Gravel burn 2025

[PhilipV]

4 hours ago, droo said:

Shots fired!

(Not even remotely inaccurate though)

Modern day gravel bikes are nicer than my first 3 mountain bikes. 

3 hours ago, betaboy said:

Yet… gravel isn’t officially even recognised on the SA cycling website a  bunch of clowns! We can get a worlds jersey without them. True fact.✔️💪🏻

To be fair, the UCI don’t really know how to do gravel either.
Also: are all facts not by virtue true? 

2 hours ago, betaboy said:

I think the first edition should have given locals riders a fair price… after all it was “us” who built the Epic Empire! 
Then I hear the route designer saying .. this event is for everyone! LOL. Yeah bra’ you keep smoking that peace pipe!

Naah, we want to see drama, and for that, we need the big guns. And the big guns (HAVE NOTS) need to be subsidized by the wallets of the HAVES. It’s the Socialistic- Capitalist way. 

Edited October 14, 2025 by PhilipV

[Shebeen]

On 10/10/2025 at 12:16 PM, Headshot said:

Okay, so now the FC thinks you need to pay them to go bike packing? What do they provide?

you can still go bikepacking for mahala! But if you want to do this bikepacking race, then you need to enter.

 

 

 

This is what you get for $600 at the (sold out) Across Andes next month which is 5 days.

 

but if you want to race for free - go find plenty here https://bikepacking.com/events/category/bikepacking-races/ (you might need to fly)

 

[openmind]

8 hours ago, droo said:

Shots fired!

(Not even remotely inaccurate though)

I came 6th in the MTB festival (first SA champs? Can’t remember) downhill race in Sedgefield in 1990 on a fully rigid 26” MTB. Course was straight down a fire road with a few water bars that were easy to bunnyhop. 🤪

[milky4130]

15 minutes ago, openmind said:

I came 6th in the MTB festival (first SA champs? Can’t remember) downhill race in Sedgefield in 1990 on a fully rigid 26” MTB. Course was straight down a fire road with a few water bars that were easy to bunnyhop. 🤪

First Downhill SA CHAMPS or just First SA MTB CHAMPS, was there a difference back then?

anyway here is the results for the First SA MTB CHAMPS in 1989

[droo]

12 hours ago, openmind said:

I came 6th in the MTB festival (first SA champs? Can’t remember) downhill race in Sedgefield in 1990 on a fully rigid 26” MTB. Course was straight down a fire road with a few water bars that were easy to bunnyhop. 🤪

A coaster brake would round this off nicely...

[DieselnDust]

14 hours ago, openmind said:

I came 6th in the MTB festival (first SA champs? Can’t remember) downhill race in Sedgefield in 1990 on a fully rigid 26” MTB. Course was straight down a fire road with a few water bars that were easy to bunnyhop. 🤪

Those were the days

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, droo said:

A coaster brake would round this off nicely...

There were a few bikes with coaster brakes. Most of the MTBers back then worked for bicycle distributors or were quite well heeled, you know from Constanshaar. Matthew Kimble was the oke to beat on his Cannondale SUper Vee. The XC course was an extended version of the DH course. Basically the clib back up the hill with a drop down the other side and climb back up again

A set of brake blocks per event was the order of the day, and often a pair of shoes too because the brakes often had no effect so the foot brake came in handy

[Shebeen]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/gravel/im-racing-the-800km-gravel-burn-in-south-africa-and-this-is-the-bike-ive-chosen-to-help-get-me-to-the-finish-line

[HdB]

23 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/gravel/im-racing-the-800km-gravel-burn-in-south-africa-and-this-is-the-bike-ive-chosen-to-help-get-me-to-the-finish-line

The cheetah is part of The Big 5 now?

Lovely bike!

[betaboy]

47 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/gravel/im-racing-the-800km-gravel-burn-in-south-africa-and-this-is-the-bike-ive-chosen-to-help-get-me-to-the-finish-line

…his been gone for too long, those tires are going to be 40mm of regret! 😂😂😂 Boetie, you gonna Burn.

Edited October 17, 2025 by betaboy
Spelling violation on InterWebs…🤓

[milky4130]

1 hour ago, betaboy said:

…his been gone for too long, those tires are going to be 40mm of regret! 😂😂😂 Boetie, you gonna Burn.

to be fair he doesnt say he is going to use those 40 tires but the 47's, I think he should stick to the 50c's

 

 

[Headshot]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/gravel/im-racing-the-800km-gravel-burn-in-south-africa-and-this-is-the-bike-ive-chosen-to-help-get-me-to-the-finish-line

He should know that SA Gravel is best ridden on  a full suspension MTB. 

[DieselnDust]

7 hours ago, Headshot said:

He should know that SA Gravel is best ridden on  a full suspension MTB. 

True

[DieselnDust]

Those wolf tooth pedals are sweet

[babse]

On 10/17/2025 at 10:39 AM, Shebeen said:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/gravel/im-racing-the-800km-gravel-burn-in-south-africa-and-this-is-the-bike-ive-chosen-to-help-get-me-to-the-finish-line

At least he gets his wish to ride the epic solo...

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, babse said:

At least he gets his wish to ride the epic solo...

I bet he thought he lived that one down 😂