Hilton.

I see they're a new company based in Belgium. They primarily show Candice on their testimonials, so they don't appear to have many other athletes using them yet. They report their rim weights in a large range, 250 - 290 grams, depending on finish. That's also super light. And they are priced even lower than South Industries XC rims, directly converted. About R8k each.

Very comfortable. Not a problem at all. And I have lower back issues on long rides. Completely unrelated to the USWE. The water pack doesn't make any difference.

What extra features do you think it will get? LTE / cellular? I don't think so, but that would be amazing. Leave the phone at home, and still be able to receive emergency texts and broadcast location. Unlikely though. More smartphone capabilities probably, to close the gap to Apple watches etc on that front. Though I don't think most hardcore sportspeople need much more than it currently offers.

Amazing! What a weekend 😅 incredible performances from Candice and Alan! Flying the flag very high for South Africa

Firstly, I got two different email subscribe list popups. One on the home page (asking for First, Last name and email) and another on the XC wheels page (with no text field for email address). Your gravel wheels link doesn't work, on the Gravel & Road page. Can you offer a set of gravel wheels with inner width between 25mm - 29, with an external width about 35mm or more ?

Amazing to see the South African 🇿🇦 champ on screen in the breakaway of Stage 1 of the Tour 😁🏆

I like this a lot! It looks so much like the Epic Evo 2023, or the new 2024 Epic 8. Great geometry, clean design, very balanced spec components, and a really attractive price (compared to "entry level" carbon dual susses these days). Great job!

That was excellent, some amazing prices. Still lots of middle sizes left on bibs and nice tops when I was there around 11AM. The Velo 2.0 bib short looks brilliant as well! Top notch quality.

This explains it quite well, for now: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/calories-and-power/ (Basically, although 4kJ of effort theoretically requires 1 Calorie (1kcal) of fuel, our human bodies are about 20% - 25% efficient. I.e. We need 4x as much fuel, due to heat loss etc. So we require about 4 Calories to do that work. Hence 1kJ effort ~= 1 Calorie of fuel in)

The rear tyre in the pics clearly says GRID casing, which makes sense for the rockiness of the Epic. I think I remember Matt saying he used the Grid casing in past years? The bike specifications details above says that he uses the Control casing. It's a little detail, but it matters, for preventing punctures. My epic evo came with Control casings, and I found the sidewalls too thin in our WC terrain for surviving the long distance marathon races at speed.

A also want to know about the Seat tube angles. Very slack at 73.5 degrees (in Low position to get 66.5 Head angle). With the flip chip in High position, can get a Seat angle of 74 degrees. The new Epic 8 has a STA of 75.5 degrees (though my 2023 Epic Evo has a STA of 74.5), so not that different I suppose. It looks quite slack though, hanging the saddle right over the rear tire, halfway to the rear hub.

KMC chain for Fini, I believe https://www.instagram.com/p/C4K6oumMErd/?img_index=1

Nino and Fini are a minute back at this point, struggling up the Wagon pass: https://x.com/CapeEpic/status/1769972197110534602?s=20

Here is the Pro model. It costs R190 000. Relative to the S-works, it loses out on: Roval S-Works wheels, the Flight Attendant suspension (on the 2nd from the top model?!), it downgrades the drivetrain to XO T-Type AXS from XXSL, the SL integrated cockpit, and of course the S-Works 12m carbon frame. It loses all of that. And STILL costs as much as the S-Works like 2 years ago. 😡 (Never mind that the Comp is almost identical to my '23 Epic Evo, including 120mm travel and GX mechanical drivetrain, not AXS, for R105k 🤨

And from one Sid the Sloth to another @Sid the Sloth (Dan Loubser) Well done for another impressive year! Sorry your break didn't go the distance, but the bravery on display was inspiring 💪 🏆 Was really great for us to watch the catch up of the Pro's on YouTube after the race.

Here's my equivalent HRZ breakdown. I started in &, and did a 2:55 My strategy this year was to go as hard as I could on the climbs, crest them near-ish the super climbers at the front, and spend little energy chasing back between climbs. The strategy made all the difference this year. 1.85m tall, 75kg, 34yo.

Inside joke 😆 that was also my first thought when I saw this

If there wasn't a pinch point getting onto Nelson Mandela boulevard 1km from the start, resulting in 80% of the group chasing hard to get back on by Hospital Bend, then this wouldn't matter.. then you could just sit anywhere in the group from the start. But as it is, it is much more favourable to be near the front of the group from the gun. It's not about the timing across the mat.

I used to have the Garmin Duel, but at some point it died on me, and warranty couldn't help me (I think it was just outside warranty). I now use the Wahoo Tickr 2, and it's brilliant.

I know what you mean. We need to be very specific about the type of racing, and the terrain / area. In the Western Cape, for long distance XCM over rocky terrain, we need as much durability as we can get. My bike cape with Spez Ground Control 2.4 tires in the Control casing, but those were too thin: Got more than 1 snakebite puncture. I could have gotten the Grid casing, but decided on the Maxxis Rekon R's instead. For XCO, or less rugged terrain, I think you can save weight with the Pirelli's etc. I would.

Love my Maxxis Rekon Race's, EXO casing, 2.35 front and back. Super durable, fast rolling, and relatively light-weight for the width. Also importantly, they have solid cornering knobs, which lots of other similar tires skimp on.

Absolutely amazing. That kloof, Die Hel, is so beautiful, wow. I need to organise a trip out there. Thanks for sharing

If I remember correctly from previous years, the Racetec seeding batch is more of a general suggestion of your batch for PPA-type races. I don't think it necessarily tells you exactly which Cycle Tour start batch you will be in. Probably close though.

Has anybody who did the 99er received their official CTCT seeding batch email yet? On the 13th Feb (15 days ago already!), we all received the following email: "Most race numbers have already been allocated. However, your seeding is currently being processed and will be sent out shortly. Entrants who will not be receiving their seeding just yet include: Recent entrants and substitutions Riders who participated in the Gryphon 99er (expect your seeding next week) ... A final seeding notification will be sent prior to the commencement of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Registration and Lifecycle Expo "

The Imbuko was a fantastic route. What a privilege to be able to ride these amazing trails. All the pros in quoted here also said how great it was. Big Kudos to the organisers as well. The water point at Canetsfontein had a great vibe, and all the WPs were well stocked. And wow, how was the Cliff Hanger ?!? Wow! The downhill hairpin bends were hairy, but yoh the view!! I met up with another rider who had a fall on the way down - I hope there weren't too many falls. All around, it was a special experience. Last note: the litter! Come on guys. I was about 1/3rd from the front of the field, so there was more than half the riders behind me, and the number of discarded gels on the route was terrible. We have to do better