Jewbacca

I have a bunch of alu and steel bottles with different tops that fit onto them for different situations They such as cycling bottles. Fine on slow long runs or hikes and 100 milers, or the MTB if you're on the trails stopping to drink. But, they are junk as cycling bottles in any sort of intensity. I eat food I don't cook myself pretty often, I smash fried potato more than I should and I have put a number of naughty things in my body over the years, my plastic bottles are the least of my issues

I come to bikehub to embrace the stupidity!!! 😆

I don't think there is enough traction behind stage racing anymore to create something this big, regardless of who is behind it. The race now has a legacy, which is a HUGE part in land access, sponsor willingness, participation buy in and Pro Team investment. Much like the Two Oceans, CTCT and Peninsula Marathon, without the legacy and continued support, no way do you get road closures like they get. One could create a business model and event but would get laughed out of the city offices if you asked for the such comprehensive shut down. I'd be happy to be wrong, but without legacy, I can't see another new event getting close to rivalling an existing 'big one' in the current market.

hahahahaha Tim doesn't have any friends! 😝

No, I try to alternate between the 'KTM for the same money', the 'Top end anything is expensive' and the 'Stop using extremes as a benchmark for proving a general point' but this year I went with just pointing out how the same comments are made every year. I did not exempt myself either

I knew you would appreciate it!

You will have a proper base to work towards your sub 3 next year after a decent training block at the end of November........

A hound was shot and killed..... That's murder of the gravest kind!

By all means comment away. I'm remarking on how predictable the merry dance is every single time. The same posters making the same comments every year. It is hilarious.

Most modern road bikes these days take 28mm minimum The Audax road bikes up to 35mm at least. The pure bred aero bikes up to 30c. I really don't think one needs to buy a gravel bike to accommodate wide tires anymore.

I knew it was coming..... and I was right!!! 😝

Why are you question marking? It's the same every year. New bikes are released and the internet is awash with 'experts' telling them how they should have done it, the geo is wrong, their auntie had one 23 years ago and it sucked so this one must suck etc..... EVERY TIME! hahahahaha

One of the biggest and most successful bike companies releases new bike...... everyone knows better...... A tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme... I love the internet.

Ag, no matter what, people will slip through because they are knobs. They know the rules and choose not to follow them. Those people will find a way to do it regardless. The few will always ruin it for the rest. It is the nature of people, and may I say it, especially people who have the time and the money to do sport for fun.

The guy in 6th place is one of the owners of a prominent bike shop in the CBD recently accused of arrogance! hahahahaha The irony (E bikers under allotted time... the quote never quoted)

There was a guy on one of those electric one wheel things pushing people up suikerbossie too hahahaha

There is also a case of looking at the route and planning from there. A sub3 timeline has things centred around 10 minutes ish max effort, so that's Smits, Chappies, Suikerbossie etc all 10 minutes or less. So can you push for 10 minutes and then recover enough while pushing out enough wattage to be comfortable in the group AND eat and drink in the group without being a wobbly wheel? Too many people can push the watts but then really struggle to control their bike while handling bottles and food etc Reading the wheels and having good bike skills also helps. Those who can flow and predict/read where to be will use a lot less energy than those who cannot

hahahahahaha I am really chilled, but that is pure idiocy. The cyclists were in bad shape, one carted away on a stretcher, neck brace and in the ambulance. She chose to run into the road without looking and hurt other people. I have no sympathy

No sympathy for her... she is from the jewellery shop and tried to cross the road without looking and walked straight out in front of a few guys barreling down main road Idiot

Looks like it's shrunk a bit over the years........

Arent they splitting the lane at the top with a divider and the cones to stop people using the far lane? That's how I read it Either way, I'm glad I care not for a sub3 anymore. I'm way more comfortable yabbering with my mates and stopping for coffee and cake

I guess it also comes back to the conduct of the cyclists. It's 5km in, if everybody knows it's a dodgy section and realistically the race can't be won there, why not just ride together at a mild panic instead of absolute do or die sillyness? We all control how we conduct ourselves, so if people are playing argy bargy on hospital bend while sitting in the group, then the issue is with them. Block them out or give them a mouthful. Talk about it together in the start chute. It's always been a dangerous part of the race, but also a place of almost no consequence, so I don't understand why people in the racing group need to ride aggressively there. You have a better chance of a sub3 if more of you stay upright and together

I'm with the others, that is a cosmetic flat spot, surely?! That still has thousands of km left in it!

I'm a massive SPANK fanboy I find their rims build up easier and they work better with tires/tubeless systems. The nipple cracking aside, they seem to offer a better product. Stans are much like Campy in my mind, they are popular because they were brand leaders at the beginning, so people kept using them and recommending them well past their hey day while other companies caught up and surpassed them. The traditionalist die hards will all nay say because 'they WERE the best and did so much for the sport' and 'their first 2009 tubeless rims were the BEST' etc.... Anyway, I'd make the effort to get the Spank, but I'm sure others will say otherwise

The weight is also way less important as 'most' people using the bike for it's intended application winch the bike up the hills and bomb descents. There are likely knee pads round the ankles and a lot of chatting (and complaining) while in super easy gears climbing back up to the trail head. It's a trail bike, it climbs 'well' and descends better.... The wheel/tire/insert/sealant combo is probably 5.5kg or more anyway!