the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[dev null]

BTW, I see some rain predicted for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

[Spafsack]

6 hours ago, mikkelz said:

Wow, I was just about to ask what the surface was. That's a hill on a dirt road. Not even single-track? 🫣

You pay 100k plus and have to walk, it does look really steep but then zig zag and try reduce incline. Sometimes walking hurts you more, rather just get it over with. Unless it's really loose and you spinning, then I get it.

[Bub Marley]

6 hours ago, nathrix said:

Was thinking exactly the same!

If this is by the missing link, then that particular incline is pretty brutal. Not surprised to see people walk it. The picture doesn’t do it justice tbh. It’s ridiculously steep. 

[nathrix]

It was brutal

[ChrisF]

24 minutes ago, dev null said:

BTW, I see some rain predicted for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

 

Some hot days

 

Some wet days

 

 

Opens up the odds between the teams ....

[SwissVan]

47 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Okay, you missed my next post.

 

Couple of the early riders were walking the DOWN single track.

 

 

Short of a technical that did not make any sense .... thus my question.

Yes sorry I thought you were talking about the rider 701-2 walking in the picture.

 

[babse]

Did Swenson even take 1 turn on the front?  🤨

[Wannabe]

1 hour ago, Spafsack said:

You pay 100k plus and have to walk, it does look really steep but then zig zag and try reduce incline. Sometimes walking hurts you more, rather just get it over with. Unless it's really loose and you spinning, then I get it.

It's got a long drag from the time you cross the tar road from Hoogies, then you have a virtual wall to crest when crossing the service road (it's a working wine farm) before this section kicks up immediately and brutally. That little wall breaks your momentum completely. Then that little section, short it may be, is full of loose pebbles/rocks with the odd erosion ditch. No way to get a proper run in, and zig zagging does not help much, but to break the little momentum you had, and then you start to lose traction on the loose soil.

So, I do not begrudge anyone walking/pushing that section.

Walking down Dorstberg singletrack, now that's another story altogether.

Edited Sunday at 03:09 PM by Wannabe
Spelling

[Jbr]

34 minutes ago, babse said:

Did Swenson even take 1 turn on the front?  🤨

all I saw was him 2 bikelengths behind in the last kilometers

[cadenceblur]

27 minutes ago, Wannabe said:

It's got a long drag from the time you cross the tar road from Hoogies, then you have a virtual wall to crest when crossing the service road (it's a working wine farm) before this section kicks up immediately and brutally. That little wall breaks your momentum completely. Then that little section, short it may be, is full of loose pebbles/rocks with the odd erosion ditch. No way to get a proper run in, and zig zagging does not help much, but to break the little momentum you had, and then you start to lose traction on the loose soil.

So, I do not begrudge anyone walking/pushing that section.

Walking down Dorstberg singletrack, now that's another story altogether.

Yeah, easy for us armchair experts to pass commentary, in fact Gerald mentioned that for many it’s daily management of effort so to walk today means more energy to tackle tomorrow. 
The lack of skills for the singles is another story but maybe people are so scared of a race ending fall? 

[117]

6 hours ago, Michael S said:

Whats the purpose of the green what looks like a zip tie on the pedal?

I wonder if its there to prevent him clipping into that side of the pedal as maybe the extra flange they talk about is only one sided? 

[ajnkzn]

It reduces float on your pedal. 
 

Makes you feel more locked in - I’ve been trying it and definitely won’t go back to no cable tie. 

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Wannabe said:

It's got a long drag from the time you cross the tar road from Hoogies, then you have a virtual wall to crest when crossing the service road (it's a working wine farm) before this section kicks up immediately and brutally. That little wall breaks your momentum completely. Then that little section, short it may be, is full of loose pebbles/rocks with the odd erosion ditch. No way to get a proper run in, and zig zagging does not help much, but to break the little momentum you had, and then you start to lose traction on the loose soil.

So, I do not begrudge anyone walking/pushing that section.

Walking down Dorstberg singletrack, now that's another story altogether.

 

I agree with you 100%, both on the up and down sections.

 

Yet, one has to wonder .... surely there are going to be many more such steep sections in the next week.  Only a select few can power a 40 ring up there, at what point do the walkers need to re-think their gearing for this event ?  

 

At least it is easy to adjust gearing .... late in the day if you cant manage the Dorstberg single track ....

[SamTaylor]

I’m sure all the armchair critics have at least amabubesi status to back up their comments? 

[Lynskey]

41 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

It reduces float on your pedal. 
 

Makes you feel more locked in - I’ve been trying it and definitely won’t go back to no cable tie. 

Why not just use real pedals? Eggbeaters don't need cable ties.

And yes... I do have amabubesi status 🤩📸

[Titleist]

Based on the amount of walkers today, tomorrow will have a lot of DNF’s….