Headshot Posted March 17, 2015 Author Posted March 17, 2015 Thor No its the other way around You crash because you are crap on the dh bits Get some skills coaching and reign in the red mist:-)
MTBeer Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 You probably wouldn't know because you have never been stuck behind a rider on a technical singletrack climb or 2 donkeys on a steep jeeptrack climb that are 2 tired to give you some space to pass They probably got to the climb before me because they descended like demons going down the valley and I was stuck behind them because I'm more cautious and less skilled. I can of course now demand that they work on their weight & fitness before entering another mtb race or I can work on my skills and not be overtaken on the descent? Same goes for the "capable skilled riders" on this thread, start working on your fitness and stop moaning about the unskilled riders in your path. You cannot expect the rest of the field to up-skill to compensate for your lack of fitness. Fitness is the easy part to improve, and you already have the skills so you can only blame yourself if that noob girl who can't ride singletrack is in front of you at the sani2cSorry, have to disagree. I think fitness is the difficult part to improve past a certain point - it takes hours of riding, which most people don't have. I know I certainly don't have hours every week. I ride 2 to 3 hours on a weekend and maybe a midweek ride every second week if I'm lucky. That is going to get me to mid table level (maybe) on the climbs and no further, but those rides are more than enough time to improve my technical skills massively. On the downhill stuff I have got some top 10 to 20 Strava ( ) times on the Tygerberg trails and I am an old toppie. You just have to be willing to make the attempt to go faster.
jimmycool Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Agreed - I've not done an Epic, and I won't, but none of the many races I did had anything remotely this tricky, including some enduros. You should come and try ride your bicycle in the Howick trails sometime
GLuvsMtb Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 G I dont think anyone doubts AKs or any other pros skill level. Many race XCO and have massive skills. Schurter is an ace on an enduro bike. I like the golf analogy. In MTB people, me included, buy a bike and go ride. MTB is probably the most technically demanding form of two wheeled sport but hardly any people get skills coaching and never progress beyond jeep track level skills. Wheres the sense in that?All I am saying is that technical proficiency is not a prerequisite to succeed in the Epic. 1000 of the riders in the Epic have day-jobs. All that they need is either technical proficiency or know what their limitations are to be successful. There is no room on the scoreboard for comments. If you ride the Epic to get a top 100 / 200, sure, work on your all-round skill. If you just want to finish, first understand your limitations and then decide how you address that by either avoiding these limitations or work on it. If you suck at climbing you will have trouble avoiding it. If you suck at the technical stuff, you can successfully circumvent the problem on the few occasions you are required to do so on a stage.
dev null Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I also seem to tuck-and-roll when I fall. It is not something that you can think about doing when you fall, the fall happens too fast. You must have an automatic reaction when falling trained into you by repetitive falling. I guess I learned my mind that reaction when I did amateur wrestling when I was much younger. You get some nasty roasties on you arms when doing it, but it is much better then broken collarbones and arms.
Gen Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I also seem to tuck-and-roll when I fall. It is not something that you can think about doing when you fall, the fall happens too fast. You must have an automatic reaction when falling trained into you by repetitive falling. I guess I learned my mind that reaction when I did amateur wrestling when I was much younger. You get some nasty roasties on you arms when doing it, but it is much better then broken collarbones and arms. I am getting much better at the "tuck and roll" But you know what.. at a stage I was okay with the technical stuff... then I got a bit windgat and I started doing stupid stuff and falling .. A LOT, now I am really over cautious, It's not cool spending time in the ER or having to sit out and recover for weeks.. uhu. It will take some time before I am confident again, but for now.. I will rather not risk injury.
