How do you justify a Cape Epic entry?

[MTBeer]

19 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

isn't this the mansplaning that lead to this thread in the first place....?

sorry I don't do woke...

[MTBeer]

14 minutes ago, Puncture Kid said:

You probably meant 'HD rider warming his vagina by the fire' ????

sorry I don't do motorbikes so wouldn't have a clue

[MTBeer]

6 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

and joggers, what about joggers..? This thread is hurting my feelings now

aren't joggers those shiny pant from the 80's?

[MORNE]

12 minutes ago, Hairy said:

 

I see you deliberately excluded trail runners .... surely they are "real runners"!

No actually they are my only reference haha. Ok and there is a ex ladies comrades winner married into the family on my cousins side. But the Person im referring to above is Mr trail run Munga. They like their toys just as much.  Real runners are probably these trail runners that do it barefoot…but i guess in those circles they are the ‘singlespeed’ guys haha

[DieselnDust]

On 9/8/2021 at 10:21 AM, Jewbacca said:

I suppose my point is more why there is a need to be seen as 'real'?

I'd much rather be a hack who occasionally over performs than a 'real' anything.

 

 

Strange but true. There was a point somewhere around the start of the previous decade when recovering golfers took up mountain biking and suddenly became Epic experts offering their sage stage race advice in golfer publications like BicyclingSA and Mens (prostrate) Health. Surely only real mountain bikers can offer advice to a fast growing population of asset managers and bankers looking for new territory to flex their man'niss then what better platform? no, Everyone knows that not even dentists are allowed into the Financial Service Captains of Industry Inner Circle of Trust so what ever those preachers orated set the benchmark for compliance. There was no place for baggie wearing cretins with their weird bikes and "personal relationships" with small bike shops, and living in Campville strumming guitars and smoking weed between stages. Nope you had to look the part. After all, you were taking investors on a long MTB road trip supported by an army of secretaries, Masseurs, mechanics, suspension gurus', Courier with a pre paid pre packge boxes to the S-Woks warranty centre. Campville became a place for the squatters, B&B's became the new norm. Did it have a pool? No??!! Di you have a bad year?

Real MTB (as Cape Epic finishers perceive it) is no longer just having fun. Its a spending race that created a divide that will now never be bridged. 

Edited September 9, 2021 by DieselnDust

[DieselnDust]

7 minutes ago, MTBeer said:

aren't joggers those shiny pant from the 80's?

still a thing .... 

[Hairy]

16 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

and joggers, what about joggers..? This thread is hurting my feelings now

The OG's

[Hairy]

26 minutes ago, Puncture Kid said:

You probably meant 'HD rider warming his vagina by the fire' ????

Which one ... riding a HD there is always a swarm of attractive ladies vying to get your attention!

[NotSoBigBen]

I know a lot is said in jest but bloody hell I wish I could be as 'cool' as most of the contributors here ... maybe when I'm big one day ????

[The Ouzo]

22 minutes ago, Hairy said:

Which one ... riding a HD there is always a swarm of attractive ladies vying to get your attention!

its not you they are after, its that vibrating device between your legs

[Dirt Tracker]

1 hour ago, Shebeen said:

2019 - 648 South africans out of 1400 starters https://www.cape-epic.com/fans/highlights/2019-results

for the corinthians, that's probably 630 out of 1350, but don't forget they charge overseas people more.

 

So that is the majority already and being owned by an international company that will only be more. It's a US owned company now and part of a larger group also having worked for US companies and knowing the corporate culture the focus will be squarely on the international market. It's the only thing that matters. It's got the Hors Categorie from the UCI, it's part of the 'Epic Series Global MTB' and even when they launched the 'Africa's Untamed' tag line that was not for South Africans... it's in the western cape, not middle of Angola. Yeah it's a hell of a ride / race but that is selling to an international audience. 

My point was rather that the event is being pitched at getting more overseas riders rather than there is more overseas riders but it seems to be going that way already. 

Edited September 8, 2021 by Dirt Tracker

[DIPSLICK]

13 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

I know a lot is said in jest but bloody hell I wish I could be as 'cool' as most of the contributors here ... maybe when I'm big one day ????

now that you small you want to be beeeg again????

[Mountain Bru]

This thread seems popular.... admins are gonna shut it down any second. 

[Hairy]

15 minutes ago, ouzo said:

its not you they are after, its that vibrating device between your legs

That's what she said

[Mountain Bru]

I'll probably only ever do the epic if I'm 100% sponsored. If I had a 120k rolling around in my wallet, there's no chance I'm spending it on a 8 day bike race in SA. Would so much rather travel or bike pack across New Zealand for a month or do the 2 weeks riding in the Swiss Alps story, and then come home and buy an amazeballs coffee machine. 

What's amazing for me about the epic in particular though is how unaware the non-cycling world is about the costs (or at least the people I know). I've had the conversation so many times with people where they ask me if I've done the epic, I say no, and then they ask why not? And then I say because I don't have a spare R150k lying around. And then people are absolutely shocked and horrified that the entry is at least R100k. 

[Wannabe]

I'll rather save for a bit and do the J2C again. I.M.O a much better experience (not as if I did the Epic before, going on what friends says that has done both) and as I'm not "racing" it is a much more relaxed experience. It is also longer KM and day's riding wize, so you get more bang for your buck.