Events that are getting postponed again...

[Robbie Stewart]

3 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

How involved are you in the tourism industry?

While I am no fan of AirBNB, the actual tourism Industry is not over inflated. For one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Cape Town is severely lacking in many ways. Guys looking for the proverbial 'slice of cake' re accommodation is NOT the tourism industry. 

Also, the effects are seriously widespread. Good, well established companies that offered amazing services are ded. Companies that existed long before 2010.

I don't think this statement makes any sense. If big hotels and hotel companies are closing doors, the industry does not simply 'reset'. It loses its ability to look after the tourists, more crappy fly by night air bnbs get the tenants, they get rubbish ratings and people stop coming here because 'it's impossible to find nice places to stay or things to do'....

There are already issues in this regard. Anyway, if you aren't in the industry it's really easy to say stuff like this without really thinking about the long term implications.

I luckily have a few fingers in some other pies, but this country relies heavily on tourism. Suggesting that the capitulation of one of the biggest contributors to our GDP is a good thing because 'airbnb' makes no sense. 

My bad. My assesment was made from an outsiders perspective and that is clearly uninformed. Apologies for offence caused. At least now I have a better understanding of the difficulties faced.

[Jewbacca]

Just now, Robbie Stewart said:

My bad. My assesment was made from an outsiders perspective and that is clearly uninformed. Apologies for offence caused. At least now I have a better understanding of the difficulties faced.

HAHAHA I'm definitely not offended. 

But there are definitely bigger issues at play when places that have been open for 40 years are up for auction and there isn't one single bid.

When a beautiful small lodge in the garden route gets advertised for 20 million and sells fore 3.2 and is turned into a commune...... Many many more examples

 

[DieselnDust]

41 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

How involved are you in the tourism industry?

While I am no fan of AirBNB, the actual tourism Industry is not over inflated. For one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Cape Town is severely lacking in many ways. Guys looking for the proverbial 'slice of cake' re accommodation is NOT the tourism industry. 

Also, the effects are seriously widespread. Good, well established companies that offered amazing services are ded. Companies that existed long before 2010.

I don't think this statement makes any sense. If big hotels and hotel companies are closing doors, the industry does not simply 'reset'. It loses its ability to look after the tourists, more crappy fly by night air bnbs get the tenants, they get rubbish ratings and people stop coming here because 'it's impossible to find nice places to stay or things to do'....

There are already issues in this regard. Anyway, if you aren't in the industry it's really easy to say stuff like this without really thinking about the long term implications.

I luckily have a few fingers in some other pies, but this country relies heavily on tourism. Suggesting that the capitulation of one of the biggest contributors to our GDP is a good thing because 'airbnb' makes no sense. 

I agree, a reset i snot on the cards, it will take a long time to recover if the tourism industry is crushed under this pandemic.

It impacts on the transport industry, entertainment and catering.

The truth is cape Town is still short on beds which is why accommodation in CT and surrounds is so expensive compared to the rest of the country.

[Mountain Bru]

Procedure for the Trailseeker this weekend. Turns out you can run an event if you try

[Red Bird]

Planning for Cape Epic going ahead.

http://www.treadmtb.co.za/expect-a-very-different-2021-absa-cape-epic/

Edited August 20, 2021 by Foxy_Roxy

[Mountain Bru]

On 8/19/2021 at 3:57 PM, Mountain Bru said:

Procedure for the Trailseeker this weekend. Turns out you can run an event if you try

Feedback on this.... 

The rolling start idea definitely works to limit contact between people, but it really takes a lot out of the feeling of the race in my opinion if you start and there's no one around you. Took me a while to get into the ride cos it almost felt like it was just a casual Saturday ride. 

The rolling start makes it impossible to know who your "competition" is with everyone starting at different times. But seen as we're all racing for a random mid pack place, it doesn't actually matter. (Did a full max effort sprint to beat a guy that I think started 10 or 15 minutes before me. Who cares. It's not like we were racing for podium spot, and the red mist isn't contingent on petty details like start times)

Most people seemed to actually wear a mask/buff before the start, but not so much after the race. I think being exhausted takes away your ability to worry about covid

Water points didn't seem to congested because the field was super spread out.

I don't think it's possible to have "no sit down area".... people are moeg when they finish and will sit anywhere that looks remotely like grass. I do think there were fewer people lingering around though. 
 

Overall, it was a good day out even if it wasn't a "normal race". Normal races aren't possible, and it was definitely better than a cancelled event

[Dicky DQ]

On 8/11/2021 at 10:30 PM, Mountain Bru said:

I'm sure every proposed solution will have potential problems. And it is extremely unlikely that anything that's implemented will work 100% on the first attempt. But the point is to try things, get feedback, improve, and try again. 

