Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?

[ajnkzn]

First tried to bomb, then I think plug and bomb.

Then they put in a tubolito looking thing which must have immediately punctured on the crunched carbon. 
 

Then rode for a while on the delfated tyre which came off the rim, so rim back off the bike and rode on the rim alone. 
 

Someone suggested 10-12 zip ties all around the wheel - might have been slightly better but it works on a Dakar motorbike (Toby Price this last year) because there’s a mousse which, even if it breaks up, still gives some cushion and body inside the tyre. 

[DieselnDust]

15 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

Matt is riding Lifetime Grand Prix series in the USA. 
 

Sea Otter, Unbound Gravel, Leadville etc
 

They time that he put into Keegan Swenson (won the 2022 series) and Lachie Morton suggests (and his BWR San Diego 2nd last year) that he is a serious contender. 
 

Look up last year’s series recap videos on the YouTubes - so cool. 

Call of a Lifetime on YouTube 

[Shebeen]

22 hours ago, Meezo said:

https://twitter.com/CapeEpic/status/1639894638986252288?s=20

well done to whoever is running the ACE twitter feed. (Jazz Kuschke?)

[Shebeen]

 

going to hop on the Nino and his partner wagon here.

he won with Stirneman, then lost with him (DNF) so binned him?

he won with Forster, then lost with him (tyres) so binned him?

Maybe as he ages a bit it's time to ride with marathon stage racers and not XCO guys.

 

 

[babse]

2 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

going to hop on the Nino and his partner wagon here.

he won with Stirneman, then lost with him (DNF) so binned him?

he won with Forster, then lost with him (tyres) so binned him?

Maybe as he ages a bit it's time to ride with marathon stage racers and not XCO guys.

 

 

Both stirneman and Forster got binned by Scott.

Nino should ride with Thomas and see who gets binned from Scott thereafter 🤣🫢

[Jewbacca]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

I hear you and can agree on the point of everyone being there to do the best for themselves. 
But,…..

does that have to impact people who are riding faster. Does a riders decision to walk have to force others who want to ride to also get off and walk? I believe consideration should be given to accommodate others. Everyone has paid therefore have As much right to achieve their finish with their abilities.in running events there is always an opportunity to pass. Not so much in Mtb when you have people who know they are technically weak forcing their way forward at the start then holding everyone up on the single track. It gets especially irksome when you pass these people and they complain or have stupid comments to add. By buying into the idea that you’re there to do your best , this should therefore also be extended to those around you. Instead it’s always me me me me. 

I see it as the same as going out in your car and getting annoyed at bad drivers and traffic.

You KNOW it's going to be there. We saw it a few times with the top 3 teams, all it takes is 1 person to lose their back tire and everyone behind them had to dismount. 

If there were 20, 30 teams and the 4th in line loses it, then oops, that is 36 to 56 people dismounting, which will create 'ghost traffic' that will effect pretty much most teams behind.

I'm a big believer in upskilling, but I am also a big believer in people being very quick to be critical without having a solution or alternative.

Do you want technical trails in the Epic? Yes.... Then expect congestion OR ride fast enough to miss 'most' of it.

3 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

to be truly untamed, Irish all the way to the top, then on to Saaltjie where they drop into Armageddon 8.

THAT is the squirrel catcher.

Robbie, can YOU ride Irish top to bottom without stopping and then crack on across to saaltjie without a breather?

[Danger Dassie]

24 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

well done to whoever is running the ACE twitter feed. (Jazz Kuschke?)

Dave Moseley 

[Headshot]

Having watched the day 6 highlights and seeing what CL and AW did when they got the puncture makes me think they sealed their own fate (punny?) by trying to repair a terminally ill tyre and rim. Had they simply pedalled on to the tech zone with the insert still in the rear rim they would not have wasted all that time trying to fix it and would have been able to ride much faster... hindsight is horrible. 

[DieselnDust]

18 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I see it as the same as going out in your car and getting annoyed at bad drivers and traffic.

You KNOW it's going to be there. We saw it a few times with the top 3 teams, all it takes is 1 person to lose their back tire and everyone behind them had to dismount. 

If there were 20, 30 teams and the 4th in line loses it, then oops, that is 36 to 56 people dismounting, which will create 'ghost traffic' that will effect pretty much most teams behind.

I'm a big believer in upskilling, but I am also a big believer in people being very quick to be critical without having a solution or alternative.

Do you want technical trails in the Epic? Yes.... Then expect congestion OR ride fast enough to miss 'most' of it.

