[Event] King Price Race to the Sun

[jcza]

Brain is old tech, all the cool kids are on Flight Attendant. 

[Zebra]

10 hours ago, jcza said:

Brain is old tech, all the cool kids are on Flight Attendant. 

True, but to quote the article:

“As I said, we’ve seen this sort of tech before in Fox’s Live Valve system. You could even argue that Specialized’s longstanding Brain suspension system has been doing the same thing for over a decade, only without electronics.”

All interesting, none-the-less. I could see how a Brain-equipped Gravel bike could be a very affordable way of achieving what the up-to-7 battery Flight Attnedant system, with all the attendant costs, does…

Cheers

Chris

Edited May 14 by Zebra
Context

[_David_]

14 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

What is the biggest advantage of a gravel bike over a mountain bike?

 

• Gearing
• Bike position being in a more aero position
• Narrower / faster rolling tyres
• Better efficiency/power transfer as a result of the lack of suspension

 

If I had a mountain bike, which area out of those noted above are going to give me the most gains if i were to tweak it?

 

I'm not sure what the biggest advantage of a gravel bike over a mountain bike is, but I do know that for races or rides longer than 3 hours, comfort makes a big difference. Maybe it comes down to the individual ability to suffer.

I did the race two years ago on my mountain bike and found the loose sand and corrugation really tough on my body. I can only imagine how difficult it would be on a gravel bike.

[eala]

37 minutes ago, _David_ said:

 

I'm not sure what the biggest advantage of a gravel bike over a mountain bike is, but I do know that for races or rides longer than 3 hours, comfort makes a big difference. Maybe it comes down to the individual ability to suffer.

I did the race two years ago on my mountain bike and found the loose sand and corrugation really tough on my body. I can only imagine how difficult it would be on a gravel bike.

My first R2TS was on a full sus ,second one was on a hardtail and 2024 on a gravel bike .My times were almost exactly the same but with the gravel bike the effort was substantially less . My average heart rate was 20 beats per minute less with the gravel bike .I found that the thinner gravel tyres sliced through the sand easier than a mountain bike that floats on top . The 2 x 11 gearing is also a big advantage and the multiple hand positions help a lot . I picked up two punctures with the gravel bike and still rode the same pace using less energy 

[Charity85]

12 hours ago, Rowl said:

https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/fietsryer-sterf-by-gruiswedren/

 

No reckless action from the taxi, apparently a freak accident.

It feels like they are trying to cover their asses here, that section was poorly marshalled, if at all. An with due respect why was the taxi so close to them in the first place, even with the roadworks it could have comfortably given the rider a wide berth. 

[Spinnekop]

*

Edited May 14 by Spinnekop

[JJDT]

1 hour ago, Charity85 said:

It feels like they are trying to cover their asses here, that section was poorly marshalled, if at all. An with due respect why was the taxi so close to them in the first place, even with the roadworks it could have comfortably given the rider a wide berth. 

My wife and I had a chat about the incident. What is strange to me is that on that downhill section the "better line" was actually on the left. So if these guys were using the better line how come the taxi be on the left hand side and secondly there was a constant stream of riders on that stretch and actually there is no excuse to be on the left side.

So sad that this actually did happen on a gravel road that should've been safe.

[Charity85]

1 minute ago, JJDT said:

My wife and I had a chat about the incident. What is strange to me is that on that downhill section the "better line" was actually on the left. So if these guys were using the better line how come the taxi be on the left hand side and secondly there was a constant stream of riders on that stretch and actually there is no excuse to be on the left side.

So sad that this actually did happen on a gravel road that should've been safe.

Found this comment on FB from a witness supposedly. Feels like the organiser is trying to whitewash the situation by making it sound like a "freak accident". 

 

[Blokman]

Similar post by somebody else on Netwerk 24. The same description of what happened.

[ChrisF]

18 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

What is the biggest advantage of a gravel bike over a mountain bike?

 

• Gearing
• Bike position being in a more aero position
• Narrower / faster rolling tyres
• Better efficiency/power transfer as a result of the lack of suspension

 

If I had a mountain bike, which area out of those noted above are going to give me the most gains if i were to tweak it?

