the unofficial Cape Epic 2024 thread

[Headshot]

23 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

funny but I missed the context . I do love the term snowflake. Reminds me of Lewis Hamilton 

He left so you're wasting your breath tough guy...

[Skubarra]

13 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Agreed. And yet there are a whole bunch of riders who view the Epic as the pinnacle of achievement and have enlarged egos as a result of riding it.Or perhaps its just attracts the kind of personality who make lots of bucks and think that way. 

We must move in different circles then, I need to meet these people! Most people I know who completed the Epic don't make a big deal out of it, that bike sticker that can't wash off the bike is usually the only Post-Epic vanity I notice.

Think peeps are reading way too much into Burry's comment.

[bolt67]

1 hour ago, 'Dale said:

Intriguing stats.

Father Sun sure had a say.

Which blue line is 2024 ? if its the lowest one then 2023 and 2024 were some of the highest drop outs ?

 

[Ozzie NL]

1 hour ago, 'Dale said:

Intriguing stats.

Father Sun sure had a say.

Same data, different format. The step up in drop out rate for last 3 years is striking

[TIB]

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Proof that 26ers were better and the younger generation are getting softer 😉

[DieselnDust]

Post Covid health impacts might be the elephant in the room

[PygaSchmyga]

18 minutes ago, Ozzie NL said:

Same data, different format. The step up in drop out rate for last 3 years is striking

 

11 minutes ago, TIB said:

nou verstaan ek - thanks and thanks

[Robbie Stewart]

1 minute ago, DieselnDust said:

Post Covid health impacts might be the elephant in the room

nah, I watched the whole Craig Kolesky video saga on YouTube last night, and I was horrified by all the people walking perfectly rideable singletrack. To me it seemed more of a case of ZERO skills other than being able to ride a bicycle on a flat, level, preferably tarred road. Anything less than that and there is a global dismount and hike-a-bike for who knows how long.

Another reason to not do the Epic. I would blow my lid every time I get held up by people who have no business riding the epic at all.

[Ozzie NL]

16 minutes ago, TIB said:

Is there a reason you have not included 2023? Drop out was 28.9% that year

[PygaSchmyga]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

Agreed. And yet there are a whole bunch of riders who view the Epic as the pinnacle of achievement and have enlarged egos as a result of riding it. Or perhaps its just attracts the kind of personality who make lots of bucks and think that way. 

That's a bit bitter and smacks of sour grapes, no?  And so what if people have this view - surely its a good thing to have a goal and achieving it without others pi$$ing all over it?  If I were ever insane enough to try run and actually finish comrades you'd hear about it from the freaking rooftops!

[Ozzie NL]

5 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

nah, I watched the whole Craig Kolesky video saga on YouTube last night, and I was horrified by all the people walking perfectly rideable singletrack. To me it seemed more of a case of ZERO skills other than being able to ride a bicycle on a flat, level, preferably tarred road. Anything less than that and there is a global dismount and hike-a-bike for who knows how long.

Another reason to not do the Epic. I would blow my lid every time I get held up by people who have no business riding the epic at all.

Your argument would therefore be that the average skills level in the last 3 editions of Epic is dramatically lower than in the previous versions?

Personally I think it is rather due to the fact that the increased % of the route made up of single track vs district roads is the biggest contributor to the higher drop out rate. I have looked at correlations with total distance and ascent and found none but % single track has increased dramatically

[PygaSchmyga]

9 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

nah, I watched the whole Craig Kolesky video saga on YouTube last night, and I was horrified by all the people walking perfectly rideable singletrack. To me it seemed more of a case of ZERO skills other than being able to ride a bicycle on a flat, level, preferably tarred road. Anything less than that and there is a global dismount and hike-a-bike for who knows how long.

Another reason to not do the Epic. I would blow my lid every time I get held up by people who have no business riding the epic at all.

"who have no business riding the epic" - lots of judgerigteid around today, yoh

[Ozzie NL]

50 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

We must move in different circles then, I need to meet these people! Most people I know who completed the Epic don't make a big deal out of it, that bike sticker that can't wash off the bike is usually the only Post-Epic vanity I notice.

Think peeps are reading way too much into Burry's comment.

The unremovable bike sticker is a myth ...glo my

[Headshot]

1 minute ago, PygaSchmyga said:

That's a bit bitter and smacks of sour grapes, no?  And so what if people have this view - surely its a good thing to have a goal and achieving it without others pi$$ing all over it?  If I were ever insane enough to try run and actually finish comrades you'd hear about it from the freaking rooftops!

Why say I'm bitter, its not like I've tried and failed. Actually i tried to enter once and failed at the first hurdle. How do you know someone's done the Epic?   They tell you. 🙂 

Met a guy recently who has done 7 Comrades and is aiming for 10, notwithstanding a recent back op. No ego on display at all. Makes me think its just the limited X section of my sample of epic riders. Type A personalities in the main.

[TIB]

15 minutes ago, Ozzie NL said:

Is there a reason you have not included 2023? Drop out was 28.9% that year

Fixed!