Kom

any folk wanting to test the roll on their drop bar dual sus MTB - this is your chance 😆

once you realise you must have a mullet setup, the 13-speed xplr drivetrain becomes throwaway, resale on these components won't help much with the bits you need for mullet either (unless the bike shop will take it back into stock, which they certainly almost never do). my point is that off the bat, a frame set purchase is almost a given for an economic purchase.

worth noting that the 2016 diverge was also a CX bike then "modernised" in 2017 to become something completely different with lower seat stays, FSR etc etc feels like every CX bike turned gravel bike is a decade turning Specializeds product division hopes to reinvent

Mik seems to be in the know --> If Specialized announces what looks like a tarmac with 2.1" tire clearance, i dont think the new crux will be a crux at all, meaning i think a CX gravel bike might not be what specialized continue to manufacture under that model name.

ngl i felt jealous of the MTB folk on saturday, its also starting to feel like they have no issues hanging with the drop bars on the fast sections as well the weather couldnt have been better, had to de-robe a few layers before the start and still got it wrong.

loved this format, the modified pofadder was a hoot. roughly 80 DNF for 240 finishers feels like a high ratio

🤣

driving down to the bikeshop, just the hassle, would push me to watch a youtube video to learn how to index and buy a namgear wash starter kit. i promise you it will be the most gratifying time out of your day, and your next ride will feel magnificent.

self appointed team captains in all batches, and the virus spreads as batches splinter in the final stretch from camps bay to the finish, we also have lead out riders being rung out by these captains - motivation like "we're almost there keep pushing" 😂 ive updated the site with more data --> https://sweet-torrone-3935b2.netlify.app

correct (for now) - so for outliers achieving sub 3 from batch 1D as an example, if only 20 riders from that batch achieved a sub 3, the median is for those 20 riders not the whole batch.

definitely - i have been expanding the dataset holistically i.e 2022, 2023 were added on the last deploy. im aiming to roughly get to ~3:10-3:30 by the end of today.

i laughed when i heard a euro rider shout "stop using your brakes" cruising past newlands forest in 1A amazes me how bunch riders just expect a consistent speed, with no read on the terrain, peddling into the center of a group when the riders ahead have clearly slowed to ride up a hill, is the biggest lack of self awareness i see in our local race scene. "Breyton Paulse im looking at you" yup i was the team captain shouting at you, altho i felt k*k when i realised it was him. ive added a rider lookup to the ctct racenator site if any y'all are interested --> https://sweet-torrone-3935b2.netlify.app

ive added 2024 as well, 2025 must've been a sub 3 record --> https://sweet-torrone-3935b2.netlify.app

updated stats here - sorry 1A 😛

they're around R50 on aliexpress with free shipping - i wouldn't recommend this as a 3d printed part

created a visualisation of last years sub 3 finishers with some interesting insights into the segment times through Scarborough --> here

Designed this Number board holder for a gopro mount, for the CTCT forward facing number. Not sure if we even need these numbers to start the event, but here is an .STL in case you feel the need. Ingenious Kup.stl

it was actually my search for a usb-c charger that landed me on this. now that i can charge a couple of AXS batteries (twice off one charge), the pain of micro USB has withered somewhat 😁

so much joy with this dual AXS charger on the go with a built in power bank. sourced off aliexpress for half the price of the official sram single charger 👌🏻

A wider comparison for the first 500 riders across the line.

Some comparison between the 99er and Tour de PPA for the first 50 riders (Assuming Elites) Key Takeaways The 99er was significantly faster — approximately 3.3–4.4 km/h quicker across the board. Race dynamics were completely different: The 99er finished as a bunch sprint — all 50 riders within 13 seconds of each other. This means a large group stayed together the entire race, drafting effectively, and the outcome was decided by a sprint. The Tour de PPA had an 8+ minute spread across the top 50, indicating the race broke up, likely with attacks, a smaller leading group, or more demanding conditions. What this suggests about field quality: A bunch finish in the 99er doesn't necessarily mean the field was faster — it may mean the course/conditions favoured a peloton staying together, inflating average speeds via drafting. The Tour dPPA's spread is more indicative of a "true" competitive race where the stronger riders separated. That said, ~44 km/h for 95km vs ~41.7 km/h for 105km on near-identical terrain is a meaningful difference — the 99er field (or conditions on that day) was genuinely quicker.

I doubt doctors will be doing DRE much longer, it’s highly inaccurate and known for false negatives.

Looks awesome 🙌 love that color A super bike for the kind of money our local retail bike shops will hand you an entry level bike - it’s the way of the future 😂