NicoBoshoff Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 To play on the sunshine tour you have to qualify. You cannot play off a 24. The only qualification for the Epic is a credit card with a R60k limit to enter with. Many riders (female in particular) are very successful without enjoying single track or being good at high speed technical descends. Knowing your limits is far more important than being technically proficient. Look at Ariane's crash again at 1:10 They ended up having a 20 odd minute gap on second place. Which would have been more prudent for her? Do 2 Enduros (where my comment on technical proficiency started) or take it down a click or 2? She is one of the most technically proficient female riders on the course, yet she came off yesterday. Watch closely, she tucked her elbow and arm in to land on the triceps and not snap the collarbone. That in itself displays a certain level of proficiency. The collarbones snapped on the prologue may or may not have been preventable with a good tuck and roll. To tuck and roll like that you have to fall... lots. I don't intend practicing my tuck and rolls, but I observe and trust that I would be able to react in a similar fashion. I rather take it down a click or 2 so that my tuck and roll is tucked away in the back of my mind should I need it at some stage. If you watch the midfield going down Groenlandberg you will see that they do about half the speed the pro's do. That's more than ok to finish the Epic if you can climb half as fast as the pros and descend half as fast as they do. Obviously you can't get away with ZERO skill, but work with what you have. Elana Meyer did not display good technical skills in the 2012 Epic she completed. I watched with fascination on the prologue how she struggled, yet she has a medal hanging in her trophy cabinet. If you are inclined to improve a weak area, good for you, but if you prefer to focus on your strengths while preparing, at least know your shortcomings and understand how you get around them. Female riders seem to do a lot better at this aspect than male riders (generalization, I know). That is probably why they seem to make it through the Epic with seemingly more skin intact than the males. For some understanding your shortcomings is a good tuck and roll. For others its get off your bike and walk a section of the trail. And this is why the Epic is not and will never be the TdF of Mountain biking. Too much place to hide and entry is but a corporate relationship away.
NotSoBigBen Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Don't want to sound disparaging but how many of those commenting about what is needed to do Epic have completed it and have experienced the achievement of crossing the line on that last day irrespective of your ability, size or fitness level?
GLuvsMtb Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 And this is why the Epic is not and will never be the TdF of Mountain biking. Too much place to hide and entry is but a corporate relationship away.Amen!
sias Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Don't want to sound disparaging but how many of those commenting about what is needed to do Epic have completed it and have experienced the achievement of crossing the line on that last day irrespective of your ability, size or fitness level? I have, but I haven't commented on this thread.
DIPSLICK Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 tuck and roll is for light weight rabbits us buffalo go through rocks
NicoBoshoff Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Don't want to sound disparaging but how many of those commenting about what is needed to do Epic have completed it and have experienced the achievement of crossing the line on that last day irrespective of your ability, size or fitness level?Absolutely. I am sure I come accross as knocking the riders and the event. I am not. I am annoyed at what the marketing scheisters have made the event out to be. Is it the the toughest mtb race out there? Most certainly top 3 and probably the hardest. Does it showcase the most scenic bits of riding in SA? Yes, even in the world. Does it showcase the best marathon riding has to offer? Up front, possibly yes. Are the amateurs what makes the event possible? Well, they make it viable financially (them and the corporates that shell out entries like MOnt Blancs at a signing). Would I love to ride it one day? Actually, yes. I would love to finish it and bask in the glory of absolute physical agony. I come from a road running background and I know how satisfying that pain can be. But none of the above make this something even remotely as prestigious and awe-inspiring as the TdF. Very few sporting events do. It's a pointless comparison used by marketing yuppies and politicians hoping to score points (the "see what I did" angle). Edit: spelling
_David_ Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Don't want to sound disparaging but how many of those commenting about what is needed to do Epic have completed it and have experienced the achievement of crossing the line on that last day irrespective of your ability, size or fitness level? agreed, lots of "Legends of their own Lunchtime" guys in this thread
Spinnekop Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 I have done the Epic. Finished top 100.Received my MTB the Wednesday before the start. Figured out what a shock does within 2 days....... I was fit. Technical skill level....ZERO. Did I crash? Lots. Was it fun?With a couple of year past now, I might think it was. Experience of a lifetime so if you can do it, go for it. Back on topic......I think the avg skill level is not that good if you look at the back markers. And the terrain that most "mountainbikers" train on in prep for the epic does NOT prepare them for the ride....
marko35s Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 Don't want to sound disparaging but how many of those commenting about what is needed to do Epic have completed it and have experienced the achievement of crossing the line on that last day irrespective of your ability, size or fitness level?So now nobody gets to have an opinion without having taken part in the event?Quick close down the TdF and F1 threads...
NotSoBigBen Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 So now nobody gets to have an opinion without having taken part in the event?Quick close down the TdF and F1 threads... No don't put words in my mouth I simply asked how many have done it and experienced it .... I also comment on stuff I haven't done I'm also only human
.thumb.jpg.f7359a62a1f4f4199fdd069d76f07b79.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.