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Jewbacca

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Posts posted by Jewbacca

  1. 21 minutes ago, tubed said:

    LOL, after the medal you still gave the backpack that you can wear onto every flight and use for taking your kit to the gym

    The best part about those bags is that if you chose to put the tattoo on one of your calves, you can push down your compression sock every once in a while to show everyone that your bag matches your body, your peak visor and your questionable life choices.......

  2. 1 hour ago, SwissVan said:

    Jinna I dunno bud… 

    Those runners sitting in the Avis busses and those trying to make the various cut offs might disagree, whilst never actually been there myself I have followed friends and my SOH on the route for many many years and have seen first hand the stress and 1000 yard stares when you try cheer them on…..

    I’ve done a CE at the back squeaking in on some stages just before the cut off, (and once even after the cut off (it was luckily extended) most of the time the other riders around you are still in good spirits, and bar technical issues know you can make it.

    Basically any cut off in any race is a B***H for someone.

    just wait until you have a broom-bus travelling at a fixed speed of 34kmh following you…. That’s a tad unpleasant 

     

    One significant thing is the economic commitment to do comrades and Epic. People are very underprepared for both, but it's far easier to be underprepared for Comrades financially.

    If you fork out 120k for an entry, chances are you will at least try to get there in some sort of form. When it's a few hundred bucks it's a lot easier to write off.

    I stand by my statement that it's easier to finish Comrades, one effort, vs finishing Epic.

    I'd bank on finishing Comrades 9.5 times out of 10 if you asked me to run it tomorrow, but would be WAY less sure on my odds over 8 days at Epic. There are far more variables 

    With that in mind, statistics say that last year 92.6% of the field (almost 14900 of 16000 starters) finished, 2022 was 88.7%, 2021 was 89%........ I went pretty far back and despite the huge numbers, the finish rate is incredibly high. 

    Like 85% or more

     

     

  3. The strength of commitment and emotional responses on this thread by guys who aren't ever going to ride the race is testament to how big the race is!!! 😜

    Running Comrades is easy. Way easier than finishing the Epic. 

    8 days of riding under pressure in a row is tough. There is absolutely no denying that. Probably tougher for the very back markers than the front/mid pack amateurs.

    Walking trails when you're dehydrated, exhausted and running on empty is often a management tool. You just want to get to the finish without breaking anything.

    Same as guys walking up hills.

    If you haven't done a race longer than 3 or 4 days, you are likely not in touch with what goes on physically or mentally.

    Compounded fatigue is real.

    I still think the challenge is rad, as long as the motivation driving you isn't to be a part of an imaginary real mtb rider club.

    Regardless of body shape, skill, bike brand etc getting this battle done isn't for everybody, but a helluva achievement nonetheless.

     

  4. 47 minutes ago, Mtbiker404 said:

    A bit boring Epic again. If only there was an individual category, we would have seen an Nino/Beers showdown. The 2 man team thing is hurting the Epic, it is too much risk to be timed on a riding partner, hence most pros just skip the Epic and many do it only once and never return. Dumb rules.

    Hurting it in what way?

    There is a team behind each team, so doing it solo would be more like having a GT set up with guys taking turns each day getting the team leader in the right wheels and in the right positions as the cost factor wouldn't allow individuals to make it work.

    This will bring more rule changes in regulating how many helpers can one guy have? What level of assistance can be offered etc...

    The solo back markers would also struggle. Having a mate to pick you up, help you eat, remind you to drink and the between stage recovery is also better with a pal. Doing things like this alone is tough. I've done a few 6 day solo missions and there is a real struggle to stay out of your own head and keep on top of things.

    The race sells out pretty much every year. I see no reason for them to change anything.

    IMHO it was hardly boring. The lead changed hands a few times, some teams surged and dedded and the overall winners read the race to perfection.

    I thoroughly enjoyed it this year

  5. In a weirdly roundabout way, I have no affinity towards anyone having to be a 'real' anything.

    A 'real' mountain biker because you can suffer? Eish..... Lest we all forget, Burry was 25 when he died. I'd not quote the wisdom of a 25 year old kid, regardless of how good they are/were at a sport. I'm sure the sentiment was sincere and I'm sure he meant well by it, but it just isn't something we should revere.

    I also don't buy in to anyone having to prove anything to anyone in any field to earn 'respect'. 

    It's a weird thing that people feel they need to endure voluntary hardship in order to garner support in an imaginary pecking order. 