Robbie, can YOU ride Irish top to bottom without stopping and then crack on across to saaltjie without a breather?

 

the solution is simple, Courtesy.

Not racing, then let the faster technically skilled riders through. They will get annoyed anyway and push past which could impact both your days. I've experienced so much courtesy at smaller races like Durbie Dash and provided it on those off days when the legs just don't want to cooperate. At the bigger races it appears this disappears with the amount of cash that's left the bank balance. Courtesy and Consideration go a long way toward improving everyone's experience.

Ride faster to get ahead...I hear this all the time but life doesn't work that way.  A puncture can put you 30min  behind. Then you have to chase back to your race. Circumstance aren't necessary to be known. Its just so much easier to just be courteous and let the faster peeps through, unless you're racing for a podium and prize money. Then gloves are off. But if you're there for the experience why make someone else's experience less pleasant?

Edited March 27, 2023 by DieselnDust

[J Wakefield]

2 hours ago, ajnkzn said:

Matt is riding Lifetime Grand Prix series in the USA. 
 

Sea Otter, Unbound Gravel, Leadville etc
 

The time that he and Chris put into Keegan Swenson (won the 2022 series) and Lachie Morton suggests (and his BWR San Diego 2nd last year) that he is a serious contender. 
 

Look up last year’s series recap videos on the YouTubes - so cool. 

It’s not the same race - but he is a contender ofcourse 

[babse]

#savage 

[J Wakefield]

43 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

going to hop on the Nino and his partner wagon here.

he won with Stirneman, then lost with him (DNF) so binned him?

he won with Forster, then lost with him (tyres) so binned him?

Maybe as he ages a bit it's time to ride with marathon stage racers and not XCO guys.

 

 

Lots of eggs thrown against the wall there 

[DieselnDust]

47 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

going to hop on the Nino and his partner wagon here.

he won with Stirneman, then lost with him (DNF) so binned him?

he won with Forster, then lost with him (tyres) so binned him?

Maybe as he ages a bit it's time to ride with marathon stage racers and not XCO guys.

 

 

Not sure what you're tryin to say here. Team dynamics changes year to year depending on objectives. Scott Sram is built around Nino. It was structured like this to take on a built around Christoph Sauser Specialized Factory racing team. The other guys were always going to be plug and play depending on their ability to get up to speed to support the teams UCI ranking. What were the contractual obligations? So many unknowns

Edited March 27, 2023 by DieselnDust

[Headshot]

39 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

 

the solution is simple, Courtesy.

Not racing, then let the faster technically skilled riders through. They will get annoyed anyway and push past which could impact both your days. I've experienced so much courtesy at smaller races like Durbie Dash and provided it on those off days when the legs just don't want to cooperate. At the bigger races it appears this disappears with the amount of cash that's left the bank balance. Courtesy and Consideration go a long way toward improving everyone's experience.

Ride faster to get ahead...I hear this all the time but life doesn't work that way.  A puncture can put you 30min  behind. Then you have to chase back to your race. Circumstance aren't necessary to be known. Its just so much easier to just be courteous and let the faster peeps through, unless you're racing for a podium and prize money. Then gloves are off. But if you're there for the experience why make someone else's experience less pleasant?

Agreed. I recall doing the very much a fun ride Eselfontein 3 day and having some testosterone fueled  apple farmers holding everybody up the moment there was anything technical on the trail - i.e all the time. At one point there was a train of riders being held up by these situationally unaware ego wallies. There was also a palpable lack of respect to women riders, especially those who were quicker than their male counterparts... 

[jcza]

I thought the rider in front always has right of way. 

[Jewbacca]

53 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

 

the solution is simple, Courtesy.

Not racing, then let the faster technically skilled riders through. They will get annoyed anyway and push past which could impact both your days. I've experienced so much courtesy at smaller races like Durbie Dash and provided it on those off days when the legs just don't want to cooperate. At the bigger races it appears this disappears with the amount of cash that's left the bank balance. Courtesy and Consideration go a long way toward improving everyone's experience.

Ride faster to get ahead...I hear this all the time but life doesn't work that way.  A puncture can put you 30min  behind. Then you have to chase back to your race. Circumstance aren't necessary to be known. Its just so much easier to just be courteous and let the faster peeps through, unless you're racing for a podium and prize money. Then gloves are off. But if you're there for the experience why make someone else's experience less pleasant?

I agree completely. Courtesy, some manners and some common sense. 

Unfortunately these are things I see seldom, especially amongst those with more cents and sense. 

I'm just always amused that it is brought up every year during Epic.

There is no real solution unfortunately.