lukelockie

I'll ask around; if I find out anything useful, I'll respond here.

As far as I am aware, that Zwft cog only makes sense if you're training exclusively on Zwift. But would not be upset if I was proven wrong cos then I'll buy one

Lucky he was just on a 29er.

You can fit a 38 on the new Anthem. Chatted to HQ and they confirmed; the chainguide also has spacing capacity for a 38 as per the pic

All the new Anthems are SL versions (including the Anthem X). Here's some cool data about the frame layup and what SL means: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/global/anthem-testing Worth noting that the Anthem SL has a flipchip so riders can adjust the bike to suit their riding style with high and low positions.

I rode the event, and purposefully rode well within myself to soak it all in and create some videos. You can see them on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockiebalboa/ I just shot on a phone so don't expect any footage of the challenging sections Overall, it was long and challenging, but my expectations were set before the event: no racing, just vibes. Yes there was wind. Yes some sections were corrugated. But the views were incredible, the camaraderie was awesome, and the off-bike experience was world-class (other than a few toilet-related issues). Stage 6 was wild. Coming from an MTB background, I absolutely loved the technical nature of it, but can totally understand why others hated it. With that being said, 144km is a long way, especially after 137km the day before, and 100+ the day before that. I rode on my Giant Revolt Ad Pro 1 with 50C Maxxis ramblers and had my first flat tyre in the last KM of the race when I found one of Shamwari's biggest thorns sticking through both sidewalls of my front tyre. Make no mistake, the event is a challenge, but with hours in the saddle on gravel, and a mindset that is balanced with your expectations, it is totally doable. There will be loads of negative opinions and feedback here on BH, but I'd think that a large portion of the comments are from riders who weren't there. Are there things that need to be improved? Absolutely! Being back at work these past two days has certainly felt easier than riding

He rode the ROAM. It's just under R34k for the entire bike; the only change he made was riding a set of relatively old CSixx wheels that he had at home.

Yes, confident there will be a complete list added either to this story or as a separate - this seems like a teaser of big names (that I will watch disappear into a cloud of dust in a matter of seconds after starting each day )

Men's field announced: https://gravel-burn.com/news/a-champions-line-up-at-mens-pro-category-at-nedbank-gravel-burn-2025/

CycleLab also stocks a range of Northwave shoes that are awesome

Go chat to Kevin and the guys at The Bike Shop! There are rides starting there or the Spar near Beacon Isle almost every day. And agreed on the no such thing as a mature cyclist; you'll find that out for yourself very soon

What about the Avalanche Bolt 16"? It comes with training wheels but those can be taken off easily. https://www.avalanchebikes.co.za/products/avalanche-bolt-16-bike?colours=blue&sizes=16%22

You can see the specs of the bike in the launch article, not sure they're listed part for part though: https://bikehub.co.za/news/safari-essence-titan-racing-team-announced-riders-bianca-haw-and-danielle-du-toit-signed/

technically the riders aren't allowed to post their rides to strava (according to the rules). Get familiar with that red flag button 🤣

Thanks dude! We are having a great time with the brand and our team is PUMPED!

I had the pleasure of working with Tim on many occasions during my years at Cape Epic. We laughed, we stressed, we swore, we laughed some more. Tim's wit was and will remain unmatched, and I'll cherish every moment I got to spend with him. RIP, my friend.

Can confirm that this event is incredible! The logistics of the event behind the scenes are absolutely nuts as you have to travel between islands before you actually do some of the stages. I was in the hotel when I did it and have had some mates who were on the boats. Will try detail my experience versus their feedback: Hotel: Rooms were decent, food was great, vibe was excellent. It felt more inclusive because we got to mingle with everyone and not just the peeps on the boat. There is some stress on moving mornings as you need to check out of the hotels, catch busses to the ferry ports, board the ferries and then sail to next islands before racing, then jumping onto a bus, heading to the next hotel for the night and then repeating. What was epic was the chance to meet people from all over the world and share race stories over a cold beer. Boats: Once in a lifetime type of experience (the more you spend, the better the boat and the greater the experience). Far less hassle as you essentially wake up at the next island, jump off the boat, head to the startline, race, then return to the boat after. Rinse and repeat. Mates' feedback was it was definitely worth spending the bucks on being on a boat if you are going with a group as the people on the boat are who you will spend your evenings and mornings with and you tend to miss out on the vibe of the race village and the hotel lobbies. The riding: The riding is unreal! Climbs are steep, you'll experience more rocks than you've ever seen in your life, and the views will take your breath away. If you're going to do this event once and only once, forget about doing it as a race. Rather embrace the magnificence of the experience, meet some new people, soak in the beauty, and enjoy it Tips: Make sure your transfers from airport to the first island are sorted as well as the transfer back. Pack some warm gear as it can get VERY cold in the mornings and evenings (as well as on the bike) If you can, pack a spare chainring as you may want to drop a size for one or two of the days. Enjoy the free beer and coffee at the end of each stage. Be fitter than I was.

So proud to be part of the team behind the brand! We're having a load of fun with it and I believe it's showing through in the product(s) we've designed! Thanks for the support!

Hey Kyle, the Giant Trance 29 2 is rad! I think you grabbed the link for the Trance Advanced 29 2. Here's the link to the Trance 29 2 (aluminium frame): https://giant-bicycles.co.za/products/trance-29-2-metallic-black-black?available%20colours=metallic%20black%20%2F%20black&available%20sizes=s

Are you buying new or second hand?

You can buy two top of the range Giant Anthems for this price.

My two cents (highly unqualified to comment on nutrition, so keep that in mind) is that you will have access to USN products at every water point during each stage of Epic, so why not keep trialing USN products in the build-up to the event so you can figure out what does and does not work with your system? That way you know how your body reacts to the different products in the range; otherwise you're going to carry your mix/gels/bars with you and then be faced with the concern of trying something new midway through a stage when you stop at a water point. Good luck with the training and prep!

Don't forget about the Giant Happy Hour from 5-6PM each day (FREE beer) and the Liv Nail bar for the ladies after Stage 2! (Shameless punt to get some friendly faces across to the Giant and Liv tents )

Erik, if you haven't done this already, put a proposal together that you can send to/present to the company. You should cover things like: - Who you are and why you ride - What your goals are for the events you have lined up - Why you think that XYZ company is a good fit for you - Why you think you're a good fit for XYZ company - How you plan to bring them value - How you're going to report on said value - What the exact request is: do you want a bike and kit and entries or just kit, or just entries. Be specific as it makes the decision maker's life easier. Good luck.

Mr. Sheen Carpet Fresh powder... dry your shoes out and sprinkle some of the lavender and vanilla scented power in there. Laugh if you must, but give it a bash.