    If it isn't fun or you aren't doing it for your own benefit or introspection, I'd question the motives.

     

  6. Just now, DieselnDust said:

    I reckon just drop the race office the feedback and see what happens for next year. 

    This

    I think everyone agrees it would be good to see a more rounded coverage, the real challenge is getting that to the right people.

    I guess it would also be important to know what the numbers look like in terms of engagement - Number of Saffas, spanish etc and who engages in the non live stuff.

    Are we, those watching most years, the actual target market? Is it worthwhile for them to go through the processes for a handful of people who likely won't buy entries down the line?

    I'd guess these are all things the company can look at after the feedback and suggestions have reached the right people

  7. 1 minute ago, DieselnDust said:

    The first 5 years of the epic had a half hour highlights package of the main race aired at 10pm every night. In that segment there would be 5mins of interviews with the back of the field , getting their views and feelings. That sold a lot of people into the event and grew its demand. In addition there was a 60min film on super sport of the whole event. Participants would purchase a dvd that contained their race photos , the highlights of each stage pro race and the weekend warrior movie. 

    That came to an end with the shift to higher entry fees and the clover leaf format.

    Point is the backmarkers sold the event . The pro field wasn’t big enough to sell the event but they set the benchmark for regular Jill’s and Joe’s to measure themselves against. And that’s the ego sell that works a treat. This formula brings people back year after year so why change a winning formula?

    it would still be great to have a view form the sharp end of the amateur field, mid pack and those running from the hyenas. Doesn’t cost extra and gives more exposure to the event.

    I remember that. The live feed wasn't a proper thing back then though, so it was a far more edited outlook.

    The e-bikes, wireless networks and transportable editing technology has allowed the live feed to really take centre stage, which makes the montage content less important 

    I'm sure they will do a highlights/marketing wrap up which will really get the hearts racing, the amp high and loosen the purse strings of those so inclined.

     

  8. 36 minutes ago, pietas said:

    Not sure if it has been said in previous comments but I am really disappointed in the coverage of the other categories at the epic. I realise this is essentially a UCI Pro race now, that allow some amateurs to also ride, but to not even mention these winners? Really?

    The thing is, the UCI teams don't make up many numbers.

    Let's round it to 490 finishing teams, 42 were UCI mens and 17 were UCI ladies.

    54 men UCI teams started and 19 Female teams out of 720 ish teams. A shade more than 10% of the field 

    The marketing is pro centric though. The whole strategy has been aimed at getting to ride the same race, route etc at the same time as the best pros in the world. 

    It isn't the L'Etape where you ride the same route but on a different day, you are sold on being a part of the MTB tour de france actual race.

    The race coverage follows the pros at the racing end as it is exciting and the big names get people engaged and keen. I have had a lot of messages this week saying 'you, watching the epic coverage has made me so amped to get back on the MTB and do the race' from people who wouldn't last 4 days.

    Unfortunately the middle/back of the field is not attractive and seeing the level of suffering and dedding isn't going to sell next years entries to overweight CEOs, wannabe pros or people living on past glories.

    One part of the human brain that gets wholly underprepared people to buy into this event is ego and romanticism. They KNOW it's tough, they KNOW it's a big effort to get to the start line but 'it can't be that tough. I'm way more hardcore than those guys/girls who didn't finish and suck that badly.'

    I'm all for it. I may sound like I'm being derogatory or mean, but you get the point.

    The 'LIVE' feed is also getting shorter and shorter. 

    I'd love a 90 second short montage each day of the other part of the epic and category winners, but I'd guess that until the race doesn't generate the numbers, very little will change.

  9. 4 minutes ago, robbybzgo said:

    And here, Mr Potato, is the crux of the matter.

    Do you position your business as ethical and fair by offering a good purchase price and likewise a good selling price (at a reasonable % markup) hereby developing an excellent business reputation where clients old and new are more than happy to deal with you. 

    If your business is based on extortionate prices  where you purposely offer ridiculously low prices and then sell at the highest prices possible you ultimately lose your reputation as not being a desirable company to deal with.

    A bad reputation doesn't always close a business down but does throttle sales when customers are turned away from doing business!

    Long live BikeHub, long live...🤭

    Who is extorting anyone and who is turning away customers though?

    They are making an offer, you accept it or you don't and move on.

    If their business fails, it fails. If their business succeeds then their business model works.

    There is nothing unethical about offering someone less than perceived value. If they tried to insist your item was rubbish and not worth what you are asking then derail sales etc I would understand, but it seems they are straight forward in a lowball offer delivered in a pretty vanilla, straight forward manner.