Yes, maybe if you have more water points, certain ones will still be overcrowded. But maybe they won't be. Who knows? Maybe at the top of the big climb where everyone always stops is a good place to have another waterpoint 2km down the road and encourage people to freewheel down the hill a bit rather than stopping immediately. Yes, stocking those points might be harder, but it's not impossible. <I believe it is impossible as most people have a set riding regime. Why stop if you don't have to. There is a reason water points are currently where they are. It comes from experience> 

Maybe having "non-timed" neutral sections in longer races will help to thin the field and prevent build up at waterpoints? Who knows?<Then it becomes like the DC, a short sprint race, absolute waste of time, why even bother to enter an "endurance event" that is not one any more?>

Maybe having "food only", "water only" and "sports drink only" water points will help to reduce congestion so the dude that wants to down a cup of coke isn't held up by the guy that wants an energy bar and to fill his bottle. <Again, the spacing of the points is an issue as well as the fact that you will now be required to stop more often (or not id you make all the points water only). A better option will be to make it totally unsupported, but then you will have a very small field. That may be a good thing>
 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

On 8/19/2021 at 3:57 PM, Mountain Bru said:

Procedure for the Trailseeker this weekend. Turns out you can run an event if you try

So I must drink my post-race celebratory beer on the drive home? ????

[BuffsVintageBikes]

What's concerning me about the Epic is the other elephant in the room that no one is talking about... the availability of Bike spares ????

All they need is one or two days of good rain and you'll have a cluster f&$* of note happening because no one is carrying enough stock currently to handle a situation like that. Even in the good years, 2 days of wet weather caused total havoc with spare brake pads and drive chains. It's going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.

[Jewbacca]

3 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

What's concerning me about the Epic is the other elephant in the room that no one is talking about... the availability of Bike spares ????

All they need is one or two days of good rain and you'll have a cluster f&$* of note happening because no one is carrying enough stock currently to handle a situation like that. Even in the good years, 2 days of wet weather caused total havoc with spare brake pads and drive chains. It's going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Take your own and get the SS out if it looks wet!

 

[DieselnDust]

34 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

What's concerning me about the Epic is the other elephant in the room that no one is talking about... the availability of Bike spares ????

All they need is one or two days of good rain and you'll have a cluster f&$* of note happening because no one is carrying enough stock currently to handle a situation like that. Even in the good years, 2 days of wet weather caused total havoc with spare brake pads and drive chains. It's going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.

I think it will add a dimension back to the event that has been missing since 2010. The Epic participants are waaaaay too pampered.

Take your own spares.

In the early days we had to start the race on the frame and rims we started the race. I carried a spare tyre, 4 setsof spare brake pads (Sold 2 pairs to the highest biddders after a rainy day)1 x rear derailleur, and 2x chains in the bag provided. This plus a full set prepared gear cable sets for front and rear despite full cable housings. Plus all nutrition and kit for a 8day race. Today the okes have trucks following them and they stay in B&B's......please there's very little epic about the epic anylonger

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Good luck finding your own spares as well... and catering for every eventuality that may happen.

[TNT1]

7 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I think it will add a dimension back to the event that has been missing since 2010. The Epic participants are waaaaay too pampered.

Take your own spares.

In the early days we had to start the race on the frame and rims we started the race. I carried a spare tyre, 4 setsof spare brake pads (Sold 2 pairs to the highest biddders after a rainy day)1 x rear derailleur, and 2x chains in the bag provided. This plus a full set prepared gear cable sets for front and rear despite full cable housings. Plus all nutrition and kit for a 8day race. Today the okes have trucks following them and they stay in B&B's......please there's very little epic about the epic anylonger

I thought the prevailing wisdom was that it's better and comparable in price to rather go ride in the alps for a week?

[DieselnDust]

3 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Good luck finding your own spares as well... and catering for every eventuality that may happen.

quite a few pals of mine are experiencing great success importing. How they're getting around the Geolocking I'm not sure but it can be done and at much much lower cost than we're paying from retailers in SA

[DieselnDust]

1 minute ago, TNT1 said:

I thought the prevailing wisdom was that it's better and comparable in price to rather go ride in the alps for a week?

Indeed, hence I won't be paying. If someone else is paying I'm there like a bear but my money goes into new cycling experiences

Edited August 23, 2021 by DieselnDust

[Hairy]

32 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I think it will add a dimension back to the event that has been missing since 2010. The Epic participants are waaaaay too pampered.

Take your own spares.

In the early days we had to start the race on the frame and rims we started the race. I carried a spare tyre, 4 setsof spare brake pads (Sold 2 pairs to the highest biddders after a rainy day)1 x rear derailleur, and 2x chains in the bag provided. This plus a full set prepared gear cable sets for front and rear despite full cable housings. Plus all nutrition and kit for a 8day race. Today the okes have trucks following them and they stay in B&B's......please there's very little epic about the epic anylonger

I still have a mental picture of a photograph that was taken on the first Epic trip where they have these bright yellow Scott MC's leaning up against a tree along trail.

This photograph always made me want to do the Epic.

Then pricing starting going crazy and they later moved to the clover leaf format and it then 1. just stopped interesting me as an event and 2. became unattainable for someone with a young family as I would rather put that money into the best education I can get for my kids.

Hey, when they are out the house I can then go and buy a ridiculously expensive and over spec'ed S-Werks Epic to do the Epic ... maybe