Karooryder

This whole thing is super dodge imo and this is just not right (looking at her explanation even foul play comes to mind). In any event, there are rules but the moment a pretty much race-deciding mistake is made by organizers (which clearly happened here) there need to exceptions to the rules. As for RideJoburg, the response on their Facebook page that: "both she and the lead car made a wrong turn on the track" ...is not only an unfair misrepresentation of what happened but also an atrocious handling of a professional sportsperson. Also, putting the onus on CSA rules for this disaster is a poor show for the race management which is going to come back and bite them...This morning social media is on fire with unhappy participants and supporters calling for a future boycott of the race. In the spirit of transparency and good sportsmanship I would have awarded a joined first place to Ashley and Emma with prize money donated to a charity. I'm sure both these ladies - professionals that they are - would have been ok with that.

So true Cois. My brother is also in the healthcare industry and he always says "if it is more than a runny nose, a stiff neck or a sore tooth get a second opinion". Getting a second (or third) opinion on a more serious health concern should not be a last resort, it should be standard procedure. We tend to rely on one Dr, and patient-Dr "loyalty" often clouds proper judgment and proper treatment. Sterkte Francois!

R2000 from my side for flights - I think R4000 should cut it (incl possible transfer fees for Cois's new beach buggy ???? ). @ Cois I live in Pretoria, let me know if you and Reinet will need a lift to the airport, I would love to buy you guys a coffee on the way!

Will there be hospitality (read: beer tent). Asking for a friend...

I hate this feeling. All was set; race entered, bookings made, training (more or less) on track. Then a good mate had no choice but to tie the knot this weekend because of Covid restrictions messing around a 2-year overdue wedding. There is no fomo like ARGUS fomo. Have a super race guys and gals, be safe, experience every moment and come tell some lekker stories on Monday! See you all in March at the 2022 starting line!

Last year my dad bought himself a Toyota Quest (that's the "budget Corolla"). Great was my amusement when I noticed that the rear window winders (yes, manual wind-up windows...) were the exact same ones fitted to my Toyota Hilux year model 1988...How do they get away with this kind of thing? "Toyota". Same applies to the Epic - the mere name enables the organizers to ask what they want and still draw a full participation. In fact, I think the price is a big part of the bragging rights...

Al wat ek kan se is jy is 'n yster my maat. Bly sterk!

..or chat about it like adults and in the process hold a trusted vendor accountable for their offerings plus teach the rest of us something about online buying.

Sure, which makes this issue technical to an informed buyer, confusing to a less-informed buyer and potentially misleading to an uninformed buyer - the kind of scenario you would want to avoid if you want to maintain a reputation of ethical business?

This. "Worst Customer experience EVER" is perhaps a bit extra considering the issue at hand but one has to agree that there is a measure of false advertising here. I'm hardly an expert but I kinda doubt that the pricing or the banner was an honest mistake - after all click bait is the name of the online retail game. Bottom line, "All items at 50% less" is "All items at 50% less" whether you're saving R10 or R10 000. Its a matter of principle. Live and learn for all parties involved.

If I understand Matt right, a big motivator for this is / was moderator resources. You are absolutely right that there are other, often really lekker things we want to talk about beyond cycling. However, in all fairness I think that the moderators would prefer to direct their limited resources to the content this Forum was created for rather than police a glorified chat room. Yes, off-topic discussions and trolling will (and do) permeate into the cycling forums but that is where the moderation in all it's force should be focused, imo. Hehe, I almost fell for the flocking a dead horse one but realized that I don't flocking care!

How the heck did I miss this thread and this discussion. And here I thought the gradual slenderizing of the Off-Topic section was a natural progression of the BikeHub makeover. Probably too late and flocking a horse which has become part of the archaeological record here. I have been part of the Hub community since 2012. I'm not a (very) regular contributor but I scan over the goings on of the Forum almost daily and over the past 10 years I have noticed a few things: 1. Some users are on this forum ALL THE TIME. I mean, ALL THE TIME. I'm not sure if they are paid by / employed by communications / pr agencies specializing in engaging with online public forums or if they are retired or bored or whatnot. I am amazed (if not puzzled) at the rate at which some users post, comment and reply from early morning to late night, every day, every week. 2. Some users, and very often those mentioned in 1, will only (or largely) engage in off-topic discussions. 3. Very often these same users are also to be found causing, fueling and perpetuating online brawls and trolling in off-topic discussions. 4. These same users - through their chronic engagement - accumulate thousands of post counts which, to the uninformed eye, might look like BikeHub street cred and giving these individuals a measure of entitlement on this forum, its management and engagements. They will often have a go at mods and instances where they gang-up on contributors with differing views with a "we as BikeHub" vs you as "noob poster" occur throughout the Off-Topic threads. 5. The above points have caused many Hubbers to stand back and even remove themselves entirely from this Forum. Over the past years we have seen valuable contributors disappear from the forum and with that, insightful contributions diminish. Having observed the above, I would be in full support of the gradual restructuring (and if necessary unwinding) of the Off-Topic forums. Matt and the mods offer us the opportunity to be part of an online community of individuals who love all things cycling. Let it be. They are not here to oversee online kuier-sessions with general debates, discourses and brainstorms (and I absolutely agree that these are often the best!). And they are definitely not here to mitigate problematic discussions on problematic topics by problematic people. Maybe it is time to return the Hub to what it was a few years back. And for the rest, perhaps rather power-off PC and head down to the local pub / park / bike shop for some (socially distanced) interaction with real humans.