    Why do people continue to take this sort of thing personally?

    They haven't disrespected you, your wife/dog/child etc.... They have just offered money for an item.

    'No thanks guys, I'd be happy to sell at X or wait until a better offer comes my way. All the best'

  10. It's almost as if some people on here forget that Nino is almost impossible to pair with, nevermind someone with the same/similar sponsors and timetable.

    The guy is relentlessly brilliant and has topped the MTB world for a really really long time. 

    Add to that there is always one partner stronger than the other. It's nobody's fault, it is purely impossible for 2 people to perform equally over 8 days. It is what makes this format so intriguing.

    The top end of the field are racing within the tightest margins, I mean mere minutes over hundreds of Km.

    It is a phenomenal thing to watch and enjoy.

    I know I'm certainly a million light years away from criticising or suggesting I know better than the teams and their riders. 

  11. 47 minutes ago, Mamil said:

    Come @Jewbacca... It's an absolute blast. GC racing, small group, mostly friendly people ... "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" ... "Tempus fugit" ... "...and at my back I always hear, time's winged chariot drawing near" and all that jazz.

    Seriously I don't think de Villiers cycling is very good at marketing but the event adds something to the local racing scene so I want to support it.  

    I have always wanted to do a multi day road race.

    I think I will throw my hat into the ring

  12. 17 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

    Is it just me or does Howard seem to be spinning very high cadence ? 

     

    Maybe go up a chainring size tomorrow 

    I don't think we, at home, know quite where is comfort level is.

    A guy like Matt evidently likes to grind a big gear while Grotts might be a spinner. I'm pretty sure their coaches and team know how to best set up their bikes for their preferred way of turning the pedals.

    I may be entirely wrong, but he looks like he likes being light on the pedals with higher cadence. Trying to change that because Matt is more powerful than an angry Bruce Banner and rides differently might be a recipe for disaster 

  13. 49 minutes ago, Rockid said:

    A rider disappearing from the scene after such a big breakthrough performance. Strange indeed 👀

    Amy has been racing for a helluva long time. Like 15 years ish. 

    She is in her mid 30s (I'd guess 34/35), has 2 x SS world champs to her name and certainly didn't breakthrough into the scene last year.

    Absolutely no shade or side eyes to throw on this one

  14. 2 hours ago, BaGearA said:

    Okay but it's not like the average Chinese can afford a 17 000$ dollar bike , also we know the real money is in quantity ( Cajees) so neither can they afford rockhoppers at 600$ ? 

     

    Like China's average person seems to be much worse off than our average, and the average south African isnt even thinking about expensive mtb's 

     

    That's why social media does well there , any cheap 5$ dollar phone can have facebook or tiktok and with an overabundance of free wifi everyone can sit on phones and melt brains away on ads.

     

    And again when millions of people are doing the above tech companies bank. , which is every clearly shown in the tech markets now 

    The stats don't back that up.

    Average salary in China is roughly 50k US a year, or 950k ZAR.... Average salary in SA is 305k ZAR or 16250 USD

    There are also almost 1.5 billion people in China, so if 10% of them buy a cheap bike, they likely exceed the sales numbers in SA by some margin. I don't have the numbers/stats to back that up, but sheer number of scale means they can see growth in a time the bike industry as a whole is struggling.

    'Average' is a difficult word to put a value to, as I doubt there are too many countries where the 'average' person is worse off than in SA. 

    India and Brazil out of the 'global household names' 

     

  15. 33 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

     

    They look like a good option to me, of course nothing is as easy, cheap or convenient as plastic (for almost all daily-use items), but isn't this basically what guys cycled with before plastic?

    I do hate the idea that you cant sqeeze it !

     

    They 'work', but they dent easily, the bottom loses it's shape pretty quickly and then they don't fit nicely into bottle cages.

    So yes, they are canteens, but they are not great cycling bottles when you're moving at intensity.

    I use them for trail rides and slow running or Adventure Racing with the screw off lids to drink when I can stop and use both hands.

    I do believe the water tasted WAY better out of them. Like a lot better. The cycle nozzle has a pretty nifty 'flow' so water comes out without squeezing or sucking, but they are finicky.

    IF you worry about stuff that much, then cool. But IMHO having 4 decent plastic bottles in rotation isn't the end of the world and likely won't be the cause of your plastic poisoning or cancer

     

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