easy to do.

You are right, they are basically doing it already with the water bottles, so shouldn't be that difficult to expand on that service, I am sure they will add another R2500 to accomodate it though😂

I feel the same, and I always make sure that I leave the bathroom in the condition that I would like to find it. I am a bit extra when it comes to being clean and tidy, so it irks me to see when people cannot have the decency to clean up after themselves. Can only just imagine how terrible the conditions are in the porta loo's after 8 days of racing.

I used to have a sign for the mens bathroom at one of my previous companies that said "Gents, stand closer it's shorter than you think." I really like the idea of your alternative, I for one would use that service if I ever did the race, like you said if you trained well and are serious about your nutrition this would really be a great way to ensure you are giving yourself the right stuff.

Do they use normal plastic porta loo's or are they using some of the fancier trailer type toilets that have proper toilets and basins in? The latter types are definitely better, they do take up more space and probably cost a bit more to hire, but I think are definitely easier to keep cleaner. The standard pack idea is rather good, the only downfall I see there is rider X likes this and wants more of that, and rider Y has different preferences, so you will have riders complaining about what is in said packs. At any event you will always see those riders that grab snacks and drinks at these water points like they will never be able to have them again, and restricting what they can have is not the best way forward?

Cape Epic is supposed to be one of the most prestigious MTB events in the world, but every year I hear of the riders coming back not happy with the standard of this event. They make 10's of millions hosting this event, I understand that farmers, suppliers, etc, need to be paid and a lot of money goes into getting the event going but supplying some decent food and clean toilets cannot be that difficult, or cost too much.

My riding partner was saying this exact thing this past weekend, he did Epic last year and said that the hygiene is so poor. He said if he does Epic again he will do B&B and try stay away from the crowds where possible.

They have Colombo now in the team and Nino and him seemed to work really well together at Tankwa last year and they werent't teammates yet. Colombo does well in the World Cups and I think he could be a better partner for Nino next year. That being said, I think any rider that partners with Nino for Epic will have a tough time, he seems to put a lot of pressure on himself to do well and really pushes to get those results which always seems to break his partners after a few days.

https://pulse.tv/events/capeepic2023 just found it in my history.

Would love to see Alan and Simon do an Epic together, think they could do really well.

Not sure if Andri is able to hold the pace for much longer, Nino really just has another gear at the Epic compared to his partners. Maybe Spez and SCR spent too many matches today and Scott took the loss of time today and used it as a bit of a recovery day knowing what lies ahead Friday and Saturday? I think the mens race is going to be rather interesting.

I think if they could get more of the ladies from XCO it would be great, Kate Courtney has done it before and would have a great team behind her, but Scott-Sram would need to get another female rider to join the team. Trek have Neff and Evie as well as Gibson that has joined, so they could make a decent team there, not sure how they would handle stage racing but a team of strong riders. Canyon could make a team out of Lecomte and Burquier, throw the Ghost team of Terpstra and Bohe in and you will already make the ladies race that much more interesting. The ladies field is is filled with so much talent but unfortunately we do not get to see at the Cape Epic.

Not necessarily, sometimes they will use off the shelf stuff, but they are often testing out new/updated products at races before they bring it to the market. In XCO Nino does use a different even lower profile Aspen than you get off the shelf, not sure it is supplied to sponsored athletes only, because I havent seen them for sale anywhere, but the winner of the Atlas Mountain Race used them.

Absolutely, Nino is a massive part of their marketing, and many people cannot wait to try out the gear he uses.

I see Scott-Sram are riding with Cape Epic specific Aspens, explains why they have had better luck so far this year. Wonder if they will make them available to public in the future?

I find that most Adidas are narrow, but not ridiculously narrow. If you can find a half size that may be a better option if you have a slightly wider foot.

Just go to a normal Dischem, that is the current deal that they have on them. So much for expo "specials".

I usually wash my bike after every ride, but it also depends on how dirty my bike is. If it is caked in mud or looks like I have ridden through a sand storm then I give it a proper clean, if it is a bit dusty I just spray some bike cleaner and give it a quick hose down and wipe it to not leave any water marks, and if it has some dust or a few marks I will leave it for the next ride. I just make sure that my chain and drivetrain is clean and lubed, if I don't do a deep clean on my chain and drive train I just take a rag with a touch of degreaser and wipe the chain down and use the clean side of the rag to wipe it again after before lubing up again. You could also look at using waterless car cleaners, there is a company called Detail Ease, they have a good product that cleans and protects, its about R370 for a bottle but works well and doesn't attract a lot of dirt to your bike. I use it on my frame after cleaning my bike and find that it helps keep my bike cleaner for longer.

Thanks Warren, will have a look.

Crazy that I was looking at their website literally 10 minutes before this popped up, anyone else that has used these and have any feedback?

I used to shove food down at the coffee stop on rides because it was always thought that I was "fuelling" but always ended up feeling bloated and burping for an hour afterwardswhile riding, I now just have a coffee and something small to keep the hunger bugs away but nothing too heavy. I just have a bottle filled with electrolytes and another just with water and this works quite well for me, but when the training rides turn into bleed from the eyes ride then I find myself having to take a gel or grab an energy bar to maintain the efforts, but I opt for the sugar free and caffeine free options to try not put too much nonsense into my body while riding. With the whole solid food thing, I remember reading an article or watching something on YT about nutrition on the bike and they were saying something about our bodies stop processing solids and carbs as efficiently when we are working out intensely, and thats why you should try and consume foods that are easier to digest to get the nutrition from them sooner, memory is a bit vague on this but it was something along the lines of that.

Sounds like you have been in the wars. I've fortunately only ever broken my wrist, still rode my bike with my cast on a few days later, the joys of being built like rubber when you are younger. Other than that its just sprained bones and more just scrapes, bruises and of course ligament and muscle damage that have been caused by falling off the bike. I hear you when you say you are not in the mood for the pain, I am only happy with the pain of my legs and lungs screaming at me going up climbs but not when your body comes to a sudden stop on the floor. Really hope that you can get over the concussion sooner, rather than later. Before anything I spend a lot of money on protecting my head especially after the effects I felt from concussion.

@Robbie Stewart I had my last proper fall in 2019, had concussion, a mangled shoulder and a good few scrapes and bruises, but the biggest thing was the mental scars of the crash, took me a good few weeks to heal up physically but mentally it took a lot longer. I rode a few times afterwards but then just decided, nope not for me until 2021, where I got a bike again started off slowly, building myself back up and I am now the fittest and strongest I have ever been two years later. I keep pushing myself to become better and faster but within reason, I will be 32 in May and I can tell you the falls don't get any easier and your body just doesn't bounce back like it did before, so I keep that in mind when pushing through certain sections to remind myself about the crash in 2019 and to just stay in my limits, think about getting home to my wife safely and trying again another day. Try not to call it quits, just dial it back and try find that balance that will help you to enjoy riding again and wanting to be out on the trails. If you are feeling good on the day, by all means go for it, but if you not feeling the greatest take the B line and just enjoy.