Entered last minute and super excited - Covid has taught one to experience the familiar with new appreciation and it feels a bit like my first ARGUS (perhaps also because it is going to be a different kind of thing this year). More importantly, I read somewhere that there will be no hospitality at the finish and now I'm wondering: if one were to take a quick, INFORMAL rest on the lawns at Seapoint Stadium after finishing, and there was to be the odd coincidental beer stand, and one were to guence one's thirst, and one were to - over the required 1.5m distance - share a few quick thoughts on the race, and consume another quick beer, and perhaps grab a quick bite from a passing mobile Spur Burger "waentjie", would that constitute a problematic mass gathering? ????

See Eddy Gordo's reply above. There is a difference between tongue in the cheek and spoon in the hand. Or perhaps my sense of humor is failing me. Or perhaps not.

I'm not Shawn. My BikeHub name is Karooryder which is obviously not my real name. If - in this day and age - you feel inconvenienced by a seller (whoever he or she may be) wanting to make sure that he is not defrauded (by whoever) in an online transaction, you should not be transacting online, let alone bitch and moan about it on a thread that provides valuable insight on this topic.

Probably. Which is why a POP email is not worth the paper its written on and which is why the payment should be confirmed and verified by accessing ones' account and making sure that: - the payment was made into the said account. - the money is available and not provisional / pending (even if it shows). As noted above, I'm a bit paranoid with these kinds of things and I will not let anything leave my hands before I can move money from the credited account to other accounts on my banking profile. Works everytime.

These are the exact same questions I'm asking as I'm an ABSA client as well. In my experience, ABSA is pretty secure and they go through great lengths to inform users on scams, phishing and fraud on the banking side. This is not adding up and I suspect that Shawn made the expensive (albeit valuable) mistake of letting the goods go before cash was in hand (in whichever format). When I receive a payment for selling something I always wait until I can move the money around to my other accounts before letting the goods go. Skoolgeld, and it sucks - hope you recover the stolen goods Shawn!

Or one could say: "Thanks for bringing under our attention the fact that Hub accounts are not always secure and also that there are skelms lurking around cracking passwords. Check out the tab at the bottom of the page for contacts to report this. Cheerz" ...if one was being grown-up.

Incredible how things have changed over one year. Having ridden so many consecutive ARGUS's and being such a fan of the event I find my self constantly going "This time last year...": "this time last year I did my last long training ride for the ARGUS" "this time last year I confirmed my accommodation and rental..." "this time last year I took my bike to the shipping guys to have it transported to CT" "this time last year I started counting the days, scrutinizing the weather..." Coming weekend I will relive the most amazing ride and vibe known to participation cycling. In that spirit, how about we post photos of our best ARGUS memories in the coming week. Just sommer for the fun of it and in anticipation for when we will, once again ride the Cape.

I think this says a lot and the matter should be left there, schadenfreude is really not a lekker thing.

No. For many - including some of my friends - life does not go on and exactly because of this kind of FU attitude. Calling out "pansies" for not riding in the wind a few years back, in a discussion about the impact of a disease that takes out hundreds of South Africans daily is not only childish, its disrespectful. Jeez mate, grow up and get real. As you were, lads and lasses...

This is like going to a restaurant, receiving a bad meal and poor service and afterwards saying "we should not be complaining because we are REALLY fortunate to be able to eat out". It doesn't work that way, especially not in the corporate world.

This is the kind of attitude I like and agreed 100% - for us binnelanders a large part of participating in the Argus is riding pretty routes that we don't get to ride often. If an informal Argus solidarity ride is to be arranged for that weekend (should the 2021 event be cancelled) I would absolutely do the necessary to still make a super weekend out of it.

I am generally a (nauseatingly) positive person but I have this inkling that one will not be riding the world Best Ride this coming year . Obviously I hope that I'm wrong! Best for the new year to all Hubbers.

Wait...that puts a different perspective on things. Rewind...