the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[DieselnDust]

3 minutes ago, Dappere said:

Squirt sealant isn’t great—I tried it once and never again. It struggles to seal even the smallest punctures.

I can’t recommend Pirelli’s Scorpion RC XC Prowall tyres enough. I’ve used them extensively across multiple races without any issues, though unfortunately, they’re now quite difficult to find in South Africa. My riding partner runs the Rekon Race and has had a similarly positive experience, with minimal problems. I stand to be corrected, but I believe the Rekon Race has been the most successful tyre at the Cape Epic, at least in recent years.

Regarding SRAM AXS issues, particularly with the new transmission, bent connector pins appeared to be a significant problem. I’m not sure whether this was purely due to mechanics having to service many bikes before the next stage, but it seemed to be a recurring issue.

The XCRC is very popular. CCS are lapping up what they can. The Scorpion Sport H is also gaining traction in our market but the Rekon Race is stupidly popular. 
with the Transmission and FA units the spring behind the pin corrodes and then breaks. SRAM warranty the unit but a permanent fix is coming. It’s ok under normal use but with bikes being jet washed at stage races this accelerates the problem. Add some dust and the pins jam which adds a different issue of intermittent connectivity. 
a regular clean out with electrical cleaner and then silicone spray should help reduce the issue in the short term

[Dappere]

20 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I’ll add that during the event I added observing others behaviours as a learning opportunity became a motivator. Make use of the opportunity right. Chatting to riders about their prep, how teams formed , how they trained etc it was a big learning for me. I think I can say that we South Africans are the most well prepared for ultra events out of all other nations outside of the professional field. We seem to sink more headspace into our preparation than the euros or Americans I spoke too. 
the Spanish are the most quasi pro. I mean aero socks, tight fitting kit , low bmi but somehow no durability tells me they spend a lot of time only on road bikes and those who spoke English confirmed that. 
I took a lot of mental notes 😂.

you could say that as the event wore on, learning more became my motivator for each day. Riding behind people to observe instead of wanting to pass for free space and max enjoyment of the trails. I can do that another time 

Extremely interesting observation regarding South Africans not being as well prepared for ultra events.

Do you think this could be due to the accessibility of our trails? Instead of committing to structured training, we might get easily distracted by single tracks—and to be fair, what’s better than a flowing single track?

On a related note, I’ve also noticed that European riders tend to struggle with switchbacks, particularly on climbs. My riding partner and I experienced this first-hand during our first European Epic. That left us with two options—either empty the tank to reach the switchback first or learn to be patient! 🤣

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, Dappere said:

Extremely interesting observation regarding South Africans not being as well prepared for ultra events.

Do you think this could be due to the accessibility of our trails? Instead of committing to structured training, we might get easily distracted by single tracks—and to be fair, what’s better than a flowing single track?

On a related note, I’ve also noticed that European riders tend to struggle with switchbacks, particularly on climbs. My riding partner and I experienced this first-hand during our first European Epic. That left us with two options—either empty the tank to reach the switchback first or learn to be patient! 🤣

I think you misread, I said we are the most well prepared. Maybe not the most single track proficient but we have our logistics down to a T. Maybe because we’ve at it for  longer , more events etc.

[Dappere]

2 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

I think you misread, I said we are the most well prepared. Maybe not the most single track proficient but we have our logistics down to a T. Maybe because we’ve at it for  longer , more events etc.

Ah, I see what you meant now—I misread that! 🙈

Accessibility to trails could also be a factor, along with the number of events that make use of some of those trails in similar conditions, as you mentioned.

[Cardiogoth]

5 minutes ago, Dappere said:

Ah, I see what you meant now—I misread that! 🙈

Accessibility to trails could also be a factor, along with the number of events that make use of some of those trails in similar conditions, as you mentioned.

Also, don't discount (a) the logistics of travelling halfway across the world, and (b) the fact that the ACE is being held at the end of the Northern Hemisphere winter - if I've spent the last 4-5 months training either indoors or on the road in below zero temps (for example a lot of trails here are closed November to March or not safe to ride), you're starting off a deficit. I can personally attest to the impact of training over a European winter and then going straight to an event somewhere 20 - 25 degrees warmer and how completely unprepared I felt for that.  

[NotSoBigBen]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Motivations? None really. I was asked. I accepted , I rode, i completed. The epic is not a motivator for me. Being fit and ready to ride anything is my motivation, obsession even 

As attributed to Willie Engelbrecht  when he was asked why do you keep riding and so much "Just in case"

Resonated with me!

[Dappere]

23 minutes ago, Cardiogoth said:

Also, don't discount (a) the logistics of travelling halfway across the world, and (b) the fact that the ACE is being held at the end of the Northern Hemisphere winter - if I've spent the last 4-5 months training either indoors or on the road in below zero temps (for example a lot of trails here are closed November to March or not safe to ride), you're starting off a deficit. I can personally attest to the impact of training over a European winter and then going straight to an event somewhere 20 - 25 degrees warmer and how completely unprepared I felt for that.  

Fair—case in point, Georg Egger from Speed Company at the Tankwa Trek this year. The heat played a significant role in his performance.

