Ripped? If you are referring to the cost of a bike in SA vs the States then this simply is not true of all brands. It is true of Santa Cruz which is a giant rip-off in SA.
You can buy a Giant Revolt advanced with the carbon frame for the same price (Inc vat) as it would cost you in the States. Cube is another brand with very competitive local pricing.
That’s a very entertaining, thoughtful write up. Congrats on finishing another one.
The early years of most events are the best. As the “formula” gets polished they often become worse experiences.
Care to share what you did for on bike nutrition this time around? Like you, I see a lot of people hammering a carbs per hour number without considering temperature, intensity, how many days an event is etc.
Yeah no reason to stay in the winelands. Loads of people drive from CT to the start every day. The cost of an Air BnB in Durbanville is a fraction of the total Epic cost.
I don’t understand why anyone would stay in a tent in the race village. There is lots of accommodation in CT or the towns close by. It’s the same every year. Who wants to be in a tent with no shade in Paarl in summer?
Google Profile design aerobars. They sell them with 50mm or even 60mm risers. Some guys get custom risers made that are even higher. But you don’t want to go too high as it’s crap for handling and somewhat defeats the saddle pressure benefit you get from aerobars.
Says who? There are plenty of gravel races in the States that have single track sections. They pioneered modern gravel racing so I’m not sure that we should be telling them what a gravel race is or isn’t.
I think most forum users are pretty respectful and it's hardly a toxic environment. There are a few aggressive know-it-alls but they mostly don't post much anymore.
Even though KV believes it will become bigger than the Epic I have my doubts. MTb has the advantage of single track excitement to give the riders some “fun” or excitement day after day. Gravel racing is not that. It’s a high intensity smash fest start to finish. I love it but I’m not sure I love it 7 days in a row. Congrats to him for signing up the big corporate sponsors. He sure can put on and sell a big event.
I wonder if they had to pay to be part of the Gravel Earth series?
Offering prize money and paying to be part of a global series like UCI (or GES) seems like a really bad idea for SA events. Participants end up paying for both of those things with jacked up entry fees. My hope is that the other grass roots gravel events that we have in the Western Cape avoid those traps.