 

At the risk of repeating @Mountain Bru.

 

Gearing - easiest to rectify, until your MTB frame wont take a large enough front ring.  Depending on the event you may NEED real top speed to hang with the front runners, if that is your goal.  Many gravel bikes are 2x, for good reason !!  Doing the likes of Swartberg, with a few hours in the legs, you may NEED that granny gear .... until you hit the open road and you NEED the top end.  So gearing really may be high up on your list, depending on your legs and the types of events you are aiming at.

 

Bike position - I am not the one to comment on this, as I like the typical MTB position.  When the road allows, I just move my hands inward to reduce my drag-profile a bit ... for as much good as that does with a MAMIL profile ... 

 

TYRES .... Got to find that sweet spot for THAT event .... narrow for speed ... wide enough to soak up the terrain .... VERY IMPORTANT !!  And most certainly not one answer for any two races.

 

 

Efficiency .... easy enough to lock out suspension with bar mounted switches.  For me not even an option, I will always go for suspension and lock it when the conditions allow.  That said, by the time you realise you want to unlock it .... then you really want the bar mounted switch so you can unlock with both hands on the bar.

 

 

All that said .... to play with the front runners .... the weight of suspension and the drag of wider tyres will put you at a disadvantage on typical fast gravel races.  Do you want to be up there, or looking for a bike that balance comfort and speed ?  Either or .... never both.

[Pandatron]

1 hour ago, Charity85 said:

Found this comment on FB from a witness supposedly. Feels like the organiser is trying to whitewash the situation by making it sound like a "freak accident". 

 

Unless I'm missing something, race organizer has outlined it as tragic in official communication. Haven't seen them say it was a freak accident. 

[Charity85]

3 minutes ago, Pandatron said:

Unless I'm missing something, race organizer has outlined it as tragic in official communication. Haven't seen them say it was a freak accident. 

True I saw his statement, but what else would he say he has a brand to protect. Ive seen multiple posts from supposed witnesses who says the incident was not that innocent.

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, Charity85 said:

Found this comment on FB from a witness supposedly. Feels like the organiser is trying to whitewash the situation by making it sound like a "freak accident". 

 

There is this part as well in the maroela media report

It could really just have been an accident? Or maybe he did swerve AND the taxi was going too fast? 🤷‍♂️

Still, very sad to see someone losing their live in an event, not something we ever want to see

[Pandatron]

1 minute ago, Charity85 said:

True I saw his statement, but what else would he say he has a brand to protect. Ive seen multiple posts from supposed witnesses who says the incident was not that innocent.

I dont get what your trying to say, organizer has labeled this as a tragic event and at no point said anything contrary. 

[Charity85]

7 minutes ago, Pandatron said:

I dont get what your trying to say, organizer has labeled this as a tragic event and at no point said anything contrary. 

What I am trying to convey is that I have seen multiple sources say it wasnt just a simple freak accident, and that section there was no marshalls or even warning signs as the organiser stated, it further appears from witness statements that the taxi was speeding, it just feels like they are not conveying the full story to save face. Accident v Negligence is a very thin line sometimes.

 

Edited May 14 by Charity85

[Skubarra]

19 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

What is the biggest advantage of a gravel bike over a mountain bike?

 

• Gearing
• Bike position being in a more aero position
• Narrower / faster rolling tyres
• Better efficiency/power transfer as a result of the lack of suspension

 

If I had a mountain bike, which area out of those noted above are going to give me the most gains if i were to tweak it?

There are already good answers on here on where the gains are so wont go into that.

In theory you can convert your mtb into a Frankenstein gravel bike (especially if you can fit the large chainring which wont be possible for all mtb's) - people are already doing it. There are a wide range of gravel bike settings and there are certainly some gray areas between mtb's and gravel bikes.

But most likely its going to take more than a few "tweaks" and you will possibly end up at a point where you are spending enough money on your Frankengravelbike that it would have been cheaper/easier to just buy a gravel bike in the first place.