I’ve seen some European riders attempt heat training by using an indoor trainer in a sauna, but this seems to be far less common among riders outside of the UCI circuit.

[Cardiogoth]

8 minutes ago, Dappere said:

I’ve seen some European riders attempt heat training by using an indoor trainer in a sauna, but this seems to be far less common among riders outside of the UCI circuit.

For sure, I'd love to do more heat training, but that's not really realistic for most people. I'm pretty sure I'd get a lot of strange looks if I took one of the Wattbikes at my gym into the sauna.

I doubt most people even make the time / investment to travel to the race venue a week early to set up properly, pre-ride some sections and do a little bit of acclimatisation (I can't) - but you probably need to do that for something this far outside your comfort zone.

[DieselnDust]

For heat acclimation I simply started my training rides late in the day, around midday. All through summer. Sleep late , walk the dog have breakfast with wifey and kids and on the bike by 10;30/11:00

the trails are empty , except for snakes , and I’m doing intervals. In Tokai , bike park is close by for a refuel and hit it again. 5am rides do buggerall for helping you adjust to the heat and it takes longer than you’d think. 80% of the adaptation is quite quick but that last 20% is where you have to start looking at salt/electrolyte intake and get your energy balance right for the heat as it changes. 

[andydude]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

The prologue and stage 1 delivered fairly high sealant consumption according to Lance from Daisy way. I will just add that Squirt need to rethink their sealant, Dan it’s awful. Once they switched my tyres bsck to my regular Enduroseal I stopped getting latex showers.

there were unseen mechanicals. Some issues with electronic gears and suspension and fine dust getting into the system. 
tyre choices were fairly conservative across the board with Rekon Race and Pirelli Scorpion XCRC Prowall being very popular choices. 
overall I think SRAM had 90% of the drivetrain field captured with a few challenges relating to dust that they know how to solve. The tech zones seemed quite quiet wrt to broken wheel. Mechs were mostly busy with cleaning battery contacts and then the system worked again. I think mechanical Transmission will be perfect for Cape Epic going forward.

some broken pedals , can’t say if it’s more or less than previous years. SPD s still don’t work in mud yet remain the most popular system. There seems to be a resurgence in TIME ATAC uptake.

gripshift scale and well and probably most trouble free shifter for cape epic. 
broken saddles were also popular in the amateur field. Those 3D printed jobs from you know who don’t appear to be sttong enough for Mtb 

I see Rekon Race is a semi-slick XC tyre. Is that good enough for a Epic and technical? And for example Tygerberg trails? Combination between front and back from what you have seen? For example both 2.25, or front 2.35 rather, or both 2.35?

[Dappere]

33 minutes ago, Cardiogoth said:

For sure, I'd love to do more heat training, but that's not really realistic for most people. I'm pretty sure I'd get a lot of strange looks if I took one of the Wattbikes at my gym into the sauna.

I doubt most people even make the time / investment to travel to the race venue a week early to set up properly, pre-ride some sections and do a little bit of acclimatisation (I can't) - but you probably need to do that for something this far outside your comfort zone.

I’m sure you’d get some odd looks pulling a Wattbike into the gym sauna! 😂

I first heard about cycling in a sauna on a TrainerRoad podcast, where they mentioned that some riders buy sauna tents to train in. But, as you said, it’s likely a significant investment. 

[Dappere]

30 minutes ago, andydude said:

I see Rekon Race is a semi-slick XC tyre. Is that good enough for a Epic and technical? And for example Tygerberg trails? Combination between front and back from what you have seen? For example both 2.25, or front 2.35 rather, or both 2.35?

Tyre choice is largely a matter of personal preference, with factors such as skill level, rolling resistance, and grip all playing a role. The Pirelli Scorpion RC XC tyres I used are quite similar to the Rekon Race, and I’ve never had any issues—they offer more than enough grip for my needs.

My riding partner completed two Epics on a single set of Rekon Race tyres—Cape Epic (March) and 4Islands (April)—with zero issues, even on the notoriously rough, sidewall-eating rocks of 4Islands. Based on that, I’d say they are more than capable for the Cape Epic.

As for width, we personally prefer wider tyres, and we both run 2.4s. At this size, the Rekon Race weighs around 800g per tyre, which is slightly heavier than the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC ProWall at approximately 700g per tyre.

[Cardiogoth]

26 minutes ago, Dappere said:

I’m sure you’d get some odd looks pulling a Wattbike into the gym sauna! 😂

I first heard about cycling in a sauna on a TrainerRoad podcast, where they mentioned that some riders buy sauna tents to train in. But, as you said, it’s likely a significant investment. 

To be honest, I think even doing a few hours of passive heat training a week would be pretty beneficial, but again, that's another time investment.

[shambler]

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

[amac]

14 minutes ago, shambler said:

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

This is awful.

[Mamil]

45 minutes ago, shambler said:

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

This media as well as several first hand accounts strongly suggest that the statement referring to the lack of water on the mountain as "misinformation" is a actually a lie.

An investigative journalist might make a name for him/herself here.